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Sat 13 June. Chicago in the wet.
Dunno about Chicago being the Windy City, today it is the Wet City. I was up early (6:30) - I hope the body clock catches up with reality soon!! Still, I found a web site which was streaming the 24H of Le Mans, so I watched the first hour or so (it started at 08:00 here) while updating the blog etc. Despite the early hour, I maintained my tradition of having a beer in my hand at the start of the race!!
The blog site seems to be a bit unreliable. I posted yesterday's update and could go back in to edit it, but it wasn't appearing. I ended up removing it and re-adding, so my apologies if you are getting multiple emails. There is probably an element of User Error, while I learn my way around editing.
Also you will find that where successive days are in the same location there is a drop down for you to choose which day's blog you want to view. And don't overlook the photo album. I'm trying to be a bit selective about what I writ eand upload, but have time on my hands here (and enthusiasm and a fast connection), all of which will change over the next few days, so expect smaller entries!!
Maybe, in view of the weather, today wasn't the best day to visit the Hancock Tower, but I did it anyway. The observation level is at floor 94, and the lift goes up at 20 mph for 40 seconds. I could see near-Chicago well, but apparently you can sometimes see right across Lake Michigan to at least 3 other states. I couldn't.
According to the audio commentary, there was a great fire in Chicago in 1871 which resulted in the City being razed to the ground, and which gave rise to the current configuration of skyscrapers. And they are proud of it. Oh, to be American… J
So, with the culture for the weekend safely out of the way, I headed off to Buddy Guy's Legends blues club for the Blues Brunch. Buddy is a major league bluesman, and has been known to drop in to play unannounced. Being a bit late (12.55 for a 13:00 finish) there wasn't a lot of food left, but by piling the bacon high and the scrambled egg deep it filled a hole. Many of their draughts were familiar (Newcastle Brown, Harp Lager (a bit '80s!) and they had a couple of American draughts on. The bartender told me to avoid the one that was "a bit redneck", and thus it was that I discovered Oberon, which at 6.5% made for a mellow afternoon.
First band up was Jimmy Burns (who he?) but then on came Nick Moss and the Fliptops. This is a Big Band is the scheme of contemporary blues, and I have to say they were awesome. I was front row for most of the performance (this is just like a reasonably large pub with a stage) and chatted with Nick and two of the three Fliptops at half time. I also sat with a couple from Nottingham for a short time - first proper English I've heard for days... As there was a new cover charge at 17:00 I wandered out once the band ended.
Then it came to pass, at 19:00, with the paracetamol having done it's stuff - dontcha just hate afternoon hangovers?? -, and despite my best intentions, I paid the $15 cover charge and went back in. John Primer and Magic Slim were the main acts. It wasn't as busy as I thought it might be, and the Oberon was just as mellowing. My wallet (and liver) will breathe a sigh of relief when we leave Chicago.
I'm now itching to get on the road, but the weather for Sunday is supposed to be sunny so another day in Grant Park won't harm. The late night snack to sponge up some beer was a foot long tuna sub from Subway - they are much better at that kind of thing over here - 7 kinds of bread, fillings piled high, choose your accompaniments at no extra charge and they are open 24 hours!
When I arrived back at the hotel, I watched another hour or so of the 24h, and accidentally found some of my Le Mans buddies (who also aren't there) on internet chat. It'd be a bit of a sad overstatement to say life doesn't get much better than blues and motor racing, but wow - what a day!!
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