Dr. A on the road: Day 1

Just a quick update as I don't have a lot of time before my morning meeting. Yesterday started early when the alarm went off at around 5am. I definitely did not want to get up. I finished my packing, got on the road, and went to the airport. The check-in process was relatively painless, including going through the security area.

The plane was on time leaving the gate, but when we got to the end of the runway, the pilot said that Chicago was having a lot of rain and wind, so we had to sit there, on the plane, for about another 30 minutes. Good thing I had my iPhone with me so that I could listen to some tunes and some audiobooks while sitting there.

Stepping off the plane in Chicago (we were about an hour late arriving), we saw that our connecting flight to our final destination was already delayed - because of weather. So, that gave the group the chance to have some lunch. I have never traveled with this group before, so it was a chance to get to know them a little bit.

Following lunch, we looked at the departure board again and saw that our flight was delayed another two hours. And, there were some flights that were starting to be cancelled. Looking outside at the time, you could see the winds and the rain affecting takeoff and landings of planes.

The gates at the airport were really starting to become crowded with the delayed flights. People (including our group) were becoming restless. Next, another change - they added another 30 minutes to the previous delay. And, then, minutes later, they added another 10 minutes. I was really starting to get frustrated at that point - you could see it in my Twitter feed.

When we got to the airport of our final destination, a couple of people in our group did not get their luggage - Sheesh! So, we were delayed leaving the airport until that was sorted out. Luckily, they were able to find their bags. The hotel was another 45 minute drive from the airport. We finally got to the hotel at about 9pm - What a long travel day!

I'm not feeling very good today. I think I ate something that does not agree with my stomach. So, I'm tired, fatigued, weak, and whiney. That's a great combination for going and talking about electronic medical records today - YAY! So, we'll see what happens this morning.

I did want to give a plug and a shout out to Scan Man who just posted his first podcast. He did a great job and I recommend that you check it out. Also, crzegrl posted her second video blog. This is a great video about the aircraft that she uses at work. See, I'm inspired that more people are using things like podcasts and video. Are you next? Let's hope so!