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