Chicago 1999

Jeanie, my youngest son Brian, and myself went to Chicago, on Independence Day weekend, in 1999. I was there to speak to the NAMI Conference on the mentally ill. My topic was the incarcerated mentally ill. The trip was paid for by the conference and we got to stay at the Hilton Hotel next to Grant Park.


Jeanie and Brian after a water ride in Grant Park.

Jeanie was just getting over her hysterectomy from six weeks earlier. Since I had taken my son Zach to Washington DC, the previous year, it was Brian's turn to go on a trip with me.

We drove up to Chicago. On the way, we stopped and got hair cuts----all of us. We all got very short haircuts---including Jeanie. Afterall, it was the beginning of summer and it was hot.

One of the benefits was that the "Taste of Chicago" festival was going on in Grant Park. It was a big event with about 500,000 people pouring into the park for three days for free music, entertainment, and a sample of the food of Chicago.

The picture above is from a carvinal site there. I took this photo of Jeanie and Brian after they got off a water ride which turned out to be very wet. The photo was taken with a cheap throwaway camera, but this pic is my favorite of Jeanie and Brian.

It was a great time. We enjoyed this festival very much. I have to admit though, it was a bit scary being in such a large crowd with a small child. It seems it is always in the back of your mind that you might lose your child someway.

The most popular food item that year was the smoked turkey legs. You would have to wait a long time in line to get one. After seeing the lines, I put off getting one for a long time, but everywhere you went, somebody would come by eating one. Soon the temptation became too much, and the three of us got in line to wait our turn to taste this delicacy.

After about 45 minutes in this line, a rude and probably intoxicated man of of about 30 yo, pushed his way assertively through the line. He kept saying excuse me and moving forward. I guess most people in the line thought he was just trying to catch up with a friend of family member already in line. He made it to my position about the time it was my time to order. He started to order and I cut him off and probably said some abrupt and crude things. I can't remember what I said, but it must have been loud as the dozens in line either applauded or jeered this young man to get to the end of the line. I guess he was embarassed into complying and left the line without his turkey trophy.

It was just a great time. We even got to go to the top of the Sears Tower. This visit to the tower was before the restricions placed by terrorist alerts. The tower visits have been much limited since the 911 attacks.

It is very sad for me, that Jeanie could never remember this trip after her brain surgery. It was to be one of our happiest times.