Chicago Excursion: Part Three

On Wednesday, Steve and I opted for bagels and granola yogurt at the lounge cafe downstairs. We then checked out and headed for Nordies for spa and lunch. We met up with A. and D.. The ladies frequented the spa and the men headed for the iStore (sp?) and a soon-to-be-closing Borders. When we checked in, I had to fill out a form for the massage therapist. This is the point where I discovered that it is not my contact lenses. I need to purchase reading glasses to read the fine print. I lifted the print to the light to try to read it better and A. lent me her pair. Much clearer. Hrumph. Welcome to midlife. We meet our massage therapists. Mine introduces herself and she guides me to a dressing room. I am doing fine except I can't unzip my right boot. I had to physically pull my jeans (thank goodness for stretchy denim) over my boots. I manage to get the left one off without problem but for the life of me could not remove the right one! Argh. So I finish undressing and emerge wearing my robe, one sandal, and one boot. She asks me if there is anything she can do to help. I ask if we can do the massage with my boot on. She said I have to soak my feet first. Hmm, this is a problem. I managed to pull on the zipper enough to pull my foot out. I lock up the boot in with my clothes. I will definitely need this massage to de-stress from the wardrobe malfunction. The hot stone massage felt great and I was relaxed afterwards. Yum. I thanked the massage therapist, gave her a hug, and dressed. I dressed and managed to wear my boots although I could not tuck in my jeans. Note to self: fix boots. I approach the check-out counter and the receptionist informs me that there is no bill. It is all taken care of. (?) So, I look at A. and she smiles. I thank her and she says she did not pay for it. It must have been Steve, I thought. We meet the guys at the entrance to the restaurant and I thank Steve for the massage. He smiles and says he did not pay for it. (?) Our group is now perplexed. No one else knew I was going to Nordstrom's. So we shrug and enter the restaurant. The venue is called Heaven on Seven. This is interesting: another celestial reference. The food is cajun and it is out of this world. I enjoyed cajun-style vegetables and Steve dined on chicken gumbo and another dish I cannot recall. The company and the lunch were great. A few hours later, we left Heaven on Seven and left for home.