On this, the nicest day of the year.

The other night, I was driving my father and step mother to dinner. She doesn't speak a whole lot of English, so he and I are just chattering away. I asked what he was doing this week. Visiting friends, going to the casino, etc.

Me: "Dad, Susan has never been to Chicago. When are you taking her into the city?"
Dad: "What is there to do in the city?"
Me: (names 10 things)
Dad: "Susan grew up in a city in China. She has no interest in seeing the city."
Me: "Really? Did you ask her?"

The next day, at Alex's birthday party, he said:

"I stand corrected. Susan wants to see the city. Let's do that on Tuesday."

So I took a vacation day, got online and figured out how this would work. They got on the train near my brother's house and I picked it up closer to where I live. I had to fight to get him on the 9:18 train.

So. The first thing he says is that he needs a new wallet. So we end up at freakin' Macy's. Again.

Well - I don't remember how to get everywhere, but the State Street Marshall Fields? I remember. And it. Looked. Horrible. I hadn't been in since they changed it to Macy's, so I don't know if it is always that horrible or if this is some kind of post-holiday, economic slump thing. But it made me sad.

So we went to the Park and they get a big kick out of the bean and Navy Pier and The Art Institute. By the way, The Art Institute is doing free admission for the entire month. The Munch Exhibition doesn't start until next week and they are charging for that, but if the gift shop can be believed, they have conned the Smithsonian into lending them "Vampire" (which was apparently originally titled "Love and Pain" - thanks Internet) and I really love that piece.

And then we had enough.

Here is my father's life: it has been about 10 degrees every day since Christmas, but he flies into town and the temperature skyrockets and the snow melts. He is leaving tomorrow. And what is happening tomorrow? First the rain. And then the temp drops 40 degrees.