Out of the sky comes Oracle

Literally.

Now here's the thing. We are in Silicon Valley -- which means that the techno-geek vibe itself should be powering my internet connection. But no. It is LOW connection ... and keeps going out.

How ironic is that? When I ask for a list of available wireless networks, Oracle's comes up. Unfortunately it is secure -- and I don't have the power to get in! Literally! The hotel has an unsecure network that is huffing and puffing and hardly making any steam. I mean, I could understand it if I was in the middle of nowhere.

But Silicon Valley?

Anyway, I have been slacking big time in the blog department, and that is due soley to the fact that I am so busy traveling, planning to travel, packing to travel or hanging with the kids prior to travel! Can't say I don't love it though. And it is interesting, having taken three trips in such a short period, I can see how you would get used to it and how much easier it gets. Like when we had to wait in line for an hour to get the rental car yesterday.

Peter was out of his mind. I was like, oh this is nothing. In Oklahoma it was much worse because the person behind the counter couldn't speak english! I think ultimately what you have to do when you travel is view the day you are on planes, trains and automobiles as a day where anything can happen -- and most specifically -- probably not what you NEED to happen. Therefore, NOTHING should have to happen on that day!

Make sense?

I listened to a man behind us in the hour-long rental car line (yes it was a line, all these bodies lined up in front of all of the rental car desks waiting to get a car. Nuts!) and he was probably not going to make his daughter's graduation. First his flight out had been cancelled, then he was stuck in this long line with no car reservations and a three hour drive to wherever the graduation was. At that point he was ready to pay anything or do anything to make the event.

And I thought to myself that since he was willing to spend any money to make it to some type of irreplaceable, non-retrievable and once-in-a-lifetime event, wouldn't that money have been better spent in perhaps getting out there a day earlier?

I am just saying. Travel, like anything in life, needs common sense applied to it. There are far too many variables involved when you are talking about getting yourself from one part of the country to another. Even when things go smoothly, it still takes time. And those minutes get eaten up very quickly when you are staring at a watch and hoping, praying, begging to make it somewhere on time.

So here's my travel advice. Wherever you are going and for whatever reason, the day of actual travel should be blocked out as just that. Do not plan to go to a wedding or a graduation or a business meeting that same day because chances are very high that it won't happen. It could! And many times it actually does. But there is a very real chance that it will get screwed up. So you have to ask yourself, am I willing to miss this occasion?

And if the answer is no, then no heavy travel should be on that day.

Is it realistic? Of course. Whatever that man had to do yesterday that didn't allow him to leave then could have been done earlier or been postponed or whatever. If it was work, then he could have taken the day off in addition to the day of his daughter's graduation. (I still think it was odd that his daughter was graduating on a Wednesday evening.) He was a little stressed so I didn't press him for details, but I was going to say if it's a kindergarden gradutation, then who cares.

But that's just me! Clearly it was important to him. So he should have allotted the time. Six hours is not a long time when there are flight cancellations and rental car lines and a three hour drive after a plane trip.

Of course I come from an entirely different place. I used to live a harried nutty life and often worked through the night before climbing onto a plane for a trip. I didn't even take trips very often because it was too stressful trying to find time where I could actually get away for an extended period of time. But now that I travel so frequently I give you travel advice number two.

Buy those Gold Star plans or whatever they are from car rental companies because if you have one you don't wait in line. Even if you avoid one long line it is worth it. I plan on joining one because even if I don't have a graduation to make I still don't enjoy standing around for an hour when my freedom from such misery is completely within my grasp by shelling out a few bucks. Puhleese.

And the other thing I am going to look into are those lounges that VIP's get to hang in at airports. I want in! I want to sit in a nice comfy couch while I am watching the clock tick tock so I can get on a plane and sit some more.

Of course, chances are I won't be traveling for months -- now that I'm getting so darn good at it!

Oh -- and those GPS systems -- worth every penny! Everyone always complains about the ladie's voice. Well. I can't tell you how many times I've been in a car with someone (who shall not be named) and she will tell me that she doesn't know what to tell me, or where to go (even though she has directions in hand!) U-turns and I, we're good buddies. But with a GPS system, it is painless.

So that's all for now from travel central. I have to go take a walk with my husband (who is here to work and he is all antsy and here's me, happy to be typing away!) He also woke me up at 5:30 this time.

GAH!