Thanksgiving in Chitown

First, we went to the Christkindlmarket, a German open-air market, for a snack. Now, a snack at the market consisted mostly of meaty bits.

Christkindlmarket

That evening, we saw a great production of A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theater.

Goodman Theater's stage

After the play, we went to Quartino, a lovely wine bar, for a light dinner, and then on to a local jazz club.

Baby Got (Sprained) Back or Driving Miss Erica

Gracie and her gigantor paws during a nap

I spent most of the weekend sprawled on the couch because I sprained my lower back last week. After a mostly sleepless night on Thursday, C. and J. shuttled me to and from the urgent care clinic on Friday. (Thanks, guys!) Since then, I've been communing with my heating pad, taking meds., and doing some world-class snuggling with the catbots. Shifting does a number on the injured muscles, so I've also been abstaining from driving. (Anyone want to recreate Driving Miss Daisy?)

Cannellini with Garlic Sausages

This morning, I visited with J.'s family and welcomed the sun back with a brief walk along the lake. Then I read a bit of the Sunday paper and my book (Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra: A Life). After waking up from my muscle relaxant-induced nap, I made David Rocco's Cannellini with Garlic Sausages (Salsiccie e Fagioli). The recipe calls for rosemary, but I also added a bit of sage to add more depth. I also watched approximately five minutes of Sarah Palin's speech from Saturday, which was about as much as I could stomach. (What can I say? I have a low crap threshold.)

I think this evening holds a bath, some reading, and perhaps an episode of Upstairs Downstairs on PBS.