Shoulda Brought the Buick

Thursday night I got back to the airport and got on the shuttle. The bus driver drops someone off way at the end of row 10. I am parked about 10 cars down so I figured I would be next. Then the driver takes off down to the front end of the row.

Most drivers will call out the type of car that it is and the person who owns the car gets out. So he pulls up to this car and says "Buick......Buick?" Nobody moves. Everybody in the bus looks at each other. "Buick...," he says again and drives off. It was a bit of a Ferris Bueller moment. So then he takes off for a different row and I realize he must have the number wrong and the "Buick" is my car. So I have to yell up to him that he skipped my car, that it was not a Buick, and it was clear at the other end.

He never said why he messed it up, but he did take me to my car.

No More Tiny Mouthwash Refills

I've stopped having my room cleaned during the week. I know how to manage with the supplies I have and it saves me time and effort every day. I put out the Do Not Disturb sign and leave it up. This gets the staff a little riled up as they are sure I must have run out of tiny mouthwash or need my kleenex folder into triangles and am in dire need of their assistance, but it is working for me. I just stack up the Housekeeping business cards they put in my key slot and leave them in the room in the hopes they will recycle them.

I was getting weary of having to move the trash can back where I like it each day, and it clearly is in the "Clean Room" checklist that the desk chair must be returned to its lowest level to deliver the highest guest experience. But I'm able to live without that service.

I don't know why I never thought of this before.

P.S. If you intend to try out this philosophy yourself, it is essential that you take the remains of your garlic bread to the hall trash can. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Darkness and other Random Things

I have long suspected that it gets darker much earlier here and today I finally looked it up. The sun. Today the sun set at 5:34 pm here and 6:05 pm at home. So I was right about that one.

I am in the same room this week that I was in two weeks ago. I remember it because of the tiniest closet ever.

Two other funny things happened today. I had to go to Chipotle because B wouldn't get me a burrito on Saturday when I asked. But I digress. My GPS pronounced it "CHIP-o-till" which made me laugh. Also the new name of our project here is Smart Chart and today one of the managers said Smart Fart in our team meeting. That made me laugh, too.

Reflections on Planes, Pilots, and People

Why is it that one of the three elements to make a complete flight is always missing? On Sunday night, the plane and the crew were there and ready to go, but we had to wait an hour for 17 people who were coming in on another flight from San Fran. Tonight, the plane and the people were there, but the crew wasn't. Why is it never in sync? Even more ironic, there were two crews being transported on our flight and THEY were there.

Kicking Does Work

This morning my Diet Coke got stuck in the vending machine at the hotel. So I kicked it. And it came out!

Carte Blanche

I think I've avoided writing a blog fearing I don't have enough to say. But what the heck... if I do I do.

As for the name, some of you know it is the unofficial name of my web design company and stems from my having named myself Blanche sometime during my childhood. I think it is also appropriate for the name of a blog that might turn out to be mostly about travel stories as it is some kind of credit card, similar to Diners Club. So now you know.

Two Rights...

...don't make a left and a right. I had to travel last night and this morning as I was getting dressed, I discovered I had two right boots, no lefts. Apparently I need to hide away the old pair. At least I had another pair of black dress shoes or I would be wearing tennis shoes.