CNS - Shelley Beatty

Bob had to attend his Congress meeting of the Neurological Surgeons which was held in San Francisco so it also meant an opportunity for him to make his annual pilgrimage to Stanford…Stanford football and memories…

Bob at Stanford

Stanford University

And of course a visit to the bookstore.

Stanford Bookstore

And the highlight…the Stanford game against UCLA

Stanford Football game

We sat in the second row 10 yard line, which was the perfect spot to witness Stanford football player Kodi Whitfield’s amazing one handed catch…Stanford went on to win the game.

Bob played football for Stanford and it was just a year ago he finally received his Stanford Letterman jacket…but it was too warm to wear the jacket this year.

The Stanford tree:

Stanford tree, Stanford’s mascot, “Fear the tree”

The tree is depicted in many shapes in forms as the mascot at the Stanford football game:

Stanford’s mascot, the tree. “Fear the tree.”

One interesting forum during the weekend, which happened to be homecoming weekend at Stanford was a panel led by Katie Couric exploring the topic of happiness.

Katie Couric lead panelists in demystifying the secrets of happiness.

Gorgeous flowers at the Stanford Shopping Mall:

Giant dahlias at the Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

We did make a quick trip to San Jose and visited the picturesque Santana Row.

One of the first things we noticed was the parking garages were “electronic” in that you knew exactly how many spots were available and upon entering the garage you were directed to an empty spot. Sensors monitor each parking spot and aid in guiding you directly to an available spot. (Note the red light above each car.)

parking spots monitored by sensors

The area was beautiful:

Santana Row, San Jose, CA

We then headed to San Francisco to the meeting. A featured speaker at the Congress Meeting this year was Itzhak Perlman. Very interesting.

Itzhak Perlman at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Oct 2013

Bob and I headed to Chicago for his annual CNS (Congress of Neurological Surgeons) meeting being held at the McCormick Convention Center. This year for the first time we stayed at the University Club in Chicago. Here’s how they describe their “enduring tradition of excellence” …

“It began rather modestly, more than a century ago, when a small group of college alumni formed the founding charter. Their goal was a simple one – to create an environment in which excellence thrives and develop a place where they, their guests and all future members could draw upon the sustaining values of a common educational experience. Here, at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street at the eastern gateway to the city, they established a permanent residence for their shared ideals. Through the generations, this magnificent 12-story structure has provided a stimulating atmosphere where members conduct business, gather socially and expand culturally.”

Library at the University Club in Chicago

Biggest blackberries ever.

All in all it really is a beautiful place. I spent a great deal of time using the library as I had to prepare three presentations on church history to give to a youth group as soon as I got back in Kansas City. The library was beautiful…Fortunately, I took this next picture with my cell phone so I do have a picture of these, but for breakfast on my granola I had the biggest black berries I had ever seen…Some more pictures of the University Club:

The University Club of Chicago is a private social club located at 76 East Monroe Street at the corner of Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois