Monday, September 19, 2005
World Tour, Stop #2 - Chicago
Time for a blog entry, this time coming from the back of a taxicab hurtling toward Chicago. My stop in Albuquerque came to an end, with a very fulfilling three days of work-related accomplishments, and a meager showing in the personal department, once again. There was a pleasant date with a quirky gentleman, with whom I’ve had a very long internet engagement. Suffice to say I’m not sure what he’s thinking, and I haven’t the energy to do more than ask. We’ll see if he replies.
After a brief stopover in Washington, I’m in my second city of the tour, Chicago. I’ve never been to Chicago. I’ve flow through it a bit, but not been to the city. At night from over the lake I’ve never seen a city more firmly routed in the grid system, as far as the eye can see. The airport is also NOT close to the city. But a convenient overhead sign just suggested that we have 16 minutes to go.
In the taxi line I was a bit shocked to hear the fare to downtown could be on the order of $40. What is this, Dulles? I grimaced not at my own money loss, but at my under budgeting this trip. Heck, my parking reimbursements for a week in ABQ were $5! But thinks looked up when airport taxi guy directed me to a “shared ride” downtown for only $19.95. Nestled in the back of a minivan taxi (a “mivaxi”?), we started out of the airport. And then the van stalled. As we hesitantly moved further around the drive and toward the highway, the mivaxi lurched and sputtered.
It was at this point that I made a few furtive comments from the back about how this might be a good time for me to get out, seeing as how we weren’t on the highway yet. Driver seemed to be focused on finding the right balance necessary to render my desires moot. He quickly found it. Equation: Acceleration = Not Stalling. As long as we maintained a constant state of acceleration, we were fine. There is a flaw in this equation, however. I don’t remember much from physics, but if I recall correctly, to keep a state of constant acceleration would eventually demand all the energy in the universe. I’m optimistic, though.
Other than that, I have high hopes for Chicago. I think I will like it, and I’m going to ensure that no mental energy is exhausted during the day, so as to allow full consumption of this metropolis in the evenings. I heart me some good metropolis consumption.
After a brief stopover in Washington, I’m in my second city of the tour, Chicago. I’ve never been to Chicago. I’ve flow through it a bit, but not been to the city. At night from over the lake I’ve never seen a city more firmly routed in the grid system, as far as the eye can see. The airport is also NOT close to the city. But a convenient overhead sign just suggested that we have 16 minutes to go.
In the taxi line I was a bit shocked to hear the fare to downtown could be on the order of $40. What is this, Dulles? I grimaced not at my own money loss, but at my under budgeting this trip. Heck, my parking reimbursements for a week in ABQ were $5! But thinks looked up when airport taxi guy directed me to a “shared ride” downtown for only $19.95. Nestled in the back of a minivan taxi (a “mivaxi”?), we started out of the airport. And then the van stalled. As we hesitantly moved further around the drive and toward the highway, the mivaxi lurched and sputtered.
It was at this point that I made a few furtive comments from the back about how this might be a good time for me to get out, seeing as how we weren’t on the highway yet. Driver seemed to be focused on finding the right balance necessary to render my desires moot. He quickly found it. Equation: Acceleration = Not Stalling. As long as we maintained a constant state of acceleration, we were fine. There is a flaw in this equation, however. I don’t remember much from physics, but if I recall correctly, to keep a state of constant acceleration would eventually demand all the energy in the universe. I’m optimistic, though.
Other than that, I have high hopes for Chicago. I think I will like it, and I’m going to ensure that no mental energy is exhausted during the day, so as to allow full consumption of this metropolis in the evenings. I heart me some good metropolis consumption.
