hani_backup (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hani_backup) wrote2011-06-05 07:00 pm
hani_backup) wrote2011-06-05 07:00 pm
Slutwalk Chicago
Yesterday, Saturday, was Slutwalk Chicago. Several people who said they'd come/were possibly coming didn't get back in touch with me, which was disappointing. Matt did come. He was a bit late, so I walked in the tail-end of the march so he could catch up and find me more easily when he arrived.
It was interesting seeing people's signs and how they dressed up. When I was exiting the Lake station, I was behind a woman in a short strapless leather dress. The bottom of her butt was showing. Walking behind her to the Thompson Center was eye-opening; everybody did a double take and looked at her as she walked by. A man who was walking down the opposite direction changed direction to follow her. *grimace* When we were at the sidewalk across Thompson waiting for the light to change, and she had already crossed, he asked what was happening. Someone told him "Slutwalk Chicago" and he asked what it was. Answers from others ranged from "A protest against rape" "A march against victim blaming" and such. He said "Oh" and didn't cross the street with us. Yes, I inner-sneered at him.
The march started at noon and as I said before, I lagged so Matt could catch up. It was also the same day as the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer so sidewalks were full and traffic was a mess. I kind of felt bad for the cars and other people who were stuck in traffic because of the run and our protest. A few cars/vans/buses honked in support - the peole inside waved - while others, I'm sure, were annoyed. Thank goodness for the police who directed us all. One thing that was disappointing was that an emergency vehicle needed to cross the street and people in the protest ignored the police telling them to stop to let the emergency vehicle through. :( I wasn't there early enough to get the paper handed out with all the chants they were going to go through. One was "Hi-ho, hi-ho! Sexual violence has got to go!" (Or sexual assault.) There were others but now I don't remember...
After the walk was done, Matt and I stopped by Walgreens to get some sunscreen for him and other stuff for me. Then we walked to Printer's Row to check out the stalls, after getting slushies at the 7-Eleven. I couldn't find a lot of booths there selling graphic novels! :'( Too bad. We sat up against a loong brick wall to catch our breath and then got the idea to head to Border's, to check out more recent books. Along the way I steered him into Forever 21. I tried on some shorts and tops but none really fit me right. When we left Forever 21 the sky was darkening and we remembered there was a thunderstorm forecast. Border's was several blocks away so we ran when we were one block away and the rain started falling.
It was rather peaceful in there. After reading 6 graphic novel volumes there on Friday I was a little worried I wouldn't find things to read at Border's but I found a Spike graphic novel and had some Asimov Foundation novels to reread. :-) Matt joined me sitting on the windowsill next to the Religion section and the storm raged outside. We had something to eat and drink at the Seattle's Best there before we got ready to leave to add to Macy's.
Then Matt discovered his keys were gone.
Oh. My. Goodness.
There was a lot of searching in Border's, asking a guy if someone turned in a pair of keys. (We stayed there about an hour if not more.) Then we had to walk back to all the places we had stopped at. Forever 21 didn't have them and we left contact info. At Lit Fest they were closing up their booths. We went to the wall we had sat down in front of and I asked a woman at the booth nearby if someone reported in keys. She said nobody did to her and I asked if they had a central Lost and Found. She didn't know since she was just a "humble booth person." Matt had the insight that he had taken pictures of me at the brick wall so if the keys had fallen out there, it would be in the pictures. No keys in pictures.
That's good because I couldn't find an official to ask if they had a Lost and Found. Then we walked back to the Walgreens we were at. We passed a clock and noticed it about 6:30pm. I made the remark that I'm glad it's still light out so we can find things easily/notice street signs and landmarks to get our way back and Matt said he was glad stores were still open.
Argh, bad luck!
Turned out the Walgreens was closed already. It closed at 5pm!!! They didn't have a number to call the store so I looked up their HQ on my phone, called customer service and asked if he could connect me to the manager's personal line or something so I could ask if someone could open the store so we could check if they had Matt's keys. The customer service person said they don't keep a record of the managers' personal numbers but he could send an email if we would give him a contact number. We walked/ran a lot. Matt's legs are much longer than mine (he's more than a foot taller than me) and a lot of the times I had to run/jog to catch up with him. I started developing a side cramp. But I'm glad I kept up and didn't whine. I freaked out when I lost my keys/key card earlier this year (misplaced them; they were in my backpack hidden at the bottom) and ran around like mad and I imagine losing your car keys and house keys are much scarier, especially when your house is about half an hour away by car.
We then got a taxi to the parking lot Matt used (far away) where we were to wait for AAA by his car.
Matt noticed his car was unlocked, but the CD's were still in there.
He bumped open the trunk and, voila, the keys were in there!
It fell out of his hand when he was reaching for the cooler bag for the water bottles for us. >_< The anxiety and stress and relief. I did cry a bit because of the emotions. We canceled the triple A call, he drve us up to my apartment, we had dinner at a rather unexpectedly British posh place (Banana Foster Cafe) and back to my apartment so I could pack up/he could use the restroom. Then alll the way back south.
It was a very exhausting day. We walked 5 miles in yesterday's weather - high of 91.4 Fahrenheit/33 Celsius. >_< My feet and legs ache so much...
It was interesting seeing people's signs and how they dressed up. When I was exiting the Lake station, I was behind a woman in a short strapless leather dress. The bottom of her butt was showing. Walking behind her to the Thompson Center was eye-opening; everybody did a double take and looked at her as she walked by. A man who was walking down the opposite direction changed direction to follow her. *grimace* When we were at the sidewalk across Thompson waiting for the light to change, and she had already crossed, he asked what was happening. Someone told him "Slutwalk Chicago" and he asked what it was. Answers from others ranged from "A protest against rape" "A march against victim blaming" and such. He said "Oh" and didn't cross the street with us. Yes, I inner-sneered at him.
The march started at noon and as I said before, I lagged so Matt could catch up. It was also the same day as the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer so sidewalks were full and traffic was a mess. I kind of felt bad for the cars and other people who were stuck in traffic because of the run and our protest. A few cars/vans/buses honked in support - the peole inside waved - while others, I'm sure, were annoyed. Thank goodness for the police who directed us all. One thing that was disappointing was that an emergency vehicle needed to cross the street and people in the protest ignored the police telling them to stop to let the emergency vehicle through. :( I wasn't there early enough to get the paper handed out with all the chants they were going to go through. One was "Hi-ho, hi-ho! Sexual violence has got to go!" (Or sexual assault.) There were others but now I don't remember...
After the walk was done, Matt and I stopped by Walgreens to get some sunscreen for him and other stuff for me. Then we walked to Printer's Row to check out the stalls, after getting slushies at the 7-Eleven. I couldn't find a lot of booths there selling graphic novels! :'( Too bad. We sat up against a loong brick wall to catch our breath and then got the idea to head to Border's, to check out more recent books. Along the way I steered him into Forever 21. I tried on some shorts and tops but none really fit me right. When we left Forever 21 the sky was darkening and we remembered there was a thunderstorm forecast. Border's was several blocks away so we ran when we were one block away and the rain started falling.
It was rather peaceful in there. After reading 6 graphic novel volumes there on Friday I was a little worried I wouldn't find things to read at Border's but I found a Spike graphic novel and had some Asimov Foundation novels to reread. :-) Matt joined me sitting on the windowsill next to the Religion section and the storm raged outside. We had something to eat and drink at the Seattle's Best there before we got ready to leave to add to Macy's.
Then Matt discovered his keys were gone.
Oh. My. Goodness.
There was a lot of searching in Border's, asking a guy if someone turned in a pair of keys. (We stayed there about an hour if not more.) Then we had to walk back to all the places we had stopped at. Forever 21 didn't have them and we left contact info. At Lit Fest they were closing up their booths. We went to the wall we had sat down in front of and I asked a woman at the booth nearby if someone reported in keys. She said nobody did to her and I asked if they had a central Lost and Found. She didn't know since she was just a "humble booth person." Matt had the insight that he had taken pictures of me at the brick wall so if the keys had fallen out there, it would be in the pictures. No keys in pictures.
That's good because I couldn't find an official to ask if they had a Lost and Found. Then we walked back to the Walgreens we were at. We passed a clock and noticed it about 6:30pm. I made the remark that I'm glad it's still light out so we can find things easily/notice street signs and landmarks to get our way back and Matt said he was glad stores were still open.
Argh, bad luck!
Turned out the Walgreens was closed already. It closed at 5pm!!! They didn't have a number to call the store so I looked up their HQ on my phone, called customer service and asked if he could connect me to the manager's personal line or something so I could ask if someone could open the store so we could check if they had Matt's keys. The customer service person said they don't keep a record of the managers' personal numbers but he could send an email if we would give him a contact number. We walked/ran a lot. Matt's legs are much longer than mine (he's more than a foot taller than me) and a lot of the times I had to run/jog to catch up with him. I started developing a side cramp. But I'm glad I kept up and didn't whine. I freaked out when I lost my keys/key card earlier this year (misplaced them; they were in my backpack hidden at the bottom) and ran around like mad and I imagine losing your car keys and house keys are much scarier, especially when your house is about half an hour away by car.
We then got a taxi to the parking lot Matt used (far away) where we were to wait for AAA by his car.
Matt noticed his car was unlocked, but the CD's were still in there.
He bumped open the trunk and, voila, the keys were in there!
It fell out of his hand when he was reaching for the cooler bag for the water bottles for us. >_< The anxiety and stress and relief. I did cry a bit because of the emotions. We canceled the triple A call, he drve us up to my apartment, we had dinner at a rather unexpectedly British posh place (Banana Foster Cafe) and back to my apartment so I could pack up/he could use the restroom. Then alll the way back south.
It was a very exhausting day. We walked 5 miles in yesterday's weather - high of 91.4 Fahrenheit/33 Celsius. >_< My feet and legs ache so much...