I started my Saturday with an eight-mile run in the mid-morning sun, which left me sore and headachy. But I wasn't going to let that ruin the weekend, because I had good plans downtown: Printers Row Lit Fest and Chicago Blues Fest. It was gonna be a bang-up time.
I live in a suburb, and the trains into the city come and go every two hours. I was running late for the two pm train, so I decided to drive to the station, even though it's just a mile away. Then I was still running late, so I had to find a place to park fast. The website said there was free parking, so I found a place and ran to the station and got there right as the train was pulling up.
My day in the city was fantastic. Lit Fest was an outdoor book fair with stand after stand of used books in a street lined with old bookshops and wine stores.
And Blues Fest was probably the biggest free festival I've ever seen, with several stages and crowds of people dancing and enjoying Chicago blues.
I walked around the city a bunch too. This is my first time in Chicago in the summer, and I kind of love it.
It was a tiring day, though. The temperatures were in the 90s, and I was walking a lot, so I planned on making the 8:40 train and being in bed by 10. It was a long walk, and I got a bit turned around. I ran some of it and got distracted for some of it. I thought I'd make it just in time, like I usually do, but I got to the station just as my train was pulling out. The next train wasn't till 10:40. My feet were sore and blistery and I was ready to be done for the day, so I stayed near the station and read.
The station was empty when I got there, but by the time the train left, it was full of drunk people. I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. My head was hurting, my feet were sore. But country music was blaring from someone's rinky-dink little stereo, a crowd of college-age boys was parading through the cars cheering, and someone in the car over was playing a kazoo. The ride was long; we kept stopping so that security could kick people off. A guard would run through the train chasing someone, and the man behind me would slur out to the whole car, "That's why they don't let alcohol on the train!" or "Enjoy your handcuffs!" and then at the next stop we'd do the whole thing again.
I finally got to my stop sometime after midnight. I was so tired I couldn't think, and the fun of the day was pretty much forgotten in my desire to sleep. But when I walked to my car it wasn't there, and my trip to the city suddenly became very expensive. I called the tow company and they said that the lot I'd thought was train station parking was a restaurant's private lot and I'd have to come get my car where it was being held two miles away.
Two miles isn't that far, I guess, but I was tired and limping and I'd already run/walked about 14 miles since that morning run, and I just wanted to sleep. So I told them I'd get it in the morning, and I limped the mile back to my house.
Except my night still wasn't over, because once I got there the house was all locked up, and I don't have a spare key. This happened to me once before and I just slept in my car, but this time I didn't have a car. I banged on the door for a while until someone finally answered, and then I apologized for waking her up and went to sleep, quite relieved that the day was over.
2 comments:
Oh, Court, I'm so sorry! When I take metra, I usually park across the street in the apartment parking lot. It's free and you don't need a permit!
I've had my fair share of bad parking experiences, too. Like the time I took metra and got back to a car that had rolled backward 10 feet and had cones placed around it. I forgot the emergency break! Thankfully the police left me a not, but not a ticket.
At least you have a story...
I love your stories and your adventures! And I LOOOVVEEDD seeing you!
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