I love it still – even in the midst of a snow storm! Impressive skyscrapers, twinkly lights in trees and an atmosphere that rocks. I wasn’t supposed to be spending a night here but making the most of it. It’s been a great holiday albeit with a few tears. Mostly tears of empathy for those affected by the Tsunamis. Tears of fear as my friend Jim in the pursuit of a great photo left me, little Miss Vertigo, standing on a 5ft wide arch of rock with a gutsy gusty wind blowing me towards the thousand foot drop behind me. There was a lot of swearing in that moment as I begged him first not to leave me after dragging me up there and then screaming blue murder at him to come back and get me. Funny – I look as if I am smiling in the photo. I do like the photo but am in no rush to go through that particular phobia again – well not without someone to hold my hand and stop the gravitational pull ;-) Yesterday were tears of frustration and disappointment at the airport. My rucksack along with passport mysteriously left the boot of the car somewhere between Monument Valley and Sedona, Arizona. It also had some spectacular photos from the first half of the trip, my journal which a lot of words and thoughts had gone into and some new CDs bought to fuel my recent addiction to world lounge. I was so pissed off, when despite what I’d been told about the ID I had combined with Police report, they said that I wasn’t going to be allowed to fly home. So here I am stranded in Chicago in order to sort an emergency passport at the Consulate tomorrow. Not only did I arrive in Chicago, but so did the blizzard.
So what’s a girl to do? I decided there was no way I wanted to be in an airport hotel on the distress tariff or carry on feeling down on my luck. I called up Loews House of Blues Hotel where I stayed the time I was in Chicagee before and got a great rate on a room. Checked in, put on my sequins n heels, walked across the snow bound street to get a table at the House of Blues Restaurant. I enjoyed the finest live blues I’ve ever heard. All 4 were superb musicians. I’m oft nervous about being in places on my own but somehow in Chicago it’s like I owned the city in another life. After howling my appreciation I persuaded security to let me into the last bit of the ‘Was not was’ concert upstairs. Remember them in the 80s breaking out in a cold sweat etc.? I laughed when I saw they were on but actually they were pretty darn funky and very enjoyable. I rate any lead who wears a hat, a pink suit and struts like that. It’s a huge band – 10 or so. I headed to by the stage to dance with the die hard fans who looked real geeky. Why do Americans dance so strangely? Like they are receiving electric shocks. What was funnier was the long haired aging hippy in the band doing comedy winks at me or perhaps it was at someone else. After a day that started out a bit doom and gloom I had a wonderful time. Returned to my room along the corridors laid with blue leopard spot print carpet. You can’t fail to feel fabulous when you stay somewhere like that. Put it in your list of things to do!
Today: What a snow storm! This meant the consulate instead of issuing the emergency passport for 24 hrs kindly did it for 5 days as they weren’t sure I’d be able to fly out. I’m enjoying Chicago pizza for lunch and remembering how the one part of waitressing I enjoyed in an earlier life was remembering the dessert menu by heart and selling it to the customers with all my heart. I’m trying to make this pizza last because there’s a lot of weather out there, I can tell you. On the way here I was blown with my umbrella across the ice and nearly into the street. But life goes on. In the UK we’d be at a stand still but here the cops are still patrolling on horseback, the papers are still being delivered and there’s a flurry of activity outside every office block clearing the pavements complete with mini JCBs.
Next is to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art to see two exhibitions which look very interesting indeed. First is a video installation of portraits of US prisoners and second is contemporary photography from China. I could be back in Winnersh Triangle listening to IT problems so life is really very very good ;-)
Marta, Chicago
xxx
No comments:
Post a Comment