Just have to lead with our retirement shirts. No other picture of these exists. Just this one taken on our last full day of GrampCamp 2024
The shirts joined our wardrobes when we retired in 2022. They sport an actual baby beluga and our official retirement logo: Adventia Before Dementia. William has a matching one because of course we'd make sure he did... we all have windbreakers, too.
The official Wrap-up of GrampCamp 2024 -- a day and a half in Chicago
The Name is Miller...
...William Miller. It is a self-designed, computer-generated disguise from the James Bond 007 exhibit in the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. What a fantastic place to spend a 1/2 day exploring. To do it right would have taken a week.
William is caught here experimenting with the periscope of the German U-Boat 505, an actual German submarine captured in WW II.
He's in the engine of his favorite exhibit, a Boeing 727, and, below, in front of a 1940's US Pioneer Zephyr Passenger Train. It's such a nice train; how did we get Amtrak?
Bill favored the U-Boat. It reminded him of his Navy submariner times. My favorite exhibit, the Blue Paradox is not pictured. It was a fantastic exhibit about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, created by our out-of-control use of plastics. The paradox might be that right outside the exhibit one could put a five dollar bill in a machine and create a molded plastic toy that will, I am sure, eventually end up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. WTH?
But the Best was yet to come!
The VERY best, as we've often said, is being able to connect with people that we otherwise wouldn't get to see. Starting with Dan.... Dan is Michael's BFF from 3rd grade on.
Here's William and Dan. Michael and Dan have taken quite different paths in adulthood, but still they value the 'old' days. Dan just happened to be in Chicago for a wedding and Surprise! We got a text from him early Saturday morning. Could we meet him for some deep dish pizza? Of course we would make it work no matter what! We have loved Dan for years, and kept our fridge stocked with lemon yogurt during middle and high school years, just for him. Totally great to see him again!
We met at Lou Malnati's. Evidently famous for it pizza, neither Bill nor I ate the pizza because, well, we had a Pizza Boat party coming up in the evening:
The Pizza Boat is a rented Pontoon Boat with a Pizza Oven on it! Three CCC couples who only meet virtually met in person to spend an evening. The rental company provides one pizza, but Sue brought a few more. We put-putted along the Chicago River for two hours eating great pizza, while Sue and Tom -- both architects and Chicago residents -- gave us our own tour of Chicago architecture and other sites. SO MUCH FUN❗
William became our mascot for the evening. Behind him is Ann and her husband Richard is in the pink shirt. Behind her is Tom, driving the boat. His wife Sue is in the bow snapping the picture. Bill is next to Richard; I'm just in front of him.
We never learned the shrimp's name, but a fun group pic.
We were to provide the desserts. So off we all went to Legend's Tasty House Ice Cream in Chicago's China Town. We ate the best rolled ice cream at this Thai place and it was better'n any dessert we could have provided. And really captivating to watch it being made. It involved a putty knife.
This is strawberry and mango ice cream. When I look at it all I see is salami. But it was soooooooooo good and definitely tasted of strawberries and mangos!
Richard and Ann enjoyed a bobba drink:
As did William. He also liked the fat straw:
Sadly, the day for William to leave arrived. We cleaned the van (that's a vacuum cleaner) on Saturday morning and with tears in our eyes, put William on an airplane to return to his parents. He was anxious to see them of course, but I think there was a little tinge of sadness to leave GrampCamp. You'd never know it from these pictures, though. And we're sending him back intact -- no bumps, bruises, sickness, etc, improving our GrampCamp average since 2016.
Ending with a bunch of camping pictures
This one's for you, Sue and Tom Boeman-- Here's what BB looks like cleaned up!
Rainy Day
Retirement Lessons Learned: More important to show up on time that be prepared....maybe..... People are always more important than things.... And as my brother has told me: Memories are expensive, but they are worth it.
Voyaya
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