davesfolhr
Jun 22, 06, 10:44 pm
PR people travel a lot. PR people who represent companies in Silicon Valley and Boston while telecommuting from Charlottesville, VA travel even more. I don’t mind a bit of travel, as the hotel points and airline miles are ultimately useful at vacation time, and too much central Virginia humidity can kill a Yankee in summertime.
Here’s a brief overview of this week’s trip:
Tuesday: Uneventful USAir flight from Richmond to Boston, pick up rental car, drive to the lovely Fairfield Inn Tewksbury (https://marriott.com/property/propertypage/BOSFT) , where the bathroom light does not work but all else is fantastic for $89/night. Work.
Wednesday: Rehearse new business pitch with teammates from NYC. Pitch potential client, for roughly 70 minutes longer than planned (this is good), which results in missing last USAir flight of day from Boston-Richmond (this is bad). Drop off those teammates who did not miss their own flights, drop off rental car, visit with eminently reasonable folks from USAir who agree to let me go home on standby basis on Thursday for the low low price of $25, visit with all Logan Airport hotels (all of which are sold out), finally secure room at Sheraton Boston for usurious rate of $299. Work. Discover that Noah (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/member.php?u=2481) is up the street seeing My Morning Jacket and the Boston Symphony (http://www.bso.org/symphonyHall/genCTwoSH.jhtml?id=bcat2540004&area=inf) , walk there and arrive at 9:15, 40 minutes before the program’s end. Am given free fourth row orchestra ticket by nice departing rich person in tuxedo (go Boston rich people!), see excellent show until 10:05, watch The Slip (http://www.theslip.com) play in Symphony Hall until 10:45, return to hotel, sleep like zombie.
Thursday: Check in with USAir friends from last night at Logan Airport in morning. Watch several full flights leave without me. Summary of my conversations with USAir people:
Me: “Hi, can I go home now?”
USAir staffer: “Eff you very much. Go back to your seat.”
(later) Me: “Seriously, could I go home now? My wife misses me and it’s too loud for me to do calls here.”
Different USAir staffer: “Awww. Were the other gate agents mean to you? Come over here.”
Am assured of seat on 2 PM Richmond-bound non-stop flight at latest. Then am told that I am guaranteed on 1:30 PM flight via LaGuardia. Minutes later, am told that same is overbooked and that I have been involuntarily denied boarding, earning myself a free ticket anywhere in the lower 48 states for basically doing nothing (huzzah!). Am given first class ticket to Pittsburgh and connecting regional jet ticket to Richmond for my ongoing inconvenience. Even though I have been working most of the day, issuance of first class ticket plus free ticket hints that I am emerging as a Big Pimping Daddy (http://www.bigbaer.com/jay_z_big_pimpin.htm) - spare tire, bad haircut and laptop notwithstanding.
Celebrate confirmed seat with lunch at the airport food court, where I get to spend 10 minutes talking with Trey Anastasio (http://www.trey.com) , former guitarist from Phish (http://www.phish.com) and longtime hero of mine, who actually recognizes me. Status as Big Pimping Daddy (http://www.bigbaer.com/jay_z_big_pimpin.htm) seems all but assured. Make (premature) mental note to buy lottery ticket while luck is so good. Enjoy first class flight to Pittsburgh until the point where it’s announced that a severe thunderstorm will put us into a one hour holding pattern. Am assured that all connections will be valid. Visit with even friendlier USAir people who assure me that my flight will leave no later than 7 PM and that I should wait things out at T.G.I. Fridays. Return to gate at 7 PM and am informed that all Richmond-bound flights are canceled for the evening. Begin to think that am no longer Pimping Daddy of any stature, much less Big. Am issued red “distressed traveler” coupon and am unceremoniously sent packing for the Sheraton Four Points Pittsburgh Airport, which at least offers an $85 rate to (screwed) people like me. Arrive at same. Notice at check in that lobby has unusual amount of wax statues of Frankenstein, Dracula, etc. Am informed by helpful clerk that hotel is the site of the Monster Bash 2006 (http://www.creepyclassics.com/scripts/shopplus.cgi?DN=creepyclassics.com&cartid=1285923975484&FILE=/bash2.html) , and that while my fellow guests may look a little funny, they are offering black and white horror movies in the ballrooms all night long - at no charge to unsuspecting idiots like me! After dropping off roller bag in my room and explaining my plight to my increasingly disbelieving spouse, depart for hotel lounge where I am surrounded by people wearing Loch Ness Monster shoes. I am not making this up.
Please check in tomorrow for the (hopeful) happy conclusion to this trip, which should have been about 36 hours but is now stretching into the days. That is, if I survive the Loch Ness Monster Shoe People, who frankly scare the crap out of me. I have been to Star Wars conventions, watched a lot of Star Trek, and seen 150+ Phish shows - but these nerds are SCARY. Seriously, if I don’t make it, tell my wife I tried to get home.
Here’s a brief overview of this week’s trip:
Tuesday: Uneventful USAir flight from Richmond to Boston, pick up rental car, drive to the lovely Fairfield Inn Tewksbury (https://marriott.com/property/propertypage/BOSFT) , where the bathroom light does not work but all else is fantastic for $89/night. Work.
Wednesday: Rehearse new business pitch with teammates from NYC. Pitch potential client, for roughly 70 minutes longer than planned (this is good), which results in missing last USAir flight of day from Boston-Richmond (this is bad). Drop off those teammates who did not miss their own flights, drop off rental car, visit with eminently reasonable folks from USAir who agree to let me go home on standby basis on Thursday for the low low price of $25, visit with all Logan Airport hotels (all of which are sold out), finally secure room at Sheraton Boston for usurious rate of $299. Work. Discover that Noah (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/member.php?u=2481) is up the street seeing My Morning Jacket and the Boston Symphony (http://www.bso.org/symphonyHall/genCTwoSH.jhtml?id=bcat2540004&area=inf) , walk there and arrive at 9:15, 40 minutes before the program’s end. Am given free fourth row orchestra ticket by nice departing rich person in tuxedo (go Boston rich people!), see excellent show until 10:05, watch The Slip (http://www.theslip.com) play in Symphony Hall until 10:45, return to hotel, sleep like zombie.
Thursday: Check in with USAir friends from last night at Logan Airport in morning. Watch several full flights leave without me. Summary of my conversations with USAir people:
Me: “Hi, can I go home now?”
USAir staffer: “Eff you very much. Go back to your seat.”
(later) Me: “Seriously, could I go home now? My wife misses me and it’s too loud for me to do calls here.”
Different USAir staffer: “Awww. Were the other gate agents mean to you? Come over here.”
Am assured of seat on 2 PM Richmond-bound non-stop flight at latest. Then am told that I am guaranteed on 1:30 PM flight via LaGuardia. Minutes later, am told that same is overbooked and that I have been involuntarily denied boarding, earning myself a free ticket anywhere in the lower 48 states for basically doing nothing (huzzah!). Am given first class ticket to Pittsburgh and connecting regional jet ticket to Richmond for my ongoing inconvenience. Even though I have been working most of the day, issuance of first class ticket plus free ticket hints that I am emerging as a Big Pimping Daddy (http://www.bigbaer.com/jay_z_big_pimpin.htm) - spare tire, bad haircut and laptop notwithstanding.
Celebrate confirmed seat with lunch at the airport food court, where I get to spend 10 minutes talking with Trey Anastasio (http://www.trey.com) , former guitarist from Phish (http://www.phish.com) and longtime hero of mine, who actually recognizes me. Status as Big Pimping Daddy (http://www.bigbaer.com/jay_z_big_pimpin.htm) seems all but assured. Make (premature) mental note to buy lottery ticket while luck is so good. Enjoy first class flight to Pittsburgh until the point where it’s announced that a severe thunderstorm will put us into a one hour holding pattern. Am assured that all connections will be valid. Visit with even friendlier USAir people who assure me that my flight will leave no later than 7 PM and that I should wait things out at T.G.I. Fridays. Return to gate at 7 PM and am informed that all Richmond-bound flights are canceled for the evening. Begin to think that am no longer Pimping Daddy of any stature, much less Big. Am issued red “distressed traveler” coupon and am unceremoniously sent packing for the Sheraton Four Points Pittsburgh Airport, which at least offers an $85 rate to (screwed) people like me. Arrive at same. Notice at check in that lobby has unusual amount of wax statues of Frankenstein, Dracula, etc. Am informed by helpful clerk that hotel is the site of the Monster Bash 2006 (http://www.creepyclassics.com/scripts/shopplus.cgi?DN=creepyclassics.com&cartid=1285923975484&FILE=/bash2.html) , and that while my fellow guests may look a little funny, they are offering black and white horror movies in the ballrooms all night long - at no charge to unsuspecting idiots like me! After dropping off roller bag in my room and explaining my plight to my increasingly disbelieving spouse, depart for hotel lounge where I am surrounded by people wearing Loch Ness Monster shoes. I am not making this up.
Please check in tomorrow for the (hopeful) happy conclusion to this trip, which should have been about 36 hours but is now stretching into the days. That is, if I survive the Loch Ness Monster Shoe People, who frankly scare the crap out of me. I have been to Star Wars conventions, watched a lot of Star Trek, and seen 150+ Phish shows - but these nerds are SCARY. Seriously, if I don’t make it, tell my wife I tried to get home.