When booking travel for work, we go through an agency. It's become fairly routine, so I probably don't pay as much attention to reviewing the details of the arrangements as I should. I will now.
For someone who travels as much as I do, one would think I'd know better, but until I printed out my boarding pass at the airport yesterday afternoon, I had no idea that the agent had booked my ticket as a return flight back to Vienna rather than with Budapest as the final destination as I wanted. Jenn and her parents had left that morning for Budapest and the plan was for me to meet them. I evaluated all options, but it seemed the best choice was to get to Vienna and figure it out then.
During my layover in London, I was sitting in the American Airlines lounge and purchased a bus ticket online to bring me from the Vienna airport to Budapest, so I will end up making it there tonight at 10pm, only four hours later than intended. I now sit in the British Airways lounge because the American lounge was too noisy. I was sitting in the area clearly marked with signage as the "quiet area", yet one family apparently thought no one would notice or care if they sat there with their screaming baby. I'm all for kids and babies, but not in the damn quiet area.
On the flight, I had the vegetable lasagna for lunch. It wasn't too bad actually, though there didn't seem to be any vegetables in it. In the DFW airport, I bought this Planters trail mix to have as a snack. I finished that off by the end of the flight, but was disturbed to find out that the bag represented 6 servings at 150 calories each. Oops.
I slept a little (not much), caught up on my Sports Illustrateds, and read some of Hot, Flat, and Crowded, by Tom Friedman. I only watched one movie, Cedar Rapids starring Ed Helms as a small town insurance salesman who leaves the city for the first time to attend a regional conference. It wasn't terrible. There were a few things I thought were entertaining. I wouldn't recommend it, but if there is nothing else on TV and you happen to see it on while flipping channels, it's watchable.
To summarize the lessons learned from this blog entry for you to take with you, check your flight reservations, watch your portions when eating Planters trail mix, Cedar Rapids isn't a terrible movie, and keep your kids out of the quiet area.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Father's Day
I don’t have much to say about Father’s Day as I don’t think much of Hallmark holidays. It was as good of an excuse as any for Jenn’s mom to cook up as feast (those who know her know she needs no excuse) and have the entire family over. As always, it was great to see everyone. Here are some pictures...
And here is a picture of Kraft's new absolutely ridiculous extra large marshmallows. I'm quite certain there was no need for marshmallows five times the size of regular ones, but I look forward (at some point) to eating a s'more that is five times a regular size s'more to accommodate the giant marshmallow. This was a nice reminder that I was back in the good old USA.
There's NOLA Place Like Home
The first thing I noticed when Jenn and I arrived at my parents’ house in Metairie was a package sitting on the desk chair in my room that looked familiar. A couple of weeks before moving to Bratislava last summer, I mailed two Sports Illustrated magazines to Drew Brees. I requested his signature on each so that I could frame them with my ticket stubs from the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl as well as some other stuff I have from the Saints Super Bowl win. I included a self addressed envelope with postage paid along with a long letter expressing my admiration and appreciation for all he accomplished.
I felt nervous as I opened the package, only being disappointed to see the magazine covers signature-less and a note explaining that Drew will only sign for non-profits. I understand and I can’t even imagine how many autograph requests he gets, but I was still really disappointed.
We had a great weekend in New Orleans spending time with family and friends. I had a nice walk with Rachel at City Park on Saturday morning on a new paved walking and running path where the South Golf course, where I learned to play golf, used to be. We enjoyed lunch with Nana and Granddaddy across the street from their building at Houston’s. An American hamburger tastes so very good after spending significant time overseas. Words cannot describe the joy of watching your 96 year old grandfather down a half pound hamburger. It makes me smile now just thinking about it.
I want to give a plug for Beaucoup NOLA Juice on Freret. I’m not a big snowball guy because I don’t love the syrup. They are too sweet for me. This place has excellent, smooth ice, but tops it with natural fruit juice. The strawberry lemonade was superb. Jenn had the chocolate milk from Smith Creamery, which also was stellar.
We ate dinner with Grandma, Mom and Pa, and Rach and Chad at Mosca’s on the other side of the river. We were all excited to go there. I hadn’t been in easily over 10 years and Jenn had never been. It’s a small beyond unassuming place literally in the middle of nowhere. There is limited seating, but we had a reservation. We had an outstanding (very un-Slovak) meal. The oysters Mosca and the Chicken a la Grande were the standouts. We all left full and smelling of garlic.
We tried another new place, the Cake Café, on Rach and Chad’s recommendation, for brunch on Sunday. We met Barry and a pregnant Lane. The place is located in the Marigny neighborhood on the far edge of the French Quarter. The baked goods were probably the best part of the meal, but I really enjoyed my oysters, eggs and grits. We did some good eating on this trip.
In preparation for our trip in a few weeks to Normandy, we toured the National World War 2 Museum, which was terrific. We both learned a lot and it provided good context for what we’re going to see in France.
We finished the weekend with dinner with Gary, Suzy, and our nephews, David and Evan. As always, it was fun being with them.
It was then back on the plane to head back to Dallas where we’d be for two more weeks for my work. We boarded the plane with six minutes remaining of game 6 of the NBA Finals. The Mavs seemed to have it under control and it turns out they did as the pilot announced their victory a few minutes into the flight. Good for them and good for Dirk. He deserves it. I like it when nice guys finish first.
It’s hard to balance work, travel, friends, and family, but we try very hard. In the end, it’s always worth it.
Back On My Feet
I am tired. I’m moving a little slower, feeling achier and achier, and each day my dark black hair becomes more and more sprinkled with touches of gray.
In the past three months, I spent three weeks in the United States (during which I drove to and from Dallas twice and flew roundtrip to New Orleans), a week and a half in China, a week in Malaysia, one week in Turkey, a weekend in Kosice (eastern Slovakia), a weekend in Copenhagen, and a weekend in Croatia. It’s not just the travel, but also the work. It is great experience and I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity, but it is extremely challenging and both mentally and physically draining. The beauty though of the framework of the audit organization in which I work is that every three months, when one project comes to an end, another begins.
It’s a fresh start. It’s an opportunity to learn from previous mistakes, while also the chance to make new ones. It’s like staring down an open fairway. You have to erase from your mind whatever happened on the previous hole (whether good or bad), not think about what looms on the next one, and focus on the wide open fairway in front of you and try again to get it right, to be perfect.
Being in Dallas for work, I laced up my dependable, but worn Asics, and headed for the Katy Trail, the place I learned to enjoy running when I was in business school. It’s less a trail and more an urban (paved) running path which caters to the “pretty” people that can afford to live along or near it, but I like it, a lot. Battling 3 months accumulation of 14 and 15 hour work days, muscle tightness and IT band pain brought about by hours upon hours of sitting cramped on airplanes (or at least that’s my theory), and the Dallas summer heat, I ran. It felt great. My mind for just a little while, 30 minutes or so, was able to get away from work. I wasn’t thinking about the last three stressful months or the next project kicking off the next week. I was focused instead on the run, my feet, my breathing. I was focused on nothing, but each new step. I was living in and cherishing the moment..
Even with a busy week of meetings, work events, visits with friends and family, and an evening attending Game 5 of the NBA Finals, I returned each morning to the Katy. It’s reminder that I need this time in my life, the one hour a day, whether it’s running, walking, reading, or writing; my own time, my own life. I’ve always recognized the importance of this, but things always seem to get in the way; excuses, mostly. Every so often, one needs a wake-up call. Hopefully, this time I’ll pay attention.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Airplane Reviews
We flew British Airways last weekend on our way back to the US. I had a work conference in Dallas and then will be in the States for two more weeks. It took us three tries of asking agents to help us, but we finally were able to get seats next to each other, literally right before we boarded. We got lucky because no one showed up for the seat next to us, so we had three seats to ourselves.
Lunch was a very forgettable chicken paella. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Airlines should stick with pizza and pasta. We had stocked up on cookies and snacks from the very nice, new BA lounge in Terminal 3 at Heathrow, so we weren't too bad off. I'm reading Tom Friedman's "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" now which is good so far, but didn't get too much reading done on the flight. We only slept for two or three hours the previous night, so it was hard to stay awake. We did regrettably watch two movies. Keep in mind, the selection available was not all that exciting.
JUST GO WITH IT: I'll put it very simply, and you can quote me on this, "it was about a thousand times shittier than I thought it would be". I turned it off after 15 minutes. Jenn watched the whole thing, however, and told me it didn't get any better. There are better and easier ways to see Brooklyn Decker in a bikini than sitting through this movie. Come on, Adam Sandler. You've gotten awfully lazy with your movie making.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED: My one line review for this one is, "it wasn't nearly as shitty as I thought it would be." I think they should put that one on the DVD cover. It's a familiar formula, Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman are friends, who begin a relationship that is not technically a relationship because Portman, the medical resident, fears commitment. They inevitably fall in love and are obviously going to get together in the end, but along the way, there actually are a few funny/entertaining moments. I've unfortunately seen several Ashton Kutcher movies and I find it interesting that he almost always plays a character with zero flaws. Is this ego or type-casting, I have no way of knowing. It's very hard not to like Natalie Portman. She's watchable in almost anything. I want to be clear that this is not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, but as with all my reviews, you have to put them in the context of whether or not you would be entertained while watching on an airplane.
Lunch was a very forgettable chicken paella. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Airlines should stick with pizza and pasta. We had stocked up on cookies and snacks from the very nice, new BA lounge in Terminal 3 at Heathrow, so we weren't too bad off. I'm reading Tom Friedman's "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" now which is good so far, but didn't get too much reading done on the flight. We only slept for two or three hours the previous night, so it was hard to stay awake. We did regrettably watch two movies. Keep in mind, the selection available was not all that exciting.
JUST GO WITH IT: I'll put it very simply, and you can quote me on this, "it was about a thousand times shittier than I thought it would be". I turned it off after 15 minutes. Jenn watched the whole thing, however, and told me it didn't get any better. There are better and easier ways to see Brooklyn Decker in a bikini than sitting through this movie. Come on, Adam Sandler. You've gotten awfully lazy with your movie making.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED: My one line review for this one is, "it wasn't nearly as shitty as I thought it would be." I think they should put that one on the DVD cover. It's a familiar formula, Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman are friends, who begin a relationship that is not technically a relationship because Portman, the medical resident, fears commitment. They inevitably fall in love and are obviously going to get together in the end, but along the way, there actually are a few funny/entertaining moments. I've unfortunately seen several Ashton Kutcher movies and I find it interesting that he almost always plays a character with zero flaws. Is this ego or type-casting, I have no way of knowing. It's very hard not to like Natalie Portman. She's watchable in almost anything. I want to be clear that this is not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, but as with all my reviews, you have to put them in the context of whether or not you would be entertained while watching on an airplane.
Beyond the Sea
We recently completed a long awaited visit to Dubrovnik. We had hear good things about the city for a long time and we've been trying for the past year to find the right time to go. This weekend was the right time.
We arrived Thursday night and checked in to the Rixos Libertas. We had a balcony, but since we arrived late at night, it was too dark to see any of the jaw dropping beauty we'd heard about. In the morning, we took in the dramatic coastline, which was spectacular. Unfortunately, we both had to work on Friday, so we couldn't really enjoy it.
After what ended up being a very long day of work, we had a late dinner at the much hyped Nautika. The consistent opinion from almost every guide book and website was that this was the best restaurant in town, and also the most expensive. Neither of us mind paying high prices for good food, but as I've discussed before on this blog, it's very hard to find value in a meal like this as the food very rarely ends up seeming like it's worth the money. Unfortunately, Nautkia was no exception. It was really expensive and while the food was good (we had the lobster medallions, scallops, and the sea bass), it didn't warrant the outrageous prices they are charging. Nevertheless, we had a nice dinner sitting outside looking out over the Adriatic.
We both have been working a lot, so we tried to balance activity and sight-seeing with relaxation time. On the first day, we walked the walls of the old city, which was crowded, but cool. It was a neat way to see the city. We also lucked out with incredible weather. We met our friends, the Yeagers for lunch. They happened to plan a trip to Dubrovnik for the same weekend. The meal at Arsenal was fine, but not overly impressive. The view was nice looking at the inlet where all the boats were docked. We then rode the gondola to a lookout point over the city where we got some excellent pictures.
Every single restaurant had the same menu in town, so it was hard to determine where we should eat for dinner. We ended up at Poklisar, which was touristy, but the food wasn't bad. The restaurant offerings in town actually reminded us a lot of Venice as they all seemed to be catered to tourists. We had dessert at the Kavana Dubravka, which looks like an old style cafe you'd see in many of the Central European cities. It looked like the nightlife was just picking up, but we were both tired, so we walked back to the hotel to get some rest.
We spent the entire day Sunday hanging out in the sun on the big deck at the hotel. We did a little bit of swimming in the sea. The water was crystal clear and a remarkable shade of blue that looks too good to be true. It was also freezing. We hung out all day reading, playing scrabble and relaxing. It felt like vacation, which we both desperately needed. From reading this blog, one may assume that our whole life is vacation, but that is because I try to avoid talking about work. It has been an exhausting three months, particularly for me, but for Jenn as well. In addition to her workload, she had to put up with me. We needed this break.
Dinner that evening was at Orhan with the Yeagers. It was in the same little cove as Nautika. It was tucked away in a quaint, quiet spot overlooking the sea. The food was pretty good and the setting was perfect. I'd probably recommend it over any other restaurant we ate at during the trip.
We had an afternoon flight out, so we had time Monday morning for a little more sun time and one last dip in the water. We'd seen people jumping off this ledge that was about a 15 or 20 foot drop to the water. Until now, we'd been hesitant to do it, but it was now or never. We both took the exhilarating leap into the ice cold water. I still had a lot of work things on my mind, but for at least for 2 or 3 seconds, I felt the stress release from my brain, shoulders, and remainder of my body. I felt...relaxed.
After lunch at the Bellevue, the hotel next to ours (where we wanted to stay, but couldn't get a reasonably priced room), we headed back to Bratislava, the demands of work, and reality.
I'm always going to work hard and stress myself out at times (or most of the time), but I need to take a break. I need to leave it all at the office and take time to relax and enjoy life.
To view our pictures, click here.
We arrived Thursday night and checked in to the Rixos Libertas. We had a balcony, but since we arrived late at night, it was too dark to see any of the jaw dropping beauty we'd heard about. In the morning, we took in the dramatic coastline, which was spectacular. Unfortunately, we both had to work on Friday, so we couldn't really enjoy it.
After what ended up being a very long day of work, we had a late dinner at the much hyped Nautika. The consistent opinion from almost every guide book and website was that this was the best restaurant in town, and also the most expensive. Neither of us mind paying high prices for good food, but as I've discussed before on this blog, it's very hard to find value in a meal like this as the food very rarely ends up seeming like it's worth the money. Unfortunately, Nautkia was no exception. It was really expensive and while the food was good (we had the lobster medallions, scallops, and the sea bass), it didn't warrant the outrageous prices they are charging. Nevertheless, we had a nice dinner sitting outside looking out over the Adriatic.
We both have been working a lot, so we tried to balance activity and sight-seeing with relaxation time. On the first day, we walked the walls of the old city, which was crowded, but cool. It was a neat way to see the city. We also lucked out with incredible weather. We met our friends, the Yeagers for lunch. They happened to plan a trip to Dubrovnik for the same weekend. The meal at Arsenal was fine, but not overly impressive. The view was nice looking at the inlet where all the boats were docked. We then rode the gondola to a lookout point over the city where we got some excellent pictures.
Every single restaurant had the same menu in town, so it was hard to determine where we should eat for dinner. We ended up at Poklisar, which was touristy, but the food wasn't bad. The restaurant offerings in town actually reminded us a lot of Venice as they all seemed to be catered to tourists. We had dessert at the Kavana Dubravka, which looks like an old style cafe you'd see in many of the Central European cities. It looked like the nightlife was just picking up, but we were both tired, so we walked back to the hotel to get some rest.
We spent the entire day Sunday hanging out in the sun on the big deck at the hotel. We did a little bit of swimming in the sea. The water was crystal clear and a remarkable shade of blue that looks too good to be true. It was also freezing. We hung out all day reading, playing scrabble and relaxing. It felt like vacation, which we both desperately needed. From reading this blog, one may assume that our whole life is vacation, but that is because I try to avoid talking about work. It has been an exhausting three months, particularly for me, but for Jenn as well. In addition to her workload, she had to put up with me. We needed this break.
Dinner that evening was at Orhan with the Yeagers. It was in the same little cove as Nautika. It was tucked away in a quaint, quiet spot overlooking the sea. The food was pretty good and the setting was perfect. I'd probably recommend it over any other restaurant we ate at during the trip.
We had an afternoon flight out, so we had time Monday morning for a little more sun time and one last dip in the water. We'd seen people jumping off this ledge that was about a 15 or 20 foot drop to the water. Until now, we'd been hesitant to do it, but it was now or never. We both took the exhilarating leap into the ice cold water. I still had a lot of work things on my mind, but for at least for 2 or 3 seconds, I felt the stress release from my brain, shoulders, and remainder of my body. I felt...relaxed.
After lunch at the Bellevue, the hotel next to ours (where we wanted to stay, but couldn't get a reasonably priced room), we headed back to Bratislava, the demands of work, and reality.
I'm always going to work hard and stress myself out at times (or most of the time), but I need to take a break. I need to leave it all at the office and take time to relax and enjoy life.
To view our pictures, click here.
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