The Chicago Marathon

I love a lot of things about Chicago, but now I have something I really HATE about Chicago... and that would be the Chicago Marathon. I should warn you before you read this, I am not exactly laughing about this yet so maybe I should hold off before I blog... oh well.

I had to work at the boutique this weekend. I work 11 - 7 on Saturday and 11 - 5 on Sunday. On Saturday I left my apartment at 10:50 and got to work before 11. This gives you a pretty good idea how long it usually takes me to get to work. I knew the Chicago Marathon was going on this morning, so I left for work at 10:15 to give me extra time. Since I am the only one in the boutique on the weekends if I am not there the shop isnt open.

Anyways, I leave for work and I notice that the streets near me arent closed. At first I think I should stop at a starbucks and get a drink before work since I left SO early, but I decide I will get it closer to the boutique. Traffic was really light down LaSalle, more than ever. I think this is bizarre being a Sunday but keep on driving. I turn down Madison (where the boutique is on) and make it over 90 when I see about a million runners and a closed road. I had to do a U-turn on the bridge and turn around. Shit. This was fun... if I only knew at this time that the U-turn would be the easiest part of my drive...

I turn around and decide I will go a few blocks south and enter from the south opposed to the east. I drive around and every where I go the street is closed at some point. I literally could not find a way to get to work. At this point it was 10:45. I had been trying to get to work for 30 minutes, it was unreal. It was like driving in a maze because the streets were closed all over and you would literally go in circles.

Closer to eleven I go to call my boss to tell her I wasnt going to be on time because I couldnt get to work. While calling her I look in my rear view mirror and noticed cop lights. Shit. I pull over in front of a fire station. Two cops approach my car (real jerks) and tell me I was pulled over for making a right hand turn on red while talking on my cell phone. Apparently, there was a sign, I didnt even notice the light was red but I wasnt going to tell them that. I hand them my licences and tell them when they are done writing me a ticket I would like them to help me find a way to work.

They laugh at me when I tell them the address and told me there was no way I was getting there anytime soon, it was basically impossible. I snarl. They go back to their cop car and I am thinking of all those news reports of poor children in South Chicago and all these important things these cops could be doing to make Chicago a better place. Surely, pulling me over for trying to get to work was not making the cut.

The cops took my licences. They handed me a $135 ticket and a pile of papers. They took my brand new Illinois licences that I struggled to get in the first place (I should REALLY blog about that nightmare). So at this point I am stuck in a huge line of traffic, late for work, and in the ghetto. Wonderful. I was stuck infront of a Catholic church for at least an hour because I was in the same place when the 11:00 bells rang and when the 12:00 bells rang. During this time, I saw two cross dressers, two fender benders and a man beat his son with the sons belt (they were in the car in front of me). I believe I found an area in Chicago I do NOT want to move to next June..

At 12:30 I make it through the second intersection in an hour and a half, and I get stopped in the middle of the intersection because of the line of traffic. Of course, I sat there for 3 light changes. At one point a cop turned his lights on behind me. Wonderful. What was this cop going to do to me, I was literally stuck (and I DIDNT have a license thanks to his partners). He ended up leaving and didn't give me my second ticket for the day.

After more wrong turns and a few hundred U-turns I made it to work.. at 12:45. Almost two hours late, quarter tank of gas, one traffic ticket and a splitting head ache.

I think its official, I hate the logistics of the Chicago Marathon.