Home again Home again

Well, sort of. On the road again might be a better descriptor. My plane ride from Honolulu to Chicago was largely uneventful. I finsihed one book before even boarding the plane...the second book I couldn't focus on, but alas, nor could I sleep during the eight hour flight as every 90 minutes or so a darling toddler would awake all of us in the back of the cabin with an ear piercing wail and then promptly settle back to sleep while leaving the rest of us alert and slightly unsettled.

Landed at O'Hare before the sun rose. Greeted by two marvelous friends...my family. Stumbled back to an apartment and immediately passed out for three hours...the most sleep I'd gotten in almost two days time.

And the food! This week and a half will be full of two absolutes...lots of food and lots of time in transit.

First meal: Diner style breakfast...eggs over easy, sopping up runny egg yolk with thick hunks of rye toast. Too full...sleeeepy but we decided to keep on the move.

Full belly, stumbling around the Loop...holiday fairs, German food smells wafting, crowds of merrymakers, the random protests, Jews for Jesus. Grey thick sky blending seamlessly to the horizon of lake Michigan. The shining silver bean sculpture reflecting it all on its convex surface. Gorgeous buildings of Sullivan, Jenney, Richardson, Adler, Wright. So much more character than New York...not the same layer upon layer stacked to infinity...smudging and blurring everything into a helter skelter pile of anachronisms...sometimes harmonious, mostly not. And cramped, every inch fought for and suffocated by the pristine giants towering above. But Chicago has a sense of continuity in its transition from the early skyscraper to the Goliaths of today. A sense of preservation. Of dignity. Even in the poverty the hugs the street corners begging for a hand out. And some semblance of space, even if we weren't really able to shake the crowds until we wandered into the park. Where ever should I go New Year's eve?

And warm enough to walk around with winter coat a gap. Maybe I really am built for the Midwest. Even with four months in paradise, the cold does not phase me. And I hardly looked any tanner than my compatriots who have recently been want for sunlight.

Second meal: fatty burger smothered in chili and onions paired with a massive pile of seasoned fries. God I love Chicago food. Especially with the company. In cheesy themed diners.

Finally managed to see Hot Fuzz, courtesy of Nicole's roommate...whose name I seem to have forgotten already. He'll forgive the slight, right?

The next morning a few hours in a car to Milwaukee to the first of several Christmas dinners.
Hmmm...tradition ham dinner. I was kinda sad to realize how much less of a novelty pineapple is now. Not that it's much cheaper in Hawaii. but its EVERYWHERE! Sunday night was great. I love the board games, now that we've branched away from the cut throat variety of our youth such a Monopoly. Two things were sorely missed though...my brother and a dog. I guess the wolf acquired in Chicago had to suffice for the latter (I manged to pick up a bed companion while snooping around at Macy's. Not that I need another stuffed toy. But it's tough to pass up an FAO Schwartz).

Back in the car that night. Though no snow but a wind that drove the snow across the road in sheets...giving the impression we were driving through clouds. Another movie...Rabbit Proof fence. Made me sentimental for my few weeks in Australia so many years ago. Sleeping in far too late. Breakfast, and hopefully, soon, back in the car again to head up to another family. Food, friends and freeway.

These 10-11 day breaks always seem far too short when I know I'll have to leave again. That the distance is not just across the state, but now across an ocean. Jersey was hard enough. I'm not quite sure how best to make of the little time I have with everyone, and everyone seems to be struggling with the same...so much to do, to see, to experience...in addition to the relaxing, before diving back into the reality.

Christmas is not what I remember it as a kid anymore.