chicago day 3 (from the surreal to the sublime)

Note: Day 2 was pretty much summed up in this post.

We spent the first couple of days at the Inn of Chicago, which was nowhere near as nice as their web site would have you believe (our 'Queen' bed was a double and pretty much took up the entire room) and nowhere near as bad as some of the reviews I read after booking.

But on Thursday, July 26, we moved into the very hip W Lakeshore, which was within our reach, thanks to BlogHer's special rate.

The place was surreal and we were a little giddy.

The W does not have bellhops but 'Welcome Ambassadors." They don't have a lobby but they do have a 'living room' (which turns into a dark and noisy nightclub in the evenings).

I reclined on the day bed while, perusing the confusing array of in-room dining cards and other services (no housekeeping, but something called "styling"). There was even a pet food menu, from which you could order a filet for your pooch, a burger with Iams kibble or spend $7.00 on water (sparkling or still) for your dog. While this was cheaper than the $8.00 water for humans (would they not let me have the dog water if I did not have a dog?), I couldn't help wondering who would order this. The dogs I've known have always been happy to drink from the toilet, if you let them.

T. was fascinated with the fuzzy cube.

And we were both mystified at the shutters between the rooms and the bathroom.

Many BlogHers wrote here about frustrations with the W (and I added my voice to theirs) but I am so glad I chose to stay there. The W was something to be experienced, although, next time, I will likely choose the more sensible option (Sigh. Did my fingers just type that?)

After exploring our hotel room, it seemed time to escape the downtown core and go find a real Chicago neighbourhood.

But first we took a walk along the Navy Pier:


After checking out the building where the next day's conference would take place, we hopped on the free trolley to the El train and set out to explore a real Chicago neighbourhood. With food once again driving the agenda, we got off at Belmont Station and made our way to the Bittersweet Pastryshop for a delicious lunch and what was probably the best chocolate brownie I have ever had (yes, I know that I have stopped eating sugar but if ever there was a time for an exception, it was then).

We wandered down tree-lined streets, looked in people's windows and imagined what it would be like to live there. Honestly, I could see it.

We walked to Wrigleyville (how could we not?) and took pics in front of Wrigley Stadium. Since it wasn't a home game night, the local pubs were not too busy, so we got especially good service at the Raw Bar where we treated ourselves to a bunch of appetizers and I fell in love with Goose Island Honkers Ale.

This was my favourite day playing tourist. The next day, T. left and I got swept up in the BlogHer conference, but I really did love Chicago and am so glad we took the time for our little vacation.

antidote to irritation

So it's really freaking hot outside. It's currently 34C with a humidex of 41C (that, my American friends, is 105.8F).

I am still a little green around the gills from chemo but I had to leave the house for an appointment with my naturopath (and spend another bazillion dollars I don't have on supplements). Afterwards, I decided to drop into a nearby Staples for a memory card for my Palm.

As I was cashing out, the clerk said, "Hi, how are you?"

"Good thanks," I replied as I fished my wallet out of my purse.

"I'm very good. Thanks for asking!" he said snottily.

I was floored. I looked up in shock, with what I'm sure was a pissed off (not chagrined) look on my face.

"I was just kidding," he scolded.

The little twerp.

I went back out into the heat in the most irritated of moods.

"How are you?" is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, when asked in a perfunctory way. I try only to inquire how someone is doing when I have time to listen and to respond in a thoughtful way. The above exchange did not qualify as that kind of social interaction.

And did I mention that it's really, freaking hot outside?

Then, I step off the bus and saw this:

It's one of my crazy sunflowers poking up to greet me over my battered fence.

My irritation evaporated.

Why Is President Bush So Willing to Veto Spending Bills All of a Sudden?

This President didn’t veto a single spending bill during the first six years of his presidency when the Republicans were in control. You might recall John McCain’s characterization of the Republican Congress when he said they spent money “like drunken sailors” all with the concurrence of President Bush.Now, with the Democrats in control, the President seems more than ready to confront

SCHIP Reauthorization and High Stakes Politics

Everyone agrees that the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) needs to be reauthorized.But Washington couldn’t have made such a simple idea any more complicated or controversial.So far:The Senate has come to a bipartisan agreement, supported by lots of Republicans, that would increase spending by $35 billion, add another three million kids to the six million already covered, pay for

oh glory day!

From today's Globe and Mail:

"A cup of joe does more good than harm"

Whoo hoo!

chicago day 1 (or two tired people play tourist)

T. and I left for the airport in the very wee hours (thankfully, we had stayed at a hotel near the airport, thanks to my mom-in-law). T's flight was before mine (we both going on points, donated by friends, and as such went on different airlines).

By the time we arrived at our hotel to stash our bags, we had been up for four hours and it was only 8:00 in Chicago!

So, of course we went out for a greasy breakfast. I knit while waiting for our food (this and much coffee helped me to say awake.

Then we went for a stroll along the Magnificent Mile.

We couldn't resist stopping by Fox News to hang with the Simpsons. This photo is for S. who has been doing the countdown for the Simpsons Movie.

We followed this up with a boat tour, run by the Chicago Architectural Foundation. This tour had been highly recommended to us and it deserved to be. We learned a great deal about Chicago's history (it turns out the Chicago fire cannot be blamed on a cow, after all, for example) and were introduced to the city's amazing buildings both old and new. Every building in downtown Chicago seems to have its own special details and history. I don't know much about architecture but I was truly awestruck.

And we got to learn stuff while sitting on our bums for ninety minutes, which was a big bonus.

Then it was off to Millenium Park, where we saw this:


Anish Kapoor called his work the Cloud Gate but we called it the jelly bean and took many, many pictures.


We also really liked the Crown Fountain.

Designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa and inspired by the people of Chicago, The Crown Fountain is a major addition to the city's world-renowned public art collection.

The fountain consists of two 50-foot glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers project video images from a broad social spectrum of Chicago citizens, a reference to the traditional use of gargoyles in fountains, where faces of mythological beings were sculpted with open mouths to allow water, a symbol of life, to flow out. Plensa adapted this practice by having faces of Chicago citizens projected on LED screens and having water flow through a water outlet in the screen to give the illusion of water spouting from their mouths. The collection of faces, Plensa's tribute to Chicagoans, was taken from a cross-section of 1,000 residents.

Kids really loved the fountain, too. There were dozens of kids there when we were, playing in the jets. I love this mix of form and function and also how it made the art accessible, in different ways, to everyone.

And speaking of kids, I had been desperately ready to get away from mine (the fighting had been really wearing of late) but I spent the whole day saying, "S. would really like this! D. would really have fun here!"

I missed them.

Chicago photos are up at Flickr!

There all up! Find them here. And do let me know what you think. I am rather pleased with this lovely overview (although, forgot my camera at the hotel on the Saturday, which turned out to be a great day for pics! I haven't stopped kicking myself for that one, yet).

Feel free to comment at Flickr, or here.