Hamilton: Part One

The day had finally arrived. January 3, 2018. I had five tickets for Hamilton in Chicago, Illinois.

It was supposed to be: Lilly -- Sandy, Jackie, me and Linda K.

But -- hey -- it's the middle of winter. And the temps have been ten BELOW zero around here (without the wind chill factor, even!).

We're old now...and people are getting sick. Sandy is coughing, Jackie had to go to the Doc-in-the-box, and LK is having trouble walking, she has so much pain in her leg right now. It was touch and go for the few days ramping up to the show.  LK decided she just wouldn't be able to do all the walking...

To make a long story a little shorter -- LK gave her ticket to my friend Jeff, who lives in Chicago.  (not that many people are eager to venture out in ten BELOW zero weather)...

When I put Lilly to bed on Tuesday night, I told her we’d have to get up at 5:00 AM. She said, “I’m not good at getting up in the morning, Grandma, so you might have to wake me 10 minutes early, then wake me again when it’s the right time.” That made perfect sense to me. But, when I looked into her room, at 4:45, she was sitting on the edge of her bed, WIDE AWAKE, with a huge smile on her face...

I took a shower and washed my hair, and by the time I came out of the bathroom, she was completely dressed in her new black lace dress with long lace sleeves (I’d made one dress out of two). She wore black sparkly leggings, and gold gloves. But, of course, her biggest Hamilton accessory was the white denim jacket she had decorated and painted. It had blue stars on one sleeve, and red stripes on the other. She’d printed, A.L.E.X.A.N.D.E.R H.A.M.I.L.T.O.N on the back (with an American flag)...it was splendid!!

My outfit was a new red sparkly top, with my white Hamilton coat, and black pants. We were DRESSED UP FOR OUR BROADWAY DATE WITH ALEXANDER HAMILTON. We put on our long warm coats and drove to Aunt Adda’s house, where we would meet my cousin Jackie and our friend Sandy, who would be driving us to Princeton, Illinois, where we'd get on the train.... The four of us piled into Sandy’s van. We got to Princeton with time to go inside McDonald’s to eat a little breakfast and use the bathroom.

THANK GOD Sandy took these pictures at McDonald's that morning...

Lilly had a warm, boiled wool jacket with a silk collar...perfect for the train ride...

OF COURSE I decided to decorate a purse to go with my Hamilton outfit!!

I wouldn't dream of wearing anything else to the show!!

But this time, I added a red sparkly top, and a blue vest...

That morning, after Lilly was dressed, I gave her this Hamilton bracelet.

This might be the best picture I have of the two of us that day.  WE WERE SO EXCITED...

Lilly will always, always, pick black lace.  (I made one dress out of two)...

The depot in Princeton is of the 1880 variety, with no facilities to speak of. We got on the train at 8:30, and Lilly was wide awake and excited the whole way. She and Jackie sat together, and played some Bananagrams and did some adult coloring pages. (which they left in the seat pocket, as a gift for the next rider).

We arrived at Union Station at 10:30. I called Jeff and found out he had a table for us at the Beef and Brandy restaurant. We took a cab, and our driver was a woman who was very defensive about the bad rap Chicago gets for their 600 murders every year. It was only a $6 cab ride to the restaurant.

.....