Up and packed again and repacked and repacked again into a second bag. Its riduclous the suitcase is meant to be getting lighter not heavier! then we all met at the train station and were driven into chicago city for a bit of down time. we stayed at a hotel in the central city and enjoyed a picnic in millenium park looking at the 'bean'. then the boys headed off for a boys tour of the city - this apparently included a tour of the art gallery and the library and a tour on the free tram, so we were most impressed. the girls headed of down michigan ave and found a few shops but we were pretty restrained, also the cultural centre and then we took a tour on the free tram aswell which included Navy Pier.
Back t the hotel to change and then dinner and then WICKED, which is a resonably new musical about the the wicked witches of oz - set in time before the story of the wizard of oz - and it was fabulous.
Then onto a sports bar and some pool with Cath - a GSE ALumnus who hosted us in her fair city.
A late night followed by an early morning start so we could make it to Waukegan MArina to go sailing. FAb drive with our host through some of the most expensive real estate and one of most exclusive post codes in the US. Also went past Northwester university and some frat houses - cool!
THe boat - a Catalina 42 Mk 11 2009 (!) was absolutely beautiful, sparkly new. Unfortunately we didn't go sailing though, a bit of a chop and wind and ominous clouds but our host was wonderful. we relaxed in the cockpit and then he cooked us BBQ lunch and we chilled out before being picked up by our new host families.
( MEntal note - lake Michigan is HUGE - takes three days to sail to the top part which is the annual MAch race. ITs crazy big and can turn to chop quickly.)
SO now i'm wiht my new host family and its been a wonderful afternoon so far. They organised for me to meet ith a Headmaster of a local private school with both boarding and day students. Beautiful campus with its own ice rink, and he was very generous wiht his time and i downloaded heaps of information. Similar size instittuion and age but crazy differnt scale of philanthropy.
THen on the way home we visited a supermarket, checked out US food and confectionary. Unbeleievable the cereals etc. Have got the major food groups covered now, we bought home new peanut butter flavoured M &M's, ice cream, root beer and candy. Yum!!
We are having a relaxing evening tonight, dining at home and might get to watch some american telly and chill before busy week ahead.
The head is doing well, i'm sporting a really bad hair day - the antiseptic cream looks like i've got really greasy hair and that a bird flew past with a wee deposit but apart from that its alright. I've been brave enough to have a closer inspection of the staples and they are literally metal staples!
Its not surprising that i set the store alarm off when i left the shoe shop yesterday!!
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