The story starts out a few years ago when Kriss and Jon bought a house. (Note: Dr. Jon, not son Jon) The general theme of the house was pink and lavender. In the basement was a painting of Buckingham Fountain in Chicago. In pink.
Some time later, they attended a New Year's party where there was a gift exchange. One of those Yankee things where you draw a number. Number 1 gets to pick a gift and unwrap it. Then Number 2 can pick Number 1's gift or pick another one. If Number 2 picks Number 1's gift, then Number 1 has to unwrap another one. You get rid of your "white elephant" Christmas presents this way. So Kriss and Jon decided that Pink Chicago would be perfect. It was in fact the very last gift chosen. So now they're rid of it, right?
Well, the couple who received it really tried hard to give it to the hostess, but
she adamantly refused. "You touch it, it's yours and it goes with you!" Ah, but
Steve left the painting on the front porch as they left, peeking out from behind
some other stuff. Then a couple of miles down the road, they called the hostess,
could she check on the front porch to see if I left my gloves? So she discovered
the picture.
Some time later, Steve took a job teaching at Shippensburg State in PA. When he went to his office, there was Pink Chicago. His department head said that the others in his comedy troupe were pretty funny. Comedy troupe? Hmmmm.....
When Kriss and Jon went to a wedding in Australia last summer, they were presented
with Pink Chicago at dinner! No one is telling exactly how it got there, but Kriss
brought it back to the 'States with her.