Firstly I'd like to announce that anyone thinking of doing a 32oz margarita and a large portion of Mexican food is setting themselves for an almighty challenge of will and stomach power.
Now for the bad news. I broke the LCD of my camera. I had it in my case, but unzipped it because I thought a fight was going to break out at a 3v3 soccer game. It didn't and I forgot to zip it up. Then I was mucking around with my rugby ball and did a fantastic drop kick (high altitude) and it was screaming along the grass to a slope that leads to a road. So I chased it as one soccer ball had been a casualty of the Vail public transport system. Just as I was getting to it my camera was suddenly on the ground. After I retrieved my rugby ball I noticed that the LCD was dead. The irony of if I didn't own a case it might of lived, being that it would of been in my pocket is kind of disheartening.
Now the rest. The tournament went on for one more day and the Money Makers (Elisa's team) lost an over time semi final. Brian, one of the stars of the team, sprained his ankle pretty bad. Being they had a team of 3/3 guy/girl mix and ideally you try and field two guys at a time, this put them on the back foot. It was a pretty crap day for weather and the 3rd/4th play off game was canceled due to heavy rain and lightning.
After that I had the biggest pizza I've ever seen (not to myself - I learned from the Mexican standoff from the previous night) and we made our way back to Denver. We got to go through the Eisenhower tunnel and what a sight that is. I was told it cuts off two hours of driving. I do have pictures of that and will get them online as soon as I get my camera back (I left it in Denver, but Elisa has it and is coming to Chicago, so no major)
The flight here was weird. Security is intense here. I had to take my shoes off and scan them. Which is weird seeing as I strolled into this country with excess alcohol and had no way of declaring it. Oh Darcy, if you read this. You were b ang on about the green irrigated crop circles. They are everywhere and are a real feature of the grid like terrain from the air.
Chicago is huge. I've only seen a bit by train and on foot with all my luggage (Lugging heavy bags at night in down town Chicago wearing shorts and a tourist t-shirt may have been asking for trouble). I saw the Sears tower and that thing is awesome. Luckily they have some sort of utopian transport system and I got from the airport to the train without leaving the building, both airports are connected by train. I had to take two trains and they were only 5 blocks apart, so transport issues are minimal.
The second train takes about 40 mins, so I'm quite a bit of a ways out of Chicago, but this place is quite quaint. The place is called Lake Forrest and this is where Andrew and Allie go to school. I'm staying on Andrews floor and had a real hard time finding where to go once I got here. I got given perfect directions until I got here, then that was it. So of course I walked to the wrong end of town, which is a rip off of some upper class English village, sporting names like Westminster street. I'm told it is the second safest city in America and I'd believe that.
So today, my first full day in Chicago has been one of napping. Yes that's right. I have spent it inside sleeping while Andrew has been at work. I really needed a deposit in the sleep bank, most of the time I've been getting 5-7 hours sleep, plus I have 8 6 days left here, so it will be enough. I'm hoping to do the touristy stuff with Elisa and Karen.
I hope to try and get a new camera soon, thinking of getting a new one, seeing as it is only slightly more expensive than repairing.
Now for the bad news. I broke the LCD of my camera. I had it in my case, but unzipped it because I thought a fight was going to break out at a 3v3 soccer game. It didn't and I forgot to zip it up. Then I was mucking around with my rugby ball and did a fantastic drop kick (high altitude) and it was screaming along the grass to a slope that leads to a road. So I chased it as one soccer ball had been a casualty of the Vail public transport system. Just as I was getting to it my camera was suddenly on the ground. After I retrieved my rugby ball I noticed that the LCD was dead. The irony of if I didn't own a case it might of lived, being that it would of been in my pocket is kind of disheartening.
Now the rest. The tournament went on for one more day and the Money Makers (Elisa's team) lost an over time semi final. Brian, one of the stars of the team, sprained his ankle pretty bad. Being they had a team of 3/3 guy/girl mix and ideally you try and field two guys at a time, this put them on the back foot. It was a pretty crap day for weather and the 3rd/4th play off game was canceled due to heavy rain and lightning.
After that I had the biggest pizza I've ever seen (not to myself - I learned from the Mexican standoff from the previous night) and we made our way back to Denver. We got to go through the Eisenhower tunnel and what a sight that is. I was told it cuts off two hours of driving. I do have pictures of that and will get them online as soon as I get my camera back (I left it in Denver, but Elisa has it and is coming to Chicago, so no major)
The flight here was weird. Security is intense here. I had to take my shoes off and scan them. Which is weird seeing as I strolled into this country with excess alcohol and had no way of declaring it. Oh Darcy, if you read this. You were b ang on about the green irrigated crop circles. They are everywhere and are a real feature of the grid like terrain from the air.
Chicago is huge. I've only seen a bit by train and on foot with all my luggage (Lugging heavy bags at night in down town Chicago wearing shorts and a tourist t-shirt may have been asking for trouble). I saw the Sears tower and that thing is awesome. Luckily they have some sort of utopian transport system and I got from the airport to the train without leaving the building, both airports are connected by train. I had to take two trains and they were only 5 blocks apart, so transport issues are minimal.
The second train takes about 40 mins, so I'm quite a bit of a ways out of Chicago, but this place is quite quaint. The place is called Lake Forrest and this is where Andrew and Allie go to school. I'm staying on Andrews floor and had a real hard time finding where to go once I got here. I got given perfect directions until I got here, then that was it. So of course I walked to the wrong end of town, which is a rip off of some upper class English village, sporting names like Westminster street. I'm told it is the second safest city in America and I'd believe that.
So today, my first full day in Chicago has been one of napping. Yes that's right. I have spent it inside sleeping while Andrew has been at work. I really needed a deposit in the sleep bank, most of the time I've been getting 5-7 hours sleep, plus I have 8 6 days left here, so it will be enough. I'm hoping to do the touristy stuff with Elisa and Karen.
I hope to try and get a new camera soon, thinking of getting a new one, seeing as it is only slightly more expensive than repairing.
