In (absolutely bitterly freezing) Chicago we looked around the Museum of Contemporary Photography which had a special exhibition called "Sex and Food". Much like its subject matter it promised much but delivered little. We then went to the Institute of Contemporary Art shop and back to the hotel via a final goodbye to the jelly bean. Subway's $2.49 daily special was Meatball Marinara so we stuffed our faces and then sauntered around the exclusive malls of Michigan Avenue. We caught the bus to the train station and the Southwest Chief (that we'll be taking, on and off, all the way to LA) left on time.
It was at Fort Madison, Iowa, that the rednecks came on board. In ones and twos they made their way to the lounge car where I was sat typing. They swigged beer, complaining that you had to pay for it on board, and questioned Amtrak's no smoking policy. One was travelling to Albuquerque, where his brothers were going to show him "a good time", but he could only stay for 30 days because he'd been in jail and had to get back. Another was going to Las Vegas to repair a windmill. I sat silently in the corner where my mullet, though not making me one of them, at least marked me out as spiritually sympathetic. The fact that I was playing Super Mario on my laptop also seemed to amuse two ladies sat next to me. I stayed as long as was polite and then scurried away.
We get to Kansas City late so won't know much about it until tomorrow morning. More fountains than Rome, they say, and it will be a novelty not to have to put on seventeen layers of clothing before venturing out. Fingers crossed.
The cheesecake I stuffed myself with last night.
David says a fond fairwell to the bean. Unfortunately his cheek froze to the metal and it took the fire department an hour to free him.
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