Having arrived in Chicago, I proceeded to get settled in at CJ's cozy condo. As the following day passed and evening approached, CJ and I headed off to a restaurant along Southport where we could have drinks and dine on some sushi. CJ ordered a martini to begin with and I had a white Russian. Soon thereafter our first attendee, Roni, walked through the door. It was wonderful to see her and before long we sat down and enjoyed a large quantity of uncooked fish.

After sampling a few California rolls and all of the tuna we could hold, the moment came to cross the street and occupy ourselves with a few rounds of bowling at Southport Lanes. Actually, Southport Lanes is a neighborhood bar. But in the back, this establishment conceals a rather popular relic, an ancient four-lane bowling alley, complete with live human pin-spotters. It's the perfect place to drink a few brews and take part in mindless activities with your friends. And as soon as Neil and Maggie appeared, that's exactly what we did.

The next day, with memories of an excellent evening still in my head, I strolled over to the nearest "el" platform and took the elevated subway train downtown to see what was new. There were tons of new buildings under construction, many of which were now obscuring some of my long-time favorites. Much of the Loop and areas adjacent to Michigan Avenue have become noticably dense. The core of the city is beginning to feel like a canyon and one cannot help but make comparisons to Manhattan. Gone, I suppose, are the days when the Windy City was open and breezy. Still, as I made my way down Wacker Drive and followed the river towards the end of the day, Chicago (as always) revealed another unexpected aspect of it's charm.