Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Oh...My...God!!!!!!!!!!

By 9:00 a.m., I already felt as if I had had a day's worth of activity.
First, let me say that my trip to Chicago went well. Thanks for asking. The flights were on time, the service was good, the weather in Chicago was nice upon arrival, the ride from the airport to my sister's house was quick, etc.
Belive it or not, I managed to stay awake until midnight last night. I figured that I'd try to adjust to Chicago time immediately. WRONG!!! I woke up at 5:05 a.m. My mother-in-law (Jo) had to leave for the senior center around 6:30 a.m., so I bummed a ride with her to the McDonald's that's located about a five minute walk from the rental car place. I bought a couple of breakfast burritos and a coffee and sat down with my Chicacgo Tribune in order to kill about 45 minutes since the car rental place wouldn't be open until about 7:30 a.m.
The breakfast burritos weren't too good, but I did enjoy my coffee and Tribune. At about 7:15, one of the McDonald's girls came around with a pot of coffee offering free refills - wow...that's something they don't do in Switzerland.
As the girl was walking around filling the cups, I noticed something interesting - the early morning clientele at the Barrington, Illinois McDonalds consisted of me...and about eight silver-haired men reading their Chicago Tribunes. That's right, just us retired men sittin' down for an early morning read and a cup o' joe. Nuttin' wrong wit dat (as they say in Chicago).
At about 7:30, I walked over to the Enterprise Car Rental shop, picked up my Hyundai Sonata (they offered me a Ford Explorer, but I felt like driving a car instead of an SUV for a change), and drove off to my sister's house a couple of miles away.
I have to say that my sister and brother-in-law's house is always a flurry of activity. However, during the getting-ready-for-school time, it is absolute bedlam! The kids are 10, 8, 5, and 7 months. "Where are your socks?" "We have to be in that car in five minutes." "Stop throwing the football in the house!" "Why are shoes NOT ON?!?!?!?" "Why is your homework sitting on the kitchen counter????"....and on, and on. I don't know how they do it. It requires an unbelievable amount of skill to organize the troops.
All I can say is....WOW!!!
After everybody left, I took off and dropped off some things at the dry cleaner (God bless American dry cleaning!), filled up the car with gas (picked it up with only half a tank), bought some workout clothes at Sports Authority, went to the dentist (no cavities), and then met a couple of my ex-coworkers at Hooters. OK...call us pigs if you want, but we go there for the wings! Really!
It's now about 4:45 p.m. The jet lag is beginning to set in. My nephew Finn just picked up a spider off the ground and is holding it about three inches from my fact. I better go!

7 comments:

CanadianSwiss said...

Four kids??? Yikes! I really look up to those who can deal with so many kids at once. I'd probably forget one along the way, or maybe drop the 7 month old to school.

Gretchen said...

I can totally relate to the chaos at your sister's house. My sister has 3 (12, 9, 4) and it's the same way! It almost scared Kirk and I out of ever having kids! Have a great time back in the heartland.

Tati said...

If you happen to pass through Deerfield, shout a big "Hello" out the window for me, ok? :-)

Glad to hear you made it there safe and sound, and that the weather is being accommodating :-)

Sal DeTraglia said...

If you leave Chicago without having eaten a Maxwell Street Polish (the ones at Portillo's are damn good) and downed a Goose Island Honker's Ales or two, I'll need to consider banishing you from my sidebar.

Have a good time. I'll be there soon myself.

Sal

Michael Lehet said...

Did you bring this rain with you?

Unknown said...

Well sounds like you aren't twiddling your thumbs... Spiders... They ask me to investigate them too, but i laugh and walk away...

The DP said...

once a guy took me on a blind date to hooters. yeah i was real impressed. no second date.

i would blog about it, but my blog being all family friendly and all...

sigh.