Traveling for Work

Well it has been a long week here in Chicago and I am still not done.

I use to relish traveling for work. The chance to see new place, sights, eat and experience new food, people watch, etc. Granted, my profession hasn't typically granted me the opportunity to travel to the worlds hot spots, but I have seen my fair share of the country.

Typically, and when I say that, I mean in my previous employment positions, I would be in a rural area or on the outskirts of the bigger cities. Typically, my time was spent drilling holes, collecting samples, observing or auditing the environmental aspects of a business or property. My people watching usually was limited to the locals in the area, the employees of the business, and if it was a gas station, the occasional customer. Food experiences were usually whatever chain restaurant was in the area. This was primarily due to the limited expense account that my tight ass bosses would restrict us to. Sightseeing was rarely ever an option, unless we were required to stay over the weekend and into the next week. Lets face it, there ain't alot to see and do in Dubuque, Iowa or Sioux Falls, SD.

When my career took a turn the end of 2007, I was given an opportunity to expand my horizons and see some thing, do things, and experience the better side of work-related travel. Don't get me wrong, I still have budget constraints, but I don't have to stay in Super 8 or Motel 6's anymore. I get a decent amount of money for meals and incidentals, and typically, I am staying in the heart of the downtown area. This does have it's drawbacks, since I am typically limited to mass transit and not allowed to have a car for my own transportation. But we all have to make sacrifices.

This week has been somewhat of the exception to the norm, lately. I am stuck in downtown Chicago with little opportunity to explore. Admittedly, this is my own fault, since I am nursing a bum foot (blister) that has caused me alot of trouble getting to and from the office from the hotel. I have friends in Chicago that I would love to see, but they all live in the burbs and some have plans for this week in the evenings. A 2 hour train ride for an hour visit is not really worth the trouble.

So I sit in the hotel, watch TV, chat online and the phone and make the best of it. The phone calls have been a welcome respite to the mundane. THANK YOU (you know who you are). I had dinner with my ex brother in law ( he was married to my ex's sister) last night, who drove in from the burbs. It was nice to see him, but damn the man has problems. I honestly don't know how he is getting by. Two houses, been out of work since March, no prospects for employment. It sucks to be him. Oh well, he seems much happier than I remember him being. I guess he has decided to not worry about stuff anymore and just take it as it comes.

Tomorrow is my last day in town and I will be so glad to get back home. Not sure if I will be able to post before next week, so if I don't; Y'all have a good weekend.