Goin' home

It's not often I do something spontaneous, but this had to happen.  This morning I won a SkyAuction (www.skyauction.com) to get back to Chicago for a few days.  I'm going this weekend for the opening of the Simpsons movie, to hang out with a friend of 20 years, drink lots of beer, and just generally recharge. 

Things have been so bad at work that I needed something to look forward to, even if it cost me a few bucks.  Every day I feel like I'm on the verge of either walking out or being escorted out of the building.  Not only is that atmosphere not good for one's career, it's even worse for your soul and spirit.  I need to get away from this feeling of being beaten down, disregarded, and take a break from looking over my shoulder.

So, we're going to overdose on Guinness, the Simpsons, and probably spend more than a few hours playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 on his PS2.  We laugh ourselves incoherent playing "HORSE" but choosing various obscenities, inside jokes, and obscure references instead of H-O-R-S-E. 

And that's exactly what I need.  Time to laugh.  Time to unwind. 

For those who know about Chicago food, yeah, it's time for that too.  White Castle.  Pizza cut in squares.  Italian beef.  My buddy lives close enough to one of those 24-hour Greek-run coffee shops that we can stumble over for a hangover-preventing plate of greasy eggs, hash browns, and black coffee.  At 3am. 

My entire family is in Chicago, and I'm not telling them.  This trip is supposed to relieve stress, not generate more.

Let the countdown begin.