IN CHICAGO
(Monday) I left Turlock about 3:30 a.m. this morning and arrived in balmy Chicago in time for a late lunch. And now I'm borrowing some bandwidth from the North Park University library (my meetings, which will solve all the world's problems, start in 45 minutes and are on campus).

It still boggles my mind to drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic in Tracy -- headed into the Bay Area -- at 4:15 a.m.! The airport was incredibly busy for my 6:20 flight and security took the longest I've ever experienced at Oakland. United screwed up my seating assignment so I ended up in a middle seat in the back of a packed plane. This is why I usually fly Southwest. If the "seating assignment" gets messed up there it is my own fault.