Leaning Tower of ... Niles

I thought this was a cool looking tower, but (although you can't really tell from these pictures) it sort of leans to the side.  Then I found out it's based on another leaning tower.  Anyway, this one is in Niles, IL. 

Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza, Rockford

Wow!  Wind.  Flags.  Peace?

This place is called a "peace plaza" and they have flags from all over the world flying here.  It was nice and windy so they were flapping and snapping in the wind fiercely.  The sight of all these flags reinvigorates my desire to travel!  Ahh, well, one day.  For today (Leap Day, as a matter of fact) I'll just look around.

Just on the other side of the parking lot is the "Sister Cities Pavilion" which has even more flags!  Here are the flags of the countries in which all of Rockford's Sister Cities are in.  Rockford's Sister Cities are:

• Brovary, Ukraine
• Changzhou, China
• Borgholm, Sweden 
• Cluj-Napoca, Romania
• Tokmok, Kyrgystan
• Ferentino, Italy 
• Taszár, Hungary

Also, it was a beautiful day.

I'm a sundial!

Philippines and Poland

Standing in the peace plaza, looking across to the Sister Cities Garden

Crusader Clinic - Broadway, Rockford, IL

My owner seems to come here a lot.  For work, not to be admitted.

Starbucks - Machesney Park, IL

Annoying regular who talks with the baristas loudly when the baristas are trying to serve their current customers?  Check.  Person working in the corner on his/her (her in this case - teacher from what we could tell) laptop with files & papers spread out over four places & frequently taking a mix of business and personal calls?  Check.  Ollie and his owner sitting back and taking it all in, albeit occasionally being startled by the loudness and harshness of said regular's voice? Check.

Starbucks #11 for Ollie!

Portillo's - Vernon Hills

Another Portillo's, another gangster decor...  In this one there was a big meeting going on in one of the back rooms.

Portillo's #7 for Ollie!

Jacobs High School - Algonquin, IL

So, we went to see a musical at this high school.  A musical based on a movie I had just seen earlier this month - Beauty and the Beast!  I was all stoked for the performance.  As the overture was playing, and the mood was being set, all of a sudden all the fire alarms went off and we were all evacuated from the auditorium and the school itself.  To keep me safe, my owner put me back in the car... so I missed the musical, because I sat in the car, all alone, for the next 2 hours.  I could see the moon though, and it looked nice.

Outside the school (yes you can see my blemish - it's embarrassing)

the evacuation

the moon

Dunkin Donuts - Lake in the Hills

So, here when you drink coffee, you can get a doughnut too.  My owner was just trying to get some work done between Portillo's and Beauty and the Beast.  The employee working here was playing a radio station from New York City.

Portillo's - Crystal Lake

Oh no!  My first noticeable blemish!  I got some of the Giardiniera oil on my forehead.  You can see it in the last picture (of me, anyway) in this post.  This is the first time I've changed my look (albeit, unintentionally) since I got my face!  Woah.

Anyway, food was an Italian Sausage with mozzarella cheese and Giardiniera peppers mix.  It was probably good, but (as you probably gathered by comments at the beginning of this post) I wasn't particularly interested in food at that particular point in time.

Once I was over my distress, we were already back in the car.  Usually I don't talk about car rides in here (except here and here and, well, here) but this was interesting due to the road signs which told us we could only turn right and at the same time that we could only turn left, only to have the road only go left.

Portillo's #6 for Ollie!

It was a private game, I couldn't join them.

The blemish!

Wait, this makes no sense.

Starbucks - Deerfield

Well, that was interesting.  This is the first time I've ever seen myself online, and man, I didn't realize I looked like that!  Sheesh!

Hey, what's this I see?

It's me!

yuk

Starbucks #10 for Ollie!

Rookie's All-American Pub & Grill - Hoffman Estates

One dollar burgers!  This place has 'em (at least in February).  When we pulled up, half of the strip mall was evacuated due to a fire alarm (not the Rookie's part though - but we had to park on the "evacuated" side & walk to Rookies).  There was a huge red Hoffman Estates Fire Department firetruck in the parking lot.  Inside there were a whole bunch of TVs showing sports related content.  But the main draw (for my owner, anway) was the $1 burgers. :)

mmmm, cheeseburger

TVs galore

Starbucks - Northbrook Court

This Starbucks is right next to a tree house inside the mall. So when you sit down for your coffee you'll hear a bunch of kids yelling and shouting.  It's fun.

Ooops, I forgot to jump into the frame... 

...there I am! 

The treehouse in the mall.

Starbucks #9 for Ollie!

Northbrook Court 14

Another movie!  This one had Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington going back and forth between working together and working against one another.  It takes place in South Africa.

Movie #4 for Ollie!

AHHHHH!!!!!

Portillo's - Arlington Heights

Portillo's, Arlington Heights, IL has a theme from the '20s.  Also, today is Valentine's Day, so Happy Valentine's Day everybody!

Portillo's #5 for Ollie!