Chicago, Chicago, it's my sort of town

The title for this post was forced on me by Julian, our unimaginative Development Director, who keeps on humming the tune at the most inappropriate moments.  For me, this is hell - a whole city apparently devoted to merely one thing - beef!  I've been here 24 hours now and have yet to see even a hint of lamb on a menu.  Now, you may think I'd be pleased about this, but I know the place of sheep and our need to have an economic basis for existence.  If my cousins have to be rendered into chops for the good of the species, so be it ... and there's not much likelihood of that happening round here.

Anyhow, back to the mission in hand.  Sheepless though it may be, Chicago is actually a rather cool place.  It's more than cool ... it's bloody freezing.  But, the sun is shining, the people are hospitable and friendly (as long as you don't ask them how the Bears are doing this season), and we had yet another excellent event last night.

We had definitely gone up in the world.  To the 37th Floor to be exact, in the magnificent meeting room of Drinker Biddle & Reath where works yet another extraordinarily good guy in Matt Bird who set the whole thing up for us.  (BTW - have you noticed how all law firms founding partners have strange names?  Where's the Smith Smith Jones and Williams law firm?).  It was genuinely chuffifying to enter this skyscraper office block and see a big sign on an easel welcoming the Aber Alumni Reception, then to have one's vital organs squashed against one's pelvis as the express lift took us shooting up to the stars, a receptionist to welcome us, badges already laid out for the guests and our own sommelier on hand for the whole evening to wait on our every need.  Julian reckons this set-up is so good he wants to introduce something similar in Aber.

And so, in these divine surroundings, we got to meet Jonathan and Wendy, Alex and Ellen, Jane, David and Charles.  They were all properly respectful of such a distinguished sheep as I most certainly am and didn't look too bad for having lived of a diet of cow!  It might be getting worse in that regard ... next stop Houston, Texas.  Yeeeeehah!