Hometown tourist

My old work buddy, C, and I made plans to meet up for dinner tonight but she asked me yesterday if I had any interest in touring Unity Temple and Hemingway's house before we met for dinner. I said I'd pass on the Hemingway stuff - I had been there numerous times when I was reporting - but I've never done the official Unity Temple tour although I've been in the building many times for various assignments.

The church just got done with a two-year renovation. C had been trying to do the tour for years but it's always been closed. Today was her lucky day and we got tickets for the 2 p.m. tour.

We chose the guided tour over the self-guided tour and you always learn something interesting. This entrance tells visitors that the building is divided into two parts - one for worship and one for service (or fellowship, etc.)

These are the windows in the Unity House part of the building. Andy and I were here a few years ago for a benefit for our church's nursery school.

Globe lights in Unity House.

The sanctuary is really nice and peaceful. Not sure I like that members enter in the front of the sanctuary. If you're late to church there's a special entrance that leads you to the back of the sanctuary. Church members also leave through the front of the sanctuary.

Sanctuary windows.

I'd love to have these lights in my house.

Here, C stood at the podium for a picture. I need to prove to Cindy that I take goofy pictures of people other than her.

This chair looked so uncomfortable that I had to try it out ... and it was so low to the ground I was lucky I was able to get back up. We were in Springfield for a newspaper conference together and when we got back at the hotel, we were sitting in the bar area at a table that had really low chairs - we looked ridiculous, like little kids at the "big" table - so it's kind of a running joke with all of us who were at the conference.

And here's me and C overlooking the sanctuary. We met up tonight and had dinner at Duck Fat/Fat Duck tavern in Forest Park.