Wind, cold and Tom Hanks in Evanston

Just back from a weekend in Chicago, my first trip there, with my family. We stayed in Downtown Chicago while visiting Northwestern University, taking the usual university tour and staying on Saturday for the Penn State game.

It was Halloween so we were treated to a "Thriller" -- a re-enactment of the Michael Jackson song and dance -- and the band forming a perfect "N" before the game at Ryan Field in Evanston.

The windy city was blustery this day, and it was bone-chilling. Thank goodness the sun was out or we never would have lasted until Penn State started it's second-half surge against the pesky Northwestern Wildcats. We were sitting with the PSU fans, and they were stunned when Northwestern played their team even to the half. Things collapsed from there, when NU's Mike Kafka went down with an injury . . . and what does this have to do with pop culture?

When I picked up the Chicago Tribune the next day, the lead about the PSU win over the hometown team was all about Tom Hanks. The actor was in town as part of Parents Weekend, the story said.

All that time in on campus Friday in the rain and Saturday in the wind and cold, and not one sighting! Oh well.

We did eat at Cafe Spiagga, the casual cousin of the Obama's fave date-night spot, Spiagga. The long narrow space overlooks the design houses that line Michigan Avenue -- the Maginificent Mile -- where Niketown, Eddie Bauer, Crate & Barrel and others have key locations alongside Cartier, Gucci, Chanel and the like. The wind died down enough to walk back to our hotel, past the

A sunny Sunday morning in Chicago was much prettier, but it was time to come home. Wish we had more time to explore.