Trip report - Day 1 (Times begin in EDT): 02:30 - Wake up in Temple Hills, MD, begin preperations for trip. 03:30 - Depart Temple Hills, MD for Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. 04:25 - Arrive at Baltimore-Washington International. 04:27 - Enter hourly garage at Baltimore-Washington International. 04:39 - Checked baggage at Southwest Airlines ticket counter. 05:35 - Enter Concourse A security checkpoint at Baltimore-Washington International; Several problems occur. Security checkpoint closed and crowds redirected to Concourse B. Shortly after, Concourse A reopens. During my screening, had to exit and re-enter metal detector several times due to excessive metals. 06:05 - Browsed Borders Express store in Baltimore-Washington International for book to read on flight, left without purchase. In attempt to locate departure gate (A3), erroneously walked down departure pier A. 06:15 - Arrived at Gate A3, and checked in with flight group. Departed to buy bottle of water at McDonalds to take meds. 06:45 - Began flight boarding (WN486). Boarding group B, position 15. 06:55 - Entered plane, sat row 22 seat C. 07:00 - Departed Baltimore on Southwest Airlines WN486 to San Francisco International via Chicago Midway International on runway 28/10. Sharp turn to port a few seconds into flight. Changed system clock from EST to CDT at 08:00 EDT. Further times in CDT. 07:20 - Began descent to Chicago Midway International. Prayed a partial rosary. 07:45 - Successfully landed at Chicago Midway International Airport, in Chicago, IL. 07:58 - Deboarded plane at Gate B19, and initiated post-landing call tree to immediate family and on site (Chicago) family members. Retrieve checked baggage, and locate tourist resource guide. 09:30 - Checked into the Hilton Chicago, known as the Conrad Hilton by locals. Locate subway ('L') viaduct and postulate on station location. 10:44 - Attend a pre-opening session where Doctor Bemley speaks on the history of the IT showcase and High school computing competition. 11:45 - Depart hotel for lunch and sightseeing trip. Walk from hotel to Roosevelt subway station. Board inbound (Destination - Loop) Orange Line train to exit at Quincy station. 12:10 - Arrive Panda Express for lunch. 12:50 - Leave Panda Express for (Willis) Sears Tower, one block to the west. 12:54 - Arrive at Sears Tower. 13:17 - Board outbound (Destination - 54/Cermak) Pink Line train to exit at Clinton. Walk 1/2 block to Chicago Transit agency headquarters to obtain and register WMATA SmarTrip-equivalent CTA Chicago Cards for further conference transit use. 13:30 - Board inbound (Destination - 63rd/Cottage Grove) Green Line to transfer at State/Lake. Walk 1/4 block to Lake station, and board inbound (Destination - 95th/Dan Ryan) to exit at Harrison. Walk two blocks east to hotel. 16:00 - Attend workshop on XBOX/XNA Video Game Workshop; workshop veers off-topic to irrelevancy, attempt to reguide to topic independently by displaying a development project I programmed in progress. 19:00 - Attend National BDPA Conference Opening Gala. 20:40 - Leave opening gala. Attend IT Showcase presentation practice session. 20:30 - Place dinner order for Dominos Pizza. 22:48 - Leave practice session, retire to room. 22:57 - Receive delivery from Dominos. Day 2 01:00 - Sleep 05:00 - Wake up, begin preperations for day. 06:07 - Depart hotel to meet Mom at State/Lake station to escort her to conference venue. 06:14 - Board inbound (Destination - Howard) Red Line train at Harrison station to Exit at Lake. 06:18 - Arrive Lake station, enter State/Lake station to meet Mom. 06:20 - Meet Mom, enter Lake station 06:26 - Board inbound (Destination - 95/Dan Ryan) Red Line train to exit at Harrison. Walk to hotel. 06:47 - Arrive at hotel, Mom prepares for flight back to Washington. 07:05 - Have breakfast with Mom; meet Bryan. 08:09 - Judging for IT showcase posters begins. 09:20 - Temporarily leave judging for medical reasons. 09:52 - Leave poster judging for paper presentations. College presentations start, I go first. Botch second-to-last slide. 12:18 - Leave poster presentations for luncheon. 12:25 - Meet Coram from New Jersey chapter, relative of Professor Latson at Bowie State University. 13:15 - Leave luncheon to prepare for second phase of presentations. 13:28 - Arrive at phase two presentations. 15:15 - Leave presentations to get Mom's luggage and show her to hotel exit. 15:35 - Return to presentations, receive participation certificate. 17:00 - Leave hotel for Dave and Busters; Board inbound (Destination - Howard) Red Line train at Harrison for exit at Clark/Division. 17:30 - Arrive Clark/Division, note location of CVS, walk two blocks south to Dave and Busters. 19:45 - Leave Dave and Busters for CVS and Clark/Division station. 20:23 - REF CVS Receipt 20:25 - Leave CVS, and enter Clark/Division station. 20:28 - Board inbound (Destination - 95/Dan Ryan) Red Line train at Clark/Division for exit at Harrison. 20:29 - Pass through Chicago station (Red). 20:38 - Leave Harrison station walk to hotel. 20:45 - Stop at corner outside hotel to take pictures of Sears Tower at night. 23:16 - Sleep Day 3 05:00 - Wake up. 06:20 - Begin preparations for day. 07:59 - Begin public poster presentations. 08:30 - Met Lonnie Emard, Executive Director of IT-oLogy; informed about the Palmetto Open Source Conference. 11:02 - Met Jordan Weiss, journalist with Diversity/Careers Magazine. 11:03 - Met William Meeker, Bank of America. 11:42 - Met Kristi Evans, Staffing Executive with Bank of America. 12:01 - Group pictures at IT Showcase Poster Presentations. 13:30 - Attended Career Fair. 15:15 - Left Career Fair for hotel room. 17:05 - Left hotel room for AMC Loews Theater 9, 600 N Michigan. 17:12 - Arrived Harrison station. Board inbound (Destination - Howard) Red Line train for exit at Grand/State. 17:30 - Arrived too early for movie, left for dinner. 17:55 - Had dinner at Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits, 535 N Michigan. 18:30 - Arrived at movie theater for movie, got let into theater early because of Stubs card. 21:10 - Leave movie theater for Grand/State subway station. 21:18 - Arrived at Grand/State. Board inbound (Destination - 95th/Dan Ryan) Red Line train for exit at Harrison. 21:26 - Arrived at Harrison, notice drunk people. Walk to hotel. 21:28 - Arrived at hotel, talked to Wayne Hicks about local restaurants; retired to hotel room. Day 4 09:30 - Wake up. 12:41 - Go to FedEx Office to ship miscellaneous stuff back to JEF. 13:10 - Left hotel to have lunch at KFC/Pizza Hut Express. 13:17 - Ordered lunch at KFC/Pizza Hut Express. 13:53 - Board inbound (Destination - Howard) Red Line train for exit at Chicago. 14:01 - Arrive at historic Chicago Water Tower. 14:07 - Arrive at Water Tower Place shopping center to browse Lego store. 14:22 - Arrive at John Hancock Center; browse Best Buy. 14:56 - Leave John Hancock Center for Chicago station. 15:04 - Arrive Chicago station. 15:11 - Board outbound (Destination - Howard) Red Line train for transfer at Fullerton. 15:19 - Transfer from outbound Red to inbound (Destination - Loop) at Fullerton. 15:23 - Pass through Armitage station (Brown/Purple). 15:30 - Pass through Chicago station (Brown/Purple). 15:32 - Pass through Merchandise Mart station (Brown/Purple). 15:34 - Pass through Washington/Wells station (Brown/Orange/Purple/Pink) 15:35 - Pass through Quincy station (Brown/Purple/Orange/Pink) 15:37 - Pass through LaSalle/Van Buren station (Brown/Purple/Orange/Pink) 15:38 - Transfer at Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren for outbound (Destination - Midway) Orange Line trains. 15:43 - Board outbound Orange Line train to Midway for transfer at Roosevelt. 15:50 - Pass through Clark/Lake station (Brown/Purple/Orange/Green/Pink). 15:51 - Pass through State/Lake station (Brown/Purple/Orange/Green/Pink). 15:52 - Pass through Randolph/Wabash station (Brown/Purple/Orange/Green/Pink). 15:53 - Pass through Madison/Wabash station (Brown/Purple/Orange/Green/Pink). 15:54 - Pass through Adams/Wabash station (Brown/Purple/Orange/Green/Pink). 15:57 - Transfer for inbound (Destination - Howard) Red Line train at Roosevelt. 16:12 - Went to Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins, immediately followed by return to hotel. 18:20 - Began preparations for Awards Gala. 19:00 - Awards Gala starts. 22:56 - Awards Gala ends. 23:30 - Hangout with Cincinatti chapter IT Showcase presenters. Day 5 01:57 - Retire to Hotel room 03:32 - Sleep 05:15 - Wake up, begin preparations for departure. 05:37 - Check-out 05:42 - Airport Express shuttle arrives, board, and load. 06:10 - Arrive at Midway International Airport. 06:22 - Check suitcase. 06:56 - Arrive at Gate B9, Concourse B for WN1584 to Baltimore/Washington International. 07:00 - Go to McDonalds for breakfast. 07:54 - Go to Nuts on Clark for snack. 08:53 - Board Southwest Airlines WN1584, boarding group B, position 3 at gate B9. Switch to EDT 11:52 - Land at Baltimore/Washington International Notes Michigan Avenue is a steaming metal deathtrap. Grand/State is a hot station Airport shuttle route: Cicero -> I-55 -> Cermak -> Michigan -> 8th Location Reference Grama's House (Branch Avenue) - 3506 Spring BWI Hourly Garage (BWI Airport) BWI Airport Concourse A (BWI Airport) Chicago Midway International Airport Concourse B (Midway) Hilton Chicago (Harrison) - 705 South Michigan Roosevelt CTA Quincy CTA Panda Express (Quincy) Sears Tower (Quincy) CVS (Quincy) Clinton CTA CTA Headquarters (Clinton) State/Lake CTA Lake CTA Harrison CTA Clark/Division CTA Dave and Busters (Clark/Division) - CVS (Clark/Division) -1165 North Clark Grand/State CTA AMC Loews Theaters 9 (Grand/State) - 600 North Michigan Popeye's (Grand/State) - 535 North Michigan Subway (Grand/State) - 535 North Michigan KFC/Pizza Hut Express (Harrison) Chicago CTA Historic Water Tower (Chicago) Water Tower Place (Chicago) Lego Store (Chicago) John Hancock Center (Chicago) Best Buy (Chicago) Fullerton CTA Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren CTA Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins (Harrison) Nuts on Clark (Midway) McDonalds (Midway)