So we left late Wednesday afternoon, the 7th from Ft Lauderdale. Mind you, we left for the airport right after the caught the guy who murdered a transportation deputy on his way to the courthouse for trial, so the whole county was in the middle of a panic as we were preparing to leave. Fortunately they caught the guy....would've been a shame if he accidentally slipped and fell on the way to the jail, huh?
Anyway...we got to the airport (repeat this with me because you knew it was coming):
EARLY (my wife and her time issues). So while we're waiting for our flight to be called, I had what David Letterman likes to call....a "brush with greatness". I'm walking around, listening to some tunes on the IPOD and I walk past this guy...and I'm thinking...'he looks awful familar'. So I go past him again...and lo & behold...sitting there:
Joe Theismann.
Former Super Bowl winning QB...and, more importantly...former Notre Dame starting QB under Ara Parseghian. Oh mama! Here I am....heading up to a Notre Dame game, and I run into an alltime great right there in the airport! He was talking on the phone, so I waited until he had a moment free (I think people that barge up and interrupt people while they're on the phone or eating dinner are so rude) and approached him. I had heard a few times that he was pretty cocky and full of himself...so I was a little bit cautious. I'm happy to say the guy couldn't have been more gracious. He shook my hand and when I mentioned that I was heading up for the Air Force game he smiled and told me that he knew I was going to have a great time, since no place is better than Notre Dame to watch a college game. He told me that he had been up to N.D. three times that year and wasn't sure if he would be able to make it back before the end of the season or not. Really a polite guy and a treat to talk with. After a few minutes he got another call and I excused myself so he could take it. What an awesome start to my weekend!!
So we get on the plane for the flight to Chicago, and the first thing I notice is the weird guy across the aisle from us....when I say weird, I mean....hmm.....weird as in...."potential sexual predator" kind of weird. First of all, we catch him listening to our conversation....then he takes his shoes off and stretches across his seat (he was alone in his row--small wonder) and leaves his feet propped up on the arm rest. HELLO!!!
Why does this guy think that everyone wants to smell his stinky feet? I was getting ready to discuss the guy's toe fungus with him when he changed position and put his feet on the seats towards the window. Wow, wouldn't I love to be the next passenger sitting in one of those seats! Later in the flight, we noticed that the guy was leaning forward in his seat and looking at the two girls in the seats in front of him. They were two teenagers--maybe Japanese or something (not too bad looking--oops!)--and we couldn't figure out if the guy was listening to their conversation or trying to look down their shirts.
Pre-vert alert!
Meanwhile, while all of that is going on.....I've figured out that the lovely roast beef sandwich that my wife had bought me from Arby's, that 5 star den of cuisine, was....ya know...starting to let me know it was unhappy being in my stomach. I mean....REALLY unhappy. So Kim asks me what's wrong, and I tell her...her suggestion?
Unbutton my pants. Ya know....loosen things up a bit.
I figure that's easier said than done with two ladies in back of me and the pervert with the smelly feet across the aisle. I can just see it now....I make the casual unbutton of the pants...look across the aisle and get the knowing "wink wink, nod nod, nudge nudge" from old Smelly Feet. Why do these things happen to me???
Finally we arrive in Chi-town, and we've got about a 1 and 1/2 hour wait until my sister and her husband Johnny arrive to hook up with us. While we're getting our rental car, the guy at the counter mentions that there's a shuttle that will take us to a local hotel that has a pub and maybe we can get a drink while we're waiting. Our choices are either a TGI Friday's or a pub called Clancy's. I tell Kim that my good father would be aghast if I passed up a chance to go to a fine Irish pub in lieu of Friday's! Ugh....as if!
So we go in, order a drink and we're engaging in some light conversation when these two ladies come in--one of whom is walking with crutches. Now, we're at a table--not at the bar. And the two ladies try and squeeze a spot at the bar, only to be rebuffed by a guy who's apparently returning from the restroom. So now one of the women don't have a place to sit...and they turn and look at us. Now again, mind you....the table next tous was occupied by ONE WOMAN...by herself....who had a drink. We're sitting there with a drink and some food that had just been delivered (horrible potato skins-UGH). Do they look at the woman to get up? Oh of course not. They give us the dirty look and the...."how dare you not get up so my injured friend has a place to sit??" look.
Sorry sister....find another sucker. So after a short time, we get ready for the shuttle to come back around and take us back to the airport to pick up sis. The shuttle arrives at the hotel--and I mean to tell you its packed. And it begins to unload. I think I counted approximatley 27 women--all between the ages of 35 and 55. I finally turned to Kim and said:
"This many women in one spot....I gotta have an ex-wife in there somewhere."
So my wife....being ever supportative....says:
"Any of you ladies ever been married to this guy?" Lovely, huh?
By the way...no sign of wife #1 or #2. Just for the record.
So we go back to airport...and my sister finally arrives. They were coming up from Jacksonville and had quite the day. Complete with that lovely 4 hour layover in Atlanta.
I would rather be in purgatory than in the Atlanta airport. Come to think of it...some people think that's where you go when your sent to purgatory...but I digress.
So we get our car, head thru Chicago towards our hotel....the Sofitel Hotel. Its right next to the John Hancock Building in downtown Chicago and is 32 floors. In a word?
Spectacular. I mean quite possibly the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. And the funny part? Its own by Motel 6. I guess "Sofitel" is the upscale brand of Motel 6. And holy crap is it ever upscale. I mean bellhops, doormen, valets....all there to make sure you don't as much as sneeze without someone offering you a cloth hanky. And I don't wanna say the rooms were nice...but Kim wanted to take a photo...of the bathroom.
I overruled that--sorry...I do have SOME standards. After getting a little settled, we walked across the street for the old 10:30pm dinner at Pizano's. Pizano's Pizza on State Street in Chicago Johnny had been waiting for his first taste of authentic Chicago style pizza and he wasn't disappointed....and neither were any of the rest of us. Terrific food!!
End of day #1----day #2 coming shortly.
Later,
Jeff
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