Friday, November 30, 2007

SEA PDX - Seg Whore

What's a seg whore? Someone who needs a few extra airline segments to get to their top level by the end of the calendar year. I "segged" from Denver to Seattle to Portland to get an extra segment to help assure top level status by 12/31/07. One would think that someone who travels as much as I do (about 180 to 190 segs this year on various airlines), would have this managed well before 12/1/07. Apparently not this year. Keeping top level status on 3 airline programs has been a bit difficult with varying territory demands, airline flight schedules, my desire to "go direct" a few more times than I should so I could get home a whopping 2 hours earlier some evenings.....ok, next year I'll pace myself better :)

Tuesday through Thursday I zipped off to Portland, OR via Seattle, WA to stay at the fabulous Vintage Plaza hotel (where Carey just left only hours before). I was upgraded to a hospitality suite, room 503, due to my hotel program status (very good) at Kimpton Hotels. Love the leopard robes :) http://www.kimptonhotels.com/index.aspx It was a quick business trip, a little dining for business, work in the office in Portland, a demo with a customer and oops - an impulse shopping trip to Nordstroms for tax free shopping. I just happened on their "invite only" sale thing, and talked my way in easily. A few bucks later and poof, some new boots with a brand only Marjorie can appreciate that starts with a P!

As I look forward to better planning in 2008, and was looking for "points promotions", I found on my favorite hotel program, Starwood, they have a blog now! http://www.thelobby.com/ Good grief! I've qualified for their program this year but found a way to get double point stays through 2/29/08 to get a jump on Platinum status again. Of course, this leads me to wonder what the Hotel Careyfornia will be doing in 2008 for it's guests. I think I have to put it on my list of hot spots and check in soon!

ONT 11/26/07

Where did this week go! The reason I started blogging was to record wherewasiyesterday, so clearly since the week has flown by, a quick recap is in order! There might even be a few blogs in quick succession to catch up!

Monday I did a day trip to a software presentation to lovely Ontario, CA and San Bernardino, CA. I am always perplexed by the spelling and pronunciation of San Bernardino and wonder why they put the second "r" in the word but don't pronounce it.
View Larger Map

Marjorie and I met at the airport, changed clothes, zipped off to Starbucks near the airport, then on to lunch at a local Mexican restaurant within steps from the credit union we were calling on that day. After the meeting, she wisked me back to the Ontario airport for my trip back to Denver. Since the weather was warm and the sun was out, I walked three miles over to explore the "old airport", trailing my little suitcase and computer briefcase. The best picture I could muster was this unique lawn art at the airport. It's supposed to be a plane :)
Marjorie was on to the fabulous Standard in downtown LA, a must stop must do hotel for the adventuresome business traveler! http://www.standardhotel.com/
Here's the cool part about this blog - totally boring content but I figured out how to EMBED a map in the text! Now I have to figure out how to make that picture show up wherever I want it, not where the program decides it should be! Stay tuned!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

August Rush and the Holiday Movie Rush

Ok, this IS a Hollywood movie, no doubt :) The critics didn't seem to like it and I have to say there was slow spot in the middle. Robin Williams plays a really good bad guy and you want to shake the Mom and say "he's over there lady!". Good music movie for various venues of music that come together, watch the credits. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/august_rush/

There are a number of films out and upcoming I want to see and hope there is time for them all!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Pedro and Lola's Mazatlan

Since my huge fan base has missed my posts over past few days, I thought I would let you know about my favorite restaurant in Mazatlan, Mexico in the historic cultural district. http://culturamazatlan.com.mx/ Pedro and Lola's is the best and worth traveling to from wherever you are whenever you can pop by :)http://www.restaurantpedroylola.com/english/home.html Born in history of the 19th century, this place has the best shrimp and ambiance and top notch waiters in all of Mazatlan.

A fun place worth every bit of the beach view, fun staff, happy happy birthday fun and best shrimp and lobster for under $20 US is Playa Bruja. Look for the witch's face in the rock outside if you are there before sunset! http://mrlionso.com/MrLionso_MainFrame_Spanish.htm

Having posted several bits of reading material on this blog and having it vanish before my eyes, I have not the energy to retype and must defer til we meet again after the triptifan in the turkey has gotten us all on this Thanksgiving and the coffee wakes me up again :)

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Blogging Newbie Pains


My friend Carey, the ultimate blogger, said "Gee Pam, why don't you have a blog" on Friday I think it was. Just 2 days ago. After trial, tribulation, lost sleep, obsession, lack of creative moments, here it is. I have a blog! I asked myself what am I going to do with my blog. I had no idea at first and now I can think of a hundred things. I wanted to connect the dots to friends who are blogging, and you'll see the dots in Carey(work compadre, friend, the source for who's who in LA and the most 21st Century person I know), Charlie(river runner, friend, never met a stranger) and Mark's (river runner, climber, world adventurer) pages. I hit on 2 of 3 success stories there. Mark's page needs a little work to connect I think. Carey's stories will be enjoyed by many and you can follow Charlie's new life and most certainly adventure in Guatemala.

What I really wanted to do was track where was I yesterday, as people always ask "where were you last week", and you might find it hard to believe I don't know sometimes! Where will you be this week? I have no idea where I really am going in life but I know I am going to get there, so hopefully this will be my crumb trail journal to address both thoughts :)

I have successfully loaded many pictures to Picasa, not sure now how to link them all in, but I got one link on the Main Salmon, ID River trip below with just a few pictures from the trip. I want to create a map with a tool that I searched for hours on and didn't find late last night to create a blog with the hotels and cities and hot spots I have been in. I mean, if you ever go to Marshall, Missouri and miss Jim the Wonder Dog http://www.jimthewonderdog.com/, you just haven't lived! If you miss stopping at Rico's Java Cafe in Mazatlan on Sabalo , you really have missed the best coffee shop in the area and Internet opportunity along with fabulous people. (I cannot figure out how to get the picture to pop up when I mention the name - oops.) How am I going to track all that? My next adventure of discovery to figure this out.

So yesterday, I saw Lions for Lambs, a great political forum of a movie with Robert Redford taking the platform. Oh, and how do I track all my movies and books I love - not just in a "list"! Another research blogger topic to figure out.

I do know where I am going today, and it's to Warren Miller Playground event and then to Seattle, WA for work :)

Til we blog again, Pam

Friday, November 16, 2007

Digital Dave Denver

Yesterday, I was having dinner with 5 friends, at The Old Blinking Lighthttp://www.oldblinkinglight.com/ Dave announces he has finally gotten a cell phone. This received a round of traditional "shock and awe" responses from the gang. Analog Dave goes Digital Dave. It's been impossibly difficult to reach Dave when meeting for skiing, boating, hiking, you name it ....... without a cell phone. I suppose in a previous life, we were all on time and never had to call to say "I'll be 7 minutes late due to traffic" and the like.



Dave announces that AT&T (the old Cingular...he didn't get that part) paid HIM to get the phone! Dave got 700 minutes, a full rebate for the phone and for at least one month service. He got them to essentially turn OFF every possible modern feature known to a cell phone except the camera. The sales person at the cell phone place was aghast discovering that Dave had never had a cell phone plan, had no cell phone to turn in, exchange, transfer, etc.