A Chicago Christmas Tale

A couple of years ago Meg and Phil couldn't come home for Christmas. They were just starting their clinical rotations in Chicago and had to work on Christmas day but had a few days off before that so we, ( Mr. L, Al , Ed & I) decided make the 7&1/2 hour trek to the windy city so we could all be together. If Mohammed won't go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed and all that. They lived in a dodgy part of town in an apartment complex that looked like it would make the perfect set for a murder thriller. I'm not even kidding. The elevator mostly didn't work and so you had to take the stairs which were dimly lit, (when lit) and had some wire fencing around the walls- don't ask me why.  I ran the whole time I was in the stairwell, thinking this could be my last run ever.  We met the owner of the apartment outside the building and he asked who we were and what we were doing there.  Do you mind? Who wants to know? But he actually wanted to help us cause he told us that we were ok ( meaning we would probably live) if we went out of the building and turned right. "Left is Afghanistan, man".  No, we did not want to go left- that's for darn sure. One day we decided to go for an outside run by the lake- right once out of the building. Here we are pre- run:

We're just trying to fit in, man, just trying to blend

Tempted as I was, I have held back on making this photo our family Christmas card. (Plus Phil was taking the shot and he would need to be in it.) Since we were all staying in the apartment and were saving a bunch on accommodation (and rest on account of the creepiness of the place), for a treat, I used Hotwire and got us 3 rooms in a downtown Chicago hotel for the night of Dec 23. We also went out for a vegan meal at Karyn's on Green which served crazy "fude" like fake "crab" cake sliders and "chicken" legs made out of seitan or almond butter. It was really freaky but delicious. Phil and his buddy, Eugene, who joined us for dinner had  enzymes- shots of digestive dietary supplements (ya vegan med students- kooky).

On Christmas eve morning, Al was still on the hunt for his secret Santa present. We do a secret Santa as our Christmas present giving one each, our then 9 year old friend E, (she is now 11 and still doing this for us, thanks E)- picked names out of a hat and emailed them to each of us -$25.00 max. The idea was to "get" the other person in approximately that amount of money. All of us almost always had to spend a  bit more but the aim was to keep it small.

So off we went- out on the streets of Chicago first thing on Dec 24. It was a sunny, crisp morning and I was feeling euphoric, having had a good night's sleep cause I wasn't ascared of getting murdered and as as we cut across Millennium Park to get to the shopping area, the air had a truly magical quality. We were passing the Bean - awesome and it wasn't tourist town. Wow- what a place to have Christmas. I had  wanted to get the family some famous Garrett's gourmet popcorn, (they now ship to Canada, btw- so happy days!) but wasn't quite sure where the store was- so Al and I were sort of rambling. It was pretty cool to be out somewhere new, urban, seeing different people, getting a new perspective on life at a time when we are normally so quiet, traditional and comfortable. There were Santas on many corners, ringing bells, lots of people out an about, big department stores with fanastical displays. A couple of neat things happened- by chance we found Garrett's- it was empty when we went in-not a soul in the place and by the time I had ordered and was paying for the multiple bags of popcorn- it was full- jammed up with people in line behind me and out the door. Where did these people come from?And so fast and quiet. Al said it was like being on the Trueman show with the extras coming late. Also Al and I went to Macy's- a beautiful 6 storey building with awnings and all the trimmings- it was so pretty and full of Christmas hoopla- music, lights, decorations, that I was delighted and wanted to experience it more fully.  A full crowd was waiting for the elevator and Al was the last to get in and everybody except him had turned around to face the door and he said " Now that I have your attention" as though he had summoned them there. Everybody cracked up and there was this easy goodwill between strangers sharing a joke on the morning before Christmas. Great stuff.

That Christmas eve we had a vegetarian meal round a bridge table and my secret Santa present was Mabel (of the Mabeldoyoumind). My secret Santa got me for sure. Knew just what I wanted and needed.

Sally and Mabel

So you you see where I'm going. Tradition is excellent and comforting but so is spicing it up and trying something different. You only live once and who knows- a change in perspective could be refreshing even on Christmas.