Hop Butcher Brewery

Andy and I dropped off some food for B on Saturday and Andy wasn't feeling well so B declined lunch with us. We did make a quick stop at a Ravenswood brewery, Hop Butcher for the World, a play on Chicago's Hog Butcher for the World nickname, on our way home.

They had a menu full of IPAs, which we both like, so that was good. Andy likes them hazy. Me, not so much.

Interesting that one of the beers was called Blizzard of '67. Andy was born during the blizzard but that wasn't enough to make him try it. He opted for a Super Beer Shuffle instead.

Cute bar, but chilly. Temps were just over 40 and while that's warm for Fabruary in Chicago, it doesn't mean you need to open the garage doors.

We think alike

We don't really celebrate Valentine's Day aside from a dinner out but we usually get each other cards. Funny, this year we gave each other cards with moveable glitter on the front of them. We've been together so long we think alike.

Family photo

I printed a few more pictures from E's wedding and found a nice "family" frame for this one. It's everyone from E's side of the wedding who attended the ceremony.

Early Valentine’s dinner

We learned a long time ago that restaurants typically have smaller menus and higher prices on Valentine's Day so we celebrated Thursday night with dinner at our local Mexican restaurant, Margaritas. We hadn't been there since mid-November. E and D had the restaurant cater fajitas for their rehearsal dinner and after we ate all of the leftovers we - imagine this - were a bit tired of the food. Our dinner was lovely and neither of us ordered fajitas.

L said she's leaving her Valentine's plans for W to figure out, but she's ready for whatever he has planned with her new gel manicure.

Winter meals

It's a little harder to get to the bird feeders with snow on the ground but when I do fill the feeder, it's nice to see a neighborhood cardinal appreciated it.

The sparrows, though, are the big eaters ... and the occasional squirrel.

Enjoying the sun

I ran an errand yesterday, came home and found both cats lounging (napping) in the sun.

It's been a while since we've had warmer, sunny days.

Free car wash

Andy and I decided to get the car washed while we were out and about over the weekend. It's what you do on a sunny February day. Anyway, we ended up in a line where the oayment machine wasn't working so instead of habing us back up, the employee said he'd comp us the wash. A free car wash? We'll take it.

Super Bowl

Pretty boring Super Bowl game-wise. Seattle vs. New England and the Seahawks led through the whole game. Allison and Pat came over for some snacks, dinner and conversation.

E and D were out enjoying the excitement of the Seahawks being in the Super Bowl. Seattle won 29-13. Kind of an embarrassing game for the Patriots.

Harder than it looked

This box was taped shut but the condition of this corner didn't give me high hopes that all of the pieces were going to be there.

With the temperature around zero on Saturday, Jan. 24, Andy went to church for the annual congregational meeting while I stayed home and got to work on the puzzle (while watching the meeting on Zoom). This was my progress in a little over two hours.

Finally done a week and a half later. The part with the buildings wasn't too hard, but the sky about did me in. Even with the beat-up box, all of the pieces were there!

More Driehaus pictures

I know I'm not going to print the pictures I took Wednesday night at the Driehaus Museum so I'm putting them here. (Flip through the house's history. It's fascinating.)

This was part of the Tiffany lamp exhibit that shows the various bronze finishes customers could request for their lamps.

The library was very dark.

This was the house's art gallery because every Gilded Age mansion needs an art gallery.

Gorgeous dining room.

So much detail in every room.

Proof that not all Tiffany lamps are pretty.

This one I liked.

Now that'a a fireplace.

Another Tiffany design.