Flying from Boston through Chicago was no easy task. The weather was pretty bad in Chicago, so after about a 45 minute delay on the tarmac in Boston, the pilots took us back to get more fuel and then we finally took off. Once we landed in Chicago, I had about 10 minutes to get to my next gate. Fortunately it was just 3 gates down and I walked right on the plane. For those of you who have read some of my blogs, you will know that this is not the normal way of life for me in airports.
I landed in Denver right on schedule and met Rick in one of the client offices where we set up some printers and a fax machine and then off to Bubba Gump's for a bite to eat.
After a good lunch, we finished unpacking some more office supply stuff and then walked across town to pick up some paper for the copiers and printers.
We should have taken a cab back, but instead we bought a package deal on 6 boxes of paper that included a free hand truck.
10 city blocks later, and about 3 gallons of sweat, we finally got back to the hotel with our paper and I thought I was going to pass out.
We called it an early day and went walking out in the city and met our friend Frank Sollecito. We then walked to the Baseball stadium and went to the Breckenridge Brewery for a beer. After a drink and some great laughs, we went to dinner at a Tapas Restaurant. I pretty much went to bed after that.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Boston
I am wondering when the day will come when my body becomes like my father's and my internal alarm clock will start waking me up at 4:00 am naturally. It certainly isn't now... that is for sure.
My alarm went off at 3:30 am and I got up and headed to the airport. I was hauling a lot of luggage this time. My suitcase, my computer bag, a Pelican case with a telephone interface, a Pelican case with a DVCAM deck, another Pelican with my recorders and other miscellaneous audio stuff in it, and my Camera Bag. 6 Bags in total to haul around the country. They weighed well over 175 lbs. Fortunately, Allen got up at 3:30 am to give me a ride to the airport so I didn't have to fight parking and hauling all this stuff onto the shuttle buses.
Taking advantage of Continental airlines joining the Star Alliance, I got on the plane and remembered how much I like United's economy plus seating. 5 Inches of leg room in Economy Plus = Your knees not getting mashed when the person in front of you reclines their chair.
Sacramento to Houston, and then Houston to Boston with an hour ground stop delay, I finally arrived in Boston and gathered my entourage of road cases together and hailed a cab. I checked into the hotel and grabbed my camera and wandered off around Quincy Market. I went to this fountain that we shot last time we were here and tried to get a good capture of it again. My first time shooting it produced less than good results so I thought I would take another stab at it.
I had about 2 hours to walk around and grab a bite to eat before I was tired and went to bed. Thursday we loaded in and worked till about 6:30 pm and grabbed a quick dinner with the producer of the show, Josh. He is a super cool guy and I really enjoy working with him. He is totally laid back and just really nice to be around.
Show call was 6:30 am this morning and the show pretty much goes all day followed by the strike. Tonight I have to move to the Marriot out by the airport and then fly out first thing in the morning to Denver.
My alarm went off at 3:30 am and I got up and headed to the airport. I was hauling a lot of luggage this time. My suitcase, my computer bag, a Pelican case with a telephone interface, a Pelican case with a DVCAM deck, another Pelican with my recorders and other miscellaneous audio stuff in it, and my Camera Bag. 6 Bags in total to haul around the country. They weighed well over 175 lbs. Fortunately, Allen got up at 3:30 am to give me a ride to the airport so I didn't have to fight parking and hauling all this stuff onto the shuttle buses.
Taking advantage of Continental airlines joining the Star Alliance, I got on the plane and remembered how much I like United's economy plus seating. 5 Inches of leg room in Economy Plus = Your knees not getting mashed when the person in front of you reclines their chair.
Sacramento to Houston, and then Houston to Boston with an hour ground stop delay, I finally arrived in Boston and gathered my entourage of road cases together and hailed a cab. I checked into the hotel and grabbed my camera and wandered off around Quincy Market. I went to this fountain that we shot last time we were here and tried to get a good capture of it again. My first time shooting it produced less than good results so I thought I would take another stab at it.
I had about 2 hours to walk around and grab a bite to eat before I was tired and went to bed. Thursday we loaded in and worked till about 6:30 pm and grabbed a quick dinner with the producer of the show, Josh. He is a super cool guy and I really enjoy working with him. He is totally laid back and just really nice to be around.
Show call was 6:30 am this morning and the show pretty much goes all day followed by the strike. Tonight I have to move to the Marriot out by the airport and then fly out first thing in the morning to Denver.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Home from Texas
The show went well, and we tore it all down and got out of there at about 4:30 pm. Dave and I headed to the shuttle that would take us to Terminal E and found that walking outside was enough to make us pass out from heat stroke. Finally through security and then we hung out in a little mexican restaurant and had a bite to eat while we played 18 holes of golf on the iPad.
He won and then had to get on his flight. I had about another hour to wait so I went to my gate and watched a movie. The plane was late getting in, and they did a rushed turn around. We finally got to Denver around 8:30 pm and that gave me about an hour before my next flight to Sacramento.
I landed in Sacramento about 11:30 pm and after I got my luggage, I waited for the shuttle to the economy parking lot and loaded onto it with about 30 other people. I checked my iPhone notes to see where I parked, and I had typed in 40G so I got off the bus around midnight at 40 G and walked up and down the aisles looking for my Jeep. It was no where to be found After about 30 minutes of wandering around the parking lot. I finally decided to look in the 41 G lot. 26 Aisles later, I finally stumbled upon my car. I must have typed in the wrong aisle number when I left!
40 minutes later, I was home in bed and completely passed out till about 8:30 am this morning.
Now, I am getting hungry... time to get up and figure the day out.
He won and then had to get on his flight. I had about another hour to wait so I went to my gate and watched a movie. The plane was late getting in, and they did a rushed turn around. We finally got to Denver around 8:30 pm and that gave me about an hour before my next flight to Sacramento.
I landed in Sacramento about 11:30 pm and after I got my luggage, I waited for the shuttle to the economy parking lot and loaded onto it with about 30 other people. I checked my iPhone notes to see where I parked, and I had typed in 40G so I got off the bus around midnight at 40 G and walked up and down the aisles looking for my Jeep. It was no where to be found After about 30 minutes of wandering around the parking lot. I finally decided to look in the 41 G lot. 26 Aisles later, I finally stumbled upon my car. I must have typed in the wrong aisle number when I left!
40 minutes later, I was home in bed and completely passed out till about 8:30 am this morning.
Now, I am getting hungry... time to get up and figure the day out.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
I am Cold
It is 98 degrees outside... supposed to hit a high of 103 today... and I am freezing...
while I am sitting here at the console with a sweater on. I am not complaining... just sayin...
while I am sitting here at the console with a sweater on. I am not complaining... just sayin...
The last day in Dallas
The show ended at 2:45 pm yesterday, and I found myself still sitting at the audio console at 5:00 pm. The client decided to do a little slide review/rehearsal in the room and we had to change it over from round tables to a U-shape table configuration.
Once they were finished, we rocked out the change over and waited for Security to show up at 7:00 pm. Then we went to the front desk and inquired about getting passes to the airport terminal for a different set of options for dinner.
It was interesting... Dallas Police had to come and fill out forms, call in our drivers license's and once that was done, security was even more aggressive than normal. First a pat down, and then everything that we were carrying... wallet, phone, shoes, everything had to get sniffed for explosives.
Apparently because we hadn't bought a plane ticket, the TSA doesn't have the chance to run our names through the system and see if they should flag us. So, they assume that you would have been flagged and do the additional screening anyway.
We got through that and decided to go to a mexican restaurant in Terminal D. While it was nice to have a different option for dinner than just the hotel restaurant, You know you are ready to go home when you actually choose to battle security for the option to eat airport food.
The food wasn't too bad, and the service was ok. Interestingly enough... the knife that we got with our food was plastic, but the fork was metal. Now, you know know if you carried that metal fork through security, you would have gotten tackled like you were in the NFL and about to score the final touchdown to win the game.
It got me thinking.... if you were going to do something bad... how many things could you find in the airport terminal to Macgyver together something bad.
After dinner I pretty much went straight to bed and feel asleep within 15 minutes of crawling into bed. I slept like a baby, and while I feel sleepy right now because it is still early, I think I am going to feel better today than yesterday.
After the show this afternoon, we do a quick strike and then I catch a 7:27 pm flight back to Sacramento through Denver. I think I land at about 11:00 pm.
Just another day at the office.
Once they were finished, we rocked out the change over and waited for Security to show up at 7:00 pm. Then we went to the front desk and inquired about getting passes to the airport terminal for a different set of options for dinner.
It was interesting... Dallas Police had to come and fill out forms, call in our drivers license's and once that was done, security was even more aggressive than normal. First a pat down, and then everything that we were carrying... wallet, phone, shoes, everything had to get sniffed for explosives.
Apparently because we hadn't bought a plane ticket, the TSA doesn't have the chance to run our names through the system and see if they should flag us. So, they assume that you would have been flagged and do the additional screening anyway.
We got through that and decided to go to a mexican restaurant in Terminal D. While it was nice to have a different option for dinner than just the hotel restaurant, You know you are ready to go home when you actually choose to battle security for the option to eat airport food.
The food wasn't too bad, and the service was ok. Interestingly enough... the knife that we got with our food was plastic, but the fork was metal. Now, you know know if you carried that metal fork through security, you would have gotten tackled like you were in the NFL and about to score the final touchdown to win the game.
It got me thinking.... if you were going to do something bad... how many things could you find in the airport terminal to Macgyver together something bad.
After dinner I pretty much went straight to bed and feel asleep within 15 minutes of crawling into bed. I slept like a baby, and while I feel sleepy right now because it is still early, I think I am going to feel better today than yesterday.
After the show this afternoon, we do a quick strike and then I catch a 7:27 pm flight back to Sacramento through Denver. I think I land at about 11:00 pm.
Just another day at the office.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Almost Lunch Time
The Alarm went off at 5:30 this morning.... I snoozed it... then the wake up call... Rolled over on that too.... Then the second alarm... followed by the second wake up call.... You get the idea... 40 minutes later, I finally decided I had to get up. 20 minutes later, I was down in the ballroom firing up the sound system... putting batteries in the wireless mics, and setting up a printer for the client. Too early O'Clock if you ask me.
The show has been going well... it is only 15 people in the room, so it feels pretty laid back. We have about 15 minutes before we break for lunch.. and then just about an hour and a half left for the rest of the day.
I think it is nap time once we finish.
Here is a shot that I took from my hotel room this morning.
The show has been going well... it is only 15 people in the room, so it feels pretty laid back. We have about 15 minutes before we break for lunch.. and then just about an hour and a half left for the rest of the day.
I think it is nap time once we finish.
Here is a shot that I took from my hotel room this morning.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
DFW
I got up at 4:30 am to head to the airport for a show in Dallas. My flight was at 7:21 which was nicer than the normal 6:00 am flights. I flew United through Denver and finally after a little delay got to Dallas around 4:45 pm on Wednesday.
While I was in Denver, I found out that the client didn't have a hotel room for me on Wednesday night. Rick, who was in Stockholm Sweden on a site survey found that out and was nice enough to book a room for me at the Westin which is about 2 miles from the airport. I met Dave Cole for a nice dinner at the Westin and then got a good nights sleep in a Westin Heavenly Bed.
This morning I checked out of the Westin at 10:00 am and went over to the Grand Hyatt DFW to help Dave get the client all set up with Internet and Printing.
A little Lunch and then I hung out in my hotel room for the afternoon. The hotel is right in the Airport Terminal, so it is not like there is anything to do or anywhere to go. Around 4:00 pm we met for some dinner. I had a little bit of sushi and then it was about 5:30 so we went to the meeting room to get set up.
We were just about ready to tape all of our cables down... everything was working... and then in came the client. They had some changes and finally decided to change the room set up from a U-shaped set up to round tables.
We had to rip up everything that we had already laid down and tested, wait for the hotel to reset the room, and then put it all back together. It really wasn't too bad and the local AV company people had pretty good attitudes about the whole thing.
Finally finished around 9:00 pm and now I am going to get a good nights rest. A 5:30 am wake up call will start the day tomorrow and we will work till about 3:30 or so. Then do it all again on Saturday.
While I was in Denver, I found out that the client didn't have a hotel room for me on Wednesday night. Rick, who was in Stockholm Sweden on a site survey found that out and was nice enough to book a room for me at the Westin which is about 2 miles from the airport. I met Dave Cole for a nice dinner at the Westin and then got a good nights sleep in a Westin Heavenly Bed.
This morning I checked out of the Westin at 10:00 am and went over to the Grand Hyatt DFW to help Dave get the client all set up with Internet and Printing.
A little Lunch and then I hung out in my hotel room for the afternoon. The hotel is right in the Airport Terminal, so it is not like there is anything to do or anywhere to go. Around 4:00 pm we met for some dinner. I had a little bit of sushi and then it was about 5:30 so we went to the meeting room to get set up.
We were just about ready to tape all of our cables down... everything was working... and then in came the client. They had some changes and finally decided to change the room set up from a U-shaped set up to round tables.
We had to rip up everything that we had already laid down and tested, wait for the hotel to reset the room, and then put it all back together. It really wasn't too bad and the local AV company people had pretty good attitudes about the whole thing.
Finally finished around 9:00 pm and now I am going to get a good nights rest. A 5:30 am wake up call will start the day tomorrow and we will work till about 3:30 or so. Then do it all again on Saturday.
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