Things I have learned so far on my business trip

[jaunthie]

I'm out of town on a business trip this week. It's been a very useful and intersting trip so far, job-wise. The people in this office are just as friendly in person as they are when we're working in our separate offices, and I'm learning a lot. This trip has also been interesting in the following non-work-related ways:

• Packing your own lunch for a flight is an even better idea now that certain major airlines have started charging extra for food service. (Fortunately a co-worker who travels more than I do warned me in advance.)


• Rental car companies don't really stock "intermediate" size cars anymore. They stock SUVs of various sizes, and give you a "complimentary upgrade" when you tell them no, an intermediate-sized sedan suits you just fine, and you're not interested in upgrading to a larger car.


• There are reasonably-priced hotels where the staff is friendly, knowledgable, and go out of their way to help you. (I'm staying in one.)


• Cloudbursts can last more than the 2-10 minutes I'm used to seeing. I got very wet coming back - and yes, I thought about waiting it out, and decided to go for it anyway - and I had an absolute blast both while out in it and in watching it later from my hotel window.

I hope the rest of the week goes as well as the start!

Comments

[monkeybard]

I'm glad to hear things are going so well out there. :D

[hiker-chick.livejournal.com]

You can pack your own lunch as long as it contains no more than 3 oz. of anything remotely liquid, right? For example, Jello (pudding or gelatin) is out, right? Nothing that could even remotely get through a colander? How, on Earth, do they regulate that? [makes W shape with fingers]

[jaunthie.livejournal.com]

The liquids restriction is utterly stupid, true - but it only applies going through security. You're supposed to put any containers containing anything even remotely liquid-like in a clear plastic ziploc and hand it over to be separately scanned.

However, you can buy a regular-sized water bottle after you get through security, or bring your own container and fill it up once you're past the scanners. And both the airports I travelled through had yogurt and stuff for sale in refrigerated containers. Granted, at airport prices, but still a heck of a lot better than paying $2 for a bag of chips on the plane (not that I would buy those chips, even if I hadn't packed a lunch beforehand).

And yeah, W and his scare-monkey lackeys and their bullying initiatives all suck. :-p