Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Chicago and an ounce of Stella
Sitting in a taxi coming down the Kennedy Expressway towards downtown from O'Hare, the skyline as it comes into view at roughly the Addison turn off never ceases to send a tingle down my spine. The city and it's umistakable peaks lie out before you like they are suspended from space. I have been lucky to have seen a fair few places in this world but Chicago is about as good as it gets.
When I worked here and particularly when I was single I used to have an expression that 'Monday night was the start of the weekend.' Often after a quiet Saturday and Sunday I would be eager for a couple of beers after work at the start of the week and new found friends would be happy to take the new boy out for a couple of sharp ones, which occasionally would end up sharper than the intention.
So to celebrate my arrival back in town yesterday I had collected together a group of my best friends and we hit the town pretty hard. It was harder for me because I left home yesterday morning at 6.30am (4.30 Chicago time), my tiredness only aided by a fidgety-other half and the cab drive ringing my mobile at 4am to check he had the right number in readiness for my 6.30 pick up! To say I was a bit frosty with him on the way to airport would be an understatement.
Anyway out in downtown Chicago last night my mates took me to this bar that had 10 different booths complete with it's own beer tap, each booth representing a different beer. The Stella booth was chosen and ingeniously and probably stupidly one proceeds to pour one's own beer and pay for it by the ounce. An ounce of Stella was 40 cents, and at about 0.05 ounces to an imperial pint, it of course was a bit of a moneyspinner for the establishment but it was also a load of fun too.
Bed by a little after midnight before I turned into a Stella laden pumpkin but not until we had a stopover in the acclaimed Portillos for food. Great night just a shame my bodyclock decided to set my alarm for me this morning.
Today I have a few errands to run and I'm also going to go round to my old place to take a look at it. It has been rented since October last year. Then I'm hoping to join the 3,000 strong Addicks via internet in supporting Charlton at Brisbane Road this afternoon before heading out for drinks and dinner later. ¶ 10:07
When I worked here and particularly when I was single I used to have an expression that 'Monday night was the start of the weekend.' Often after a quiet Saturday and Sunday I would be eager for a couple of beers after work at the start of the week and new found friends would be happy to take the new boy out for a couple of sharp ones, which occasionally would end up sharper than the intention.
So to celebrate my arrival back in town yesterday I had collected together a group of my best friends and we hit the town pretty hard. It was harder for me because I left home yesterday morning at 6.30am (4.30 Chicago time), my tiredness only aided by a fidgety-other half and the cab drive ringing my mobile at 4am to check he had the right number in readiness for my 6.30 pick up! To say I was a bit frosty with him on the way to airport would be an understatement.
Anyway out in downtown Chicago last night my mates took me to this bar that had 10 different booths complete with it's own beer tap, each booth representing a different beer. The Stella booth was chosen and ingeniously and probably stupidly one proceeds to pour one's own beer and pay for it by the ounce. An ounce of Stella was 40 cents, and at about 0.05 ounces to an imperial pint, it of course was a bit of a moneyspinner for the establishment but it was also a load of fun too.
Bed by a little after midnight before I turned into a Stella laden pumpkin but not until we had a stopover in the acclaimed Portillos for food. Great night just a shame my bodyclock decided to set my alarm for me this morning.
Today I have a few errands to run and I'm also going to go round to my old place to take a look at it. It has been rented since October last year. Then I'm hoping to join the 3,000 strong Addicks via internet in supporting Charlton at Brisbane Road this afternoon before heading out for drinks and dinner later. ¶ 10:07
