...like, say, when I first got back from my trip, but I loved Chicago. Everyone was so friendly there! For the first time in my life, I didn't feel like a weirdo. (In Boston, the fact that I say "please" after every separate item in my sandwich order is considered somewhat strange and maybe a little creepy. "With tomato, please. Yes, please. A little mayo. No, thank you, not toasted.")
The first thing I did after arriving was run out to a dive bar around the corner and eat an astonishing amount of meat and watch a Bears game. Then I called up my cousin Rolfe, who is from Chicagoland originally (although, if you want to get persnickety about it, Deerfield is just as close to Milwaulkee), and tortured him over it.
"You can smoke everywhere," I hissed into the phone. "And everyone leans on their vowels for half an hour. Come hooome, little Hubley, come hooome."
Which brings me to my next point, which is that Rolfe has been trying to tell me for years now that I'm essentially a Midwestern person who sprang up in New England by mistake. After my trip, I think he's right. Although, then again, big hotels are their own sovereign nation, like Luxembourg or Monaco. We were at the Hilton, and we could have been in Chicago, Atlanta or Kuala Lumpur. People bring you things and clean up after you. I love it. It makes me think that I'd make an awesome rich person.
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Howdy Jennie... its Rolfe. Just so everyone knows, Deerfield is clearly BEARS country. It may be nearly halfway to Wisconsin, but we only go there to buy fireworks, adult books, and cheese (often at the same store and more often than not associated with some bargain: "One free pack of sparklers with every XXX video and wedge of Jarlsberg!") And, btw, I'm glad you finally embraced your mysterious midwesterness. :-)
ReplyDeleteJennie Smash you rule. I'm secretly (or not so secretly now I guess) addicted to you blog. ADDICTED. I can't stop.
ReplyDeleteAnywho, I'm moving to Chicago in January, for exactly the reasons you desribed - lots of meat. Wait, that's not it. Actually it's because I met this bartender there one time and he lets me drink for free. So I figured I'd move there and do it more often. Drink that is. Not eat meat. I like meat, but not enough to move for it.