Chicago planning, Panera Bread and Farmstead.

Today was an indulgent lazy day where we achieved lots at a relaxed pace. Best of all we now have our accommodation and tourist plans organised for Chicago! Thank you, Em, for taking charge and finding the most amazing place for us to stay!

Because I'm so excited about it, I have to share! For the first four nights in Chicago, until we transfer to the Hilton for the writing conference, we will be staying at The Write Inn. Check out the link. How awesome does that place look!! :-D

Best of all, the hotel is just a short walk from Ernest Hemingway's birthplace!! I mean, seriously!? There is no way we could have picked a better place!! I'm so excited about it!! I can't wait to get there!!

We considered hiring a car to get around, but have decided to use public transport. Apparently the Chicago public transport system is fantastic, plus it will be lots of fun to use it as though we were real Chicagoans... or whatever they're called. *lol*

We have also pre-bought our tickets (at a reduced rate) for the several main attractions that we want to go to. There's at least a full day just around the hotel though, with all the old architecture, history and famous dead people's houses to appreciate. I want to try to pick up a copy of Hemingway's 'The Old Man and the Sea' before I go. I feel as though I'm a fan and yet I've never read the man's books. But, if I can't get a copy pre-Chicago, then I will definately be able to get one in the Hemingway Museum, I'm sure.

We also worked our way through the AWP schedule and chose the sessions we would like to do. Those look exciting and I'm sure we'll learn lots! I better make sure I pack light so that I can fit all the books in that I'll be buying at that bookfair! :-D

This was a morning well spent, getting all of this organised and planned. Now I just have to figure out what to take with me. Argh! *lol*

We lunched at Panera Bread, because that place is my new addiction! I had a half serve of brocolli and cheese soup (seriously, that stuff is divine!) and a half Frontega Chicken Panini. I wish this place would open in Australia. It's somewhat like Rivers in that the food they serve is fresh, healthy and delicious, but this is a franchised chain store so it's not restricted to just one place.

After lunch, a quick browse through Best Buy netted me another pack of lithium batteries. I had hoped to rely on the battery charger, but when one pack of recharged batteries lasts only for around 30 photos, and a throwaway set lasts for over 600, there is no comparison. It's just such a pity about the waste.

After Best Buy we returned to Liberty with the intention of browsing through By the Book for the Hemmingway novel, instead we got distracted by the little boutique stores and browsed our way along the street going from cooking to flowers/toiletries to homewares to clothes... ahhh, clothes. *cheeky grin*

Farmstead is a boutique with a definate cowboy/girl slant. As the website suggests, it is decadent with expensive clothes. It has items that are well beyond my price range, but it is such a beautifully designed store that we decided to browse anyway. Their jeans, each with beautiful unique trims, ranged from $110 to $200. T-shirts, deliriously gorgeous and unique of course, came in around the $40-80 mark and dresses, coats and skirts were flowing, earthy and cost more than I earn in a week!

A woman who was just finalising her purchases pointed out to us that upstairs all stock was 50% off. We thought, what the hell, we'll just go up and take a look. Ha! Our inner cow-girls came out and in we dived! I've never tried on so many clothes... well, I have, but not in a 'boutique' like this. It was awesome!!

Two hours later (gosh, was it really that long??), out I came with a bulging bag containing a new pair of jeans (ones that actually fit, gosh darn it), several t-shirts with unique designs and a new belt. I left behind the canvas style collettes that I gleefully tried on and then decided I would never ever wear, half a dozen pairs of jeans that looked amazing on the racks but didn't fit my shape, more shirts than I could poke a stick at, and two hours of great girly fun!

I adore thrift shopping, but every so often it's nice to indulge. Plus, now I have jeans for Chicago and they'll go great with my Obama t-shirt, all my thrift store clothes and my leather jacket. :-)

From there we went to the gym where I did ten minutes on the rower (that sucker *is* getting easier. I must be getting fitter), and thirty minutes on the treadmill where I got so enthused at one point that I cranked it up too fast and almost landed flat on my face. *lol* I didn't, of course, but wouldn't that have been funny!? ;-)

We then did our resistance work on the weight machines. We do around twenty minutes of that, moving from machine to machine. I do two sets of ten or twelve, with a thirty second or so break in between. I can't wait to show off my arms in my new summer tops! It better still be warm when I get back home! :-D

We finish up with some crunches on the fitball (well, it's an udder ball; a blue ball with prongs out one side that serve no purpose other than making it easier to carry around) and some stretches. I'm always tired after each session, but a great, satisfied tired.

At home we had the last of the turkey burgers with salad, veggies and maple bacon beans. Yum!! I made a margarita for each of us while Em did the Kazcon chat, then we watched House and toddled off to bed.

I have no photos for today, but I had an awesome time -- and in two days time we'll be on our way to Chicago, on the train!! Wheeeee!!!! :-D