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Morning box. Looks like my flight back to Vegas is about to go MX.

:confused: ;)

They should all be on the no fly list for being idiots.

Check into a hotel and get away from it all!

I wish this day was over!

Generally yes, but theis particular project involves being on-site if I want to be paid. I'll be OK without the money for that week, though it is always hard to walk away from known income, especially since I work for myself and am not particularly good at generating new revenue.

But I'll already be in Munich and I don't really want to sell myself short there.

I feel the same way. I'm spending my day at the Honda dealer with one of our cars being serviced. At least this dealer has free Wi-Fi (that's actually fast), complimentary drinks and snacks, and semi-private work areas with comfortable chairs and tons of power outlets at each desk. I can still be productive — it's kind of like a PC, without the free alcohol and not quite as nice. This place is quite a haul from our house, but it's why we come here. They are top notch and well worth the drive.

After this I get to head for the airport, fly to IAH at 6:55 PM, land around 8:00 PM, then drive up to Nacogdoches for the week for work. It's going to be a long day, and I was up until 1:45 AM last night doing work stuff, then couldn't sleep thanks to one of the cats, who slept all day yesterday, deciding he needed to make lots of noise playing with his toys around 2:00 AM.

I think you should request the free alcohol ;) Otherwise, the place sounds great. We had a new nail place open and I think I'm switching for the simple reason they serve free drinks and champagne@:-)

In other news, :confused:

So I need to get in on the CC churning for AA and also in on the SPG card, I think. Anything special I need to do to sign up for either of those? Or just do it online and reap the windfalls?

Having spent a couple of years and $35,000 in Nacogdoches, I can honestly say that I feel for you. Whats more, there are no SPG, Marriott, or Hyatt properties in Nac. What's a point conscious consumer to do?! :rolleyes:

Holiday Inn Express. :rolleyes:

What's the AA card?

That or the fairly new Comfort Suites, I suppose. I've been meaning to take a trip up there so my wife can see where I learned my love of beer...err...went to school but the lack of Marriott properties makes me sad in my heart.

Free alcohol? This is Georgia. They make Texas's alcohol laws look liberal.

Ugh, two of the three items we need fixed they have to order parts for (a mirror with a broken housing and a sun visor). The other item, which we thought was a bad strut or shock they can't diagnose. So this trip was pretty much a waste, and I have to come back up here next week when I'm home. Now I'm debating if I should just head for the airport, since I've got everything I need for the week in the car with me, or go home, which is sort of on the way, and hang out there a couple of hours.

Right now, I'm thinking lunch, then Hartsfield-Jackson. Haven't visited the nice folks in the PC there in a few weeks, since I was flying UA last week.

American. Looks like 25K points for $750 in US Mint spending in the first 4 months. They have the most lenient rules for churning (you keep getting the 25K bonus) and there are a few different cards (personal, biz, AmEx). Plus, the points count towards lifetime status. I don't think there is anything special for the AA card beyond that deal. I'm more curious about the SPG card and what promos might be out there for that one. I am going to be applying for a second user on that one too and want to make sure we get the most points possible in SPG.

LOL, stay at the Hampton Inn or the Holiday Inn Express?

In my case, the client has enforced the Holiday Inn Express with direct billing to the university as the law of the land. :rolleyes: I was hoping for the Hampton but apparently they consider it "too expensive." At least the Holiday Inn Express looks fairly decent on their website. But still, I hate these direct bill things my Texas clients seem to be getting into. They usually don't put us at the nicest place available at the price point they're willing to pay; they put us where someone who never travels thinks will be decent and a good price, based on their personal impression of a brand and the way the place looks from the outside. But I've heard from other consultants this isn't a bad Holiday Inn Express, so I hope they're right. Guess I'll be racking up plenty of Priority Club points.

I am staying in Houston Thursday night though. Not going to get up at the crack of dawn to drive from Nac to Houston to catch my flight home. Sorry, not doing it. I've got the state rate at a hotel near IAH, and they can just suck it up and pay the $5-10 extra that it's going to cost them for that one night.

wait till you have a stay in Brownwood and they try to put you in the Executive Inn instead of the Hampton, La Quinta, Comfort Suites or holiday inn Express.... :D

That's when I throw a fit and refuse. I have my standards. And I have managers who have repeatedly said "You don't have to stay where the client says you do if it's not up to a certain standard." I have played that card once before, and am not afraid to do it again.