Fancy that!

So it turns out that "Fancy Dress" is not a term that Americans recognise, and so the party I went to last night was actually a "Costume Party". And what amazing costumes there were... highlights included:

Nick and Erik as Steve Irwin and the Stingray (possibly tasteless, but very funny nonetheless):




Severine as a Pink iPod:



and my dearest officemate Divya as The Shit Fly (shown here caught in a spider's web...):

Not so Enterprising

I had been under the impression that American service was meant to be the best in the world. This impression has recently been put to the test: When we returned our hire car from our trip to Wisconsin, the gentleman asked us if everything about the service we received was ok. I thought for a while, and then pointed out that when we had picked up the car on Saturday morning there had been somewhat of a wait. Rather than acknowledging my comment, he went into a rant about how they need Saturdays off too, and he'd rather the whole place didn't even open on Saturdays.

What's the point in asking a question if you don't really want the answer?

Wisconsin, again

I made a second visit to Wisconsin, and I continue to think it's a rather cute and pretty state. And just incase anyone was worried, Lake Michigan is still great, and lakey, in the north.

First snow

I sometimes feel I could write an entire second blog just about the weather in Chicago, but maybe that's just because I'm British and hence destined to talk about the weather a whole lot too much.

Anyway, winter is officially here, and there have been 'flurries' of snow all morning. My cries of "Isn't it pretty?" have just been met by grumpy Americans: "Humph, winter in October...".

Too much

I have clearly been playing far too much pool. On the drive back from Madison, we passed a hotel advertising "Indoor Pool", and my first thought was "Why would anyone want to play pool outside?"

Harry's Mad

I made my second visit to a State Capital in as many weeks last weekend with a trip to Madison, Wisconsin, and attended my first ever 'Chili Cookoff'. Note how they spell 'chili' in America. Fools.

Madison turns out to be a very pretty town, with some interesting Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, and the chilli was very tasty. Not wanting to usurp the Americans with my superior cooking skills, I declined to enter the competition, although I feel it should have been possible to enter my brownies into the 'best cornbread' section.

Here are some pictures:

Frank Lloyd Wright and the sunset:



and the Capitol building:

Lost again

And so it happens, and my Wednesday nights have been cruelly snatched away from me again by ABC. Now, I wouldn't want to give anything away for any of you non-state-siders who are still stuck at the end of season two, but by golly is it exciting....

Stepped into the hail for a taxi

Last night the Chicago area experienced an incredible hailstorm. The size of quarters they were, apparently. Because clearly the standard units for precipitation are coinage.

Anyway, the Evanston drainage system wasn't up to the job, many intersections were in 12 inches of water after half an hour of storm. But the excitement of the lightning made up for it.