In any case, we finished working, and scheduled the cab to pick us up. We packed our equipment and waited in the chilly air for the car to come. And waited. And waited. When it became obvious that the cab was not coming, we searched and called every cab company we found online - to no avail. They all said "we'll be there in 5 minutes," and 5 minutes later they would call back to say they didn't have any cars available. The school's security and cleaning staff looked at us and thankfully felt bad enough so that they gave us the phone number to a "local" car. Think gypsy cabs to the extreme: it was essentially a young woman in her car. She had someone else in the car with her - to ensure that the driver would be safe and we weren't going to try to steal from them. Funnily enough the School's cleaning lady whispered to me on the way out "Don't trust the women either, pay attention."
I don't have the words to explain how I felt. The frustration the moment I realized why the cabs were not coming. The frustration at the fact that I didn't feel comfortable enough to walk to a nearby bus station. The fear, and anger. The attempt at bravado. Thankfully we made it to our hotel okay, considering that we were carrying with us thousands of dollars in equipment. We decided that if ever there was a day that deserved a feast this was it, and so we made our way to The Chicago Diner, a Vegan place. First: a much needed alcoholic beverage.
Followed by Vegan Meatloaf - which came in a delicious sauce, Vegan mashed potatoes and a side of veggies.
It hit the spot - it was also the best Veggie Meatloaf I've ever had. And it was just enough to get us to feel better about the fact that some days, really are just wrong.
