Thursday, December 08, 2005
California and Chicago
Loved ones will know I've talked about the innovation and exciting startup companies in California for several years. And CA has alot going for it, last I heard it was the 5th largest economy in the world with a GDP that is 1/6th of the entire US GDP. (*see note)
Just before 10 tonight, in Chicago, I left from work a very tired and happy worker. I got some code to finally listen to me and do what I was telling it to do for 3 days, or 32 quasi-billable hours of work. This is always a good way to start the commute home. Plus I was going to get a cab, and be in bed in 30 min. Then I crunched my feet on 7 inches of fluffy, white snow that was at least 20 degrees warmer than the entire city was yesterday! This special treat appeared in the last few hours! It was 30 (deg. Farenheit), reflectively bright, crisp, fresh and downright playful outside. It was awesome!
I laughed with several other wannabe taxi passengers as none of us could hail a cab. I wandered around and found one who was stuck in the city the last 2 hours because the highway was practically closed down. He drove me to the train station, about 3 blocks and I wished him luck and gave him a big fat tip. I kept laughing about the nice, beautiful surprise outside and pretty soon a train arrived and wisked me towards home on rails above the snow. I walk and run and jump in the snow (in my dress clothes) and get home in total by quarter after 11.
California may be big and powerful, but tonight I really enjoyed snow that is definately not going to land there any time soon. The surprise weather made people so much more friendly, talking and laughing amongst each other about this unexpected dumping. The bus driver, taxi driver, and other people on the street (myself included) got a mental mindset vacation. If it's always 70 and sunny, I suspect that may be harder to come by.
Note. This article in the Onion: According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, California is an economic region with an annual gross domestic product of $1.36 trillion—an amount equal to one-sixth of the U.S.'s total gross national product. Considered internationally, California's GDP ranks fifth in the world, behind the U.S., Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Just before 10 tonight, in Chicago, I left from work a very tired and happy worker. I got some code to finally listen to me and do what I was telling it to do for 3 days, or 32 quasi-billable hours of work. This is always a good way to start the commute home. Plus I was going to get a cab, and be in bed in 30 min. Then I crunched my feet on 7 inches of fluffy, white snow that was at least 20 degrees warmer than the entire city was yesterday! This special treat appeared in the last few hours! It was 30 (deg. Farenheit), reflectively bright, crisp, fresh and downright playful outside. It was awesome!
I laughed with several other wannabe taxi passengers as none of us could hail a cab. I wandered around and found one who was stuck in the city the last 2 hours because the highway was practically closed down. He drove me to the train station, about 3 blocks and I wished him luck and gave him a big fat tip. I kept laughing about the nice, beautiful surprise outside and pretty soon a train arrived and wisked me towards home on rails above the snow. I walk and run and jump in the snow (in my dress clothes) and get home in total by quarter after 11.
California may be big and powerful, but tonight I really enjoyed snow that is definately not going to land there any time soon. The surprise weather made people so much more friendly, talking and laughing amongst each other about this unexpected dumping. The bus driver, taxi driver, and other people on the street (myself included) got a mental mindset vacation. If it's always 70 and sunny, I suspect that may be harder to come by.
Note. This article in the Onion: According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, California is an economic region with an annual gross domestic product of $1.36 trillion—an amount equal to one-sixth of the U.S.'s total gross national product. Considered internationally, California's GDP ranks fifth in the world, behind the U.S., Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
