Last Thursday Jack had a Junior League Baseball game. I think they lost. But after the game we packaged again, this time for the travel ball tournament in Bartonville (Peoria). Friday the wife came home from work and her, Jack and Elsa and myself headed up to Chicago to see Stevie Nicks and Billy Joel at Soldier Field.

We stopped in Pontiac to charge up at the Wally’s gas station. Only this place is more than just a gas station; it’s a freakin’ oasis! It was huge, had fresh pulled pork and the cleanest bathrooms. It is such a nice organized little place that I couldn’t believe that there are only two locations. I think they’re trying to be the Buc-ees of the Northern USA and that’s alright with me.

After that we made good time to Solider Field, only to hit stop-and-go traffic in Chicago. This quickly turned into “stop” traffic. We did manage to get parked and ran into the venue and got to our seats while Stevie was still on her first song. I had thought that we had good seats (first row on the upper deck across from the stage) but wow, I couldn’t make out anyone on stage. I think it’s the furthest I’ve ever been at a concert.

I took out my hearing aids and put in my earplugs. It’s not the same, being at a concert, wearing earplugs. Like, you need to be engulfed in the loudness to let it shake your soul and change your mood! Oh to be young again and to not care about my body lol.

I still had a great time though and part of that was just standing, dancing with Elsa, and singing at the top of my lungs. Who knows, this may be the last time I ever see Billy Joel. Like, I’ll never get to see Rush play again, so Billy is the only other #1 artist in my personal opinion.

After the concert, at 11:30PM, we began the long journey to our hotel in Peoria. I call this part of the trip “My Failure to Plan Accordingly.” We ran into “stop” traffic, not once, not twice, but thrice, even on the interstate. Seriously, how do three lanes of traffic go down to one? On an interstate? At 1:30AM? On a Friday night? It was forever getting out of Chicago but we eventually made it back to Wally’s to charge up again, use the facilities, and get food. This was around 3AM. We cut across the state to Peoria, getting into our hotel at 5:30AM. Seriously, it was getting light out. Birds were chirping. Jack had a game at noon. He had slept in the car the whole way down and he did manage to get more sleep in the hotel and was ready for his game.

His team won the Saturday game and we didn’t play again until Sunday at noon. So we did some Costco shopping, went to Texas Roadhouse, then went and played putt putt golf. It was actually a fun little mini-vacation.

We headed back to the hotel, where Jack and his teammates played in the pool. The next morning we got up and went to Big Mike’s Donut’s in Bartonville, which was really really really good. Jack lost this game, which meant we were done. We headed home and rested. Jack had another Junior League game on Monday. He caught the whole game, in 90 degree heat, after running 5 miles Monday morning for cross country practice. Also after swimming for two hours with Elsa. I wish I was half the kid that Jack was at his age. I have to applaud his mother for raising him and Elsa to be such fine kids. I try to chip in and mold them too but mainly I’m backing up my wife’s decisions.