Vacation Excitement

Tomorrow, I embark on a three-day, whirlwind, crazy-go-nuts, multi-drink excursion to the place known by some as The Windy City, by most as Chicago, and by a few people from the state-run home as That Shiny Place Where We Get Ice Cream Sometimes.

Yes, it's vacation time for C-Dog and honestly I couldn't be more excited. I know that everyone loves vacations but, for we that choose to live in New York, going somewhere else is a particular thrill. Maybe it's because we're all broke and must always choose food and rent over trips to exotic locales, or maybe it's because none of us have cars and are therefore limited in our travel options to the far-flung burgs offered up by our various mass transit lines... but whatever the reason, though I love this city, occasionally getting away from it is a special sort of joy. Yes, even if your destination is another big city. It's still different. Everything, no matter what, is exciting and new:

"We're hanging out in our hotel's lobby... in Chicago!!!"

"We're looking for deodorant in a Walgreens... in Chicago!!!"

"We're belatedly doing our taxes... in Chicago!!!"

"We're sitting in the ER holding a towel to our nose to sop up the never-ending flow of blood because somebody had to pick a fight with a construction worker... in Chicago!!!"

No matter what, you're breaking ground and blazing new trails. It's like being one of the great and noble explorers of yore, only you're much more likely to "discover" some deep-dish pizza and the odds of you contracting smallpox are admittedly slim.

I'm also excited because no one in our group has yet revealed themselves to be a psychotic "planner." You know the type: they've got a detailed itinerary for every day, they're probably wearing a fanny-pack at all times, and God help you if you've got to take a leak before the scheduled bathroom break; that will throw everything off and we might as well go home! They're the people that, more than likely, end up getting pushed into a canal or a lake or whatever body of water is nearest, deepest and has the largest chance of being stocked with fish that eat people. My crew, though... we've got an idea of a few things we want to see (thanks, by the way, to everyone for their excellent suggestions) but we know that we've got plenty of time to do what we want and see what we want and, besides, too much planning leaves little time for the serious business of drinking... in Chicago!!!

See, that works for everything.