The Windy City

On Saturday my sister Anne and I took the train from South Bend to Chicago and joined the masses of people on Michigan Avenue who are apparently blissfully unaware of any type of economic recession. Our husbands were kind enough (though perhaps less than thrilled) to let us have the whole day to ourselves, while they stayed at home with our dear offspring (Thanks Kevin and Nate!) The weather was "brisk" (to put it mildly), but what is driving wind and snow when you are not taking care of babies and toddlers? (Actually, it is still driving wind and snow, but the feeling of independence is so exhilarating that you can almost imagine that you can feel your toes). The train ride was long (and made longer by some electrical problems) but we were really quite happy to be able to leisurely read our books and talk without being interrupted. And we had a great time shopping and laughing (mainly about Anne's less than graceful wipeout in the parking lot and what we thought was a hilarious running commentary on everything we were doing).

And the trip wasn't entirely selfish. We met our cousin Laura (who lives in Chicago) and visited our aunt Pam who recently underwent  what appears to be a successful stem cell transplant to cure her of a rare autoimmune disorder.

Uncle Jim and Aunt Pam

On our way home I couldn't help but turn my attention to this sign posted on the emergency door. Maybe there are some people who, in the event of the train catching fire or wrecking or some other disaster, would be able to calmly read and follow these instructions which would then lead to more instructions, which would hopefully then result in the door opening. I am not one of those people.