Hello all from Chicago!

Well, actually Rosemont IL. If you look at a Chicago city map, the city ends at Cumberland Ave., but O’Hare is part of the city and is disconnected from it. I’m at the Hyatt, right in between.

I made it here about 6:25 pm. I left the house about 9 am…a bit later than I wanted, but I didn’t wake up until 7:15. Felt good to sleep in a bit.

Had a wonderful trip. Hit a few raindrops along the way…in Champaign and then again near O’Hare. It’s rained on and off tonight as well. It started to pour as soon as I started getting the stuff out of the car. By the time I reached the door, it stopped…figures!

Stopped and ate at one of my favorites, Steak n Shake, in Mt Vernon IL. Then grabbed an Italian Sausage and beef combo with fries at a quickie restaurant near the hotel. It really hit the spot!

Gas is anywhere from $2.93 to $3.19 for regular unleaded. I still have about 3/8 of a tank from filling up in Mt Vernon at a Huck’s for $2.76. It was funny finding a Huck’s as that was always the beer run place during my college years at UT-Martin. Friday and Saturday nights always had at least one trip to Huck’s in Martin. So I was glad to see it again!

A note for my friend Kyle…this Hyatt is across the street from the place we stayed when we flew up back in the mid 1990’s. When I was driving down River Rd., I thought it looked very familiar. Although those days have always been hazy to me. I really must have been drunk for me to go to Wrigley Field and watch the Cubs. I remember the batting cages and then Cubby Bears. And after the game we stopped somewhere and watched the football game…I go foggy after that.

I drove through my old hometown of Midlothian on the way. I got off I-57 at 159th St, turned north on Crawford to 147th. It felt good to be on those streets again. Unfortunately, passing Hickey’s Funeral Home, I looked at the board outside and I think one of the girls I went to school with Dad died. Hickey’s posts the wakes on the board. I’ll have to check the Trib for an obit.

Spent most of the evening working on some State work and listening to the Sox/Tigers game from Comiskey. Sox won 4-3 on a 3 run home run in the eighth inning Woo-Hoo!!!

On the drive up I listened to a varied selection of music. As some of you know, my music tastes are really weird. So, here’s what was playing in the Intrepid CD player…Andrea Bocelli, Simon & Garfunkle, B’avarija (a Lithuanian group) and John Mayer. Still have Fleetwood Mac, Hiroshima and ELO in the bag somewhere.

Well, I’d better get this posted and get some sleep. With registration beginning at 7 am, I want to get my stuff since the Opening and Keynote starts at 8 am. The Opening remarks will be given by Dr. Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States!!! The Keynote will be done by Dr. John Phillip Colletta. I actually have one of his books that Suzanne gave to me They Came in Ships. He is speaking about the Erie Canal and how it channeled people to the Midwest.

My sessions for tomorrow include Immigration & Naturalization Records at US Citizenship & Immigration Services, Illinois Digital Archives and Five Proven Techniques for Finding Your European Ancestors. And I will definitely be visiting the Exhibit Hall and look for some genealogical goodies!

I feel great right now…wanna feel?? HA! And actually forgot to take my medicine this morning! But still feel great. Maybe I need to come back to Chicago to get rid of my blood pressure…right!

Forgot to mention yesterday about it being the feast of St. Boniface, Apostle to Germany. And today, the 6th, is the feast of St Norbert, founder of an order of priests and Bishop of Magdeburg, which is a sister city to Nashville.

See youse guys later.

Mark