Anniversary weekend
Apr. 20th, 2009 08:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eee1313This weekend marked our one-year wedding anniversary. The Scientist had to work Friday night and Saturday during the day, but Saturday night when he got home we took off for Chicago. One of our first dates was going to Greek Islands restaurant in Greektown, so we decided to hit up Greektown again. We went to Parthenon this time, and the food was wonderful. After that we came home, cracked open at 20-something-year-old bottle of wine and watched a romcom together.
Sunday morning we got up and went to Sweet Tomatoes for breakfast (we had a coupon). We filled up on biscuits & gravy and breakfast burritos, and all was well. Then we hopped in the car to road trip out to the country. We headed towards DeKalb and went to a town called Genoa, which is tiny and absolutely charming. The Prairie State Winery is there, and the guy working was really helpful and nice. We got a few bottles, including their Recession Noir, which not only tastes good, but has a great label and money from the sale of each bottle goes to the local Salvation Army. From there we headed south towards DeKalb, stopping in Sycamore to visit the Sycamore Winery. Unfortunately their wines weren't very good. Both the Scientist and I think that some of their wines had gone bad. We had heard (both on the website and from the guy at Prairie State) that the family that runs this winery was having health problems, and they were looking to get out of the business. I think because of that we felt obligated to buy, kind of out of pity. Luckily their pink grapefruit and pomegranate wines were good, so we got those. THEN we headed way south of DeKalb to a winery in the middle of nowhere. Waterman Winery is the only winery in northern Illinois to actually grow all their own grapes and fruits. Their winery is in their barn, next to all the giant John Deere tractors. The couple working were extremely nice, and talked with us for at least a half hour. Then the husband took us out to the other barn where they do all their winemaking to show us around. He even pointed out the different vines in the fields to tell us which ones make which wines. It was really interesting. When he found out it was our anniverary, he gave us complementary glasses of their watermelon wine. Very nice. THEN we drove to Geneva, which is one of the farthest western suburbs of Chicago. There was another winery there (a satellite location for a big winery close to Iowa), so we tried some more wine there and bought a few more bottles.
Needless to say, we are fully stocked when it comes to wine now.
We got home, and the Scientist took a nap while I watched TV. Then we went to Clara's for dinner. Clara's is this tiny Italian place near our house. They make all their own pasta, and it's WONDERFUL. The Scientist took me there for our first official date, and we haven't been back since. So I figured this was a good reason to return. The food was absolutely awesome. I couldn't finish it all, so guess what I'm having for dinner?
Today I am staying home from work to hang out with the Scientist. I had pre-approved this absence with my boss, so it's all good. I have no idea what we're going to do today, though. Originally we were hoping to go to the Oriental Institute, but they're closed Mondays. Then we were thinking of going to the Lincoln Park Zoo, but it's rainy and chilly. So I don't know what we'll be doing. We'll think of something. Right now he's downstairs making biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Mmmmm.
Anyway, it's been a great weekend. And it's been a great Year One. Despite having a whole bunch of bad shit thrown our way, this has been an absolutely wonderful year, and I've never been happier. :D
ETA: The Scientist is now putting our anniversary gift to use: a new Dyson vacuum. My parents and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
yakgirl went in to give us money for it, and combine that with the 20% off coupon that yakgirl sent, we only spent $140 on it! Nice. So the Scientist has been having fun sucking up cat hair and trying to attack me with the vacuum hose. Heh.
Sunday morning we got up and went to Sweet Tomatoes for breakfast (we had a coupon). We filled up on biscuits & gravy and breakfast burritos, and all was well. Then we hopped in the car to road trip out to the country. We headed towards DeKalb and went to a town called Genoa, which is tiny and absolutely charming. The Prairie State Winery is there, and the guy working was really helpful and nice. We got a few bottles, including their Recession Noir, which not only tastes good, but has a great label and money from the sale of each bottle goes to the local Salvation Army. From there we headed south towards DeKalb, stopping in Sycamore to visit the Sycamore Winery. Unfortunately their wines weren't very good. Both the Scientist and I think that some of their wines had gone bad. We had heard (both on the website and from the guy at Prairie State) that the family that runs this winery was having health problems, and they were looking to get out of the business. I think because of that we felt obligated to buy, kind of out of pity. Luckily their pink grapefruit and pomegranate wines were good, so we got those. THEN we headed way south of DeKalb to a winery in the middle of nowhere. Waterman Winery is the only winery in northern Illinois to actually grow all their own grapes and fruits. Their winery is in their barn, next to all the giant John Deere tractors. The couple working were extremely nice, and talked with us for at least a half hour. Then the husband took us out to the other barn where they do all their winemaking to show us around. He even pointed out the different vines in the fields to tell us which ones make which wines. It was really interesting. When he found out it was our anniverary, he gave us complementary glasses of their watermelon wine. Very nice. THEN we drove to Geneva, which is one of the farthest western suburbs of Chicago. There was another winery there (a satellite location for a big winery close to Iowa), so we tried some more wine there and bought a few more bottles.
Needless to say, we are fully stocked when it comes to wine now.
We got home, and the Scientist took a nap while I watched TV. Then we went to Clara's for dinner. Clara's is this tiny Italian place near our house. They make all their own pasta, and it's WONDERFUL. The Scientist took me there for our first official date, and we haven't been back since. So I figured this was a good reason to return. The food was absolutely awesome. I couldn't finish it all, so guess what I'm having for dinner?
Today I am staying home from work to hang out with the Scientist. I had pre-approved this absence with my boss, so it's all good. I have no idea what we're going to do today, though. Originally we were hoping to go to the Oriental Institute, but they're closed Mondays. Then we were thinking of going to the Lincoln Park Zoo, but it's rainy and chilly. So I don't know what we'll be doing. We'll think of something. Right now he's downstairs making biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Mmmmm.
Anyway, it's been a great weekend. And it's been a great Year One. Despite having a whole bunch of bad shit thrown our way, this has been an absolutely wonderful year, and I've never been happier. :D
ETA: The Scientist is now putting our anniversary gift to use: a new Dyson vacuum. My parents and
yakgirl went in to give us money for it, and combine that with the 20% off coupon that yakgirl sent, we only spent $140 on it! Nice. So the Scientist has been having fun sucking up cat hair and trying to attack me with the vacuum hose. Heh.