Me-go: Around-the-World

Since I?ve been home I?ve tried to catch up on other travelers? blogs and maybe get a little inspiration. One interesting post I saw was a photo post of a man?s trip to the grocery store in Bangkok, Thailand. Now, the street scenes in Thailand may be more interesting than my day in Chicago, but I thought it would be fun to try a ?day in the life? a few weeks ago. Most of my day was surprisingly spent in the car.

1:05pm
I start off from home, about 30 miles Northwest of Chicago, and drive to my bank?s ATM. Unfortunately, most people around here now drive SUVs and the new ATMs have been made at an SUV?s window height–not a Honda Accord?s. I decide to conduct my transaction in English, not Spanish.

1:06pm
Down the parking lot in the attached strip mall is a Walgreen?s drug store where I hope to find batteries for my film camera. I retired my beloved Nikon N60 when I left on my RTW trip and the batteries have worn out. Although digital is great, I miss the feel of my SLR and have decided to take photos with it today.

1:09pm
There?s lots of batteries to choose from…

1:10pm
The cashier is a bit odd and insists on taking a photo of me. Most stores don?t allow photography inside and I had been pretending that the batteries were for this camera. I try to take a photo of him and he runs out of frame.

1:27pm
I enter the expressway to Chicago near a large building shaped like a generic castle. It puts on medieval-themed dinner shows and used to be really popular. I went twice when I was a kid, but how many times can you get excited about jousting and eating turkey with your bare hands?



1:30pm
The speed limit on most expressways in the State of Illinois is 55 mph. The typical speed driven on I90 East is 80 mph.

1:38pm
I don?t get very far before traffic comes to a standstill. I sit and look at a billboard advertising a talk radio station which says ?Liberals Hate It!? The U.S. is really politically divided at the moment. What one side calls ?liberal? I call ?normal.?

1:49pm
The car is completely stopped. There had better be some blood on the road–if this traffic isn?t caused by an accident…

1:57pm
Moving again, I drive under the newly remodeled oasis. It used to only have a McDonald’s and a few small shops but now it has a Starbucks and a few other fast food restaurants. I have never been inside the Oasis during the daytime. Most of my memories of it are wandering around the deserted hallway on the way home from concerts when I was 16.

2:12pm
Finally, I?m coming up to the toll booth signs (which are quite far from the actual toll booths). Ah, construction, this is what?s causing all the delays. I am not happy.

Travel times to downtown say 21 minutes. I am convinced that someone in an office somewhere makes these times up just to mess with my head.

2:25pm
After driving around some jerk in front of me stops and tries to merge into the cash line. The cash line has been stopped for a few miles and this guy thinks he can just drive up and cut in front of all the other cars. The other cars start honking at me for some reason. I eventually drive under the toll where something scans the little white box that I hold up to my windshield and deducts $0.40 from my account.

2:35pm
The Eastbound express lanes are open! They?re never open!

2:42pm
I arrive in Chicago nine minutes later than the highway signs predicted and pull over to call my former boss to let him know I?m almost there. Earlier this year the city outlawed talking on hand held cell phones while driving. Out of some misguided stubbornness I haven?t bought a headset. I think it?s great that people can?t hold their cell phones while driving. But aren?t people just as distracted by talking even when they?re not holding a phone? I know someone who drives with his knees while talking on the phone with one hand, drinking a coffee with the other and somehow managing to shift gears manually. In any case, there?s sneaky police on horses and bicycles in this area and my stubbornness isn?t worth a $200 ticket.

2:45pm
After narrowly avoiding running over a group of tourists on State Street I arrive at my his building, put on my warning lights and wait for him to let my car in.

3:17pm
We take what must be the fastest elevator in Chicago, say hi to his wife and I enjoy the view of the city.

3:25pm
He has agreed to take pictures of me cartwheeling in Millennium Park. We don?t make it far before we stop in a church to watch choir practice.

3:30pm
Crossing State Street we see sailors and beggars.

3:51pm
We take the scenic route East toward Navy Pier and head South along lower Waker Drive where parts of the newest Batman film, Batman Begins, was filmed.

3:58pm
It?s a beautiful day and bicyclists are yelling at us to get out of the way as we walk down the bike path along Lake Michigan.

4:07pm
We see Buckingham Fountain and began to hear the crowds in Millennium Park.

4:27pm
After assessing the scene we take a few cartwheel photos in front of the band shell, and then in front of the ?bean? sculpture which was almost done being polished.

4:32pm
On the way out of the park we pass a Segway demonstration on the unfrozen ice rink.

4:34pm
Police officers on bikes are funny enough–and here?s one on a Segway! They?re doing a very good job watching over this bridal party taking wedding photos.

4:42pm
We head North, crossing the Chicago River on the same bridge I walked across last Spring as an extra filming Il Mare, which I hear has been renamed The Lake House.

5:15pm
We meet up with my former boss?s wife and a photographer friend for sushi North of the river. The restaurant has interesting modern, orange chairs. I order a fancy drink and try to eat boiled soy beans without hurting myself.

7:02pm
We walk back to get my car and stop in Bloomingdale?s home store to buy a knife sharpener.

7:50pm
I get one last peek at the view before getting my car out of the parking garage.

8:13pm
I park at the McDonald’s across from Wrigley Field. I need to buy something up the street but, being a Saturday night, there?s no street parking. The lot charges non-customers $10 to park so I walk inside and buy a drink before sneaking out the other door and up the street.

8:24pm
I try to get tickets at the Metro box office for an upcoming Ok Go concert. The box office has been totally remodeled since I was last here and now stops selling tickets at 8. I resist stomping my feet in a temper tantrum. While I am taking this picture a man yells ?take a picture of this? out the window of a passing car.

8:50pm
I get back in the car and drive North to my friend Tara?s apartment to drop off a box set of Firefly DVDs I borrowed months ago. She insists that I watch the Mirror Mask trailer on her laptop.

9:14pm
I head West and decide to stop by a bar where my friend Matt works to say hi. My parallel parking is excellent.

11:09pm
He?s bartending a private party and I watch the tip pitcher.

1:51am
While I wait to leave I am entertained by the barback, whom I?ve known for a few years. He tells me stories about obtaining a driver?s license and supporting a family as an illegal immigrant from Mexico. I explain why I can?t stay out tonight and he corrects my Spanish: Yo tengo muchas cosas que hacer mañana. I speak Spanish much better after a few drinks, but they?ve worn off now.

2:15am
The Lakeview neighborhood is quiet as I walk to my car. So are the suburbs.

2:54am
I haven?t eaten in hours–since those California rolls at the sushi place. What?s open at 3am in the suburbs? Steak & Shake.

The sign on the drive up window says ?Fountain menu items may be made with equipment also used to make menu items containing milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and/or soy.? I wonder how many times they were sued before this sign went up?

3:03am

Finally, I?m home.