Holiday Greetings

Happy Holidays to all! I'm enjoying semi-retirement. Really! I've managed to avoid the hustle and bustle of holiday travel for the first time in many years. The only downside was the fact that I had to be on-call at the corporate office during the holiday week. I actually wound up going into the office just about every day this week. Once again, old habits die hard. Almost all of the major work is completed, so it should be a short day tomorrow. The adventures at 30,000 feet resume on Monday -- onward to Portland. Oregon, not Maine again.

Happy New Year! Boycott Continental!

Later.

Real Life Sequel

I was just in Phoenix this weekend -- well, let's say I was passing through the Phoenix airport, when suddenly, a page was heard overhead... "Captain Oveur. Captain Clarence Oveur. Please pick up the white courtesy phone. " Sounds like a normal page doesn't it? For those of you who do not recognize the reference, this comes from the movie Airplane! Well, if that wasn't bad enough, a few seconds later, the same voice overhead announced, "No, the white phone."

Something told me that sanity had gone right out the window. After all, an hour earlier, I saw the lit up sign on one of the gates -- Flight: HoHo. Departing: Dec24 Destination: North Pole. Limit 8 reindeer per Santa Claus.

Since sanity has completely left the building, it's time for me to keep my feet on the ground for the rest of the year. So, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. The adventures will continue next year. Really! I already have a trip scheduled on January 3rd, and I'm sure there will be a lot more to tell.

Boycott Continental! Where would we be without a little consistency in the universe?

Later.

Portland Du Jour

I spent last Tuesday in Portland. It was an incredibly fast trip, and one of the more interesting ones, since I got stuck on an airline on which I didn't have any kind of status. I got stuck in the back of the plane with the bald guy in front of me, and he decided to lean back all the way crushing my legs. I've noticed that the sensors at the airports are a bit more sensitive, especially on holiday weeks. It was interesting that my watch set everthing off, so I could get my regularly scheduled groping and flogging.

I had dinner with my friend Larry at a Thai restaurant in Portland on Tuesday night. It's nice to see friends on the road. After dinner, I raced back to San Diego, with a minor flogging at the Portland airport. Despite the fact that it was Tuesday before Thanksgiving, it was still a busy travel day.

Boycott Continental! Really, now.

Later.

The Barriers Return

I made it to Toronto last night with great difficulty. Remember all of those barriers and hoops you have to jump through to get onto an airplane? Well, I hit every one of them on my way to Toronto. I even had the same issues through customs. It all started with my overly intrusive pat-down in San Diego. The alarm went off for the first time in over a year. It seems that they must have a different policy when traveling on Saturday, so beware! After that, I had the gut who wouldn't cover his mouth when coughing sitting next to me on the plane. In addition, the annoying bald guy in front had to lean back all the way and crush my legs, and then have the audacity to claim that my knee was in the back of his chair. Then there was the normal issue of entering Canada on business. The whole experience must have taken a lot out of me, because I needed a nap for the first time in quite a while.

Boycott Continental! I mean it, you know.

Later.

Sleepless In Seattle Again

I'm back in Seattle, after a wild ride to Savannah, Detroit, Lexington, and Louisville last week. Showtime begins at six in the morning, and setup starts at four, so I will truly be sleepless in Seattle once more. I'm playing technical advisor to a client that's visiting Seattle for a conference, and we just got through a dry run of the presentation tomorrow. It's been a bad set of travel weeks, thanks to some really bad adventures on Delta and America West. When you don't have top tier status on an airline, they really have a license to treat you like crap. It was nothing out of the ordinary -- late flights, early connections, giving away your seat even though you landed late and are on the other side of the terminal in Phoenix... You know, the usual stuff. I'd rant some more here, but I've got some work to do, so I'll catch you later.

Boycott Continental! I'm serious.

Later.

Gearing Up

I've been a bit dormant lately. Desk duty is nice for a little while, but it's nice to have it intertwined with a little travel here and there. My attitude toward some of the travel has changed a little since I stopped the full-time road warrior adventure. I did a couple of quick day trips to Yuma and Solvang over the last few weeks for pleasure. I'm acutally traveling for pleasure, and I've noticed the stress level seems to be a lot lower.

Anyhow, I'm gearing up for my next adventure on Wednesday which will take me back to the eastern time zone once again. I'm off to Savannah, GA, to speak at a conference, and then onward to Detroit to speak at yet another conference. Then I have some sales calls to make in Kentucky. By the way, this is all one big trip which spans a little more than a week. Yes, when I travel, I do it right.

Boycott Continental! It's the right thing to do.

Later.

Connections

It's been a couple of weeks since I've been on the playing field again. Old habits die hard, I guess. It's the middle of the night (well actually around 6am) in Chicago. I came here on Monday, went home to San Diego, had dinner with my friend Patty, who was visiting San Diego, went to a meeting, and hopped on a red-eye to connect, ironically, in Chicago on my way to Detroit. I couldn't get a direct flight in to Chicago earlier this week, but whenever I'm going someplace else, I have to connect here. Something is just not right with our airline system here. Oh, well.

Boycott Continental! I mean it!

Later.

Travel Nirvana

I experienced something new in my latest adventure to Dallas. I call it Travel Nirvana. It was the first time that most everything actually went right on a business trip. It was incredible. Everything just fell into place. I had a relatively deserted airport upon check-in, which made me the only one going through security. While the plane was relatively full, it was still an uneventful trip. Since my destination was Dallas, I think I must have been the only one getting off the plane, as my luggage was the first and only out of the carosel. I had a nice lunch with my friend Dee in Dallas. For those of you who don't travel for a living, it's a rare thing to actually be able to coordinate a meal with a friend when on a business trip. Anyhow, my business trip went well, and I had a good presentation that went off without a hitch. To top it off, my luggage was the first off the carosel back in San Diego. If only I could experience this Travel Nirvana with each trip...

Boycott Continental!

Later.

Gate Assignment Blues

Last week's adventure sent me through Chicago, where planes circle round and round without a gate to call home. Seriously. I just had a double whammy experience in Chicago where my gate was listed as NO. Now, my first reaction was that a new Terminal N had been built with gate zero. After all, gate A0 exists at Dallas Fort Worth. But, since there is an overabundance of flights into O'Hare lately, there aren't enough gates to accommodate all of them. Therefore, on a few flights out of Chicago last week, I got stuck without a gate. I really didn't think that the gate assignment would be a yes/no answer in Chicago. I can understand having that as a valid response in Salisbury, Maryland, or Laramie, Wyoming, but not Chicago. Anyway, I eventually escaped from Chicago, and actually made it back home in one piece -- sort of. It's a ground assignment for me for the next couple of weeks, so I'll sign off for now.

Boycott Continental!

Later.

Moon Over Parma, Revisited

I just spent a couple of days in Cleveland. There were really no unusal events this time round. However, I didn't rent a car this time, so I guess there wasn't too much circumstance that could get me into trouble. I was in Continental land. After all, one of the Continental hubs is Cleveland. Even though I had the wonderful experience of having some big guy jabbing his elbow into my gut on a commuter flight from Dallas, I still prefer that experience to flying on Continental. Yes, I'm still holding a grudge.

Boycott Continental! I mean it. Really. No joke.

Later.

Missed Delays

I was listening to the news today. I heard about the mess that happened with American and US Air. For those of you who haven't heard, there was a computer glitch that caused some grounding of flights. Anyhow, the computer error was rectified, but the resulting delays and missed routings were pretty bad. Fortunately, I've been grounded for the last couple of weeks, so I missed all of the fun. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic). I've got some new adventures scheduled to start next week, so I'll be back at that time to share all of those interesting adventures.

Boycott Continental. I mean it, now!

Later.

On The Homefront

I've spent the last week off the road, sort of. I had a company meeting in town at one of the local hotels. There was a lot of work that went into that meeting, and it turned out pretty well. I'm glad that it's finally over. Now I can actually get some work done, and plan to get back out into the field where I belong. I've got some interesting adventures coming up. In two weeks, we'll start in Indianapolis for a day, and then pop over to somewhere in West Virginia, and wind up the week in Cleveland. After a quick jaunt home to swap out my laundry, it's off to Boston and Chicago for me. Wow! I'm tired just thinking about it. Oddly enough, I kind of miss the airport. Now that's just sick.

Boycott Continental! When I hold a grudge, I do it right.

Later.

I'll Take Manhattan

No, I'm not in some sort of Valerie Bertenelli television miniseries. I'm actually reporting from Manhattan this time. I'm sort of lacking in my editorial duties, but it's been pretty busy on the homefront. Remember, I created this blog to report all of my strange adventures on the road. When one is home too much, there's really not much to write about from the world of the road warrior. I've been hemorrhaging cash here in the city with all of the taxis and three-hundred-dollar-a-night hotel rooms. I got done early, so I'll be heading back to good old San Diego in the morning. It's been kind of strange during this adventure. I really look out of place in the big city. I haven't been here too often, so whenever I get the chance to walk around, I have to remember not to have that deer-in-the-headlights look, gazing upward to the sea of tall buildings. I mean, really, that's just like painting a target on my back. In any event, sorry for not writing too much lately. I'll have a few more reports from the field soon. After all, once a road warrior, always a road warrior.

Boycott Continental! I didn't forget, you know.

Later.

When Worlds Collide

I've started to finally settle in to my new career and I think I have managed to keep up with some semblance of my personal life. I spent the last couple of weeks in Little Rock, Boston, Orlando, and most recently Sonoma. I've been able to mix some personal travel into my schedule. After my trip to Orlando last week, I took some personal time in Napa Valley to attend my friend Kathy's wedding. Those of you who know me can find pictures on one of my other web sites. Yes, I have more than two. You can read all about my adventures and see all of the pictures at my other site. Anyhow, I seem to have been sliding in my editorial duties for the past couple of weeks. I've had a few distractions in the last couple of weeks, but I'm back, and there's no stopping me now!

Congratulations Kathy and Pat!!!

Boycott Continental! Yes, I'm serious.

Later.

Business As Usual

It's kind of odd what I would consider as normal. In the life of a normal road warrior, I guess we could define normal as delayed flights, screaming kids on planes, and sick people spreading their germs across the country. In fact, all of that happened to me once again in my latest adventure into Little Rock. It all started when a guy sat next to me on the airplane, and started hacking his lungs out. After he put his lungs back in, I got delayed in Dallas, as usual. The delay in Dallas caused the airline to send me on an earlier flight, which caused a chain reaction in lost luggage. Well, it really wasn't lost luggage, but rather, the plane was missing in action for several hours. After a tearful reunion with my luggage several hours later, I retired to my hotel room. Yes, it's business as usual. Everything is really back to normal.

By the way, boycott Continental Airlines! I haven't forgotten, you know.

Later.

There's No Place Like Home

I'm back. Bet you thought I had disappeared from the universe, huh? Anyhow, I just moved my computer to my new home base in San Diego, so I'm starting my posts from here. Just when I started to get used to cube land, I've discovered that it's time for me to get back onto the playing field with a vengeance. Next week, it's onward to Little Rock. In the mean time, I've got to finish my move. All I've got in my house is a bed and computer. Well, I guess those are the essential things of life.

Boycott Continental. No fooling.

Later.

Return To Active Duty

I spent the last couple of days on the road, and it was good. Although I really don't quite know what I'm doing yet, it was a nice feeling to be a moving target once again. Now, I'm not planning on riding out into the day with guns blazing on some wild adventure. After all, I left that world behind a few weeks ago. I was in Palm Springs a couple of days ago. Well, to be more accurate, I was in La Quinta, CA, at a nice resort. I was working a modified trade show assignment for company management. That was a nice change. Then, I traveled onward to Portland for a quick site visit. It was supposed to last two days, but it turned out to last only a couple of hours. So, I caught an early flight back, and drove down to San Diego to check on the new home, and returned to Los Angeles, where I actually do have a bed to sleep in. Yep, it's been a really busy couple of days for me, and I'm feeling uncustomarily tired. I'll be glad when this move is finally over.

Boycott Continental Airlines! I really, really mean it, you know!

Later.

Back In The Saddle Again

I'm back, and there's no stopping me now. I've been learning some new stuff at my new job, and I'm going to be out in the field once again. I'm starting with a quick trip into Portland later next week. Anyhow, I'm going to be flying out of Orange County, since I'm still in the middle of my move. It's weird, but I'm actually looking forward to getting back into the field for a couple of days. The nice part is that, since I have my meetings and office time, I'll not be traveling at an absurd pace again.

I'm hoping to be moved into my new place in San Diego next week some time. Well, at least, I hope to take possession of my new place next week, even though I'll be in Portland. I've got a busy week ahead, just like this one that just ended. I've been in meetings all week, and after that, I've been stuck in traffic for the last few hours. I just got back into Los Angeles after a long journey home. I haven't been this happy in quite a while. I should have done this a long time ago.

Boycott Continental! Really! No joke! I'm serious.

Later.

The Road Home

It's been a great first week at the new job, and I'm adjusting to life on the ground -- temporarily. One of the other people in the office is going to do some field stuff for me, while I do a couple of office projects to get oriented to the company. I'll be back in the saddle again in a couple of weeks, and likely very busy in the field from that point. I'm moving in a couple of weeks, also. The timing coincides perfectly -- I'll get a new home, and that's when I start the endless journey, once again. Until then, I'm doing the prairie dog imitation in cubeland in the office. I got a cool new laptop, and some other neat stuff, so life is good. You know, it's been a week, and I somehow don't seem to miss the cavity searches. Maybe I am normal, after all. Well, that may be taking it a bit too far. Travel safe, everyone, and I'll see you at 39,000 feet really soon.

Boycott Continental. I mean it, you know.

Later.

Suddenly, Eight Years Later. . .

I've been told that I'm still in the "honeymoon" phase of the new job. But, I still think it's true... You really don't realize how bad you've had it, until you decide to leave and get another job. I'm ramping up to get myself more useful in the field for my new job, so I'll be back in the saddle again very soon. Until then, I think I'm going to enjoy being temporarily grounded. It's kind of fun being able to talk to people in the office, and go to various meetings. The novelty will wear off, I'm sure. I've still got to move, because this drive from Los Angeles to San Diego is a bit ridiculous. The traffic in San Diego seems a bit worse than Los Angeles or Atlanta. No kidding.

Boycott Continental. No joke.

Later.

Best Of Both Worlds

I just drove back into the Los Angeles area from my first day of work in San Diego. They were right about one thing -- commuting is not an option. It was a really good first day of work. I'm feeling a bit like a fish out of water, but it's kind of a neat feeling. I've got a new laptop, better benefits, and a lot of new people to meet. Apparently, I got a big build-up a couple of weeks ago, as noted in one of the sales presentations that I read today. I might get to work from home, and just go into the office for meetings and stuff. That's pretty neat. It's really the best of both worlds. I called my new travel desk today, and they seemed like nice people. They even got me a closer hotel for the duration. I'm grounded for a little while, and loving it!

Boycott Continental. I really mean it this time!

Later.

End Of The Line

Well, it's over. My career as a full-time road warrior has come to and end. All that's left is the annoying paperwork that goes along with the job. I just flew on Southwest to get back home from Kansas City. I don't know which is more ironic, Kansas City as the last trip, or the fact that I actually flew on Southwest. My last day is tomorrow, and I have a lot of administrative stuff to take care of, so I'll be out of the office most of the day. After that, I focus on the move for a couple of days, and then it's life in San Diego.

Boycott Continental. I'm not kidding!

Later.

Taxing Moments

I've finished week two of three, and I'm getting ready for my final week. Up to this point, I'm wondering why I've spent so much time on the road. I looked into my travels, and three million frequent flyer miles later, I'm still here. No wonder I'm so tired. I think I've worn out every last tread, and that half-time desk job is starting to sound really, really appealing. This has been my final cross-country trip. Actually, I'm reporting from Florida, which is a nice place to be stuck for the night. I heard from my new employer today, and I'm quite gratified that someone out there needs me. Anyhow, the long road home begins in the morning, and I have some errands to run before I travel out on Saturday morning.

Boycott Continental! I mean it. Really. No kidding.

Later.

Miami Blues

I'm still sick, but Miami is a great place for recuperation. I'm off to Key West tomorrow, and I finish up in South Beach on Thursday. Now, that's the way to go out in style. This is my last cross-country trip for this job. I'm finished after next Friday, but I start the new job the following Monday. I'm going to travel a lot less, so, for all intents and purposes, I'm going into semi-retirement after next Friday. Retirement might not be a bad thing. I'm thinking that I should be home right now, cleaning up, and cleaning out my files. After all, it's been eight years, and the company is not really concerned about me leaving anyway. I really could use some time to do some miscellaneous paperwork, but they're keeping me on the road until I leave, which is also a bit disturbing. At least I'll always have Key West. Boycott Continental! Later.

Home Stretch

I'm trying to get over this cold, but it seems that the cold is winning. I'm off to Florida tomorrow, but Florida will not exactly be catching me at my best. I'm starting the home stretch, in more ways than one. I just returned from a buying trip in San Diego. There are only four houses for sale in the entire area. Isn't that pathetic? Anyhow, I did manage to put a bid in on one of them. Anyhow, it's trip time once again. I've got to get my weary butt back on yet another airplane. I'm glad this is over soon. I'm really starting to get too old for this.

Boycott Continental!

Later.

Malfunction

I caught a bad cold last Saturday, and traveled to Durham on Sunday. Of course, my head pretty much exploded into many little pieces on Sunday night after the flight. It's a good thing I can turn on and off my "game face" because I had to do a presentation and a two-day training session while on various cough and flu medications. I think my "auto-pilot" mode was starting to malfunction. You see, I used to have the ability to just speak on specific topics without having to think about it. This also includes the inevitable question and answer sessions as well. For the last couple of days, my "auto-pilot" started to fail intermittently.

I got to see just about everyone in the office one last time, which is really the most important reason for the trip. Despite the fact that my head felt detatched, I did have a nice dinner with some of my friends from the office. Anyhow, I just got back home from Durham, and my head exploded again from the plane ride. I need to take another pill.

Boycott Continental!

Later.

The Journey's End Begins . . .

Well, I finally put my resignation in today. It's been a great run for the last eight years, but my day is finally over -- at least at my present job. I'm off to start a new adventure in three weeks, and while there will be some travel involved, I'm ending this chapter of my life. Based upon what's been happening at work over the last couple of years, I'm long overdue for my departure. I called many of my colleagues in the field today to inform them personally, and I'm off to Durham on Sunday to tell everyone in the office in person. This is going to be an interesting few weeks ahead.

Boycott Continental!

Later.

Another United Moment

I've spent quite a bit of time on the road lately, and this last trip, once again on United, was a bit disturbing. I had a guy that was taking up one and a half seats, leaving me with only a half a seat on a commuter plane. That was one of the most uncomfortable flights I had in quite a while. Bad enough that the flight wasn't upgradeable because it was on a free ticket, but it was a bit delayed. I started wondering if all of this has been worth doing for the last couple of years, and I think it might be time for me to retire. We'll see what happens during the rest of the week. Boycott Continental! Yes, when I hold a grudge, I do it right! Later.

United We Fall

I was on United and Southwest all week, which forced me to be at the airports a few hours early just to make it in time for my planes. Sometimes that isn't a bad thing, though. I went in to the office to get my computer fixed, and then flew back home after getting yelled at in the office. Some extra time in the airport gives you a chance to think and reflect. I guess it was just fate that delayed me in Chicago once again. I stopped by a snack bar that several of my colleagues gathered in October, 2001, when we were on a four-city tour. I hadn't been back there in the intervening years, since I don't usually fly on United. Even though it was one of those crazy, unorthodox trips with flight delays and excessive searches, I do remember that we still enjoyed each other's company, and we accomplished what was necessary for our journey. Those days are now gone, and even though I'm still delivering the same levels of service to everyone, I know my heart isn't in this any more, and I'm sensing that many spirits have been crushed. I'm putting together some work and other notes for my colleagues just in case I get laid off soon, since that seems to be the way the wind is blowing lately. I may be bitter, but I'm not bitter enough to forget that my friends and colleagues still count on me for many things. I'm not going to let them down either.

You know, the only thing bad about this United experience was the fact that I had excessively long lines in some airports, and I had to arrive way too early in order to make the flight. Not having any kind of status with an airline really stinks. It does make a difference. No kidding. Boycott Continental!

Later.

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.