Official A2K Gathering in Chicago, May 7th, 2006!

I'd love to come to Oswaldtwistle, spendius. Really I would. But then, there's all that unnecessary jet fuel and all....

You're quite right Eva. I'm sure Mathos will miss you as I would have had I been the one to make the suggestion.

It is comforting to know that the unborn are in your thoughts and that you are prepared to make such a sacrifice on their behalf. You deserve our congratulations.

I used to know a lady who came from Oswaldtwistle quite well and if the rest of Oswaldtwistle's ladies are anything like her a very good time for male A2kers is assured if Mathos get's his idea off the ground. The nondescript nature of Oswaldtwistle is such that no whiff of scandal ever seeps into the outside world.

I'm not sure how to say this without disclosing too much about my real life identity. So I'll put it this way: Last weekend, rumors emerged in credible organs of the German business press. They say my employer is currently negotiating the sale of the subdivision that employs me. The same rumors have it that the prospective seller is headquartered in Schaumburg IL, a suburb of Chicago. The subdivision of "Prospective Buyer" closest to my current field sits in Arlington Heights IL, another Chicago suburb. So I figured it can't hurt to take a look around there during my stay in Chicago, and maybe bring a résumé or two. I have been sitting on a perfectly good American Green Card for over two years now, and this looks like a good occasion to finally use it for real, get my lazy, procrastinating butt moving, and try getting a job on the other side of the pond.

The reason I bring it up in this thread is because I have a practical question: What's the best way of getting from downtown to Schaumburg and Arlington Heights? Is there decent public transportation to this far out, or will I need to rent a car? (The obvious approach, Googling "public transportation from Chicago to Schaumburg", turned up links which informed me that it's possible. But to find out if it also is practical, I'd need to look at system maps, schedules and the like. I didn't find those in Google's links.)

This one seems quite practicable.

Arlington Heights and Schaumburg are accessible by commuter rail. The place to look for maps, schedules, and information on suburban commuter trains is Metra.

Once you're in the suburbs, transportation options become rather less convenient. Pace is the suburban transit agency in charge of bus service. Pace buses stop at both the Schaumburg (Route 602) and Arlington Heights (Routes 690 and 696) Metra stations. The buses are safe and cheap, but they may not get you to where you want to go.

The easiest way to get around the suburbs would be by cab. Unlike in the city, however, you would need to call for a cab to pick you up.

Thanks guys! The Metra Map was what I had in mind -- I remembered it from my last trip to Chicago, but didn't remember the name. Both the Map and the trip planner help a lot. Thanks again.

Margo, I have good news, Harry Ramsden will be in town for the meeting.

Apparently, his uncle Albert played football for Accrington Stanley in 1894 and he holds an affiliation for the area.

In exactly two weeks time I'll be at our local airport, waiting to board the plane to Munich from where I'll fly 2 hours later to CHICAGO ...

I've got my schedule done for the next weeks. I will not be at the gathering in Chicago.

But I'll be in the United States a while later....

Wow, that's quite the resemblance.

Oh Francis, I'm sorry to hear that. I'll miss you.

I'll miss you too, Eva.

But in the course of my United-Stadian peregrinations, we will meet some day...

I suspect Francis has some sort of big drug deal going down and that is why he will be unavailable for the festivities.

(I never did trust that guy)

Still thinking about the monkey wrench, Gus?

You'll never forgive me because I sabotaged your affair with the Brazilian woman...

<shakes fist>

Brazilian? I thought he liked the ones from Netherland - at
least that's what he said in the German thread. tststs gustav!
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I didn't realize that I am still on the list - sorry -
as I can't make it either. We're having friends from Europe
visiting that weekend. Actually they stay longer.....

I knew Jane would cop out. I just knew it.