wacky wacker drive and a confused downtown girl

I have pride. Oh yes. I do and when I realize it I try to nip it in the bud. Like I used to consider myself quite the city girl-knew my way around, that's what. me and the loop, we was good friends, I used to tell myself. when I got up from underground I always knew which way was which and all that. but seriously, I haven't worked in the loop or spent any significant time there since well before 9/11. and that was what, 5 years ago? I used to love to tell people how to get places. I didn't quite realize it but these last 5 or 6 years have done nothing to that pride, not diminished it, eradicated it, quelled it in anyway, not like these last few weeks have. radically eliminated it. I am humbled before God once again!

I am now entering the world of temping (sexy buildings will probably be my next post, buildings ARE sexy, you know) and have been to the loop more times in the last two weeks than I have been anywhere else. I have been courting temp agencies and over the last few days have developed a nice phone relationship with a certain jennifer, who has been working hard to get me employed. I like her. she wants to get me money. so when she called me with my first job offer (1 day assignment but job nonetheless) I wanted to impress her.

I left my house with time to spare and headed out to the given address....70 S. Wacker. I got off the train with ten minutes and two blocks to walk....and I walked....and Wacker in all it's river glory revealed itself to me. 100 E. Wacker. WHA-? So I walked a ways down and came to W wacker drive. Shiznit, I was just at 1 W. wacker for another temp interview last week, am I mad? Time was running out so I decided I must have written the wrong address down. Called Jennifer, shame in my voice. She wasn't answering. So I walked back to the train line, to where 70 S. was and even decided a building was 'it' and signed in and went through security and presented myself for work on the 24th floor at the complete wrong company. I went back to the street and paced back and forth. 2pm had come and gone. My cell rings (thank goodness for cells) and Jennifer reaffirms.....70 S. Wacker. She tells me to walk south (or west, can't remember now) on Wells and I will come to it but I am on Wells and Wacker (E. wacker) so her words are nonsensical, but I can't tell her that because I am trying to seem amiable and smart. I assure her that I can make it there. I hang up.

I walk back to E. Wacker. I stop a woman and ask her about the S. Wacker thing. She points in a direction that makes more sense than walking down Wells. I start walking. And walking-and the curve she mentions does indeed present itself. I make it to my first assignment, a glorious half an hour late.

So...the moral of the story is Wacker has both a N S E and W! I will never make that mistake again-which is good because then I would maybe need to get my brain checked.

Here I come city, better watch out!