18 posts tagged “travel”
If you have Blue Sun travel posters, you might be muttering under your breath about the kwong-juh duh purplebellies who decided to make them 17x22 inches... Because as we all know, there are no standard off the rack frames that size, they are either 16x20 or 18x24.
Until now.
Aaron Brothers has a collage frame which holds a mat designed for nine 6x4” photos. Take out the collage mat, and the frame is 17x22”! The posters fit perfectly!
To make things even better, through this Sunday they are having a buy one frame get the second for a penny deal. The frames come in black, brown, and white, but if they don’t have the color you want they will special order them for you at the sale price.
Product: 0001081488 (black) price: $27.99. With the sale, I was able to frame all five posters for under $100. I'd walked in expecting to pay $700+ for custom framing. Shiny!
This year for the first time I attended both Black Hat and Defcon. I'm glad I did them both, but am very tired now. And I don't know if I'll sleep on the flights because its so cold. And damn but my iPod ear buds hurt my ears, they are TOO BIG. Or maybe my ears are too small. Either way, it will be easier to get new ear buds than new ears.
Anyways, BH was bigger than the last time I was there in 2005. More speakers in 8 tracks of content, way more vendors and attendees. Its beginning to feel a little like RSA in terms of size.
<stopped blogging to try and nap on flight, but mostly just shivered in the flying meatlocker in the sky.>
wow, 80's fashion sure was bad. I'm sure it was just as bad then as it is now, so DAMN, I must have looked just as stupid as this girl in front of me at the airport does. hahahahahaha. Seriously, the only clothing item from the 80's that I'm willing to see make a comeback is the off the shoulder shirt.
But I digress. Upon arriving at LAX I bought the warmest t-shirt I could find, a 3/4 sleeve pink and black Los Angeles shirt. So now I have 200% more sleeves than I had before with just a short (1/4) sleeve shirt on. Now if only I wasn't sitting cross legged on the floor because there are WAY more people on the flight than there are chairs in the gate area...
Black Hat was a good show, I saw several talks (and no, I'm not going to regurgitate them here, you should have been there yourself) and was able to chat a bit with people I haven't seen in several months to a year. I also met a few new people that I'm excited to continue a dialog with regarding shared security interests. Unfortunately because of the crowding at the conference it was sometimes difficult to get into popular talks, and challenging to find people - txt messaging and dodgeball came in *very* handy.
Defcon was an interesting experience. Just as crowded at Black Hat I think, but a VERY different crowd. The Riviera is a pretty ghetto hotel, and there were several talks I wasn't able to get into due to rooms being over-capacity. I guess I'll just have to buy the videos. The fascinating thing about Defcon that I really liked were all the non-talk things going on. Lockpick village, a Guitar Hero 2 competition, the automated bots, beverage cooling projects, ctf, dunk tank... there was a sense of community and camradarie in all these areas where people were really talking and engaging with one another. And I was able to make time to talk with a few people I hadn't had time to do more than say hi to at Black Hat, which was a fantastic opportunity I totally took advantage of. OOH, they also had a vendor area with several cool booths set up, I'm coming home with three new t-shirts, 1 of which was free. Thanks C. for pointing out the Yarrrrn pirate knitter shirt for me. I has shirt. Shirt, I has it. Watch for it on an upcoming Fun Shirt Friday.
Of course there were a whole bunch of parties throughout the week; thanks to SPI Dynamics, IOActive, OWASP, iSEC Partners, Microsoft, Hacker Pimps, QueerCon, iDefense, ToorCon/Kenshoto, and Ninja Networks for all the free entertainment. and in case there is any question, which there shouldn't be, kM rules.
Now I'm on my way home and very tired from multiple nights of staying up too late networking, but I didn't blow any money gambling or shopping so I guess that makes up for the $140 I spent on a ticket to see Cirque du Soleil's Ka on Tuesday night with a few friends from work. Ka was nothing short of breathtaking, the choreography was stunning. I wish I'd worn my glasses instead of my contact lenses though; my eyes appear to be really rebelling against them all of a sudden and my vision isn't nearly as good with them as it was a few months ago when I had my routine eye exam. (and worse yet, after a few hours my eyes start generating all sorts of protein buildup. eww) guess I better see the eye doctor soon and get that addressed.
A few last words:
to the SPI monkeys (sorry, I mean HP monkeys) thanks for letting me roll with your crew at BH, I rarely laugh as hard as I do when I'm hanging out with you guys, and I swear it is with you and not at you. But RK, you really should look at the cards BEFORE calling. Silvexis, I haven't forgotten the post you owe me. Still. And B, you are *so* going to lose, so surrender now before someone (you) gets hurt.
For the dodgeball peeps, *KymPossible says: @LAX gate 30! reply with status!* hahahahaha. what a nifty tool to keep on top of people and shindigs... thanks to Elle for clueing me in to it. Though holy crap, my cell bill this month is going to be obscene. Before the next con I need to get unlimited txt messaging. But at least I know that Dan K. has cookie, and S. is looking for midgets. Seriously guys, your messages make me LOL. Especially Dan's about the waking dead.
wow, the customer service people with Comfort Inn Hotels need to take Intro to Customer Service 101 over again. I swear, I'm not making this stuff up.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
response to mail thread 2:
From: KymPxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 1:46 PM
To: 'guest_survey_inquiries@choicehotels.com'
Subject: RE: Survey
I hope you DID know I was recently in Arlington VA, because I had a terrible experience and have been waiting for a response to my email (attached) for two weeks now. Do you people not care at all about big gross cockroaches in your hotel rooms, and hotel managers who are rude? Or is it just customers you don’t care about?
Kymberlee
From: Guest Inquiries [mailto:guest_survey_inquiries@choicehotels.com]
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 12:35 PM
To: KymPxxxxxxx
Subject: Survey
Dear Ms. Possible,
Thank you for responding. I do apologize the wrong information was sent to you. This was not forwarded to any other guests and we did not know that you were recently in Arlington, VA. This was supposed to be sent to Mr. Lxxxxxxxx. Again I am sorry for the confusion.
Sincerely,
Barb
Guest Survey Specialist
Choice Hotels International
I've gotten two separate emails from Choice Hotels International since completing their online Guest Survey about my leetle friend la cucaracha in el bano. I've copied them below for your entertainment, along with my replies. Last names have been obscured for privacy. As with all mail threads, read from the bottom up.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mail thread 2:
From: KymPxxxxxxx You have got to be kidding me.
Who is Kevin Lxxxxxxxxr? Kevin Lxxxxxxxx of British Columbia Canada? Did he ALSO have a cockroach in his room? And how many people have gotten emails with my name on them instead of their own, so they now know that I was recently in Arlington VA?
This is the most ridiculous customer service I’ve ever seen.
From: Guest Inquiries [mailto:guest_survey_inquiries@choicehotels.com]
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Dear Kevin Lxxxxxxxx, Thank you for taking the time to respond to our recent customer satisfaction survey and for providing us with the additional comments about your stay at the Comfort Inn Ballston in Arlington, VA. We do apologize for the incident that occurred at this hotel. We have forwarded the information and issues you have raised to our field staff who will be addressing them directly with the hotel. Choice Hotels is committed to helping facilitate corrective action and ensuring that appropriate changes are made with the hotel directly. Your comments have assisted us in identifying areas in need of attention, and we greatly appreciate your feedback. Should you need further assistance please contact us at 800.300.8800. We are looking forward to providing quality accommodations and service to you in the future. Thank you for your continued patronage. Best Regards,
Lance Guest Survey Specialist Choice Hotels International, Inc
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mail thread 1:
From: KymPxxxxxxx Wow, so did you even read my survey comments? You have nothing to say about the giant cockroach in our bathroom, but if I’d like to share more information I can contact you? How about you read this: http://kympossible.vox.com/library/post/creepshow-meets-psycho.html and tell me what you think.
From: Guest Inquiries [mailto:guest_survey_inquiries@choicehotels.com]
Thursday, July 12, 2007 Dear KYMPxxxxxxx, Thank you for taking the time to respond to our recent customer satisfaction survey. You indicated on your response that you would like a representative from Choice Hotels to contact you.
Please feel free to respond directly to this email address with any additional information you would like to share with us or contact the Survey Department at 1-800-300-8800. We are available between the hours of 8:00AM to 8:00PM central time, Monday through Friday.
Best Regards,
Barb Guest Survey Specialist Choice Hotels International, Inc
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
and yes, I did email Kevin Lxxxxxxxx of British Columbia and asked if he had a big nasty cockroach in his room. Why? Two words for you: Mean Streak. I figure if the hotel is going to disclose to me that he recently had a problem with them, I should balance the privacy breaches and let him know I also stayed there and had an issue. Sort of a you showed me yours so I'll show you mine philosophy.
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 9:06 PM
To: 'guest_survey_inquiries@choicehotels.com'
Subject: RE: survey
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 5:24 PM
To: KymPxxxxxxx
Subject: survey
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 3:22 PM
To: guest_survey_inquiries@choicehotels.com
Subject: RE: Choice Hotels Survey
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 2:40 PM
To: KymPxxxxxxx
Subject: Choice Hotels Survey
My s-i-l's husband (does that make him my b-i-l? my husband's, sister's, husband. hmmm.) is an awesome cook. So is my husband, but that's a different blogpost. Anyway, while we were in Arlington he kept us happily well fed with: banana/peach pancakes and bacon, grilled mahi mahi with asparagus and rice, fresh baked cherry scones, smoked beef ribs with roast potatos and corn on the cob... and margaritas. No margarita mix, he used fresh squeezed lime and lemon juice, sugar, Don Julio tequila... Soooooooo good. I made sure to get the recipe for our next BBQ shindig which is inevitably coming soon, since Father's Day this year meant we finally decided to invest in a new kick ass suburban backyard warrior BBQ. (Our current BBQ is in pretty poor shape - not surprising since it is 8 years old and only cost $100 or $150 to begin with). And did I mention that my s-i-l's hubby cooks all this great stuff with a 2 year old and 6 week old twins in the house? We were more than happy to help out with baby duty and toddler shepherding, but sometimes there are parenting things that only a mommy or daddy can do. Anyway, a great weekend. Kids outnumbered the adults, but everyone remained sane and had a really good time. Good times. A few photos of the kidlets will be uploaded after we get back home, but none of the amazing meals. I wish I'd taken pictures of the food. I really do. But I didn't. Too many kids to juggle feedings with to pop the camera out for a shot of scones.
(written 7/2/07)
In Arlington we are staying at a Comfort Inn a couple blocks from my s-i-l's house. I haven't stayed at a Comfort Inn in over a decade; I'm a Marriott, Westin, W, Hilton, Hyatt snob these days. But the location was good, and the suite (a necessity with two small kids) was very reasonably priced. The room was actually very large, well decorated/arranged, etc. The beds were unbelievably uncomfortable, though maybe I'm just a spoiled princess and a sissy. I'd have given the hotel high marks up to this point.
The part that totally freaked me out was that while my husband was in the shower, a big, nasty cockroach crawled up between the shower curtain liner and the exterior shower curtain. He caught it in the plastic cups they leave in the bathroom for drinking water, but after that we wouldn't let our 3 year old go potty alone and I couldn't shower in there at all. Yes, it was only one and not a skittering, light frightened brigade of roach invaders. But the freaking thing was close 1-1/2 inches long and probably a half inch wide. We'd have taken a picture, but I was afraid it would get out of the cup if we took the cover off. So we took it to the front desk. The guy working there offered to move us to a new room, but then when I said we were in a suite, his face fell; they didn't have any suite's available. He said I should tell the manager, who would be there on Monday when we checked out, and that the manager would probably give us something off our bill. So I left the cockroach with him in it's little plastic cups and off I went to my s-i-l's to shower.
This morning (Monday), I am checking out and ask to talk to the manager (Frank) about the huge bug, and he comes out and is a total ass. Sort of 'yeah, ok, I'll let them know. Is there anything else?'. I don't know who 'them' is, maybe the exterminators? It was like I'd totally inconvenienced him by asking him to come up to the front desk to talk about this. I was kind of surprised, and said I just wanted to be sure he knew about this big gross cockroach. Since I had nothing else to add, he repeated himself about letting someone know, and went back into the back again. I got nothing off my bill. So I'll send a letter to the Comfort Inn customer service chain, and once again exhibit my mean streak by publicly blogging about the Comfort Inn in Arlington VA having big disgusting cockroaches and management who appears to have failed Customer Service 101. jackass.
(written 7/2/07)
Get off the plane, take the taxi back to the inlaws, hug and kiss the family, unload my backpack from Seattle (the lightest I've ever traveled anywhere in my life), pack a suitcase, two backpacks and a cooler, and load up the car for the drive up to Arlington VA for a 4 day weekend with the s-i-l and her family. They have a 2 year old and 6 week old twins, so I don't expect them to visit us for a few years at least. Can't wait to see my new niece and nephew, and introduce them to our cutie-pie boy. The toddlers have met before... I'm sure they'll be a sight to see, running around like mad and playing non-stop. :)
(written 6/29/07)
was far less eventful than my taxi trip there. I DID take the same taxi service and even asked for the same driver with her four year old granddaughter. She wasn't available, so the owner sent his wife (so obviously I was wrong about Gramma being his wife). I'm glad I did. First, my flight got in 15 minutes early, but she (lets call her W.) was there already. On the drive back we chatted about the taxi service business. She and Gramma (lets call her G.) are backup drivers for the company; there are a few other regular drivers and three cars in rotation, one of which is in the shop right now. The one hour one way trip I'd hired them for wasn't really considered 'long' by their standards; they'd driven 7-10 hour one way trips to Charlotte NC and even New Jersey before. So what does W. do when she isn't driving for her husband's taxi service? She works at the local hospital as a health aide in the rehab department (7 years as a health worker) and is attending nursing school. She has never been on a plane before and had been planning her first big vacation this summer, but ended up having to reschedule - and because of her class schedule and other commitments at work, won't be able to go now until next summer. Wow. On my day off from work and classes, the last thing I'd want to do (or have time to do!) is spend 2-3 hours driving some stranger from the airport to their destination. I'm glad I called this taxi company again and contributed to in a very direct way to real, hard-working people working in a family business. In some ways I feel like I stuck it to The Man, not giving a cut of my travel dollars to some big business who only gives a pittance to its employees... which is kind of ironic, given that who I work for essentially makes me The Man. Or at least The Man's employee. lalalalalala let's not dwell on that, hmmm?
(written 6/29/07)
After 24 hours in Seattle for business, I'm returning to my previously scheduled vacation, already in progress. I had been feeling a little sorry for myself, 5000 miles in 48 hours, but then I realized that I'd traveled over 9000 miles in 21 hours before, so this wasn't really that big a deal.
On my way outta town I ate at Anthony's in the SeaTac airport - the Anthony's on the Seattle waterfront is really good, so I expected the same. hmmm. The asparagus was good, the rice a little dry, the prawns good EXCEPT there were only 5 of them and they hadn't been de-veined. Butterflied, yes. But their little prawn poop tracts hadn't been removed. YUCK. I am a DIY sort of girl, so I de-veined 4 out of five of them and ate them, then showed the fifth to the waiter before also de-veining and eating that one too. The waiter was very apologetic and said he'd mention it to the chef, that no matter how busy they were, there was no excuse for quality... but when my bill came there was no discount of any sort for the feces fiasco. Oh well. I still tipped because it isn't really the waiter's fault that the kitchen staff didn't de-vein the shlimpies. But my mean streak is being exhibited now as I blog about this ickiness and urge everyone I know to avoid the Anthony's in the airport if they're ever in Seattle. pah.
And no, I didn't have a camera with me. Not that you'd want to see THAT.
(written 6/28/07)
oh yeah, that's right, my toothpaste was confiscated by TSA. The tube was almost done, maybe an ounce or two of paste left in it. It was going to be empty within a week, sooner if I remember to brush after lunches. But the TUBE was a 6.4 ounce tube, and that's more than 3 ounces, so it had to be taken away.
Quite frankly, if I'd thought of it, I'd have argued that the regulations are for liquids, gels and aerosols, and that pastes are not explicitly called out despite the clear language about the container size and rolled up toothpaste tubes. After all, there are gel toothpastes that would fall under the policy, but my Crest was not a gel and as a paste should be liberated and returned to its happy home in my backpack. Alas, I was busy tying my awesome new sneakers and putting my laptop back in the case, and it didn't occur to me to split hairs on linguistic semantics with the TSA guy. Probably just as well; there's a reason they aren't known for their sense of humor, flexibility, sympathy, or common sense. It isn't an expensive loss but it is a hassle. Now I have to get new toothpaste as soon as my flight lands so I can brush my teeth before bed tonight. meh.
One more thing for those of you entertained by Security Theater - I can't brush my teeth, but I can cut my knitting yarn. My metal knitting needles and five-inch Fiskars (only 2 inches are blade) were no problem. And my 10 ounce bottle of contact lens solution was also ok. And apparently KY gel is exempt from the 3 ounce gel limitation, though I didn't test that myself, I just read it on the website. Honest.
