Alamo is the bane of my existence (Chicago 2)

So...my laptop didn't so much like the midwest and decided to crash out on me. So I had lots and LOTS of stuff I wanted to say, but couldn't. Never mind the fact that blogger is playing games and I can't unprivate my other blog (one more try then I'm done with it) so there will be some spill over. And because I hate reading long posts with no pictures, I'll break it down for you.

Chicago, Day 2

So today turned into a hot ass mess. Not a hot mess. Cause that would be funny. But a hot ass mess which is just downright triflin'.

So Traci was Ms. Punctual and arrived just in time for our day. For some reason, the Marriott gift shop was closed this morning so I couldn't get a post card. The trip was off to a bad start already...you couldn't pay me to stay in another Marriott just FYI.

I hop in the mini van and Traci proceeds to tell me about her rummage sale. Now I need to check her spots so you can get the real run down on the situation cause I will not do it justice. But in a nutshell:

Imagine, if you will, a yard sale. You're with a group of your boys (and you're a boy too...just pretend for a moment...) and you walk over to that old vcr over there. You pick it up, turn it over, start prodding it. Traci looks up, sees a glimpse of something, watches as you put it down and pretty much run away. Traci thinks nothing of it. Later (how later is not really relevant) she walks over, picks it up and is fiddling with it when she pulls not one, not two, but SEVERAL maxi pads out of the tape slot. Rewinding her memory, she recalls the dude (that was you...pretending...remember?) having something white in his hand and then turning white himself before taking off like he was being chased. Oh the stuff you find at Rummage sales.

Anyhow, as she is trying to tell me this story, I am trying to give her directions to Windy City Scrapbooking. We did make it there. Even parked on "the street". That will be important momentarily.

So it is like 11ish when we hit this store. We talked, we stalked, we shopped and then there was the annual garage sale so we had to shop that too. We got pictures, I gave her my receipt for their really GENIUS auction concept, we walked out and went back to the car. I got on the directions. We were to circle the block and find the next street. Never mind that the street we were parked on was "the next street" and that we spent like 20 minutes driving around trying to get to it. I warned her I was not observant. She cautioned me that she sees everything. To the point that we get to Lou's for pizza and have to struggle up on some street parking. We find a spot right at the corner, with a hydrant and proceed to try to fit the mini in that spot. In the meantime, not one, but TWO cars round the corner and take the TWO empty spots in clear sight of what we were trying to accomplish. We had a dang good laugh at that. In a moment of "clarity" I decide to call Alamo rental cars to let them know I might be running a bit late (it is like 2:30 at this point--Windy City was the best time suck I've ever been in.).

Drama.

Dude is clicking away on the computer telling me if I don't get there between 3 and 4, they're charging me another $400. I ask why I'm being charged more to NOT have the car. I don't think he got that I wouldn't be keeping the car longer. Or that it just made no damn sense what he was telling me. I was hormonal, I panicked. no. I didn't get black on the man (I was in mixed company...come on now). Instead, I demanded that poor starving Traci get me to Ohare.

So we get to O hare at just about 4 and not only do I manage to find the one car with half a tank of gas that they didn't credit me for, but I almost lost Traci in the lot. I tell ya.

All ended well though. She called up Lou's over by her way and got us in with the BEST pizza I have ever had (remember that cheese distinction--I think that was it) and the Calamari was good too! And even better than all that was the conversation. I told Traci (and meant and still mean this totally) that her kids are totally TOTALLY lucky to have her as a mom. And I'm lucky to know her.

So...no Renegade fair...I'm tempted to look up the Brooklyn event but if I couldn't make the Chicago gig, I've no qualms about giving up on NYC. But Traci did get me to Madison via the 94 instead of the 90. To that, I asked her how long it would take and she told me about 3.5 hours maybe. Given my 90 directions said about 3 hours, I was not sweating that so much as wondering how I would stay awake for 3 hours of driving.

I got to Milwaukee about an hour into the drive and with my no sense of direction/no sense of time self, I kinda freaked out and knew that somewhere I had to have missed a turn. Even with stopping for gas, it took me 1 hour, 50 minutes to get to Madison. I have a bit of a lead foot. I'm praying to GOD I don't have a stupid toll ticket though--who carries that much change on them really??

Chicago...peace out.