Chicago

This week I went to Chicago with three Callaway colleagues for a 2-day training on a new top-secret program. I was looking at the weather forecasts beforehand and saw temps would be in the high 20s and, hoping to show off to my new southern friends who were wearing tights and multiple layers even in the Austin airport, I briefly debated whether or not to even bring a coat. I wound up bringing one, thankfully, as that whipping wind off Lake Michigan had windchills around zero. I was the only one not to bring a warm hat and had to break down and buy one. So much for showing off that ingrained northern blood!

While much of the trip was spent in a lab listening to an instructor and working along on the computer, we still had time for a wee bit o’ fun. Tuesday night we took in the Bulls game vs. the Suns. We were in literally the second-to-last row in the top level, but the tickets were free so we were happy. The next day after training we wandered around downtown and saw the artsy stuff including The Bean sculpture and an art museum, then ate at a nice restaurant for dinner and tipped back a few cocktails in one of the hotel rooms.

The last day after training, we got out a little early and the gang voted to go try an authentic Chicago pizzeria before flying out. It ended up taking us in the opposite direction of the airport and we sat in a cab in rush-hour traffic for 50 minutes afterwards. We arrived at Midway with about 45 minutes till out flight departed, and made it to the gate with mere minutes to spare. Considering that just four weeks ago I panicked when we weren’t at the airport four hours early for our flight back to Minneapolis, I am mighty impressed with myself. I may have turned a corner.