Repentance...

Hello, friends!

I have a confession to make.  This weekend there was much hate in my heart.  Looking back, it was wrong and unloving.  I am working on fixing the problem.  There is deep-rooted hatred that needs to be worked out but I believe that there is a chance I will get through this.

Where is my hatred directed?  Chicago... =0).

This weekend I went to Chicago for a number of reasons.  My cousin needed a ride to a volleyball tournament as well as to a college visit, Meg needed a ride to Madison, Wisconsin to help lead new staff, and Meg and I's wedding photographer are in Chicago so we got our engagement photos done.  I also got the visit with a few alumni, so I had tons of reasons to be in Chicago, and all the reasons were good reasons, but boy does that city make me angry.  Let's run down the list, shall we?

1) The traffic is terrible.  We were in constant gridlock.  Getting downtown was a mess.  Getting out of downtown was a mess.  Finding parking was a mess.  The whole thing was a big fat mess.

2) Paying tolls is terrible.  Illinois already has one of the highest tax rates in the country.  Why do they need tolls too?  Why do I have to pay $3.80 to drive on your crappy roads that are full of traffic anyway?!  So frustrating!

3) Generational sin runs deep.  Papa grew me up to be a Saint Louis man.  I love the Cardinals, which means I hate the Cubs.  I love the Blues, which means I can't stand the Blackhawks.  I am still mad at Chicago for stealing the railroads all those years ago, setting Saint Louis back from it's perch as one of the fastest growing cities in America at the turn of the century.  I get that not all of it is rational.  I'm just telling you how I feel.

Let's try to focus on the positive though, shall we?  My cousin's team did well in their tournament and enjoyed his college visit.  Taking the engagement photos was fun.  I had a great time hanging out with some ACF alumni.  I even ate some really good dim sum in Chinatown.  So, it wasn't all bad.

Maybe it's just transportation that bothers me.  The driving.  The tolls.  The trains.  Yeah, maybe that's it...

Thanks for talking things out with me.  We'll keep working on it.  =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam