The Longest Week Of The Year

I returned to my old schedule, just for a week.  It all started on an overnight New York flight on Sunday.  Since flights have been so inconsistent lately, I had to stop in Washington DC for a "quick" connection, which turned out to be several hours.  Delays are pretty common these days.  However, if you're meeting a large group of people from all over the country and no one makes it on time, it may be time to look at our air travel system. 

In the middle of the week, I rerouted myself to a last minute job in Texas.  I had a 20 minute connection in Cleveland, so the airline decided to reroute me through Chicago. It took an extra 10 hours to get to my destination, since I missed the last connecting flight.  In the tradition of a true road warrior, I decided to reroute myself to the closest available airport with a flight and drive through the night.

This was one of the few times that I didn't pack too much extra stuff for an "emergency" add-on trip.  After all, it's been almost a year and over 200,000 miles since I had to add a few days to an existing trip. At least I didn't tear the seam of my pants like I did in Cleveland several years ago.  Also, I didn't give the airline a reason to lose my luggage, as I carried everything on the plane.  However, I still needed to get the WalMart suit, and get some other extra clothes and stuff.  I did still manage to twist my ankle and wind up in extreme amounts of pain on Saturday.  Some things never change...

I finally limped my way back home, and I'm still limping along.  That was one of the longest weeks I've had in a while.  Let's not do that again.

Later

Work Life Balance - Three Unrelated Words

Every now and then, there are short periods of time when you have to remain office bound for one reason or another.  I'm in between assignments at work, but I know things are going to pick up in a week or two.  In the meantime, oddly enough, I have started to actually miss the airport after being grounded for more than a week.  However, when I'm on the road as usual, I really miss the time at home to get on with my personal life.  It's a really strange cyclical anomaly.

Many people have reminded me about work-life balance, and it is interesting to see the different perspectives. People older than I am will tend to lean toward the work aspect, while the younger group will tend to lean strongly on the life aspect.  The interesting thing to note is that I can't seem to find the balance portion with either.  In my current line of work, you just have to accept the busy periods, and take the opportunity to catch up with your personal life during the slow periods.

I'm off to Detroit to work on my other personal projects for the weekend.  It's not exactly work or life or balance, but at least I'm getting to see the airport again.  Wait!  Did I just say that? ...

Later.

The Travel Game

It's been well over 50,000 miles since my last post, and I finally have a few moments between all of my projects for a quick personal trip to New York. Since I resumed my life as a road warrior a few years ago, I have found that I seem to have a lot less personal time on my schedule.  Even though my assignment is nearing completion, I still needed to take a little time for family.

Travel is a really unusual game. It's supposed to be about getting from point "A" to point "B" with minimal disruptions to your life.  It's also about trying to get the lowest fare, most frequent flier miles, and best seating.  Just like standard business travel, it can be a no-win scenario, especially around a holiday.  In this case, I needed to be in upstate New York for a graduation on a Saturday morning.  The lowest fares were either overnight flights that would allow me to arrive in the morning on Saturday, but place me180 miles away from my destination.   I made the tactical error of getting in to JFK right before rush hour on Friday.  It took three hours just to get out of the city.  I managed to stop for dinner in New Jersey before continuing onward. 

So, a minor miscalculation while playing the travel game did cost me a bit of sanity throughout the weekend.  However, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Later.

Winter Revisted

I never really understood the meaning of a winter wonderland.  Since I have lived for most of my life in warmer climates, it usually causes some trepidation every time I encounter snow and ice. This winter has been no exception.  I've been spending a lot of time in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan.  Needless to say, there has been a lot of snow so far.  It has been a few years since I have experienced freezing temperatures that actually hurt with just a few seconds of exposure.

While the fresh snow looks nice, it does have its challenges.  Rental car companies don't provide the shovels and ice picks that I needed in the last several trips.  The snow and ice were challenging in Duluth and Minneapolis, and I really needed that shovel in Chicago and Grand Rapids after experiencing the same snow storm twice in the same week.  The small brush and ice scraper that I had available was just not enough to dig myself out of the parking lot.


There are still several more weeks of winter, and I'm not quite finished with my travels into Minnesota for now.  I have yet to understand this concept of a winter wonderland.  However, I do wonder when this winter will end.

See ya.

It Begins Again

Another year, and another long adventure begins.  I log over 250,000 miles domestically every year, and log over 200 flight segments a year easily.  As I start to get a little more grey, I've noticed that my patience seems to be growing shorter for air travel.  Maybe I'm just getting tired or set in my ways.  After all these years of the increased security measures, it just seems really taxing to even walk through the scanners these days.  If this were fifteen years ago, I would consider the standard pat-down-after-a-scan treatment that I get at airport security to be a form of assault.  However, these days I have to dismiss it as the fact that the agents don't need to have a reason to touch me in places that would be classified as molestation by anyone else. 

Lately, in Minnesota and a couple of other California airports, I've noticed that the scan with pat-down seems to happen most of the time.  It's not like I'm unaware of the protocols with shoes, outer clothing, and other stuff.  I just think that after subjecting me to radiation from multiple scans every week, are the extreme pat downs that touch or get close to your private areas really necessary?  I've been feeling violated way too much in the past year from improper touches, but it's not like I have a choice, since I have to travel for work.  I recognize many of the TSA agents at the airports that I frequent regularly.  I'm there every week, sometimes multiple times.  Yet I still seem to get singled out more often than what I would consider normal.  I've been dismissing it as the fact that they probably recognize me from previous visits.  After all, I'm sure the TSA agents see thousands of faces every day, too. 

As I was saying, another year, and another long adventure begins. Time to roll...

Later.

There's No Place Like Home

As we begin a new year, I can't help but look back to the last couple of years on the road.  I was traveling as much as the old days, and I had the same number of whacky adventures as well.  For some reason, I just couldn't find the time to keep up the blog.  I can't say that I'll be too much better in the upcoming year, but I'll give it a try.

In the meantime, I have been home for a couple of weeks, and it has been great to rest up a bit before another year that will likely top 250,000 miles once again.  I've got a new home office thanks to one of my close friends, and I think that this will be an interesting year of changes.  It's a long road back, but the journey has to start somewhere.

The journey begins in California and continues to Wisconsin and beyond.  Time to get started...

Later.

Paper Umbrellas

Most people take real vacations and stay somewhere for a week at a time.  I'm the type of person that gets by on a couple of days in Hawaii to visit family and friends.  In this visit, I have scheduled a little time with everyone, but I often forget the time for myself.

What do I really want out a vacation?  I think it would be a nice relaxing tropical beverage with a paper umbrella.  Of course, it would be nice to be overlooking the beach, with a nice warm breeze, and no access to email or any other distraction. Although, it's hard to imagine life (or a vacation) without my technology.  Maybe I'll try that sometime. 

Later.

Another Round

It's been a while since my last update.  I've been through quite a bit in the last few years, and I've traveled quite a bit as well.  It all started about two years ago, when I became a victim of corporate America, and found myself looking for a new career.  I returned to another round as a full-time road warrior.  Unfortunately, it seems that I seem to have less time to provide updates to my various blogs.  In searching for a new a new job, I realized that I just don't think I can leave the wonderful weather and sights of Southern California.  Since my skills are somewhat specialized, I decided that I needed to find some work on the road.

I was also catching up with my previous posts, and I noticed that a couple of years ago, I was wondering how I ever gave this up.  I think I realized why.  It seems that there is a linear relationship between age and difficulty when playing the road warrior game.  So I'm not fresh out of college any more. At least there a few advances in technology that make life on the road a bit easier. I had mentioned this past week that my GPS has failed, so I had to resort to my map reading skills.  I was then asked what "map reading" meant.  Ha! 

Anyhow, I have returned from semi-retirement for one more round. There are still quite a few more stories to tell.  Stay tuned!

Later!

The Remote Office Blues

As in past years, I'm wiping the dust off my home office to make it a fully functional working office. At the moment, I can work from home occasionally, but it is not the most ideal circumstance due to the clutter. I decided that it is now time to clean up and turn the office into the command center that I require for my various work and volunteer activities. I'm starting with the paperwork tonight, and then I get back in touch with my inner geek, and rework the electronics in the office this weekend.

Later.

Just Can't Get Enough

In an unusual turn of events, I have returned to my old travel schedule for the last month. In an effort to maintain my status on one of the airlines, I decided to take a day off to visit a friend in Honolulu. However, I decided to take the trip via Newark. Yes, it is an interesting routing to go from California to New Jersey to get to Hawaii for a couple of days. However, it actually cost me a couple of hundred dollars less to go through New Jersey than it did to go on the regular routing through Los Angeles. After all these years, I am still baffled by airline fares.

I just got back from a quick business trip to Boston, and I think I now have enough to keep me as a top-tier traveler for one more year. This might actually be the last year I get to do this, unless I can find a travel job in the upcoming year. You never know. After all, I still wonder why I ever gave this up.

Later.

Back In Action

After all this time, it was great to get back into the field. While on a day vacation to San Francisco, I go rerouted to Dallas to a quick customer meeting. The following week, I had another customer meeting in Minneapolis, followed by a four hour drive to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for a marketing event. It seems like old times, and it was during the last trip to South Dakota that I realized that it wasn't the travel or the airports or the hotels. It's all about your colleagues in the field, and the interaction, teamwork, and camaraderie that you experience during the different missions that you need to accomplish in the field. During dinner in South Dakota, I remarked that I had really missed working with some of my sales team on a regular basis.

I still have a few more places to go before this year is over, so I'm not quite finished just yet. For now, I have a week of desk duty ahead of me. I forgot about the late-night paperwork that follows the adventures on the road. The adventures continue, for a little while longer, at least. For now, I'm gearing up for a quick vacation to Hawaii in a couple of weeks. Travel safe.

Later.

Behind The Desk

I once held a position that required me to be a road warrior in a different city every day of the week. It was an interesting job. However, time did take its toll, and I did get a bit worn down after a decade or two. Every now and then, I do seem to think that I have been stuck behind a desk for a bit too long. For the last year or so, I have been permanently behind the desk, keeping everything together for all of the people who still decide to make a living by playing road warrior on a daily basis.

I do miss the camaraderie that you have with your colleagues on the road. I think I have a closer bond with the people that I have worked with in the field than those that I might have seen in the office setting. I have been asked if I would go back to doing a remote job. If the travel schedule were a bit less demanding than what I used to do, then I might consider it. However, if it's my old 300,000-mile per year domestic travel plan, I think I might be getting a bit too worn down to keep up with that level of travel.

No, I'm not leaving the desk just yet. However, I do think I'm going to get myself onto the playing field a bit more than I have this past year. I'm not quite ready to start getting out of practice just yet.

Later.

Wherever You Go

I once wore a button that had a cool quote -- I live in the past, the rent is cheaper. I like quotes from the past. Another one comes to mind lately -- No matter where you go, there you are. I think this one is from Buckaroo Banzai in the 1980's. I thought about traveling for the weekend, but ultimately decided against it.

I spent a few hours in Los Angeles at an diversity event for the company earlier in the week. I was thinking about going to San Francisco or Phoenix for the weekend. However, I decided to change my plans since one of my friends couldn't make it. So, I decided to stick around here in San Diego for the weekend. There's still a lot of stuff to do here at home. After all, wherever you go, there you are.

See ya.

Here We Go Again

I've been grounded for a bit too long. When you reach a certain point in your career, the temptation is always to get back onto the road to have a presence with your team. Up to this point, I have resisted the temptation, as my responsibilities remain in San Diego. However, there does come a point in time when you just can't stop thinking about life back on the road.

I've decided that it may be time to hit the road on a couple of long weekends. I haven't quite decided upon the destinations, but just like life, it's all about the journey. Since life is a journey, I guess I'll just sit back and enjoy the ride. I'm going to throw the dart at the map and see where I'll end up next weekend. Stay tuned...

Later.

Getting Away From It All

Economic pressures have wreaked havoc with just about every aspect of my life. There have been really tough adjustments at work, and work has picked up at my various volunteer jobs because of external pressures. And so I returned to Hawaii for the third time this year. For the first time in quite a while, I'm spending an entire week on vacation. I'm stepping back to spend some time with friends and family.

For the first time in years, a couple of my friends made appearances in San Diego briefly this past weekend. We haven't been together at the same time in almost a decade. I'm spending some time with friends and classmates from the old days, and will be attending one more wedding. This time it's my cousin getting married.

This truly has been my big chance to get away from it all. My last few entries have highlighted the fact that I really needed a vacation. Even though I've said many times that it isn't a good strategy to do so, I do hope this vacation is enough to recharge my batteries.

Later.

Aftermath

I spent a week in Chicago at a trade show. This was the first time this year that I had traveled for work, and it was a bittersweet experience. In the days before I had to leave for the show, the company had some layoffs, and my team was impacted. It was really hard to leave for a show when I should have been back at home trying to pick up the pieces.

Due to the economy, there weren't too many of my colleagues at the show, but I did get to see a few of my close friends there, so it was a welcome break. For the first time at one of these shows, I decided that I needed to break away from the rest of the group for some "alone" time. I just couldn't deal with being around people during this round, due to the events of the previous week.

I've returned home to deal with the aftermath. As soon as I got back, I was moved to a new building and new office. I'm taking a short time this weekend to rest before trying to bring order to the chaos on Monday.

Later.

Breaking Away

With the current state of the economy coupled with other tightening pressures at work, it actually is a relief to get away briefly. Last weekend, I decided to break away from work a few hours early to visit quite a few of my friends. Even though it was only an hour away, Disneyland was a great way to break away briefly. I was able to catch up with a couple of my friends in Anaheim, and then I spent the weekend in Los Angeles visiting several other friends.

I still have not had my first travel assignment at work, and with the current state of the economy, I expect the traveling to be quite restrictive moving forward. I'm still expecting a quick trip into Chicago next month, but we'll see if that actually comes to pass. Until then, I think I need to make sure that I have enough rest and recreation time. I think it might be time to schedule a few more reunions throughout the country.

Later.

Lost In Paradise

After a couple of trips back to Hawaii in the last couple of months, I've been lost in a daze. Realizing that I am no longer built for the ravages of the overnight flight, I decided to continue to ignore my better judgment and take the flight anyway. There has always been a disconnect between my current physical location and my current mental state. It usually takes my brain a couple of days to catch up, just like my luggage in most cases. These last couple of trips were no exception. I think my brain is still lost in paradise somewhere, sipping that tropical beverage with the paper umbrella.

It's an odd thing to be semi-retired from the travel game. These last couple of trips reminded me that I am starting to lose some of my skills in the field. I accidentally brought a screwdriver (the tool, not the beverage) with me in my computer bag. I still managed to bring it back home with me. I would never have let that happen a few months ago.

Before trade show season starts again, I guess it is time to get back into practice. I've actually got to start packing my emergency backup suitcase again, since I had to use it for the last trip. Good thing the clothes still fit -- almost. I'm home for another month, and then it's time to get back onto the playing field again in April.

Later.

A Time To Heal

I took one final trip into Los Angeles for the year this past weekend. I've not been in the best of health for the last year despite my reappearance in various airports throughout the country, and throughout the world for that matter. For the rest of the year, I'm staying home for some very necessary rest. When rest time is over, I'm starting the year with a quick weekend vacation in Hawaii. It's good to have some time to heal before I have to resume my regularly scheduled role as a road warrior. Later.

The Cycle Continues

The cycle continues, and I'm in that rare situation that requires my presence back on the playing field for a short time. Once again, the situation dictates a last-minute trip into Baltimore. I'm not functioning at full capacity these days, so a red-eye from coast-to-coast is not really sitting well with me at the moment. I'm still trying to get things together for the trip, because there is still business to be transacted. In addition to the day job portion of this, I'm still working through the weekend to get everything wrapped up at home. It's not unlike any other one of the good old emergency trips that I've done many times over. The cycle continues over and over again. This time, though, I've got to delegate my next trip out to someone else on the team. If this emergency business cycle continues, I definitely need to get my rest cycles in place as well.

So, I'm tentatively planning to cancel my trip into Raleigh-Durham next week. However, I'll still put it on hold in case yet another emergency decides to interrupt the normal travel cycle for my team. And so it continues . . .

Later.

Flight Controller

So I spent some time this holiday weekend monitoring planes, trains, and automobiles. No, not the movie. I used those scheduling skills of mine to get one of my friends home for the holidays. Through Amtrak and the airlines, we did manage to pull this off without any significant issues. However, it is a lot different from the other side of the equation. I have found that it is a lot different to pull the strings when examining flights, alternative trains, buses, and other random forms of travel if you are not the one actually traveling. I did manage to bring him home, but now I have to get him back to school on the other side of the country in the morning. Time for me to continue monitoring.

Later.

Let It Snow, Just Not On Me...

There's something about this time of year that reminds me that I'm supposed to stop traveling during the winter months. I decided to get snowed on in Columbus, Ohio, this week. It did make me long for the nice heat wave we were experiencing in California while attempting to get through the highway into frozen remote parts of Ohio. I've got to remember to start checking the weather before I start on these trips. I must be getting forgetful these days. Anyhow, as the song says, let it snow. . . just not on me.

Later.

The Road Most Traveled

Manhattan is such an interesting place. I managed to take the subway a few times, and I balanced it out by taking a few taxis to get myself back to my hotel that was just outside the city. After a long week of conferences and meetings, I took a cab to the car rental place at the airport, and rented a car to drive up to Albany for the evening. The concept of the GPS is interesting. I asked for the fastest route, and the computerized voice took me off I-87 in the Bronx, and sent me through New Jersey before reconnecting with I-87 once again in New York. That just made no sense to me, but I was in no mood to argue with the computer. That argument always got me into trouble in the past, so I just took the road most traveled -- it was quite crowded, even in New Jersey. Thanks to all of the abuse from some of the cab drivers, my luggage has finally given up on me, so I had to do some quick shopping and shipping.

And so I find myself in Albany for another day. I managed to have some Texas chili and Idaho fries for dinner. Not bad for a small restaurant in Albany, New York, right? I've also booked yet another work trip in a couple of weeks, so the adventures continue on the road most traveled. I need a nap.

Later.

Historical Events

Ok, the plan was great, but the execution fell short. As you recall, I was attempting to pack a few days before the trip. Well, fatigue caught up with me, and sleep won out. For the first time in many years, I actually missed my flight. It was a combination of way too many things -- fatigue, weather, lack of parking, traffic, and lack of stamina. I got to the airport a little late, thanks to an extra 45 minutes that I was stuck in traffic. On top of that, it took me an extra 3o minutes to find a parking space. I had three minutes to run the half-mile to the terminal from the parking area. I just couldn't make it this time.

It's a good thing that I still have some clout with an airline or two, and managed to get into the New York only an hour later than planned. Of course, I did resort to sprinting across terminals in Dallas just like the old days. I really have to give thanks to American Airlines this week. They actually connected my luggage correctly with a less than 20 minute transfer in Dallas. No luggage separation anxiety on this trip!

It was a historic week on many fronts. That election thing also happened this week too. I really don't get too deep into politics, but it was kind of nice being in the middle of Manhattan during this election day. For the last couple of days, I attended a leadership summit with some of the most powerful global leaders and corporations. It's been a great session, and it has made me think about sticking around for a bit longer. There will be plenty of time for retirement later. Life is a journey, and I'm going to enjoy the ride. Later.

Three Times In As Many Days

As strange as it may seem, I'm off to New York for the third time in less than a month. For a semi-retired, office-bound road warrior, that is a bit much. It's not the plane ride or time zone that will be the challenge this time. I think the greatest challenge will just be my presence in Manhattan during election week and the week of the New York Marathon. I'm not participating if you haven't already guessed. I think it's going to be a bit crazier than usual, and it will likely be similar to the last time I had some extended time in Manhattan. As I recall Garth Brooks was in town performing, and I kept getting stuck in the horrific traffic caused by his fan base.

I may be a bit early for this, but it's time to pack. I will admit to being a bit rusty at this, so I'm not going to do my "pack-for-five-minutes-before-you-rush-to-the-airport" show. This time, I'm going to at least try to get it right. Safe travels, everyone.

Later.

Exceeding Capacity

For the last few decades, I've consistently made a habit of exceeding my capabilities on the road. It has worked for me in the past, but maybe there is some wisdom in slowing down. I got back to New York a couple of times in the last few weeks. Both trips required hundreds of miles of driving.

It was quite disturbing for me to discover that I just couldn't successfully fight off the fatigue. Since my days in college and earlier, I've always pushed harder in order to keep going. This last time I just didn't make it. During my four-hour drive to visit a friend, I needed to pull off the road in Canada to rest in order to safely make it to my hotel. I guess I didn't have too much time to rest during the trip, but when I did have a moment, I took the opportunity for a nap instead of providing my normal updates from the road. On the way back, It took roughly twice the time, and there was no difference in traffic. No, I didn't get lost. The fatigue finally caught up, and I had to pull over multiple times or truly risk an accident.

Maybe I'm just getting old. Maybe I just shouldn't pack my schedule the way I used to. I guess I finally got knocked down by that invisible age barrier. I guess it's time to adjust my capacity settings. And now, it's time for that nap.

Later.

Unplugged

It's kind of nice being unplugged from the office for a few days. Though in this day and age, it's really hard to be totally disconnected from the rigors of the working world. I spent yesterday driving around New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, in search of a cheeseburger. I did reach the target objective in New Haven, CT, and dragged along a friend. An experience like this is something that is best shared. You really have to experience the burger to fully understand. It's that good. I could go on and on about different restaurants across the country, but that's not the point of today's post.

As I was mentioning earlier, being unplugged from the office has been a great thing. The hotel and airline experience seems a bit weird without the rigors and pressures of the office beating you down. It did give me some insight into the fact that travel has really gotten to be a horrible experience if you don't have the status (or even if you do, in some cases.) Airlines have turned into freight services, and passengers are looked upon as cattle. I do think that FedEx and UPS have a chance to break into the market. My packages seem to get there intact most of the time. I'm sure they couldn't do any worse with actual people. Hey, it could happen.

Later.

And I'm Off Again . . .

. . . but as I always say, insanity is no excuse. Yes, I'm getting myself back out on the road for a short vacation. I haven't been out and about much since my last vacation. This time, the destination is Albany, and the flight is a red-eye. Travel has gotten a bit complex in recent years, but I think the exhaustion factor also has something to do with it. I've really got to stop scheduling my time right up to the last minute before the flight. It's just not the sane thing to do. But, as I mentioned earlier, insanity is no excuse. Travel safe.

Later.

Excuses

This entry was supposed to relay an interesting journey into the Deep South with many pearls of wisdom and the many roads less traveled. Instead, I remain in San Diego working on various projects, and planning for the road ahead. I was also supposed to see my friend Ruth in Las Vegas next week. Unfortunately, I'm still not able to work out the details of the trip, and probably won't be able to squeeze it into my schedule due to work meetings and other projects that seemed to pop into my calendar.

I've been anxiously awaiting an excuse to write about something in this column, but I've got to admit -- I've got nothing. It's pretty hard doing a continuing blog about being a road warrior when I can't seem to get myself on the road for any period of time this past month.

Things should be picking up soon. I'm scheduled to visit my friend James in New York in a couple of weeks. After that, it's time for Jon's third wedding this year. In between that, I've got a quick trip to Chicago, and perhaps a couple of other quick trips in November. No more excuses, I need to get back on the road!

Later.

Seven Years Later

It's seven years later, and it seems like a distant memory. I was a full-fledged road warrior back then, and the day was pivotal in our history. It's amazing what can happen in a brief seven years. Reflecting on some of the changes we've seen, I wonder how the travel industry has managed to survive the chaos. We've seen reactions to security that were somewhat over-the-top. A combination of security and economic pressures caused airlines to rise and fall.

Personally, I've given in to the ravages of time, and decided to go part-time with my road warrior adventures. The world of travel has gotten a bit more complex in the intervening years, so it's a good thing that I've decided to slow down a bit. The adventure still continues . . .

Later.

Sweet Home California

According to the counter on the blog, this is my 200th post in this column, so I'll start by wishing myself a Happy Anniversary. It's been almost seven years since I started blathering on about my travels on my various blogs and columns. I recall starting to write about my adventures after travel started to get complicated a bit after September, 2001.

Lately, I've been staying home at headquarters in California. It's easy to get a bit complacent and to forget the difficulties of the travel adventure when you spend a few too many weeks in the office. To rectify this, I'm getting myself back on the road once in a while. Later this month, I'm being sent on an adventure to the Deep South, specifically, Alabama. Nothing against Alabama, but I would have picked Honolulu first. Still, it beats the four walls of the office building for a few days. It's been a while since I've last visited the Deep South, and I'm sure I'll have more to tell after the trip when I get back.

Later.

Taking Control

I remember when August in Orlando was supposed to be hot and humid. I had forgotten the one rule of meetings -- never underestimate the power of air conditioning. It seems that at every meeting in extreme climates, people tend to over compensate. In our meeting rooms today with the full blast of the air conditioning, it rivaled a cold winter night. In one of my meetings this past winter in Canada, I noticed the over compensation factor also existed. Most indoor rooms were built too much like saunas.

There seems to be a control factor that people want to exert upon their environment. Why else could one freeze at the hottest time of the year in Orlando, and melt in the arctic climate of Canada in mid-winter? I'd buy a jacket before my next session, but they seem to be out of season in Orlando in August. Go figure.

Later.

Annual Flogging

It's time for yet another sales meeting. I remember several years ago when travel and sales meetings used to be fun and games. Even in the bad years, there was still an element of excitement. But then again, I was on the other side of things, learning and enjoying the ride. Since my first sales meeting all those years ago, a lot has changed. Most notably, when the economy gets a bit bad, travel options aren't always the greatest. There's always the added bonus of the company making sure that you need to travel on a Sunday at 5am from California in order to make it to mandatory meetings by 4pm at the other end of the country. It could be a lot worse though.

Destinations are always an interesting lot. This year, we're going to Florida in August. Yes, that's right -- Florida. I guess it's probably off season for business travelers in the area, so I'm sure we got a good deal on our meeting location. Still, when you're at a meeting to learn all sorts of things about your products or services, most people won't be able to concentrate with the temperature and distraction. I've got the added fun, as I'm now one of the instructors.

So, we find ourselves at our annual flogging, er, I mean, sales meeting. Everyone is so geographically dispersed in our large organization. A meeting of this nature is a great opportunity to see everyone that you normally can only see once in a while when you are playing the road warrior game. But, of course, what you always leave behind is a load of paperwork back in the home office that just doesn't go away.

I mentioned the flogging portion. Yes, it's always a challenge to have a bunch of sales people, who by nature do not like to be cooped up away from the challenge of the playing field, sequestered for a few days. Sometimes, in bad years, it's a management team that might be doing the flogging. In other years, it's the sales personnel that start the process. Though, I somehow always wind up as the one who is flogged. So, let the flogging begin!

Later.

Forget Retirement

I just got my wings back -- top tier status on one of the airlines for the next full year. Looking back upon the last year, I sense that I'm not quite done yet. I've had a couple of decades of stories to tell, and I think there are still a few more stories out there waiting to be told. Even though I was feeling a bit old and tired, I think I still need to continue a while longer as one of those "foot soldiers of the modern global economy," as eloquently stated by some article in an airline magazine that I had read a few years back. It's onward to Orlando in August for a sales meeting. It beats Phoenix, I guess. Not by much, though. Later.

Remnants of a Lost Era

I just received a package today. The package itself is a remnant of a lost era -- vacation. On one of my last days of my road trip, I sent all of my laundry and trinkets and other stuff that I bought to myself instead of hauling luggage back home. These days, the airlines are starting to charge for additional baggage. As a frequent traveler, I currently seem to be exempt from the rule.

This was the first time I tried the great experiment. For a two week trip, I selected two drop points for packages of replacement laundry, and used those same boxes to ship dirty laundry and vacation purchases back home. I must admit that it seemed to work out pretty well. You just have to have faith that your package will arrive on time, and in the appropriate location. Those regular insomniacs that read this blog will know that I have had many issues with LSA - luggage separation anxiety. This solution seemed to work out pretty well. It cost less than $20 to ship each box, which was less than the airlines are charging regular travelers. I might give this concept another try in the near future.

While it has only been a week, the vacation seems like it was in another era of history. I think I had mentioned once before that it wasn't easy to return to your normal life after a long absence. Three weeks really isn't that long, but it was enough time to make me realize that I could have used another month. I do need some more time to open a few more pages from the past. With all of the stuff that happened at work in the last couple of days, I begin to think that I should have stayed out at least another week.

The adventures continue as I tackle Norfolk and Los Angeles next week, in that order. Back to the daily grind at 35,000 feet... That's got to have restored some balance in the universe somewhere, right?

Later.

The Road Warrior Recovers . . .

I was looking back at the last time I took a vacation, and it seems that it was a little over two years ago. Coincidentally, the last real vacation that I took in 2006 also revolved around my best friends. I guess history does repeat itself, only this time I had a bit of an expanded version of the vacation.

First, my friend Jon got married halfway across the world in Shanghai. That was an event that I wasn't about to miss, so I got an extra few days off from work, even at the end of the fiscal year. Last vacation in 2006, I think Jon and I went in search of hot dogs at a shopping mall in Buffalo. Unquestionably, this vacation (well, it was a vacation for me, at least) was one of the best adventures that I've been on in quite a while. I got to play best man for the first time, and managed to look decent in a tuxedo. Who could ask for anything more, right? Shanghai was a great adventure, especially the taxi rides which reminded me of a cross between demolition derby and the Indy 500.

To top things off, my young friend James graduated from high school, and it was time to take him on a tour of the USA -- a day after I returned from Shanghai. We managed to tackle Dallas, Worcester, New Haven, Redmond, and Atlanta in less than ten days. We even returned to the same hotel in Redmond from two years ago. I knew we would return there someday. I think I even mentioned that in my post from 2006. It was a lot of fun, and I can still keep up with a teenager, which was surprising to even me. We both really, really, really needed a vacation. That was our tagline. I think it was just what we both needed before he goes off to college.

In both cases, it really wasn't the destination that mattered. What mattered most was the fact that I got to catch up with my friends. So, now it's time to return to the perils of the day job, and start planning the next set of travels. I have some time in Orlando next month, and perhaps a few more adventures before that. I also know that I'm not going to let another two years pass without scheduling some time with my friends. Again, I've been listening to too many movies lately, but I remember someone saying that if something is important, you need to make the time.

Later.

The Road Warrior Returns

While I was on vacation, I had an epiphany. Well, maybe not so much an epiphany as a self-realization that I'm at my best whenever I'm on the road. It took a conversation around two in the morning at a Denny's in the Seattle area for me to begin to realize this. A young friend of mine wanted to hear my life story during vacation. I was talking about various things which led me to the road warrior game. I had decided to give it up last year, and go into semi-retirement, and I had to stop and think if that was the right decision for me. I recounted the good times and the bad times on the road. If anyone has actually been reading any of this stuff, you'll know that I've had some strange adventures on the road, balanced with some of the less intelligent things that happened out there. To borrow from Dickens, I guess it has been the best of times and the worst of times.

In my absence, I apparently was promoted at work. I've also decided to get myself back on the road from time to time. A year-long absence made me realize that I was at my best when I was out there on the playing field. Though I'm not going to knock myself out by traveling every single week any more, I'm still going to be out there more often than as of late. It's been a really good vacation. I should take a couple of weeks off more often. Now, it's back to life at 35,000 feet.

Later.

Ultimate Road Warrior

I've been neglecting this blog for a bit, so I'll need to relate some of the adventures at a later time. Right now, I'm in the middle of an "ultimate road warrior" challenge. I've managed to keep up with a teenager for the last week, and we've had quite an adventure so far. Based upon past history, this is probably the last time we'll be able to do this type of trip to this extent. So, I'm enjoying the moment for now. I'm sleepless in Seattle at the moment, on the way to Dallas and Atlanta when day breaks again. Later.

The International Post

I'm reporting from Montreal. It's cold outside, and our friends at American Airlines decided to ground over 600 flights this week due to wiring issues on their fleet of MD-8o aircraft. I was among the thousands of travelers impacted by the shuffling of schedules. Having been a scheduling professional in my past, I do have a lot of empathy for the eight people that contacted me about flight changes. I'm sure that this goes way beyond their job descriptions.

This is the first time in years that I've ventured into Canada. I had to brush the dust off my passport for the next few months. When I go international, I go all the way. You see, I have the Montreal trip this week, and I'm booked in Edmonton next week. For the greater part of the decade, I've stuck with domestic travel. In the span of the next few months, I've got a few Canada trips and a quick trip to China. Well, I'd better get back to work.

Later.

The Best Kind Of Magic

There truly is some sort of magic to this road warrior game. Sometimes you get the worst possible outcome -- well, maybe that happens most of the time. Throughout all of those visits to Arizona in the middle of August, all of the slippery ice patches, flat tires, condemned buildings, and other traveler nightmares, I always managed to get those complementary upgrades and other perks on those nights that I happened to stay at a hotel for less than four or five hours. Foolish as it seems, one begins to wonder if you ever get to the point when you get to experience a comfortable room, on-time flights, and successful meetings.

Travel can't always be perfect, but I did manage to get a very nice room upgrade for the next few days. That's kind of nice to have during a week-long meeting in Dallas. I did also manage to get here on time. Who knows? If the meeting actually turns out well, then there may be some sort of magic involved with this trip after all. Later.

The Return

I have returned from my break from the world of travel. I was somewhat surprised about what you leave behind when you stop traveling. It's not about the miles, points, or anything like that. It's all about that special sixth sense that you start to lose when you are no longer out in the field regularly. When getting back on the road this month amongst the holiday travelers, I made a few rookie mistakes. First, never travel during the holiday season. If I had actually read my blog for the last six years or so, I would have remembered that. Next, if you are traveling, always anticipate delays. I'm still good at adjusting to just about any situation out there, but it did take some extra effort this time.

So begins the return from the ashes of retirement. I recall a while ago that one of the airline magazines highlighted strange business titles. One of the titles was called "Keeper of the Magic." I kind of like that one, especially for all of us who make a living somewhere out there. We're the ones that keep the wheels of business turning, and it's got to be some kind of magic that keeps us moving forward every day. Ok, so I admit it. Yes, I missed it a little...

Later.

It's A Long Way To The Top . . . Really!

I've been grounded for a while now, and I think it's time to let the next generation of travelers take over. Don't get me wrong -- I'm still going to be on the playing field from time to time. I've just decided that maybe it's time to give this desk job a chance. Retirement isn't necessarily a bad thing. Later.

Another Sleepless Night . . .

I'm getting ready for my first trip in seven weeks, and I almost forgot how to do these things again. It's not as easy as remembering how to ride a bike. Day trips are a little easier. This time, I'm gone for an extended period of time, and remembering how to pack is a bit of a challenge. The other part of the equation is the sleep deprivation. I honestly can't remember how I did this on a day-to-day, week-by-week basis. Maybe I'll catch up on some sleep in New Orleans. Yeah, right... Later.

Listen To The Show

My wrist is out of commission, so I'm going to cut this entry short. For more travel wit and wisdom for the month, try my podcast...

Later.

Home For The Holidays

There's no place like home for the holidays. Actually, with the mounds of papers and other junk around here, I can honestly say that there really is no other place like it. I'm finally catching up on what I've been attempting to do for the last few years -- all the paperwork. You see, in the last few years, I've spent so much time in the air that I've been ignoring all of the mail and other stuff that has been piling up throughout the years. There's now a visible path between my door and my desk, which hasn't existed since I moved in a few years back.

I did manage to make a couple of leisure trips this month, though. I made it over to New Haven, CT, for a burger. Then I thawed out in Honolulu for a couple of days for a retirement party for one of my friends. Travel is much lighter these days, but the problems still abound. I haven't had a problem-free flight in several months, even though I relented and threw away all of my over-sized tubes of toothpaste in favor of the travel versions. I'm staying home for the rest of the holiday season. Maybe my sensitivity has been heightened or my tolerance has just been shattered, but I just can't get back into another airport during holiday traveler season. If people are going to travel these days, perhaps a little preparation might be in order, you think?

It's been a nice break, but I'll be back on the playing field early next year starting the journey in Delaware. Until then, safe travels to all of you out there.

Later.

Surfing The Hubs

I've been absent from this column for a little too long, so I just wanted to mention that I haven't faded into the background -- at least not just yet. I spent some time in Huntington, WV, earlier this month. Due to aircraft maintenance issues, they had to call in some mechanical help from Charleston, which is over an hour away from the Tri-State Airport in Huntington. Needless to say, I missed my connection in Cincinnati, and I did have to double-connect in Atlanta, and again in Salt Lake City in order to get home. I've gotten to the point where I expect the delays, and I just plan an extra "lost" day due to the missed connections. It's a really good policy, because perfect flight schedules are as unattainable as that mirage of water in the desert. The days on the road are starting to lessen, but I'm not getting off the field completely. There are still a few more stories out there. Later.

No Exaggeration Here

To skew the saying slightly, reports of my death are not far off... I started my latest journey in the Emergency Room, and I'll save the editorial about the state of our healthcare system for another column. Suffice it to say, it's really screwed up. I was not in the right state of mind to go on my latest adventure to Omaha, since I never got any sleep before my flight. The fact that the flight to Omaha from Chicago was canceled did not help matters. I rerouted myself to Kansas City, bought a Wal-Mart suit, and drove all night to Omaha. Then, in their infinite wisdom, the airline computer system cancelled all my subsequent flights, since the system thought I was still in Chicago. I wonder where my luggage was, and I wonder if it is getting the appropriate frequent flyer mileage. Anyhow, I think this adventure is worthy of my monthly column, so I guess I'll update that later this week.

Later.

Five Years Later

I'm running out of philosophical wit to share about the day. It's been an interesting day. I've produced three podcasts and a couple of other blog updates for the day, and I seem to be running out of steam. I purposely put myself on a ground assignment for the day, and some extended volunteer duties for the evening. I don't usually interrupt my travels for anything, but in this case, I decided that it was time to sit back and enjoy some time on the ground. It's not out of fear or anything like that. For some reason, it just didn't seem appropriate to be out there on the playing field today. Maybe I'll get back out there . . . tomorrow.

Later.

Daze Of Summer

I just spent the most fast-paced vacation, followed by a quick jump start onto the playing field. After some family gatherings last week, I spent some time catching up with some old friends from California to North Carolina and beyond. But, as all things come to an end, I had to get right back into the mix. After returning to San Diego last night, I had to hop on a flight to Tampa for a quick meeting tomorrow morning. After that, I'm off to Philadelphia and Chicago to round out the week. It's nice to know that some things in the universe are still consistent.

Later.

Road Warriors Unite!

After a couple of trips with the revised security, it's time to kick-start the good old blog again. Once again, the crazy and predictable reactions by our respective governments to various security threats have forced some changes to the way we conduct our lives throughout this and many other countries. Granted, a lot of these security measures are warranted. Although, I was very surprised to see a lot of the lines at the airport get a bit shorter in the last couple of weeks, and some of the airplanes with quite a few empty seats. I never thought I'd say this, but let's get back out there on the playing field. If we completely stop traveling or curtail our activities out there, the terrorists have won. The travel industry needs us now more than ever. So join me out there at 35,000 feet, complete with all the cavity searches and sobriety tests. I'm out of retirement, and back on the playing field for now. Later.

Blood Pressure Rising

Get out the hip boots, we're on Orange Alert once again. You know what that means, of course. Yep, that means that it's time for me to get back into grouchy complaint mode again. Just when you thought my blogs and podcasts would be safe and mellow...

For those of you that haven't read the news lately, we are on one of those extreme terror alerts again -- DefCon 2, or Orange Alert, or whatever they call it. This time, it all relates to the potential of explosive in liquid form, kind of like what they did in Die Hard With A Vengeance. Anyhow, we can't carry toothpaste, shaving cream, shampoo, or any other liquid or gel with us on airplanes any more. I was lucky enough to get back home last night, just in time before the rules went into effect. However, I've got some heavy duty travel coming up in the next several months. I think I'm in for a repeat of October 2001. Break out the aspirin -- I think we're in for an extended headache... Later.

Voice Of The Traveler

I finally got that podcasting dream started. The Road Warrior Podcast is now live, and if the iTunes people let it pass through, you might even see it out on the iTunes Music store, too. How neat is that? Anyhow, I just got back from a quick trip to Orlando, with a detour into Salt Lake City. I did manage to make it back on Saturday morning, when I remembered that I had a few things to do in Los Angeles. I just made it back home in time to finish up the publication of my first podcast. Now I have to get ready for a quick trip to Dallas tomorrow, and Philadelphia the next day. These weekends seem to be getting shorter and shorter. Seems like old times... Later.

Zoning Problems

In the last couple of weeks, I've traveled from Washington, DC to Honolulu, HI, to Erie, PA, back to San Diego, CA. If I calculated this correctly, twelve time zones were crossed in less than twelve days. One of my travel theories states that it takes one day to recover from each time zone traversed. Fortunately, I'm grounded for the next couple of weeks, so recovery should not be a problem. So until next week, at least, I'm out of the zone. That's kind of like being out of synch with the rest of the world. Sometimes, that's not necessarily a bad place to be. Later.

The Pong Generation

I come from the Pong Generation, probably somewhere in that time frame where Generation X intersects with Generation Y. Well, since I brought it up, I'm playing the part of the square dot that goes back and forth between the two tennis paddle things in the game of Pong. Yes, I'm up to my old tricks again, going from coast to coast, and then off to Hawaii for a quick break before heading back to the east coast. I just picked up a quick trip to western Pennsylvania next week, as soon as I get back from Hawaii. I think I'm up for a quick game of Space Invaders. Later.

Still In The District

I had great plans for the day. I was going to go out on several customer visits, and maybe even get some sightseeing in during the evening. Unfortunately, I couldn't do either today. I've upgraded from Dayquil to Advil Cold Medicine, and I've got two other meds with me to pull me back into the land of the living before my flight back home tomorrow morning. I've got to get better before my next trip on Saturday morning, at least. I'm still doing conference calls. Ok, I'm calling from bed, but the people at the other end of the phone can't tell. Anyhow, I've got one more to go, and then I can go back to sleeping this off... Later.

In The District

These field reports are starting to get a bit rare. I'm reporting from within the beltway. Yes, I'm actually staying in the District. You know, Washington, DC. That's right. I'm back to my old habits. I've probably overextended myself again, and am living on that miracle drug, Dayquil. I decided to try to get back in training again, and overdid it before I got on the plane. I always seem to have that bad habit of forgetting that I'm not eighteen any more. Anyhow, I'm here until Wednesday morning, and back for a couple of days at home before I leave again for Hawaii. I am one of many people in my group from San Diego at this conference in DC. It was strange that we all seemed to take different routes to get here, and we all seem to have different disaster stories of how we all got here. One person connected in Los Angeles, another in Atlanta, someone else in Chicago, yet another in Cincinnati, and someone went through Phoenix. Just about everyone experienced some sort of flight delay. I connected in Dallas without any flight delay, but getting out of the airport was an adventure. Let's just say it involves a minivan and step ladder... Anyhow, this is a long update, so I'd better get some rest. After all, I should probably sleep this cold away. Later.

Sleepless In Seattle ... The Next Generation

I'm winding down from my vacation. As always, I decided that I needed to make the most out of my vacation time, so I did a double vacation for the week. I met up with Jon in Buffalo, which was great, though I was spending the weekend in Pittsburgh. I think I spent more time in the car driving than I did with Jon and his girlfriend. It was about nine hours in the car for the day.

The rest of my vacation was spent in the Pacific Northwest. My young friend James and I were scouting colleges in Oregon and Washington. We were staying in Redmond near his friends, so the day trip into central Oregon took a little more than five-and-a-half hours each way. That was a bit exhausting, but we really had a great time. I really didn't get too much sleep throughout the week. After all, I was on vacation, and why waste it sleeping the night away? I had a lot of stuff to do, and James had a lot of stuff going on with his friends, so we both had a great time. I think we both want to go back in the not too distant future.

It's back to work for me tomorrow. At least I've got another journey into Washington ahead. Only this time, it's Washington, DC, on Friday.

Later.

Those Pesky Delays

I spent the day in Philadelphia, and caught what I thought was a quick flight into Pittsburgh. Well, I guess I should have rethought my travels. It seems that the weather just was not cooperative today. First of all, traffic patterns were a little crazy in Philly today. For some reason, the town was trying to emulate Los Angeles. There was stop-and-go traffic on most of the freeways, apparently in the wrong direction, according to my colleague who was driving me around. Anyhow, I got to the airport in time, and managed to get to the gate without incident. However, we did manage to sit on the plane for many hours, in which it became obvious that it was likely much faster to drive over to Pittsburgh instead of being trapped in large metallic cylinder shaped like a big Tylenol capsule, or whatever the pill was in the movie Airplane. Ok, enough ranting for now. I've got a big day in Pittsburgh tomorrow, and then I'm taking the weekend off in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Then I'm off to Seattle for a quick vacation. Later.

Upgrade My Vacation

It's time to gear up for the summer travel season, and also time to plan for the onslaught of the leisure traveler. I decided to spend the traditional kickoff travel weekend at home. With the increased fuel prices, and decreased availability of flights and other transportation, it seems like this is one of the smarter decisions of the day. I did, however, spend some of this weekend planning my travel escapades for the next several weeks. Experiencing the world of the leisure traveler with all of the perks of the business traveler is really fun. I wouldn't want to do it any other way. Later.

Out Of Practice

I returned to the world of the road warrior this past week, and found that starting over really isn't all it's cracked up to be. I returned to the warm greetings of the TSA in San Diego, who decided that it was time for my regular flogging. I got the pat down treatment, and it was a tad too up-close and personal for my taste. I had forgotten the nature of my business, and planned the Minneapolis trip to get a two-week advance purchase fare. Unfortunately, I had a last-minute change that required me to stop for a meeting in Chicago. Then I forgot my MP3 player, which really wasn't something I used to use a lot. However, I really missed it on this trip. It was unseasonably cold in Minneapolis and Central Wisconsin for some reason, but despite that, I believe I had a successful trip. I probably should never have given this up... I think it's time to plan the next adventure.

Later.

San Francisco Alternatives

I did a quick trip into San Francisco airport late last week. The trip into the car rental area has improved slightly, but it still takes an incredible amount of time to get your car and leave the area. But, in recent years, the alternative airports have decided to move the car rental facilities off-site as well. So, should I take a bus from SJC or OAK, or catch the train from SFO? The alternatives really aren't much better than the main airport, so I guess it's just up to the airfare and distance to your destination that would make all the difference. I'm headed back up to the area a couple of times within the next month, so maybe I'll try something different next time. Later.

Not Finished Yet...

It's not over yet. Even though I've been a bit inactive for the last couple of months, I'm returning to active road warrior duty for at least another couple of trips in the next couple of weeks. I've got to do a quick business trip to Detroit next week. The following week I need to be in Portland for the day. After that, I'll probably stay put for a little while, but then again, you never know what the future may bring. Later.

Launch Points

So I returned from Honolulu from an unplanned trip. For some reason, I decided to fly in and out of Los Angeles. That would be the appropriate thing to do a couple of years ago when I actually lived there. To quote a colleague of mine -- What was I thinking? It's amazing what a difference a couple of years can make. The two hour drive between San Diego and Los Angeles seems to take a little more out of me these days. I had also forgotten the parking situation from LAX, especially in rainy weather. Catching a bus to the remote parking areas in the pouring rain just doesn't get it for me anymore. What was I thinking? The lesson here is to utilize any one of the four airports that are closer to my house.

Come to think of it, I don't have anywhere to go after this trip. Maybe I need to start working on that. Later.

Total Systems Failure

I've discovered that my stamina is not what it used to be. Central Wisconsin is a nice place, but being there in the winter makes me realize how much I needed to get my head examined before agreeing to this trip. And then there was Delaware. Nice place, but there really wasn't much else there. I reached the point of total systems failure somewhere over Chicago, and after all the delays, I realized that maybe semi-retirement might be a good thing after all. I don't remember how I kept up with all of the trips, and how I managed to get up the next day ready to move on to the next city. Well, my next trip is a personal sojourn back home to Hawaii at the end of the week. Later.

Back In Business

It's been a really bad day at work today, but at least I'm getting back on the road once again. I've got some time in Wisconsin and Delaware next week, and then I've got family issues back in Hawaii the following week. So, I'm going to be busy on the road once again. It's about time.

Happy Birthday, James!

Later.

Retirement Is Overrated

I've been San Diego-bound for the last few weeks. I did manage to keep busy with other projects, and for some reason, I haven't missed the road too much. However, I'm not ready to give up on the travel adventures just yet. The adventures resume in early March. See you then. Later.

Turning Point

So this is what it's like to be a semi-retired road warrior. Strange as it may seem, I'm feeling a little empty without the misadventures on the road this month. I haven't had a travel-free month in nearly a decade. I seem to have way too much going on in San Diego this month. I guess this marks a definite turning point in my life as one of the ultimate road warriors. Between all of the volunteer projects, trade shows, and other administrative responsibilities at work, I don't see myself traveling until early March. How about that? Feet on the ground and assimilating back into a normal life... Didn't think I'd ever see the day.

Later.

Marathon, Part 2

The marathon has ended, and I have returned home to a month of travel-free bliss. So, I predict that I will become restless within the next two weeks. It may be hard to keep a good road warrior down, but with events of the next few weeks, I'm going to be tied to the area. There's yet another trade show coming into town, and I need to work on it every day for the next two weeks solid. After that, I'm thinking it might be time for one of those road trip diversions, but I'm guessing that I'll be a little too tired by the end of the show. Later.

The Marathon Begins

I've started one of those crazy trips that even I can't believe. I'm reporting from the Boston area tonight. I spent the greater part of the day trying to get here. For the first leg of the journey, I've decided not to drive anywhere. For Boston and Houston, I'm catching taxis. Assuming the weather holds out, my journey continues tomorrow in Houston, assuming I don't get stuck in Atlanta for the evening. I'll be home for a few hours, assuming I don't get stuck in Dallas on the way. Then, it's off to Raleigh-Durham, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and Milwaukee, in that order. A standard marathon is a little more than 26 miles. I'm logging a little more than 26,000 miles over the next 10 days. It may seem twisted, but even though I still have the vocal chord problem, I'm kind of enjoying the journey. I'm going to slow down a bit this year, at least on my travels. After all, I have a department to run, and a few other responsibilities these days. Later.

Back On Top

I'm going through my mail today, a duty which I usually attempt to avoid until I'm left without a clear passage to my desk. I'm finding my updated membership and status cards from the hotels and airlines, so it's time to do the annual card swapping exercise. I managed to renew most of my current elite-level status levels. I only managed to lose status on one airline, which was not a bad deal, considering I reduced my travel schedule by at least 30%. I don't see another reduction in travel happening again this year, though. Even though I've taken the helm of my department, I forsee one final year of active duty on the road. The adventure continues...

Later.

Weather Or Not

It's January, right? That means it's supposed to be winter. I mean, in most parts of the country, you'd expect cold weather, right? Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I actually prefer the temperature just as it is. However, I just spent the week in Norfolk, VA, and when I last checked, normal temperatures at this time of year were supposed to be somewhere between 20 F and 30 F. During the week, it averaged 65 F on a cold day. It was colder in San Diego during the week, which was also strange. I never thought I'd have to go north for warmer weather, at least in this country. Later.

Home On The Road

Having been a traveler for quite a while, you learn a lot about the need to pack accordingly for your trips, sometimes leaving behind those things which might not be necessary. Also, for those of you who travel like I do, you realize that sometimes, drawers and closets in hotel rooms just aren't worth it for those one-day trips when you arrive at 1am, and have to check out less than four or five hours later.

For the first time in quite a while, I have five whole days in the same hotel. It's not the best, but it's still a rare treat to be able to use the closet and drawer space for the first time in quite a while. I've also been to the local grocery store to get some beverages and snacks. What a concept! It's almost like making yourself at home on the road -- almost. Anyhow, I've got another couple more days here in Virginia, and then it's back home for a week. Later.

A Step Backward

I'm reporting from Norfolk, VA, this evening. It took all day to get here, and it became apparent that technology really has moved forward. When you are missing a piece, it's really obvious. I actually set myself back a few years at the car rental counter. In my current job, I have had the fortune of being able to rent the GPS systems along with the car. This is the first time in a couple of months that the local rental car area did not offer it. In fact, even with the hundreds of cars here, there were absolutely no GPS systems available at all. So, for the first time in a couple of months, I got myself hopelessly lost on my way to the hotel, which is probably less than 5 miles away from the airport. This is very reminiscent of the old days when I got lost on a regular basis. So, I guess I'll have to admit that technology has improved many facets of the life of this road warrior. But it's just as important to be able to fall back on your instincts, and move forward despite these little steps backward. Later.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil ...

The voice is still partially missing. I currently sound like one of those squeaky toys that your dog might play with. That's probably not the best image to project in front of high-powered executives that you're trying to convice to spend lots of money on goods and services. Unfortunately, the sales group wanted my presence in the area despite the squeaky toy syndrome. By the way, in case you're wondering, I'm reporting tonight from Monterey, CA. It was a quick trip with a quick connection in Los Angeles. True to form, my head exploded right on queue a little after we took off the first time from San Diego. I still have a few more hours to put the pieces back together. So, I decided to order some room service, and I'm trying to get some rest.

Later.

Preparing For The Journey Ahead

Another year begins. For the first time, I'm not feeling up to the challenge. In fact, for the first time, I have backed out of a trip to Northern California tomorrow. I'm still planning on being in Monterey on Friday morning for a quick sales call, and then it's a journey into Norfolk, Virginia for a week, followed by a quick stop in Dallas to do another brief talk.

The adventures don't always begin on the road. It seems that more often, the greatest part of the adventures begin at home. With every trip, there's always a degree of preparation that needs to be done beforehand, and there is always the inevitable aftermath of expense reports and other miscellaneous paperwork that has to be completed in a timely manner before the next trip begins, usually on the next day. Let's take today, for instance. I had to get myself to the dry cleaners to pick up my suits. As I travel quite frequently, I need to make sure that the suits that still fit are not all at the dry cleaners at the same time. During excessive travel periods, this can become a challenge. Then there is the work preparation that takes time away from the normal desk job. At the request of some of the field personnel, I spent the greater part of the day chasing after equipment, and shipping it to Monterey before I left the office. I never managed to get my normal work done.

I guess it's not as glamorous as getting cavity searches in the greater metropolitan airports, or slipping on an ice patch and tearing a huge hole in the back of your pants. Still, the preparation work is a necessary part of the road warrior game. After all these years, I still manage to cut a few corners here and there. When that happens, the real adventures begin...

Later.

One More Time

I just returned from Minnesota, and one of the better vacations that I've had in quite a while, despite the snow and freezing weather. I can finally call it a year. It's been one of those months that has allowed me to reconnect with a lot of people. In the last decade, I really haven't had the opportunity to take control of the travel like I have this month. I managed to connect with friends in Toronto, Portland, and Albuquerque. I even got to spend some time with a friend in Minneapolis. I now have regained my elite status on my airlines and hotels, so it's finally over for the year. Still, I think I might take a road trip to visit my friends in Northern California. After all, you can't keep a good road warrior down. Later.

Fighting Every Step Of The Way

Another year has quickly passed, and I think I have aged more in the past year than the rest of my collective years as a road warrior. I've often contemplated retirement, but that wouldn't be a good idea. You see, people like me don't do well in retirement. I keep saying that this will be the last year of this. My boss has decided to promote me into a desk job in the coming months, which will severely curtail my field activities. But since I can see through the erroneous vision statement in my new job description, I know I will still be out in the field almost as much.

I'm still going out to Minnesota on Sunday to capture the last 3,000 miles to keep top-tier status on one of my airlines. The road warrior in me is still fighting desk duty every step of the way, but my aging body is starting to accept the desk job. Maybe I'll start keeping my feet on the ground next year. Happy Birthday to me!

Later.

Temporary Insanity

I keep telling myself that this is only temporary. You see, things usually pick up at the end of year and end of fiscal year due to requirements in my particular segment of the market. Translated, that means I've been on the road again like crazy, alongside the craziness of the holiday travelers. Standard road warriors and holiday travelers mix like oil and water. There are some things that the holiday traveler just doesn't appreciate about those of us that have to do this year round.

Anyhow, I just got back from Atlanta, a relatively uneventful (but long) trip. Before that, I had a quick trip to Portland and Houston. Unfortunately, I had a cancellation in Houston, so I had to make a u-turn in Dallas. There were many strange adventures along the way. I had sushi at the Portland airport, and it still shocks me that you can get sushi at an airport. There was a series of incidents with many of those holiday travelers in the last couple of week, ranging from stepped on toes to hecklers in the ticket line. It annoys me that some of these travelers have developed attitude problems, and just don't display common courtesy any more. So much for the holiday spirit. This road warrior has one more trip left this year. Let's see how it goes...

Later.

Giving Thanks

It's that time of year once again. The holiday travelers are among us once again. And, once again, I found myself traveling on Thanksgiving week. You would think that I would have learned not to do this over the course of the last decade, but I always seem to draw the short straw on this particular week of the year. I wound up in Detroit and Minneapolis on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. I decided to do a quick personal trip on Thursday, and found that the secret to surviving holiday travel. Do it on the holiday. The airports seemed to be a lot less crowded on Thanksgiving that I thought they would be. There were a few delays, but for the most part, based upon the boards, most flights were running on time on Thanksgiving. Once again, I'm fighting the crowds at the airport tomorrow for a quick speaking engagement in Toronto. Later.

Taking Inventory

It's that time of the year again. I'm taking inventory of all of those pesky frequent flyer and points accounts. All road warriors go through this around this time of year. You see, as a freqent traveler, we all need to actually go through our accounts to see where we stand in all of those frequent-use programs. I've discovered that I actually did cut back this year. I'm going to give up on one of the programs, and I'm about 15,000 miles short on two airline programs to keep my status going. That means that I need to fly at least 30,000 miles within the next couple of months. In the last few years, I would probably say that it would be no sweat. However, this time around, I am attempting to slow down, and it would be a bit of a stretch to come up with that amount of travel in a short two months.

So, the race is on. I'm traveling to Houston and Detroit this week, with all of the appropriate connecting flights. I have a San Francisco trip next week. After that, I've got a quick trip back to Detroit and Minneapolis. Then, I'm ending the month in Toronto for good measure. That should take care of the first airline, and maybe a little bit of the other one. Now, as for December, I've got a quick trip to Las Vegas and Norfolk, VA, so far. I might squeeze in a short weekend in the northeast to make up the difference, if any. After all, I'm so close that it would still be worth it to make up the difference for another year.

Whew. So much for semi-retirement from all of this. Maybe next year. . . Later.

Ripped From The Headlines

I had yet another one of those moments that just begs the question, "Why haven't I retired from this yet?" has happened. It was one of those moments reminiscent of the time I slipped on the ice three times in Cleveland on the same ice patch. This time, there was no ice, but I did manage to rip the back of my pants. Everything I did made the stupid hole in my pants even larger. I went to check on the rip in a bathroom at a customer site, when I accidentally ripped the entire seat out of my pants. This just wasn't one of my better days, to say the least. Anyhow, I was fortunate enough to have a spare pair of pants to change into. I think this day will probably be in the top ten, at least. I think it will probably be right after the "Falling Down" incidents. Later.

Consistency In The Universe

I took a quick trip to Atlanta and Philadelphia this week. I think time has started to catch up with me, as I can no longer adapt to the time zones as well as I could. For the first time in quite a while, the sleep factor (or lack thereof) actually caught up with me. I actually was way too tired to drive on the freeways of Philadelphia. The other problem was the fact that I seem to have gotten a bit dependent upon those GPS devices. This was one the the few times within the last year that I couldn't get one of those devices in my rental car. For those long-time readers of mine, you know what happened next. Yes, I got lost in New Jersey and Philadelphia quite hopelessly. At least there is some consistency within the universe. Later.

Connections

I had a quick business trip into Portland, Oregon. Portland is one of those few airports with a sushi restaurant. So, naturally, I stopped by the Rose City Cafe for some sushi before I made my way home. It was one of those strange trips that required a stopover in Los Angeles on the way up and on the way back. It seems a bit odd, since I used to go direct from Orange County or Los Angeles. There is a non-stop from San Diego, but it seemed to cost a bit more to go that route. Airline fares are as strange as they have ever been. I guess we can take some comfort in the fact that some things never change. Later.

Eye Of The Storm

It was a week of thunder and lightning storms throughout the journey into Seattle and Kansas City. I went out to dinner with a few collegaues last evening, and when we left the restaurant, the rain was coming down in sheets. The next morning, there was no trace of the storm. It's amazing to me how fast the storms of the evenings got erased from existence with such great speed. Okay, enough about the weather report. I'm back to my old schedule, and there's no stopping me now. Tomorrow, the world... or at least Portland. Later.

Rings Of Hell Revisited

A historic event has occurred. I decided to end the boycott of Continental Airlines. Given the fact that they were the only carrier that could get me to Harlingen, TX, in less than three segments, I decided that it was also practical. The only problem was the fact that I never actually made it to Harlingen using Continental. You see, I never had an on-time flight on Continental this week, or in the last few years, as I recall. Anyhow, I wound up in McAllen after midnight, without transportation. So, I was forced to rent the last vehicle in McAllen -- a dirty pickup truck. In other circumstances, the sight of me climbing into the cab would have been extremely comical.

So what ended the boycott? Even though this was one of those really bad trips, and they really couldn't do anything to really help me much at all, they were still professional about it. That's all I ask of an airline -- or any other service organization for that matter. No floggings. No cavity searches. No other invasive procedures.

Later.

Partially Frozen Over

I spent some personal time in San Francisco this weekend. I had forgotten that San Francisco is one of those places that you can freeze to death in the middle of the summer. It was personal time, but I never said that it was one of those relaxing trips. I had to do one of those uneasy family reunions. Anyhow, I'll let you read all about it in one of my other blogs.

I flew into San Jose, which was not as easy as it had been, when I flew back and forth in the heyday of Reno Air, before they got bought by American. I actually did fly on an American Eagle commuter back and forth. I even had to connect in Los Angeles, once again. Not too much of an exciting experience to report. This time, it was the purpose of the trip that overshadowed everything else. Again, I'll let you read all about it elsewhere, for those of you who know where to look.

Boycott Continental. Yep, I'm still at it.

Later.

Phoenix Rising Once Again

It's August, and I'm in Phoenix. This really sounds familiar for some reason. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I've flashed back two years into the past, when my friend and former colleague Kathy and I visited Phoenix about four or five times in August. It's hot, sticky, and just as you'd expect a place like Phoenix to be. Hey, at least there's some consistency in my life once again. The craziness has started once again, and I guess that's a normal state of being. The ride into Phoenix tonight was a bit reminiscent of some old wooden roller coasters that I remember from a couple of years back. Anyhow, I'm just here for the evening, and then it's back to the daily grind. Peace out.

Boycott Continental! At least for now.

Later.

Not Frozen Over Yet

I feel like a trailblazer once again. It's surprisingly warm in the evening in the little town of Blue Springs, Missouri, tonight. I'm in the middle of a quick trip to Kansas City to do a repeat of whatever magical sales presentation that I did earlier this year in Springfield. I've got a morning appointment that could have been done over the phone, but one of the upper echelons wanted a personal visit, so I'm on a quick overnight trip to wear my tie and shake a few hands. Hopefully, I'll be able to get out of here a little early. These days the travel seems to just get in the way of the day job. Now that's a real switch from the old days.

One thing's for sure, hell would have to freeze over, thaw out, and then freeze over again before I'd ever want to think about even wanting to work at my old company again. In the last job, it was one of the most dysfunctional experiences with some of the most destructive and sadistic management that I've ever seen. It was an eye-opening experience to finally be part of something special in this last year. Even with all of the extra corporate strategic work that I've taken on in the last several months, I don't think I'd ever want to trade it in for anything.

Boycott Continental. Yes, I still mean it.

Later.

The Adventure Continues

I had lost my site for a few weeks, but I have returned. I'm currently trapped in Atlanta for the night, and I owe it all to an annoying gate agent/witch at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport. It was a short seven hour ride in from Philadelphia, in which we were trapped on the airplane on the ground for an hour while my flight to San Diego took off. Normally, that wouldn't bother me too much, because I can always find a way home. I found the way, since the Los Angeles flight had some room. However, the gate agent had a vendetta against me for some reason. The agents on the phone instructed me to get to the Los Angeles flight, but the gate agent pretty much destroyed all hopes of my return home. Hey, the ranting continues on and on and on . . . It's good to be back.

Boycott Continental. (And I'm not too crazy about Delta after this incident, either)

Later.

Vacation

I entered the world of the leisure traveler once again. I'm doing this a lot more lately. Anyhow, it was a whirlwind trip to Honolulu. I've noticed that Los Angeles seemed to have a few cutbacks in personnel lately. Even with the cutbacks, the security line seemed to move nicely. The airport in Honolulu seemed to be a bit more problematic. The ticket lines and security lines were reminiscent of an oil painting.

After the trip to Honolulu, I actually spent some time in San Diego. I had a friend over for a few days, and we toured San Diego and enjoyed the fact that we didn't have to be tied to any type of schedule. For the first time in several years, I think I finally had a chance to relax and have some fun. I've been taking myself way too seriously for way too long.

Boycott Continental! I mean it, you know.

Later.

Homecoming

It's been quite a while since I've taken the long trip off the beaten path into the past. I started with a slight detour to Neptune -- New Jersey. Anyhow, I had some business in Durham, North Carolina, one of my former residences. Unfortunately, I had a brief fifteen hours in town, and none of my friends seemed to be picking up their phones that afternoon. I had to rush back to finish up my remaining assignments at the office before I take a few vacation days next week. I'm off to Los Angeles and Honolulu for the weekend, and then it's back home for me.

Boycott Continental. I really mean it, you know.

Later.

Back In Circulation

It's been quite a wild ride for the last few weeks. After several months of being office-bound, I returned to the field. When I return, I really go overboard. I've been to Salinas, Phoenix, Dallas, Detroit, Jackson, Tampa, Miami, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Philadelphia in the last couple of weeks. While it was nice being back in circulation, I am reminded that perhaps there is some sort of happy medium between the really nutty schedule of the last few weeks, and the total absense of travel in the last couple of months. Anyhow, I'm really tired right now. I think I need some sleep.

Boycott Continental. You know you want to.

Later.

Looking Upward

I'm beginning to forget what the airport looks like. It's been about a month since I've been up in the air. It's been close to a decade since that's happened. Anyhow, I just wanted to make sure that all of my readers (all two or three of you) knew that I was still alive. I've been office bound for the last couple of months, but all of that is about to change, as trade show season continues. I'm off to Detroit, Jackson, Tampa, and Pittsburgh in May. I never thought I'd be this happy to see the airport.

Boycott Continental! Yep, I still remembered!

Later.

Speeding Through San Diego

I've been traveling a lot less lately. I did have the opportunity to do a quick day trip to Dallas last week, though. It's still nice that the people at the San Diego airport have quickly gotten to know me over the past year. I always seem to just make it to the airport lately. I had a whole ten minutes to spare this time. Last time, I cut it a bit close with only three minutes to spare. It's a good thing I still have elite status with the airlines. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to get through the security lines at warp speed.

Boycott Continental!

Later.

There's No Place Like Springfield (Again) . . .

This time, it's Springfield, MO. Yes, once again I returned to Springfield. To the left, there's an empty field. To the right, another empty field. Hmm. I'm sensing a pattern here. Anyhow, this is my only trip for the month, so I guess I'd better write about it. It was a quick trip up to Springfield, but the flights were busier than normal. In fact, even with my multi-million-miler status, I couldn't get out of those center seats on the way up and back. Despite that, I still say . . .

Boycott Continental! Yes, I really mean it.

Later.

Double Connections

To avoid Continental, I had to travel on a double connection on American from San Diego to Los Angeles to Chicago to Indianapolis. Unfortunately, when you have a couple of extra variables in the mix, there are a few more things that can go wrong with the trip. My flight in Los Angeles was delayed by a few hours, which would cause a misconnect in Chicago, where there was some weather issue. Well, I decided to catch the earlier flight out of Los Angeles, and had my luggage moved to the earlier flight. Well, when you are in the middle of LAX with multiple flights that are delayed, the chances of having you and your luggage arriving at the same time are not very good. By some miracle of American Airlines, my luggage actually made it to Indianapolis that night, and so did I. The moral of the story -- Boycott Continental. It actually works out in the end.

Boycott Continental! Yes, I do mean it.

Later.

Going To The Show

I just returned from a trade show in Dallas. Before that, it was a week's worth of a national sales meeting. To say that I'm tired would be the understatement of the year. Anyhow, it wasn't the show or the meeting that really drained me. It was the effort that I had to use to get out of the center seat that I was stuck in for the long trip home. It took six phone calls, three ticket agents, and finally a long begging session with the gate agent to get me out of the center seat. Hey, I wound up in the bathroom aisle. But at least it was an aisle.

Boycott Continental. I mean it, now.

Later.

A Time To Thaw

I'm hoping that this has been my last trip through the snow. I just returned from Duluth, MN, in the winter. Let me repeat that. I just returned from Duluth in the winter. Prior to Duluth, I spent the day in Minneapolis. Before that, it was a couple of days of Milwaukee. Just before that it was Ann Arbor, Michigan. I've definitely been breaking my "no snow" rule as of late. The flight delays seem to be getting longer and longer. I've been noticing that I've been spending a lot more time sitting on a plane that is stalled somewhere on the runway, waiting in that eternal line prior to take-off. I've actually had a lot more misconnects and delays in the last few months. Looking at airline statistics, I've noticed that the average wait time for take-off has definitely increased over the previous year.

It's time for me to thaw. I'm off to Fort Lauderdale for a couple of days. It will be a relief not to have to pack that heavy winter coat.

Boycott Continental. The grudge continues.

Later.

Spin

If you've read this month's main column, you already know that I've been traveling through the winter wonderland of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota this month. My job is in marketing these days, and part of what I do requires a process called "spinning." Basically, this just means that I find a way to place a positive (or negative) way of presenting facts. Well, I had an experience last week that gave new meaning to the the spinning process. I was in Ypsilanti. That's in Michigan, near Ann Arbor, for those of you who are interested. I was in a rental car on my way back to the airport. It was snowing and a bit icy on the road. As I am one of those overly cautious drivers, I slowed down to 15 mph for the turn onto the freeway. However, being unaccustomed to the fact that brakes should not be used while on ice, I wound up spinning the car 360 degrees in slow motion. This was one of the most disturbing experiences that I have had in a while. Anyhow, I didn't crash into anything, but I wound up in a ditch buried deep in the snow with a small tree in front of me. When I backed up, I dug myself deeper in the snow. So, contrary to all of the rules of logic, I decided to drive forward into the tree. Strange as it may seem, that did the trick -- I spun around and popped right back onto the freeway onramp.

Well, that was my mini-adventure in the Detroit area. Next, I'm headed for Minneapolis. And yes, I'm still going to be behind the wheel -- at least until someone decides that I can have a driver. Maybe I can put a better spin on this story so my company will hire a driver for me... Hmmm.

Boycott Continental! I mean it, now.

Later.

Return To Portland

Once again, I'm off to Portland this evening. It's very nice to be back on the playing field again. After a few weeks on the ground, it's quite refreshing to be back in the air once again. It's going to be a quick trip to Portland to do truly act as a consultant. I'm not really sure why I'm going, but I was asked to be there just in case. I guess it would be a good thing to actually find out why I'm going, so I'll add that to my list of things to do tomorrow.

Boycott Continental! My name is Brent, and I fly American! Can I be on the commercial, too?

Later.