CHICAGO: IHD first 2nd Annual Member Meeting

[charee]

thanks that was great to watch

[Jess21]

They all are some of the nicest people you ever want to meet...Boxman

Yes, Yes they are
I had a great time, even trying to find way around and back from Chicago. Gotta Love technology, 2 GPS units not agreeing with each other

Maybe each car should've had a GPS, instead of the car in the rear most of the time having two? My recent call list today was Chris, Okarol, Chirs, Chris, Okarol, Okarol, Paris.  LOL
Technology arguing with itself...   I have 10 secs of Paris' happy birthday song..it's not good quality, but let me see if I can get it up on youtube.

[Chris]

I should have done that and didn't think about it at the time. Could have captured the passing around of her ice cream bowl to that made 2 laps around the table too.

[Ohio Buckeye]

Wow, it looks like you all had a wonderful time.
Did you go to Navy Pier and did you do the boat cruise?

[Ohio Buckeye]

How great that many of you got to meet up wih Boxman.
What a GREAT BUNCH OF GUYS AND GALS.

[flip]

It's 7:00 Sunday night and I just got home and feel absolutely no ill effects from skipping dialysis yesterday. It was great meeting the members who came and I hope to meet even more of you all in Vegas.

[kitkatz]

I wish I had been there.  I missed a great party.

[Chris]

Wow, it looks like you all had a wonderful time.
Did you go to Navy Pier and did you do the boat cruise?

Yes, a few of us went to Navy Pier and Okarol has taken some pictures. We went late and didn't take the boat cruise. We did see the fireworks as we were walking there.
Okarol, Patton, Jess21 and her mom, Paris and her husband, and myself went. I let Okarol drive my vehicle. I had a GPS unit and Okarol's phone has GPS on it with traffic updates. Thus we had technology that never agreed with each other on which way to take. We were trying for Millennium Park (the Giant  Chrome Kidney Bean), but there was concerts going on and roads where closed, thus making it hard to get around in a place you have no idea about. I started to recognize some of the buildings because it was close to my transplant hospital and I knew there was a parking structure there.So we walked a ways to Navy Pier.

[Jess21]

This is from dinner last night.  I pressed the wrong button on my phone before I started recording, so it's not the whole song, but anyway, you can see Paris and her ice cream that made it's own round around the table without being finished!
  Paris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3Wmi-4ZAsw
by the way, it's loud.  Just like us.
edit: sound is horrible for some reason.  isn't like that until I save it on my comp..i'll fix it later.





Edited: Fixed smiley error - Sluff/Admin

[Sluff]

1. After taking the long road we ended up at Cracker barrel on Friday night.

2. The table with purple boas in remembrance of Goofynina. Great job Paris!

3. The guys.

4. Committing Rolondo.

[Sluff]

I wish I had been there.  I missed a great party.

You were there. 

[paris]

What a great weekend!!   I have so many things so say and share.  It is amazing how a group of people, all dealing with health issues, come together and spends the entire time laughing, joking, eating and eating and eating, and there is no whining or complaining.  It is inspirational to see everyone traveling and enjoying life.     It was wonderful to see Okarol, Sluff and Kristie again.  Just like being with your favorite sister and brother.  And Sluff's son is great.  This teenager was a friend to everyone; he was the first to help each of us, always asking if we needed anything or if we were ok.  I was extremely impressed with his compassion and maturity.  And he was so much fun.  I wanted to adopt him!  Sluff, you have done an incredible job as a father. I love Josh!     Flip and Donna, it was fun sitting with you both at Cracker Barrel.  My husband enjoyed talking about Lexington and the area.  Donna, I think we must be related!  It was good to hear your point of view on the kidney stuff.  Flip takes life with such a good attitude. Never complains, always positive (maybe that is the moonshine!).  Flip, so glad you brought Donna!  She is a lot of fun.     Jess21 and Nancy---well, how did the microchipping go??    Nancy, thanks for coming with Jess21 to see what this group is all about. Jess has such a good attitude, too.  It is nice to see how close the two of you are.       And Chris, our computer wiz!  Master of all things electronical!  Nice truck!!  You had posted pictures and links before I even got back to Raleigh. Thanks for recommending Portillos--best hot dog I have ever had!  It was so good to meet you in person.     If you want to meet two people who will encourage you to do anything you want to---well, that is Alene and Rolando (aharris2). They both have permanent smiles.  I never saw either one when they weren't smiling.  Rolondo's neice and nephew joined us and they were always smiling!  I think the nephew looks just like Rolando (Engelbert was really cute!).  Nothing stops these two.    My husband says he has never been with any group where everyone was so happy.   We all were happy to be together, strenghten our friendships, and making new ones.  It is like a family reunion without the relatives you don't like!!   And for those who weren't there--- we talking about you(all good things!), and you were all included in all we did.  My husband says he has never seen me so outgoing and silly.  You guys bring the fun side out in me!    Our trip home was long.  We got to the airport about noon Sunday and arrived in Raleigh about 1am Monday morning!  Today has been one of dozing and resting.  The trip was worth every moment of trying to get home and I am ready to go again!    Thanks everyone, for a wonderful weekend.   And to Tinley Park, our apologies for all the purple feathers we left all over town!! Feathers were blowing in the wind everywhere.  We were surrounded by Susie all the time.   

[flip]

Something about Tinley Park sounded familiar to me and today I figured it out. For those in the caravan Friday night searching for Cracker Barrel.....the shopping center where we finally turned around is the one where 5 women in a Lane Bryant store were shot to death back in February. There are still no suspects.

[paris]

I think I am glad I didn't know that before we went!  We did take the scenic route to dinner that night.   

Meinuk, kind of like our road trip from the hotel to dinner in Vegas!    This group can always make a five minute trip into a 30 minute trip!

[Sluff]

Something about Tinley Park sounded familiar to me and today I figured it out. For those in the caravan Friday night searching for Cracker Barrel.....the shopping center where we finally turned around is the one where 5 women in a Lane Bryant store were shot to death back in February. There are still no suspects.

My cousin managed that store awhile before the shootings, I guess she works in Blue island now.

[Chris]

Something about Tinley Park sounded familiar to me and today I figured it out. For those in the caravan Friday night searching for Cracker Barrel.....the shopping center where we finally turned around is the one where 5 women in a Lane Bryant store were shot to death back in February. There are still no suspects.

Actually we where there on Saturday. The mall that had that store is  where Portillos was located, on 159th. It was across from Target.
Also, Okarol posted a couple videos on YouTube also using a laptop. Here are the links.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h62aWWoYaDs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td9FX-9n54g

[flip]

According to the one article I read, the store was in the mall at 191st and Harlem.

[Chris]

If it was 191st, that would be Orland Park and could be that there are 2 Targets and Lane  Bryants. I saw the Lane Bryant sign when we entered Portillo's the back way. Oh well, we made it unscaved from the area. Well except for that brief stop at the mental health center 

[flip]

We really enjoyed Oak Park on Saturday morning. The streets were alive with people and we found them all to be very friendly. After the book sale we toured the neighborhood and checked out the Frank Lloyd Wright home & museum and all the many homes in the area that he designed.

[lruffner]

Thanks for sharing the pics. I missed being able to go by 1 stinking day, but you gotta do what ya gotta do! Glad everyone had such a great time!

Maybe we can do some informal 'regional meetings sometime???    I would just love to meet some people, but I can't do either trip this year 

[Chris]

It was great meeting all that came. Like Paris said, no uneasiness with everyone like a family reunion where you meet people you never met before. I wish I could go to Vegas also, but maybe next year if I can save money to afford hotel and airline cost, I could go. I will have to see how much I get off my fuel rebate in December.

They do remember what you post to, they got me a 7 day 4 event pill container with reminder alarms.

[flip]

I think regional meetings would be worth considering again, Lee. There just aren't a lot of active members in our area. Maybe Cincinnati, St.Louis, or Nashville.

[lruffner]

Right on, FLip. That is what I consider regional. You said 'again'....has this been done or brought up before?

Flip, do you do any gardening? I have been making bread & butter pickles like crazy. If we all ever get together, I will bring you a jar. Yes, I am sure they are restricted, but 1 or 2 never hurt anybody! hehe

[flip]

dill pickles are actually much worse than sweet pickles. I always put sweet pickle relish in my tuna.

[Chris]

When I showed my dietitian the two types of pickles that  I bought to show her the ingredients, the sweet didn't contain much salt or potassium as the dill. She said that we couldn't have any pickles, so I had to prove her wrong.