Chicago, Day 1
Today starts yesterday with me, as always, packing last minute and staying up too late. I went to bed around 1:30 and woke up around 6:45 to catch an 8:40 flight. Mangonuts wasn't thrilled, but neither was I, as we had a great week together, and we won't see each other for another week. We do have a few hours Thursday night though ;-)
Anyways, here's my routine, lay out clothes, see what matches and then use that to pack. Seriously. I line up pants and shirts and see if it works. Then I shove that into my suitcase. All is well. Pack dopp kit and refill all the stuff that's old. Work in some trips to Target (or the Round Spot, teehee).
I have to bring a brochure case, because that's what I use to go from school to school, and that's been weird because it's heavy and bulky. enough with the boring stuff, let's talk about the plane ride. I get to the airport, Mango loses patience because he drops me off in a weird spot and it's a little out of the way, but it's all good. I go to the gate check because the line is way too freakin' LONG inside, but i don't get a seat assignment.
I go through security, and it's easy, but unloading everything is a pain. Laptop. Shoes. Heavy case. Heavy jacket. Shit. I leave behind my shitty little quart bag. But go back to get it and all is well. The flight is packed like there's no tomorrow, and like sheep I get onto the plane and I walk past my seat (to be honest, I didn't check the seat assignment). I manage to get into my seat and it's in the emergency row, across from the spot where you walk onto the plane. Not too shabby. Rowmate was little white girl from North Carolina (Come on and raise up, take your shirt off, twist it 'round yo' head, Spin it like a heiicopter!, sorry i can't help it everytime I say North...okay never mind). She was cool. Chatty, but it was all good.
So we're taxi-ing up to take off, and the airline steward chick freaks out (remember, I'm in the E-row, next to the jump seats where the airline staff sit during takeoff/landing), and jumps out and calls for a medical professional. A doctor says waddup (not really, but come on), and someone is unresponsive two rows behind me. You know, I could easily lose patience if it's someone acting a fool, but if someone is not doing well, I'm not going to be a bitch about it. That's a good thing, too, because we were there for count 'em, another hour and a half getting dude stabilized, off the plane, changing the seat covers (I think he may have pooped himself in the seat), replacing the oxygen tank, and filling reports out. In the end, he was a little more lucid but his travel companion, a woman, was visibly shaken and crying.
Fast forward through me on the plane, me sleeping, me reading an amazing book: The Tender Bar, me watching my iPod flics, me eating my scrumptious sammich from Cafe Rigolo. Landing in Chicago, I see snow. Great. It's cold here, but nothing serious when I de-plane. I get in the cab after I figure out where to catch it, and then I hear tapping noises on the cab, and it turns out that it's frozen rain. What. Is. Frozen. Rain. Then i remember the system that hit SF then I realize this is the same system. Great.
Snow and me haven't seen each other in years. Maybe four. It's tough to stop looking out the window because it's 1) very windy, 2) very snowy/icy/rainy, and 3) there are weird sounds. Scrapey thingies. Snow scrapers, what's that about? Intriguing. There's a mall across the street too. Lord and Taylor's? What's that? BTW, I'm near McDonald's headquarters. Intriguing, this town. It's been snowing and sleeting away since I got into my room, and that was over seven hours ago.
I don't know if I already mentioned this but I'm here on business, and I look forward to representing my fine place of work to whoever is brave as hell to drive out here. To mention it, god, I hope we're even able to make it to Milwaukee, home of great things like Laverne and Shirley. that's tomorrow's destination after the College Fair. Then back to Skokie. Okie dokie, pokie.
Anyways, I'm two hours ahead of you, so i should get to bed. Room service, btw, is awesome.
Snow angels. Yep, I'll have to learn about that too.
Voodoo