howz the weather?

Just landed at SFO last night after a week in Illinois. Chicago is as lively as ever. Folks don't even go out for dinner till 9pm. Streets are rockin in the evening, restaurants packed, sports bars noisy, and tourists abound. Lots of rotating weather, rain, wind, chill, calm, sun, clouds, sun again. Well, that desribes the first 15 minutes in the windy city. Hit all the quirky museums (Polish, Federal Reserve museum (history of money, where we saw actual "wampum") to name a couple. Drove 90 minutes to Wisconsin, Lake Geneva. Beautiful lake and lots of McMansions. Back to Melrose Park, the family town, where the likes of Tony Arcardo, Joey Auiupa grew up with my mother-in-law (mafia figures). Once I was showing her a Time Mag. cover with 6 of the most feared Mafia figures. She went all the way thru school with 4 of them. Anyway, lots of amazing Italian restaurants and bakeries. Filled up on Cannoli and beef sandwiches. Went to Oak Park, next town over,visited the homes of Frank Lloyd Wright (saw about 10 of his creations and his own home) Ernest Hemmingway and Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan author). Fabulous neighborhoods with stately mansions and neverending grounds. Must have been amazing in the early 1900's. Lots of tycoons back then, and apparently they all tried to outdo each other by building spetacular homes and gardens. Off to Boston and CapeCod tomorrow. Talk to you later!