Continued....Grutz says, "Midwest weather is NOT for the faint of heart." or "Chicago-style deep dish pizza is NOT for the faint of heart."

We're all getting older.

Carleen and I had the great pleasure of welcoming her brother, Matt Healy, and cousin, Rob Healy, to our fine home for a little bachelor party get down.  I've known about this for some time and was a little nervous about trying to pull it off.  I was a bit concerned that I would have to come up with some crazy debauchery that really isn't my forte.  I'd ask myself, "Is Matt kinda hoping for 'The Hangover' type bachelor party?"  See, I'm more of a "let's drink some beers, maybe catch a show or hit up a couple bars" kind of guy, not a "let's get out of our minds, drop huge bank, yes, yes, yes, strippers, strippers, strippers, woo-hoo, partee (with a double 'e')" kind of guy.

Thank goodness, everyone is getting old.  And frequenting a music festival the previous days and getting no sleep.  Matt, Rob, and Andy (Maggie's brother) all went to Summer Camp '11 Friday and Saturday (I didn't go,  I'm 33.  You don't go to a giant camp-out-in-the-rain-with-thousands-of-hippies music fest when you're 33).  Papadosio played and so they all got to hang with Michael (Carleen's brother) when he wasn't banging the drums.  This also means they stayed up real late, partied pretty hard in they're own right, and 'slept' in a tent with tens of thousands of other party-goers.  When they arrived Sunday showers were had, naps were taken.

When the energy levels increased enough to get out and about, we settled on a Chicago tradition, deep-dish pizza.  Now for those that call Chicago home, we don't really eat this all that often.  Actually we never eat it.  Only when we have visitors, so it's always associated with good times.  So Carleen kindly joined us for some Gino's East artery clogging loving.  It is ridiculous.  It is grand.  It is pretty good.  It is something you have to do at least once in you life.

Enjoy it.  Don't think about.  Just enjoy it.

After dinner, Carleen left us boys to our own terrible selves.  Oh the mayhem that would ensue.  Ok, actually is was pretty calm and really fun.  We hit a couple bars, played some darts, and had a blast.  No, nothing juicy, no broken bones/lost body parts, no tattoos or pierced nipples, no hickeys, no herpes, just 4 guys having a great time.  We got back to Pilsen around 2, I woke up around 3:30 to get Rob to the Blue Line to catch is very, very early (but very cheap) flight back to DC.  Got to sleep.  Woke to Carleen making some the best waffles I've ever had.  Spent some time with Matt before he headed back to Cincinnati and enjoyed the afternoon with Carleen.  Bliss.

And then I was tired.  Dead tired.

As we get older, we might slow down a bit lot.  But we're more sensible and the things we choose to do, we appreciate them more. 

Also, I can't wait for Matt and Maggie's wedding.