Field Museum Day! In honor of my mom being in town, I woke up early and took the train into Chicago to meet her. I’m trying to do all my favorite things before we move and hitting up all the museums one last time is mandatory. The weather was amazing today, perfect for strolling around, lunching outside and admiring skeletal dinosaurs in their natural habitat. You know, natural history museums.
I love the train and wish I had taken it more often. It wasn’t terribly convenient for my job once Sean and I left the city. It would have taken twice as long to get to and from work. Driving made more sense for time, as I was already working long days. Maybe if I had taken the train I wouldn’t have enjoyed it half so much as I do now. Regardless, I knitted and listened to music and it all felt very meditative and lovely.
My Aunt Carol surprised me and joined us for lunch. It was good to hear the family gossip and talk up our New York trip next month. She had to head back home (she’s a private tutor and school would be out in a couple of hours), and my mom and I ventured over to the Field Museum. The museum campus in Chicago is located on the lakefront and on a near 80 degree day, you almost don’t want to go inside it’s so perfect. Despite the tempting conditions, we walked up the steps to a world of mummies, dinosaurs, global artifacts, and taxidermy. It’s such a reliable favorite for me in Chicago, along with the Art Institute (I used to go every Wednesday when I was in college), and the Shedd Aquarium.
We spent a few hours there and when leaving the Ancient Egypt exhibit at the end of our visit, I spotted the Mold-A-Rama in a corner. Why had I not seen it before? Hot plastic injection molded dinosaurs for sale and I had missed it on previous visits?? I had gotten some knitting done on the train, sure, but no day is complete without making something beginning to end. So I made an Apatosaurus. A wonderfully green Apatosaurus, to be exact. I’m like a scientist, making dinosaurs and all.
After a post-museum coffee, I said goodbye to my mom and walked to the train. The weather was still amazing and I caught an express train home. I did a few inches of Jaywalker socks on the way home and admired my dinosaur. It was such a fun day.
Thanks to Monkey River Town for the Mold-A-Rama photo. I had forgotten my &#!*ing camera at home. I really hate going undocumented, but it was the only bad thing about my day, so c’est la vie.
