I've found a relatively quiet spot with a table and a chair and a cup of coffee at O'Hare, where I can spend the next 90 minutes before the next leg of my trip home to Mother.
1) As you know, this visit is specifically to "go through the house" - and Mother initiated this, which is wonderful - so the idea of cleanup is in the air. Last week at the office I surprised myself by tossing out about two dozen notebooks of files that I had not looked at in over eight years. Yes, it felt good, and I already know there's more to purge when I return.
1a) Skimming through all those old banquet event orders and meeting notes and whatnot showed me how much my work has changed in the last five years.
2) The frosé cocktail is definitely the Hip Drink of the Moment. Yesterday I had the pleasure of lunching at ye Synsye with my colleagues from the Pops, and the streetside chalkboard menu included a frosé-related hashtag.
2a) No, we didn't indulge! Mercy, I had two meetings later in the afternoon.
3) The car service I've used for years changed their voicemail message to a crying child. That didn't inspire confidence. Found another car service where I could order online. Showed up 15 minutes early. No hassles. Peace of mind has a value above rubies.
4) Flying in first class on miles this trip (hence this atypical layover in ORD; I usually fly BOS-DFW-LCH, not BOS-ORD-DFW-LCH). Others of you may already know the thrill of being the very first passenger to board a flight, but for me I think it's happened only once before. And it is a thrill. There wasn't even a line behind me! #worktherunwaysweetie
5) I was so impressed with the stewardess, a Sooooouthun laaaaady of my generation who really had a way with children. A mother and daughter were sitting behind me and at the beginning of the flight, when the stewardess was taking drink orders, I heard her say "You look like an apple girl" with such friendliness in her voice.
6) And so lovely to be among the very first off the plane. I was so pleased, and so sleeeeeepy, that I left my copy of The Economist on the plane and had to buy another. :-(
7) Resisting the siren call of ye Vysges Chocolates (so far). But without this coffee I'd undoubtedly be slumped unconscious in a corner.