The State of Illinois still has not opened up all the driver’s license bureaus. There are only two for the entire city of Chicago. To get a license you have to show up early in the morning (before they cut off the line for the day) and stand outside for four hours. We are too old for that, especially since we don’t even drive. But you do still occasionally need a government issued photo id. Fortunately, the City of Chicago issues their own ids. You have to get on a waiting list for those, but at least you don’t stand outside. We waited two months for our appointment and then yesterday went downtown to get our ids. These ids were originally designed for people who might have trouble getting driver’s licenses, so the office is in an “another chance” center, and it’s an interesting crowd you find yourself in. Like with those ankle bracelet things the courts hand out, for instance. But nobody bothered us and we are now official Chicagoans.
After we were issued our new cards, we left the “another chance” center, and walked over to the recently restored Union Station. Very nice, and we saw the staircase where untouchables Kevin Costner and Andy Garcia blow away Al Capone’s gang and save the baby.
Then we walked down the street and saw where Mrs O’Leary’s cow was on the night of the big fire one hundred and fifty years ago. The location is now the Chicago Fire Department’s training center. I found that quite fitting, but CVH thought it was just weird.
Finally, we had lunch at Manny’s, Chicago’s premiere Jewish cafeteria (since 1942). CVH really likes the food at Manny’s, so this pleased her, which was a good thing, because it’s hotter this weekend here than in Houston and our building’s air conditioner is on the fritz, which is not pleasing her.
