Today was the last day of work in Los Angeles, I can finally go home! This started off as only being a one day trip out, two days of work, and one day of travel back. Then… the phenomenon of “while you are out there” hit. Turned out to be one day travel out, 4 days of work, and one day travel back. Yeh, I could have predicted that, in fact I did when I packed enough clothing for the extra days.
The claim I had to do today sort of annoyed me. The last technician who was assigned to it backed out of it because of a loose dog in the yard (the worst she would have done is lick you to death if she had even moved), not to mention that to get to the electric meter one didn’t even have to go into the yard. Then, the whole reason a Technical Field Manager was being sent was that the 1099 technician said that PPE (personal protection equipment – read, “Tyvex body suit and N-95 mask”) was needed. On the way out stopped at the local Home Depot and got the supplies. Turns out wasn’t even needed. Yup, house was damaged, but no place as bad as the other technician said. He just didn’t want to do it. Anyways, it’s done.
Got back, went to the grocery store up the street from the hotel. I do that frequently while traveling, especially on weekends, because sometimes the weekend cooks at the hotel restaurants are really bad as was proven again last night. Went up got some really good roasted chicken, cheese, crackers, and fruit for a snack later today. As I was looking at cheese the gentleman working the “good cheese” area offered me a sample of their specialty cheese for the season. OK, I didn’t know it existed but Pumpkin Spice cheese is a thing, and a damn good thing! I didn’t get any as it would have been difficult to bring back to Aurora, but I did find out Ralph’s is part of Kroger and they all carry the same products. Yup, Jesse is going to go find me some Pumpkin Spice cheese.
We all get into routines. When I finish an out of town work trip, I have some of my own routines, I catch myself doing the same thing each and every time:
1) I stop in the first parking lot I come across as I leave the last loss location and re-pack all of my tools in the tool suitcase. I also search under all of the seats and anyplace else where things could have rolled.
2) I make sure that all of my receipts are entered into Concur so that I do not have to deal with them after I get home.
3) Back at the hotel, pack all of the dirty clothes into the laundry back, make sure I have accounted for everything. Get it all into one place.
4) Search my backpack and make sure that there is nothing hiding in there the TSA won’t like and steal.
5) Rest and relax. Tomorrow is a travel day, the airline Gods, the TSA Gods, and the ATC Gods willing.
Time for the remaining part of my “Rest and Relax”!
Finally! Just to say it again: :LA Drivers SUCK!!!
