BC

I did have a life BC (Before Cat) that didn't revolve around a 7 lb creature, so let's get back to that. I haven't become a cat lady yet, there is still some hope. A few weekends ago I had a visitor, Jason came to visit and it was a short but fun visit. He made the over night MEGAbus trip to get here on Sunday morning and after a cat nap (there are just so many kitty puns!) we made the very short walk to Broadway (if I was lucky enough to have a backyard that's where it would be) where the annual Gay Pride Parade takes place. For those of you who aren't diligently reading and taking notes of my blog, I live in/near the GLBT neighborhood of Boystown in Chicago. Similar to other cities in the US (like San Fran) the gay community moved in, revamped it, made it trendy and the rest of us followed. And Chicago not only attracts the likes of young women searching for a city to live in that's not far from home, it's the HQ of sorts for GLBT in the midwest. The parade originally was a protest started in downtown Chicago ( I live in Uptown) to protest an incident in NYC and call for equal human rights. But since then it has become a party, an opportunity for daydrinking in the streets of Lakeview to celebrate being 'out' and those who support them for being 'out'. I've always wanted to experience Mardi Gras this is closest I have come. So Jason and I braved the crowds and enjoyed the parade.

There were Drag Queens...
And more Drag Queen Brides

Chicago PD's float

And Bikes!
And dance groups!
And more floats. Oh my!
And a shout out for Obama! (other politicians were there too)

And that night after watching Spain win the Eurocup (yay!) we headed over to Ukranian Village to meet up with a few of Jason's friends from Oxford who he grew up with, Ben and David and David's girlfriend, Katherine. We headed to David's favorite restaurant...a Mexican fish restaurant. For those of you who aren't familiar, I hate fish, always have and always will. But now I have an excuse, I'm a vegetarian so there will be no Nemo eating for me. But I had Jason take a pic of his fish dinner, it was quite the presentation.

No need to explain my aversion to fish, but Jason enjoyed it.

The next evening after I babysat in the morning, we headed downtown to Grant Park to enjoy the taste of Chicago. It was crowded (Jason hates crowds) but the food was good...

The "Bean," a huge tourist attraction for Chicago visitors, it's a large hunk of metal seating near the Art Institute.

Jason and I doing the tourist at "The Bean". Jason was cringing.

Jason, the brat and a nice cold one.
I went straight for the chocolate turtles. And BBQ (fake) chicken on a stick. I ate it to quick for a photo moment.

I like keeping Jason around because he makes me try new things like rice pudding and cranberries...

Very good!

And he got to see the Budweiser horses.

Very big pretty horses in very smell cages. (so sad.)

It was a quick but fun visit, and hopefully worked in luring him to move to the Windy City, except now that I have a roommate of the feline persuasion he might stay away forever.

I'm off to enjoy the nice weather by the beach. More Chicago pics to come, it just takes forever to upload them!