12:01 AM: Bags packed and in car. Plane ticket and ID in back pocket of jeans. Cell Phones are charging. I've forgotten something.
12:30 AM: iPod now syncing with computer. Useless exercise anyway; I will listen to every podcast on it before I land in NYC. Really need to bite the bullet and subscribe to Audible, but I like getting my books in paper form.
12:45 AM: Stack Dishwasher.
1:00 AM: Go to bed
4:00 AM: Receive call from Delta. My 7:15 flight has been delayed until 8:53. Curse out the automated voice, not for calling to tell me (I'm grateful for that), but for calling me at 4AM!!!
5:45 AM: Get out of bed, still glaring at the cell phone. Get dressed. Pack cell phones and chargers.
6:20 AM: Pull out. Head to airport. Curse Tampa Traffic and TSA, which necessitates having to leave almost 2 hours before the flight.
7:40 AM: Arrive at Gate, which says "Now Boarding". No one is moving. I go to Starbucks.
7:45 AM: Still not boarding. Eat oatmeal, drink tea, think about work ahead.
8:20 AM: Gate agents began calling for Passengers with small children. This is the beginning of the boarding process. Watch as 1/2 the passengers get up to crowd around the boarding lanes, despite the pleas of the gate agent. I'm not moving; I'm Zone 2 (Zone 1 if I get upgraded). I'm almost guaranteed overhead space.
I would just like to break in here and say that the current policy on baggage fees needs to be reexamined. Because of those fees, everyone is bringing a carry-on bag (what can a 4-year old pack that necessitates a separate carry on????) instead of checking bags, which means that the business travelers, who never had a problem getting overhead space now fight with everyone for the space. Airlines, raise the ticket prices to cover the baggage issues and remove the checked bag fees. People are giving themselves hernias trying to get overhead space.8:25 AM: Board plane.
At this point, I would like to point out that "You know you've been traveling too long when. . .you look at the aircraft and know the make and model number AND you know how comfortable you're going to be based on the seat assignment number."8:30 AM: Listen as 12C describes both his position on the futures market and his prostate. I now know his last diagnosis, when he's due in for a checkup, his doctor's name, and his position on something in the Mexican market. Hmmm...I suppose he wants us to know he's important. I don't care about the futures market and I don't have a prostate; I think he's a too-loud idiot on a cell phone.
9:00 AM: Sleep until we land. This is hard-won sleep, b/c 12A is one of the most uncomfortable seats on the plane.
11:30 AM: Take shuttle to rental car agency. God help me; I have to drive in NYC this week.
12:50 PM: Arrive at hotel. Very nice. Why can't I check in?
12:55 PM: Staff comes back to the front desk. Irritated now. Want my room. Due at site in 5 minutes.
1:00 PM: Brush teeth, change clothes, run downstairs to car. Thank God I got GPS with the car.
1:25 PM: Arrive at site. Everyone waiting. Skip the PowerPoint, discuss what we're going to do this week.
1:30 PM - 4:00 PM: I'm going to kill my boss. These people don't have a clue about what they are doing. No strategic plan, no plan, everything is just willy-nilly. Sweet Jesus, this is going to be difficult.
4:30 PM: Leave site for day. Exhausted and hungry; I haven't had a meal since this morning's Starbucks.
5:00 PM: Find grocery store. Get the usual: Water, OJ, fruit, tea.
7:30 PM: Go forage for food (i.e spend 30 minutes online looking for a highly rated restaurant, then drive there).
10:00 PM: Decide to blog about this day.
And there you have it. One day in my life; heavily edited to remove any information about the client. I'll try to post one for everyday of the week; I usually try to post the interesting stuff. No one wants to read about the mundane stuff; heck, I don't even like to remember the mundane stuff.
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