Chicago

I was able to find roundtrip tickets to Chicago for less than $95 each way inclusive of all taxes and other charges. I still can't afford it, but at that price I can't not go to the big three-way birthday bash. I've got somewhere around 45 shares of Medtronic stock that my parents had bought in my name when I was a wee tot that I'm going to sell. That ought to provide enough money so I don't have to kill myself for at least another month and maybe two. Of course, come April, the capital gain is going to really suck even with the newer, long-term gain rate. That is assuming I get a job in the next month and subsequently make it to April.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to drinking it up at sea- (lake-?) level. I haven't been drinking hardly at all lately due to my unfortunate financial situation, but I'm going to try and make up for it in a big way this weekend. Hopefully, my historically strong tolerance as well as the change in altitude will be enough to allow me to keep up. I have a bit of a hankerin' for some White Castle that I intend to fix as well.

The plan as I understand it (as if anyone reading this isn't already fully aware of the plan) is to do some aggressive, warm-up drinking on Friday night, party exceptionally hard and drunkardly on Saturday, and then try to make it up to my folk's place on Sunday to recover a bit around the pool with more booze and barbeque. I'll come back to Denver on Tuesday, go out for the opening day of dove season on Wednesday, and then welcome my folks to town for a quick trip to the mountains to celebrate the long weekend and the end to a beautiful, Colorado summer.

The week ahead looks good even if the slightly broader horizon is still hazy.

Jonathan 8/24/2004 08:30:00 AM