Friday

Today is my 5Th day here, and its all been good, still have no desk, but I have gotten my work done, have enrolled at a Gym, have explored Chinatown, the East Village and even - gasp - visited Alphabet city. Yeps, it helps to work with two young straight coworkers that make a ton of money, so been whisked away to many new and exotic places. For some reason when I was told I was coming here I never thought about the garment district - do they really need another gay - or the East Village, but that is where the Girl resides, and you know how girls make the world go round.

Today the Argentine is coming, and that thought alone makes me smile. He is not coming alone, the Diplomat and one of the Architects are also coming. With the Diplomat we are going to see Spring Awakening which won the Tony, and they say it is one of the best musicals to hit the big white way in a while, I will report next week.

Today seems like Fall is on its way, me thinks this will be a year with a quick fall and a very prompt winter. Lets hope not, but that is what my instincts tell me.

Have a great weekend y'all.

This is all i get ???

After 6 months of staying 3 or 4 nights a week at a hotel, I decided to see how many points I have and what I could use them for. Yesterday I called the Hilton guest services program and realized I have 70,000 points. I thought well at least I can get a nice vacation out of this, 3 or 4 nights, or something. I call again because we are organizing a trip to NYC to see Spring Awakening, and I am trying to cash in my points and all I got as a certificate to you to pay for 2 nights a the Hampton Inn in Chelsea, but the kicker is this line I got in the email sent by Hilton:

Description: This certificate valid for two free nights at any Category 5 property.

What? Since when am I a category 5 anything … I guess points are meaningless in this time of traveling consulting and all that. I should have known when half the passengers in my flight to Charlotte in the morning have some sort of status. It is just the normal travelers that have no status.

Modern Fairytale

Once upon a time, in the rural landscapes of North Carolina, there was castle. In this castle there were many rooms, given to strangers that spend some of their time helping the feudal lord run the county. Every now and then a stranger would come and they would be given a room to test for their real talents. One of those nights, on of the strangers, got back to his room and tired of a long day of work and politicking, decided to turn on the TV and sit on this bed and watch something or other. He looked and looked and could never find the remote control, it was not in the bathroom, it was not on the desk, it had disappeared. The old fashioned way he thought, he pressed the on button and scrolled to a channel he liked. Once this was done he, threw his packages on the floor and proceeded to lay down on the bed. He felt something weird, like a bump in the bed, weird he thought, but he was tired, so he just sat there, and started thinking – this one stranger is always thinking – what could it be. It felt like something was under the covers, but what could it be, this was a simple room in a simple castle, there was nothing under the bed. So he kept watching and it dawned on him the remote. He jumped off the bed and turned the bed down, and looked for whatever was on the middle of the bed, and of course he found the remote control. Under other circumstances this could have been a myriad of other objects, but in this case only the remote control was hidden there. The joy was felt by the stranger realizing how like the princess and the pea, he had proven he was sensitive enough to realize when the bed was not made just out of mattresses.

It finally happened

After some time of really good luck traveling, last Thursday for the first time my flight was canceled and I had to stay over night in Greensboro, to wait for a flight to take me to the DC in the morning. This is a fact of life for us traveling consultants, it is difficult to swallow and a pain in the ass, but so far I had been lucky, last week I was not.

It all started with thunderstorms, which plague the East Coast, but the day here and in DC was ok, but of course it is between here and DC that the problem was. I got to the airport at 5:30 as usual and the flight as “on-time”, I was happy because some of the other flights had been canceled. At 6:20, the flight goes from “on-time” to canceled, with no explanation from the airline, I was fighting the desire to eat some donuts – the new temptation in the airport is the Dunkin Donuts shop. I walk to the booth, and they tell me they had to cancel it, because the 4:40 flight had not departed, so they were going to put us on that flight which was supposed to leave at 7:15. I crossed my fingers and went to the bar and had a G&T while we waited.

At 7:15 we walk up to the counter and we ask what time we would board, they said they had no idea, and told us to come back at 8. We went in search for something to eat, all we found was pizza and some sandwiches, and we chose the sandwiches and read for a bit. Finally at 8 they said we had not been given permission to leave the airport, and they would have an update at 9. Back to the Bar it was, where I had another G&T while watching the Galaxy play DC United, yep, at least I was reading “A woman of independent means”.

Again we go to the desk and they tell us that there is no update, that there will be an update at 10 pm. I am getting antsy, and I call the nearby airport Marriott to check if tey have rooms, they have, but if I make a reservation for the night I can not cancel, and would be charge the rate of $179. So I said thanks, but no thanks, will wait to make sure the flight is canceled. At this point the bar closed, so it’s me and the book in an airport where there was nothing else but disgruntled passengers.

This time at 10, I was seated by the information desk and they said they had no announcements, that they would have some decision made at 11 pm. At this point I was just tired and hungry. I told the attendant to book me on the morning flight just in case this was canceled. I called the hotel again to make sure they had free rooms, and waited. Finally at 10:45, they announce the flight is cancelled. My one grievous question is why not cancel it at 9 pm? DCA was closed, there was no point in keeping us waiting. Pfffff, anyway off to the hotel I went where I finally was able to fall asleep at 1 am and woke up at 5 to be at the airport at 5:30, to catch my 6:30 flight.

The joys of traveling …

Forgetful Knitter

Last week I worked in DC, mostly because the 4^th fell on a Wednesday and it made no sense to come here for 3 days only, and because I was going to State College for the weekend. Friday morning, I had to go get some results from the Dr, and then go to the DMV and then pack for both trips. I thought I was being crafty and packing well in advance. I put everything for PA in one bag and everything for Wilkes, on my usual roller bag. So that is that, I go to State College, have a terrific time -see the Argentine’s blog for more details- and come back Sunday. We go to dinner, and a movie (Transformers, very enjoyable, very, a tad bit long, but cute) and go back home to pack up my laptops and the little things. I even manage to go to bed at 11, which gives me 5 hours of sleep.

Forward to Monday afternoon, when I check in to the hotel, and sushi in tow, I start unpacking and getting ready for my Monday routine of sushi, bad TV, and sleep. I finish dinner and start unpacking, everything looks good, pants, underwear, workout clothes, shoes, shirt, one polo … I mean 1 polo and 1 shirt, shit, I only packed 3 shirts, which means I have nothing to wear Thursday, and then I start looking for socks. They were no where to be found, no socks whatsoever. The worse part is I remember having them in my hand and putting them in the bag. Looked in the other compartments, nothing. Looked in the computer bag, nothing. I had forgotten them. So I go where I had never gone, Kohl’s and look for a shirt and socks. I just bought the later, I mean the shirts there were horrible and the smallest size was medium, and I am 5’3” people, no shirt in that store even remotely fit me, except as a sun dress. So went to the hotel, had a shirt washed and pressed and now I have 3 new pairs of navy socks, at least I managed to bring both my nave pants in this trip. Sheeeesh!!!

Cautionary tale

Road warriors out there, be careful, take heed and listen to this story, because last Monday I saw the future and let me tell you it is not pretty, or enticing or anything. I t was scary and realizing how easily it could happen to anyone I have decided to tell you about it so y’all take your provisions and stay alert.
Here is the story, I am walking into the hotel and had to ask for some water. Stopped at the Front Desk, at the hotel they know my name; they call be Pablo, not Bobby. But there was a lady waiting, she was tall and thin, blonde (artificially blonde) and she had the accoutrements of a seasoned traveling consultant. The nice bag, the expensive rolling Tummi bag, she had her rental car keys and her wallet. She was just checking in. The guy in the Desk was real friendly and told her that he had gotten her the same room as always and that it was all set. She smiled, and looked content, introduced herself to me, I forget her name, but I did notice the tan and the wrinkles. This was no spring chicken, and she looked a little overdone, if you ask me, but she had a pleasant smile and nice bright blue eyes. We talked for a bit, and then it was my turn to get my water, I ask for it, and I then notice he had some grocery bags with her. The rooms have a fridge and a microwave, so I decided to peak. She had some frozen dinners (yuck), cereal and cookies, some toiletries and finally there was one bag that just stood out from the rest, as she grab them and started walking toward the elevator, one bag has a 12 pack of Coors Light.
This was a Monday which means that she had picked up 12 beers for maybe 3 nights. Imagine that. I can not, but I am not a beer drinker, not at all. Of course as soon as she left and I got my water I had images of a hotel room littered with beer cans, and thought what will the cleaning lady think? I guess she doesn’t care. Nor should I, but please, please, please if anyone ever seems me get a 12 pack of beer to get through the week, just stop me right there in my tracks.
May this serve as a notice to all.