Just Get Me to the Church On Time

We tried to fit in too much, not remembering that traffic can be a bit of a nightmare in a large city like Chicago.

fruit from Michigan!

Last weekend, after a noisy night on the 12th floor of the Aloft hotel (a fire station was way too near) we had Saturday breakfast at the nearby XOCO. I decided to order something authentic rather than say, eggs and bacon. I don't know what the others ordered, but I think my daughter R had something with "pork belly." I ordered my entree with no beans--I cannot manage beans for breakfast, and certainly not before a wedding. (That is as close as I am going to get--in this post about a lovely old (prudish) grandma and a lovely wedding--to the (requisite reference to) things that belong in the bathroom--or in my lawn.)

The red tomato salsa stuff at the base of my entree was fresh and delicious. I also shared a delicious butternut squash muffin. I took just one quick food photo!

Heuvos Rancheros at XOCO 

After breakfast we got our wedding clothes together and left downtown Chicago for suburban Downers Grove. Not having yet celebrated Grandma Rose's October 95th birthday with her, we were scheduled to take her to lunch and then get her to the wedding of her granddaughter on time. Things did not go well. We missed an expressway exit that might have provided a faster route and were assaulted with seemingly endless un-timed red lights. We were running late.

We told Grandma to stay in her room and we would come for her.

Grandma was ready and waiting by the entry. I did not want to help her for fear of being responsible for contributing to a fall, but I jumped out to help her into the front seat.

We hurried to the nearest restaurant, Rock Bottom Brewery. I had lunch there before Grandpa's funeral, just two years ago. There was an abnormally large curb looming ahead in our path between the car and the restaurant. Step up, Grandma! Oops! (Can't lift her leg that high). Slow motion...sinking to the sidewalk...her son holding on to her one good arm. She is down. Shocked. Seems okay. Whew. Our second worst nightmare after traffic--allowing the grandma to fall!

Then we started ordering everything on the menu we thought she might enjoy and eat easily, including mashed potatoes--after she said she wasn't hungry. Neither were we. But here we were for lunch. The husband started reading stuff off the menu. Do you like calamari? I snorted at the ridiculousness of that suggestion. I remember that the hot spinach dip was as delicious as it usually is when well made. Lots of doggie boxes were loaded into our trunk.

Then back to the rest home. Two long black skirts to try--the first one was falling off her hips. She has become so petite, with such a tiny waist! I helped her with her shoes, fastened her necklace. She grabbed some earrings from on top of the dresser. The matching ones were nowhere to be found, likely put in a safe place for the wedding!

We are running late. Grandma couldn't find her comb. I had one. Get Grandma back in the car--moving slowly. Please, no falling! No time to fill up with gas. Third nightmare: we think there is enough gas to get to the church.

Oh Oh. Accident on the Eisenhower? And no kids with smart phones in the car. What shall we do? Stay on the expressway and hope. Grandma seems oblivious to the problem, but I tell the husband to be quiet and not upset her. She remarks about how long it has been since she has seen the beautiful downtown skyline.

We finally merged unto the Kennedy from the Eisenhower and are still not moving well in traffic. Where is everyone going on a Saturday afternoon? Then we have only 4 miles left on the gas gauge indicator, but we think we can see the church steeple from the exit!

 I need to help Grandma up the steps of the church--oh please, no falling. With only 5 minutes to spare (and then the wedding began about 15 minutes late) I handed off the grandma to the father of the bride--she needed a corsage and to get ready for her special walk down the aisle. I said "She's all yours." Whew! I looked apologetic and mumbled something about traffic. He looked upset that we hadn't arrived the requested half-hour early.

The wedding was beautiful and proceeded without a hitch as far as I could tell: nine attendants, the niece a beautiful bride. A professional took 50 photos of the unity candle-lighting alone. I behaved myself and left my camera in my purse. Teared up just a little.

After the wedding we still had an empty gas tank. We now had the kids with the smart phones with us, but they don't exactly have an app for nearest gas. We were now down to 2 miles left, with more busy traffic and no gas station in sight.

We were in wedding clothes--but surely within walking distance of something. Nightmare scenarios were playing out in my mind.

I began breathing my thoughts upward with lots of please help us. Stat.

We got in the wrong lane, merged right with a wave, over the overpass, turned left and up a block or so a big Costco came into view--the husband's favorite gas and mashed potato store!

He filled the tank to a greater capacity then the owner's manual indicated.

We were saved. Whew.

We had about 3 hours to kill before the reception at Maggiano's Little Italy, conveniently located right across the street from our Aloft hotel.

 I wondered. Will there be mashed potatoes at the Italian restaurant? Or just pasta? Any comfort food sounded good. That and an open bar...

Fresh flowers at XOCO