It is not a typical day that starts with a slice of key lime pie. I saved it from Friday night’s dinner at Joe’s Stone Crab, after chocolate cake from Shaw’s Crab House last night. I had indicated that it was our anniversary when I made the reservation on Open Table because we celebrate birthday anniversaries each month, a monthly 8th anniversary, various  wedding anniversaries, and other special occasions. As a result, it’s always an anniversary for us and certainly worthy of free dessert if the waiter is in a giving mood. It is a rare occasion when I have key lime pie anymore after once committing to only ordering it while in Florida. Since Joe’s was founded in Miami, I decided to make an exception, and because it too was offered “on the house.”

We’ve certainly eaten our way through downtown Chicago. Fannie Mae Chocolate, Macaroons, Garrett’s Popcorn, cookies from the Marriott concierge lounge, Shake Shack, and even Dim Sum at Imperial Lamian. We even bought a six-pack of Diet Coke for the room, outsmarting the Marriott beverage exclusive with Pepsi. Tomorrow I’ll walk down the street and pick-up our Hertz rental car for the trip into Indiana and the transition into fast food. We’ll be back in Chicago at the O’Hare Renaissance after two risky nights away from Marriott pampering. Between meals, my wife ended up at Walgreen’s seeking medical advice for her cough and cold. The doctor suggested that she “feed a cold.” Just kidding!

A hot dog and nachos are a must at tonight’s baseball game, despite any dietary restrictions. I’ve done a pretty good job in Chicago of violating the “no white foods, low-carb diet” that we’ve been successfully following, so why stop tonight? It will be chilly in the cheap seats tonight, but I hope to see “The Monster” shoot off some fireworks in honor of a White Sox home run. With the Playoffs on the line, I also hope that the Cubs hit more. Regardless of who wins, I have another pair of socks just like these to wear tomorrow, but no more key lime pie to eat: