Only in Chicago

Only in Chicago can you go out of your hotel, located on Higgins Road, near O'Hare Airport at 5:30 on a Sunday morning, and be met with traffic galore; cars were speeding by as if it were the Indy 500. My sleep-deprived and slightly under-caffeinated brain was having a great deal of difficulty comprehending the situation as I began my run by trying to get across the street without becoming roadkill.


Slowly, it 'dawned' on me (yes, it was early, so this pun is intended) that there must be some kind of problem on adjacent Interstate 90, causing all these cars to be re-routed here onto Higgins. I ran along the road, facing all this zooming traffic, until I could see for myself what was wrong.


I90 had been reduced to one lane, and traffic was very much backed up trying to merge together for what appeared to be miles. A great many of those cars were exiting right in front of me. Mystery solved. Except for two related, but minor questions that would linger, probably forever: why the lane closures (construction?) and why was there so much traffic on a Sunday morning anyway?


Curiosity satiated, I could get more serious about my run. Too bad I was already 'running' out of time; I had to get back for breakfast and getting packed to go. I would wind up with only four sluggish miles this day.


I'd run out of time the previous day as well. But that day I'd at least managed 11.5 miles, close to my distance goal. And I was able to explore some parks and school grounds.


We were in town along with Veronica and Barry and the kids, to visit Valerie and to see the sights. And oh, the sights we saw. It was a good weekend. Except for the running part.