You Can't Do This in Chicago

Every once in a while, I have what I like to call "Hawaii Moments."  By this, I mean that I occasionally look around and take notice of the fact that I live in a pretty amazing place.  Maybe it's the 80 degree weather on December 6th.  Maybe it's crystal clear blue ocean on gorgeous white sand beaches.  Maybe it's the towering mountains that dot the background.  I also usually notice these things while holding a drink in my hand at times when I know my lawyer friends back home are stuck at the office, huddled over a desk doing doc review.  These revelations have a way of putting life in perspective.  Yesterday and last night would qualify.  I spent the entire day walking through Waikiki along the strip.  It was 83 degrees, everyone was out milling about, and the sun was shimmering against the unusually calm ocean.  After that, my friends and I grabbed dinner, got a slice of cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory and a bottle of wine from one of the ubiquitous ABC stores and headed the beach at nine o'clock at night.  We sat on the beach where one of the restaurants behind us played live music and we all just hung out on the beach until the wine was gone.  This stuff happens pretty much every weekend.