A quick trip to Chicago

Due to a work meeting Thursday and Friday, I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago Wednesday afternoon and then back home again late Friday night....what a frenetic 2 days! The content of the meeting was amazing and I am so grateful I was able to go because I learned a ton, but my body and mind are worn out.The schedule was so tight that I didn't really have much time for anything other than work....except because it's me and I seem to breed crazy, it inevitably found me. Here are a few notable parts of my trip.....

• I decided to take the train from O'Hare to my hotel downtown. All of the locals were doing it and it looked like an adventure - except it was 10 p.m. After getting on the train, I realized how stupid it was, as there were filthy men salivating over the silly, naive girl. When I got off the train, I was allegedly "one block from my hotel" (according to the train operator)....except he didn't mention that the block was actually crossing the bridge over the river. Here's a pic about what it looked like during the day - but at night, much more confusing, as it was actually around the corner and over the bridge.A policeman saw me wandering around with my luggage/briefcase/purse, frantically calling the hotel for instructions, and starting to panic and pulled over. He pointed out that I should not have been in that area alone at such an hour and told me he would drive me to the hotel. I tried to get in the front seat but he quickly corrected me and said I had to "get in the back". Oh my....so when he dropped me off in front of the Westin, the bellman watched the cop let me out of the back of a cop car (as there are no door handles for me to let myself out)...yes, I am very classy. Words don't adequately describe the moment.
  
  The hotel was amazing - and they were sweet enough to give me an executive suite on the 19th floor so it included a Mac computer, iPod docking station, and lots of delightful extra touches. There was an interesting building nearby that I had to take a picture of simply because I couldn't imagine how I would function there. Those are cars....backed in!
• I ate at the Weber Grill Restaurant in the bar Thursday night. It was amazing. I am a grill snob (Weber is superior!) so this was like the Holy Grail.
• Shopping on Michigan Avenue. I only had about 2 hours for shopping and tried my hardest to find something delightful during my mad-dash shopping escapade (Nordstom, Ann Taylor, H&M, United Colors of Benetton, Sephora, Silver Express, etc). How is it possible I was honestly trying to spend money but didn't find anything I wanted? Weird. I don't think I've even truly been rejected on a 2-hour shopping attempt. This is a photo looking up The Magnificent Mile - Michigan Avenue.
• The Water Works Visitor Center and Eli M. Schulman Playground/Seneca Park in a cab. Nothing particularly notable about it except that it was beautiful! The white tulips were so amazing to walk through right in the middle of this huge, highly-populated metropolitan area.
  Right by this park I was walking down the sidewalk, talking on the phone with a friend from LDS Hospital and a guy pulled over in his car to proposition me like a prostitute. He called me over with his window unrolled and I didn't understand what he wanted so I told my friend to hold on and walked over. He went on to tell me about what he liked about what he saw, what we could go do, blah, blah, blah....are you kidding me? Yes dear, call me to your car like a hooker. There's a turn-on. What's wrong with men? On whom do these filthy tactics work?
• On Friday, I grabbed lunch at Harey Carey's famous bar (across from my hotel) and it was right during the Cubs game. I was eating as the 7th inning stretch occurred and EVERYONE in the restaurant stood to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". It was incredible. I was surrounded in huge screens and the Cubs game - and although I'm not a Cubs fan (no comments necessary here about my MLB affiliations - y'all know where I stand), it was an incredible experience. Oh, and delicious food.
• Flight was delayed an hour out of O'Hare and my computer was dying, which would mean no working while on the plane.....clearly not an option....so I ended up sitting on the floor by the only functioning outlet so I could charge my computer. I am almost certain I contracted a disease from the carpet.

Although it was a wonderful educational experience (from the aspect of the meeting I attended), and I had really yummy food, I am so exhausted. I have now been on 3 adventures for work in the last 3 weeks and it's amazing how it wears you out mentally and physically. I think I need to schedule a manicure and pedicure....except I am working today....oh my.....