A business trip to Dayton. Hmm. My friends at United have flights through Chicago and Washington DC. Not sure what happened to the 7 day and weekend rules, but clearly I am saving the company $200 by going out early, staying in Chicago before going to Dayton and returning via Washington DC.
You are welcome.
Also, my kind of trip.
Leaving for Chicago
Cooking dinner with a friend the night before, makes me question my choice to catch the 6:05am to Chicago. Alarm at 3:00 am, Uber at 3:50 puts me into SFO at 4:26.
I had planned to nap during the transfer but the Silicon Valley convo with the Uber driver about AI is way too interesting.
Here is how SFO security looks like at 4:30 am that Saturday morning. I was surprised a little that CLEAR was already open.
The flight to Chicago leaves 7 minutes early and is uneventful, just like we like it 🙂
Exiting Chicago T2 suddenly brings back memories. I spent September 12 to 14 in this Hilton after 911 in 2011 on my way back from Boston. Eventful times.
Chicago
They do call it the Windy City for a reason. Around noon it’s -2C, dropping to -5C in the evening. Yours Truly used to California weather and allegedly no longer capable of surviving a German winter needs an emergency stop at Macy‘s to get some gloves.
Otherwise a gorgeous day! Getting my steps in around the Riverwalk.
Dinner at Prime & Provisions Steakhouse. A German walks into a Steakhouse and has seafood 😉 Great cocktails.
The main event – Pinter‘s Betrayal with Helen Hunt – almost got cancelled on me because of VividSeats not fulfilling my ticket. I will go into details of that in another post. I had a feeling that this would happen and had purchased a ticket that became available last minute. It’s now all about negotiating with VividSeats how to „make it right“ as they famously advertise.
I really enjoyed the play. Betrayal (1978) is one of Pinter‘s most famous plays, known for its innovative structure and exploration of deception, memory, and the complexities of relationships. It was inspired by Pinter’s own extramarital affair with BBC television presenter Joan Bakewell.
The play revolves around a love triangle between Emma, her husband Robert, and her lover (and Robert’s best friend), Jerry. What makes Betrayal unique is its reverse chronological structure that initially tripped me up a little. The play begins in 1977, after the affair has ended, and moves backward to 1968, when Emma and Jerry first became lovers. This structure forces one to reconsider events in light of future betrayals and revelations.
It was a short theater evening – 7:30 to 8:50.
Off to closing the night at the bar at The Langham. Fantastic views on the way …
A good day 1!
Layered Reality on Day 2 in Chicago
It’s a beautiful winter day, windy again, and I start with brunch at the hotel’s restaurant ATK About that Knife. A long morning walk around Millenium Park yields some stunning views.
I had made a reservation at Verse for a virtual reality experience. The Augmented Reality Gallery tour with Microsoft Hololenses is fun and the most intereating part is the quiz whether a painting is AI generated, from an emerging Artist, or original.
The Return
With the time change to Daylight Savings Time, it was an early morning. Getting up at 4:45, Uber reserved for 5:30. No Uber when I get out … Oops. The “blue dot on a map” system didn’t quite work, the Uber was on the other side of the Sonesta. Well, so much about a plan that now starts 5 minutes late. The drive feels short as I am on the phone with a friend in Germany and we get to Washington Dulles at 6:12, through security with Clear by 6:20.
Quick check on the upgrade list. I had been first on the list last night with two seats open for upgrade. So, I chickened and had bought the Day of Departure upgrade. Overnight, another person got ahead of #2 behind me, but now we have two open upgrade seats.
The monitor talks about a plane leaving at 6:30 but that’s too close to switch. Off to the lounge in terminal D using one of the antique-esque “mobile lounges” they use at Dulles. Lounge is at D8, flight leaves from D32. 61 minutes to boarding, so time for a quick coffee.
Arriving at the gate in time for 7:30 boarding, United never seizes to surprise. “We are holding off with boarding as we have to switch on the plane.” Jokes about jump-starting the plane start in my area of the waiting 1K pre-boarders. 7:36 – “we are warming up the plane” are met with more cynicism in the audience, until the doors open at 7:41 and boarding commences.
StageAficionado 