Long overdue post

There's just been so much going on, it's been tough to find time to write something meaningful....heck, to even write something less than meaningful. But a picture says a thousand words, so here's about 15,000 words!

My niece, Sommer, came to spend half the day with me on Thursday. We started off at the Play Station store where we played a few games for about a half an hour. It was fun since I don't have any gaming system of my own.

We took a train to Michigan Ave (Sommer likes trains) and then took a bus over to Sears Tower, renamed Willis Tower a while ago.

Sears Tower is a little more than 347 Sommers tall. They have all sorts of interesting little things like this before you get on the elevator to head up. The ride is only about a minute long and they show pictures on a screen in the elevator of other structures that you would now be passing as you ride the elevator up (including the great pyramids and the Eiffel Tower.

On the skydeck at the 103rd floor, there are four see-through ledges onto which you can walk. They are completely enclosed, so there's no threat of falling or anything. In this picture, I'm taking a picture of Sommer taking a picture of me. I'm on the ledge, but she was a little uncomfortable going out to the ledge.

Obviously, she got over her hesitation fairly quickly. Here she's posing on the ledge with her new "sunglasses".

She was even up for laying down on her stomach and on her back. This picture was more interesting. Looking down through the clear floor was pretty crazy though.

After the Sears Tower and then dinner, we headed to the local Fox affiliate for a studio tour.

Here's the group (left to right): my sister Lori, Jodi (Ricardo's wife), Jessie (cousin of a cousin of LL's), Sommer, LL and my brother-in-law Steve.

Amy Freeze herself gave us the tour! She did a great job and here she posed for a picture with us in the newsroom.

Here we are in the Weather Watch area adjacent to the cameras which shoot the news broadcast. This is where we watched the broadcast from actually.

Before the broadcast started, we were allowed to go behind the desk and check out the cameras and such.

Here I am reading the news!

LL taking her shot behind the desk.

LL by the Weather Watch area. Look at all the monitors devoted to the weather.

Opposite the news desk is this clock which keeps everyone on schedule. It's a little tough to see, but there's a little rubber rat above the clock and then a stuffed Homer Simpson above the rat. Too funny.

Amy is getting ready for her segment. Fortunately I didn't get in trouble for having my phone out.

And here's Amy doing the weather just feet away from us! Nice job.

And a nice picture with Ms. Freeze. Thanks a lot Amy!!!