Wasting Time

Posted on 12/11/2023 by Grumpa Joe

Have you ever lost yourself in a daydream while scrolling the computer while looking at the homes of celebrities? I have. This morning, I just wasted one and a half hours scrolling. I am amazed at what people with money spend on homes. I thought I was extravagant, but my entire real estate property fits into and costs less than a typical celebrity closet. What do they do with a twenty thousand square foot house with ten bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, a swimming pool, and a tennis court?

Wealth only breeds opulence and ridiculous waste. Although, I would like to live on the land where some of these mega-mansions are situated. Usually, they are high on a hillside or an ocean waterfront. I like those properties with the lot size listed in acres. Those would allow me to develop winding paths through wooded areas and open spaces. Of course, each of those acres would cost me a million dollars, which I don’t even come close to owning.

I have scrolled through many English properties, but I have seen glimpses of many that are of estate size with castles and formal gardens that turn me on. There is something to be said for the British aristocracy; they knew how to live. Of course, they are criticized for having inherited wealth. At least I can brag about being born dirt poor and leading a comfortable life and will leave Earth also dirt poor.

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The thing that set me off scrolling this morning was a task to make reservations at Macy’s Walnut Room for lunch. Every year for over a hundred years, the property in Chicago at State and Randolph Streets, formerly Marshall Fields and now Macy’s, has held a function known as Breakfast Under the Tree. The building is unique because it has an eight-story interior atrium around which they built the Walnut Room restaurant. Each Christmas Season, they erect a seven-story tall Christmas tree in the center of the atrium and place tables around it. Guests come to eat breakfast with Santa. Many families of several generations come to celebrate with their youngest progeny. After breakfast, the kids sit on Santa’s lap to give him lists of their wants and the address to their house. When Santa is overloaded, he sends a Fairy Princess around the room who sprinkles fairy dust on children’s heads to grant them their wishes.

I thought I would be wise and reserve a table this year. In past years, we went down early and waited in line, sometimes for two hours, to get a table. Waiting in line outside on State Street when the wind is blowing and it is ten degrees does not put me in a joyous holiday mood. That wasn’t going to be me, not this year. As it turns out, I won’t be waiting for a table because even though Christmas is six weeks away, the restaurant is fully booked for the entire holiday season. And, my friends, that is how I sidetracked myself into looking at celebrity houses. I would have had more fun playing solitaire.

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A Very Modern Christmas Tree

Posted on 23/12/2014 by Grumpa Joe

Macy's Chicago 2014 Christmas Tree

Macy’s Chicago 2014 Christmas Tree

One of the more recent traditions we have as a family is to eat breakfast under the Christmas tree in the Walnut Room at Macy’s in downtown Chicago. We had a three-year hiatus, and I missed going. The disruption occurred when my son and his family moved out-of-town. It made the venture less exciting. This year, however, my daughter told me my youngest grand-daughter, asked why we don’t do it anymore. Well, we couldn’t have that, so we planned it, and the bunch of us crowded into her family van and off we rode to the Loop.

Since Peggy and I don’t like walking in the cold, we found a parking garage immediately across the street from the Macy’s Randolph Street entrance. We arrived at eight o’clock just as that door opened, or so we thought. Nevertheless, we hustled to the elevator to the seventh floor. As we walked through the store with its bland decor we passed a sea of designer handbags. I named to the canyon of bags. None of them are affordable in my candid opinion. I saw a big sign announcing a twenty-five percent mark down sale. The bag, on sale, sported  a three hundred and eighty dollar tag. We made it to the elevator without buying a single purse, there was no line. The elevator doors opened on seven and we saw a line at the entrance to the Walnut Room. Granted, it wasn’t the sometimes serpentine line like when visiting Disney World, but it was a line. So much for the doors open at eight. We were about fourth, and led to seats immediately, although not under the tree, but rather away from the tree right next to the buffet. My emotions wrestled with would I rather be under the tree or next to the food, the food won out.

The buffet was unexciting, scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, French toast, fresh fruit compote, a yogurty thing with muesli, and muffins. It was a filling station buffet, certainly not up to Macy’s image and quality. In years past, we ordered from a limited menu of some really nice, and creative breakfast foods.

One feature of the breakfast is the Fairy Princess who works the room looking for wee kids to amaze. We were about to leave when she finally appeared and asked my eleven year old Jenna Rose if she wanted a wish granted. “Yess”, she answered shyly. The Fairy Princess waved a magic wand around Jenna’s head and sprinkled fairy dust on her. Fairy Princess then asked Jenna, “What did you wish?”  Jenna replied “It is a secret.” My sixteen year old grandson, Jenna’s brother debated about whether he should take a nap or hit on the Princess. He caught his mother’s look and decided a nap was in order, but he couldn’t because we all got up to leave.

Jenna Gets Her Wish

Jenna Gets Her Wish

We viewed the tree from the eighth floor and took pictures before exiting for the next adventure, to view the City of Chicago Christmas tree. Before going for the car we did the obligatory window walk to see what Macy’s had done for Christmas this year. In past years, we couldn’t get near the windows without some weaseling through the crowds. It was different this year, we were able to walk right past the windows without anyone obscuring the view. Where are all the shoppers? There were none.

My Son-in-law Jeff was about to put money into the machine to retrieve the van when I ordered him to stop, “this is my pleasure,” I said. I whipped out a twenty-dollar bill fully expecting change, but the machine was silent. The info screen said it wanted another sixteen dollars, what? I guess that is the cost I must pay for parking at the front door. That offsets the deal I got from Macy’s who charged me a child rate for my grandson’s meal. He ate enough for three adults.

We found the Daley Plaza to view the city tree. As usual, it is a live tree forty-five feet in height and nicely decorated. They used mini lights this year. What a bunch of jerks they are, don’t they know that a tree of this height needs huge lights to stay in scale? The mini lights were all but invisible. Oh well, a dull tree for a dull town.

Watch the tree and see what it does.

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