More quilts, more vendors

On Friday some of got up early and hit the show before the crowds (or attended classes), and some of us slept in, including me.  I traveled with a group, mid-day, via a taxi the hotel rented because their shuttle broke down.  Traffic was heavier at mid-day and it took a bit longer to get there than the day before.  The taxi driver used a GPS to get us to the building the show was in, but wanted to drop us off at a side parking lot until we convinced him to drop us off under the overhang where the other taxis, buses, shuttles, and cars did the same.  It was much easier to unload the wheelchair for Verdi there rather than in the side parking lot!

I took wheelchair duty for the first hour or so, touring the vendors which I hadn't seen Thursday night.  I think we did well, and I only nudged a few ankles.  Verdi had a great time with the little horn RQ had loaned her.  We ate first, sharing a roast beef sandwich from one of the cafeterias, before braving the booths.   A bit of "ooo, shiny!" therapy for me as I bought a pair of purple glass-bead earrings that look like bunches of grapes.

About 2:30 or so Carolyn took over as driver while I went back to a few vendors I'd noted along the way, but I don't think I bought anything else (hardcore, I know).

Then came the "getting back to the hotel" adventure.  Celia, Carolyn, Verdi, and I needed a shuttle back to the Country Inn and called sometime before 3:00...  Whether we didn't see the van drive up, or whether they didn't send it out until after we'd called a couple more times, we finally connected and returned to the hotel around 5 or so.  We had dinner just up the road at a sports bar called Paps (no, we don't know if the other patrons were making jokes about us!).  It was breezy all day, and getting cooler by the minute, so the walk back to the motel was brisk, to say the least.  By the time we returned Gilly was ready for a hot shower or something else to warm her up...

We settled into the breakfast room for the evening and awaited Ronnie's arrival.  Hugs all around, more gift exchanging (Ronnie had printed up coaster tiles for everyone with a twilight Chicago skyline photo -- thanks!), and then Ronnie modeled some of the fabric bowls Diana and Franca sent.