Lessons Chicago Taught Me

I attended a family wedding in the Windy City over the weekend, & though I could identify no cohesive theme to the weekend (besides, um, love, obviously. I mean a theme for me), I've gleaned a few key lessons from my brief travel to Chi:

• Spritzing a little bit of super-hold hair spray to the soles of your feet will keep your fancy new Cole Haans from sliding off.
• If you have to airspray your shoes to your feet, you probably shouldn't buy the shoes.
• Do not let the waitstaff refill your white wine glass. I repeat, do not let the waitstaff refill your white wine glass.
• If you apologize to the bouncer the next day, you will probably make a new friend. Webster at Roof at TheWit Hotel, this one's for you.
• Conversing with distant relatives is exhausting.
• The Midwest produces miraculously delicious seafood (see: lobster ravioli).
• I like any wedding with food stations at the reception.
• All foods on sticks are delicious. Ditto for all foods served in martini glasses or wonton wrappers.
• Black-Eyed Peas songs will be banned from my wedding, should such a day ever come. Except "I Got a Feeling" because... well, just because.
• I am the MacGyver of wedding attire. Distraught when I realized my dress was admittedly too low, I tore the attached beige slip out of my back-up dress & wore it underneath. It looked a little dumb, but it matched my shoes, so I think I pulled it off all right. Take that, Richard Dean Anderson.
• No matter how much I love my dress, my grandmother will probably hate it.
• Hava Nagila is the most fun wedding tradition, period. For once, Jews win.
• A rough day of travel is no excuse for neglecting to call your best friend on her birthday.
• I, too, am a sucker for a man in uniform.

• Hot weather causes foggy camera lenses.