I haven’t been “blogging” much lately. Oops. Anyway, Amy and I spent a fantastic Memorial Day weekend in Chicago visiting friends and family.
We hit the road right after work on Friday and made excellent time. 5:30 to midnight including two brief stops. I used to hate road trips, but I’ve really grown to like them thanks to the amazing company and my 40 GB iPod filled with tunes and This American Life episodes. When we finally arrived, we wrestled around Lincoln Park looking for a parking spot. After unpacking and settling in a bit, we went out for a drink and a bite to eat. We had a Guinness at a local pub, and then found ourselves at The Wiener’s Circle on Clark.
If you’ve never been there, make sure to check it out late, when in addition to phenomenal hot dogs, you’ll find the employees exchange verbal abuse with the customers. Upon first hearing, “Yo, give me my motherf*cking char dog, b*tch!,” we didn’t know what to think. As we sat down to enjoy our greasy meal, it became apparent that it was all part of the act. The commotion grew as the bars closed, and the sound of drunk white kids and big black chicks screaming at each other could be heard for blocks. We were really disturbed at first, but when it became evident that no one else was, it was kinda fun.
On Saturday, Carmen, Nate (Carmen’s beau - a very nice boy), Amy, and I took in a Cubs game*. I had never been to Wrigley Field, and I have to admit that it actually was everything it was cracked up to be (can’t wait until the Twins build a stadium - privately funded, of course). Nate’s dare was to eat a dog and drink a beer every inning, but I took no part. After the game, we hung out at Nate’s place. Took a very cozy nap on the Love Sac (all hail the return of the bean bag - high tech style), then enjoyed cocktails and grilling (thanks, “Razor!”) on Nate’s deck.
Sunday was spent boating through downtown Chicago, shopping on Michigan Ave (mostly at H & M), and dining on fantastic Cuban fare at Cafe 28 (delicious empenadas and coconut shrimp, but my pork was a bit tough).
The ride home on Monday certainly had its interesting moments. Before we left, we caught up with Keith over comfort food at Silver Cloud. Good sloppy joes, but not as good as mine. We decided to wait on getting gas until out of the city a bit. Big mistake, as none of the westbound 94 exits on the tollway seemed to have corresponding entrances. Amy and I were totally lost in the desolate Chicago suburbs. We eventually found our way home, and enjoyed a break in Devil’s Lake State Park. We also got a little lucky - the cop that pulled us over gave me a warning, and the deer we saw struck and catapulted fifteen feet in the air right in front of managed to miss our car completely on the way down. All in all, an excellent trip. If only I had used my camera more, it would be better illustrated. And if only I had my Paris notes, that trip would be so well documented. If only…
*travel tip: great seats to a weekend game were no problem right at the box office. Not sure if this was because so many holders were out of town or because of the threatening rain, but I’m betting on the former