Off Like a Prom Dress

Later today my father and I will fly to Chicago. We're going to my aunt's condo in Oak Park on the outskirts of the city. The order of business will be to clean out the condo and get it ready to sell. Sounds like fun, right? Even though I'll be sorting through drawers and closets for the next few days, I'm really looking forward to this trip for several reasons...

• My brother from NJ will meet us there. I haven't seen him since last Thanksgiving.

• I haven't seen a city decorated for Christmas since I was in college.

• I haven't been up north during the winter in 15 years.

• I haven't been out of the state of Florida in over 5 years. OK, there's one exception. When my sister still lived in NC I drove up there and back one weekend to pick up the Danish furniture. It was essentially a four-day anxiety attack so it doesn't count.

• I will FINALLY get to see where my father grew up! I've heard stories about Oak Park all my life and now I will see it for real.

• I'm hoping to spend a day in Chicago and visit the Art Institute.

• Oak Park is the home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Studio & Workshop. If the weather is clear, I want to take photos of the plethora of Prairie-style architecture.

• Oak Park is also the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway. But I really don't care too much about that after we accidentally went to Key West on Hemingway's birthday a few years ago.

And my final reason to be excited about this trip...

I wonder if all the hardware in my back will set off the metal detectors at the airport.