Working at O'Hare Would Make Me Fat

Heavens to mergatroid!

I think I've alluded to what a freak I am about eating and travelling. Since I'm paranoid about getting stuck somewhere without something healthy to eat, I pack like a squirrel preparing for a long winter. This trip, I stocked up on Fiber One bars, almonds, dried cranberries, pretzels, Dove dark chocolate (of course) and I've been pilfering apples from the Hampton Inn every day.

When you're on flights at early hours as I have been, some of the smaller airports can be hit or miss with the whole restaurant/convenience-store-being-open thing and I just never want to have a Snickers bar as my only option. Because I'll eat one. Or two.

I flew out of Milwaukee before the crack of dawn on Thursday, changed planes in Detroit with not a minute to spare and landed in Westchester NY. For those of you familiar with Madison and Rockford airports, they both look HUGE compared to Westchester. So as I left there this morning, I repacked the goodies I had left (Fiber One bars, an apple and a couple of chocolates) and hit the road, knowing there'd be nothing good to eat at the airport.

But boy, is Chicago, where I am for about an hour waiting on the puddle jumper to Milwaukee, a different story!

Holy Moses. Do you know how many restaurants there are between Concourse B and Concourse F?

Sure, it's only 8:30 in the morning. But I've been up for five-and-a-half hours and my stomach thinks it's lunchtime. I have, so far, avoided McDonald's (which you know I love), Chili's, Auntie Anne's pretzels and a cool-looking sushi restaurant (it was empty ... after all, it's only 8:30 a.m.).

I did stop at Garrett's popcorn stand and buy some of the world's best cheese popcorn for my aficionado sister. I will admit to stealing 10 finger-fulls, but that's all I'm allowing.

And, you know why I'm telling you all this, right? It's so I keep myself honest ... and not wander back to get one of those damn pretzels.

With cream cheese.