Dad's father had an enviable job as an engineer on the railroad, pretty good way to make a living during the depression. Unfortunately he was an alcoholic who drank himself out of his family and career. His bride Anna, was a tough nut, and raised her three kids on her own - can you imagine? So Dad, his little sister Naomi (now the only sibling left and in her 80's - a spitfire!), and his older brother Web, were raised well and with high expectations. Web went into the Air Force after High School and became a Colonel in the Army air Corps; Dad moved his mom and Naomi to Burien, WA. He always said he took one look at Mt Rainier and knew that's where he wanted to live. His stories of Chicago include caddying for Al Capone's brother, and touring the site of the St Valentine's Day massacre.
Mom lived a princess life with her mom, dad and brother Bernie. Her father, Bernt Knudsen, had come to the US with a bride, had two sons. He worked for GE his entire life. At some point his wife decided she wanted to return to Norway - and did - with the kids. He never saw them again. He eventually married my grandmother, Borghild, and had my mom and her brother. He was about 20 years older than his wife. From all accounts, they treated Marie like the sainted one - she grew up very naive, everything was the Lutheran church. She was an organist, an excellent seamstress, a nice person. The only time she worked was as a secretary in Chicago after High School.
She and my dad went together for four or five years, until she dumped him for Carl the farmer. Dad and family moved to Seattle, he having a ball with his cousin Emmett, working at Boeing, and building a house on Lake Burien. When Farmer Carl then dumped mom, she wrote dad a long letter 'splaining herself and how she missed him. They eventually carried on a long, letter filled relationship through 1944, '45 and '46, getting married and having my oldest sister Maureen along the way. Ah life. Mom looked happy in pictures through her fifth kid - me! - then things went sour. They stayed together until she passed away when I was 18 in 1976. He then married again, had our sister Lara, who lives in Homer, AK.
So, Chicago and environs seem so familiar to me, the town names of Cicero, Berwyn, Somonauk - as if I should have great knowledge of them. But they're unknown to me.
Again, I digress. We left Sunset Lakes Resort in Joslin, IL yesterday
, had a pleasant drive to Joliet, IL. We're at the Hollywood Casino RV park which is pretty damn nice.
Tony ventured off to Costco and the car wash, got massively lost, but we got him home at last. He bought the great grill shown, which equally made a great dinner. Roku is still off base, will not go outside for a walk, runs back to the RV. He was freaked out at Sunset Lakes and hasn't gotten back in his groove. Pea brain.
Great night's sleep for both of us, for once. Up at 9, blogging, more blogging tonight after our trip to Chicago.
When we leave tomorrow, we are on a strict driving schedule to Burlington, VT. Must be there by Saturday the 21st, for a glam farm dinner at Mara and Spencer's place. Can't wait!
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