Day 1

So I went to bed at 2am… didnt really sleep… got up at 6.30am and got all my stuff together and sorted myself out for my flight to New York…. and onto Chicago etc..

It was actually a hell of a lot easier to get through to the plane than it was when I went to the UK the last time.

Everything went pretty smoothly… no metal detectors went off.. the only thing there was a problem with was that my passport number written down didnt match the number when they did the new fangled swipe thing…. It didnt cause too many problems… I’m gonna put it down to my Irish charm!

I spoke too soon!

Arrived in Chicago… went to get my bag and it wasnt there…. I went to a guy and he said he was trying to page me because my bag is on the next flight….

He was very lovely though and said they would be able to send it out tonight…. till I said I was going to be staying in Milwaukee…. that was a way different story… that wouldnt reach me till tomorrow.

“ I kinda need it tonight…… “

“Well, the flight comes in at 5.55 if you can hang around”

“Ok five to 6…..”

“No five fifty five.”

Yeah…….. Ok ill just hang around….

he gave me a 12 dollar voucher to use for food and drink….. didnt cover much a grande tea a sandwich and a slice of lemon pound cake! 14 dollars! Hmmmmmm

AND! Every sandwich had CHEESE! The only one that didnt was the veggie one! (lactose intolerance is failing me so far over here)

So…… I called the lovely Eileen whom I am staying with. Then had to try find a way to call her back… I asked someone if there was a phone box in the area and they didnt know what I said…… then I said “a pay phone” and I was pointed in the right direction!

I have to say.. hanging around this airport…. theres something Highly familiar about it….. I think its the diversity of the people… The only thing is.. I look at someone who looks Asian and they have a totally American accent…. or Spanish seemingly enough from the guys sitting next to me in this Starbucks.

I feel like Im in the scene from Family Guy… except I dont have anyone else next to me on the lap top!

Its amazing that I have been awake for over 14 hours and im still ok….. as long as I go to bed at my regular time… I should be able to function!

I just hope the bag does actually come in on this flight!

Day 2

Got my bag from that flight and called Eileen again… they said they wouldnt be there for another hour or so, so I went across the road to the Hiltion for a beer.

Goose Island it was called… and I had 2. It was very nice …. till I was leaving and it cost 18 dollars for the 2 of them……. I left a 20 and ran so the guy couldnt give out to me for not tipping right!

We all drove to Eileen’s house and all you could hear was the “typical American” country sounds…. it was warm and the crickets were playing away. So pretty. The houses are all wooden and there is a swing on her porch.

Eileeen has some beautiful furniture in her house. Theres a broken organ in the dining room with just as much character as it probably had when it was in working order.

We went to the shop to get something to eat…. ended up getting micro wave dinners… which I have to say were very very good…. well mine was anyway. 2 pieces of chicken with mash and broccoli and carrot….. You can get that in Ireland.

Just woken up now to the sound of crickets but also the weird screeching sound that sounds like a neighbour is using a drill…. I think Eilieen called them Cicadas last night….. It sounds odd to be coming from a bug.

They look sooooooo horrible!

Off to get ready and go shopping and things…… Laters!

Day 3 – State Fair

Deep fried butter ON A STICK, deep fried Beer Ravioli…. Frozen Cranberries ON A STICK!  Spagetti and Meatballs ON A STICK!  Chocolate covered bacon.. Cows, Pigs Goats Sheep… Gigantic Cream Puffs and “brownies” Gigantic Slide,Live Info-mercials  R US  OH MY!

STATE FAIR! to say it was Cheesy would be Ideal for Wisconsin….  “The Cheese State”  It was that sort of cheese that you just had to love it….  Although It was more of an eat drink and be merry festival during the day. there was music on on some of the different stages but we didnt stop to listen or watch.

The First place we went to was a building with a ton of stalls you can buy things in… There was wooden ornaments,  teeth whiting, real Furs (shudder) and of course you cant go anywhere without your Vegetable Slicer! the Favourite quote  of mine from one such vegetable cutting professional… “I could take all the junk out, but that would be disgusting!”

I did However find a decent wedding gift!

We left there and walked down through the park a bit so we Could meet Kathleen, who was a head organiser of the fair. She was lovely and had sooooo much pride about her work and about the accomplishments. They have thousands of people come, they raised money through food drives  and they also re created the fair at a childerens hospital in the area, for kids who are too sick to come out and enjoy it.

Theyre Biggest attraction at the fair is their Cream Puffs…..  Seriously.. the lactose intolerance thing really didnt help me at this….  it was really cool to watch the “opmpa lompa”  type puff line in the building… and a “Brownie” was like a huge chocolate Pie…..

3 things i wanted to eat, Beef Jerky, Corn Dogs, and Salt water Taffy. Didnt manage to eat a corn dog but the other 2 i did…… although salt water taffy… is NOT salty…. its like a chewit!

We walked around the site and got to go behind the Main stage at the festival, where Jeff Dunham, White Snake and Shari Lewis ‘Daughter (continuing the legacy) Performed a very short while previous.

Some of us went to see the horse show and tried to guess who would win… but I was wrong every time…. I did not understand what the hell was going on!

The last thing we did at the fair was go on this GIGANTIC slide… I was so daring on the way up and then as it got higher and higher… i began to get nervous.. we all say down in a line and we went zooming down! Screams were let out with what little voice i had left in me! IT WAS FAB!

Myself  Cathy(the girl from Ballymena)  Keith(from Cavan) Eileen, Emily(keiths host’s daughter) and Mandy (eileens cousin) all went out to a place called The Garage, the Home of the Mystery Beer!

What is a Mystery beer I hear you ask???

When you ask for one, the bar person took a paper bag out from under the counter…. you open it and theres a can of beer inside…. Each one is different for the most part…. I felt like a an alcoholic on the street with my wine in a paper bag.. it was hilarious.. and at $1  I wasnt complaining.  Poor Keith got stuck with a bunch of girls and then we started talking about earrings of all things.

We went next door to The Hi Hat and Keith got talking to a couple guys at the bar. He asked what one of the guys was drinking and he said “a Side Car”  we stood there for a bit….  along came this Martini Glass with icing sugar all round the edge… THAT was his drink…. “this is a fecking girls drink”, Me and Cath are in Stitches… we all stay there with beers while he drank from a very girly martini glass…. feeling a bit emasculated.. he went off and got a pint of Guinness…

Ha!