How I Spent Halloween
Bummer.
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October 31, 2007
Next car
October 27, 2007
Seattle
Mt. Rainier
Seattle is one of the more fascinating cities to approach by air. When flying there or departing, always sit on the left side of the plane to have the best views of Mt. Rainier. I wish I had something better than a cell phone to take the above picture, but I’m too lazy to haul a camera with me on overnight trips.
In addition to the stunning view of Mt. Rainier, my flight home from Seattle was notable for the man sitting in seat 2B. He was large, with a lengthy black beard, thick glasses and he wore a baseball cap. He leaned his head back and was asleep before the plane had pulled away from the jetway. Within minutes, the first class cabin was filled with a raucous snore. I’ve never heard someone snore so loud. My Bose noise canceling headsets and blaring iPod couldn’t block this Rip Van Winkle’s exhalations. The snoring continued incessantly for forty-five minutes, at which point the man awoke, well rested and oblivious. He then proceeded to stand and extract a jacket and belt from the overhead bin. He slipped on the jacket, tied the belt around his waist and retrieved a Torah. He remained standing in the aisle as he began to read prayers with an occasional head bow and bend of the knees. The ritual continued for five minutes, at which point he returned everything to the overhead bin and took his seat.
I admired his self-possession.
In other travel news, I can no longer recommend Samsonite rollerbags. After my first Samsonite handled flawlessly for years, I’ve gone through two in just eighteen months. I put too much faith in products with lifetime warranties. I assume if a company offers a lifetime guarantee that the product is of such high quality it rarely breaks so I don’t need to register the warranty. Which in the case of my last two rollerbags was a mistake. I junked the first one because the handle kept breaking. My current bag works fine except the wheel squeaks. I’ve tolerated the incessant whine for months, but I can no longer stand it. My friend, who meticulously researches everything before buying, recommends Travelpro luggage. Apparently, this is what airline pilots use, and I’ve never seen a pilot pulling a squeaky bag. My new 22 inch rollerbag should arrive this week.
October 18, 2007
Palm Springs
I flew into Ontario, California yesterday and was amazed at the guck that hangs over Los Angeles County. The cell phone picture doesn't do it justice, but it literally looks like you could suffocate breathing that air.
After our meeting in Claremont, my friend and I took a drive to Palm Springs because we had never been. I was envisioning a sort of Beverly Hills in the Desert - an upscale oasis with enticing restaurants and shops.
What a dissappointment. The town has clearly seen better days. It just look run down. Kind of sad.
October 16, 2007
Helping
Last week I was stopped by a man at the Cincinnati airport.
“Are you an executive?” he asked.
It was an odd question. Before I could answer, he said, “You look like you travel a lot. Can you help me?”
I nodded.
“You look annoyed,” he said.
“I’m trying to catch my flight.” I wasn’t annoyed, just wary.
The man quickly related how he was in town for a job interview, had missed his return flight to Pittsburgh and couldn’t get a flight out until tomorrow. He had no money for a hotel and another executive had offered to loan him $300 but they couldn’t get the ATM to work. At this point, he showed me the executive’s business card. The executive told him to find another executive and he or she would help.
“Why don’t you rent a car and drive?” I said.
“Because I don’t have a credit card.” He went on to plead with me how if I helped out and lent him the money it would restore my faith in Penn State grads, as if I somehow was disenchanted with them. He insisted he was just a Jewish kid who was in a bind and that he had asked eight people already and no one had helped, except for the other executive. He offered me his cell phone, showed me his drivers license and the reservation for the hotel where had stayed the previous night and paid cash.
Peter Drucker once said it is important to know how we learn best, whether orally or verbally, and under what circumstances we thrive. I categorically don’t thrive when approached by strangers in airports who pepper me with details of their travel woes. In fact, I shut down completely and am unable to come up with simple questions to test the veracity of their stories. The more details thrown at me, the more gullible I am. So I gave him the money and my return address. He in turn gave me his name, address and phone number.
I don’t mind helping those in need. I just don’t like being ripped off. I’m not sure if I was in this case. Afterwards, I thought of what I should have asked, and I remembered details that didn’t register in the heat of the moment. The man had a ticket jacket, but I didn’t think to ask to see his boarding pass. I don’t remember seeing his luggage, which is strange because he wasn’t dressed for a job interview.
I have since called the man’s cell phone and it turned out to be his, although the voicemail box was full so I couldn’t leave a message.
As of yet, I’ve seen no money.
October 2, 2007
Manhattan
We spent a delightful weekend in Manhattan, but I took my favorite photograph just outside Yellowstone Park in Montana. On our way home, weather delays caused us to miss our connection to Idaho so we flew into Bozeman, Montana instead. The drive home on Monday was beautiful.
I believe I now hold the record for spending the most money to see Spamalot on Broadway. I dutifully went to pick up my Will Call tickets on Saturday morning only to find out the tickets had been for the prior evening’s performance. Knowing how disappointed Camden would be, I bit my lip and bought two more tickets for the Saturday evening performance. Of course, I wouldn’t have been at the Will Call window if I hadn’t accidentally thrown the original tickets in the trash after mistaking them for junk mail.
I saw this fascinating Paul Norguet designed chair at MOMA. And to think you can buy one just like it for only $13,000.
Once again I confirmed one should only fly into Newark if the tickets are free (which they were). Otherwise pay up and fly into LaGuardia. The tram/train/subway trip from Newark to Manhattan just takes too long and the broken escalators mean hauling luggage up numerous flights of stairs.
LaPriel's uncle passed away while Camden and I were gone. LaPriel and I attended the viewing last night. I keep reflecting on something her newly widowed aunt told us as we stood by the casket.
"The loneliness stays with you even when others are around."
I admire people who speak from the heart.