Tale of two cities.

This was a great weekend.

On Friday night, I accompanied Rachel California and Laney LaRue for the grand opening party of Milwaukee’s Intercontinental Hotel. In addition to a spirited performance by Milwaukee’s pop darlings The Gufs, there were free drinks, free food and respectful conversation all around. After the girls and I sampled all there was to sample and the band had finished their set, we headed up to the after party, where I somehow started talking to some model named Stacey and her kooky boyfriend Todd.

Attempting to court The Gufs.

To onlookers at the party, it might have appeared as though Stacey, Todd and I had known each other all of our lives-perhaps spending our childhood summers together in Lake Geneva. Learning to ride our bikes side by side. And don’t get me wrong, Stacey and Todd were nice and all; but looking back, my enthusiasm for our conversation was more likely rooted in the enthusiastic mix of beer, wine, and champagne I was drinking all night, rather than our chat about Todd's photography. This, of course, is just a guess.

Eventually the party came to an end; and, after exchanging woeful goodbyes with my new best friends Todd and Stacey, Laney, Rachel and I headed home.

Back in my apartment, my champagne euphoria quickly spiraled into something a little less…euphoric, resulting in several unintelligible drunk texts, a well-intentioned drunk dial to Coworker X, and a few purposeful trips to the bathroom once my otherwise sturdy bedroom began spinning violently around my head.

As you can imagine, I would have liked to have spent the better part of Saturday with my head under a pillow in a self-sustained cocoon of darkness made up entirely of a plate of peanut butter toast, some Advil, and a complex straw unit set up to allow me to drink water without ever having to move my head or body in any way. But, the show must go on, and I had a $3.00 Megabus to Chicago to catch! Yes, I spent my Saturday and Sunday visiting my old college pals and I Felta Thigh sorority sisters: Peppermint Patty, Jazzy A, Nurse Blondie, Foxy Sunshine, Miller Time, and the incomparable F’n Early!

After Jazzy picked me up at Union Station, she proceeded to take me on a lovely tour of downtown Chicago’s Millennium Park. There I marveled at my reflection in the Cloud Gate statue (which basically looks like a big silver bean), and spent the better part of a half hour imagining my face within The Crown Fountain impressive video display. Next it was onto Weed Street’s Sangria Restaurant for some delicious Tapas and, you guessed it, Sangria. Delicioso.

Here I am on top of the Bean!

In what seemed like no time at all, it was 3:00PM Sunday afternoon, and I had to hop back on the bus back to Milwaukee. I was sad to see my buddies go-but the adventures of Little Miss Westchester must go on; with your girl steadily growing a little older, a little wiser, and hopefully next time, with a little less of a champagne hangover.