My Chicago Garden

Last weekend the family took the Metra to downtown Chicago so I could have lunch with an ex-colleague of mine who just became a US citizen. Afterwards, we took the opportunity to take the girls to the Art Institute of Chicago. They did pretty good for 4 and 3, considering. Of course the museum is very stoic with nobody making a sound except Sierra (our 4 year old) talking in her normal voice saying things like “Look at that lion! He’s big.” or “You can see her bottom!” or “That’s a picture of Jesus on the cross” and the like. Pretty much every room we walked into she gasped and said something funny. Nobody looked upset and several commented that it was great to see a kid enthusiastic about art.

While we were there we checked out the Thorne Miniature Rooms exhibit. Basically an artist has taken rooms from various period homes and created exacting..and I mean exacting…detail models in miniature.

Here are two pictures of my favorite. If I ever get the chance to build my own cottage/farm house I think I would choose a mixture of the two kitchens below. The large fireplace and rustic look is just wonderful.

“Pennsylvania Kitchen 1752″

“English Cottage Kitchen of the Queen Anne Period, 1702-14″

So today we were at Outdoor World looking for something to blow $50 worth of gift cards on.  I remember seeing a harmonica and learning DVD in the store the last time I was there so I went hunting. I found it and snatched one up for $15.  I figured I could learn how to play it and take it with me backpacking this summer.  As soon as I got in the car I cracked open the plastic packing and started blowing on it.  My two children’s eyes brightened and they both clambered to play it.  Ever since then I haven’t gotten it back.  My kids have been fighting over it for the last 6 hours and my wife is in the kitchen right now trying to play O’Shenandoah, my favorite song.

I think tomorrow we are going to go hunting for a couple more.  I didn’t realize this was going to be such a big hit. My wife says she saw two different kind at REI for $15 too.  Mine is in the key of A….so I think we will try and find a key of C one.

I WANT MY HARMONICA BACK!

The family and I were wandering around Outdoor World a few months ago and couldn’t sneak past the free vacation people that are always there.  In fact, lately I’ve been upset that Outdoor World has associated themselves with them. Usually I wave them off with a grunt and move past as quickly as possible.  I don’t know why I decided to stop and listen to the pitch this time though…but I did.

Anyway…what the guy basically said was I pay them $49 right now and I get 2 nights at a resort of my choice (they have 40 to choose from) and after I arrive at the hotel I would get $50 in Visa gift cards.  What’s the catch?  You have to listen to a 2 hour presentation and take a tour of the resort.  Aha! Gotcha! It’s a timeshare proposition.  I figured with the $50 gift cards I basically get 2 free nights at a resort if I sit through a 2 hour presentation like a rock.  So I signed up.

 My family and my wife’s family have done this kind of thing before.  You listen to some sales weenie try and sell you on a time share, you say no about 60 times in the 2 hours and then they let you walk away, only after calling you a liar for having taken their money and not purchased anything.  I figured I have been called worse by better so what do I care.

Immediately after getting home I called their 800 number to figure out what the other catches were and on which screwed up dates I would be allowed to use my 2 free nights.  It actually went pretty smoothly.  I picked two off season nights (required of course) in February and was booked right away. No hassles.

When the day came to drive up to the Wisconsin Dells (Mt. Olympus Water park) for our 2 free nights, my wife and I laughed at how stupid this was and how we would have to be hard nosed and just keep saying no.

We pulled into the welcome center and were handed vouchers for our 2 hour presentation and our 2 free nights and our 2 x $25 gift cards.  We went over to the hotel and checked in with no issues.  Strange…I should have been accosted by now at least twice.  I found out later than we were in an ‘upgraded’ room.  The room was not 5 star by any means but it was at least average or better. We quickly checked in and the family ran over to the water park before it closed.

The next day we went over for the presentation and surprisingly we were NEVER asked to actually buy anything. I was completely astonished.  They showed us why they thought buying into their vacation club (which is not strictly a time share…you basically purchase "points" each year you can spend as you like) was a good idea for _some_ people.  We then went on a tour of the facility and they asked if we had any questions.  Being a glutton for punishment and not having actually heard the price of anything (the presentation was very high level) I sat down with one of their sales guys.  Later my wife said she noticed he had a 1million dollar sales ring on his finger.  He was very helpful, answered all my questions and never once pressured me to buy anything.  He obviously was showing me how everything was priced and trying to point out all the benefits.  And my wife did have to force a couple answers out of him by asking direct questions. But he never once tried to hide anything (that I could tell).  When I said I would need to think about it (eg: no thanks) he said no problem and walked me to the door and said if we had any other questions or wanted to sign up, just to stop by tomorrow and all those extra special bonuses would still apply…but not after.

My wife and I talked all the way back to the hotel about how that was the most amazing non-hassle sales pitch we had ever seen.  It might have actually worked on us…except for one small issue.  We don’t usually stay at resorts.  We are the kind of family that vacations by going hotel to hotel on a journey. Like driving through Yellowstone, or up and down the east coast or up and down the west coast.  Using most of my vacation time each year to stay at a resort for 7 nights just doesn’t do it for us.  Now if Bluegreen can get me a camp site in the valley of Yosemite National Park every year sign me up! (they can’t by the way, seems nobody can).

If you are the kind of person or family that vacations that way, I would highly recommend Bluegreen.  In fact my wife has already called her parents to tell them to go listen to the sales pitch (and get 2 free nights of course).  They tend to vacation that way.  I have no idea how they treat their club members, but if they treat them anything like how they treated me, they are nothing like the old school time share folks I know.

All I can say is Wow!  Thanks Bluegreen for a very nice vacation.  And good for you Outdoor World for only partnering with a vacation club that isn’t annoying!

I snapped this picture early this evening as a light snow fell. My camera, nor my photography skills do justice to the beauty of the trees covered in a light dusting of fresh snow.

A new year has started and I have at least a few things I want to try and accomplish this year.

• Go camping/hiking with my kids
• Hike to the top of Mt. Lyell in Yosemite National Park
• Spend more time in my garden
• Install new windows and siding on our home
• Learn more about running a small farm

Now that we’ve had a week of near freezing temperature I’ve resigned myself to the fact that my vegetable garden is dead.  But what that reminded me of was that I had not reviewed my car emergency kit lately.  After moving to Chicago about a year ago it has been in the back of my car just sliding around.

With a possibility for snow in the next few days, now is as good a time as any to make sure I have everything.  Here’s what I put together for my car emergency kit a few years ago while I was researching ‘emergency response’ topics.  It’s an all weather kit, not necessarily just for winter. I have not included my ham radio gear in the list below, but you should have some kind of portable news radio with you and extra batteries or charging device for your cell phone at least.  Cell phones usually do not work during an emergency but if that is all you have, that is all you have.