Boycott Continental Airlines

I just don't believe an airline who cancels confirmed, paid, reservations with seat assignments should stay in business. I recently got bumped to 9th standby on a Continental flight, even though I showed proof that I had a paid ticket (which was thousands of dollars), and had a seat assignment.

Boycott Continental Airlines!

There's more to the story. I changed flights to another nearby city, which cost me a hundred dollars in transportation back to my original airport. However, Continental gave away my seat on that flight too. I had to resort to begging for a seat, and I got a center, even though there were aisles left over. By the time I got on board, I wasn't allowed to move from my center seat.

I'm back, and there's no stopping me now. When I get mad at someone, I do it right, don't I?

Boycott Continental Airlines!

Later.

Moon Over Parma, Yet Again

From what I've heard, Cleveland rocks. One of these days, I'll figure out what the big deal is about this. Yes, I'm back in Cleveland again. I've got to stop coming here in the winter. Anyway, I almost never see anyone I know at the airport, but this time, I unexpectedly met up with one of our VP's from North Carolina, so we rode over to the hotel together in my rental car. It's a good thing she was here, because I would have gotten lost trying to find our new office in Cleveland. I almost never visit our corporate offices these days, so finding them is a challenge. Anyhow, Delta redeemed itself today. I was really late for the flight out of LAX, and, in addition, I had a 20-minute connection in Atlanta. My luggage actually made it with me. Kudos to Delta on this one. I don't know how they were able to pull this one off. By the way, Boycott Continental Airlines. They suck. Yes, my holy war with Continental continues. Later.

Louisiana Cavity Search

I'm at war with Continental Airlines, if you can call them an airline. You see, I was traveling back from Lafeyette, LA, and I had assigned seats. Continental said that it didn't matter because I was bumped to standby status, and I'd probably get stuck in Houston anyway. Then they asked for my ticket back, and gave me a "SSSS" ticket so I could get my cavity search. This was the opening shot which started my war with Continental. After that, I got rerouted to Orange County, while my car was at LAX. Also, they gave away my confirmed window seat on the Orange County flight, because they felt like it, so I had to beg for a center. So, I had to pay for a ride to LAX. Unfortunately, I had no cash on me, so the increased challenge was there. Continental was also no help at this point either, and they really didn't care, since I have no status on them. This was a Delta codeshare, and I'm Platinum on Delta. Therefore, it reflects bad on them, too. I called to register my complaints about this, but the holy war with Continental has begun. I ask you all to join my struggle against Continental Airlines. Boycott Continental Airlines. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Later.

And The Beat Goes On

Greetings once again, my faithful readers -- all two of you. Today, I'm reporting from Denver, where I'm delayed once again on another Saturday morning. This has been an interesting week, as I wasn't expecting much more than a round trip from LAX to Denver. Unfortunately, my life is never that easy. I started on a red-eye on Tuesday to get my weary butt to New York, where the rental cars are a real pain to get to. I froze my butt off once again. After reattaching my butt and finishing my work, I caught a delayed flight into Dallas, which barely connected me into Denver. This time, I used one of those shuttle cart thingys (that's the technical term). Anyhow, I waiting in the Denver airport for two hours to get my luggage, and then got my rental car, and proceeded to get lost in the wilds of Wyoming. Yes, I know Denver is in Colorado. I kind of thought it was a bit too far of a drive to Boulder. After finishing up there, I had dinner with friends, and now, here I am reporting back to you about my week. That's all for now from the exciting misdaventures of me. Hopefully, I'll make it home in time to take off tomorrow, once again. Later.

Trapped In Chicago

I had a choice -- be trapped in Dallas without luggage, or be trapped in Chicago with luggage. Since I still experience the common psychosis of luggage separation anxiety, I opted with the latter. I spent the night at the Hilton by O'Hare airport, and got a good night's sleep, for the first time in quite a while. I'm not going to make it to my regular Saturday routine, so it's a good thing that I'm taking Monday off. Anyhow, hopefully I'll get home today at some point. I've got a whole lot of laundry to do. I just learned that I'm back in Cleveland later this month. By now, I'm sure you all know my feelings about Cleveland in February. Anyhow, I've got to check out, and get to my newly delayed flight. Onward to the ticket counter. Later.

Twisted Traditions

I'm back in St. Louis, once again. My long-time readers already know this, but I started my rantings on this website because I had some travel issues on the way back from a trip to St. Louis two years ago. I got searched in baggage claim --BAGGAGE CLAIM, I tell you! Anyhow, that's was only the beginning. Last year around this time, I also returned to St. Louis in order to get diverted to Cleveland for the previously mentioned Falling Down incident. So, I guess my return into St. Louis (and Cleveland) is now becoming an annual tradition. It's a bit twisted, but it's still a tradition. Later.

Another Moon Over Parma

I'm back in Cleveland, back at the same Courtyard where my Falling Down incident happened around the same time last year. Spooky -- It's Groundhog Day all over again. . . Getting here was half the fun, once again. I booked a room in Middleburg Heights, but I wound up back in North Olmstead, right where I was about a year ago. As I recall, I was heading to a meeting with people from Youngstown during that visit, too. After I stopped in Middleburg Heights, they told me that I was booked in North Olmstead, which is pretty annoying, since it's in the wrong direction. It's pretty sad when you live in Los Angeles, and can make the distinction of traffic patterns in Cleveland. There's slush or whatever you call that icy, gooky stuff that I had to wade through once at each hotel. It's been raining here, so I got soaked through the five layers of clothes that I was wearing. I'm beat to the socks, but I heard somewhere that Cleveland Rocks! I'm beginning to feel like Robert Wagner. Later.

Prelude To A Trip

It's another Sunday night before I fly out once again. This is going to be yet another flight of insanity, which will take me into Dallas, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, back to Dallas, onward to Houston, back to Dallas again, then onward to Chicago, and back to Dallas before returning home. You see, in order to take a trip into the fiery depths of hell, you have to connect in either Dallas or Chicago, even if hell has frozen over. Sometimes, it will take a double connection with Atlanta or St. Louis thrown into the mix. It's true -- hell froze over last week, and it hasn't thawed out yet. I'm on my way to Cleveland, and I think the following movie moment expresses exactly how I feel:

Movie moment:
Delirious (1990)

John Candy: "What're you doing here? I sent you to Cleveland."
Robert Wagner: "I ought to kill you for just that."

Later.

That Stupid Agency

With some of the new rules imposed by the TSA (aka That Stupid Agency) to certain airlines, it's no wonder that road warriors like myself seem to be burning out at a rather rapid pace. I'm in Sacramento, listening to the wonderful security announcements blaring on the loudspeakers. They seem to have increased the volume so that you can hear the information while in the bathroom. Their latest set of regulations are a bit over the top. I just checked in at the airport, and they told me that my connecting boarding pass could not be printed because that flight takes off more than 4 hours from the time you are checking in. Let's see now... In order to get through security, you have to be at the airport about 2 hours in advance. I can deal with that... Now, if you have a flight which lasts 1-2 hours (which I have), and you have a layover in a connecting city that lasts 1 hour (which I also have), you're not allowed to get your freaking boarding pass until you get to your connecting city. Now, if you're running late due to weather, (which we probably will be), you will miss your flight, because you have to stand in another line to get your stupid boarding pass. Thank you, TSA, you bunch of freaking morons! I'm still in hell, and all the boarding passes have disappeared. I wanna go home!!!! Later.

Hell Freezes Over

Hell has frozen over. It's the only explanation for it all. I'm in Bloomington, IL, and it's COLD. I mean really, really, really cold. I got rerouted through St. Louis in order to get here, several hours later that my regularly scheduled time. So, naturally, since it's darker and later in the day, the temperature seems to have dropped quite a bit. I had problems with the airline today. They took my computer and electronics from me at the plane. I told the guy not to take it, but he grabbed it from me. I told him to expect my lawsuit when things don't work in the morning. I haven't tested all my electronics, so we'll see what happens in the morning. I'm writing a rare letter to the airline about this one. We landed in Bloomington, and were greeted by extremely harsh winds and a temperature of 8 degrees, with a wind chill well below zero. I have one more trip to Sacramento tomorrow, but I connect in St. Louis and Dallas, so I'm not sure if I'll make it all the way. Later.

In Ice And Darkness

I got snowed on! That's something I try to avoid at almost any cost. I'm reporting from a little town outside Dallas, TX, where I can hear train whistles blowing throughout the evening, and I know that I'm not going to get much sleep tonight. I feel like I'm having a flashback to the movie My Cousin Vinny. Ice buildup on the airplane in Chicago caused various delays. In fact, the de-icing truck decided to break down, blocking the airplane at the gate. By the time they towed it away, more ice built up. Suddenly, six hours later, I got to Dallas. I was going to have one of those rare days when I actually arrived at my destination during daylight hours. Unfortunately, by the time I got here, it was already dark. I'm stuck between ice and darkness once again. I could really use one of those tropical vacations, or a Florida assignment... SOON! I'm off to Bloomington, IL, and Sacramento, CA, for the rest of the week. My flight to Bloomington tomorrow was already cancelled, so let's see how I get myself out of this mess. Later.

Back To Basics

After a long absence, I have returned. I realize I've been here all along, but for the first time, I'm feeling a little better about everything in general. It's possible that I feel this way because this is the longest possible time period prior to the next time I'm forced to participate in another sales meeting. This one was one of those more difficult ones for me with all of the additional work that was required for preparation. It's back to basics for me.

As I mentioned, I spent the week at our annual sales meeting in Tampa. This was one of the best meetings in quite a while, and the first one I've attended that I did not perceive as a punitive session. Getting there was half the fun. I was required to be there before 3:30pm on Sunday, so I had to travel a day early in order to get there in time. We had a hotel that was a bit over-the-top. I had a room that was as big as my house. That never usually happens on the road. Anyhow, I'm back to my regular schedule next week. It's onward to Dallas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles for me. At least there's some consistency within the universe... for now. Later.

Insanity Takes A Holiday

I took a quick vacation as a prelude to the infinite torture that awaits. However, I'm not going to dwell on work right now. I had a nice whirlwind vacation, and I think it was a bit too short. I am experiencing one of the final stages of burnout in my present job. I don't have any kind of motivation to go back to work. That's a really significant thing to hear coming from a person like me. I'm not getting lazy or anything like that. After all, I am a true workaholic, or at least, I was one until last week. But that is a story for another day. I went to Hawaii for a couple of days, but I brought my laptop with me to do some work, so you know I haven't completely changed. Later.

Another New York Minute

I've been neglecting my editorial duties here. I apologize to my readers -- all three of you. Anyhow, the story continues from New York last Saturday, where I met with Denise to work on a project. I got back from New York on Saturday afternoon. I've been on a working vacation for the last several days, and I'm thinking that I need to reschedule my vacation to sometime in March at this rate. I left New York at six in the morning, or as a friend of mine likes to call it -- 'o dark thirty. Now, as you already know, I don't mix with mornings, unless, of course, it is some time around 3 am, in which case you would be catching me right before bed. There were quite a few delays on the journey home, mostly due to the increased security procedures. My flights were delayed in Dallas due to the fact that we couldn't get to the gate because they weren't done getting the other plane out. That was, no doubt, due to the additional searches that they are doing during the Orange Alert. I was a bit zombified **hey, I invented a new word** while roaming the airport gates in Dallas. I got back in one piece, more or less, and to the right airport. How about that! I guess I can do this travel nonsense in my sleep. It's time for a quick trip to Hawaii before Judgement Day, also known as the annual Sales Meeting in Tampa. I'm leaving in a few more hours, so I'll bid adieu for now. Later.

Home For The Holidays

Holiday travel is one of those things that all road warriors try to avoid, if possible. In the last few trips during this holiday season, I've noticed that many people are just forgetting about common courtesy while traveling. In one trip, some vacationers were boarding with several oversized pieces of luggage. I don't know how they got it past security. Many families were traveling during the season. Most kids are pretty well-behaved, but I inevitably get some kid sitting behind me, kicking the seat continuously for the entire trip. Just before the Orange Alert started up again, a lady sitting behind me was complaining about the size of the aircraft, and the fact that we were on the ground pushed back from the gate for ten whole minutes. Then she proceeded to complain about the pretzels and drinks. She just wouldn't shut up for the entire trip. I guess some of this stuff is universal, but it does seem more pronounced during the holiday season. Maybe next year I'll stay home for the holidays. I'm off to New York tomorrow, which seems only fitting, as it is the first day of 2004. Happy New Year! Later.

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of my readers. I posted this on another one of my sites, but I thought I'd run it simulcast here.

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the nation,
Another trip came up, much to my indignation,
The road warriors were home, all except for me,
I was trapped in Orlando on December 23,

The roadways were jammed. It was a terrible place.
And as for the parking, not even a space.
The airplanes were crowded, not even a seat,
For friends and family for the people to meet.

The wait time was longer, about two or three hours,
While waiting in line next to people who don't take showers,
The odor was alarming. It really did stink.
By the end of the line, I needed a drink.

I don't really touch alcohol, not even a bit,
But traveling before Christmas puts me in a snit
The alert level was orange, a step above yellow,
Which made travel nuts, and definitely not mellow,

The agents were nasty, and as rude as can be,
For the week I got searched, not two times, but three,
Wanded and prodded and patted and poked,
It would be easier to just shoot me, as I've often joked.

A woman complained about the size of the plane,
She wouldn't shut up, and said it again.
Her husband was patient, but she was so loud,
Her voice filled the airplane and disturbed the crowd.

The children were screaming really loud in my ear,
In the seat behind me, and kicking the rear.
Our plane trip was over, it was a long way to fly,
Through snowstorms and thunder that lit up the sky.

For luggage, in line, we waited and waited,
On the speaker was someone who seem constipated,
I'm finally home, and that being said,
Merry Christmas to all! I'm going to bed.

I think this sums up the week pretty well. And, as I mentioned on that other site of mine, I guess I can't quit my day job to become a poet. Happy Hoildays to all! Later.

Hibernation

I just got up, and it's after two in the afternoon. I'd usually be working right now, but since e-mail and other services are down right now, I just thought I'd goof off for a little while. It's been quite a while since I've done that. It's also been such a long time since I've had my usual weekly hibernation session. After all, without this session to recharge my batteries, I'd completely melt down during the week. As you can imagine, with my schedule lately, I haven't had too many chances to recharge. This is the first time I feel like I've actually gotten a good night's sleep in a really, really long time. It doesn't sound like I'm going to get much sleep in the upcoming months, so I guess I'd better enjoy it now. I'm back on the road again tomorrow, and then I'm going to take a well-deserved vacation for a couple of weeks. Later.

Passing Time

Yet another year has passed, and I'm still on the road. I'm on the road 51 out of 52 weeks this year. I spent the greater part of my birthday today in Minnesota, freezing my butt off. I expected to get stuck in Minneapolis, but they seem to have a good handle on dealing with snow. Much better than I do, anyway. As I mentioned earlier, I don't do snow very well. I especially attempt to avoid it on my birthday. I got delayed in Chicago today, and got myself a hot chocolate. That's about it. Not much excitement, other than the fact that I'm on the road and going to bed in Tampa, FL, tonight. So, another year, and a kazillion miles later, happy birthday to me! Later.

Going To Extremes

I can't believe I have to get back out into the field already. It's bad enough that I don't get to sleep any more, due to these early flights. My birthday is on Tuesday, and I'm spending it in Minnesota, and I'm getting on a plane to Florida after that. Talk about going to extremes, huh? Yep, it's Minneapolis and Tampa this week, and my flight is in a few hours, so I've got to start packing. What happens to these weekends anyway? I spent the weekend working, and I'm still not caught up. I seem to remember telling myself that I would stop working on Saturdays. I wonder what happened to that plan? I'm looking at the calendar, and you can congratulate me, because I've been traveling EVERY WEEK THIS YEAR!!!! This is a first for me. It's already the middle of December, and my first week that I'm not traveling (for business) is the week beginning December 29th. That's just not right. No wonder I've been cranky this year. I'd get a desk job, but not traveling would be an even worse shock to my system. Talk about extremes... Later.

A New York Minute

This has not been a good week for transportation. I wasn't supposed to get a car in New York, but I did, because my colleague had a plane delayed due to the weather in the northeast. Apparently, the 18 inches of snow made things run a little slower in Boston and New York. At least I didn't have to drive much in New York, since my friend Denise was able to drive around in the snow and ice for me. I do not mix well with snow, as I have mentioned earlier. I had trouble with the car rental people, as someone gave away my car, and I had someone else's name on my receipt. It took a while to get that fixed, and it took the hotel an hour to send a shuttle to pick me up at the airport on Long Island. Of course, I was waiting in the freezing cold weather, because they said that it would be there any minute. I returned my rental car the night before I had to leave, since I had one of those quadruple connections at 6am, before the car rental place opened. The hotel only offered shuttle service between 6am and 10pm. Since the hotel was relatively new, the taxi driver in the morning couldn't find it, and when he finally showed up it was 40 minutes before the plane was taking off. Then the real fun began. I flew into Boston, and had to switch terminals, but at least I wasn't traveling alone from Boston to San Francisco. Unfortuneately, from Boston, we had to connect in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Usually, I wouldn't mind a connection in Las Vegas, but we only got 10 minutes there, so what's the point of that? We got to San Francisco eventually, and had to deal with the fact that car rentals are really, really, really far away from the terminals, and it was really confusing to get there with the relatively new train system. It's off to Minnesota for me next week, despite my better judgement. I wanna go home!! Later.