I've determined that its a scam, Scott (and everyone else that replied)

SkyHog

SkyHog

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Everything Offends Me
Business trips are fun as hell! I'm having the time of my life, and everything's free! Hot tubbing, grubbing, ummm....scrubbing? I'm out of rhymes.

Y'all must be trying to keep the secret to yourselves so others don't want to join. This is literally the best fun I could possibly imagine. Like having no responsibilities for 20 days!

And....there's more, but it doesn't need to be repeated online. I think those that go on trips know....secretive bunch indeed.
 
Uh, huh. Next thing you're gonna say that Bulldogs are cool dogs.
 
Well, I've got two weeks in Salt Lake City coming up. Do ya really think I'm going to have a great time? :no: I don't ski, and Leslie can't join me.

But, if any PoAers in the area want to get together, I'll be there next week and the first week of April.
 
I distinctly remember standing at a little round table in a food court in O'Hare airport with five other suits eating bad hot dogs and asking, "Remember when you thought this was exciting?"

I quit when I started washing Tagamet down with vodka.

Enjoy the business travel. Better you than me.
 
gibbons said:
I distinctly remember standing at a little round table in a food court in O'Hare airport with five other suits eating bad hot dogs and asking, "Remember when you thought this was exciting?"

I quit when I started washing Tagamet down with vodka.

Enjoy the business travel. Better you than me.
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What he said. You will learn grasshopper.
 
gibbons said:
I distinctly remember standing at a little round table in a food court in O'Hare airport with five other suits eating bad hot dogs and asking, "Remember when you thought this was exciting?"

I quit when I started washing Tagamet down with vodka.

Enjoy the business travel. Better you than me.
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That would be funny if it weren't so damn true!:yes:
 
Not afraid, eh?
But... you will be...

you will be...

:rofl:



I still enjoy traveling for work, mostly when it's over and I can say "been there; done that..."
Sort of like hitting yourself on the head with a hammer: feels sooo good when you stop.

Do enough of these trips and you may come to dread them... :no:

If I make an effort I can squeeze some real enjoyment out of these trips (my favorite thing is to try to do some flying wherever I go), but with my job, there's often a hectic schedule, a lot of responsibility, and often a harsh workplace (think construction site or funky bar/grill, or the occasional high-security gov't installation)... not to mention the 60-lb. toolbox and all the other crap I have to schlep to and from the airport.
Beats hanging around the NYC office answering the phone or doing another boring conference room "hang 'n' bang", but there's something just draining about all this travel.
 
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I admit to thinking, when I was young and broke, that the per diem, carefully-managed, was a great deal. And, it was a way to see new places.

But... what Chip said.

Now, when I travel, I stay in nice places and meet great folks, and still count the hours to when I get to go home.
 
The few times I went off on trips as a copier tech training for new machines, I had it pretty dang good. This was in the mid to late 80,s. I received something like $18 per diem. I saved nearly 90% of it.

In the mornings, I would grab donuts from the hotel lobby or some provided by the tech school. I'd eat cheap lunches. At the time, you could get like a Big Mac Value Meal or similar for three bucks. Dinners came from the lounge party trays.

Considering I spent so little, I ate pretty dang well. On Wednesday evenings, the hotel had a manager's party in the penthouse. Whatever you ordered between five and seven PM was on the house. That was a great deal for those who drank a lot. I was happy sipping Kuhlua and Cream to satisfy my sweet tooth. :)
 
SkyHog said:
Business trips are fun as hell! I'm having the time of my life, and everything's free! Hot tubbing, grubbing, ummm....scrubbing? I'm out of rhymes.

Y'all must be trying to keep the secret to yourselves so others don't want to join. This is literally the best fun I could possibly imagine. Like having no responsibilities for 20 days!

And....there's more, but it doesn't need to be repeated online. I think those that go on trips know....secretive bunch indeed.
Click to expand...

I'm hip, I'm the captain for and buddies with the degenerate guys who put on those trips onboard yachts. Usually my guys run a couple/three week long trips a year. I have responsibilities, but boy do I have fun, make cash and get percs..... I love my degenrate clients.:yes::yes::yes:
 
When I traveled for business, it was mostly to Africa/South America.

Never dull. Sometimes Scary. The lack of internet killed me.

That's actually where I've been the last month and a half (uganda -- total s*** hole).

~ Christopher
 
SkyHog said:
Business trips are fun as hell! I'm having the time of my life, and everything's free! Hot tubbing, grubbing, ummm....scrubbing? I'm out of rhymes.
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You have not had all the fun yet.

Why just last month I had a bad case of the flu AND got to fly three straight days for 10 hours a day. Fun Fun Fun!

We'll also have to get you on a few red eyes and then when you land go straight into work finishing up with a dinner meeting that night. All the while you have to stay on your game as you are the one leading the whole endeavor.

Yep great fun, you don't know what you are missing. Gotta get you to some of the garden spots in the world to. Nothing like trying to find a clean place to eat in Indonesia!

Glad you had a good time. But a little local trip to the next state is hardly the way it will always go. More times than not business trips are a PIA that keeps you away from home. Hotels are fun at first but it gets old. Living out of suitcase is not all the glamorous.
 
The key to enjoying business trips is when they are rare - once, twice a year maybe... and especially when they are for conferences in places you'd want to visit anyway and you can show up a day early or stay a day late and poke around. (NYC, Chicago...)
 
jwriteclub said:
When I traveled for business, it was mostly to Africa/South America.

Never dull. Sometimes Scary. The lack of internet killed me.

That's actually where I've been the last month and a half (uganda -- total s*** hole).

~ Christopher
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Jeez... thought I had it bad...:rolleyes:
 
I still find business trips mostly enjoyable, but Nick don't you have a motorcycle to get back to at home? Maybe even some friends? ;)

I like the week long trips to places (although I've never been sent on the Migaldi-Brand Horror Trips), but at the end of that week I am glad to be back in my own bed and back around my friends. It is nice to have a change of pace. I'll agree with Elizabeth - once or twice a year is just right to keep it interesting. In 2007 I think I had a total of 5 business trips, totaling about 6 weeks of travel. Now it's been a couple of months since the last trip (haven't had any in 2008), so I'm about ready for another. Doesn't look like it will happen, though.

On the other hand, I need a vacation, so maybe I should just hop on a plane and fly someplace nicer than here for a week. :)
 
It gets bad when the travel is at 25% and above. Spending a week a month away from home even if it a nice location gets old after 6mo. What's really bad is when the hotel staff and the local business know you better then the ones back at home.

Missa
 
Elizabeth has it right. If you can build in a day or two after the trip it may make it worth while. Then you may get to see stuff.

I can't tell you how miserable it is going to Scottsdale dressing in a suit and spending the entire day in depositions. Now last year I went to vegas on a biz trip and got to meet up with Michael, April and Richard have some eats and drinks. That was a nice break.
 
Nick...enjoy it my friend. I truly enjoyed my traveling the first year...then it started getting old, REAL old.

When one travels 75-80% of the time, you begin to HATE airports. Of course I admit it depends on what you do, but for me full days at a client, some dinner, and then a couple hours each night in a hotel room catching up past projects and getting ready for new ones.

Thankfully my promotion means a LOT less travel, perhaps 10-15% a year. Yes I will lost most of my status's but you know what, I do not care I am home every night.

Again...not raining on your parade, I truly hope you enjoy it for a long time, but the novelty just wore off pretty quickly for me (especially with a wife at home that I wanted to share some of the places I was at but could not since she could rarely get the time to go with me).
 
The first few times, it's great. Especially if you're single and you get evenings free. Or if you get the chance to tack a few extra days on the trip.

On the other hand, if you end up like some of us, where you travel to a city for a day or two, then on to the next one, with no break (meaning, arrive, go into meetings, leave meetings around 4 and head to the airport arriving at destination around 10 PM, then do the same the next day) it gets old, fast. My last two trips to London have left me in meetings from noon on the day I arrive (remember that the flight is an overnight trip, getting into the airport between 8 and 9 AM) until 10 PM the last evening, then out the door at 7 for the return flight... it gets old fast. Add in the TSA hassles, the airport hassles, delayed flights, etc. and you really do get tired of it.

It's more fun if you get to take your own plane...

gibbons said:
I distinctly remember standing at a little round table in a food court in O'Hare airport with five other suits eating bad hot dogs and asking, "Remember when you thought this was exciting?"

I quit when I started washing Tagamet down with vodka.
Click to expand...

Been there done that. I'm at the point where drinking on the road (save for a glass of wine with dinner) is worse than not drinking. A pity to waste one of the benefits of getting an upgrade to first class....
 
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When I started traveling for business, it was out on Monday, home on Friday. Then they upped the expectation - out on Sunday night and home on Friday night ... late.

and then you get home after eating out all week and sleeping in not your own bed. Wife says "I've been cooped up here all week - we need to get away for the weekend."
 
Missa said:
What's really bad is when the hotel staff and the local business know you better then the ones back at home.
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Not to mention the staff at the FBOs around the country. I'll have to admit that I like new people and new places, at least to a certain extent, which is probably why I keep this job. I would be bored out of my mind with a set schedule and never going anywhere except to the office. On the other hand I have very little desire to do any personal traveling, especially within the CONUS.
 
Well, only 18 more days of the horror left. Maybe by the end I'll get it. lol.
 
SkyHog said:
Well, only 18 more days of the horror left. Maybe by the end I'll get it. lol.
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Ah, you're staying in one place for the duration. It's not really a fair comparison to being a road warrior.
 
SkyHog said:
Well, only 18 more days of the horror left. Maybe by the end I'll get it. lol.
Click to expand...

Not really traveling. But I did a three week training, week home, back for two more. A bunch of nice guy's turn into real boring company that last week end away.
 
Wow,

I'm glad I've never done the road warrior thing. ;)

The problem with Vegas, is that it's practically impossible to plausibly say you're doing work in Vegas. Also, the hotels are pretty pricey.

~ Christopher
 
jwriteclub said:
Wow,

I'm glad I've never done the road warrior thing. ;)

The problem with Vegas, is that it's practically impossible to plausibly say you're doing work in Vegas. Also, the hotels are pretty pricey.

~ Christopher
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The hotel prices are much cheaper when you are doing meetings and conventions there. I had a super deluxe room in Ceaser's Palace for under $200/night one year. Those of us who have had to do work in Vegas not what a PIA it can be. During tradeshows it is a very busy time.

But the place I hate the most for business travel is Hawaii. Too many tourists, the hotels are not set up for business, hard to find a quick place to grab a bit and almost immposible to get upgrades to first class. Even if oyu get upgraded 1st to Hawaii sucks. It is filled with people who pay for 1st and think it is the bees knees, but the airlines hardly even treat the first class pax to Hawaii as well as they do say LAX to ORD.

Plus when you are in Hawaii everyone thinks you are at the beach. The fact of the matter is most of the time you are stuck in a conference room, freezing your butt off form the AC being far to high!
 
jwriteclub said:
Wow,

The problem with Vegas, is that it's practically impossible to plausibly say you're doing work in Vegas. ...

~ Christopher
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Have to disagree with ya there. I have worked my Butt off in Vegas and Honolulu. Not very glamerous at all. Good dinners and drinks for sure but I can do that at home. As I said if you can build a few extra days in its nice.

Also beware Nick don't be a hog ( excuse the pun) with expense accounts. Thats not good for career advancement.
 
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My point about Vegas is: It's hard to justify to a budgeting committee.

This came up before my most recent trip (I've been consulting recently, nothing Dynon related). We needed to meet somewhere for a couple of days to hash out project plans, etc. Once colleague wanted to meet in Vegas, but I counseled that it would look bad to the budgeting committee (this was a non-profit, grant supported project), also, I hadn't been to Denver for a while.

~ Christopher
 
jwriteclub said:
My point about Vegas is: It's hard to justify to a budgeting committee.

This came up before my most recent trip (I've been consulting recently, nothing Dynon related). We needed to meet somewhere for a couple of days to hash out project plans, etc. Once colleague wanted to meet in Vegas, but I counseled that it would look bad to the budgeting committee (this was a non-profit, grant supported project), also, I hadn't been to Denver for a while.

~ Christopher
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Depending on your industry that may be true. For those of us in high tech LV is a nexus mostly due to the large conventions that happen there and easy international access for people in other countries.

When you have to start accommodating several hundred people for meetings your choices are somewhat limited. Ten try to do it at a reasonable cost and they get even more limited. For cost cities such as NY, Chicago, and D.C. get thrown out almost immediately. For us the most common places we go in the US are San Fran, LV, Seattle, Orlando, Atlanta, Dallas. These offer good price, plenty of room and an international airport.
 
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Well I've been to tech conferences in Vegas (and worked real hard, honest, some days I even got up in time to make it to the convention).

My point is that when putting together a small group conference (actually I had a peon doing the leg work for me), I found the Vegas rates to be pretty high (for ~ a dozen rooms).

In addition, stuffy New Englanders who sit on grant comities can be exceptionally anal retentive about expenses.

~ Christopher
 
smigaldi said:
The hotel prices are much cheaper when you are doing meetings and conventions there. I had a super deluxe room in Ceaser's Palace for under $200/night one year. Those of us who have had to do work in Vegas not what a PIA it can be. During tradeshows it is a very busy time.
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Vegas used to be a lot cheaper.... I got a deluxe room a Caesar's one year (round tub in the room, mirrored ceiling) for something like $125/night. Bellagio for under $200. Regular room rates (in the past) were subsidized by the gambling profits. That's changed as Vegas has gotten bigger.

I really dislike Vegas - turned down an entrepreneurial opportunity there a couple of years ago.

It's a pain from the time you arrive at the airport until the time you (FINALLY!) clear the long lines for security to leave.

But the place I hate the most for business travel is Hawaii. Too many tourists, the hotels are not set up for business, hard to find a quick place to grab a bit and almost immposible to get upgrades to first class. Even if oyu get upgraded 1st to Hawaii sucks. It is filled with people who pay for 1st and think it is the bees knees, but the airlines hardly even treat the first class pax to Hawaii as well as they do say LAX to ORD.

Plus when you are in Hawaii everyone thinks you are at the beach. The fact of the matter is most of the time you are stuck in a conference room, freezing your butt off form the AC being far to high!
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The times I've been to Hawai'i on business involved visting facilities in the field, away from the beach. Much, much different place. F-pax get shafted because there are so many award and upgrade folks on the flights, as opposed to NY/DC/ORD - LA/SFO business runs where the corporate customers pay for F seats. The number 1 award destination for FF miles has been Hawai'i (sent my parents there a few years ago as my dad served on BB-63 during the war... it's stored at Honolulu).
 
woodstock said:
The key to enjoying business trips is when they are rare - once, twice a year maybe... and especially when they are for conferences in places you'd want to visit anyway and you can show up a day early or stay a day late and poke around. (NYC, Chicago...)
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That's me. Two or three times a year to DC or Denver, two or three times a year driving to Anchorage for a few days, the occasional emergency deployment somewhere with my team. Just about right, gets me some FF miles, etc. Any more and it would begin to be onerous.
 
jwriteclub said:
Wow,

I'm glad I've never done the road warrior thing. ;)

The problem with Vegas, is that it's practically impossible to plausibly say you're doing work in Vegas. Also, the hotels are pretty pricey.

~ Christopher
Click to expand...

Rooms are free if you spend 8 hrs a day at the tables...:D
 
The one time i worked in Vegas it was 10 days straight, 18-20 hr days. It was a nightmare job... if i were to mention the project or the people I worked for I'd probably get sued or wind up in a hole in the desert. I was one of the "cleanup" guys sent out there after things got so bad the client threatened to remove a critical part of this company's CEO's anatomy and do something terrible to him with it. No pressure at all, in other words... LOL!! The local techs were all zombified, working 30 hrs straight etc, the local electricians were sabotaginfg stuff because they didn't get the A/V contract... weeee!!
the whole week i was thinking of the river-siege scene in Apocalypse Now where Sheen gets in a foxhole and asks the first grunt he sees who's in charge and the kid says "ain't you?!"

No free time to do nothin', not even sleep. We went to gilley's one tuesday evening but there was just three drunk tourists and a coupla cheap doxies with unibrows. Glamorous.
We didn't even realize there was a pool at the "hotel" (extended stay cockroach trap) until we were getting ready to leave...

I didn't play a slot until i was at the gate waiting for my flight home, and I got on the plane down $3. :rolleyes:
And I flew out there on less than 5 hrs' notice... imagine showing up at the office and the boss says: "wanna got to Vegas this afternoon?"

But boy did I clean up on that one- I was on OT when I got on the plane to go out there (Friday afternoon).

But in addition to the brutal schedule, that was the trip when TSA decided to slit my new surplus Army duffel open to inspect my toolbag inside (nothing was locked or sealed in any way), then cocooned the whole mess with about 3 rolls of TSA tape after tossing my clothes in a clear plastic bag which already had a hole in it.I guess i should be thankful they didn't steal my tools. :rolleyes:
Thanks, buttheads... :mad:
 
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jwriteclub said:
8 hours at the tables, or a couple hours flying.

Hmmmm.

~ Christopher
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At least at the tables you have a chance of walking away ahead...;) One of my clients is a degenrate blackjack player. We were sitting at a table at Atlantis playing and he was losing to this dealer bad, and I said "You should walk away until they switch dealers" "I can't" "Why not?" "Because I have a problem....":rofl::rofl: Have I ever said I love my degenerate clients...?:cheerswine::cheerswine::cheerswine:
 
See,

I view the dividends to the soul as far more from flying. Plus I'm a craps man myself. If there's only 2 people at the table why play?

~ Christopher
 
gibbons said:
I distinctly remember standing at a little round table in a food court in O'Hare airport with five other suits eating bad hot dogs and asking, "Remember when you thought this was exciting?"

I quit when I started washing Tagamet down with vodka.

Enjoy the business travel. Better you than me.
Click to expand...

I prefer Oxycontin with grain... but that's just me.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
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