Vacation status

Not going as expected. I’m very glad that I purchased the oh-so-flexible discovery pass. 7 days of wherever the heck I wanna go on greyhound.

So, when last we left me cursing at greyhound, indiana and ohio were an impassible sheet of ice. Which has apparently not improved much. Columbus which is a major hub for all my originally planned travels lies in the middle of this.

So, now I’m heading down to southern Illinois to visit a different paternal uncle and his brood. I should be arriving a few scant hours after the end of midnight mass obviating the potentially awkward atheist-at-the-house-alone syndrome. Though I may be facing it on sunday anyway.

Still, I haven’t ever really visited these people without my parents around. It’s an interesting, dare I say, experiment. Let’s see how we get along. After that, I may be hitching a ride with uncle dennis in his private plane back to kentucky, or hopping on a greyhound in paducah, ky, to get to london, depending on the weather. (did I mention that the other greyhound stops in the area are cairo, and vienna (pronounced “vie-enna”, provides an amusing, if shallow, international veneer to the trip).

Last night, I stayed at the chicago hostel, did a bit of shopping, got a day pass at a local gym, hit a newthe pick me up cafe. Today, I slept in, then made arrangements for my 9pm bus ride. Since then, I’ve been strolling around lakeview, checking the smelts practice schedule, enjoying the lakefront, eating at the chicago diner (and leaving my contact info with a waiter there, again, but at least it’s a different waiter this time), and wasting time at the Cruise-a-bou coffee in boystown, while reading Young Miles as part of my obsessive attempt to read everything bujold’s ever written, and listening to the original versions of many of the songs I sang while in the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, including no small number of Judy Garland tunes, and a bunch of holiday music. =)

As an amusing coincidence, I saw Evan who I had one of my brief, intense crushes on shortly before leaving chicago. We’d chatted online a couple days ago (first time in years), and we weren’t going to be able to meet in chicago. So, of course, I spot him as I’m walking in and wave. I’m wearing my recently acquired ninja ski mask, and as I take it off a look of much surprised amusement spreads across his face. *sigh* I’m not his type, but he’s certainly one of my types. He shouldn’t be allowed to look even better than when last I saw him. *shrug* Pleasant chat ensued before I got my flavored steamed soy milk, and started up my wireless, which explains what I’m up to now.

In summary, I’m being a dilletante, and hemmoraging money in chicago, but having a great time doing it, and my vacation plans are weathering the winter quite nicely.

Dad’s replacements have arrived, and he should be back in the states within a month. He’s supposed to fly to Kuwait before I get back from DC.