whirlwind

so, where have i been lately? why haven't i been posting? HOW DARE I DEPRIVE YOU ALL OF THE DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS DETAILS ABOUT MY DAILY EXISTENCE?

fear not, my little friends. i am still on the road for work, but so great is my dedication to preventing your web-surfing boredom that i am checking in from the road to give you all an update.

so, where have i been? if you answered:

1. hanging with the 'rents in rockville while practicing my golf swing at the driving range;
2. testing the limits of my otherwise healthy blood pressure while serving as wedding coordinator for my buddy debbie's nuptials;
3. re-connecting with old pals in the bars and restaurants of dupont circle (oh yummy, well-made martini, how i missed thee);
4. locked in a research facility in manhattan with clients and account people, desperately chugging vanilla skim lattes to stay awake! and energetic! and enthusiastic! through endless focus groups; or
5. once again testing the limits of my otherwise healthy blood pressure while staying in the tiniest and shittiest of manhattan hotel rooms which had the added bonuses of an all-night construction project that woke me on the hour every hour, horrible customer service, and dirty rooms (complete with long, straggly hairs on the pillows and in the sheets... perhaps i should just be glad that they weren't short and curly?)...

you would be correct! am hoping that now that i'm in chicago things will start to take a turn for better. so far so good - despite a rocky start this afternoon (internet not working, trying to deal with various work dramas in the "business center" in the lobby), i'm happy to say that i was able to have an extremely enjoyable evening. i took a cab to a posh and trendy japanese-fusion restaurant and had dinner with my best friends me, myself, and i (and EO via text msgs). the food was DELICIOUS - a fresh seafood ceviche in a light yuzu vinaigrette and glass of crisp white wine to start, and then peking-style roast duck with hoisin sauce and mango chutney and julienned cucumbers and scallions wrapped in paper-thin mushu pancakes. yum! i then took a long, leisurely walk home and took in the lovely sights of chicago. it really is a beautiful city, especially on these warm and breezy summer nights (i have yet to come here in the ass-cold days of winter).

oh, and you'll be pleased to know that the hotel situation is MUCH better here in chi-town. i actually felt kinda bad, b/c my client apparently got stuck in some sub-par airport hotel situation and i am chillin here in downtown chicago at the congress plaza hotel... a very old and rather outdated but somewhat charming-in-that-historic-way type of place that counts presidents among their past guests (reminds me a little bit of colonial williamsburg, aka c-dub). ironically enough given the DEBACLE that was my NYC hotel i somehow ended up with an entire suite -- one which is probably larger than my apt at home and includes a dining/meeting area, sitting area, huge bedroom with king-size bed, walk-in closet and tiled bathroom. it also has eight windows and a beautiful view of millennium park and the buckingham fountain and the lake.

tmw is going to be a long day (ten back-to-back focus groups, hurray), but am hoping to sneak away for a quick visit to the art institute of chicago...? i'd even settle for a good lunch of deep dish pizza. will i make it?

tune in next time for the answer...