Rainy Day

The weather flipped a switch. I packed for midwest summer humidity. It's been breezy and cool, and now it's raining.

I took the bus to The 606 (by myself) and did my jog. Because I had a late start, Cebu would be open once I was finished. However, doors were still locked when I tried at 11:04. So, I called in the order, which still took 40 minutes. I guess pancit takes long to cook, or they're just slow.

The fastest route back to the Chicondo was a bus stop at the Blue Line station on Damen. However, I couldn't find the stop for that particular bus, which tripped me up. I took an alternate bus, which would connect me to another. The connecting bus didn't come on time. I called Luisa and asked if she could pick me up. A few minutes after I dropped the pin, my phone died. 

I was a little nervous, as I was stranded just a few blocks from the United Center and was unfamiliar with the area. If worse came to worse, I would make the 20 minute walk home. Another bus eventually came, but I already made the call to Luisa. She found me and we made our way home. It was only two freeway exits away, but between the non existent bus stop and the non existent bus, I was stressed.

When we got home, my friends had ordered the pizzas, yes plural. It's because Grace was there and she moves plans along. We packed our blankets, some drinks, and the umbrellas to head over to Lincoln Park.

We parked on the street and found a spot overlooking the lake. Our car picked up Giordano's deep dish, which smelled delicious. The other car arrived with pizza from Pequod's, recommended by a parent from Christina's School and from Kitchen 17, a vegan option.

Shortly after we settled in, the rain got stronger. We moved our blankets under blankets of trees, which kept us dry. Pequod's is known for their caramelized crust. Christina only ordered a cheese. The bread was very thick, too thick for my liking. It felt more like garlic bread than pizza. Also, I wasn't impressed with the crust. I'd give it another shot, but Giordano's was the winner for me.

The toppings were evenly spaced in the crust, below a thick layer of cheese. The sauce acted as a crown atop the pizza. It was kind of like a reverse pizza, and I loved it. That pizza was smaller, and went quicker.

I tried the vegan pizza when we got home. It was also very good and receives second place in my contest judging. I'd need to face off Giordano's and Lou Malnati's to assess the ultimate winner.

Sahil's sister's in-laws came and hung out with us for a bit. They brought us frozen yogurt.

We put the food in the car so we could explore the park. I was in charge of the parking meter and I have a 45-minute buffer when I told my friends what time we needed to be back.

Lincoln Park is very picturesque. There were a bunch of wedding and quinceaneras taking photos on the bridge and at the honeycomb. We did the same.

@jmeprcn

##vlog Rainy day pizza picnic ##lincolnpark ##chicagoland ##pequodspizza ##giordanospizza ##chicagodeepdish ##castaways

♬ Castaways - The Backyardigans

We went to the zoo, but not many animals were out because of the rain. That meant they were in their cage-cages. The few animals we did see looked sad and that made me sad.

We popped by a thrift store on the way home. I picked up a couple of jackets for tomorrow's boat tour in case it does rain.

Mental note: Grace's favorite dessert is anything a la mode. Mere like brownies. Christina likes cookies. Once I confirmed the a la mode, I texted the Chicondo roommates thread if they could pick up ice cream. However, they were already close to the condo.

A few minutes after they got home, Christina yells from the hallway, "Do we need ice cream?" This was followed by a "You texted us, didn't you?" from Meredith. So not stealth. But still, I tried.

Sahil made a good excuse to leave and they picked up the ice cream. I made a cookie cake, but I felt like I was messing up. The nerves perhaps and the clumsiness. I noticed a pan inside the oven and grabbed it to put on the stove... without any oven mitts. OUCH. I called for reinforcements. Luisa helped me move the cookie onto the middle rack. Meredith helped me cool down my hand.

I squeezed a towel with ice in my hand for the rest of the night. Grace wasn't surprised because we were very obvious and she could smell the cookies. Still, the thought was there. We had a birthday sign and some glowsticks which amped up the party mode. We played cards and taught Sahil how to shuffle.

Then there were conversations into the night, for which I was half asleep.