On the road again: Chicon, day 8

I'm home.

Work and travel consumed most of today, but I managed to fit in a little time walking in Chicago and quite a delicious lunch at Marc Burger, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson's small burger joint in the food court in the enormous downtown Chicago Macy's.  Any day that includes Kobe sliders and garlic aioli frites just cannot be all bad. 

I am always a bit amazed, though rarely ever surprised, by how long it can take from when I leave a hotel room to when I'm sitting in the Admirals Club working again.  Though today's version of that process was far from quick, it did feature one new treat for me: pre-checked security check-in.  After I handed my driver's license and boarding pass to the TSA agent waiting outside the security line, she checked it, put the boarding pass on a scanner, and directed me to head into the pre-checked line.  I was the only one in it.  I had already put the contents of my pockets into my backpack, so I had only to put my backpack on the conveyor belt and walk through security.  They let me keep on my shoes and belt, and I was on the other side in under a minute.  I was security partying like it was 1999!

I don't know how this happens, but I hope it happens again soon and frequently.

My flight home was delayed quite a bit, partly by air traffic control and partly by the passenger who threw up over both seats in a two-wide row.  I don't know which poor maintenance folks had to come on board to completely clean (and possibly partly disassemble) that row, but they have my thanks.

Now, to unpacking, more work, and then, with any luck at all, a decent amount of sleep!