I can’t say I know anyone who says they love their cable company, but over the last month, Comcast went out of their way to treat a loyal customer with disdain and made it very clear they didn’t want my business. When I took to twitter to try and resolve a problem with Comcast, RCN’s customer service team jumped in and made it crystal clear that they wanted me and took easy, but meaningful steps to win my business.

On December 31, I got my monthly email letting me know my billing statement was now available. Like anyone who has New Year’s Eve off of work, I decided to call the cable company to see if I could get a better deal on my Internet package. But I didn’t go in empty handed. I checked Comcast’s website to see what they were charging new customers for the package I had.

As a point of comparison, I also checked prices at RCN, another cable and Internet provider available in Chicago. RCN was offering new customers 110 Mbps Internet for $49.99 per month for the first 12 months. More than double the speed of my Comcast package for about half the cost.

Still, I wasn’t really considering leaving Comcast, I just wanted a better deal. So I called Comcast and reached Kaile in “Customer Solutions,” who assured me I had reached the right person because she “was a consumer, too.” I explained my issue to Kaile and she said that I was already getting a great deal, but that she could offer me the same package that I was getting for a bit less per month.

I thought perhaps someone on the twitter customer service team could offer a better deal. I tweeted:

And now @comcastcares is trying to tell me that charging me 2x the $ for 1/2 the speed of RCN is the “best they can do.”

— Ian Petchenik (@petchmo) December 31, 2014

At the end of the call, Kaile informs me that I am going to be assessed a $2.99 change of service fee. But, wait a minute. I didn’t change my service. I tried to change it, but she hadn’t actually changed any of the services Comcast was providing. I once again requested to speak to a supervisor but was told they were all busy and that a supervisor would call me back within 24-48 hours.

RCN Joins the Party

Six minutes after my initial tweet, RCN responded. Six minutes.

@petchmo Doesn’t sound like their handle matches their service, Ian. Let us know if you would like to switch to RCN! -Max

— RCN (@RCNconnects) December 31, 2014

Max at RCN clearly saw an opportunity to get a new customer. My call to Comcast began well enough, but by the end, because of the rep’s attitude—she sounded annoyed that I was annoyed—I was ready to leave. RCN made that very easy by quickly answer my questions about being able to use my own equipment and when I messaged them, they even offered to heavily discount the installation fee. I headed over to their website and signed up for service and scheduled an installation appointment for 3 days later.

@petchmo Absolutely, that modem should work with our service. If you have questions on packages/pricing, shoot me a DM! -Max — RCN (@RCNconnects) December 31, 2014

Eight days later, Comcast finally responded.

@petchmo Sorry we caused you to leave. If there is anything we can do for you please let us know.

— Sean R (@ComcastSean) January 7, 2015

If anyone from Comcast had bothered to respond in a timely manner there probably was something they could have done and I certainly would have let them know. Eight days to respond to a customer service issue on twitter is ridiculous. If it’s going to take over a week to respond, it had better be a more substantive response than “let us know if we can do anything.”

RCN got a new customer because they actively listened on twitter and were quick to answer my questions. They were polite, helpful, and most importantly, they offer faster service at a lower price.

By the way, I’m still waiting for that call from the supervisor.

You can view all my photos from the Air and Water show here.

I try to make it to the Air and Water Show* every year, but this year was a bit special as I got to take part in the air show. On Friday before the actual show I rode along on the Flagship Detroit, something you can read all about on Airchive or watch video from the flight in this post.

In years past, I’ve been lucky enough to have a friend who lived in a high-rise building near the show, but he has since moved. So instead of viewing the show from 38 floors up, my friend Joe and I decided to view the show from the beach. Considering the show’s start time of 10am Joe and I decided we would be able to get a good spot for the show if we arrived around 8:30. While we did end up with a decent spot, there were already people set up on the beach apparently ready to house and cater a small army. By the time we arrived there were a number of multi-room tents and outdoor kitchens set up along the waterline. Next year we’ll have to come prepared with a 50 foot ladder and a food truck.

The show this year featured a number of parachute teams, civil acrobatic teams, and military aircraft demonstrations, all capped off by the Blue Angels.

The show began with a short display of American Airlines’ oldest and newest planes with the DC-3 Flagship Detroit flying in formation with an American 737-800. Quickly following was an acrobatic team and the Army Golden Knights, Navy Leap Frogs, and the All Veteran Parachute Team.

Much of the early portion of the show consisted of civilian acrobatic groups like the Aerostars, Team AeroShell, and Team AeroDynamix which features 12 different planes.

Also making an appearance this year was the V-22 Osprey. The Osprey, which recently joined the contingent of aircraft in the presidential fleet, is a tilt-rotor aircraft capable of operating much like a helicopter and airplane, depending on the necessity.

The parachute teams returned for a second jump after the Osprey’s demonstration and then it was time for the show to get a little louder. The F-22 Raptor performed and was joined by a P-51 Mustang for a heritage flight.

Closing the show were the US Navy Blue Angels. From where Joe and I were standing on the beach we had a great view of the soloist pilots as they screamed directly overhead.

If you’re thinking about planning a trip to Chicago in August, coming for the Air and Water Show is something worth considering. It’s one of the best free air shows in the country and it’s a great time to see the city. Next year you’ll find me on the beach a little earlier. Stop by and say hello.

*It’s technically called the Air and Water Show and it does feature a few police and fire boats, but who are we kidding, it’s an air show.

Start Me Up

In this video, Captain Zane Lemon starts the Detroit’s left engine. Be sure to turn up the volume.

On the FlightDeck

This video is footage from a GoPro camera I installed on the flight deck. You can really see how much work it is to fly the DC-3.

Landing a Tail-dragger

Returning to O’Hare, we landed on Runway 28C.

I’ll have a full article about the Flagship Detroit on Airchive soon.

Here are my favorite 2013 Aviation Photos, enjoy!

United 777-222/ER (N798UA) at the O’Hare Run on the Runway

JAL 9 headed to Narita takes off from RWY 28R at the O’Hare Run on the Runway

This American Airlines livery won’t be around much longer and I was very happy to get such a good shot. I was even happier to be out spotting with Jon Ostrower, Jason Rabinowitz, Gavin Werbeloff, and Bruce Bere, all avgeeks in the extreme.

American Airlines Boeing 767-323/ER on short final for RWY 22R. Because of the shifting winds that day, we spent a good portion of our time driving back and forth from one side of the airport to the other.

American Eagle Embraer E170-200-LR (E175) on short final for RWY 28R. This was my first shot of the E175 up in the air.

Etihad Airways Boeing 777-3FX/ER on short final for RWY 28R. This shot was a good cap to a day of great shots and great company as I got to meet Jay, the man behind the O’Hare Aviation YouTube channel.

For this shot of an SAS Airbus A330-343X I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I had wandered down to the beach by my house to shoot and it just happened to fly right overhead.

Whenever I have access to the ramp, the weather is gloomy. It’s just a fact of life that I’ve come to accept. But for the E175 unveiling that gloomy weather turned into an asset.

This summer I headed up to EAA Airventure or just “Oshkosh,” with Jaunted editor Cynthia Drescher. Oshkosh is an amazing collection of aviation from all over the world. From vintage civilian and military aircraft to experimental aircraft to hot air balloons. As the sun began to set, the hot air balloons got fired up, making for a great shot.

A 1943 Lockheed L-18 Lodestar’s Wright R-1820 engine at Oshkosh.

“Panchito,” a B-25J Mitchell Bomber flies at Oshkosh.

What are your favorite aviation photos of 2013? Let me know in comments.

The Bean in Millennium Park

The Bean—officially “Cloud Gate”—is a great place to sit for a while and people watch. In the winter, the plaza along Michigan Avenue is turned into an ice rink, drawing tourists and Chicagoans alike to music-filled fun on the ice.

These youngsters are busy practicing their pairs routine.

Millennium Park is also a great place for a little planspotting. Planes pass directly overhead on their way into and out of O’Hare Airport. I had the good fortune to capture the Hainan Airlines 787 from Beijing.

A Hainan AIrlines 787 flies its downwind leg on approach to O’Hare Airport.

The attraction north of Millennium Park, along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, are the beautiful old buildings and the bountiful people watching. At the start of the Mag Mile is the Carbide and Carbon building, built in 1929 by Daniel Burnham’s sons. The Art Deco building currently houses the Hard Rock Hotel.

The top of the Carbide and Carbon Building. The gold leaf is illuminated at night.

Further north, just across the river, the Wrigley Building sits in the shadow of the Trump International Tower, now the second tallest building in Chicago.

The Wrigley Building’s south tower in the foreground and Trump Tower looming.

The plaza below the Wrigley Building is the perfect place to stop and enjoy the river traffic and foot traffic. On a day last week when the temperature was 14℉ I saw a woman walking with nothing covering her legs and no gloves. But she did have earmuffs!

Not a particularly comfortable way to survive 14 degrees.

At the other end of the Magnificent Mile—and at the end of my walk—sits the John Hancock Center and this time of year it’s all lit up for Christmas.

The Hancock Center, Chicago’s fourth tallest building.

If you’re in Chicago during the Winter and care to brave the cold, spend some time outside walking. You’ll be surprised by how much you see.

Watch the Daily Show bit, then meet me at the next paragraph.

One must be very clear when discussing Chicago pizza. “Chicago-style pizza” and pizza in Chicago are not the same. “Chicago-style” pizza may be what the rest of the country associates with Chicago, but deep dish is something that is often reserved for tourists and treating out of town guests. People who actually live in Chicago don’t eat deep dish on a regular basis.

Chicago’s thin crust pizza, itself a vast culinary universe, is where the real action is. Places like Apart Pizza Company or Fornello’s are where Chicagoans get their pizza day in, day out. So, the next time you’re in Chicago and want some pizza, don’t go to a deep-dish-serving chain, head to a local pizza place and order some thin crust. You’ll thank me for it.

**Full disclosure: I love New York style pizza. Some of the best in the city can be found at Como Pizza, 4035 Broadway.

About 40,000 runners took to the streets of Chicago yesterday for the Chicago Marathon, a 26.2 mile trek through Chicago’s near north, west, and south side neighborhoods. I headed down to the race to cheer on my friends who were running and take some pictures. It was a beautiful day fro a race.

Here are the highlights from Miles 4, 10, 16, and 26. You can view all the photos from the 2013 Chicago Marathon over on the Flickr.

Smiling at Mile 4 and happy to be running her first marathon.

Dear Stranger, You’re My Hero

The oft-attempted, rarely-completed double-fisted-water-grab at Mile 10.

Seriously.

Boston Strong at Mile 16.

This guy was pumped.

]]> http://petchmo.com/2013-chicago-marathon/feed/ 0 http://petchmo.com/2013-chicago-marathon-spectate-like-a-champion/ http://petchmo.com/2013-chicago-marathon-spectate-like-a-champion/#comments Wed, 09 Oct 2013 17:21:04 +0000 http://petchmo.com/?p=205 Every year a bunch of people I know take to the streets of Chicago to run 26.2 miles. And while this is an activity in which I would never wish to partake, I do my very best to support them. I cheer, I shout, I urge them along. And it’s a lot of fun.After spectating my first marathon, I learned something: properly spectating a marathon is hard work. I’m not saying it’s hard work like running the marathon, but it’s a tough gig. When spectating a marathon you’re balancing competing priorities of seeing your runners as much as you can and easily getting from one point to the next as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

Location, Location, Location

The first thing you want to do is decide where you’re going to be and when you’re going to be. Find out which corral your runners are in as there are two start waves this year, 7:30 and 8:00. From there you’ll be able to determine about where you’ll find your runners based on their pace. An often overlooked, but important, piece of information is what side of the street you’ll be standing on. Your runners are concentrating on running 26.2 miles, they don’t need to be searching through the crowds to find you. Make sure you communicate with your runners where you’ll be.

Properly spectating a marathon is hard work.

For Chicago, you can comfortably see your runners 3 to 4 times during the race depending on their pace. The faster your runners, the fewer times you’ll see them before the finish. Miles 3 through 12 are basically a big loop through the north side so you can easily see your runners twice while only walking about a block. Miles 3 & 11.5 or Miles 4 & 11 are going to be good places to catch your runners. The annotated map below shows where I plan to be on Sunday during the race. I’ll be moving around a lot, but you can safely visit 3 spots and see your runners 4 times. Mile 16.5-ish is a great place to see runners as it’s right off the Blue Line, so you can hop right back on to head to the Finish near Roosevelt and Columbus. The Roosevelt Road bridge is a great place to cheer finishers, but get there early as it gets crowded.

There are additional security precautions in place this year, so be aware that spectators are not allowed in the Start or Finish area during the race.

Tracking Your Runners

An easy way to keep track of your runners for the Chicago Marathon are text messages from the marathon. You’ll get a text message when your runners cross the 10k, Half, 30k, and Finish. If you and your runners have iPhones you can install the Find My Friends app and track them in real time. The Chicago Marathon also has an official app this year with maps and spectator information.

Post-race, have a designated place for a post-race meet up away from the finish line, as the finish area is a sea of sweaty near-incoherent runners. Don’t rely on your phone as 60,000 people trying to use their phones within a few blocks of each other tends to crash the network.

Have fun, take pictures, and enjoy! And to all you runners: have a great race!

Getting to the race was a bit of a challenge as traffic to the parking area went from five lanes to one without much traffic direction from police. It took 45 minutes to go 1.8 miles. That made me question paying for parking until I realized that the shuttle busses from the free lot were stuck in the same traffic.

A lot of people just got off the shuttle busses and out of their cars and walked to the race. The race ended up starting 30 minutes late because of the traffic, but once we got there things improved. The race itself was well organized and clearly marked—which is important considering that going off course during this race could lead to running on an active runway.

United was the aviation sponsor of the run and they sweetened the pot by parking a 777-200/ER at the end of the runway. Last year they had a 747, but didn’t allow anyone near it. This year they allowed us to get up close and personal with the 777. You can view the full gallery from the run and community day on Flickr.

777 Nose Gear

Rear of the PW4090 Engine

The great thing about this years race was instead of being on the north side of the airfield, we were in the heart of the action. During the race ex-Korean Air, China Airlines, and EVA Air 747 freighters landed on the next runway. That was worth the price of admission alone. After the race we were shuttled back to the end of the runway for a photo-op with the United 777. I got a few shots of the 777, but was also treated to ANA 11 and JAL 9 departing on 28R a few hundred feet away.

JAL 9 departs for Tokyo.

It was the perfect day for a race and some planespotting and I’m always happy to support such a worth organization like the Wounded Warrior Project. If you’re interested in running (or just showing up) next year, keep an eye on the Chicago Events page.

Koval began by producing five single-grain white whiskeys, which are much different than the aged whiskeys most people are used to. White whiskeys, as our guide mentioned, are better thought of in the category of other clear spirits like vodka. They have a much spicier and more forward taste than their aged cousins. In 2010, Koval started their aged whiskey line and they’ve continued to expand ever since.

We started our tour at Koval learning about the process of distillation and how Koval—and many other craft distilleries—differ from the larger distilleries. Koval uses the “heads-hearts-tails” method of cutting their spirits. For their whiskeys they only use the heart cuts instead of hearts and some of the tails. No one ever uses the heads, because that would kill someone. We also learned that all of Kovals spirits are organic and kosher. So if you’ve been looking for a whiskey to give your health-conscious Jewish friends, Koval is the place to go.

Once versed in the manner of production we got down to the business of tasting the whiskey. First up was Koval’s rye white whiskey. Peppery with a hint of sweetness, the white rye is definitely a change from the aged whiskeys I’m used to drinking. It’s much more palette forward and doesn’t have the same inner-warmth that an aged whiskey has. We also tried the Oat White Whiskey, which frankly didn’t taste like much. But I guess that’s the point, white whiskey is malleable and shaped by what else you put in the glass. The white rye is definitely a good starting point for a cocktail.

Charred vs. Toasted Barrel

We moved on to the aged whiskeys and got a lesson in barreling. Most whiskey drinkers are familiar with the standard charred barrel, but Koval also produces a whiskey using toasted barrels. We tasted the Rye, Four Grain, and Bourbon whiskeys, all of which were quite good. The Rye and the Bourbon were good, but the Four Grain is where Koval has really hit the mark. It’s a balanced, well-rounded whiskey with a huge amount of flavor. The charred barrel is evident in the Four Grain as the sweetness hits first, followed by a hearty warmth expected from a good whiskey. The toasted-barrel rye was interesting, but I can’t say that I was excited by it. It definitely isn’t something I’d buy a bottle of, but I can see someone who’s looking for a softer whiskey enjoying it.

After our whiskey tasting we moved on to the liqueurs. We sampled three of Koval’s seven liqueurs, the Chrysanthemum Honey, Coffee, and Ginger. The Chrysanthemum Honey was sweet and could easily go in a cup of tea on a cold winter day. The Coffee liqueur didn’t smell very strong, but tasted like a sweetened cold-brew coffee. I’m thinking of using it to make some tiramisu. The Ginger was a bit of an odd drink, but being a liqueur I think it has the potential to shine in a few cocktails. On its own, it kind of tastes like the pickled ginger that comes with sushi.

The tour at Koval is a great way to either begin to learn about whiskey or take your knowledge to the next level. The guide was very knowledgeable not just about Koval’s process, but how they differ from other distillers. Being able to taste all different kinds of whiskeys and learn about the distillation process for only $10 is a bargain. If your looking for a good way to spend an afternoon, put on your whiskey helmet and head over to Koval.

Specifics

What: Distillery Tour
Where: Koval Distillery, 5121 N. Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL
How much: $10
When/How: Check out their website for tour times and reservations