Friday
It was movie night for the twins and I as my wife worked. I tend to get caught up in my kids’ passions (see Jax watching the first 20 minutes of Scream), so I rented Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on iTunes as Gray is obsessed with all that is pirate right now. I started the film as I prepped dinner, since it’s a long one. Gray was so awestruck by the experience he forgot to eat. So I fed him dinosaur chicken nuggets as he mumbled “Jack Sparrow” every two minutes.
Then he slipped on his Jake and the Neverland Pirates headband and shirt and danced around the house with his sword.
This might have been a bad idea. The little swashbuckler kept begging Ellie or me to battle him. And he worked us both.
First it was me.
Then Ellie got it. He’s a very polite pirate. I guess there’s a new code.
Saturday
Last minute prep for Chicago trip. The twins and I spent the day trying not to wake my wife up. She had to work again. My parents are watching the kids for a couple of nights during our trip. As is a friend, and then my mother-in-law. After I left them at my parents (Gray asked me to leave before I was ready; talk about eager) I hit the to-do list. I’m typing this part of the post at 11:21 p.m. Saturday night. I have to wake up in just over six hours as we leave in the morning. But the Angels rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth against those BASTARD Red Sox, so now I’m stuck watching this.
By the way, if our plane’s tail rips off at any point during flight or landing, I will not be Tweeting updates. But I’ll probably poo my pants.
JOSH HAMILTON!!! HOLY CRAP!!! WALK-OFF HOME RUN!!!!!!!
Please, all Angel fans. SEND HIM SOME CHEW (my most recent post at Bugs & Cranks)!
Sunday
Every GOSH DAMN time I think about Chicago, Frank Sinatra jumps into my head.
Ccchhhh Chicago, Chicago, that toddling town…
It’s scheduled to thunder-storm our entire trip. We have tickets to Tuesday’s Angel game at Wrigley Field. In 2006 we went to Boston and bought tickets to watch the Halos take on the Red Sox at Fenway. It poured and the game was cancelled. So I’m a little nervous of another rain out.
Our flight was uneventful, which is always a good thing. We took the train from the airport to downtown and caught a bus to our hotel. The young woman with the face tattoo that fell from her crutches and screamed expletives at her boyfriend in the train station gave us that gritty Chicago experience we yearned for.
The hotel is not as advertised on the Internet. It looks like it’s stuck in 1978. The lobby is painted white with crystal dishes displayed at the check-in desk. Red velvet covers the rest of the lobby. Our floor is decorated with old chandeliers. Gaudy is the best way to describe it.
The bastards charge $15 for 24 hours of wifi so I’m posting from my iPhone.
After much needed showers we jumped on the train to the North Side to meet up with SJ from my Strat-O-Matic league. He recommended this delightful little joint Pizzeria Aroma. My wife and I split a fantastic pasta filled with chorizo, chicken and green onions and a pizza called the Coronary (all meat).
We decided to grab some drinks at a neighborhood bar near his apartment. After a short train ride and a long walk past a cemetery brightened by fireflies (those really exist, I was in awe of their beauty) we arrived at Toon’s. Dad, they had Lil Sumpin by Laguanitas on tap!
Loaded with an incredible buzz and a belly full of laughs we grabbed a taxi back to the hotel and we walked up the street to get some frozen yogurt. On the way back to the hotel I handed off our to-go box filled with pizza and a slice if garlic bread to a homeless man looking for some help. He was hesitant at first, since it wasn’t cash, but eventually took it. My taste buds wept but my arteries cheered the loss of my midnight snack.
It’s 9:47 a.m. local time as my thumbs peck away on my phone. Our hotel room is dark and cold as we haven’t figured out the thermostat. My wife is asleep. Hopefully we will find some good brunch and then we are scheduled for an early afternoon architectural boat tour along the river.
I peaked outside and the streets are wet. The over/under for showers for me today is three.
Since Hotel Sax doesn’t want to act like it’s 2013 and offer free wifi (or remove their awful crystal collection) there won’t be any more posts until I return home.
If you want to follow our adventures in the meantime you can friend me on Facebook (Seth Tearz) and on Instagram (sethtearz).
Keep an eye out Friday for a post with details for the 2013 CHOC Walk and team Iron Jax registration details.
Time for us to hit that toddling town.
