Chicago

A big city starts early apparently and a big compressor outside of our window at 4:00 AM confirmed that fact. I dozed for a while longer, Lydia slept until 9:30 bless her heart, and thus I  wandered around a strange dark room. No coffee maker, no soap for a shower (so I used the little hand dispenser by setting it on the shower floor) and only one towel, which I claimed by rights of first up in the morning, an ancient precedent dating back to the 1920’s prior to which folks used bark and leaves or just ran around in the altogether in an attempt to blow dry themselves. By 9:00, caffeine deprivation began to set in and I began clearing my throat a little more loudly than necessary and mentally turning the pages of my Kindle quite loudly. Lydia received the message and was soon vertical.

The café downstairs specializes in Costa Rican coffee, perfect for a morning beverage, so I had a drip cup and Lyd had a decaf Americano. A huge breakfast sandwich of two eggs tomatoes and pork belly appeared on an excellent crusty bread. Two bites of the pork belly elevated my cholesterol level to a record high while grease dripped continuously onto my plate. I settled for eating the bread and egg, the tomato having ricocheted earlier from my shirt to my lap. Lyd had a burrito of some sort (no one knows what they really hide inside those wraps which is why I had opted for the grease and egg sandwich).

With coffees to go we returned to the room long enough to secure the bags of laundry and proceeded to the basement. Lydia’s plan called for laundry today and I am smart enough to follow her plan. She’s now in the basement watching the clothes go around. She promised to call if she got mugged. If the clothes finish in time we’ll wander around the city for a bit prior to catching a taxi to Wrigley Field for the Cubs’ game. Enjoying life.

Blessings

The Road