We have a nice meal of eggs, bacon, bagels, orange juice and coffee. We both had packed the night before so in no time we were checked out of the hotel and in a cab to the down town Milwaukee (Intermodal) Amtrak station. The train was much busier than the one we had taken coming out of Chicago.
We rolled into Chicago's Union Station just as the rain began to quicken. We asked if the subway was within walking distance and an employee assured us that it was only three blocks down and a block over so we set out on foot.
After walking in the rain for about half an hour we had had enough and hailed a cab which deposited us at the main Blue Line subway station and we had a long, crowded ride into the city and O'Hare airport.
We trundled our way towards where we would be checking through security and found the United Airlines board listing flights. That's when our day took a left turn. The scheduled 11:28 AM flight to Eau Claire had been cancelled. The next scheduled flight was 9:24 PM.
So we wandered about the terminal for a bit, then decided to check into the Hilton Hotel, just across the street from our terminal. The Hilton was sold out but the clerk said he would get us a booking at the Comfort Inn, which he did.
Unfortunately, he neglected to tell us one important thing. There are five Comfort Inns within nine miles of the airport and we didn't know which one. In fact we had to get rejected from several buses before we finally found out that there are five.
By now, it was too late to even think about getting a place to rest so we did the next best thing and went in to the bar at the Hilton. We had some appetizers and I put down two vodka gimlets. When my waiter asked if there was a specific kind of vodka I should have said bar rail but I just said no, whatever's handy.
Turns out Skyy was what I got and at $13 a drink. I forgot that I was in a Hilton.
Being somewhat inebriated is not a good way to go through TSA security but that's what I did and somehow I came through with everything I took off.
Now began the wasiting game of two and a half hours to see if our flight would be cancelled again. I watched the board and in cities all around Eau Claire flights were biting the dust - Duluth went down - Green Bay followed as did the Twin Cities.
Somehow though, our flight held and we were on the little two jet engined puddle jumper at 9:30 and got into Eau Claire at 10:40PMonly to find that they had lost one piece of luggage -- mine!
Since then I have been trying to catch up with my rest but things are not going well. Sunday I drove Kim and the rest of "The Getaway Girls" up to the Twin Cities for their vacation flight to The Big Easy.
Now it's just me and the cats. I went in search of the perfect frozen pizza the other day. I know, I know - there is no such thing. But pizza is like sex - even when it's bad, it's pretty good.
So I found one I finally can eat without gagging. It's not as good as freshly made or Sammy's- but I am going to stock up on some nine inchers yet today.
The name? BrewPub Lotzza Motzzarella and they are pretty darn good. But that's just me.
Here's a photo:
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