Greetings from Chicago (Kinda)

I had a great time this week in our nation's Second City...then I had to fly home from the worst aiport on the planet, Chicago's O'Hare International. I will have more on that in just a few minutes

It was a great week of certification for me and I got to meet some truly great people and have some of the finest food I have ever eaten. I also gained insight to the Derek Rose situation in Chicago- the star Terri Bulls player has missed the entire season.  My Limo driver defused NY area speculation that Rose was able to play and just decided not to compete.  While he didn't say just what the deal was with Rose, he did say that the whole controversy has been clouded in secrecy in Chicago. This bears worth watching.

Anyway, I set out to leave Chicago and return to Newark on a 7:35 flight on Thursday night, I checked my bag at the curb and was at the departure gate by 3:30 in the afternoon. Trying to amuse myself, I decided to do some shopping until I saw a Chicago Blackhawks hat that might be worth 15 bucks priced for $29.99. 

Around 7:50 p.m. that night, my iPhone vibrated with word from United.com that my flight had been cancelled.  I approached the podium and inquired and was told I needed to go to Customer Service about 200 yards away from the gate.  Making like OJ Simpson in that old Hertz commercial, I got to customer service only to find that I had to stand in line with other passengers waiting in line to wait in another line to talk to a travel agent. Yep, a line to stand in another line!

When I got to the agent desk I was greeted with, "there's an American Airlines flight that gets to Newark at 1:24 a.m. Friday. Oops wait that flight has been closed.

I said, "I cannot believe this is happening."  

The agent then said, "Oh well we have you booked on a flight that leaves Chicago at 6 a.m. tomorrow you just need to claim the voucher for your hotel."  

I replied, "I'm not doing that!" 

After a few tense moments the agent said, "there is a flight leaving for LaGuardia at 8:30, but you will have to try to go standby and and if you don't get on the flight you will have to stay over." 

I confirmed with the Limo company that they could meet me in New York IF I got on that fiight and then told the agent to give me a stand-by reservation. She told me that I needed to hurry to Terminal B for the LaGuardia flight through the underground tunnel at O'Hare.  Again making like the football star, I got to the gate at terminal B and found I was the first person on the stand-by list.

I did make the flight, there was not an empty seat on the plane. About an hour and a half later, I looked out the window and saw below me the Empire State Building lit up in red, white and blue in support of my New York Rangers and then a deserted but still lit up Yankee Stadium after they lost to the Mariners. I must say I did enjoy that part of the trip.

This time O' Hare outdid itself, not only was my flight not on time but it was completely cancelled and I avoided staying over in Chicago and perhaps be sentenced to having to watch the Mets play the Cubs at Wrigley on Friday. I walked into my home at approximately 1 a.m. Friday moring. Happiness is seeing O' Hare International Aiport as your plane is climbing in the air as you leave Chicago...