Once upon a time, my parents, who always seemed to me to be planners, decided, on a whim, to take us to Chicago. That decision in an of itself seems harmless. But the time frame they chose was at Thanksgiving. Heading to Chicago without much of a plan during the holidays didn't prove to be very smart at all.
The whole weekend left a bad taste in my mouth. We tried to stop for gas and snacks and found nothing open. The gray skies and cool winds we thought we left behind in Michigan followed us the entire way into the Windy City. The streets were packed with cars, which left our car packed with expletives. And when we made it to the hotel? Was there solace in the warm novelty? Not quite. My parents, at least the way I understood it, hadn't given a thought about dinner reservations. They had figured (incorrectly) that the hotel restaurant would be serving to guests of the hotel even if they didn't have a reservation. Thankfully, the manger found us a table in the restaurant. I remember at that point that I was very hungry.
I've grown up since then. My sister has lived in the Chicago area for years now, and I've gone to visit many a time, erasing the memories of that first visit so long ago. And so, I had such hope for this Thanksgiving when she said, "Come to Chicago." Sure, we'll come. I swallowed the bitterness of that first Chicago Thanksgiving.
I should have been wary. I should have known better.
Especially when I woke on Wednesday with a raging headache. "You know what would make this worse?" I said to Tim before we left for the 5 hour trek. "If I had my period."
Yeah, I should have kept my big mouth shut. My cycle had just ended, but had I any sense, I would have never uttered that phrase aloud. In retrospect, I'd endure a second cycle just to have avoided what actually did happen.
We rolled in to my sister's driveway with my head still stuck in a vice. A cough tugged at my chest, and I ambled over to rest on the couch. My night was filled with Ibuprofen and little sleep, merging into a Thanksgiving day that dawned bright and sunny but that saw me no better. Heat flushed my cheeks and my head filled with fog. I sat around most of the day, still coughing. Melina caved sometime that day, and late that evening (or maybe in the wee hours of the next morning), after a most lovely dinner cooked by my brother-in-law, Tim left the bedroom to begin I don't know how many rounds of vomiting.
I'll spare you the details. I think Tim's problem was actually a migraine that fell on top of whatever virus I had that he then contracted. Melina is now on the side of getting better; Talia fell with the bug late Friday, and Zoe today. Only Aaron hasn't given in to the dark side, and I am sure it is just a matter of time. I know my sister well, and I am sure it didn't cross her mind to send us packing, but I certainly would have understood.
Despite all of this, there is a lot to be thankful for. We made the journey to and from Gina's house in good shape. Sun filled the sky most of the days and the cousins played well together. It was good to see my family and know that we are all loved.
Unfortunately, the trip did nothing but confirm my original feelings about Chicago at Thanksgiving. I have no plans to return for that holiday in a while!
The whole weekend left a bad taste in my mouth. We tried to stop for gas and snacks and found nothing open. The gray skies and cool winds we thought we left behind in Michigan followed us the entire way into the Windy City. The streets were packed with cars, which left our car packed with expletives. And when we made it to the hotel? Was there solace in the warm novelty? Not quite. My parents, at least the way I understood it, hadn't given a thought about dinner reservations. They had figured (incorrectly) that the hotel restaurant would be serving to guests of the hotel even if they didn't have a reservation. Thankfully, the manger found us a table in the restaurant. I remember at that point that I was very hungry.
I've grown up since then. My sister has lived in the Chicago area for years now, and I've gone to visit many a time, erasing the memories of that first visit so long ago. And so, I had such hope for this Thanksgiving when she said, "Come to Chicago." Sure, we'll come. I swallowed the bitterness of that first Chicago Thanksgiving.
I should have been wary. I should have known better.
Especially when I woke on Wednesday with a raging headache. "You know what would make this worse?" I said to Tim before we left for the 5 hour trek. "If I had my period."
Yeah, I should have kept my big mouth shut. My cycle had just ended, but had I any sense, I would have never uttered that phrase aloud. In retrospect, I'd endure a second cycle just to have avoided what actually did happen.
We rolled in to my sister's driveway with my head still stuck in a vice. A cough tugged at my chest, and I ambled over to rest on the couch. My night was filled with Ibuprofen and little sleep, merging into a Thanksgiving day that dawned bright and sunny but that saw me no better. Heat flushed my cheeks and my head filled with fog. I sat around most of the day, still coughing. Melina caved sometime that day, and late that evening (or maybe in the wee hours of the next morning), after a most lovely dinner cooked by my brother-in-law, Tim left the bedroom to begin I don't know how many rounds of vomiting.
I'll spare you the details. I think Tim's problem was actually a migraine that fell on top of whatever virus I had that he then contracted. Melina is now on the side of getting better; Talia fell with the bug late Friday, and Zoe today. Only Aaron hasn't given in to the dark side, and I am sure it is just a matter of time. I know my sister well, and I am sure it didn't cross her mind to send us packing, but I certainly would have understood.
Despite all of this, there is a lot to be thankful for. We made the journey to and from Gina's house in good shape. Sun filled the sky most of the days and the cousins played well together. It was good to see my family and know that we are all loved.
Unfortunately, the trip did nothing but confirm my original feelings about Chicago at Thanksgiving. I have no plans to return for that holiday in a while!
Comments
The thought did cross my mind to send my in-laws packing, especially my sister-in-law. I weighed the consequences of such an action in not being a good host against the possible ramifications. I was wondering what my wife would do to me…would she banish me to the futon, not speak to me, make only beans and rice for dinner, say that my Las Vegas trip is out…all not too terrible consequences, except the loss of my Las Vegas trip. In retrospect, I should have faced the possible consequences for I then may not have had to deal with my wife and two kids getting sick at the same time, not to mention the guests who came over for dessert who also got sick.
We are all better now, for the most part and the Chicago contingent is slowing getting back to normal. However, we are quietly celebrating the author’s decision not to visit Chicago for Thanksgiving anytime soon. Though, we do welcome her and hope that her experiences do not dissuade her from visiting us in the summer.