Finally....the blogging begins.

I am finally set up here in Fes, Morocco. I have been incommunicado for a couple of weeks now, so I apologize if I appeared to have dropped off the face of the earth. In many ways, I feel like I did. There is so much to write about, I think I will have to break up this first post into sections. Section the first: Chicago.

Ah, Chicago. I was met upon my arrival by Anna and Chris, who were kind enough to let me stay in their swank downtown apartment, complete with a door woman and indoor pool. To my delight, they have a garbage chute, much like the one in the tv show Friends. There's something entertaining to me about listening to garbage slide down 40 stories. I learned many things about Chicago during my visit. It's absurdly cold. And icicles can kill you. Especially if they fall from the top of the Sears tower. Gotta watch out for that. Also, crazy people love the 7-11 on the corner of Dearborn. Looove it. I have never seen so many crazy people in one place in my life. There's the one-legged crazy man who hits you with his crutches if you're in his way. And the old crazy man who wears flamboyant suits, or a big fur coat. Or the crazy woman who grunts constantly. Pick your poison. Or your crazy, as it were. Also, in Chicago they put the pizza sauce on LAST. It's just an upside-down sort of place. I had high hopes for visiting a number of museums and sites, but sadly, I developed a severe case of the plague. I don't actually know what it was - I'm guessing some sort of mutant version of the common cold on steroids. I got a sinus infection, possibly an ear infection, and didn't move off the couch for about two days. In fact, I just got some antibiotics yesterday because I still haven't recovered. I merely transported it with me right through customs. Chicago's gift to Spain and Northern Africa.

Before I was devastated by illness, I was able to visit the International Museum of Surgical Sciences. This may not be most tourist's first stop in Chicago, but I guess I'm not most tourists. I of course managed to show up at the museum on Super Tuesday, and it was perhaps the most inept polling place I have ever seen. They tried to get me to vote, and when I replied that I was there to see the museum, they stared at me in disbelief. I guess it's not a high traffic site. The polling booths were set up in the middle of a few exhibits and the gift shop, but I still managed to take in some of the displays. They had an iron lung, which was interesting. On the way out, I was tempted to cast a vote on the machine directly in front of the postcard rack - but I settled for buying some fairly humorous postcards I still haven't sent to anybody.

Heather and I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, which was...interesting. But not so much with the art. I know that art is entirely subjective and blah blah blah...but there was an entire exhibit of pieces of buildings that a man in the 1970's essentially stole. He would just cut a piece out of a wall, or floor. And that was his art. His name was Gordon Matta-Clark, and I'm sure he's very famous and very artsy and very deep. This picture, entitled "Hair," shows him right before he cut his hair off in front of a private audience at his apartment . He labeled each section, and was going to make himself a wig out of the hair he cut off. Unfortunately for the world of art, he died before he was able to construct his wig. But that didn't stop the museum from displaying the chunks of hair he cut off. I actually thought the information on his views and motivations was fascinating. Looking at pieces of buildings, was not so much. It's kind of like me cutting your toaster in half and displaying it as my art and as a political statement about the way we view bread. I didn't make the toaster, and I didn't ask permission to take it: but it is my art. Anyway, Heather and her boyfriend, Sam, also took me to Howl at the Moon where we watched dueling pianos and kept tabs on the Super Tuesday results. BTW....how in the name of all that is good and holy is Ron Paul still managing to get 5-10% of the Republican vote in most states? What is wrong with people?

Chris also took me out to Chinatown, on what was kind of a creepy, misty night. But we found a fabulous restaurant, and took this delightful picture of us and some fish. I am so glad I got to spend time with Chris and Anna, even though I was mostly on the couch watching episodes of The Office. Other highlights of the trip were seeing the other Moscago kids. I watched Lost at Jamie and Luke's apartment. I met Brian's roommate, who is obviously a good person since her name is Erin. I did not get to see Jonny B and SaraJo - something I will make up for on the way back through in June. Also, I vaguely remember saying high to Brian T, but mostly being asleep on the couch. Anyway, thanks for the hospitality and the germs. Next stop...Madrid.