Trip to Chicago: Day Two

Yep, its windy here.

So Chris, it turns out, did get really sick. We spent the morning on her couch both pounding green tea and watching a slue of episodes of Season 5 of Friends. Since my language of love is acts of service, I wanted to spring into action and make homemade soup and fluff pillows and steep tea until her grossness vacated. But Chris is one of the most accommodating people ever and would not allow me to do anything for her.

Around three or four I got myself together and went downtown solo to see the Hopper Exhibit at the Art Institute. The museum is free on Thursdays after five. I got down there a little early and walked around in the pouring snow and managed to get myself turned around and headed MANY BLOCKS in the wrong direction.

I am totally a Pollyanna when I travel. I smile incessantly - even if it is just on the inside. Friends, it was pouring snow and rain yesterday but that didn't get me down...I was freezing but I kept moving, reminding myself, "Man! isn't great to be independent and see a new place and screw it if you get lost you can -" a taxi drove by a splashed a giant puddle of muddy ice cold water all over my shins...the seemingly only dry part of my lower half. Without thinking I entered the Starbucks, spent $4 on coffee and mustered up the positivity to face the street full of vengeful taxi drivers.

I got to AI, poked around saw lots of impressive "Caravaggesque" epic paintings (but not one Caravaggio) and didn't see the Hoppers because they'd cost me $20. Sorry art, I guess I don't love you that much.

My oldest and dearest friend (22 years of love) picked me up around 7:30 and we drank wine and ate hummus while we packed up her old kitchen and then spent the night in her new apartment talking in the dark for hours before we finally nodded off. I really pick the best times to visit my friends - one is laid up sick and the other is in the middle of a move.

Today it's the planetarium with my cousin and her kids then yoga and Ethiopian with Mari and hopefully no snow.