July 22 - John Hancock Observatory and Big Cheese Poutinerie (and a thunder storm)

We shuttled the kids downtown to the John Hancock building to view the city from the 94th floor.  The older 2 got into it but Natalie was suffering from exhaustion/hunger/random grumpiness so we quickly got our 360 degree view and headed out for a bite to eat.  Jack ran home with her so she could sleep in the stroller while I took the older 2 to the downtown Nike store to buy some new kicks for school.   The whole ordeal took over an hour partly because our salesperson was on day 2 of his 3-day fast and admitted that he was lacking a little spring in his step today. If this is day 2, I don't want to see how he is on day 3!   When asked if I would like to take a 'short survey' on my experience in the store today, I declined.  My mama always says: 'If you don't have anything nice to say, shut your cake hole.'

After feeding the kids dinner at home, we strolled over to one of our favorite playgrounds that they have considerably upgraded since we lived here.  Then, to The Big Cheese Poutinerie to get dinner for mama.  Are you kidding me?!?   A whole restaurant dedicated to poutine?!?  Fries, cheese curds and gravy ... a french canadian classic and a wonderful thing no doubt but a whole restaurant?  Well, it is on Clark Street a few blocks from Wrigley field so I'm thinking that their clientele is more drunken Cubs fans, drowning their sorrows in sodium and cholesterol than homesick Canadians looking for a fix.  Well, we got the classic (of course) and the gravy was a little disappointing but, overall, a fine choice.  We also got the Buffalo Chicken - which had the same ingredients as the Classic plus chicken, hot sauce, green peas and I think bacon.  It's all a bit of a blur now but it was salty, fatty goodness.  I think I'd better go for a run tomorrow.

Once we got tucked in, the thunder storm started.  The timing couldn't have been better!