was in Chicago last wk to take an exam -- yes, an exam. most likely nothing will come out of it (how's that for optimism???) so i'll just glaze over it til i hear officially. fortunately for me, 2 of my classmates were also taking the test so i had friends along for the ride!
tues night: arrived in Chicago w/Andy (classmate Becca was on a later flight) and hopped on the el into the city. easily found our hotel, which btw, was practically free. when my boss found out i was taking this exam and looking for a cheap hotel in downtown Chicago (for the record, there aren't any), he offered his Marriott points at half the cost of a room. SWEET! thot this deal couldn't get any better til i tried to actually pay him. he wouldn't let me, saying i could if i wanted to "tick him off." after some negotiating, he settled for a cup of tea. our hotel for the night cost $1.89. OMG. we're still trying to figure out a nice thank you gift for him...
that evening Andy's friend Laura and her boyfriend took us out to dinner (thank you!). how nice is that?! i tried to pay, but the only cash they'd take was $2 towards the $22 parking tab...
wed morning: got up early, checked out of the hotel, and headed down the 10 blocks to the Kluzynski federal building for our test. halfway there we stopped at Lavazza where Andy bought me breakfast (thank you Andy!). i know loading up on sugar and espresso were key to getting me thru the 4 hour ordeal and made me instantly that much smarter :)9am: exam started.
12:45pm: exam ended. thank goodness too cuz i was starving...
after the test Andy, Becca and i went to the Berghoff, a famous Chicago restaurant 1/2 a block away from our test site. my friend Brenna says this place is so old, it has Chicago liquor license #1 (now that's old!). when you walk in the door it's like time stood still and you've warped into an old black & white movie. i had the yummiest steak lunch w/polenta, grilled veggies, and 2 of their seasonal brew. if you're ever in town, go there. it's awesome!
eventually we got on the el to head back to the airport, and this is where the drama began. the problem was we didn't get on when we should've (or i didn't get on when i should've), so we arrived at the airport at 4:08pm. my flight was at 4:20pm (Becca and Andy weren't leaving til 5:30pm). by the time the train pulled up to the stop, i already had on my tennis shoes and told my friends i'd be ditching them in a weak attempt to make my flight.
it's been a while since i've had to run that hard, that fast, and w/a backpack on my back. i've been running again since the back injury, but not in a full out sprint. THAT SUCKED! and the only thing that sucked more was i was doing it on a ridiculously full stomach. thot i was going to barf...
if you've never been to the el stop at Midway airport before, you have to go up an escalator, down 3 walkways to the terminal, up an escalator to check-in, and down an escalator to security. by the time i finally reached my gate the board had already changed to the next flight's details and there was a lady picking up the phone to (presumably) tell my plane it was OK to leave. she dropped the phone when she saw me w/my boarding pass and told me to hurry on (as if i hadn't been doing that for the last 10 mins???). as i staggered onto the plane exhausted, a flight attendent looked at her watch and greeted me with "wow. and you had 2 mins to spare."
as Becca puts it, i must have a golden spoon up my butt cuz i was uber lucky (hopefully that golden spoon was w/me earlier when i was taking the test...).
sent Andy a text to let them know i made it, and then settled into my seat in a crumpled mess. my tummy immediately cramped up from moving on a full stomach and stayed that way for the first half of the flight. when the beverage cart finally came around and i asked what was good for a tummy ache cuz i felt barfy, the flight attendent leaned in w/a a concerned look, put her hand on my shoulder, and said "please don't do that."
um... ok...
thank you B for the orange line tip; my boss for the cheap stay; my friends for entertaining me; the moving escalators and sidewalks in Midway airport; and the random lady that was holding up the security line but acknowledged my desperate plea to budge, "MY PLANE LEAVES IN 5 MINS!"
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