Did you hear that coyote howling off in the distance?

The underground train is a relic, but tons of fun and an easy way to get to the Marriott and the aerogeek store (is it still there?).

Alright, for the DO IV Sunday Brunch crew, Shade, the restaurant I mentioned before, can handle a reservation of 30 people as long as we are willing to sit at a few different tables (like 15 at two tables or 10 at 3). I figured it was a good compromise and put in a reservation.

They also serve booze in the mornings there. Not sure if they'll have margaritas (I assume they do) but I'm positive that they can do a Bloody Mary.

Since it is in a dry area of town, I have already put my driver's license down for TABC, so that won't be an issue.

Anyway, is that cool with everyone? I wish we could do Empire as their drinks and food are great, but Shade has good food as well.

Shade is located at 250 W 19th St. Houston, TX 77008 (map)

I live a few blocks away so I don't think it will be an issue for me to give rides.

If you are coming from the airport, you can take I-45, the Hardy Toll Road, or US-59 south to I-610 West. Exit Yale St. and take a left on Yale (south). Continue on Yale to 19th St. and take a right (west). Shade is an old strip center and there is a large parking lot across the street as well as plenty of street parking.

Morning Box. Shade sounds fine by me. Here's to shamming through a week of class enroute to the DO. :D

Shade sounds great. Thanks, Hartmann, for putting this together!

You should never be on hold for two hours if the system recognizes your OnePass Number as elite. If you are ever on hold for more than five minutes, hang up and try back. Sometimes, the system goofs and categorizes you as non-elite, kicking you to the back of the line.

You just don't know the small (but important) quirks and pitfalls of CO yet. I haven't held for more than two minutes in several years (even when irrops are causing a mess at EWR or IAH). Also, calling the elite number does not guarantee you an elite desk agent. It just pops you to the front of the queue to have your call answered (by whatever agent happens to pick-up, elite-desk or not). If you ever seem to get slightly different hold announcements, coupled with "Your approximate wait time is [ridiculous #] minutes," hang up and try again.

Shade works for me. MR BL will be solo at the DO Fri night as I will still be wild in Vegas. I guess since this is his 5th DO he doesn't need me there ;). I arrive 530 AM Sat just in time for a shower and change in the pclub before the day begins.

No. I avoid MSY like the plague during Mardi Gras. The Significant Otter and I are going to Stuttgart and Strasbourg, instead.

It's lovely when the winds blow the rotten-egg stench from the paper-mill in Bawcomville over the town. How I love traveling to Monroe. :rolleyes:

I didn't even know that Austin has a 'South Terminal'. Perhaps the next box-Do can take them and see if we see any of the calendar models!

hahaha, my work here is done. :)


The Elite agents are sometimes great and sometimes a true miss, just like the 1K desk at United. I've had some great agents and some miserable ones at both airlines. The one truly useless group of people are the WE-CARE folks, i haven't gotten any positive experience from them in the last 10 years.

The only difference is that there is no Honolulu call center, a la United, that stands out from all the others.

There's a group of phone agents based out of SLC that are excellent.

The SLC agents are good. I have also dealt with some excellent agents from TPA.

Didn't they close down the TPA call center? That by far was my favorite out of all of them.

I've heard good things about SLC, but a few years back I had a bad run with them and it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Sunday brunch rides: Is someone putting together a list of who is riding with whom?

I can do it if people post who they are riding with.