I'm recovering from Mom and Dad's visit ... they came on Thursday and left on Monday. We had a lovely time, riding the El, visiting the Field Museum, dining out in style, picnicking on the beach, and hanging out at Evanston's premier Irish bar, Nevin's.

My parents spent all day Friday wandering the Chicago Botanic Garden - i spent part of the day with them, but they still know more about my place of work than i do now. Saturday was devoted to the Field Museum, where we saw their new Darwin exhibit - it was awesome! as well as their antiquated Plants of the World exhibit and one about pre-Colombian Americans.

We also stopped by the Taste of Chicago, a huge street fair devoted to Chicago's restaurants. It was packed, sweaty, and delicious.

Sunday, a day hotter than hell, was spent leisurely - NY Times read in a(n airconditioned) coffeeshop, picnic on Evanston's beach, with a Mexican family on one side and an Indian family on the other, and lots of people to watch.
On Sunday afternoon, we headed up to Tommy Nevin's, where there is an Irish music seisun every Sunday (and Wednesday!). I had a rockin good time playing, while my parents sat and drank and listened and people-watched. As the session was ending, i made the mistake of pulling out my bones - the regular bones-player took affront (not seriously), and the guy who runs the session (John), somewhat tipsy, announced to the pub at large that we were having a bones-off. he would play his accordion and we would have to keep up. We each played a tune with him, to riotous applause, and then both played on another. the old bones player (an Irish carpenter), gave up and played tin whistle instead. so he says i won, but i think he won because he has better technique. needless to say, we parted friends. Apparently a young lady playing bones is an attractive sight - i got many compliments from and introductions to the various guys hanging around the bar, and several asked for explanation and education in bones playing, and i had a pint bought for me (by one of the drunkest guys in the bar).
For those of you unfamiliar with bones, i found a random link that may help:
http://www.irelandlogue.com/music/irish-instrument-of-the-week-the-bones.htm
apparently the bones are the instrument of the week this week. Mine are actually cow bones. and in my experience, there are usually more bodhran players than bones players - often more than the other musicians want. everyone thinks they can drum - all you have to do is hit it, right?

anyway ... great thunderstorm yesterday, good job Mama Nature, but it didn't really cool things off as it should've. let's give that another go.