Catman
May 14, 00, 6:24 pm
Another one of those Business trips!
The 4am alarm came around 3am when Yaz and Eddie started a howling match and chase around the apartment. I slowly get out of bed and next think I see is Eddie sitting on the case holding my laptop. I push him off thinking NOTHING could go wrong. Spoke too soon.
I was crabby so I managed to get my driver to take me to EWR. Had to wait a few minutes at the First Class/Premier Check-in but someone finally showed. UPgrades cleared but I had to turn over 1500 mi in certificates. It was ok, I desprately needed those first class seats to work a little and sleep a little more.
UA 637 is a complete blurr. I got on the plane, got an early boarding COke (The F-A joked that's her wakeup drink) and slept thru breakfast till we landed about a half hour later. A mad dash from Terminals C To B to the connecting flight UA 601 to get me to DFW.
You Picked a Fine Time to Fly Lucille
I managed to get some work done and this beautiful red haired (always had a thing for red haired girls) named Lucille noticed teh cat pictures I put on the tray. (I like looking at the cats as I work) and she said "Oh good, a man who likes cats." So we laughed and after I finsihed some work end up chatting on and off for about an hour about our jobs, the cats, flying, United, I told her about Flyertalk and some of my closest friends.
Lucille said I was a very lucky person to find such a wonderful group of friends. I said "I say 'THANKS' every day of my life."
We got to talk because most of the people in first just went to sleep. There were 8 First class seats, Five 1K's, 1 PremEx (ME) and two no status. She was facinated about my interest in the manifest.
The captain announced that he was landing 15 minutes early. So Lucille rushes to make the cabin ready for deboarding. I rush to get to my seat and pack up my laptop and stick it in the overhead (I'm in one b.) I head a thud upstairs but pay it more mind. BIG MISTAKE.
SO after I pass my cat businesscard to Lucille (I assumed she was NOT married) said let's meet again. STAY TUNED>
Back on the tram to the AA terminal and My connecting flight on AMERICAN To Austin:
AA 1538.
At Least It has PEPSI on Board
I had the rudest F-As in Coach who both seemed more interested in gabbing than serving the customers. I passed n whatever they were serving and just asked for a PEPSI.
The F-A makes a face to her assistant and says "there's alwasy one of those on board."
SO she slams the can on the tray table. I said "Can I have a glass too?" Another slam.
Luckily the flight was under an hour or I was going to get on the AT&T phone and call customer service for AA. This is why I prefer U-A.
One BUMP too many for the Old Black Laptop
There's a car service at baggage to take me to the station for the seminars. We get to the station and I set up for the seminar, turn on the laptop, get a Lot of gobbily gook and then a black screen. This is not good.
Call New York and find out the Laptop I got had problems on the last trip as well. "OK, then why did you give me a defective Laptop."
It was impossible to get a laptop so they would get the AUstin and then the Dallas station that I needed to use their own equipment.
The smart thing #1: I saved all my notes on hardcopy paper and disc.
Smart Thing #2: the station had three spare laptops so I just needed 10 minutes to load my discs on that.
I did NOT panic and luckily the purpose of these meetings were just to see their shows.
After two seminars, a nice steak dinner at Ruth's Chris (the boss's favorite place) ended up at the Embassy Suites (I was going to the HItlon but changed it for a cheaper rate... about 65 bucks cheaper so company can let me fly U-A!) the desk person was well aware of the Hilton HHonors linkup -- one of his first questions: "DO you want to sign up for HHonors?" I showed him my HHonors goldcard and got a nice room near the top of the hotel.
I stayed here before with Steve and Joyce. Nice hotel, nice big bed with the fold out couch for company. I crashed and prepared for the next round of Seminars and then off to DFW.
NEXT: A FOUR PAWS UP WESTIN
[This message has been edited by Catman (edited 05-14-2000).]
The 4am alarm came around 3am when Yaz and Eddie started a howling match and chase around the apartment. I slowly get out of bed and next think I see is Eddie sitting on the case holding my laptop. I push him off thinking NOTHING could go wrong. Spoke too soon.
I was crabby so I managed to get my driver to take me to EWR. Had to wait a few minutes at the First Class/Premier Check-in but someone finally showed. UPgrades cleared but I had to turn over 1500 mi in certificates. It was ok, I desprately needed those first class seats to work a little and sleep a little more.
UA 637 is a complete blurr. I got on the plane, got an early boarding COke (The F-A joked that's her wakeup drink) and slept thru breakfast till we landed about a half hour later. A mad dash from Terminals C To B to the connecting flight UA 601 to get me to DFW.
You Picked a Fine Time to Fly Lucille
I managed to get some work done and this beautiful red haired (always had a thing for red haired girls) named Lucille noticed teh cat pictures I put on the tray. (I like looking at the cats as I work) and she said "Oh good, a man who likes cats." So we laughed and after I finsihed some work end up chatting on and off for about an hour about our jobs, the cats, flying, United, I told her about Flyertalk and some of my closest friends.
Lucille said I was a very lucky person to find such a wonderful group of friends. I said "I say 'THANKS' every day of my life."
We got to talk because most of the people in first just went to sleep. There were 8 First class seats, Five 1K's, 1 PremEx (ME) and two no status. She was facinated about my interest in the manifest.
The captain announced that he was landing 15 minutes early. So Lucille rushes to make the cabin ready for deboarding. I rush to get to my seat and pack up my laptop and stick it in the overhead (I'm in one b.) I head a thud upstairs but pay it more mind. BIG MISTAKE.
SO after I pass my cat businesscard to Lucille (I assumed she was NOT married) said let's meet again. STAY TUNED>
Back on the tram to the AA terminal and My connecting flight on AMERICAN To Austin:
AA 1538.
At Least It has PEPSI on Board
I had the rudest F-As in Coach who both seemed more interested in gabbing than serving the customers. I passed n whatever they were serving and just asked for a PEPSI.
The F-A makes a face to her assistant and says "there's alwasy one of those on board."
SO she slams the can on the tray table. I said "Can I have a glass too?" Another slam.
Luckily the flight was under an hour or I was going to get on the AT&T phone and call customer service for AA. This is why I prefer U-A.
One BUMP too many for the Old Black Laptop
There's a car service at baggage to take me to the station for the seminars. We get to the station and I set up for the seminar, turn on the laptop, get a Lot of gobbily gook and then a black screen. This is not good.
Call New York and find out the Laptop I got had problems on the last trip as well. "OK, then why did you give me a defective Laptop."
It was impossible to get a laptop so they would get the AUstin and then the Dallas station that I needed to use their own equipment.
The smart thing #1: I saved all my notes on hardcopy paper and disc.
Smart Thing #2: the station had three spare laptops so I just needed 10 minutes to load my discs on that.
I did NOT panic and luckily the purpose of these meetings were just to see their shows.
After two seminars, a nice steak dinner at Ruth's Chris (the boss's favorite place) ended up at the Embassy Suites (I was going to the HItlon but changed it for a cheaper rate... about 65 bucks cheaper so company can let me fly U-A!) the desk person was well aware of the Hilton HHonors linkup -- one of his first questions: "DO you want to sign up for HHonors?" I showed him my HHonors goldcard and got a nice room near the top of the hotel.
I stayed here before with Steve and Joyce. Nice hotel, nice big bed with the fold out couch for company. I crashed and prepared for the next round of Seminars and then off to DFW.
NEXT: A FOUR PAWS UP WESTIN
[This message has been edited by Catman (edited 05-14-2000).]