Hanging Around The Pier

I grew up in Chicago, so it's natural that part of my sojourn into homelessness would wend its way here. I have mooched a few meals, spent a few nights here at my sister's house, and today we spent hanging around an old, old pier. I think I was there once before, but it has changed. Today was the hottest day this year in Chicago. That sounds familiar, because we just heard the same thing a week ago in St. Louis. Nothing hot about us, we are just nomads, roaming the country. Back to hanging around the pier. I didn't fish, it was too hot. I did hang around the pier almost all day. It's a big pier, probably more than half a mile long, and it has buildings on it as well, many of which have been standing since before World War I. We toured the place. We saw a few panhandlers, but we didn't. We were touring==stopping at shops, looking for clothes, water to drink, and shade most of all. There were hordes of people there, lined up for frozen drinks, ice cream and a certain brand of beer that is linked to sharks, if you know what I mean. Not the sort of hanging at the pier I thought I was in for, but in the 1990's, Chicago invested $200MM in refurbishing its Navy Pier. It was worth the trip. After walking most of its length, we found lifesaving assistance. Smoothies, I am reasonably sure we couldn't have made it back to land without them.