We ended up not seeing Watchmen at the IMAX after all, but instead decided to lounge in our hotel room and order a movie there instead. We watched The Reader, which, while depressing, was also quite good. I can't remember the last time I actually watched an entire movie, start to finish. Our screen time sans Kavi is so limited these days, and a movie is just too big a time commitment normally. When Kevin wakes up, we might just order another movie. So indulgent!
After the movie, we went to dinner at Blackbird, which was good, if perhaps a little...over-foofy? I wan't quite in the mood for cauliflower purees and such, as it turned out. Still, it was very nice to have a fancy meal, with a little wine, and I do love the way they bring you little tastes at the start and end of the meal. If you had ten minutes to create an amuse-bouche, what would it be? (Ours was a tiny fried frogs' leg -- I don't think I've actually had those before. Definitely doesn't taste like chicken -- much more fishy than that.) The tastiest dish for me was a saffron soup with fennel, whitefish, and oysters. Mmm...
We decided to have dessert with room service in our room, which was an excellent choice. Watched a House re-run over the most delicate bread pudding I've ever had, served with a lovely creme angalise and raspberries. Oh, and because one dessert isn't enough, we also shared a chocolate torte, with poached pear and lots of other lovely fruity tastes. Yum. Then I crashed, because I am apparently incapable of staying awake past 9.
I slept in to a luxurious 6:30 a.m., and just couldn't stay in bed anymore, though I did try. It's so odd, not having Kavi's morning routine to deal with. No diaper! No changing clothes! No getting milk! No demands for Caillou! Instead, I let Kevin sleep (which he will probably do for several more hours) and came down to a lovely restaurant overlooking the lake. After some waffling, I ended up going with the full breakfast buffet (in part because it comes with waffles), and I plan on a long and luxurious breakfast covering several hours. Stage one, around 7, was a little sausage and scrambled egg and pancake. Plus tea and fresh orange juice, very yum. Stage two, around 8, will be a swiss and mushroom omelet, I think. Stage three, perhaps around 9, will be either a waffle with strawberries, or a bagel with lox and toppings. I think my stomach can hold it all, if I stagger the food out properly. We'll see.
Apparently, holidays are mostly about food for me. :-)
I did plan to be entirely offline, but in the end, I couldn't bear to do it. Yes, I am an internet addict. But it's a good thing, really, because not only did I get to check e-mail (relieving my mind) and talk to y'all while Kevin slept, but I think I may also play a little Warcraft in this very elegant breakfast room, enjoying the cognitive dissonance of it all. Although I do wish I had brought headphones -- I wouldn't turn the sound on otherwise, and that may get my poor paladin killed, when she doesn't hear an enemy attack. Ah well...
First, though, I'm going to go back and try to respond to some of the comments on my race-related posts that I hadn't quite gotten to before....
I think I missed where you decided to go for your mini-break. It sounds lovely, though!
I’m glad you’re having such a good time! I really liked the food at Blackbird, though it’s definitely very foofy. I was much less thrilled with the restaurant’s ambiance. We were there with a group of friends, so it was fine, but if we’d been there for a romantic dinner, I would have been pretty upset. All of the tables for 2 and 4 seemed to be jammed together. We had our own table near the back, but the staff was constantly passing us on the way to and from the kitchen.
The Ritz Carlton Dining Room used to be our default for a romantic dinner back when Sarah Stegner was running it. Sadly, we weren’t thrilled with the new chef who took over when she left, and the restaurant is closed now. There are a lot of wonderful restaurants in Chicago, but I don’t really have a special favorite at the moment.
Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
Sounds wonderful, Mary Anne. It’s so important to get away with one’s mate and without the kiddos once in a while. That notion of not dealing with anyone else’s schedule in the morning is so refreshing for me. We try to do the one or two nights away when we can line my mom up to stay with Katie. We have a getaway planned in about 3 weeks and can’t wait! Hope that you get to indulge again soon, too.