ACHOOO!

       I'm not there today. I'm here. Joey was sorry to hear I have a cold, told me to stay in bed, and said he would find a replacement or he'd just "pull somebody in!" As I write, the pre-release are finishing their lunch, and the residents are beginning to come in. I am there, but I am here. And somebody who surely can't cut full muster is in my stead. Joey mentioned how much the children would miss their treats… Me too.
       Still, if you've come looking for news, I do have some. The 35th anniversary of the World Energy Engineering Congress was held this week in Chicago, and I got to go! This is where I meet the authors of the books I typeset. I am required to enjoy myself and occasionally run an errand for my immediate boss. Win-win.
       This was my first time to see Chicago OR a Great Lake. Both are awesome, but the lake looks more like a slick ocean, and it's hard to comprehend its immenseness. Chicago, on the other hand, is breathtaking, but it isn't THAT awesome or original. God does the best work.
       Oh! I had a full-body scan at the Chicago airport on my way home Thursday. Out of a long line of passengers, lots of men, and lots of younger people, they chose the one little old lady to scan. A tall, thin, also-senior, black gentleman opened the scanner door and nodded for me to go inside. It was a long process, I thought, but I put on my most patient face. Eventually, the man went to the other side of the box and smiled kindly, motioning me to come out. Truthfully, I think the whole event centered around the ACE-bandage thumb stabilizer I wear on my left hand—coulda been something sneaky in that bandage—you never know.
       Well…I scarfed up a ton of free loot at the conference: toys, gadgets, flashlights, gizmos. Trick-or-treat has NOTHING on a good conference! So I was sated when my return flight had a 4-hour delay in Atlanta. Can you believe it? Delta sent me a questionnaire yesterday about my "flight delay." They did NOT offer to reimburse me for refreshments, but they did offer a box for suggestions, and I told them they need to LYSOL SPRAY those planes after deboarding and before boarding, PLUS, when the overhead compartments might fill up, they should "check" the baggage of folks who won't have another flight. I mean DUH to both items!

Some of the books I've typeset.

Notice the FIVE SAILS ship on the lake!

This is Navy Pier, a mile-long pier that holds a conference center, many restaurants, an amusement park with huge carrousel, docks for tour boats, and much more.

My boss, me, and an engineer buddy.

The city at night, viewed from the dinner cruise boat.