Chicago for the 1 Year.

#91 Sleep 8 hours every night for a week.
This happened after the Tough Mudder. I slept so soundly the whole week that led to our anniversary. And honestly, I'm awful at remembering birthday dates, much less our one year anniversary. I think Kevin realized this early on and, in order for me to remember anything of significance, it should be planned around something I want to do- say, Second City, which just feeds my unnatural obsession with SNL or, taking it one step further, getting tickets to David Sedaris, the mecca of authors in my strange mind. Possibly because his books are so perfectly relatable, broken into essays, and his 2005 edited book, Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules, which is a collection of essays from other authors, opened up a whole untapped world.
So with these things swirling in my mind, I flew up to see Kevin to start our anniversary adventures, giddy, with a Sedaris book in tow. 

#11 See a comedy show at Second City.
This happened. 
We were able to meet up with +Ben and +Taylor before grabbing our stage-front seats at the comedy show. [Why didn't we get our picture together? ARG!] They recommended meeting at a famous hole-in-the-wall pub, decorated with caricatures and political... artwork? We walked across the street to the Second City and I could feel Afsi getting electric with excitement.
I basked in the walls of greatness as I looked at all the photos that decorated the walls. Mike Meyers, Bill Murray, Gildna Radner, John Candy, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Jim Belushi, John Belushi, Bonnie Hunt... my mind exploded. I think Kevin initially couldn't figure out what kind of expression I had whilst digesting that I was actually there.

Blurry - but you can tell my mouth is gaped open. That means I'm excited.

After having a laugh fest of impeccable improv, it was late so we headed back to get some rest for the next days activities of shopping and Sedaris.

On the 34th floor of the Hyatt Regency, we had outstanding views of the lake and the Chicago River. We could also look down and see just how cold it appeared to be. Wrapped in our cold weather gear, we fought through the wind and sought out brunch at an apparently popular Chicago breakfast spot. Choosing from among the five-egg options and skillet dishes was tough, but we tackled the first major decision of the day with enthusiasm.
We walked from our breakfast spot to the iconic Navy Pier. The Pier has an indoor botanical garden with distracting water features and tropical plants that stand out starkly against the gray sky beyond the glass.

My mouth is open. I'm still excited.

Deciding against taking a boat tour or riding the Ferris wheel in the cloudy and windy day, we walked another couples blocks up to the Magnificent or Miraculous or Magical Mile (read: Shopping). Rows upon rows of exclusive high-end shops that required Afsi's description for my appreciation. It was a lot of fun ducking into shops and we were serenaded on the sidewalk by some sweet jazz.

I think Kevin likes to be nice about my shopping addiction. I think the most fun he had out of it was the jazz guy that spontaneously started some knee slapping. Little did I know, the grand poobah of surprises for the weekend was coming. The date night of date nights. One with spectacular food AND a view. THE VIEW. Breathtaking and so utterly romantic. The Signature Room, the call it, on the 96th floor. 

Didn't he outdo himself? Consistently proving that he is the most tremendous guy that I have the fortune of being with. 

THEN, in our super nice duds, we taxi'ed over to see David. Yes, we are now going by first names. David was hilarious. Read excerpts from his books, told inappropriate jokes that had us guffawing, and did a question/answer session that only solidified my belief that he's a quick-witted intellectual. Is it weird that I purchase Downey's Unstoppables because his sister, Amy, is their spokesperson? I have a flat out Sedaris obsession. And poor Kevin has to endure through my pontificating about such things. If you haven't picked up one of his books, I highly recommend you do so. 

And by endure, she means risk a hernia as a result of laughing. David is blunt, colorful, self-deprecating and side-splitting. "Naked" was my first exposure (pun intended) to the Sedaris style of writing and I am grateful Afsi introduced me. 

After a seemingly flawless evening with Kevin, we hit the hotel bar for nightcap of laughing and recounting. I am grateful that not only is Kevin my boyfriend, but also my best friend. It's hard to believe we've only been dating a year.

- A + K