Meeting back up with Kate and Andy

Kate and Andy arrived in Chicago today from there visit to Montreal. We have booked into a hostel in the Northern Beaches. A very good choice and would recommended it for its location to shops and public transport. I've never stayed in a hostel before, so I originally found it a bit much. Thankfully we able to get a room just to the three of us. The rooms were basic but clean, and same with the rest of the amenities. But after coming from the comforts of Robs place it was a bit of a downer, and I wanted to go back there. But after the first night it was all cool. I had been spoilt by being able to stay with Kevin in New York and with Rob in Chicago, so now it was time to rough it a little and enjoy the experience. And that I did. We had a fantastic time in Chicago.

Of the things we did it included a huge walk along the cities water front, going to the viewing deck of the John Hancock building, a architectural cruise along the Chicago River, fire works at Navy Pier. The fireworks weren't anything to write home about, but my ride on the Ferris Wheel is. I hate heights, I hate them with a fierce passion. Its not natural. Anyways Kate talks me into going on this monster of a Ferris Wheel. As soon as the gate is closed and we are on this thing I start to sweat. My hands get clammy and all I wanted to do was to get off. I'm trying to focus on the view of the city skyline, but nothing could distract me from the fact that the ground was getting further and further away from me. But I wasn't the only one, Andy was in the same boat. Poor Kate, she was enjoying the whole thing and us two boys were cowarding. I showed them both my palms and I had rivers of sweat in their creases. It wasn't until I noticed that we were on our way back down that I could relax and start taking some photo's.

Then to top the evening off, on our way home a car cut us off as we were crossing the street. We had the walk signal and he drove through a red light. He was so close to us that Kate reached out and hit his boot with her hand. The car came to a screeching halt and out got the guy throwing all sort of abuse at us about touching his car. The fact that he ran a red light and nearly plowed over us meant nothing. His response was 'I didnt hit you so dont hit my car'. After a few more verbal exchanges between Kate and this guy, I kept out of it as I was busy tightening up my shoe laces in readiness to run for my life, the guy hops back into his car with the final cry of 'Punk Bitch'. We were speechless. It was the funniest thing we had heard. Kate was from that moment known as 'Punk Bitch'.

So if Kate was to be Punk Bitch, what were Andy and I to be? Andy always had the maps and would navigate us around, so he became Map Man. And I like to plan what I want to do and see and on what days it is to be done, so I was called Itinerary Man. The Three Muscateers now had names - Punk Bitch, Map Man and Itinerary Man. May sound a little stupid, but we had been together and living in each others pockets for a while now so it added a bit of spice to our lives