3:51 Tampa Time
February 8, 2007
Well, it's the same time in Tampa as it is in Michigan where I live, but I'm currently in Tampa and it sure as hell seems different.
Yesterday:
Tried to leave the house at 4:30 to head to the airport, but the Schwan's reps came to sell us food stuffs and blocked the driveway.
So I got going around 4:45. Traffic sucked. My flight was at 7:35 (Northwest). I hit the airport parking at 6:10. Took the shuttle over to the airport, stood in line forever to get my boarding pass etc., printed out, then stood in line even longer doing what I think of as the TSA Shuffle, trying to figure out how to juggle a laptop, a leather jacket, shoes, wallet, cell phone, flash drive, car keys...
I haven't eaten dinner and it's 20 to 7. Do I have time to stop at one of the restaurants? My flight won't get into Tampa until 10:30. I decide I need to get to my gate first, and finally get to my gate at 6:50. The plane loads at 7:05, so I grab some pizza at the Hungry Howie's. They start loading right on time, even if they've overbooked the flight (somebody explain why airlines do this?).
The plane, which was supposed to leave at 7:35, sits at the gate until 8:00. We hit Tampa at 10:30. I wait around for my suitcase to arrive, catch a cab to the hotel. Time of check-in: 11:10. Call my wife and wake her up, unpack, then try to get to sleep. Yeah, right. I sleep like crap.
Wake-up call is 6:30. I make it out of the shower in enough time to eat breakfast that I had delivered to the room while I watch the local news and Good Morning, America. I haven't been to Tampa in about 14 years, but I see it still qualifies as Weird News Central. Nice story about a dead guy shot to death in his car at the parking lot of the zoo.
Hit the meeting at 8:00 until 12-ish. Have lunch with the guy who hires me, chat, take a walk outside. Find out it's 70+ degrees and sunny. I'm never leaving.
Go back and run into a woman I have corresponded with from time to time. Introduce her to the guy who hires me (she's a consultant in his field and writes--if he hires her to do some work I should get a percentage :)). I finally decide I've had enough and flee back to my room, figure out how to go online and pretty soon I'm heading out to enjoy the sun and think about a little shopping and dinner.
Sunny and warm in February. This is something I could get used to.
Best,
Mark Terry
Well, it's the same time in Tampa as it is in Michigan where I live, but I'm currently in Tampa and it sure as hell seems different.
Yesterday:
Tried to leave the house at 4:30 to head to the airport, but the Schwan's reps came to sell us food stuffs and blocked the driveway.
So I got going around 4:45. Traffic sucked. My flight was at 7:35 (Northwest). I hit the airport parking at 6:10. Took the shuttle over to the airport, stood in line forever to get my boarding pass etc., printed out, then stood in line even longer doing what I think of as the TSA Shuffle, trying to figure out how to juggle a laptop, a leather jacket, shoes, wallet, cell phone, flash drive, car keys...
I haven't eaten dinner and it's 20 to 7. Do I have time to stop at one of the restaurants? My flight won't get into Tampa until 10:30. I decide I need to get to my gate first, and finally get to my gate at 6:50. The plane loads at 7:05, so I grab some pizza at the Hungry Howie's. They start loading right on time, even if they've overbooked the flight (somebody explain why airlines do this?).
The plane, which was supposed to leave at 7:35, sits at the gate until 8:00. We hit Tampa at 10:30. I wait around for my suitcase to arrive, catch a cab to the hotel. Time of check-in: 11:10. Call my wife and wake her up, unpack, then try to get to sleep. Yeah, right. I sleep like crap.
Wake-up call is 6:30. I make it out of the shower in enough time to eat breakfast that I had delivered to the room while I watch the local news and Good Morning, America. I haven't been to Tampa in about 14 years, but I see it still qualifies as Weird News Central. Nice story about a dead guy shot to death in his car at the parking lot of the zoo.
Hit the meeting at 8:00 until 12-ish. Have lunch with the guy who hires me, chat, take a walk outside. Find out it's 70+ degrees and sunny. I'm never leaving.
Go back and run into a woman I have corresponded with from time to time. Introduce her to the guy who hires me (she's a consultant in his field and writes--if he hires her to do some work I should get a percentage :)). I finally decide I've had enough and flee back to my room, figure out how to go online and pretty soon I'm heading out to enjoy the sun and think about a little shopping and dinner.
Sunny and warm in February. This is something I could get used to.
Best,
Mark Terry
1 Comments:
Oh, man. I've decided to live vicariously through your blog instead of be jealous of you. Florida! More about the sun, please. And warmth, and lack of snow. :-)
Have fun!
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