Outlet Etiquette

April 15, 2007 @ 4:53 pm

I’m nearly 7 hours at the airport and have shifted places twice—once from the initial customs area to my gate, and a second from my gate to the plane and have not moved since. It’s another trip to New Jersey, more specifically the armpit of America, but this time also hopefully to go to NYC. Since I’ve arrived at the airport, which was close to 11:15, the scheduled departure times have changed as follows: 1:40, revised to 2:40, updated to 4:48, and tentatively we sit (quite literally) at 5:20.

Earlier today I spoke with one of my colleagues, in hopes that I could warn her about the pending torture and doom waiting for her at the airport, and I rationalized that the whole situation was probably a blessing in disguise. I’ve been working like a dog, and yet I’m still not finished elements which are critical to our operation go-live tomorrow. That in itself is a long story, but to make a long story short, this isolation from things (things = chores, family commitments, and rest) that I would otherwise be obligated to on the weekend (in corporate terms: distractions) is no longer a problem when you’re trapped in the airport for 5+ hours.

And so, I attempted to set up shop somewhere in the airport so I could get work done. As a rule, I try to plug in my laptop prior to my flight, so that I can max my battery time while in the air. However, the problem is that you can never find a freaking outlet to plug into. When you do find an outlet, there is always someone sitting next to it that is: sleeping and not using the outlet, awake and not using the outlet, or holding the spot for their friend and family member who will not use the outlet. I know it’s incredibly unreasonable to think that people would consciously try not to sit in those places and instead give priority to those who need it. I mean you sit where you like, right? On occasion, if I see someone who is sitting next to an outlet and there is an empty seat next to that individual, I have politely asked to switch seats so I can work. Most cases I get a dirty look, or a grunt, which to their benefit, I automatically assume is because they don’t know English. Is it really that hard to move over one seat? When I see the little red flashing light telling me that my battery has run out I close my notebook and look at those vacationers sitting next to the precious outlet as I go into panic mode, and soon transition to the feeling of pure jealously! Ha ha ha! Okay, just a tad bitter, but on this trip I was more successful at finding an outlet. I made the nomadic trek from gate to gate, in a rather labourious task of searching for a new place to plop myself down and get something finished before I was asked to move again by airport staff. My last move was sitting myself down to a middle age couple who clearly didn’t want me sitting on the floor next to them (something about invading their circle of personal space) and ultimately, I think I was the loser as they smelled pretty terrible.

For each and every friend who reads this blog, or may stumble on this entry, AND who has told me how supremely jealous they are that I get to travel for work— you have 30 days to retract that statement. There is a trend with my entries. Now, as I find I don’t have as much time as I used to write about the douche bags or amusing events in my life, my entries now seem to revolve around the unglamourous life of frequent flying. And lastly, if you don't believe me, there is a really cool product designer, and a cyborg who are willing to back me up.

Update

Update on the events following take off
- take off at an obscene hour
- arrive at Newark after an hour+ of really bad turbulence and the fear I was going to die
- Delay getting off plane at Newark
- Terminal is flooded
- Yelled at by a bitchy airport staff member after I ask her which direction to get to rental cars
- Arrive at rental car place
- Find a Toyota Corolla (at this point I'm soaked from torrential rain)
- Load Corolla up
- SUV is brought in
- Pause
- Unload Corolla and load up Highlander (Yes! Not a supporter of gas guzzlers, but in shady NJ, I feel safe)
- Leave airport, still torrential downpour
- Stop off at Target to buy some gummibears (Now a Haribo fan)
- Leave Target
- Find that road I need to take is flooded out
- I drive through another flooded road and SUV doesn't seem like it's going to make it
- Get lost
- Pass by the NJ State correctional facility (very frightening at night)
- Still lost
- Turn back to get directions
- Back on track, but rain is so hard, I can't see-- check wipers and find I'm already on the fastest setting
- Eventually make it to main road
- 9:15 pm make it to the hotel but too late for room service and all restaurants closed
- delicious dinner of cup noodles, microwave pasta and an ice cream bar :( Worst part is that it's a total of 3.5g of trans fat! :'(

Statue

I've finally made my return to guitar, and after two lessons, teaching myself and two weeks of practice I now remember why it was I stopped learning guitar the first two times I attempted it! (and oddly how everything is in two's in this posting). First and foremost I'm trained in classical piano, so learning another instrument isn't all that hard-- I just have to learn how to play the new instrument, instead of learning music theory all over again. However, strengthening my fingers and developing not so attractive callouses on my fingers have taken its toll and I've decided to take a break today to give them a chance to heal.

When I first did guitar I was also studying the last grades of piano and between 3 hours of piano practice each day and the painful blisters from trying to get used to the metal strings of my guitar, I had to give it up. Eventually I gave up piano too because there wasn't enough time between school, my extra curriculars, volunteer work, and part time work. It always made me sad that I never finished the last grade of piano, but I told myself that since I could learn how to play whatever songs I wanted along with other instruments it really wasn't that bad. And now with resuming guitar, I've already accelerated through beginners guides and got the basics down pat. It's just a matter of time before I can start playing songs from the likes of Joel Plaskett, Jason Collet, Weezer and loads of others! Also on my list is both the guitar and piano parts to this fantastic song called Statue, by Immaculate Machine. Yay!

Statue, by Immaculate Machine
your hands were warm and dry
placed lightly on my back
we'd sit and watch the day
slide out from red to black

when it comes to you
you were always the first
when it comes to you
silence is the worst

these tumbleweeds roll by
the memories we made
and these deserted streets
feel like they'll never fade

when it comes to you
you were always the first
when it comes to you
silence is the worst

sun is shining but I don't feel warm
I'm chilled right down to the core
I reach to touch you but my hands are shaking
you don't want me here so I'll go

standing still, tall and proud
even you now turn to gold
this statue I have built
perfect, beautiful and cold

when it comes to you
you were always the first
when it comes to you
silence is the worst

when it comes to you
we were always the first
when it comes to you
silence is the worst

silence is the worst

My name is Miss Pow, and I'm a Procrastinator

It is rather cloudy and rainy Sunday evening, and I have a shit load of work that I need to start and finish. I guess I'm a tad burnt out and getting back into the mood to work has been a little less than successful. Well considering it's the bloody weekend, I can't really blame myself, but considering we have a project going live in two weeks, a voice in my head is screaming to get my ass in gear (not to say I haven't been working a gazillion hours on other projects).

And so in attempting to work, I instead found myself fighting the crowds of women at Lifefest to get samples of the latest and greatest products (and I'm still telling myself I got my money's worth), went out for sushi twice in one day, spent yesterday afternoon walking around downtown and soaking in the gorgeous weather. Today I was more productive in other ways-- laundry, cooking, had a kick ass nap, and focused much attention and time to beautifying my face for no one (okay okay, I do it for my own satisfaction!). But the ultimate procrastination has been watching the movie Ever After, twice. Well it was on TV! Twice! Can you blame me?

Arguably one of my most favourite movies of all time I could watch it over and over again and never get tired of it. It's going to sound so sappy and pathetic, but I can't help loving the damn movie because it probably hits most women deep down inside-- the desire and fantasy for that fairy tale romance, where you meet someone that is so unbelievably amazing and wonderful, that it dawns on you that you've found your match. I'm not sure about men, but as little girls we grow up reading these stories about finding our one true love, and as we get older the stories change a little but the theme is always the same. Only 20 or so years later, reality tells most of us a very different story! Ha ha ha! Thankfully I don't have a complex where I live in this bubble where it's my life destiny to find this fairy tale romance (or it could be worse-- I might think that I am Cinderella) and instead take a more realistic approach to both life and love (no comments from the peanut gallery :P ). The producers were absolutely brilliant in coming up with the idea for that movie. At the end of the day, whether you have found your soul mate or you're still looking, the movie either leaves a person thinking they can relate because they've found what the characters did, or dream that they too will be able to find it one day. I guess there's no better way to retain a loyal audience than to hit them with their deepest desires and fantasies.