Official A2K Gathering in Chicago, May 7th, 2006!

Good pics, c.i.

Monday morning architectural cruise.


Right side bridge tower on the Magnificent Mile.


The Merchandise Mart - owned by the Kennedys.


The Navy Pier. Used to be the University of Illinois, but has been converted to shops and restaurants - and the Ferris Wheel.


Lunch after the cruise.

That woman and her husband have permanent frowns. Are they liberal malcontents?

of course we are, but the facial expression was a result of being famished. notice that the normally ebullient Thomas wasn't exactly beaming, either.

Hi yitwail, Thanks for the treat of those pizzas.

ci, thanks for the pics; mine are still in the camera.

pizza's the least i could do. i just want to reiterate what everyone said, that E_B, sublime, and Joe were terrific hosts.

Thomas looks genuinely happy, compared to you two who look like you are sitting on a pricker bush.

Well! Thank you for not coming, cjhsa!

Eva, My sentiments, exactly! Some people just know how to ruin a good thing.

Not a chance. I wouldn't spoil a trip to Chicago by spending it with the liberal infestation of A2K.

So, nobody else noticed the literally permanent frowns?

please sun in the face - get real

Eva, hope you don't mind my borrowing your picture.



satisfied, cj? granted, i'm not smilin in this, either. cameras weren't pointing my way when i smiled, maybe? i'll tell you this, i don't go for smiling when i'm posing for pictures, seems phony to me, so they have to catch me when i'm not lookin at the camera.

hehehe, that was fun!

Sublime - sorry you couldn't join us. We missed you and you missed a great dinner.

Joe and Thomas arrived at my house around 6:30. They met the girls and cats, said a quick hello again-goodbye again to Mr B and we piled into my car for our road trip. Thomas had been very careful about calling this dinner "the road trip" all weekend because he didn't want to spill the beans.

A little over an hour later we pull into the parking lot of a lovely Victorian house turned bistro in Cedarburg, WI. We entered and were disappointed to hear the owner of the establishment wasn't there at the moment, but that he was expected shortly. When I called last week to make the reservation, the manager assured me she would think of a way to get him to Cedarburg if he happened to be over at the new place.

We were seated at a table in the downstairs dining room and within minutes Mr OCCOM BILL entered with a big grin on his face. Hehe, it was a lot of fun to pull off the surprise. Bill joined us for a delicious dinner and drinks and reminisced about the weekend, including some parts that a certain someone couldn't quite recall. We had a tour of the rest of the restaurant, wished Bill well on his current and new adventures and headed back to IL.

The restaurant is very nicely decorated, the food is fabulous, and the owner is ahellofaguy. Thomas, Joe, and I got to spend another nice evening together with Bill in a much different setting. We were all glad we went and I will definately return with my family. Thanks, Bill!

yup, it was.

J_B, What a great story added to all the successes we've had for the Chicago A2K Gathering of May 2006. This one is for the books; most families would be proud to claim as theirs.

I'm still amazed at how these things turn out so well; strangers meeting for the first time, but are able to enjoy each others company like very old friends.

That was a nice story indeed, J_B. What a great idea to surprise Bill
at the restaurant.

From looking at the pictures, I have to agree with CI: You all must
have had a great time together. The pictures show it so clearly.

Here's a few...

Sublime talking to EhBeth...

The Duke...

Eva, Osso, Walter, Yitwails

An interesting shot at Kingston Mines

Eva

Thomas

Thomas again

Sublime on the "Smoking Deck"

Walter (talking to EhBeth) and Joe

Osso