Anniversary Weekend

Jon and Teddy drove up from Oklahoma to Dash with us. They both seemed surprised to learn it was also our First Anniversary.

Allerton in the Rain
We Did the Dash on Sunday. On Saturday, we opted for a laid back non-Lincoln Illinois experience. About half an hour away from Champaign, you'll find the little town of Monticello and Allerton State Park. I knew that the Allerton Estate had been left to the University and that it had some gardens. I had no idea they would be some old school Downton-style English Gardens that sprawled over several acres. They included Chinese Sculptures, Buddhas, Fu Dogs, mini-labyrinths, and a sunken garden.

It was cool, overcast, and drizzly the entire time, which gave it this sort of mysterious, Old World feel.

Look:

We ate at the Main Street Pub in downtown Monticello. I had to try their Horseshoe Sandwich. It didn't blow me away. My favorite is still the Norb Andy's version.

But, it was nice to enjoy a cold Harp Lager outside on the Piatt County Courthouse Square after trekking for a couple hours around Allerton. We also had fried green beans with wasabi ranch dipping sauce. Super tasty.

Paper Anniversary
Ainers and I decided to follow the traditional anniversary gift tradition. It forces us to be a little creative and keeps us from getting in the rut of buying each other books or something like that every year.

The First Anniversary is paper. Aine loves musicals, so I designed theater tickets from scratch, printed them on card stock, and cut them out.

If you scanned the barcode, it would show our anniversary date, 06162012. So, now she has to pick a Broadway in Chicago performance and I'll buy her real tickets. I think we're going to see the award-winning Book of Mormon, but she hasn't picked a date yet.

I thought I did pretty good job, but then Aine made me look like a chump.

She got me this book.

I'm supposed to read this and take notes. Next month, we're spending a Saturday night doing a private ghost hunt in the haunted Hannah House in Indianapolis. A small group of us will get free pizza, a tour of the house, and a run down of the house's history. Then they'll set us loose until 4 am to see what paranormal evidence we can gather.

It will be our first real Illinois Ghost Adventure. I just hope nothing follows us home. Cue organ music.

The Next Ten Years
Here are the anniversary gifts for the next ten years. Looks like next years, Aine's getting a T-shirt.

• 1st: Paper
• 2nd: Cotton
• 3rd: Leather
• 4th: Linen or Silk
• 5th: Wood
• 6th: Iron
• 7th: Wool or Copper
• 8th: Bronze
• 9th: Pottery
• 10th: Tin or Aluminum