Erk's 2014 Pacamerican Circle

[erkpod]

Day 35, Chicago
Tuesday 4 February

The sound of the trains & sirens of Chicago didn't annoy me & I was happy to wake up & have breakfast before walking around downtown.

It is cold (around 22°F but feels like 15°F according to one of the local TV stations but it is not snowing so far today. Heavy snow is expected this afternoon & evening. There's a Winter Weather Advisory (thank you Captain Obvious!) current.



Falling ice? What falling ice?

The Chicago School Bus Precision Stopping Team were out & about today with one guy deciding to block the entire road with his bus so the students could cross the road freely.



A pretty incident/stress free day except for some guy having a sookylala because I was loitering in McDonalds. He didn't stop even when I left & was walking around outside the store.







Like most cities I've been to so far on this trip, most of the fire calls I've seen are medical calls. This one was no different.

I'm now awaiting the forecast heavy snow & thawing out in the hotel foyer trying to shake off Post Cruise Depression.

 

[TomVexille]

Hope you're enjoying Chicago

 

[erkpod]

Day 36, Chicago
Wednesday 05 February

The forecast winter snow arrived all right. News report says up to 5 inches fell overnight with many flights from ORD & MDW cancelled. I am concerned as I fly out of MDW to ALW via MSP & SEA early tomorrow.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/02...owy-trend-continues-city-covered-by-5-inches/





0200ish







0730ish

I woke to the news that my money I loaded onto my VFF Global Wallet on Friday morning 0400ish in Miami is finally available as of 0730 Wednesday (yay!) but in bad news, the friend I was going to meet up with today has found herself in the ER due to heart issues.

So my day is totally open again & I haven't been outside yet to see if I should leave the hotel at all.

To end on a good note, I reconnected with my cruise spa partner from Thursday last night on FB. Now there's 3 ladies that I'd love to go out with & they are all in North America!

 

[erkpod]

Hope you're enjoying Chicago

As much as I can the way the weather is! LOL

 

[erkpod]

DL have been really good at crediting points/SC. Flew ATL - MDW Monday & on Wednesday, they are there. Great stuff. The only thing to keep my eye on now are the ATL Agoda points (may need to retro those) & the removal of various pending charges from NYC & the cruise on the Global Wallet.

 

[erkpod]

More snow pics from today (Wednesday)

 

[erkpod]

Found another deli named after me but spelt the "other" way.



Caution.





I think this subway exit may be closed.

 

[erkpod]

Not the best day for cycling!



This sign seems sure of itself!





Looks like I picked the right week not to be a bus driver in Chicago

 

[erkpod]

I decided to get the Blue line out to ORD for a looksee (I'm flying in/out of MDW).

 

[erkpod]

The train operator sits on the right (I sit on the left back home) & you have a clear view out the front out of the left window.

 

[erkpod]

At ORD.





Yet another medical emergency...



... but this wasn't it.

See something? I did.

Say something? I did.

The TSA officer (the first law enforcement person I saw, on the departure level) said that it was probably a homeless guy & that airport police would deal with it.

So much for the LOTFAP!

 

[erkpod]

Compared to other similar trains. this one seemed so slow & so infrequent. But at least it was running, I guess!

 

[erkpod]

This cart obviously can't read. I moved it.



Over the last 2 weeks I've seen the Canadian flag so often but I haven't been to Canadia once on this trip.






Stop! No Entry Time!



or you can have a day ticket ($10 - great value!) like me...

 

[Atleastonce]

Loving the updates mate. Wish I was there too.

 

[erkpod]

Flight report DL 5716 MDW - MSP

Onward connections MPS - SEA - ALW

Thursday 06 February

Plane: N276CZ E170

Captain: Some guy

CSM: Heather

Check in: Priority line. Asked agent to check bags through to ALW. Due to length of layover in SEA, could only get first 2 boarding passes. Luggage was only checked through to SEA as a result.

Did have bags checked through to ALW in the end, new tags issued. Was advised that (at my suggestion) that I could check in again at SEA via the lounge so I can stay airside.

The agent & I did the now usual dancing around the bag fee issue. My BP didn't say priority (still shows silver as per previous reports) but the luggage says priority so she waived the $60 fee.

Security/TSA: Down the priority (non TSA Pre) line again. Lady who checked my ID says I should be enjoying the Aussie summer (she has a point).

Ended up in the same area to the right as the TSA Pre people. Shoes on & no body scanner. No free body massage despite having shoes on. About 15 minutes total.

Lounge: No Sky Club at MDW, only at ORD according to gate agent.

Boarding: Boarded early due to PB. Smallest plane of the trip so far but the least fighting for overhead space.

Seat: 9B. Not the middle seat as you might think due to 2 x 2 seating.

Delays: Close to time despite the sub 0°C temperatures at either end.

 

[erkpod]

This is as witty as I get in pics at zero dark thirty.



An hour after getting out of the shuttle, I get a text to track the shuttle. *golf clap*

 

[erkpod]

Pics MDW - MPS







At last! A DL flight I'm awake on that has a tail number available on Plane Finder!

 

[erkpod]

How awesome is this terminal at MPS! Free iPads to use for checking flight status, order food & drink & more. Lots of places to sit down. Lots of places to eat, drink & shop! My pics can't do it justice.

 

[erkpod]

Captain Obvious says it is cold at MPS





Black courtesy phone?



Looking up my next sector



I might have to have a word to a few of my music podcasting friends about that energy drink!



If you insist...

 

[erkpod]

Loving the updates mate. Wish I was there too.

Me too! Oh wait.... LOL.

Am so enjoying this!