Team Hensley

Team Hensley

Monday, September 20, 2010

BEST DAY EVER, Y'ALL!

This day started out pretty standard. Randi and I wanted to go do something cool, but we couldn't decide what. I found that the Aquarium had free admission today, so we hopped on the Metra and went.
It's pretty awesome. Or, the parts we got to see are awesome. Some exhibits (dolphins, etc.) were available at a discounted price today. We skipped those exhibits. Randi's favorite: Sea Horses and one Otter that wouldn't stop doing aquabatics. Mine: Jelly Fish and a very tiny Dart Frog.
Some pictures:
At the gift shop:

A Sting Ray! Or maybe a Manta Ray! I don't know the difference...


A picture of one of the two monkeys that where in one of the cases. They had their tails curled together because they're best friends. I took their picture, but they're hard to make out from all the surrounding Amazonian jungle.
A snake!
One of the fish I caught on the way to the aquarium:

Jellyfish!
So we leave the aquarium, and we are starving. We look around for a little snack, and see a hot dog stand selling Chicago Hot Dogs! For those of you who aren't in the know, a Chicago hot dog is different from your regular, not-Chicago hot dog. It comes on a poppy-seed hot dog bun; it is slathered in mustard, then sweet relish, then diced onions; it has tomato slices, some hot peppers, and a dill pickle slice; it's dusted with celery salt; it is INCREDIBLE!!!
The part I like best about the Chicago hot dog, after its deliciousness of course, is the lack of ketchup. In many places, ketchup isn't even an option. Why? Because ketchup on a hot dog is for babies, that's why. So the next time my friend Matt B. asks for ketchup on his hot dog, you punch him in the teeth for me. Ok?

After dabbling in culinary perfection, we decided to go home. But the Metra station's ticket machine was broken! So we took the bus (#2, Hyde Park Express) straight to our place. It literally drops you off across the street from our complex.

Then! We found that a package had come to us from Randi's mom. Plus, we got deposit money back from our Austin landlord, and I got two other checks in the mail! Cash money!

Then! We come up stairs, and the smell of the Irish Beef Stew I'm cooking in my crock pot smells pretty fresh. Plus Randi has a job interview!!!!!!!! It's a secretary gig working at U of C part time. It's basically perfect for her.

That's about it for now. We may hit up the zoo tomorrow.

Stay Tuned.

7 comments:

  1. That does sound like a great day! Matt W. is a big fan of the Chicago-style dog, maybe you can bring him one for Christmas. : )

    Also, what happened to the job Randi had lined up in HP?

    R

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  2. She still has it, but she only gets 10 hours a week. She's looking for a 2nd job to fill out the week and make some extra scratch.

    Chicago hot dog is the BEST!!!!! And we just had some street vendor dog, not one of the real, Chicago establishment, best-in-the-world dogs.

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  3. Street vendor sounds really good. What kind of dog is it? Do I even want to know?
    Good luck with the second job, Randi. Have you started the first one yet? If so, how is it?
    Stew sounds good too. Cornbread? And, finally YAY for unexpected checks...a new song by Andrew Lloyd Weber.
    Love, Mom

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  4. I started work pretty much as soon as we arrived. We're in the middle of moving our tiny office to another tiny office and planning for our national convention, so I stay pretty busy with that. I would LOVE to do that work full time, but, alas, the funding is not there YET. I'm going to beg Rachel to help me write an awesome grant so I can be employed full time. :)

    In more important news, are there any updates about our precious baby Isla? The world is ready for her debut (especially Rachel, I imagine)!

    Love ya!

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  5. First off, that's the scariest snake ever!

    Second, I will indeed enjoy ketchup on my Dog, even if I have to bring my own.

    Finally, best wishes on the jobs Randi! Hope they're good and tolerable ones :)

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  6. I love aquariums almost as much as unexpected checks! Regarding the gift shop pic: do you need some chapstick?
    Here's something weird - I JUST saw a documentary about hot dogs and learned all about the Chicago style where they plop an entire pickle in it and make fun of you if you want ketchup.
    I also learned in another documentary that some Chicago pizza place has a single serve pizza that has the dubious honor of containing more calories than any other pizza in the world - over 2000!

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  7. i love the picture of you in the rock penguin/puffin/whateverbird mask. i hope that you purchased it and wear it around your home. i went to Shedd with my folks once, but i don't remember there being all those awesome non-fish animals. yall is lucky.

    chicago-style dogs are the best...can you guys locate a place with a veggie dog option? or maybe i'll just substitute that pickle spear for the processed beefpork. jon bougie took me and matt b. to a dawg place that all sorts of animal sausages to eat: buffalo, rabbit, rattlesnake. but i think it's on the other side of town from you. predictably, matt ate a lot of ketchup.

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