If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Chicago

Okay, I admit it: I’m a baaaaad blogger. I’ve known for a month I’d be out of town Tue – Thu to attend a supervisor conference in Chicago. I may have even referred to my absence in passing, once or twice. However, I like to at least forewarn repeat visitors and those of you kind enough to subscribe to my feed, when I won’t be posting regularly.

I slacked off last weekend (I seem to do that way too much on the weekends, and I need to improve), and Monday I spent getting all kinds of stuff done at the office that couldn’t wait until Friday (well, except to conclude an employee investigation for possible disciplinary action, but that one isn’t my fault–people who promised me things haven’t delivered).

 So anyway…five of us left Rapid City at 10am this morning, a lovely flight to Denver, then a very nice flight to Chicago (with a flight attendant purser who was a riot!). (Ohh…and all 5 of us were upgraded from business to 1st Class, so that was very nice…on a 777 even!)

So…not much blogging from me this week. My weekly "blogs in review" article for Friday just isn’t going to happen this week–which is unfortunate, because there is a LOT of good stuff out there already this week, and I’m sure Wednesday & Thursday will bring even more. But hey…follow the links in my blogroll and you too can find the same things–and probably a lot of stuff I’ve missed, because I think I still have about 30 articles yet to be read!

Staying at a La Quinta Inn (my first time…company’s paying, so…). My room faces a very busy highway, and we’re in the O’Hare flight path/final approach corridor–but neither of those are as bad as the people who keep slamming doors. What the hell is up with that? And at least one is the same person…do people do that at home?? I have a wireless connection from my room–unsecured, which bothers me, but it’s so damned slow, no one could possibly have the patience to snoop it. Oh…and we waited 90 minutes for the Inn’s shuttle to pick us up at O’Hare. In the cold and wind (well, we were inside part of that time, but still…). I’ll be letting the corporate VP who’s hosting the meeting–very nice, approachable guy–know that we were not too happy about that, and we’re in favor of different accommodations next time we come here. Don’t know if it’ll do any good, but it can’t hurt.

Went to the Woodfield Mall here (if you’re familiar with Chi-town, you’re no doubt familiar with Woodfield). Had an excellent dinner at P.F. Chang’s. My first time there as well–the Sweet & Sour Pork was quite good, quite filling, and the beers (Blue Moon Ale on draught and a Bass from a bottle–poured, of course!) were cold. 

Right now, I’m just tired. (Two more doors just slammed. It’s almost 11pm…you think maybe people are finally through??) 

I get home late Thursday, so Friday is catch-up, and we just started benefits open enrollment yesterday, and our corporate HR person is visiting NEXT Monday, so need to figure out what I need to do for THAT visit (lousy timing, but I sure don’t want to put it off…sooner she comes and goes, sooner we can get back to normal). HOWEVER…on Saturday, I’m really hoping/planning (but not quite promising) a long-delayed "Add-On of the Week" column. Prat was the plan, but there are so many I want to write about, it’s hard to pick "the best" one. But if it’s not Prat, it may be a new bag/inventory management add-on I started using last weekend.

In the meantime…it IS bedtime. Full day tomorrow, and a full day plus travel on Thursday (plus, I get to deliver a presentation on a mini-Six-Sigma initiative we have going on. Oh the joy.)

(And if you got all the way through this, I sure you aren’t as sleepy right now as I am after writing it!)