First few months of 2016

Catching up here . . . via quick notes on various events in opening months of 2016 . . .

1.  Per earlier post:  enjoyed EPG's company well into January; lost K prior to 12/31 but to a good cause.

2.  O'Connell visit at end of January, fun as always.

Dinner with DJ and "Debbers" at 706.

The ladies claim they had a fine outing (sans gentlemen).

3.  PJ and I enjoy an overnight in downtown Phoenix for Valentine's Day.  Kimpton - per usual.  First-time restaurant for dinner - Province - they did a very nice job.  Phoenix Public Market.  Great/seasonal weather, wandering around downtown from hotel up to Roosevelt Road and beyond.

Seems to be our only photo from Valentine's Day?
Oh well, you can see that it was a lovely evening
(per view from our hotel room).

4.  PJr and I participated in Arizona Musicfest in late February (after taking last year off) - Carmina Burana - PJ still in throes of bad cough so has to miss out but several fans are able to attend, nice gathering afterward at Bootleggers.

MusicFest (courtesy NOC Instagram feed)

5.  PJ and I repeat last year's Tucson B&B weekend - really enjoy the southern AZ sights, the Tucson restaurants, the relaxed wandering.  Nice.

Just hanging around in downtown Tucson.

6.  PJ and I had a great trip to Virginia in mid-March to visit Kerry, Luis et al; some notes and photos are posted separately.

7.  Next-gen folks threw a really quite excellent 60th birthday party in late March for PJ and me at the end of March; some notes and photos are posted separately.

8.  Opening Day baseball courtesy POC.  Zack Greinke did not dominate. But we had a fine time.

POC shepherding Mark Grace onto the field for Opening Day introductions, as
shown on video board.  Opening Day, always fun.

Pregame preparation is essential.  EPG able to stay on just a few days after 60th weekend.

9.  CPG and I were in a performance of Honegger's King David with ASU Choral Union (and other groups) at the end of April; PJ and Dharma attended (once logistics were straightened out).  The work has a number of nice moments and we stopped for a bite afterward at the Parlor, a fine evening.

10.  PJ and I enjoyed a great trip up to San Francisco to visit Patrick; photos and notes are posted separately.

11.  Lovely Mother's Day (May 8) - NOC, CPG, PJr treat to brunch at Richardson's, then Dharma (with some assist from CPG) treats to excellent dinner at her apartment.

Richardson's brunch crew.

Beautiful evening for a walk - here we are at Steele Park.

Mike & Lisa got married

Something extra-fun:  family weddings on back-to-back weekends.  After gathering in Florida for Mike & Ally, we quickly turn to Chicago for Mike & Lisa.  Guess what:  the O'Connell crew is great to hang around with.

Here's what happened.

Thursday night diner crew

PJ and I arrive on Thursday, December 3 - easy flight- check into hotel - late lunch at Gino's East just off Michigan Ave.  A short walk from the hotel (also just off Michigan Ave); decent December weather - fun to wander a bit - heck, this is PJ's hometown, and my first job out of law school was in downtown Chicago.  Familiarity.  Later that evening:  dinner with Chris, Kerry, Luis at some local place (I think recommended by NOC) - a nice evening.  NOC/POC occupied with rehearsal dinner etc.

On Friday December 4 - milling around at hotel, then we (meaning the dinner crew from Thursday evening) start walking.  We end up for lunch at another Geno's - this one downtown - tasty, again.  And fun to be hanging out with these folks.  Wander into Art Institute, but time is short.  We walk back toward our hotel; run into PJr and Nedda (who had recently arrived) when shopping at the local Whole Foods (of all places); back to hotel and prep for the evening.

Friday lunch crew (same as Thursday dinner crew) (excellent repeat).  Geno's East, downtown.

Obligatory bean-pic on way home from lunch (Friday).

Wedding ceremony and reception are at Revolution Brewing - really, a fine place for this kind of thing.  Bus ride over to the venue.  Revolution does a good job with its beers!  We had more or less serious thoughts of riding the rail, but didn't get close - among other challenges, too much good food.  POC ran the ceremony beautifully.  Fun evening.  Enjoyed getting to know Lisa's family a bit.  Always fun hanging out with the O'Connell group.

CPG's selfie at Revolution Brewing.

Another look at the estimable crowd at Revolution Brewing.

The nice thing about Friday weddings - Saturday is a free day to socialize, and the wedding party is freed up.  On Saturday December 3 - more milling around through breakfast and morning hours at the hotel.  After which our entire group (now nine strong) walks all the way down Michigan Avenue to a MOC-favored pizza-and-pierogi place just south of Roosevelt Road.  Lovely day for a walk, all in all.  Very fine gathering spot - lots of family and friends showing up (including Jenna).  Eventually we repair to another establishment nearby where the fun continues well into the evening.

The groom makes a short trip and returns with a smuggled-in treat (meaning the 
limited-release beer).  Nice move.  (Saturday, late afternoon)

Now it's getting quite late . . . courtesy Uber (with a driver who supported, or tolerated, some singing) a group of us make it to a Jenna-recommended restaurant near the hotel . . . this fits the bill quite nicely.  Then back to hotel.  NOC and POC (our room-sharers) eventually join us . . . POC memorably expresses his appreciation for the situation.  And he was right - a really fun weekend.

With four kids at pizza/pierogi place.

At Saturday stop #2.

Sunday, December 4 is short - chattering/recapping at breakfast at hotel - then a late-morning flight out of O'Hare, PJr and Nedda on the same flight.  Very fun weekend, passed way too quickly.

Below copied from NOC's Instagram feed: