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It's not as if you people are posting anything...

This past weekend, Ms. Flea and I had tickets to see Regina Spektor in concert on Sunday night. Since it was a Sunday, our original plans were to get into the city a little early, kick around bit and then see the show. However, I was feeling in rare form and actually managed to plan a weekend.

We started off on Saturday night with a hotel room in the Hyatt Lodge in Oakbrook (town names added for the local folks). The hotel is a nifty place -- McDonald's has their corporate headquarters in Oakbrook and owns a large expanse of wooded property with ponds, a lake, creeks, walking paths, etc. They have part of it set off for corporate buildings and "Hamburger U" (their manager training school) and part contains the Hyatt with some large event rooms and lots of great views. We've been in the Hyatt numerous times on business but never spent a night there. The room was probably one of the best rooms we've stayed in (well, our room in Vegas was snazzier) but we didn't have time to hit the pool or anything.

Moving onward, we had Saturday night reservations at a little restaurant in Glen Ellyn called Mykah's which is some French-Vietnamese joint. A cozy little place (it seats about 50) with good staffing and wonderful food. The presentation was simply fantastic with food arranged to resemble a pond, a waterfall, much use of flower blooms in the food, etc. Highly recommended to anyone in the area. Bring money and make reservations.

Back to the hotel and bed, then breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Then off to the city proper where we had tickets for an architectural boat cruise along the Chicago River. Although it got cold at times, we had access to hot chocolate and coffee and learned a bajillion tidbits of trivia, most of which I've forgotten. And I got to say "***** you, St. Louis!" when the guide explained how early city engineers reversed the flow of the Chicago River so that, instead of flowing into Lake Michigan, it would now carry the city's human waste into the Mississippi.

A whole bunch of buildings later, I took the ladyfriend to the Signature Lounge atop the Hancock building for lunch and drinks. Not a whole lot to say there except that, should you be seated by the window overlooking downtown, be prepared to have a whole lot of tourists walk over and block your view of the window. Few people, on the other hand, wanted to stare out over the west side of the city. Lunch was followed by a stroll through the Water Tower Place mall where we bought Jophiel Jr a rubber ball full of worms and Flea bought some lotion or something made of hemp because she's a dirty hippy chick. Before you know it she'll be buying ferrets and listening to Phish.

Finally it was concert time and we headed off to the Park West. After some roadway adventures, I found legal street parking a mere block or so from the venue. Go me! We went inside and found some seats on the dance floor which was both good and useless. It was useless because everyone on the dance floor was standing anyway so you couldn't see anything sitting. But it was good because we were in an alcove formed by the table and stairwall so we could stand comfortably without a crush of people around us, see Ms. Spektor and even had a wall lean against. Regina Spektor was a great show -- she was full of giggles and blushes and seemed in awe that she had a sold out club full of people of who paid money to see her. The only minor downside was the Regina Spektor Drunken Fangrrl Choir off to my left. For those who said they found Regina's vocal gymnastics annoying, you should hear a 22 year old soused on rum and pineapple juice attempt them. But, ignoring them, Regina was cute as a button and played everything you'd hope she'd play off her list.

So, that was the weekend. Traffic home was a breeze (go figure for 10:30 on a Sunday night) and we all slept soundly. Oh, and back on Saturday night in the restaurant, I asked Flea for her hand in marriage and she said yes. So we had that going for us.

So that's what you were asking...

If you could drink, you'd use a passing flock of birds as an excuse to get loaded!We're sitting in the restaurant and our food is out and we're oooh'ing and aaah'ing over it when I ask her if she's happy. She says yes. I say, "Well, then it's a good time to ask you this" and take the ring from my pocket and hand it to her and say "Will you marry me?"

Flea, her ears rendered silent by years of oxycontin abuse, says "was there a question that came with this?" and I was all like "z0mgwtflol!!!" then I had to ask again. Then she said yes.

She has some other version of the story where I mumbled the question incoherantly but what can you expect from some oxycontin addict

Edited, Oct 16th 2006 at 10:47am PDT by Jophiel

You know, this isn't just the hemp hand protector talking, but it was an excellent weekend. Fantabulous in every respect. My one regret lies in the fact that Joph, always erring on the side of caution, decided not to size down my ring and so it's off to the jeweler's today, and I probably won't get to wear it for a week. When I do get it on, I'll keep it on forever, though, so that's okay.



Oh, and I'm pretty sure MonxDot opened for Regina.

Edited, Oct 16th 2006 at 10:49am PDT by Atomicflea

At first I was fairly certain he was talking to his coat pocket, so I didn't want to interrupt whatever they had going on. On the plus side, the second time around was loud enough for the next table to overhear us, tell our shared waitress, and it led to free dessert and a gift certificate from the owner for a meal for 2 on our next Anniversary. Score!

I had to google Regina Spektor. She looks kinda cute in almost Fiona Apple kinda way. I couldn't listen to tunes, as I'm at work and the internet is slow as all get out today. Damn IT people.

Congrats on the engagement thing. I'd make fun of your delivery, but I'm pretty sure that if I were in your shoes I very much doubt my skills would be any better. At least you got a yes, that's all that counts I guess.

All part of Joph's ingenious plan.

Awesome guys! Congrads! May your union bless you with many happy years and a life time of pitter pattering pollack peruvian baby feet!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


!!!!!!!


CONGRATS YOU TWO!!!!!!!

have fun you two!

/wave

Pink, yellow, blue or regular diamond? I'm sure its beautiful. Platinum or Gold? Did you "know" he was going to propose Saturday or was it totally surprising (in the context you didnt know when for sure he was going to)?



I'll give you a few weeks/months to figure out the answeres to the next set of questions.

Traditional wedding? -not to offend, but I'm going out on a limb and being totally racist saying that Flea is Catholic, I think Joph may be too, I could be wrong. Are you doing the traditional 20+ people standing up with you hispanic wedding? You have taught Joph to salsa right?



Chicago or back in DC?
Joph Jr ring bearer or groomsman or neither?
Honeymoon?
In game wedding for the rest of us 'tards to attend?

Edited, Oct 16th 2006 at 11:40am PDT by Katie

.

First off, congratulations to the two of you, and you picked one of my favorite restaurants. Mykah's has an excellent tamarind shrimp dish and, if you ask nicely because it's not always on the menu, you can get a Vietamese duck, quartered and braised in a delicous sauce. Mykah herself is a charming and adorable woman, not to mention fantastic cook. The company I work for, gets Mykah's catered every year for our Christmas party, and needless to say it's all gone by the end of the party.


Goddamn it's a small world.

Congratulations!

So what's next for the couple? Any Flea'Jo-mites in the near future?


Edit: Damnit! Cresent's clock > My clock.

Edited, Oct 16th 2006 at 11:47am PDT by Kaelesh