I have arrived in the Windy City and I'm on edge. I travel all the time for work but for the last week I have been edgy about this trip. I'm not sure why. First off, the location is an alternate because of Hurricane Katrina. We were originally suppose to be in New Orleans. So with the last minute moving of the meeting, hotels are a significant distant from the actual conference location. Yes, there are shuttles and I only have to walk half a block to get to my shuttle pick up, so no big deal. I have just been a bit on the uptight side about transportation issues and such.
Yesterday I got the list of "the" events for all of us from work so at least I have dinner every night but tonight and Sunday taken care of. A few cab rides here and there to get to various locations, all good. The ride from the airport to my hotel was interesting. My flight took 44 minutes. My airport transit took one hour and forty minutes! fine, I made it to my hotel, I had all my luggage nothing to worry about.
I'm weird when it comes to staying in a hotel. I move in...I unpack my suitcase, spread my personal stuff on the counter, organize the desk. I like to do those things as soon as I get here. i did all that. checked out the area recommendations for dinner and decided on the restaurant directly across the street (I can gaze on it's muraled wall from my hotel room). I'm in jeans, black boots, a white button down and a red suede jacket. My hair is in it's usual naturally curly out of control-ness and even a bit extra "pouffy" from the wind. I feel comfortably dressed up and okay to head to dinner on my own.
Anyone guess where this is going?
I ask for a table, it's a 20 minute wait, I'm hungry, I have to be up early tomorrow, I'll try the bar. This is a popular sports bar location and it's March Madness time. So it's busy. I find an empty seat at the end of the bar, take my seat, female bartender hooks me up with my brandy seven. I order a house specialty salad and a crab cake. I'm enjoying my food, working on my schedule for the week, watching the Gopher's game. There are 2 bar seats to my left open after a couple next to me left.
This disgustingly creepy man sees me at the end of the bar, sits down next to me and proceeds to make me feel the need to inhale my crab cake, pay my bill in cash, and get the hell out of dodge. I was so bothered I had to call my best friend when I got back to my hotel because I felt just disgusting. Think young 30 something looking mob member. He wasn't in a suit but he had that east coast big hair mob look to him.
He started drooling over my hair before he even sat down. I continued eating. He apologized but 5 seconds later was back at it. Offered to buy me a drink, I refused. Female bartender to the rescue...she recognizes him from somewhere (or pretends too). She tries to engage him in conversation but she's busy. He asked to eat some of my food. i said NO! He apologizes. 5 seconds later, he's back at it. I inhaled my food, paid my check, left my bartender a nice tip and scadaddled my way back to my room the whole time my skin was crawling. Did I mention that when I piled my plates to signal I was done he took my fork and was going to eat the salad I had left and when I exclaimed "that's disgusting!" at him, he offered to kiss me. I said no and he said "oh, but I'll kiss you on the lips".....EWWWWWWWW!!!
Here I was anxious about this trip for some reason, a bit on the uptight side about it and what do I get...a shuttle snaffu at the airport (had to wait 40 minutes because the company didn't plan ahead with extra buses), an hour and four minute commute from the airport, and then total sleeze makes my skin crawl at dinner! at least I have an excellent brandy seven flowing through my blood. I'm going to finish my schedule, set my alarm, and pray for a good night's sleep. I almost feel the need for a hot shower!
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