Back From Chicago

Chicago is a great town, but I hated "The W." What a pretentious, sad excuse for a hotel. Anyone who would really like it is either an aging yuppie who thinks the Gen Xers somehow have it better than we do, (they don't, except for the fact that they can still enjoy the luxury of believeing that they might have 40 or 50 years left as opposed to my 20 or 30...) or kids in their 20's who imagine that it would be just so pimp to stay in a place like that but can't yet afford to stay there. I can't afford to stay there, but I wasn't footing the bill.

First of all, it is dark. They got candles burning in the lobby, and on the front desk. The lights are dimmer than the president they named the place after. It looks like the set from a Madonna video back when some people still cared. The hallways are dark. The restaurants and bars are dark. Everyone wears all black, or black and white.

I'm beyond the point where I could ever think that is cool.

Second, Chips & Salsa - $11. $17 if you add the guacamole. A quart of bottled water on the end table next to my bed could be mine for the nominal fee of $8.

I know hotels have to rip you off, but those prices aren't high. They are vulgar.

Third - they play that breathy, pulsing, montonous trance music that some people call "house" and some people call "techno," but people like me who know the difference between shoe polish and excrement have another name for it.

They play it all the time.

I was up late and early every night / morning last week studying so I could be a credible instructor. It paid off, but I was fried.

I did get to eat some Itlalian Beef at Giordanos, which rocked the house down. I had some Chicago style thin pizza, which was ok but nothing compared to the average slice I used to take for granted when I lived in NY.

And, I started reading "The Memoirs Of Shrelock Holmes" on the airplane. I had read "The Adventures..." about 10 years ago and had always wanted to go back. I'm glad I did.

I'm in town this week taking the next class which I will again too soon be expected to teach, and then next week it is off to the bay area to teach the first class again. It is going to take me a while before I know what I'm doing at this new job, and as a result posting will be sparse.