So Earl and I flew into Chicago for the long weekend and joined Jamie for a weekend of fun. We spent most of our time with the bears (the big, furry guys, not the sports team) at BearPride, going to various venues for parties and finding some good food to eat. We also made a stop at the vendor mart at IML (International Mister Leather contest) where we looked but didn’t buy anything other than a gift certificate to give as a gift. While over there, we ran into our friends Matt and Anthoney. They are Canadian. We still like them (and we still like some other Canadians as well).
For the record, I was not the only handlebar mustache in attendance, but the other guy was kind of snooty and didn’t seem to want to take a picture with me. His loss.
Earl and I ended up flying out of Buffalo on Friday because Earl was already in Buffalo for work and it was cheaper to fly out of Buffalo instead of Syracuse. Buffalo is a good airport to fly out of. Plus, they have Chipotle and more important, a company funded hotel room for the husbear, so it was a win win win with salsa on top. All good.
Since we had two cars in Buffalo, I ended up driving home alone in the Jeep after landing. The weather was gorgeous. Fully sunny skies, a slight breeze and very warm at 95. It was the perfect opportunity to roll the windows down and let things blow around the Jeep as I zipped along at 67 MPH (I’m still doing what I can to obey the speed limit without being killed).
As I watched cars zip by me with their windows rolled up tight, undoubtedly due to ample use of air conditioning, I enjoyed what Mother Nature had to offer: warm breezes, the scents of wildflowers and a big breath of fresh air. It was warm and it was humid and I sweated a bit, but it was well worth it. The aroma of late blooming lilacs and other flowers just made me feel grand, bringing a very enjoyable weekend to a nice close.
The smile has continued on through today. It’s a good feeling.