bethb's Diaryland Diary

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hey guys, it's just a baby ruth

oh, I'm back in DC...Partially relieved, mostly sad.
The wedding was really nice- the Newberry is lovely (I got there early and asked one of the ladies who worked there if there really was a 'cage' like in the time travelers wife and she said 'yep! wanna see it?' and i said YES! so she showed it to me and said 'you can take a picture if you want'. so i did...since i'm a nerd.

The rabbi that officiated the thing was so charming. And I got to sit with some lovely canadians whom i had met the night before at sheffields. They told me right after i left jim belushi showed up and played the harmonica and sang, and i said something like 'wow, one brother away from it being the most amazing night ever!' I realize certain metaphysical things would also have to happen, but let's just pretend john's around for arguments sake.
Right before the wedding was a severely gross/hysterical moment that I lamented I had noone to share it with....in waiting for a bus up dearborn there was a gentlemen in the bus shelter who reeked of urine so badly that i couldn't even get within 15 feet without gagging. He was sitting on the bench and i was standing near the bus stop sign and i could hear him mumble incoherently and when he left i glanced over at the bench and saw a melty-looking brown thing which made my stomach turn until i realized it had a crest on the top like a three musketeers or snickers bar so it was probably just a candybar but either way i wasn't looking at it or going near it.
bus ride home was uneventful and fine- too much alcohol...I had bought some small bottles of wine at binny's beverage...emporium? or something? and didn't finish them so i left them for the cleaning crew. i hope they enjoyed them.
Monday i switched hotels and checked in at the hyatt which was so big and so confusing....I realize this makes me sound like a simpleton, but it really was confusing. you have to take an escalator to the second floor before you find anyone who helps you check in. I got my room key and went up to the 16th floor and my room was nice. the beds were small doubles, but they had down comforters and lots of feather pillows. I was disappointed with the bathroom since the tub was small and a little gross and moldy in the corner.
I changed into the dress again and a cardigan and went on the chicago architecture foundation tour. it was a nice tour, although the docent had an unnerving way of pronouncing river "riv-ahhh". Also, she mentioned Bloomingdales and followed it up with "I'm sure you ladies knaw awl abahht the bloooooomingdhales" and then when we got near the end of the tour and the 'Aqua' building was in view and she mentioned the architect Jeanne Gang as the only female to currently have a sky scrapper in construction...i think in north america? and she said "the tew things ehvry bah-dee wants to know is 'is she young and is she pretty' and yes, she is very young and very pretty'"
I would have rather known where she went to school, lady docent, but thanks for your antiquated humour...
After that was done, i went to the navy pier to ride the ferris wheel which was strangely relaxing... While i was up there I consulted my nerd book to see what I should do next and decided to hunt for cupcakes. I had passed 'sweet mandy b's" on friday when I had access to mike and his car and he said "where do you want to go?" and i answered henry darger's house, so I knew it was lincoln park-y. Found it...had probably the best cupcake i've ever had, and then began trying to find a street that was on my bus/rail map. I was walking and walking for literally over an hour and was almost in tears when I found fullerton and took that to damen and was going to ride damen down to chicago when someone I knew from DC got on the bus and said 'hey what are you doing here' and i told her about my visit and so we ended up having 10 cent wings and beer at this place called cleo's that was soooo good. and one of L's friends was going to the Violet Hour afterwards and invited me but I was so tired, i just wanted to go to walgreens and get some advil for my headache and settle down in my snuggly bed to watch the season premiere of the Hills...because I can't not watch that show. And what hotel wouldn't have MTV, right?
hah-hah. Hyatt Grand regency. That's who.
So I'm faced with the olympics, every channel in the NBC-Universal family, three flavors of ESPN (i would have happily watched 'Cheap Seats', but no, ESPN classic had effing poker. I can't. stand. poker.) and disney. So I made some owl beaks and watched the olympics for a bit (and I hate the olympics) and fumed about the stupid hotel and realized i really had to pee. And then realized 'oh, hey...the toilet isn't flushing'. by this time it's 10 pm. i'm showered and in my Pj's and I don't want to call the front desk again. (I say again because, yeah, ok, I called to check to make sure they did not infact have MTV)
So I make a handful of beaks and fall asleep and honestly, the bed was really nice. I cranked the AC up so i could snuggle under the down comforter which was delightfully cloud-ish.
In the morning, I wake up and wander down to the lobby for what i thought I remembered as the free continental breakfast....I apparently entered the breakfast pavillion through the wrong gate and thus was not given a menu warning me that a cup of coffee, a croissant and two pieces of honeydew would run me $15.83. I grudingly paid it and tipped the waiter 17 cents since he only brought me back 4 dollars as change.
At this point, i am beyond miffed at this hotel. I can't believe people would voluntarily pay top dollar to stay there. so i grabbed an apple and a banana as i left.
The only person who even asked me about my stay was the nice dude who hailed me a taxi when I left...seriously. I am going to write a letter to the hotel and tell them how aggravated I am. And will only ever stay at the ohio house when I'm in town.
plane ride back was incredibly empty. There was no one in my row...on either side of the aisle. or the row behind me and only one person in the row in front of me. it was crazy.
the landing was the most turbulent landing i've ever experienced....i was pitched forward as was someone's 'hemispheres' magazine from somewhere behind me- it slid along the floor until it hit my bag under the seat infront of the seat next to me.
strangely my eardrums do not hurt. flying into chicago wasn't bad either- i remember the last time i flew, my ears hurt for days.

5:19 p.m. - 2008-08-19

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