Best Second Annual Chicago Birthday, pt. 2

So where were we?

Saturday morning we came down to the kitchen to discover Birthday muffins Emily had baked because at last it was April 30th, My Birthday!

Each candle was to be lit and a breakfast wish made.

I also had these.  Because it was my day! (and I would have had them anyway)

Then we hit the streets of Oak Park for a little look around before Collin had to drive back to Bowling Green.

There are houses like this in my neighborhood, but we were seeking out the one we call the Darth Vader house.

There it is.  Looks like we're going to attack it, right?  We look cool, right?

Did you realize this whole time Jeff was not wearing shoes?  There were so many 7-11s we couldn't go into.

And we met this puppy named Theodore Roosevelt.  Can you believe it?  What were the odds?

Is this what they call a magnolia tree or bush?

Found a local soccer game, Jeff had some words for them.  Of encouragement.

Then it was time to send the artist on his way.

Momentarily directionless without Collin, we decided to head downtown once more.  Had a little snack (this, my friends, is what a Chicago style hot dog looks like)

We wound up at Chicago's famous Graceland cemetery.  I'd never been there before.

It was the best!  We only had an hour or so to look around before they locked it up, I could have spent the whole day there.  I think.  There are lots of famous people there and famous monuments but I didn't know where any of that stuff was but I was happy with what I came across on my visit.

My, what have we here?

You could see inside.  It was spooky, of course.

This pillar says "Pullman", like maybe the Pullman cars guy?  Probably.

This guy helped invent skyscrapers.

On our way out visited the absolute spookiest statute there is.  I'm glad someone understands that cemeteries are supposed to be creepy.

It was kind of like a trip to the Wild Animal Park.

Then we went down to Wrigley Field.  There were several wedding parties there having their pictures taken in front of the famous sign.  I'm not kidding!

Just think how nice this picture would be if it were in focus.  Sorry.  I lose my touch.

Then we met up with my family again to have dinner at Ben Pao downtown which is in the same building where the Boy Scouts of America were founded.

Ben Pao is like PF Changs if PF Changs were not a chain.  (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)  

They had make your own pork buns.

Jeff, usually extremely well-behaved, started yelling a lot during dinner.

(just kidding, that's just a picture that turned out odd)

Dad explained things.

Jeff R was a strong supporter of the restaurant's replenishing policy.

Back at the house, cake time!  I asked for a chocolate cake in a pan with white frosting with thirty four candles and that's what I got.  And I blew all the candles out on one shot.  Moment of pride.  Not that I ever doubted myself.

A little present opening.  This card was of an Onion headline about "134 year old area man attributes longevity to typographical error."

Survival radio.  Because the end is near.

New apron!  Of many colors.

And, if I may just say it, because my parents are thoughtful they had a birthday card for Jeff.  Because his birthday was just days away.

And then: Fast Five at Oak Park's beautiful Lake theater.  The movie was . . . eh, fine.  I really expected there to be, you know, like cars being driven around fast in the movie?  I guess I was wrong.

Stay tuned because I've got one more post of Chicago for you!