Goodness

Since I left work today I have gone by the bank, done a major grocery run (filling my utility cart, my backpack, an nylon bag, and a regular grocery bag, and paid my rent. It took me almost an hour to schlep the stuff home on the bus, because I narrowly missed one and decided that I should wait for the next (they're 35 minutes apart during the day) despite having some frozen food, because the traffic was so bad I wasn't sure I could make two blocks, the majority of which has no sidewalk, carrying and pulling everything. My back and neck are not happy with me, but at least I didn't bring them the whole way by foot. Now I have put the groceries away (my refrigerator and cupboard are full to bursting, which is unusual; I'm hoping they last a couple of weeks and with winter coming I'm going to try to keep more food in the house). I brought the fan out of the bedroom into the living area and opened the windows. I'm eating some Tuscany bean salad, along with marinated artichoke hearts and mozzarella. Kroger has it on their Mediterranean bar. It's something I treat myself to on occasion.

I fell asleep last night before the so-called debate [I don't think they really follow the rules of true debate], but I printed off a transcript from CNN today. Nothing in it changed my mind in terms of voting, of course. I must admit, though, I will be quite happy when this whole election is over. I'm a staunch Democrat, for example, but I'm getting a slew of e-mails asking for money, even though I tried to opt out of them, at two different e-mail addresses. I haven't been able to give any, and I may not be able to this year, which I regret.

What I am trying to save my money for is the Chicago trip in November. I'm trying to stay an extra day beyond the conference so that I can do some sight-seeing. I think I can swing it (the extra night alone is $200 for the hotel, and that's at the group rate plus taxes, as opposed to the $100 more it normally is), but one of my bosses has to approve the extra day. See, I still don't have a backup person for one part of my job, and the data entry is on a time schedule. I'd been approved for two days, but we're going to have to work something out for me to be away three. Hopefully we'll do that. I have to turn in my travel request form by mid-October. How often do you get airfare and one night at a hotel paid for? Of course, last year I went up to Chicago with $20 in my pocket and neither credit card nor money in the bank, but I was extremely lucky.

I can't see everything I'd like to, of course. I'd have an afternoon and a morning to see things. The four big attractions I'm considering are the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Alder Planetarium, and the Art Institute of Chicago, but I'll probably only be able to do one or two of them. Good thing this gig lasts three more years after this one. :) Of the four, the Field Museum and Art Institute are top of my list. I've been to both an aquarium and a planetarium (although I'm sure these are larger and quite possibly better), but I've never seen a real Picasso or Monet, for example, or a T. Rex skeleton of doom.