Here and There Blog

The Palace of Culture is the best landmark and is also the view from my window. As I walked around last night, I was able to get one picture in before dark. I thought I could navigate by the green domed buildings or church steeples but both were everywhere and they all looked alike. Warsaw is a pleasant surprise. As the end of September comes to a close, the weather is still around 60F, sunny, and the trees are turning yellow with the approach of fall. Parks are everywhere. I’ve rarely seen a big city with so many parks and where the parks are not, small gardens exist in their place. This is also an easy walking city. While not quite a grid, the streets are close enough to make navigation simple and there are a few tall building to serve as landmarks. I’m not sure how many miles I’ve walked here but I have covered territory from the city center, to the old town, to the parks and back.

Polish Beer - Warsaw

So much going on today! I'm at LAX waiting for the flight to London and then on to Warsaw from there. I've only driven here billions of times but today I decided for unknown reasons to try a different route. Big mistake. I found myself cruising the inner streets of Inglewood instead. Had I not been driving I would have been staring in fascination. Everyone worries about me going to the Middle East. This tells me that you've never been to Inglewood in the greater LA area. I have never seen so many cops with guns drawn, in separate incidents than today. The count - 3. Two of the detainees had their hands on their heads and the guns pointed there as well. Another few blocks down, a cop had her hand right on the gun belt as she questioned someone. Had I been wandering down that street I would have been harassed far more here in LA than anywhere else in the world. Had the cops seen me, I would have been escorted out of the Hood. Luckily in LA, all roads lead somewhere else and ...

The saga of life while living single in a family neighborhood continues.... Yesterday morning I left the house before sunrise. As I drove down my street I saw a familar and annoying sight. It was a shadow image of the much hated abondoned plastic playhouse. "Oh no! A second one!" I thought in total panic. Then I realized it was the same playhouse but someone had moved it to the other end of street. Oh happy day! I'm sure it was my next door neighbor since he had also resented the playhouse from day 1. Happiness only lasts so long because after a 2 month hiatus, dog poop has reappeared on my front lawn. It's a big dog too. At least the side yard is still protected weekly by pepper and hot spices blends. The yard waste was picked up today after another 4 week AWOL from the yard waste recyclers. That's a bonus so I can finally (in a couple weeks) de-weed the backyard again. Such is life in Carlsbad suburbs. The next door kids are done with school for the day so it...

For fun I've added in the Southern California earthquake monitor site. See link to the left side of the blog. Enjoy!

3 more days before vacation! I have a renewed sense of energy now that I sense the weekend is near! I'm still not quite sure what I've gotten myself into on this trip but if I could figure out Oslo, then Warsaw won't be that much more difficult. Once again, it's the start of a long, long work day but only 72 more hour and I'll be in air!

When I'm not blogging, it's a sure sign that work has taken over my body and turned me into a corporate zombie that would like to eat brains but is too busy to leave the office. I was up at 4:00 am today, so I could work before I went to work. I had to go offsite today and that meant losing time in the car. So it was a couple hours before the drive and then once home, another 3 hours. 14 hour days don't amuse me especially when they are followed or started with school. Tomorrow, the formula repeats! I can't wait to be on the plane and turn off all electronic devices, watch a movie I don't like, and eat food that's full of calories and carbs but lacking in flavor!

The dollar's drop against the Euro wasn't news that I wanted to hear this week. In the time that it took the bank to convert my pre-pay hotel charge, the drop meant that my hotel rate increased by $2.00. I am glad that I pre-paid because if I wait to pay until I arrive, then the rate could go up another $2.00 or more as a result of the dollar's continued decline. Poland is on the Zloty and not the Euro. This is good for me. If I pay for a taxi in Zloty's, the ride to my hotel will be under $10.00. If I pay in Euros, it changes to around $28 for the same ride. Warsaw looks like a city where I will have to act as a local to get the best rate. I've been playing with my collection of currencies and exchange rates. After much deliberation, I'm going to cash in my UAE Dirham for Zloty's. While I'll lose some on the exchange, I'll be better off than pulling from the ATM. My on-hand supply is only about $40 and that will cover the taxis and some local co...

I woke up able to breathe again so first up - homework while the mind can function! Last night I had to add on another blanket to the bed, a sad sign that summer has left us. Now that I can think, it's time to go online and check all bank accounts, mileage accounts, and hotel accounts. Yes, points and miles take as much investment energy as finances!

Allergies suck. September is one of the best months of the year except for the various forms of pollen that like to arrive with the winds. While others are outside enjoying the air, I am armed with Claritin and other forms of pollen fighters. Normally I can counter the effects before I'm exposed but once in a while, I go outside without taking an allergy med and then boom! I am suffering from the results. I have now managed to over medicate myself in an attempt to dry out my sinuses. All I have acheived are a dry mouth and a lack of focus on what I'm doing. Trying to find citations and typing references for a paper when in the midst of an allergy attack doesn't help. I stare at the screen and think "what sentence did I quote and why?" This is day two. The storm that would end the pollen attack still hasn't materialized. Outside is beautiful, sunny, and semi-warm while the weather casters are still talking as if we were living through a storm that is ruining o...

All this talk of a big storm and Carlsbad had the perfect September weather going on. I decided to take advantage of the sun and hit the beach for a workout just in case the rain was going to move in. The local news must think we're about to get hit because as I left, I noticed the weather van was all set up on the beach with several cameras and storm monitors. That's not such a good sign. If the storm is that big to warrant coverage, then their van will be somewhat washed out tomorrow morning with the tide.

More miles and points! I don't know how the universe lined itself up this way but September has been my month for cashing in! I have to take vacation time since our company has a use it or lose it policy. When I stay home, the phone rings, stuff happens and I end up working. So, I have to leave the country. As I mentioned on an earlier post, Europe is too expensive for Americans to afford these days. What is up with $600 a night for a hotel room? I decided that my goal was to add some new countries to my list and this trip includes Poland and Portugal. I was on the Holiday Inn website looking for a Warsaw hotel when the hotel announced a pointbreak special. Only 5000 points per night for a free room. Normally it's 25,000 to 40,000 points so this was a huge deal. I cashed in and secured two free nights in Warsaw. Then I wanted Lisbon. Well there are no bargain freebies in Lisbon and something is going on because all the hotels are nearly sold out. I can get a room but at $500 p...

Miles and Points! In this lifetime I don't have many innate talents. I can do some things moderately well, read faster than anyone I know, and mostly stay organized pretty well too. I can't sing, dance, do math, or cook. But, the one talent that I do have and excel at is a knack for finding travel bargains. I love to travel and I live on a budget. In the last month, I have uncanny success in finding bargains and cashing in frequent flyer/stay points. Next year, LJ and I are going to Copenhagen and Prague. Yes, it's 8 months away but that is how far in advance you have to plan free trips. In the last 4 weeks I was able to secure a free business class ticket for LJ to Europe, 3 intra-Europe segments in business for us, get 2 free hotel nights in Prague, and then I booked my own Europe flight in paid coach but will be able to upgrade to business. We have to pay taxes on the free tickets but $300 or so is a great bargain considering what we're doing. To make the most of a...

Monday, Monday! I'm glad it's here! After yesterday's homework deadline, I'm glad to have something else to distract me. This is a conference call day so four hours are already booked to be on the phone. The day should go by fast. As I woke up all annoyed that it's down to 64F and getting too cool for my taste, the east coast is already down to 35F in New York. I'm glad I'm not facing that! It's way to early to turn on the heater anywhere. Europe has also seen it's first snow of the season and all signs point to a colder winter than last year. Time to dream of Hawaii!

After 6 hours of homework I had to get my mind to relax. A quick look at my choices and I narrowed down the field to 3:10 to Yuma or Shoot 'Em Up . The latter won due to the 90 minute running time and Clive Owen. The title tells all. Shoot 'Em Up is Clive Owen doing the title justice for the 80 of the 90 minutes. There's some witty banter and some sex for the other 10 minutes, no wait, shooting was going on at the same time, so it's 89 minutes of shooting. (The opening sequence took a few seconds to get the shooting going.) I didn't like or dislike the movie in a traditional sense. There are no pretenses here other than watching Clive Owen shoot people in creative ways. I have a new sense of respect for carrots as weapons. Jackie Chan had nothing on this guy when it comes to improvisation. The plot is improbable, implausible, and doesn't try to pretend to be anything else. Clive Owen's character has decided to protect a newborn baby from the legions of bad...

Friday afternoon. I'm waiting for the workday to wind down so I can start on homework. The first 3 weeks of school were so easy I almost got lazy but the assignment this week requires thought and effort so I'm forcing myself back into the routine. As I told a friend today, 4 weeks down, 56 weeks to go. Sometimes a week in my own office can be the longest week in the world. As the e-mail in the corner is starting to appear with last minute Friday topics, I'll leave the blog for now and return to polish off the work week!

Ramandan began today and after a two year streak of arriving on this day, I am not in the Middle East! I happily drank coffee and ate breakfast today and am giving thanks that I am not in a country where it is illegal to be seen doing those things in public.

There are few places that make London seem like a bargain. Russia is one, Oman is another. But for the most part, Europe is cheaper than the UK. So it comes as a shock that as I look around for places to go on my upcoming time away from work, that I can't afford the hotels right now! First, I did totally score on two free hotel nights in Warsaw. I was able to use my points for a promotional special that was above and beyond great. Then I started looking. Milan? No free nights and hotels were averaging $400 per night. Must be a fashion event. Lisbon? Nope, peak tourist season, all sold out. Marseille? $300 plus. Fine, Brussels must work - no! worse than France! I have time, I'll figure this out. But who knew that London for under $200 a night would ever look so good?

Sept. 11. A day that will continue to be strange for many years to come. This is the day that it's impossible to turn on the television and not have to be subjected to politicians using people's grief for political agendas. There are the memorials, the tears, and rhetoric on the war on terror that's about as effective as the war on drugs. I wonder if it was like this after Pearl Harbor day? I'm sure it was but as that day fades into the past and the Japanese are BFF with the US, someday too, global ties will change. There is reflection on this day in the Middle East as well. The media will show us all the people celebrating of course and that is a large contingent of the poor, uneducated, and manipulated. As long as that population continues to live in poverty and ignorance, they will be used by the extremists. What we won't see are the people who were impacted in another way. American Muslims whom are second and third generation citizens, who now face scrutiny ev...

Saturday was Stone Brew's 11th anniversary party. This event has gotten so out of control that it's been moved into the dirt and tickets sales are limited but it's still crowded and fun. I probably tried more beer that I didn't like, than beer that I liked but that's what the event is for.

The beach at Veracruz. The water was churned up and looked more like San Diego beach water than the blue water that is normally in the Gulf of Mexico. I wouldn't call Veracruz a paradise but in a few years, I think it will start to resemble Cancun. There are quite a few new hotels being built and the old historic part of the city has Spanish buildings, there are plenty of cafes, and lots of shopping for tourists. It's only the first weekend in September but the beaches were deserted. The kite flyer was the only thing happening here.

Home at last! It took 10 hours to travel home from Veracruz and the flight from Dallas to LAX was delayed so it was 11 hours. I was more tired from all the airports than if I had returned from Europe. There's nothing as special as going through 4 security screenings in one day. For a while, I didn't think I was leaving Veracruz. A major rainstorm hit the city and the streets were flooded. The rain stopped somewhere around 3:30 am so that gave the airport enough time to dry out. I am happy to be home again. Mexico hotels in the south aren't that luxurious so between the lack of in-room internet, the hard bed, and the mosquito bites, I need the weekend to recover and get over this one. Pictures later.

Veracruz - I'm at a beach hotel and in the lobby working. My internet is down in my room so it forced me out and into the world. This is a good thing as the fans are going, the beach is in the background and the quesadilla is excellent! I took some photos but I probably won't get to upload them until Friday night. I wouldn't come here on vacation but it is relaxing.

Mexico City. This can go in the category as be careful what you wish for. I'd always wanted to see this city simply because I've been so many other places in Mexico. Well I've been here a couple hours and I've seen it. 28 more hours to go! Updated: The Starbucks in the lobby cheered me up for a few minutes until I realized my sandwich bordered on not quite cold. Given that I'm in Mexico, I'm not willing to risk my stomach to any questionable food so I ate part of the bread and tossed out the turkey and cheese. In Mexico, it's best to be hungry rather than sick. Bummer because I am hungry.

There are so many variables in airport security that really show there's no security at all. This morning, my brain wasn't functioning. No Starbucks at the hotel and none inside the Tom Bradley terminal. I had some hotel swill and a few sips of airport swill. When I went through security, the line was so short I had no time to think. Off came the shoes, out came the computer. I send the suitcase and backpack sliding through the x-ray and then went through myself. Only when I was on the other side and saw some man being hassled over his bottle of hot sauce did I realize that I had forgotten to pull out my 1 qt. bag of liquids. The bag was still in my backpack which was sitting in front of me, no questions asked. I looked to my right, the man was still trying to save his hot sauce. I looked to my left and the screeners were chatting away. I looked behind me, everyone was bored. I packed up my items and walked away. The man was still trying to save his hot sauce as I left.

Labor Day ended early for me. My flight to Mexico City leaves tomorrow at 7:00 am from LAX so my choice was to wake up at 2:00 am to drive there, or do a hotel tonight and lose part of my day off. 2:00 am sounded gross so here I am, at the Hilton Garden Inn, blogging and doing homework. Even so, I have to get up at 3:45 am to get my car into the car park and then be at the International Terminal by 5:00 am. This is the unpleasant part about business travel. I'm always getting up at ridiculous hours of the night to catch a flight. Oh well, I have to think of the rewards of free vacation travel! That's pretty much what keeps me going.

My goal of relaxing is going well. I've been plenty lazy and even went to the Carlsbad Mineral Spa for a mud facial - very relaxing! Homework is done for the week and there's still another day to sleep in! Well, tomorrow's not super relaxing since I have to drive to LAX for a pre-flight hotel stay but I can make up those hours at a later date. I've been on a roll with future travel plans. I managed to secure some free flights and hotels for next year's Copenhagen/Prague adventure. And having given up at last on the idea that I can take time off in the US and actually be able to take the time off, I've decided to get away as far as possible. I've tried to take a week off 3 different times this year and I've ended up working. As my hotel magic continued, I've secured a free hotel in Warsaw for October. Yup, if you have to go far away to not have work intrude, Poland has to be that destination! Portugal was my first choice but I couldn't get a fre...

I had forgotten how much I can get done when I'm avoiding homework. So far this morning it's been 2 loads of laundry, a double exercise routine, and after months of putting up with a had shower hose that falls down on me, I finally took the time to replace it. Add in some TV time, and partially packing for next week's trip, it now seems to be time to work on the paper. But, I sense that I may have to surf the net for a while before I'm ready to settle down. After all, there are travel bargains out there waiting to be found!