THURSDAY THIRTEEN #171

THE THIRTEEN TOP DOMESTIC 

VACATION DESTINATIONS

It's summertime, summertime, sum-sum-summertime! US News gives us this ranking of where to go stateside this year.

1) The Grand Canyon

2) Yosemite

3) Orlando -- Walt Disney World

4) Yellowstone

5) San Diego

6) San Antonio

7) Honolulu

8) Washington, DC

9) Philadelphia

10) Myrtle Beach

11) Dallas -- Fort Worth

12) Chicago

13) Phoenix

I've been to Yosemite, Disney World, Honolulu, DC, Philadelphia and I live in Chicago. And I agree with the list in that I enjoyed them all. What about you? Where have you been? Where do you plan to go? Where do you dream of going?

For more information about the Thursday Thirteen,

or to play yourself, click here.

I Don't Wanna!

I'm just in a shitty mood. I worked out in the afternoon, took a shower, and felt a little better for a little while. But then, oh, I dunno …

I'm fidgety, unsettled, unhappy, and I don't really know why. A lot of issues are flip-flopping around in my head, like a fish struggling on the bottom of the boat. Much of this regards my family, whom I love but don't especially like, but none of it is new.

I realize that this freelance project I'm doing for my friend Kathleen could be the entree to a new job and will be, at the very least, a way to buy myself a tablet and pay down my credit card. But I just don't feel like working on it.

My TT this week will be about vacations. Maybe that's what I need to do -- plan a trip. Or maybe I need a drink.

I know what I should do, which is make a dent in this project. But I don't wanna!

I Want Wednesday

I want everyone to stop annoying me! Whether it's my art director not even pretending to pay attention in status and then asking me what we talked about … or the coworker I only know on sight walking away from the printer with a stack of paper that I am certain includes something personal of mine* … or our team's resident RWNJ who is just itching to engage me in conversation about what horrible people the NATO protesters are … everyone I see annoys me today.

I am glad that we have Monday off. The Secret Service and Chicago Police have commandeered our building as their HQ because of our proximity to Millennium Park, which I think is way cool. And I need time away from these people!

* The receipt for the Marathon Gas Gift cards I ordered to help out my friend in the Keys. What possible interest could this stranger have in that? Unless now he's thrilled to have my home phone number. AARGH!

Busted

Last night, I was farther west than I usually travel, meeting with a co-worker of my friend Kathleen to discuss a freelance assignment in her hometown. When the train pulled in to take me back to civilization, I asked one of my fellow commuters, "Is this the train back to the city?"

"Which city?" he asked.

That train makes literally 20 stops between that particular suburb and Chicago's Union Station. So he was right. Yes, I am a snob.