mrdreamjeans | Thirty-Two.....Skedaddle and Skiddoo!

We just completed our run in Chicago and that makes 32 shows since our opening in Boston. How quickly a month passes! I really like Chicago, and cold or not, I think it is one of the few cities in the country where I feel completely at home.

In my free time I was able to visit my friend Gabrielyn and observe her teaching her high school choir and a general studies music class where they drove me crazy playing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" over and over on recorders for an hour. Within minutes, I knew that teaching would never be my field. The kids didn't shut up for a moment, even though Gaby is a good disciplinarian and an excellent instructor. She spent more time on trying to keep their attention than she did on teaching them. I would have yanked a couple of them bald before the first ten minutes was up:)

I spent quite a bit of time during our run here walking the Magnificent Mile... contributing to the well-being of Chicago's economy. Chicago is especially lovely during the holidays with its stunning architecture, the views of Lake Michigan, the wonderful art museums with Serrauts and Picassos on display and several stunning theatres. "Mama Mia" opened this week at The Oriental and "Spamelot" (based on the Monty Python scripts) will soon open at The Shubert. Plus, Chicago has several home-grown companies doing great work.

There are beautiful decorations and lighting displays everywhere and the flagship Marshall Fields store has worked magic as usual with its unique Christmas windows; the 2004 windows, 16 in all, tell the tale of Snow White (though the Wicked Queen looks a lot like Madame of "Waylon and Madame":) I managed to get a few gifts at Marshall Fields and other stores and arranged to ship them to various parts of the country. (No taking wrapped packages on airlines anymore). I'm very excited by what I got Tim (

gotmoof). He'll be enjoying his presents sometime at the end of next week!

I enjoyed my time here and regret that I didn't go out more, but I never seemed to be able to work bars/clubs, even country dancing, into the schedule. With the Thanksgiving schedule, bouts of icy cold and driving rain, my back spasms and then six shows in three days to close out this second week, I just lacked the energy or desire to go out. I'll just have to come vacation here when my schedule's my own.

I did manage to visit my Navy bud Mike and his partner Paul yesterday between shows, so I was able to make contact with all of my friends here in the Windy CIty. I should mention my very handsome bear of a dresser Andy. He made it a pleasure to change clothes at the theatre:) When I was in Chicago in 1992 with "Evita", Andy was my dresser and remembered me...something about me making him call me Daddy, Sir or something... I plead complete amnesia ...LOL!

I've asked Tim to post three photos for me. I think they will give you a good feeling for Chicago and my time here. The first two are night time photos taken by Venia Conti, wife of our head flyman Ed. The third picture is a picture of me taken Thanksgiving Night in front of one of the Marshall Fields windows. Credit goes to "random stranger":) I was happy for the warmth of my Indiana Jones hat, topcoat and scarf!

Tomorrow we head to Detroit. We're busing the 283 miles and will arrive about 4:00pm. I'm not fond of Detroit, so I've lined up several projects like getting my Christmas cards out and finishing Christmas shopping. Just three more weeks till a week off for Christmas. Meanwhile, the first month of the tour is over. Time to skedaddle and skiddoo!

Chicago Night