THERE'S A RAT ON EVERY CORNER......

I was at my home away from home last week, Houston.  I really do like it there, I think I could get used to the Texas city life, and I think my car would look FAB with horns on the front.

It was just an average week in Houston, hot, with some rain (which for some reason only happens when I am there). I did notice that the homeless were on vacation,  I don't recall being accosted once.  That may be a first.

But as is always the deal with Houston, Friday rolled around and back to Chicago we came. Where it was HOTTER and rain is STILL only a fond memory.  We decided we'd go to the boat on Sunday, so Saturday Mark did one of his favorite things......

Worked on this old house.....

I was excited by this ... see, on my kitchen porch, there are two staircases, one heading to the east, and one to the west.  The western side goes directly to the yard, and that is where the doglets go out.  Well, ever since we've lived here, I've been nervous about these stairs in the winter.  For some reason they get really icy.... now, I'm getting up there in years (that really kills me to say) so I'm even MORE paranoid that in the winter, I'll fall... and not having one of those cool necklaces, not be able to get up.

Seriously, it has always worried me, especially in the wee hours, since no one is around much, that I could fall, and lay there, slowly freezing to death.  So I've been wanting a railing, really kind of harping on it.  And now, I have one!! Only took 20 years...but I've got it now!  (love you Mark, wink wink)

Got to say, it is wonderful, now i just need to paint it... whose idea was it to use all these colors????

We grand dog sat on Saturday night, after being visited by Dan and Scarlett, on their way to a bachelor/bachelorette party with a prom theme... recognize this ugly era?  I'm humming 'Night Fever'...how about you?

Got to say, I love the way they party!  What fun.

ANYWAY, on Sunday there was no boating... poor railing building Mark's back was killing him so we hit the pool and hung out there.  It was medicinal.  He was cured, and Monday we headed in.

It was a beautiful day.  We spent the afternoon, on the boat, watching Chicago's Scuba Team rescuing a manikin.  Unnerving at first, but, after we realized they were training, kind of interesting.  As we left, walking back into to our parking garage, something caught my eye.  Something that was following us through the tunnel, obviously.  Something I've never seen before 'in the wild'.  Something I thought was a squirrel at first.

But it wasn't.

It was a big, huge actually, RAT.  One of Chicago's finest... brazenly following me into the parking garage, stopping to glance at me, and I'm pretty sure I heard it say....'what are you lookin' at'....

Wow... I do know how to live.

BUSY LIFE AND FATHER'S DAY....

Guess what we did today.....

But first, let me tell you, I'm busy.

Weddings have taken over my life. Well, not really actual weddings, more like the planning, readying and worrying about them.

That and the lack of rain.  That's worrying me.  Not that we've become farmers, but I do have that impending wedding party at my house, AND I have these flowers... and I'm sick and tired of watering and worrying about them.... and it's only June.  And let's not even discuss the grass situation.

Anyway, my life is hectic, honestly it seems like it's Monday then it's Friday and I have to wonder what the hell happened to the rest of the days.

 I DID, however, manage to work in a really fun lunch the other day.  I met two of my college roommates in Oakbrook.  My friend Jan lives about an hour from here, so she and I see each other, but our friend Marcia lives in Austin, Texas and I just 'found her' a couple years ago, and visited her on one of my Texas sojourns.  She was in Chicago for a wedding, I'm so glad she called me to set up lunch.

Oh my, there was a whole lot of laughing, and reminiscing and discussions on really, extremely important things.  Funny how you can get together with some people and it's like you are instantly back where you once were.  And how the mention of a yogurt maker, teenage parties, scattered laundry,  boys we knew and might have dated, some with interesting nicknames that are better left unpublished, and other great memories can make you laugh and wish you could go back to the wonderful time college was.

But, you can't. So, I got into my car, collected my traveling husband, and home we came.

Yesterday, we did things around here.... but today, FATHER'S DAY... we loaded up and headed into the city to spend the day on the boat.  And I ask you, what is better than all three kids, two fiancee's a hot sunny day on lake Michigan and a couple bottles of Prosecco?  All that was missing was Ally, she had to work.

Scarlett started off with us, but had to take off and head to work herself, so we headed to her restaurant for dinner, and guess who our waitress was!  They made a fuss over us, and we had a DELICIOUS dinner.

Here's a view of Father's Day, honoring a great dad, and doing what MY DAD, also a great dad, would have loved to have done on this day.  I'm sure he approved.

the men...

the man of the hour...

Mark and his girls...

and with all three kids

missing Ally...

fun times, I tell you.