Rowland Books Angie
I'll never forget when you came up to visit me a few weeks ago, and I took you into the city. It is scary how much alike we are in our appreciation for art and culture, as well as our musings regarding them. Whenever I go into the city I always go to the Art Institute first... so, of course we went there first! However, what made it really special was that we happened to be there on the opening day of the Georges Seurat exhibit: "Sunday at La Grande Jatte."

The exhibit featured the several year progression of his chef d'oeuvre, including many of his "studies" for the piece, which I remarked, at the risk of blaspheming, that I liked better than the actual painting... You gasped in horror. We both enjoyed seeing the artists' works that influenced Seurat's art, as well as the works leading up to his more mature/"signature" works...

After an hour or so in the exhibit, we went directly to the Impressionist section of the museum--or favorite section! Does life get any better than this?

We browsed a few more sections of the Art Institute, then decided to >grab a bite to eat. I suggested Au Bon Pain for lunch--they have the best sandwiches and french pastries... You agreed.

Lunch outdoors under the umbrella, watching the myriads of city dwellers move by--some at a hurried pace, focused straight ahead on their destination, others with their peculiarities... I started making up stories about their lives. It was windy, but warm... Typical Chicago summer day... so we decided to look for some adventure.

Rowland Books Lara
The wind swept through the air like a sneeze that takes you by surprise, but it was of no consequence to us as we marched down the busy street. We were on a mission. The place -- Switzerland. The objective -- to use the public toilet made out of one-way glass.

Most could not understand the reasoning behind our desire. Switzerland is known for many things, one such thing most certainly not being the public toilet. Sure, the chocolate and watches were fun, but these mundane things did not possess the thrill that this particular toilet did.

The trip had been a last minute thing; we each had recently come into a large fortune and thought of no better way to spend our money. When we arrived, we weren't quite sure where the toilet was located, but after many inquiries a local pointed us in the right direction. After getting lost a few times, we finally saw the toilet as it gleamed in the distance.

We hesitantly approached, only to find it was occupied. With a quick signal of a wink, you and I pressed our faces against the side of the restroom, pretending to peer in. We looked at each other and laughed, as if we could see through the one-way glass into the toilet before us. A very agitated elderly man emerged soon after to give us a stern finger wagging. With the bathroom now free, we both proceeded to complete our mission.

It was one of the best times I ever had. :-D

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