An Email Summit in Chicago

I hate to travel so soon after returning from vacation, but I flew to Chicago this morning to attend some meetings on email deliverability and authentication (important stuff for my job).

I haven't been to Chicago in over a year, and I forgot how beautiful it is, when the weather is nice. I also forgot what it's like to look out over the Lake -- I'm at the Chicago Hilton, in the towers with a view -- it seems weird to me, since it looks like the ocean. You can't see land on the horizon, so it looks like the water goes on forever, as it seems when you are looking out at the Atlantic off NY or Miami. You eyes move over the water and you feel free, but then you remember -- you're in the middle of the country. I'm not free, I'm in the midwest, at a conference about email. Ick.

And everyone has a midwestern or Canadian accent. That never seemed so pronounced to me before, but it does today, for some reason. Maybe it has something to do with my senses, which have been weirdly sharpened by my recent juice fast and subsequent purification retreat. My hearing is very sensitive, and I taste and smell everything very strongly, and somewhat disturbingly.

I'm also finding that I do not like the Chicago Hilton at all. The staff here piss me off totally, for a variety of reasons I won't get in to. Hilton is just all wrong -- the service has been exactly the opposite of what it should be ever since I checked in nine hours ago. And the Executive Lounge is laid out improperly. But then, I guess I'm biased, since I work for Starwood.

Well, no worries, I fly back tomorrow. I'm always happy to return to my little NYC apartment.