As promised

I'm not very timely with my updates, but sooner or later, they show up, eh?  :-)  Today was very busy.  I am on a few of the interview panels for the vendors who will provide the City's new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system.  In other words, a bunch of us are choosing the City's new financial/human resources/procurement/grant/GL system.  Woohoo.  The interviews are as boring as the vendor wants to make them.  Some of them do a great job "entertaining" us (sense of humor, using the audience to their advantage to showcase their product), but several have been slumber-inducing.  One has even been sent home.

I also did the usual post-work activities - the gym and laundry and a little baking and plum delivery and facebooking.  I bench pressed 105 pounds today, the first time I've done the bench press since early college, and therefore my heaviest weight as an adult (or so I'm claiming).  Most of the girls did around the same, but I'd like to see some progress for myself before we try again in a few months, simply because the bench press was always my favorite lift in the college weight-lifting class I took.

Last weekend I went to a friend's house to pick plums, and wow, did I ever pick plums!  I think I came home with about 40 pounds.  Most of it went in the freezer, but I did make a plum-cardamom cake and plum clafoutis.  I gave a few away to friends, too, along with a bite of cake.  Tonight I also made chocolate drops, the nice name for what I privately call "clean out your pantry candy".  It's just dried fruit and nuts, rice krispies (or not), and melted choclate.  Stir and spoon onto wax paper. Chill.  Easy peasy!  And a perfect treat for someone's birthday tomorrow...

Anyway, on to the pictures!  These are from July, when I visited Chicago to see Jerry, Bernice, James, Lucas, and Mr./Miss Yet-To-Be-Seen.  Maybe they will help you take a little mental vacation to Chicago as well. 

The Big City... but not much wind.

The port!  Or harbor!  Whatever it's called! I'm too tired to look it up!  But I love the pretty sailboats.

The famous ferris wheel.

Skyscrapers

And more sky scrapers.  But one is old.  With a cool clock at the top.

The Donald Trump tower.  Which I thought was in New York.  Apparently not.

Big brother needs some shades.  Hmm... what holiday is coming up next?

Yeah, I'm a little weird for taking a picture of a restaurant's bathroom.  But I loved the hammered metal sink!  And the tile! And that mirror!

Grand old mossy church!

I guess renters in downtown Chicago have to put up with the same type of air conditioning we get in downtown Boise.

Goodbye Chicago! Au revoir!