VIsiting the Mothership

Yesterday, I flew from DC to San Francisco for a visit to my corporate mothership. And it was a very good day.

cuyahogarvr got me to the airport with plenty of time for a 7am flight. Checking in with Virgin America was relatively easy. The security lines were a little backlogged but not severely so. Most of the shops and food concessions were closed but I arrived at my gate just as Auntie Anne's was opening so I bought two cinnamon sugar pretzels, hot from the kitchen.

I was even helpful to other people. A somewhat lost couple from Montréal were attempting to get directions & assistance from an airport staffer but they spoke only French. I was able to give them what they needed and send them on their way, much to the relief of the highly confused staffer.

While waiting to board, a Deaf couple were attempting to inquire when precisely boarding would start but the desk attendants didn't know ASL and everyone lacked stationery with which to write the questions & responses. I interpreted the questions to the Virgin America staff and the responses back to the couple. I interpreted all subsequent public address announcements during the boarding process to ensure they were completely current on events.

It's a rare thing to be able to use one of my alternate languages in DC. Using three languages in a single morning is quite exceptional. Particularly since this usually demands a level of mental ability lacking during my mornings.

The flight itself was uneventful. I didn't sleep nearly as much as I wanted. The screaming baby a few rows over quieted and squawked at 45 minute intervals and thus didn't really help the situation.

Budget had a Nissan Versa waiting for me at the airport. So far, I've only driven it from the airport to my hotel and am reasonably pleased with it. It's not a great car but not a bad one. This trip, I made a point of declining all of the extra insurance, relying on my own car insurance policy for coverage. I had brought the proof of insurance card and a copy of my car policy just in case the agency required them, but no.

Navigating my way from the car rental agency to the hotel was very easy. The directions are trivial --out of the airport, south on 101, east on 92-- but I had none of the anxiety of driving on unfamiliar roads as in prior trips. Familiarity helps a lot.

The Marriott Courtyard adjacent to my office is still very pleasant. This time, I have a room on the second floor on the east side. My last visit had me next to the southwest exit so I was frequently disturbed by the parking lot door opening & closing. I'll have a longer trek to the laundry room but I can live with that.

My morning commute has, of course, become immensely longer. Instead of the 30 seconds or so it took to stumble from my bedroom to the basement office, I have to walk five minutes from room to my desk. And I have to put on clothes now. Bastards. On the good side, since I still insist on doing business casual, I'm easily the best dressed guy in the Operations area. Mom would be proud although a great number of former housemates over the years would likely be baffled.

There is still a Wells Fargo next door to my office, a Safeway a little further beyond that and a Cold Stone Creamery in between. Who could ask for more?

Still more good news: my new vice-president and our chief operating officer have agreed that there should be an ongoing budget allocation to ensure I can travel to the mothership quarterly. Yay! Past trips have been very useful professionally and being able to plan & schedule these things in advance will help a great deal. It also indicates to me that (a) the company is doing well financially that they can allocate these funds with a minimum of drama, and (b) they see value in having me on staff and seeing me in person periodically.

Now to get some work done...

VIsiting the Mothership

Yesterday, I flew from DC to San Francisco for a visit to my corporate mothership. And it was a very good day.

cuyahogarvr got me to the airport with plenty of time for a 7am flight. Checking in with Virgin America was relatively easy. The security lines were a little backlogged but not severely so. Most of the shops and food concessions were closed but I arrived at my gate just as Auntie Anne's was opening so I bought two cinnamon sugar pretzels, hot from the kitchen.

I was even helpful to other people. A somewhat lost couple from Montréal were attempting to get directions & assistance from an airport staffer but they spoke only French. I was able to give them what they needed and send them on their way, much to the relief of the highly confused staffer.

While waiting to board, a Deaf couple were attempting to inquire when precisely boarding would start but the desk attendants didn't know ASL and everyone lacked stationery with which to write the questions & responses. I interpreted the questions to the Virgin America staff and the responses back to the couple. I interpreted all subsequent public address announcements during the boarding process to ensure they were completely current on events.

It's a rare thing to be able to use one of my alternate languages in DC. Using three languages in a single morning is quite exceptional. Particularly since this usually demands a level of mental ability lacking during my mornings.

The flight itself was uneventful. I didn't sleep nearly as much as I wanted. The screaming baby a few rows over quieted and squawked at 45 minute intervals and thus didn't really help the situation.

Budget had a Nissan Versa waiting for me at the airport. So far, I've only driven it from the airport to my hotel and am reasonably pleased with it. It's not a great car but not a bad one. This trip, I made a point of declining all of the extra insurance, relying on my own car insurance policy for coverage. I had brought the proof of insurance card and a copy of my car policy just in case the agency required them, but no.

Navigating my way from the car rental agency to the hotel was very easy. The directions are trivial --out of the airport, south on 101, east on 92-- but I had none of the anxiety of driving on unfamiliar roads as in prior trips. Familiarity helps a lot.

The Marriott Courtyard adjacent to my office is still very pleasant. This time, I have a room on the second floor on the east side. My last visit had me next to the southwest exit so I was frequently disturbed by the parking lot door opening & closing. I'll have a longer trek to the laundry room but I can live with that.

My morning commute has, of course, become immensely longer. Instead of the 30 seconds or so it took to stumble from my bedroom to the basement office, I have to walk five minutes from room to my desk. And I have to put on clothes now. Bastards. On the good side, since I still insist on doing business casual, I'm easily the best dressed guy in the Operations area. Mom would be proud although a great number of former housemates over the years would likely be baffled.

There is still a Wells Fargo next door to my office, a Safeway a little further beyond that and a Cold Stone Creamery in between. Who could ask for more?

Still more good news: my new vice-president and our chief operating officer have agreed that there should be an ongoing budget allocation to ensure I can travel to the mothership quarterly. Yay! Past trips have been very useful professionally and being able to plan & schedule these things in advance will help a great deal. It also indicates to me that (a) the company is doing well financially that they can allocate these funds with a minimum of drama, and (b) they see value in having me on staff and seeing me in person periodically.

Now to get some work done...