Just wait untill someone forgets to hit the mute button and you can hear them typing away, you'll forget about the music then.

ah ok. Near the park, right?

I know you were asking about cash/credit earlier. IIRC, they are cash only, credit downstairs, or a min $ for credit. Not sure which it is.

Typing and background conversations are a given. The hold music is just obnoxious as it more or less takes over the entire call.

If it's the place I'm thinking of (the only wine bar I've been to in Houston), it is cash only.

Yep.

Sorry you can't make it!

I'll be at the Do in February, and in and out of Houston a few more times in the next few months.

Yes, I believe La Carafe is cash only. I'll be hitting the ATM before I go over there.

yeah, I have been once or twice with the DO crew. I just didn't know what it was called.

Anyone ever stayed at an Element property? It looks like a slightly upscale aloft. Any experience with these? The Heavenly bed sounds like a plus.

I am thinking of expanding my hotel programs to SPG and there is an Element in Las Vegas that I was going to try out.

I must say I was quite impressed with your ability to flirt for half a dozen free glasses of wine that night. Especially since I benefited from getting a couple of them too when he was handing them out. :D

I haven't yet. It's my understanding that it's more designed to compete with Homewood and Residence Inn in the extended stay category. And it's more Westin than W-style in décor and furnishings, since it's based on the "DNA" of Westin, not W.

Wirelessly posted (Samsung Omnia: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 4.01; Windows CE; PPC; 240x320))

if it's free, it's for me and i'll take three.

I'd check it out for you in 2 weeks, but at 139/night its a tough sell. The Westin near the strip is also 139/night and several higher end hotels on the strip can be had for even less via PL.

In any case, I was very pleased with aloft and would love to try out an element property as well. One of the 3 locations that have opened so far is in Houston...

Good answer!

I was one of those kids. Fortunately my parents recognized early on I was fascinated by music and wanted to learn an instrument, so I started music lessons early on. I was encouraged/forced to play tee ball for one summer, and never again. It was a disaster, and they realized that the abuse from the coaches wasn't going to benefit me in any way.

Unfortunately there were a few other kids I knew in my small town who were in a similar situation when it came to sports — no natural talent, no desire to participate, and no real interest in them at all — and they were forced to participate in activities they hated for years by parents who couldn't recognize that their talents were in other areas. I'm all for letting kids explore different activities and determine where their interests and talents lay, and then encouraging development of those skills, rather than forcing them to participate in something they really don't like, and can never excel at.

ALCO pulled the gay upgrade flirt? Was there a Guerlain sweater involved?