Chicago was fun, but goddam Hotwire. Flight arrived Friday a touch early at around 10PM. 45 minute train ride on the Blue line, highlights of which included the homeless man, slightly deranged, blood on his hands and shirt, stumbling from one car to the next.

Please, just help out a fellow human being. I’m a gentleman, rather be working, just like you. I’m just trying to get by, trying to make the best of a bad situation, please, please, could you find it in your hearts to give a brother some change so that I can get something to eat?”

He was one of the more frightening characters I’d seen, but it was probably because of the blood. Made it to the hotel, checked in with the family, had a shower, went downstairs to the bar, paid too much for a drink, came upstairs + went to bed around 2.

Saturday morning, up @ 6.30. Shower, shave, downstairs to meet my sister for coffee @ Starshmucks. (Her call, not mine. We had so little time together, I didn’t want to argue about “chains vs. independants”). I snuck up on her, having entered from a different door. She stood @ the window, latte in hand, watching for me. Put my arms around her, she knew it was me without looking, said “Where’d you come from?” “Missoula, Montana,” I answered. Then a woman who had been dressing her coffee said, Missoula? I lived in Missoula for 25 years! Turns out she was a Peace Corps recruiter who tried for a job in Seattle, but got into Chicago instead. We talked for a while + then I turned my attention to my sister.

By the time the rest of the family made it downstairs, I was getting hungry + grumpy. They had all been there since Friday afternoon + had a chance to see the city a little. And they weren’t leaving until Sunday afternoon. I had only Saturday to go exploring. (Hotwire’s fault, not mine). We had breakfast + then headed off to the the Art Institute. The In Sight exhibition was very cool — contemporary Dutch photographs. The family left after about an hour and a half. I stayed until I was heady.

Art is like that. After a few hours in the museum, I get to feeling almost drunk. I get overstimulated by the beauty and the emotion. Spent most of my time in the modern and contemporary sections. And the Warhol Chairman Mao was huge. I guess I just didn’t realize how big it was.

I also got to see Chagall’s America Windows before it comes down temporarily.

Then it was off to Millennium Park and walking up and down Michigan Avenue for a bit before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding — The Main Event.

The wedding was the most elaborate affair I’ve ever attended. My cousin is so fine tuned when it comes to having things perfectly planned. Her own wedding was no exception. Huge Catholic Mass, then a trolley ride to see Chicago at sunset. Then the reception with a beautiful four course meal and an 18 piece swing band, dancing all night. Things wound down around 1.30, we grabbed a cab back to the hotel for a nightcap.

Changed my clothes and grabbed the Blue Line back to O’Hare for my 6AM flight. I love people watching on trains.

Got to the airport @ 4.30AM and checked in, napped till boarding, and slept in fits on the plane ride home. Arrived back in MSO around 11AM, slept till 6PM, up for a few minutes for some food, then back in bed until this morning at 0730. Worn out. Was fun, though. Will post the stories I wrote tomorrow.