LULLING ABOUT IN HOT CHICAGO

Day 219

Today was the Chicago Marathon and a lot of people got heat exhaustion. It's so hot here in Chicago! They didn't finish the marathon in the end due to the oppressive heat. IT was 87F. (30F) And extremely high humidity. A police officer from Michigan died during the race due to heat exhaustion. We heard, from the traps, that there was not enough water supplied during the race. And this might affect Chicago's olympic bid. That's what one of the guys that was here in the Business Centre said anyway.

Today we decided to beat the heat and stay in. And it was the best idea!

We also didn't sleep last night because the DH upstairs was squeaking, thumping, moving stuff, unzipping stuff and generally just making a racket all night! Till about 2am! The ceiling is so thin. The night before it was the sounds of ecstasy vibrting throughout the hotel.

Talkin about the hotel..or motel that it is, there's hardly ever any HOT water! Grrr...i'm sure it's that idiot upstairs using all the water up too! I can hear the shower just going..and going..and going! I was trying to ascetain who he was at breakfast..but didn't want to approach the big black dude at the breakfast bar..or any of them..they're all massive. Scary. Best to sit timidly, with no complaints!

So you'll have to put up with my whingeing!

Anway, we spent the day..watching movies...reading our books...eating chocolate that Kate gave us and there were MANY to choose from!!! Mostly hershey bars..so Greg was in Choco heaven! My favourite is the Dove Smooth Almond Milk with almonds!

We also ordered in...pizza, chips..lemonade for dinner.

Geepers..we're getting FAT in Chicago!!!!

But hey..if you can't beat em...join em. We're in America..we're allowed to get fat! haha...and yeah, we've seen a lot of oversizers here...so weird how, for instance, in Spain, or France everyone is SKINNY PINNY..but here, everyone is FAT SPRAT!

A few things we've noticed about chicago are...

The ADS!

You know how i told you before how New York had the paper and adverstisments mainly about lawyers and crime and sport...well, the ads here are mostly about health! No kidding...If it's not for cholesterol, erection dysfunction, (levitra) migranes, blood pressure it's for depression, (cymbalta) uplifting the human spirit (loyola) sleep problems (unisom) or PMT! (yaz). Another one is how to get off crystal meth (go to methresources.com)!

The difference in advertising is Unbelievable! The Chicago papers are more concerned at the moment with the marathon and the heat. Of course, the finals of the world series featured being that the Chicago cubs were in it! Chicago seems more informative. (Than NY!)

Another thing we've noticed in the US (not just chicago) is the automatic flushing toilets....the first time it happens it's quite a shock! All of a sudden..the toilet flushes and your'e still on it!!!! An automatic butt wash! Hard to get used to!!!!

Everything is also upside down! Even the light switches go on by turning them up instead of down.

The toilet flushes anti clockwise instead of clockwise!

Thank god the doors open the same way!

Oh yeah..and the other thing..people KNOW their states and can real them off....Kate did!!!! Geepers..! And the presidents!!! And there are many! Bush is the 43rd president and everyone knows that! They also know who all the other 42 are...

Do we know our Prime Ministers?????

Who was the first one?...hehe (Sir Edmund Barton!)

I had to look up to see how many we have had!!! (30! John Howard is our 30th!)

Here's a good website to find out more about our prime ministers! http://www.aph.gov.au/library/parl/hist/primmins.htm

Okies, enough about that...

What about FUEL?

Fuel (gas) here is between 2.50 US dollars and US $3 per US gallon! Cheap hey? Us Aussies are being RIPPED OFF!

And as Rob just told me, Re fuel. It is 4 litres to US gallon!

Okies...off now xx