specks chicago escape (JOURNAL)

We are here! After running into Union Station to use the facilities we start hoofing it to the hotel, anticipating dropping off the bags and then going to find some place for breakfast. Daryl, the bellman at the hotel has other plans, he calls up to the front desk and within 15 minutes we are checked in. At 7 am. That was awesome! After a few hours of sleep we head outside to see what we can see. And what do you know, Jersey Boys has seats available, limited view but it is a good limited view, and $25 dollars a ticket... we had to do it. With an hour to burn before showtime we were starving and with being on vacation I am off the diet, lead me to the trough! But apparently the theatre district is shut down on Sundays, even the McDonalds is closed! But accross the street from the LaSalle Bank Theatre is a wine bar. Fine, we have a glass of wine but show time is close and we are out of time to get something to eat... off the diet, itching for junk food and still have not cheated, wine is LEGAL on South Beach... The show was a lot of fun, I was amazed how many songs I knew that they performed and greatly enjoyed watching the group grow and mature. Definatly well worth seeing.

After getting out of the theatre we are starved. We decide to walk up the street to the Oriental Theatre (I am already liking the name) and are told that there is a special drawing happening at the bookstore at the corner. To the bookstore we must go, and wander around, and get Speck a JFK (three shots) of espresso. After entering the raffle we step back onto the streen and come to a place called Potbelly's. There is food I can't eat at home! And it was good sayeth the Speck.  The drawing for tickets is at the bookstore at the corner so back we go and we are told the drawing is at 6pm. Not 5:30? No, its at 6pm. Frickin' liars. The drawing was at 5:30, but they do have a couple of limited view tickets available... $25 a piece for $72 tickets... OK, why not a second show in one day, we won't be able to afford it later in the week if we can't win a drawing. Limited view is right. I have a wonderful view of the steps at the side of the stage and such an oblique angle that if characters are not out front they might as well not exist... thank god there are empty seats behind us, we shift back and suddenly there is a fantastical world in front of us with a bunch of racist midgets and a Meglomanical inventor running the show.

You might think that Speck would be tired by now, but a bottle of, what else, wine is calling. But like restaraunts in this neighborhood, liquor stores are closed. Resorting to a 7-eleven and an overpriced bottle of reisling we continue back to the hotel where Speck watches August Rush (its got Robin Williams in it) and the day finally ends.