Picking up where I left off, on Wednesday afternoon we braved the post-Christmas shopping crowds on State Street in Chicago searching for some good deals. State Street was once called State Road and was the main road traveling south through Illinois. Over the years, it was improved from its unpaved and muddy beginnings to a high-class route touting theaters, fancy hotels and stores.

That evening we had a small celebration to honor my brother, who just got his PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. Yay, Kurt!

The highlights of the evening, for me, were the saganaki (flaming cheese) and getting to talk at length with my neighbor Enriquetta from Columbia, and spending time with my family. Here's my Grandma Joan (at the young age of 85) posing for the papparazzi;

Here's my Mom whispering sweet nothings into my cousin Cindy's ear;

Here's my Mom with my brother;

Here are my cousins Cindy and Alyssa from Texas at the petting zoo inside the restaurant;

and here are my Auntie Kris and Uncle Tom trying to stay awake and engaged as Kurt explains his doctoral thesis: "Development of a Pile Condition Index and a Road Map for the Development of a Structural Section Rating."

I didn't realize until I *left* Chicagoland years ago that saganaki isn't something that just anybody knows about. Apparently, it was invented in 1968 at the Parthenon on Halsted Street, Chicago's oldest Greek restaurant. Saganaki pretty much combines all that is good in this world for hedonists like me: cheese, alcohol and flames. Essentially, kasseri cheese is fried in olive oil or butter, doused in brandy, and set aflame while the waiter shouts 'Opaa!' (I did not take the below photo)

The flame is then extinguished with a few squirts of lemon juice and the sizzling treat is brought to the table to be devoured with pita or bread. It's funny to know that this popular Greek food originated not in the Greek Islands, but in the Windy City itself! It's SOOOO good.

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Later in the week, my Mom and I made our traditional journey down south to go antiquing. My love for sifting through other people's old junk is certainly genetic; my Mom and I spent three hours at the Indian Oaks Antique Mall near Kankakee. This is honestly one of the best antiquing sites I have ever been to. It just has fun, affordable stuff ... and lots of it. I found some awesome old tins, a handmade kitchen apron, and best of all - a tiny salt cellar and an even tinier salt cellar spoon. Totally worth the 4.5 hours of driving it took us to get to/from there.

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That night my parents and I went to the home of some old family friends to celebrate the engagement of their daughter. It was great to see Olga, Ralph, Monica and Scotty after so many years. Monica and her 'pre-husband' were on a move across the country from Menlo Park, CA to Boston where they'll both be doing post-Docs at Harvard. We had a great time talking about northern California and I promised them I'd have triple the fun this next year for them as I camp and hike since they are leaving! As a side note, I ate one of the most delicious cheesecakes I've ever had that night. Ralph is a master cheesecake maker, and I must get his recipe. Maybe he won't mind if I blog it for ya'll, too! Mmm!

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Saturday was work. Work, work, work. Cindy, Colette, Kris, my Mom and I spent over ten hours helping my Grandma clean out her basement in preparation for her move to Texas this summer. We came across canned food that had expired in 1992! But of course, we had fun with it. There is nobody I laugh with more than the ladies in my family. We're all such goofballs, and proud of it. My Grandma was very generous and gave away a lot of her treasures. She is the best sewer/quilter/knitter/crocheter that I know. I can only hope that I've inherited her craftiness when it comes to those areas, because I've never much attempted to do any of that. But she had boxes and boxes of fabrics and such ... and she gave me these beautiful silk fabrics that she got in Hong Kong when she went there year and years ago with my Grandfather. I don't know what I'll do with them; for now, I just want to look at them. We also came across some old photos. Here I am, barely able to stand, washing dishes at my Grandma's sink. My family believes not in abiding by the child labor laws, clearly.

We took a short break for Mexican food and margaritas. The waiters also brought out three birthday treats to celebrate the upcoming 21st, 28th and 86th birthdays of Cindy, myself and my Grandma, respectively.

Sunday was New Year's Eve, and I shot out to Chicago to see my oldest girlfriends, Katie and Sharon. Both of these ladies are getting their PhD's at Northwestern, and Katie just recently bought a condo in a really cute part of the city. We talked and shopped, just like old times.

That evening, Kevin and Jane were kind enough to invite me along to their New Year's Eve festivities.

We spent the bulk of the evening eating good food, drinking stellar punch and laughing until our sides hurt at one of their friend's houses in Chicago. I met some fun folks and got some incriminating photos of Kevin overeating. Thanks, you two, for including me! Maybe next year *I* can kiss someone when the clock strikes midnight, too, instead of sitting there and blowing into the sad, dejected plastic horn while others smooch :)

The last few festivities before I left included a tasty Mexican dinner with my Mom and Dad at Fuego in Arlington Heights, and a gathering with Kevin, Jane, Kurt and Masha at The Handlebar Bar and Grill in Wicker Park. I chose the spot because I heard it was aimed at vegetarians and bike messengers, and it made me miss my bike really badly. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was great, and it was a wonderful way to spend my last night in Chi-Town. Thanks to you all for an excellent vacation!!