This time of the year really seems to go by fast... maybe because it's football season, maybe because the weather is so nice, or maybe because your sleep schedule is so messed up you don't know when it's daytime or not. Getting only a few or no sleep for the past 4 nights, I crashed last night and slept a total of 14 hours. Rachel is preparing for the GRE next week, so I have sort of been a stand-in house-husband, though except for taking the dog downstairs, little can be said for my abilities. We did walk out to the Thai restaurant around the corner for lunch on their roof today, which was nice. The food there is some of the closest to Bangkok we have found yet, and you can't beat the $5.50 lunch special.
Anyway, the reason I was up so late into the night this past week was that my parents were in town. Not that they could have planned any better, since every week is just like this one, and unless I ever caught up (haha), it would have happened sooner or later. Their visit was alot of fun, and though they really saw Chicago weather at its worst for early October (40 degree high and rainy), they did get to see a great deal of Evanston and Chicago. Dad enjoyed holding Pocky outside the University Center at Northwestern, as the young blonde undergraduates would all strike up long conversation with him about his puppy. When Rachel and he were waiting outside together, one gentlemen assumed in conversation that they were married... let's just say Dad got a big ego booster on campus. Upon reflecting later, he said, "Yep. I guess every woman in Chicago is just looking for a 300lb man in a flannel shirt." Ah yes, that's my Dad. Meanwhile, Mom was amazed by all that the city had to offer, and kept us going constantly. Sometimes she did slip into kindergarten mode with us though (her regular job), and talked about "Chicagee" rather than Chicago, and "Dempsee" rather than Dempster (Street).
Mom and Dad's way of sightseeing is far different from ours too... they like the drive-by approach, or as they call in "ridin'"; and we like walking, or as we call it "killing ourselves to cover everything." After the Magnificent Mile (Chicago's 5th Ave.) turned into the Almost-As-Good-Quarter-Mile-With-Four-Breaks, we decided to use the next day for driving only. Needless to say, many good laughs were supplied by their visit and time with Mom and Dad is always great.
It was also nice to have them in town to help pay for things! Our budget has been drained from about $9000 after working all year to $1000 if you add up every penny in our names. Rachel and I were yet again able to enjoy delicacies like deep-dish pizza and steak, instead of our usual Taco Bell Burritos and roast beef sandwiches. When mom offered to pay $20 to park in a garage on Navy Pier as opposed to walking through the city, Rachel and I offered to choreograph a 4hr. musical for her if we could keep the $20. Needless to say, we parked at Navy Pier.
This issue of money brings up one more interesting story of late. Rachel and I have been treating ourselves to dinner on-the-town once a week, and last week our choice was Chipotle (McDonald's-owned mediocre imitation of Moe's). While eating outside with Pocky, a shabby 300lb man pulls up a chair at our table. After making small talk for 5 minutes while Rachel and I sort of nibble at our burritos and stare at each other, he says, "I don't see why it would kill you to buy me a burrito and a Coke." I replied, "No, I guess not," sort of jokingly, hoping he would wonder away and I could slip him a buck or two after the meal was over to avoid any situations. Instead, he continued to sit right beside our table and asked if I could go ahead and go inside the restaurant to buy his burrito now. I asked him, "Can you wait until the end of our meal so my wife and I could enjoy our date?" trying to impress upon him that this burrito-filled moment was the highlight of our week and not just a cheap snack. He just continued to stay, and by this time Rachel nor I could eat any of our burrito with the man hanging over our table. He continued to stare at us and asked us questions like, "I bet you drive a Hummer man, you probably can do that right?" After a few more questions of this nature, I replied, "Actually I'm a student and my wife is unemployed, so this meal really is a treat for us." Rachel and I eventually packed up our uneaten burritos, I gave him $3, and asked him politely to not disrespect other people while they tried to eat. Then he launches into telling us that we would rather watch him starve while we gorge ourselves. I tell him that I just meant that there are plenty of places he can go to get help(at Northwestern orientation we were told Evanston has one of the best projects for the homeless in the nation). Well, at this point he almost starts yelling in the middle of the Chipotle patio with people all around, so Rachel and I walked off while he continues, "Yeah, I bet George Bush would agree with you. Just keep eating while I starve. Yeah, I'm sorry I have to bother people to eat, etc." We just kept walking, and I (raising my tone at this point) told him "I am not going to argue," threw down what's left of my water, and stormed off. Needless to say Rachel was very upset at this point and Pocky doesn't understand what's going on.
Everyone I have talked to since says I handled the situation poorly, that I should have called the manager over or phoned the police. And leave Rachel and the dog alone with him? Or call the police while the guy watches me - that would be a little awkward, eh? And after 6pm Chipotle doesn't have any staff who know more English than "Lettuce?" - three Hispanic ladies behind the counter. A guy with his demeanor was obviously too lazy to attempt violence, though calling the cops or the manager on him may be one way to do it. And he couldn't even follow us home... as we walked away, we saw the "starving man" was so big he couldn't get back up out of the chair to walk to the next table! In a situation like this I should just realize I am never going to feel good about it, take the criticism from my friends and family, and keep truckin' along as we all do in the end.
2 comments:
Brandon, I'm with you. There's not a lot you can realistically be expected to do in that situation. At least you talked to the guy and were initially friendly - he probably latched on because he's so used to people being rude to him right off the bat.
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