My allergies have been a a mess. Add on a mini cold I am sharing with my daughter and you have the right mix of someone not wanting to get dressed up and leave the house. But I stuck it out. The President of Macedonia was in town and there was a gala honoring him at the Hilton last night. Though I am a proud US born gal, I do what I can to support the place my parents are from. Quite frankly, if it wasn't for the little country of Macedonia, I wouldn't be alive today. Hence, I rallied. I popped a series of allergy and cold medication and was ready for a night out.

I'll save you from the "what am I going to wear" drama. But to all the ladies out there, post baby body, you know what I'm talking about. What fits, what doesn't fit, finding the jewelry, etc. Finally, I was ready to go. My girlfriend, Tammie, came with. We weren't sure of the cab situation, so we decided to Uber it. Uber is a popular cab/limo startup that recently expanded to Chicago. You download the app, have your credit card scanned and voila, order a car. I was leery. Would this really work? I was even more hesitant because of what we saw outside our building.

Two ladies, standing on Michigan Avenue waiting for their car (we learned via text message that "Alex" was 10 minutes away). Behind us, the cops and protestor clash at 18th street was underway. Lovely. We stood our like sore thumbs waiting for the cab and wondering if we'd make it to 720 S. Michigan Ave. Like magic, Alex rolled up. Awesome. We scooted our way into the black sedan and were off.

I was surprised to see how fast we went up Michigan Avenue. It was a breeze. The car pulled up to the Hilton and we didn't need to worry about a receipt or signing anything. Uber uses a flat rate and bills your card automatically. It was a bit pricier than a cab, but I didn't mind the up charge for a clean car and VIP-like experience. The front of the hotel was lined with cops. My imagination had the best of me so I was telling myself that the CPD was there to protect me and Tammie from adoring fans. A woman can dream, right?

The rest of the night was pleasant. Dinner, awards, chatting with friends old and new. My cold symptoms kept coming back, so I decided to leave earlier than expected. I made my way back down to the Hilton exit and gave Uber a ring. Actually, a text. The app wasn't working so I ordered a cab via text message. Like clockwork, it was on the way. I made small talk with the cops, who looked overtired. A few police offers from the South Side didn't know what time the 'big' protest of today was taking place. I found that odd, but oh well.

In the end, finding a dress and leaving the house in the middle of a mini protest was the kind of random events that make the days exciting.

And to the President of Macedonia and all of the dignitaries who were with us last night.

-Blagica Bottigliero