The Joy of Gift Cards

So, Dan and I both received a generous number of gift cards this holiday season. And this past Wednesday, we vowed to try to spend the bulk of them while taking a long walk past all of the stores in downtown Chicago. So, our gift givers unwittingly gave us both a gift of money to spend in some of our favorite places AND an excuse to spend a whole day walking, holding hands and window shopping through one of the country's prettiest towns--as it turns out, in the snow and a lovely fog.

We took the train in and got off at the Brown Line Sedgewick stop--starting with brunch at Nookie's and then walking south down through the Rush Street District and then across the river and into the Loop.Does anyone know why the Sedgewick stop is so pretty? Why a mosaic artist was hired to decorate the first floor of the stop? It's certainly one of the prettiest stations in town now:

Then on to Brunch at Nookie's. Dan had some version of Eggs Benedict.

I had the 2x2x2.

Between the Rush Street District and the Loop, we passed by Pippin's--a lovely little Irish pub on Chicago Avenue that brought back a lot of memories from over a decade ago. . .

Pippin's serves free popcorn and a lovely Guinness. When I first moved to Chicago, right out of Undergrad, I had a job at Pearl Art Supply. I was making a pittance for part time work and almost all of my money went to rent, bills and trainfare. Back in those days, going out to dinner with friends once a month could wreck my monthly budget. But every now and again, I w0uld treat myself to a solitary Guinness at Pippin's after work. I'd troupe east on Chicago Avenue and spend 2 or 3 hours in the pub with my journal and more baskets of free popcorn than they likely should have given me with the purchase and nursing of one beer. It stunk having so little money, but I wrote and drew in my sketch book more than I do now. . .

Tiffany's Window. Would have been cooler if it was all cut paper as I initially thought, but the windows were still lovely.

And then down through the city, knocked out again and again by how beautiful this town is. . .

Wrapping up at Reckless Records for D.

and this whole amazing day because people gave us gift cards as gifts for Xmas. Lucky us. . . and Thanks!