Chicago--Chicago (pt. 1)

So we got up early ass early on Friday and made the long but relaxing drive to the city of windy-ness. I actually slept for an hour or so of the drive and Katie did the same. Besides the long stop right off the Indiana toll road that seems to be an intrinsic feature of Chicago traffic we rolled pretty easily. We had both breakfast and lunch on the road at various McDonald's restaurants, both because who doesn't love McBreakfast (specifically the McGriddle of course) and because McD's has the Monopoly game again. I have been explaining to people for a while now that I have been relentlessly playing the Monopoly game since I was very young and have yet to win anything besides various free food items. Pretty much a free drink, a free small fries, a free apple pie, this is about it. One time Maroney won like 20 bucks in the year they gave out cash instant win prizes, but that was the coolest McD's contest experience I have ever had. At the very least this year I have already gotten two Best Buy Bucks, which means I can at least get a discounted DVD. I shouldn't say just me, Katie has contributed as well. We are two-thirds of the way towards winning the Plasma TV, I think it will be mine shortly.

Anyway, I typically have a severe difficulty being in big cities. I mean, I'm not in many big cities, pretty much the only one I am ever in is Chicago. Its not being in big cities really, its that I don't like being downtown for the most part. I mean, I utilize the downtown when necessary. I went to shows at First Avenue and dinner at Manny's and drinking at Grumpy's or Nye's or late night stops at Sex World etc. I don't have a down-town phobia to such an extent that it interferes with my daily life, but I vastly prefer psuedo-downtown areas. By that I mean places like Dinkytown or Uptown or much of St. Paul or Evanston, Illinois. There are commercial establishments within walking distance, you probably should have a car, but you can go grab a bite to eat, or a pack of smokes, or something to drink, or a cup of coffee, without needing one. They are fun and trendy and stuff, they have bars that you can walk to, but they aren't teeming with people. The streets aren't difficult to navigate, it isn't literally fucking impossible to park.

Regardless, this weekend got me a little more used to the whole prospect of the city. There are places which are tolerable and once things are centrally located enough its not as annoying. The problem is primarily that I don't know that I could handle the city without a fuckload of money, enough that I could live somewhere nearby where we were staying this weekend, in a place that would allow you to escape at least from the portions of the city that could sometimes annoy me. I mean, we were staying a fucking block off Michigan Avenue right next to Marshall Fields, its not exactly random real estate. Regardless, it was a good time. It doesn't much matter, because its not likely that I will end up with a gig in the City that is Windy, but you never know.

The things that I really love about Chicago were prominent in the two days I spent there. My lunch on Saturday was for the most part predetermined, since while Vienna Beef is rare in Minnesota, it is absolutely non-existant in Buffalo. Right around the corner from the tourney location on Saturday was a restaurant whose delicacies were surpassed only by their name. That joint was the legendary " Mister J's Dawg and Burger" and I spelled it exactly as it was on the sign. Mister was spelled out, it wasn't Mr. J's. I don't know how long that place has been around and whether or not it was hip to spell Dawg in such a fashion at that point, but it rocks. In fact, I might go so far as to say it roxxors.

Anyway, it was a trashy little joint with bars on the windows and grease stains on everything. You could skate on the floor in your sneakers as the layers of fat have condensed on the floor over the many years of grilling greaseball burgers and dumping baskets of hot cut fries in the windowed fry container that sits on the counter. I looked at the cheap diner style menu (you know, the ones with the pepsi symbol that are white with little blue letters that slide around on them) and eventually found what I needed. I ordered up the big-ass meal, you know, the one designed specifically for me. It was two delicious Vienna Beef hotdogs, a large fries, and a large Pepsi. It was only like four bucks, four fucking bucks, for a fantastic meal. They load those babies up to, I love being able to respond with the classic "everything" when they ask what I want. Mmm-hmmm. Tasy beef sausages topped with mustard, onions, pickles, tomatos, and peppers. Ja reuce, it gets me pumped up to even think about it.

Anyway, I intended to continue this further, but I am too fucking tired. I will return at some other point, likely late tomorrow, to describe the tournament and the remainder of the weekend.

Peace,

MB-K