Let me start out by saying, a good amount of responsibility for last week's disaster belongs to me. I'll own it; I don't like it, but I'll own it.
The night before, I slept like a baby at the Westin Atlanta Airport. Not sure if it was the Mojitos at the hotel bar or the Heavenly Beds they have (seriously, that is the trademarked name for their beds) I woke up, putzed around and headed to the airport. For anyone who hasn't heard me complain about airports, I hate airports. Okay, hate is a strong word; but I don't like getting to the airport earlier than I need to - on American I only need to be there 30 minutes before the flight.
When I walked up to the ticket counter 35 minutes before my flight to Chicago, I found out that in Atlanta it is 40 minutes. Awesome. And the next flight to Chicago will get home 6 hours later than my original itinerary.
Spencer, the ticket agent hooks me up with tickets home through DFW so I'll only get home an hour later - SCORE.
I had plenty of time before my flight, so I stopped and got a magazine and Starbucks then found my gate. I chatted with a few fellow travelers and eventually boarded the flight. Boarding the plane was no big deal; the flight was maybe 75% full. The woman sitting next to me had her 5 month old daughter, Sofia with her - Sofia is already on her 6th flight! We took off for Dallas and I put in my headphones to watch a movie on my iPod and around the time that the pilot should announce that we are landing at DFW, he announced that we were landing in Austin, Texas because of bad weather in Dallas.
I thought to myself, bad weather in Dallas? Really? During our taxi after landing, I turned on my Blackberry and relied on good old Facebook to find out what was going on. After messaging family north of Dallas, they responded that most of the Dallas area was under Tornado warnings! Yikes!
Austin's airport was packed with other DFW bound flights; without an available gate, we sat on the tarmac for about three hours. The pilot came on every 30 minutes to provide us an update, and the flight attendants were awesome. At this time, its maybe 12:30 and I had skipped breakfast - I was starving! The flight attendants did their best, brought out pretzels and more drinks to keep everyone happy. The flight crew let anyone who was connecting to Austin (or nearby) deplane - which gave more room for the rest of us. Sofia and her mom moved to the row behind ours, to seats vacated by a couple headed to Austin to visit their grandchildren. All and all, sitting in Austin wasn't bad. I had cell phone service, my iPod, a good book and power ports below the seat - I was a happy camper. Well, a hungry camper, but happy.
Once I arrived in Dallas around 5:30, my mission was clear - find some food. Luckily, at DFW airport, I knew exactly what my options were. So I high tailed it to TGIFriday's. My breakfast/lunch/dinner there was tasty, but I was bummed because I knew I was missing out on a birthday dinner for a dear friend. TGIFriday's is no competition for Baratta's, but I was there in spirit.
I waited around until 9pm - 4 gate changes later, I had made a new friend, watched a movie and kept my fingers crossed for standby. I was pretty lucky because I have status on American Airlines so I was at the top of the standby list. Still, I didn't have a confirmed flight home, so I made back up plans at a near by hotel. Of the 19 of us on the standby list - 3 of us made it on the flight. So around 11:30pm, I arrived in Des Moines and grabbed a late meal with some friends before crashing into my bed.
Total travel time that Saturday? 14.5 hours. Yup, about what it takes to get to Europe. Did I learn my lesson? Sure. For now ;)
Travel Fail!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Let me start out by saying, a good amount of responsibility for last week's disaster belongs to me. I'll own it; I don't like it, but I'll own it.
The night before, I slept like a baby at the Westin Atlanta Airport. Not sure if it was the Mojitos at the hotel bar or the Heavenly Beds they have (seriously, that is the trademarked name for their beds) I woke up, putzed around and headed to the airport. For anyone who hasn't heard me complain about airports, I hate airports. Okay, hate is a strong word; but I don't like getting to the airport earlier than I need to - on American I only need to be there 30 minutes before the flight.
When I walked up to the ticket counter 35 minutes before my flight to Chicago, I found out that in Atlanta it is 40 minutes. Awesome. And the next flight to Chicago will get home 6 hours later than my original itinerary.
Spencer, the ticket agent hooks me up with tickets home through DFW so I'll only get home an hour later - SCORE.
I had plenty of time before my flight, so I stopped and got a magazine and Starbucks then found my gate. I chatted with a few fellow travelers and eventually boarded the flight. Boarding the plane was no big deal; the flight was maybe 75% full. The woman sitting next to me had her 5 month old daughter, Sofia with her - Sofia is already on her 6th flight! We took off for Dallas and I put in my headphones to watch a movie on my iPod and around the time that the pilot should announce that we are landing at DFW, he announced that we were landing in Austin, Texas because of bad weather in Dallas.
I thought to myself, bad weather in Dallas? Really? During our taxi after landing, I turned on my Blackberry and relied on good old Facebook to find out what was going on. After messaging family north of Dallas, they responded that most of the Dallas area was under Tornado warnings! Yikes!
Austin's airport was packed with other DFW bound flights; without an available gate, we sat on the tarmac for about three hours. The pilot came on every 30 minutes to provide us an update, and the flight attendants were awesome. At this time, its maybe 12:30 and I had skipped breakfast - I was starving! The flight attendants did their best, brought out pretzels and more drinks to keep everyone happy. The flight crew let anyone who was connecting to Austin (or nearby) deplane - which gave more room for the rest of us. Sofia and her mom moved to the row behind ours, to seats vacated by a couple headed to Austin to visit their grandchildren. All and all, sitting in Austin wasn't bad. I had cell phone service, my iPod, a good book and power ports below the seat - I was a happy camper. Well, a hungry camper, but happy.
Once I arrived in Dallas around 5:30, my mission was clear - find some food. Luckily, at DFW airport, I knew exactly what my options were. So I high tailed it to TGIFriday's. My breakfast/lunch/dinner there was tasty, but I was bummed because I knew I was missing out on a birthday dinner for a dear friend. TGIFriday's is no competition for Baratta's, but I was there in spirit.
I waited around until 9pm - 4 gate changes later, I had made a new friend, watched a movie and kept my fingers crossed for standby. I was pretty lucky because I have status on American Airlines so I was at the top of the standby list. Still, I didn't have a confirmed flight home, so I made back up plans at a near by hotel. Of the 19 of us on the standby list - 3 of us made it on the flight. So around 11:30pm, I arrived in Des Moines and grabbed a late meal with some friends before crashing into my bed.
Total travel time that Saturday? 14.5 hours. Yup, about what it takes to get to Europe. Did I learn my lesson? Sure. For now ;)
After a few clues here and here - I'm very excited to share with you that early 2011, I'll be traveling to... Manila, Philippines!
Clue #1 was a manila envelope (get it? I think I'm hilarious!) and Clue #2 was a Sampaguita, the National Flower of the Philippines (in the Jasmine family)
I've known about this project for some time, and I am so excited to finally be able to talk about this trip!
The Philippines!!!!
Okay, now that I got my initial excitement/freak-out out of the way - here is what I know. Sometime in February, I'll head to Manila for about 3 months for work. As I plan my trip, I'm excited to use my blog to document planning, preparing and packing for this trip, as well as writing about the trip itself.
So, I thought I'd kick off the Manila-talk with some information about Manila and the Philippines.
- Manila is the most densely populated city in the world
- The Philippines is made up of over 7,000 islands
- The tropical weather keeps temperatures pretty consistent year round with lows in the 70s and highs in the low 90s. The weather is also extremely humid.
- Roman Catholic is the most common religion, representing almost 80% of the population
- The two official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English
But before I leave for the Philippines, I need to
- Finish my current trip in Augusta, Georgia
- Spend three weeks working at home
- Return to Augusta, Georgia
- Travel home to see family for Thanksgiving
- And take a small vacation for some much needed R&R
So this wraps up my exciting announcement - look for the new label "Philippines"!
The Big Announcement!
Friday, October 22, 2010
After a few clues here and here - I'm very excited to share with you that early 2011, I'll be traveling to... Manila, Philippines!
Clue #1 was a manila envelope (get it? I think I'm hilarious!) and Clue #2 was a Sampaguita, the National Flower of the Philippines (in the Jasmine family)
I've known about this project for some time, and I am so excited to finally be able to talk about this trip!
The Philippines!!!!
Okay, now that I got my initial excitement/freak-out out of the way - here is what I know. Sometime in February, I'll head to Manila for about 3 months for work. As I plan my trip, I'm excited to use my blog to document planning, preparing and packing for this trip, as well as writing about the trip itself.
So, I thought I'd kick off the Manila-talk with some information about Manila and the Philippines.
- Manila is the most densely populated city in the world
- The Philippines is made up of over 7,000 islands
- The tropical weather keeps temperatures pretty consistent year round with lows in the 70s and highs in the low 90s. The weather is also extremely humid.
- Roman Catholic is the most common religion, representing almost 80% of the population
- The two official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English
But before I leave for the Philippines, I need to
- Finish my current trip in Augusta, Georgia
- Spend three weeks working at home
- Return to Augusta, Georgia
- Travel home to see family for Thanksgiving
- And take a small vacation for some much needed R&R
So this wraps up my exciting announcement - look for the new label "Philippines"!
I already shared how fun Saturday was in Atlanta, and Sunday gave Saturday a run for it's money.
I got the chance to sleep in before heading back into the city with David to meet a friend Jason for brunch/lunch. We checked out Parish, a Lousiana & Southern inspired restaurant near Inman Park. After a fabulous meal followed by dessert, David and I headed to The World Of Coca-Cola.
The World of Coke tour was a bunch of fun - I really liked tasting all the different sodas from around the world. Most were horrible.
After some retail therapy in the gift shop, I got the chance to view pics of David and I. Check out these cheesy mugs.
Oh! And the big announcement...Friday!
I got the chance to sleep in before heading back into the city with David to meet a friend Jason for brunch/lunch. We checked out Parish, a Lousiana & Southern inspired restaurant near Inman Park. After a fabulous meal followed by dessert, David and I headed to The World Of Coca-Cola.
The World of Coke tour was a bunch of fun - I really liked tasting all the different sodas from around the world. Most were horrible.
After some retail therapy in the gift shop, I got the chance to view pics of David and I. Check out these cheesy mugs.
 |
| I want his scarf |
 |
| The photographer told us to look cheesy...mission: accomplished. |
Oh! And the big announcement...Friday!
Sunday in Atlanta
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
I already shared how fun Saturday was in Atlanta, and Sunday gave Saturday a run for it's money.
I got the chance to sleep in before heading back into the city with David to meet a friend Jason for brunch/lunch. We checked out Parish, a Lousiana & Southern inspired restaurant near Inman Park. After a fabulous meal followed by dessert, David and I headed to The World Of Coca-Cola.
The World of Coke tour was a bunch of fun - I really liked tasting all the different sodas from around the world. Most were horrible.
After some retail therapy in the gift shop, I got the chance to view pics of David and I. Check out these cheesy mugs.
Oh! And the big announcement...Friday!
I got the chance to sleep in before heading back into the city with David to meet a friend Jason for brunch/lunch. We checked out Parish, a Lousiana & Southern inspired restaurant near Inman Park. After a fabulous meal followed by dessert, David and I headed to The World Of Coca-Cola.
The World of Coke tour was a bunch of fun - I really liked tasting all the different sodas from around the world. Most were horrible.
After some retail therapy in the gift shop, I got the chance to view pics of David and I. Check out these cheesy mugs.
|
| I want his scarf |
|
| The photographer told us to look cheesy...mission: accomplished. |
Oh! And the big announcement...Friday!
I've probably been to Atlanta a couple dozen times in my life. No lie. Between visiting family in the 'burbs as a kid to traveling for business as a "grown-up", Atlanta has been a constant in my life. I can't say that I've ever looked at Atlanta as a destination for anything other than flights for Augusta or to see family. Over my last couple visits to Augusta, I got the chance to see the city a bit differently.
My re-discovery of Atlanta started a few weeks back with the fabulous Wrona family at a Braves game. When Jeff said he got "pretty good" tickets - I certainly wasn't expecting to be sitting 8 rows behind home plate. Seriously. Here I am standing next to our seats. This section of seating even includes waitstaff that will go get your $8 beer for you!
 |
| Rock Star Seating |
Not a bad introduction to the city. A few weeks later, I'm back in Augusta and ready for a little bit more Atlanta. David, my buddy here in Augusta suggested we roadtrip to the ATL and visit the World of Coke and The CNN Experience. Sounded great! Then he called his aunt in Atlanta and arranged a place to crash Saturday night - even better!
So late Saturday morning, we left Augusta for the ATL; first stop - the CNN Experience! Okay - our first stop was figuring out parking, but then we were off to visit CNN.
What? Dorky photo op? Sign me up!
 |
| Turns out it doesn't stand for "Clinton News Network" |
We got our tickets and waited for the next tour. CNN is located in the (convienently named) CNN Center in Downtown Atlanta near Centennial Olympic Park. The building was originally named the Omni Center and is still home to the Omni Hotel. The original occupant of the space was The World of Sid and Marty Krofft, the worlds first indoor amusement park.
The tour begins with a ride on the worlds longest free standing escalator to the 8th floor and tours the news rooms and studios of CNN and HLN. In a mock studio, we got a chance to have our photos taken sitting behind the anchor's desk.
 |
| Better to look up than down... |
 |
| Breaking news - tourist hijacks news desk. More at 10. |
 |
| Deer in headlights |
Oh! And who did I run into in the lobby?
That's right, I got to meet a cardboard cut out of Anderson Cooper!
After our tour, we headed outside the perimeter (I-285) to David's Aunt Mary's lovely new home. David, Mary, her husband Mark and I went to a bar and grill for dinner and to hear a reggae band play - so much fun! We wrapped up the awesome day driving back to their house with the four of us singing along with the radio - Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth, Janis Joplin's Me And Bobby McGee, and The Beatles' Hello, Goodbye. So much fun! His family was so nice to let us stay in their home (two extra guest rooms is a GREAT thing) and so much fun to hang out with!
Saturday in Atlanta was so much fun - wait until you hear about Sunday!
I'll take Dorky Tourists for 200, Alex
Sunday, October 17, 2010
I've probably been to Atlanta a couple dozen times in my life. No lie. Between visiting family in the 'burbs as a kid to traveling for business as a "grown-up", Atlanta has been a constant in my life. I can't say that I've ever looked at Atlanta as a destination for anything other than flights for Augusta or to see family. Over my last couple visits to Augusta, I got the chance to see the city a bit differently.
My re-discovery of Atlanta started a few weeks back with the fabulous Wrona family at a Braves game. When Jeff said he got "pretty good" tickets - I certainly wasn't expecting to be sitting 8 rows behind home plate. Seriously. Here I am standing next to our seats. This section of seating even includes waitstaff that will go get your $8 beer for you!
|
| Rock Star Seating |
Not a bad introduction to the city. A few weeks later, I'm back in Augusta and ready for a little bit more Atlanta. David, my buddy here in Augusta suggested we roadtrip to the ATL and visit the World of Coke and The CNN Experience. Sounded great! Then he called his aunt in Atlanta and arranged a place to crash Saturday night - even better!
So late Saturday morning, we left Augusta for the ATL; first stop - the CNN Experience! Okay - our first stop was figuring out parking, but then we were off to visit CNN.
What? Dorky photo op? Sign me up!
|
| Turns out it doesn't stand for "Clinton News Network" |
We got our tickets and waited for the next tour. CNN is located in the (convienently named) CNN Center in Downtown Atlanta near Centennial Olympic Park. The building was originally named the Omni Center and is still home to the Omni Hotel. The original occupant of the space was The World of Sid and Marty Krofft, the worlds first indoor amusement park.
The tour begins with a ride on the worlds longest free standing escalator to the 8th floor and tours the news rooms and studios of CNN and HLN. In a mock studio, we got a chance to have our photos taken sitting behind the anchor's desk.
|
| Better to look up than down... |
|
| Breaking news - tourist hijacks news desk. More at 10. |
|
| Deer in headlights |
Oh! And who did I run into in the lobby?
That's right, I got to meet a cardboard cut out of Anderson Cooper!
After our tour, we headed outside the perimeter (I-285) to David's Aunt Mary's lovely new home. David, Mary, her husband Mark and I went to a bar and grill for dinner and to hear a reggae band play - so much fun! We wrapped up the awesome day driving back to their house with the four of us singing along with the radio - Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth, Janis Joplin's Me And Bobby McGee, and The Beatles' Hello, Goodbye. So much fun! His family was so nice to let us stay in their home (two extra guest rooms is a GREAT thing) and so much fun to hang out with!
Saturday in Atlanta was so much fun - wait until you hear about Sunday!
The first clue was pretty good - but no one guessed correctly (at least not in the comments section!)
Ready for clue #2 for the big announcement?
Happy guessing! :)
Ready for clue #2 for the big announcement?
Happy guessing! :)
Clue #2
Saturday, October 9, 2010
The first clue was pretty good - but no one guessed correctly (at least not in the comments section!)
Ready for clue #2 for the big announcement?
Happy guessing! :)
Ready for clue #2 for the big announcement?
Happy guessing! :)
I hit the rental car jackpot this weekend! Let me start by singing my newly acquired love of the Atlanta Airport.
Historically, the Atlanta Airport has not been my favorite. In a recent post, I really really really struggled to find a "favorite part" of the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. I remembered that once I killed time during a layover drinking and eating at a seafood restaurant. So I quickly wrote it down and moved on. Between the luggage delay, the uncomfortable underground tram and a million other factors - flying into or through the ATL was never my favorite.
Flying into Atlanta had been especially painful; I usually spent about 30 minutes waiting for luggage, then drag it across the street on to a shuttle bus with a 5-10 minute ride to the Avis building where they shout your name when you are supposed to step off the bus - classy for sure. Walk to your car and good luck finding anyone that can help you.
A few trips ago, I found out that the rental cars had moved to a new facility, accessed by a tram system. The Rental Car Center is a quick (about 5 minute) trip on the SkyTrain from the airport with a quick stop at the Georgia International Convention Center in the middle. On the 3 trips I've made on the SkyTrain, I've experienced spotless, comfortable climate controlled trains (very important in Atlanta summers) and plenty of room for passengers and their bags.
Upon arrival at the Rental Car Center (think giant parking garage) you simply follow the signs to your rental agency. As an Avis Preferred customer, I am able to walk past the check in desk and proceed to the parking garage to find my name on a LCD TV that indicates my parking space. I arrive at row E spot 36 to discover a 2010 Buick Lacrosse - loaded with leather and all sorts of features.
I spent about 15 minutes loading my luggage in the car, adjusting seats, mirrors, radio, getting my GPS set up, etc. before leaving - an absolute MUST! Interstate interchanges are not the place to familiarize yourself with a new car. Ready to go and I notice that the car beeps at me to alert me to the cars I'm backing towards - bonus! I follow the exit signs to the gate where the attendant checks my drivers license, rental agreement and car bar-code and sending me on my way.
As I drove from Atlanta to Augusta (learn why I drive to Augusta vs. fly to Augusta here) I fell in love with my
The interior design left me nothing less than impressed. The digital display between analog gages allowed me to decide what information I wanted to see and I selected MPH. As the evening turned to night, the soft blue/green of the gages and lights across the dash were attractive but not distracting. I was also surprised by how quite the car was; blocking out the sound of the traffic and construction around me.
After my comfortable 2 hour drive Saturday, Sunday afternoon a friend and I drove back to an Atlanta suburb to meet another friend for lunch that somehow turned into lunch + dinner...and a little shopping. After our late night drive back to Augusta, we still couldn't stop talking about how great the car was. David kept pointing out how while seated in the passenger seat he had his legs stretched out and couldn't touch the dash while reaching out.
So the 2010 Buick Lacrosse is on my preferred rental list! Any horror stories or awesome rental stories to share?
Buick Image found here
What a difference the car makes...
Monday, October 4, 2010
I hit the rental car jackpot this weekend! Let me start by singing my newly acquired love of the Atlanta Airport.
Historically, the Atlanta Airport has not been my favorite. In a recent post, I really really really struggled to find a "favorite part" of the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. I remembered that once I killed time during a layover drinking and eating at a seafood restaurant. So I quickly wrote it down and moved on. Between the luggage delay, the uncomfortable underground tram and a million other factors - flying into or through the ATL was never my favorite.
Flying into Atlanta had been especially painful; I usually spent about 30 minutes waiting for luggage, then drag it across the street on to a shuttle bus with a 5-10 minute ride to the Avis building where they shout your name when you are supposed to step off the bus - classy for sure. Walk to your car and good luck finding anyone that can help you.
A few trips ago, I found out that the rental cars had moved to a new facility, accessed by a tram system. The Rental Car Center is a quick (about 5 minute) trip on the SkyTrain from the airport with a quick stop at the Georgia International Convention Center in the middle. On the 3 trips I've made on the SkyTrain, I've experienced spotless, comfortable climate controlled trains (very important in Atlanta summers) and plenty of room for passengers and their bags.
Upon arrival at the Rental Car Center (think giant parking garage) you simply follow the signs to your rental agency. As an Avis Preferred customer, I am able to walk past the check in desk and proceed to the parking garage to find my name on a LCD TV that indicates my parking space. I arrive at row E spot 36 to discover a 2010 Buick Lacrosse - loaded with leather and all sorts of features.
I spent about 15 minutes loading my luggage in the car, adjusting seats, mirrors, radio, getting my GPS set up, etc. before leaving - an absolute MUST! Interstate interchanges are not the place to familiarize yourself with a new car. Ready to go and I notice that the car beeps at me to alert me to the cars I'm backing towards - bonus! I follow the exit signs to the gate where the attendant checks my drivers license, rental agreement and car bar-code and sending me on my way.
As I drove from Atlanta to Augusta (learn why I drive to Augusta vs. fly to Augusta here) I fell in love with my
The interior design left me nothing less than impressed. The digital display between analog gages allowed me to decide what information I wanted to see and I selected MPH. As the evening turned to night, the soft blue/green of the gages and lights across the dash were attractive but not distracting. I was also surprised by how quite the car was; blocking out the sound of the traffic and construction around me.
After my comfortable 2 hour drive Saturday, Sunday afternoon a friend and I drove back to an Atlanta suburb to meet another friend for lunch that somehow turned into lunch + dinner...and a little shopping. After our late night drive back to Augusta, we still couldn't stop talking about how great the car was. David kept pointing out how while seated in the passenger seat he had his legs stretched out and couldn't touch the dash while reaching out.
So the 2010 Buick Lacrosse is on my preferred rental list! Any horror stories or awesome rental stories to share?
Buick Image found here
Just kidding!
In a little over 12 hours, I'll be flying back to Augusta, Georgia for another three weeks for work. I'm looking forward to checking on my last Augusta class (from last month) and catching up with friends. I also scored tickets too see Daniel Tosh from Comedy Central's Tosh.0.
I enjoyed my short trip home! I taught a new class here and caught up with friends. Sreeman from our Hyderabad office was in town, so Erin, her sister, Sreeman and I went to the Funny Bone and saw Jim Breuer from SNL.
12 hours until my flight...maybe I should do some laundry and get packing!
But first - check out this video from a Cebu Pacific Flight - best safety video ever!
All my bags are packed...
Friday, October 1, 2010
Just kidding!
In a little over 12 hours, I'll be flying back to Augusta, Georgia for another three weeks for work. I'm looking forward to checking on my last Augusta class (from last month) and catching up with friends. I also scored tickets too see Daniel Tosh from Comedy Central's Tosh.0.
I enjoyed my short trip home! I taught a new class here and caught up with friends. Sreeman from our Hyderabad office was in town, so Erin, her sister, Sreeman and I went to the Funny Bone and saw Jim Breuer from SNL.
12 hours until my flight...maybe I should do some laundry and get packing!
But first - check out this video from a Cebu Pacific Flight - best safety video ever!
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