Lucky

We* left for Chicago just after 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning.
We stopped in Tomah, Wisconsin, for lunch at Subway.
I had the Veggie Delight.
All the way there, we listened to cool tunes.
Like this.
And this.
And of course, this and this.
We arrived at the hotel just after 5:00.
At 6:15, we walked about 400 yards to the train station and took the train into the city.
We walked into Auditorium Theater.
We queued up for beers (two each).
We sat down.
Five seconds later, they introduced the opening band: The Black Keys**.
The Black Keys raged for a very solid 30-minute set.
Very solid.
More beers were enjoyed (I’ll leave it at that).
Radiohead came out just after 8:00.
I was the fulfillment of a long-held wish.
I worried that I would expect too much.
I worried I’d be disappointed.
The show exceeded my expectations.
I bought posters for my friends who dig the band and for myself.
We walked through Millennium Park.
We walked across the river and up Michigan Avenue for dinner.
It was quite good.
We took the train back to our hotel.
We slept the sleep of the dead.
We woke at 8:00 (God bless housekeepers).
We drank copious fluids.
We showered.***
We hit the road.
We stopped in Madison, Wisconsin.
And played a round of golf at a nice course.
It was brutal (jerk).
We had a blast.
Then back in the car for the ride back to St. Paul and to Brooklyn Park.

I went for the Radiohead concert, and the show did not disappoint at all. It was worth every penny, and it was worth every mile. At times, I was almost overcome, I was so giddy. When they played “Lucky,” I was on cloud nine. It's one of my favorites, you don't want to be near me when it's on. I can't hit those high notes, but I try. I play air guitar. I geek out.

I called a friend in San Diego so that he could hear “Everything in Its Right Place.”

And we had amazing luck. We always arrived at the station just as the train was arriving. We picked a hotel close to the train. We got to Millennium Park whilst it was still open. It didn’t rain until we putted out at 18.

But I’m an old man, friends, and the memory that will endure for me from this wonderful weekend, will not be the set list, or the opening number, or the feelings I felt to finally see what is, IMHO, the best rock and roll band of all time. No, truth be told, the highlight of the trip was spending two action-packed days with a close friend whom I adore and admire. What I will remember, years from now, is that Brian and I took a really cool road trip in 2006.

I guess you could say I feel “lucky.”


*We = my dear friend Brian and me. Brian is a math teacher at a local high school. He’s also one of my favorite golfing buddies.
**Thank you so much, D.O.N.
***Separately, c’mon now; we’re both married.