On The Present

I'm reading "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" right now, a book of essays by Annie Dillard. It's both easy and hard to read, but I'm really enjoying it. Below is a passage that really struck me:

" This is it, I think, this is it, right now, the present, this empty gas station, here, this western wind, this tang of coffee on the tongue, and I am petting the puppy, I am watching the mountain. And the second I verbalize this awareness in my brain, I cease to see the mountain or feel the puppy. I am opaque, so much black asphalt. But at the same second, the second I know I've lost it, I also realize that the puppy is still squirming on his back under my hand. Nothing has changed for him. He draws his legs down to stretch the skin taut so he feels every fingertip's stroke along his furred and arching side, his flank, his flung-back throat.

I sip my coffee. I look at the mountain, which is still doing its tricks, as you look at a still-beautiful face belonging to a person who was once your lover in another country years ago: with fond nostalgia, and recognition, but no real feeling save a secret astonishment that you are now strangers. Thanks. For the memories. It is ironic that the one thing that all religions recognize as separating us from our creator--our very self-consciousness--is also the one thing that divides us from our fellow creatures. It was a bitter birthday present from evolution, cutting us off at both ends. I get in the car and drive home."

Lying Is Not Okay

The U.S. presidential election is starting to really get me down. The Hillary vs. Obama fight seems like an incredibly distant and (in retrospect) relatively wholesome memory. I didn't feel compelled to talk about the election until McCain went and chose Sarah Palin. Maybe I got too comfortable thinking that Obama was a sure thing, or maybe I just overestimated yet again the intelligence and tolerance of Americans. Even now, I instinctively think that the Democrats should keep their hands clean and heads held high with the security of knowing they are running a fair and respectful campaign. And then I realize that the Republicans have no problem with blatantly lying in every form and through every medium. They even lie through misquotation (e.g. Katie Couric, FactCheck.org).

I felt disgusted by Sarah Palin's speech at the GOP convention. Before seeing that catty and belittling performance, I was feeling skeptical about her stances but also a little proud that a woman was on a ticket, even if it wasn't the ticket I was voting for. But now I'm embarrassed that somebody who has exhibited such intolerance and extreme ideological views is connected to me in any way, even if it's just in anatomy. Even more embarrassing is that many women seem to swooned by Palin for the very same tenuous connection. At the end of the day, she is an ideological fanatic. Strong words? Maybe. But look at how little human experiences have shaped her choices. I don't see any evolution in understanding exhibited by her. Yes, I'm going to talk about her personal life. If you and your daughter both get pregnant as teenagers before marriage, wouldn't you reconsider abstinence-only education as the only option? Shouldn't you even entertain that thought given the fact that you might have benefited from slipping a condom or two over a banana when you were 15? Hey, maybe both you and your children would have benefited because you could have had a few more years to learn something about the world before changing diapers and finding yourself newly married.

But back to abstinence-only education - it's a nice idea in theory that if you can control the flow of information, you can control the subsequent actions, but isn't that just one of the most un-American ideas ever? Shouldn't you go live behind the Great Firewall of China if you believe information should be suppressed instead of freely exchanged? And how can Palin delude herself into justifying abstinence-only education when she was most likely getting busy between the sheets at 15 and 16 already anyway? What are we "sheltering" our kids from if they are already doing the thing we don't want them to do? And speaking of un-American, why is it okay to tout small-town values and make fun of community organizers in the same breath? Watching all those cookie-cutter Republicans nearly frothing at the mouth with each cutting remark couldn't make me more anxious about the future of America.

Okay, I have to go to sleep, but more thoughts on the election to come....

Close To Departure

Well, I've been cleaning up my apartment for the last couple hours and packing for my trip! I thought I'd have an easier time packing but it turns out I like to pack way more for leisure than business. I'll email a picture of my packing skillz to my posterous page ;)

I watched Dark Knight on IMAX last night. I won't give anything away, but man, it was awesome. I was really worried that it couldn't live up to all the hype but it was just so well done. The acting by Heath Ledger was so good it was scary (and morbidly sad), and there were some visually breathtaking scenes as well. I would recommend seeing it on IMAX if you have the choice. I went to the showing at the Metreon at 8:30pm and there was already quite a line when I showed up at 7:30pm. Waiting in line wasn't too bad though, and they started letting people into the theatre around 8:05pm. I can't even imagine what kind of money they're going to make off the DVD.

Feeling excited and a little anxious about heading out tomorrow morning. I haven't been on a real vacation in quite awhile now, I suspect it'll take a few days to really decompress and start relaxing. Bought a red bikini at a great local SF shop called "Zoe Bikini" today though...my first non-black swimming suit! :) Zoe was super nice and very patient with my absolute indecision.

Okay, happy week to all!

Quick Update

I went to see Feist at the Greek Theatre last weekend, I thought she was awesome live! She's got a beautiful voice and had this manual light projector show going on in the background that was really cool. I think some might see it as too distracting but I thought it complimented most of the music really well.

Trying to squeeze in as much tennis and working out as possible before I leave on Saturday for vacation. I'm worried that I will turn back into a blob after 9 days of vacationing but hopefully there will be a lot of walking and healthy eating involved to make up for it. Except for Bologna, of course, where I plan to eat as much prosciuttio, truffles and burrata as possible! :)

I signed up for a posterous account today because my friend Prasanna suggested it and he takes beautiful pictures of his books that make me envious. You can check it at [my name].posterous.com :)

Hey Fly Clear, Aren't You Supposed to Make My Life Easier?

I had to call Clear support about a month ago to request that my primary authorization be changed from the fingerprint to the retina scan because my fingerprint wasn't matching most of the time. It took about 2 weeks to get the card made on their side, and I'm still waiting on actual delivery of it. What really pisses me off though, is getting my old card rejected while I'm trying to take my 4th flight of the week. The last thing I need right now on a Thursday afternoon is hassles at the airport.

On a lighter note, I heart Portland. I went there earlier this week and stayed the night in downtown. I love how walkable it was, it reminded me a little bit of Boston crossed with San Francisco. I tried to make it to Powell's bookstore but got sidetracked by Nordstrom's before dinner. Oops! Next time I will be sure to hit it though.

T-9 days until vacation takeoff!

Things That Make You Smile

I have to share this YouTube video because it made me laugh and smile like crazy. Hope you enjoy it!



Here's Matt's website if you want to watch more fun times, I really liked the outtakes too: http://wherethehellismatt.com

NYTimes wrote a great article about it: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/arts/television/08dancer.html

Planning a Vacation is Hard Work

I have spent so many hours researching Croatia, ferry routes, flight schedules, island cities, mileage points, credit card points, hotels, b&bs....aah!! I know, I shouldn't complain about planning a vacation, but damn it's a lot of work. I think I have figured out a way to use credit card points to pay for nearly all of my flights, which is awesome because airfare is ridiculously expensive right now. Here are the places I will hopefully be hitting: Bologna, Pescara, Hvar, Brac, Split, Trogir, Plitvice National Park, Zagreb. Too ambitious? Help me pare the list!

Also, I think I promised updates on a few things:
1) Hertz Lost and Found - I did get back my broadband card! They were willing to send it to me but I ended up having to drive through Orange County a couple weeks later so I just picked it up at the airport.
2) Buying from Zappo's was great. They upgraded the shipping method so that I received the shoes 3 days after ordering them online. I'm still on the fence on the shoes but I guess I need to decide soon whether they're a keeper.
3) Haven't received my bags from Tumi yet. I'm hoping that the backpack I bought will be enough for all my travels through Croatia though. :) Too ambitious? We'll see! If I do end up using just my backpack, I'll include a pic of my expert packing job in an upcoming post.

Big congratulations to my friend Brian who is newly engaged!

Next Stop: Chicago

Google, I Think You're Wrong

I just had my first ridiculous Google Maps moment! Currently planning a vacation to Europe and trying to figure out the best way to manage combining Italy and Croatia together in 8 days. I was going to hit Tuscany and then fly to Croatia, but the flights are super-expensive so I thought I'd explore hitting the eastern side of Italy (Bologna, Venice, etc?) and driving to Croatia instead. Check out this sweet path that Google Maps advised me to take for driving from Split to Dubrovnik in Croatia:



I think I might take my chances on the 4 hour drive within Croatia instead. :)

BTW - I need advice/recommendations on Italy and Croatia. Things to do, cities to visit, places to stay! I'm very much looking forward to getting out of the country and turning off the Crackberry.

Consumer Heaven

I've gone on a bit of an online shopping spree this weekend. I bought from 2 sites I've never purchased from before: Tumi and Zappo's. I'm in some serious need of a new backpack to travel with because my trusty Jansport is finally breaking down. The zipper only really works half the time now, and I have visions of running through the airport not knowing that all my clothes are spilling out behind me.

The main reason I chose those sites to purchase from was their free return shipping policy. That's probably the single most reason I wouldn't normally purchase something online that I hadn't already seen and tried on in the store already. The thought of purchasing something and then having to pay to return it really leaves a lot to be desired. You're essentially paying for nothing at the end of the day!

I'm especially looking forward to getting my shoes from Zappo's because I've read so many stories about their amazing customer service. I'm hoping I'll be totally happy with the shoes, but even if I'm not, at least I will hopefully have a good experience returning them!

BTW - on the topic of paying for nothing, for those who find their way to San Francisco, you may have a craving for burritos. One of the most-recommended places is La Taqueria. I finally got a chance to try it with my good friend Brian a few weeks ago, and it was probably the most expensive burrito I've ever seen because they actually charge you a dollar extra if you choose NOT to have beans. I won't contest that the food is great, but charging me for not wanting something is pretty ridiculous. I'd recommend going to Papalote instead - the food is awesome and you won't find yourself paying more for less.

Believe In Something

I am writing from LA tonight and I realize I am incredibly tired. Not the tired as in, I didn't get enough sleep last night, but the kind of tired that feels accumulated over the last year. It feels heavy and it feels difficult to remove or remedy.

I am realizing that taking a day trip to Dallas is not normal, and neither is sleeping in hotel beds more often than my own.

All of this makes me wonder - why the hell am I doing this? Sure, sales is a bit of a clusterfuck. It's a vicious cycle that keeps you moving for the next win and the next commission. But at the end of the day, I think I do it because I truly believe in what I'm selling. Cheesy? Absolutely. True? Absolutely. I believe that what I'm selling helps companies and is the best damn product out there. I had a meeting today that was heavily focused on competitive differentiation, and it was frustrating because the prospect's response to everything I said was, well competitor X says they can do it too. I had to work so hard to resist the urge to say, "Please just go with them. I'll talk to you again in 3 months." And it made me think to myself, damn, I'm actually pretty lucky to work on a product that really does something. It's not just smoke and mirrors and I actually care about the work.

I'm not sure what the point of this post is, except to say that believing in something is a powerful thing. It makes me get on planes every week and fly to weird places to try to convince people that they can and should do better.

I need a vacation. Any destination suggestions?

I Heart San Francisco

I went out last night with friends and decided to walk the mile home instead of catching a cab at the end of the night. The air was that cool San Francisco summer temperature and there was hardly anybody else around. It struck me that I felt very content, that as much as I may stress about the travel or the work or the future, I was happy to get some quality time with old friends and then walk home through this awesome city where strange and wonderful things happen all the time.

Case in point: on my walk home, I heard the familiar sound of a bicycle coming up behind me. I turned to look, and there was a girl riding atop a clown bicycle. On the next block, she hopped off gracefully, locked it up, and went inside.

Tomorrow's destination: San Diego

Hertz Neverlost, I'll Follow You Anywhere

At some point early on in my travels, Hertz's Neverlost navigation was upgraded in my mind from an accessory to a necessity. The first thing I do now after I find my rental car slot # on the Gold board and slip into my seat is type in my destination. I did the same last Thursday when I arrived at John Wayne airport (SNA). As it calculated the route, I got into drive and started following the woman's voice telling me to get on the 405. I heard the familiar double-beep to exit and then followed accordingly. Looking ahead, I realized Neverlost had led me to....a paid parking lot with no other exit. Oops!

On a separate Hertz note, my broadband card fell out of my bag inside my rental car and I didn't realize it until after I'd gotten through security and was sitting at the gate getting ready to board. I'll post updates on how torturous this process ends up being. I also just reached Five Star Gold status with Hertz - I have a feeling that I'll never see any benefits, but hey, I'll reserve some optimism and see what happens.

Sorry, Mother Earth

I just read this story comparing the greenhouse gas emissions from driving vs. flying. Apparently every time I get on a roundtrip long-haul flight, I'm using nearly 1 ton of carbon dioxide emissions. How appropriate since I am getting on a flight from SFO - BOS tonight...

The Things They Say

The whole concept of public vs. private seems to be lost in airports and airplanes. I once heard somebody blurt out to a complete stranger that she just found out her husband cheated on her that morning as we touched down in San Francisco. The airport with the consistently spiciest chatter is Las Vegas.

Today, though, I got to hear my seatmate gab about how angry she was that her boyfriend didn't introduce her to his ex-girlfriend. Her rationale was that even the married man she previously dated used to introduce her as his girlfriend.

Wow. Enough said?

Betablue: BUST

I found myself on the Betablue plane last Wednesday morning from SFO to JFK. I was psyched to try out WiFi on my cross-country flight and get some email taken care of in that 6-hour void. Apparently it's making headlines that Betablue is now also offering access to Amazon and corporate email. That was already in effect in my flight, as you can see from the screenshot to the left.

Imagine my disappointment when I clicked through to check my email and got the following message:

I got this error message in every category I tried in both Firefox and IE. I think I tried 3 times during the flight with no luck. Has anybody else gotten it to work before?

Below are the rest of the screenshots I took for those interested in seeing what Betablue would offer if it was working...

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

This will be a quick one but I know I've been slacking big time.

Thumbs Up for Southwest Airlines: I love your new comfy chairs with dedicated plugs. You're the only airline that is still doing anything above and beyond for customers!

Thumbs Down for FlyClear: I still love skipping the security line, but why can't you read my right thumbprint properly?!

That's it for now. In Seattle and flying down to Irvine tonight. Can anybody help me find sleep? I seem to have misplaced it.

Flight 014: O'Hare, By Day Or Night

This is what O'Hare looked like when I arrived there at around 3pm CST for my departure. The security line at the United terminal was one of the worst I'd seen lately, and then I had to walk the long walk to Terminal C afterwards. Please, O'Hare, please enter the Clear program so I can use my awesome FlyClear card next time!


In contrast, the picture to the right is O'Hare at around midnight - utterly empty and calm. I love this picture of the Kids' area at O'Hare, all I wanted to do was crawl into the womb of that plane and sleep there for a few hours. There was something really peaceful about just walking through the terminal that late and seeing the last few travellers still waiting to head out.

I don't particularly like O'Hare - I think the terminals are too far apart and each process is often delayed. I also hate trying to find a plug for your laptop. They've got a bank of seats with outlets in the middle of the terminal but it's not at all obvious and there's often a line of people waiting.

Flight 013: Home Sweet Home

I've gotten the chance to play with some new applications this week in my time off the road. The first is Wix - a really cool site that allows you to create Flash sites through their own UI. While it's still currently in beta and has a ways to go in offering all the touches needed for creating a full custom site, it has a pretty fun and intuitive UI that can definitely help you get a basic site up and running in just a few days. They also state that search engines will still be able to scrape the contents, a big problem that most Flash sites are facing today. I've started a redesign of my personal site through it so we'll see how it goes. I gotta say that it's a hell of a lot more fun than opening up HTML-Kit and starting from zero. To the right is a screenshot of the UI.

The other product I'm looking at is Woopra. Since readership here is still a bit low right now, I don't think I've gotten to experience all the cool features. However, one way it distinguishes itself from all of the other web analytics applications I've seen is that it has a real-time view of who's on your site in that moment. For example, the image on the left shows that 1 visitor is on my site. Sadly enough, it's just me! :) I've read that it's even cooler for those who are on Wordpress though - the plugin will automatically display the name of who's on your site if they are logged in. Cool and creepy, eh?

Flight 012: Garbage In, Garbage Out

There are few things more sad than eating Taco Bell at midnight with your coworker in the lobby of a nondescript motel in the suburbs of Seattle.

This was supposed to be a longer post about nutrition but I think the above says it all. Well, that and the consumption of 3 bacon cheeseburgers in 2 days.

I've decided to get my health back on track though. I've been trying to play tennis consistently for the last few months, and I think I'm going to bite the bullet and join a gym as well! My sister just joined one so hopefully it will be good motivation to have a workout buddy.

I feel like I've been running around nonstop all weekend trying to do everything and I just hit a wall sometime between last night and this morning. I woke up in the middle of the night with a painful sore throat and couldn't fall back asleep for a couple hours because it was so uncomfortable. I suppose this is what I deserve for treating my body so poorly. My main priorities for this week are now to catch on sleep, vitamins, and nothing else.

As of now, I have nowhere to travel this week! I'm scared to say it too loudly for fear of jinxing myself. It's pretty damn exciting though, especially when I'm already feeling under the weather. There's nothing more I want than to come home every night to my own apartment.

A sad thing happened tonight. My one and a half year-old nephew was looking at the magazine I was flipping through and saw a picture of a plane. He pointed to it and said my name. I guess that's how he thinks of me, the aunt who's never around because she's always on a plane! To top it off, his dad told me that he saw a picture of my Blackberry Curve in a magazine and said my name too! Depressing.

Flight 011: Southwest Airlines - "LUV" Is Not In The Air

I am now at the Westin in downtown San Diego for the night. I flew down earlier today on Southwest for a meeting. It was a pretty strange flight. The crew made a point of repeatedly saying that we weren't allowed to put beverages, electronics, or big books in the seat pocket. I think it was stressed more emphatically than any of the safety rules. I tried searching on Google to see if this was another silly measure imposed by the FAA but didn't come up with anything. Therefore the only thing I can think is that the crew didn't want to have to clean out as many seat pockets between flights. This reason seems absurd. I can understand that the cleaning is probably the least pleasant aspect of the job, but it's still part of the job. And isn't the purpose of the seat pocket to store things during flight...such as water bottles, ipods, and books of all sizes? I'm interested to see if it was isolated to this one flight crew or if I'm going to have to hear about how dangerous the seat pocket is through all my Southwest flights now. Next stop is Austin tomorrow so I'll find out soon enough.

In happier news, I've decided to write about at least one new thing every week that pleasantly and surprisingly delights me. The inaugural find is a greeting cards website called Someecards.com. This site is, without a doubt, one of the most hilarious sites I have ever come across. Here are just a few of the gems I found:



As someone who has to create a new expense report every week and tape all physical receipts to pieces of paper, I can truly relate to the sentiment and find it damn funny.



I think anyone who has to create presentations on a regular basis feels the pain here. I sent this to a coworker recently who spent hours preparing for the wrong topic because it was miscommunicated by her manager. Fun fun fun.

I think my goal is to communicate via only these cards for a whole day and see how many people I can offend and entertain simultaneously.