Festive!

That's how Thanksgiving felt. John, Gregory and I met at Millennium Grill at 6:00. We did the prix fixe menu, which gave us all the basics -- green beans, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, cranberries and, of course, turkey -- all on one plate. Dessert was extra, but mandatory for me, so I had a slice of pumpkin pie.

The best thing about this restaurant is that it's in Millennium Park, home to Chicago's official Christmas tree.  And what a tree! A 55-ft. tall blue spruce covered in nearly 55,000 lights!

As we ate, John and Gregory were able to watch the skaters twirling around. (I sat in the other side of the booth, but that's OK. I got there early and took pictures.)

We had a nice time together, agreeing that this was a much easier-going holiday than we'd ever had with our families. Two memorable moments:

•  John insisting we aren't "old" but "middle aged." I'm 62, he's 64 and Gregory is (at least) 66. Gregory and I rolled our eyes and wondered aloud how long he thinks we'll live!

•  The manila envelope. Inside was a yellowing press page of the Chicago Sun Times,  dated February 9, 1964. It was a story titled, "Bug Bites Beatle," about how George was battling the flu in the run up to the Ed Sullivan Show that night. It was thoughtful and very cool.