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Business traveling idiosyncrasies

So, at a recent conference, a few of us were talking about business travel and discovered that we all have “traditions” or habits or idiosyncrasies when traveling.  For example:

When checking in at a hotel, I put the paper key holder with the room number and my room key (always ask for 2 keys) in my right rear pocket.  It always goes in my right rear pocket and I always keep the paper key holder with it, because it contains my room number.  At the recent conference, a co-worker asked if he could have the paper container as it had the wifi password and he wasn’t staying there.  I said, absolutely not, I wouldn’t know my room number without it.  I refused to give it to him because I always keep it with the key in my right rear pocket.  So he took a picture of the wifi password on the key holder.  When telling a friend, she said, first thing she does is take a picture of her room number and then throws the paper key holder away – for personal security reasons.  She also takes a picture of where she parks in the parking garage (very smart).

Another thing I do is ask for a hotel room between floors 2 and 7.  Does anyone know why?

On the plane, I prefer aisle seat and if I can’t get exit row, I get a seat within 5 rows of an exit row.  Same reason as above.

I know someone who always goes for a window seat and always on the left side of the plane, because she finds it easier to sleep leaning against the wall with her left shoulder.

As tradition, I also always (if you don’t always do it, it can’t be a tradition is my belief) get a beer at the airport on the flight home.  Okay, sometimes they say “a tall beer for a $1 more?” and I say, “of course” and sometimes they also say, “add a shot for only $2 more?” and I say, “of course”.  It’s always good to take the bargain.  One time, while traveling home from a trip, I did the usual, stopped in the airport bar, ordered the beer, then agreed to the tall beer and the shot.  So I got a tall beer and a shot of tequila and posted a picture of them onto Facebook with the comment: “what is it about airport bars that I like so much?”.  I was rather shocked when a friend responded: “because you can drink at 10:30 in the morning”.  He was right, it was only 10:30 in the morning!  But a tradition is a tradition.

Political Version of Psalm 23

saw this on facebook posted by a Jonathan Iarael

Obama is my Shepherd; I shall not work.
He maketh me to lie about the green job market:
He leadeth me beside the still factories.

He restoreth my sloth:
He leadeth me in the paths of hyping his self-righteousness for Barack’s name sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of debt,
I will fear no workforce: For thou art funding me;
Thy welfare and thy food stamp, they comfort me.
Thou preparest new taxes before me in the presence of this bad economy;
Thou annoyest my head with oil prices; My pot runneth over.

Surely ungratefulness and hypocrisy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the housing of the Obama forever.

*** Public Domain. Please feel free to share! grin emoticon

April 26 not a good day for Hillary

A common approach the Clintons employ during an issue or a crisis is to blame others.  Does she not understand that the buck stops in the office she wants to hold.  How can she run our country if she is having trouble running a foundation or keeping an eye on what is going on in the State Department.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-26/clinton-foundation-acknowledges-mistakes-as-schweizer-calls-for-investigation

 

FOCM New Member Ceremony

On August 18, an FOCM happy hour (er, I meant to say, “networking) event was held at San Jose’s Tacos & Tequila at 7961 Skyland Ridge Parkway in Raleigh, NC.  The reason: my friend Joanna Williams was in town on business.  Also present at this event were: Gail Fowler, Vince Hoefling and Bill Newcomb.

Gail and I first met in the late 1980’s – we were working at Burroughs Wellcome Co.  I believe we met at a business team meeting for the life-saving medication Digibind.  We later worked together again at Quintiles and then again at ICON.   Here’s the photo of the magic moment frozen in time.

Gail Fowler August 18, 2014
Gail Fowler
August 18, 2014

Reunion at Ashworth Drugs

On August 2, while I was up in the Cary, NC area (a place I’d lived for about 23 years), I stopped by Ashworth Drugs at 105 W Chatham St, Cary.  This pharmacy has been in downtown Cary, probably since the 1960’s.  Started by Ralph Ashworth and now run by his son Paul.

So why is this post in here?  I first met Paul in Los Angeles in the mid-1980’s.  I was working as a pharmaceutical salesman for Burroughs Wellcome Co.  Paul was hired in North Carolina where he’d been working as a pharmacist in his father’s store.  He requested a territory out west.  We were in the same sales district, district 79.

When I moved to Burroughs Wellcome’s HQ in RTP, NC in 1987, I went to meet his father at the pharmacy.  Several years later, Paul moved back to his hometown.  This is a photo from that day.  When in Cary, this is a place to stop in to see what used to be commonplace in pharmacies – a food counter, with about 8 stools and two booths, serving hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ sandwiches, sodas.

Ashworth

Another FOCM New Member Ceremony

It was a typically beautiful September day in Yuma, Arizona. The sun was shining, as it does 300 days of the year. (Side note: why in the world is Yuma, AZ not the the solar energy capital of the world?!?)

Captured in the photo below is Yuma’s own: Bill “Willie” Moody receiving his FOCM Membership card. Yes, he received it in September, but one of the foundations of FOCM is patience. His patience was being tested and he has passed. He is now entitled to all the benefits therein. (As a dues paying member, he would have even more benefits, come on Bill, it’s only $20, well he did pay for my lunch so that kinda counts, well he also paid for my brother’s lunch, so that kinda counts.  Turns out my brother has developed quite the skill of having others pay for his lunch.) Bill owns and runs Robert J. Moody Appraisers, doing real estate appraisal services.  I have known Bill for probably 45 years.  We first met at First Presbyterian Church Sunday School in Yuma, AZ.

This event took place at Burgers and Beer located at: 321 W 20th St, Yuma, AZ. Many members of the A.T. Pancrazi Real Estate Services Company were witnesses to the ceremony. A.T. Pancrazi Real Estate is the premier commercial real estate firm serving Yuma, Arizona and the desert southwest.

Bill Moody  September 26, 2014
Bill Moody
September 26, 2014