Art Therapy or How To Kill Time Before Your Dinner Reservations

I'll post more pictures and perhaps a story or two more about the Potters' visit to Chicago, but I have to tell this one story first. On Saturday evening, we met Scott and Kelly for dinner at The Italian Village. We'd called for reservations early on Saturday, but the earliest we could get was a 7:45 p.m. time. I suggested that we meet up at Rosebud (a little restaurant nearby) for drinks at about 6:00 to have a little face time before we ate. We got there and sat together, talking and drinking - and were ready to go by 6:30. Apparently we're just not as interesting to each other as we'd thought. We had to find something to do to entertain ourselves.

Kelly and I did a little origami. She tried to show me how to make a crane.

But I just couldn't get it.

In my defense, the paper was really small - I might have had better luck with bigger materials. Origami killed a little time, but there was still a lot left. Then Kelly had the idea to try a little amateur art therapy on us from what she'd learned in a class. Scott and I were up for it, but Mike at first refused to participate. Eventually we browbeat him into it and we each completed the task of drawing a house, a tree and a person. I won't tell you what each means, because it's much more fun to find out when you're doing it.

Here's mine....

and Scott's......and Mike's. Kelly quickly said that Mike's is the most interesting. Way to be objective, Dr. Kelly. :)
Anyway, after the house, tree, person exercise, we did one where you had to picture yourself walking on a path and describing various things that you see along the way. (I have to ruin the exercise a little bit here to tell the story...sorry). During one of the parts of the exercise, you're walking along the path when you see a cup lying on the ground. You have to write down what the cup is made of and what you do with it. We all wrote out our answers and then Kelly analyzed them for us. We went down the row...me, then Scott, then Mike. The cup is representative of your spouse and the relationship you share.

Immediately I perked up! My cup was made out of gold and I'd picked it up and took it as a gift for Mike. I was tickled pink about my answer. Kelly was also suitably impressed at how much I value Mike and how strongly I felt about our relationship.

I was even more pleased when Scott's turn came and he was somewhat reluctant to answer and immediately started to justify his answer..."You have to keep in mind where my path is...," he said. I thought to myself, "Oh, this is gonna be good." Kelly sort of scrunched her face and said, "Is it styrofoam?!" I laughed so hard I nearly snorted pop out of my nose. It was! Then he mentioned that he had walked past it and I was beside myself with mirth. Especially when Kelly called him a litter bug. Hilarious.

Then it was Mike's turn. I was sure that Mike would say something to solidify how bonded we are in marital bliss. Then he looked at Kelly. Over to me. And back to Kelly. And said, "I'd like to pass on this one." What the hell?!?! Would you like to know what I'm made out of? Plastic. I am a discarded plastic cup...which he walked past without picking up. Immediately I was indignant! Plastic?! He's gold and I'm plastic!? Kelly and Scott tried to reassure me by reminding me how sturdy and durable plastic is. Yeah. The damage was done. Mike is officially off the Husband Hall of Fame ballot!

On the plus side, it did kill the time. We got out of there just in time to make our reservation. And Mike's been sincerely apologizing for two days. But I am my mother's daughter...and you know he'll never live it down. Flowers would be nice, though. :)