Missing a Motorcade!

A few hours ago, I was sitting down, watching the news, and eating the chili cheese dog I had picked up from Dairy Queen.

NEWS BULLETIN: PRESIDENT OBAMA IS IN CHICAGO NOW

So I finished the last two bites of my food, probably too fast, transferred essential things like my bike pump, water bottle, and keys into a more conducive bag for cycling, and raced to the expressway on my bicycle.

Nothing was there.

I decided to get off my bicycle and walk across the overpass.  It's been a while since I've seen the expressway not completely backed up, and it would have been exciting to see it empty for once.  And I would have liked to have a big "Welcome to Chicago" sign to hold out for all the foreign dignitaries to see as they come into the city, to let them know that this is the friendliest city to have ever existed.

Riding in the city at night is always one of my favourite things to do, so I thought I would check overpasses further up the expressway.  I rode from Montrose and Milwaukee north, ringing my bell at other cyclists and firefighters on their break (who said "HI!" in response).  I rode past the bus station and under rail overpasses that look to be falling apart.  There was another bridge over the expressway there, so I looked again.  Still nothing exciting.  Time to go home.

As I hadn't planned a long trip, I didn't bring music this time.  This made for a nice quiet ride, through the orange streetlights, through the park, the alleyways, the usually congested streets, under a quiet sky that is usually very noisy with airplanes.