August 10

Today was mostly quiet. Abby worked and I drove around trying to avoid accidentally winding up on a toll road while engaging in light shopping. (And also wondering why on earth people drive on raised medians in Chicagoland. It's just weird, people.) 

I picked her up when she got off at 1:30 and we went to Portillo’s for lunch, because her Illinois friends were apparently all stunned she’d never been. The verdict: okay enough but pricey for what you get. They did have the supreme Logan special —chocolate cake with chocolate frosting— which makes me like them a wee bit better, but I’ve definitely had comparable food for less cash. 

From there we did some more light shopping for a few forgotten odds and ends and swung through the Sonic drive thru for some slushes since Abby was fully parched. 

The evening hours were low-key; after a jaunt back to campus to drop off some things in her room (including some truly iconic glittery pink curtains to cover her closet, since her dorm no longer has closet doors) we settled back into the hotel and ate leftover pizza for dinner. So yeah, it was quiet and fairly uneventful as far as recent days have gone. So for that quiet, I am grateful.