I am still figuring out the best way, routes, times, airline, etc… to travel to my new accounts. They are concentrated in the D.C area and in New Jersey, although I am also supporting Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
We (in Gov't sales) refer to the D.C. folks as the "beautiful people," not that they are in any respect more physically attractive than the rest of the country, but because of their power and sway on budget.
My three states provide an excellent counterbalance to the "beautiful people." Not that these folks are physically unattractive, because that is not true. They all border Texas so at some point in their history they have all raided our talent to increase the quality of their gene pool. All my friends that are OU fans will freely admit this.
Last week, I made my second trip to my eastern accounts. Although there are direct flights to D.C., my travel times did not allow me to take advantage of them. Instead, I was on a one-stop from Austin to Reagan National via Chicago O'Hare. I did not have to leave the plane in Chicago, but will tell you that O'Hare is one of my favorite airports. That is, if you forget all the times that I have been stuck there, delayed, etc… because of the weather. The place is huge, they have everything imaginable in the way of food and shops and you can get anywhere from there. It is also a major hub so the movement of people is unbelievable. It is a great people watching venue.
However, on this flight I stayed aboard my plane until I reached D.C. Reagan National is a very unique airport. It is in the middle of Washington D.C., literally about a mile from the Pentagon. It is not too big, in fact, it is very similar in size to Austin-Bergstrom. I like this airport. It is a place where you see the political movers and shakers, tourists from around the world, and lots of military folks. Flying in there is an experience…you come right over D.C. and can see the White House, Capital, all the Memorials, Pentagon, etc…
They were very militant after 9/11 about staying in your seat the last hour of the flight. This is no longer true…it is back to normal. However, I am sure there is an Air Marshall on this flight. I always try and figure out who it is and also keep a very close eye on EVERYONE. I resist the temptation to tackle the middle eastern gentleman that comes from coach to use the First Class lavatory. The Steward (male) intercepts him before I have to make the decision and sends him back to the rear.
Oh, that reminds me. When we are taking off from Austin there is a commotion in 6D (First)…I turn around and the Steward is trying to get a drink from someone in that seat. The Steward loses it and starts yelling that the guy is drunk and to let go of the drink…finally the drink goes everywhere, but mostly on the Steward. He is pissed…pissed in a way only a Gay Steward can be. I was sure we were going to pull back to the gate, but apparently the passenger is now passed out and they decide to let it be.
The next day I drive from D.C. to Fort Monmouth, NJ. They are very proud of there Toll-ways in the Northeast and it costs me nearly $20 in tolls to get there. What is nice is that the Toll-ways are free of billboards and are lined with a thick layer of trees. It creates the illusion that you are actually in a rural area. Every 20 miles or so they have a pullover/rest stop with a Starbucks and Sbarros and everything else you need. The most insane thing about NJ is that you can not pump your own gas! They are completely full service which does wonderful things for the already high gas prices.
My trip home is out of Newark. Newark, NJ is not a great place, but the drive in is not too bad. The NJ Turnpike is about 8 lanes so it actually moves even in rush hour. After dropping off the rental car you take a Monorail to your terminal. This is a very busy airport, kind of old, and filled with a true melting pot of the world. As one of the main airports that supports New York, it is alive.
From the terminal you can see downtown NYC which is very cool. It makes me realize what a white-bread place that Austin is… NYC is the United Colors of Benetton. There is a large number of Orthodox Jewish people in their black …I have no idea what the official name of there garb is…but they are all wearing it. Lots of very Italian looking people. I had thought that folks from NJ were going to be a little jerky, but my first couple of trips there everyone has been great. I will let you know if that changes with in the winter.
I decide to upgrade to first class to avoid the security lines. When we take off I can see the Statue of Liberty to my left and once again I start profiling everyone on the flight. My flight home once again goes through Chicago, but once again I don’t have to disembark. After a week in the 70's in the Northeast it is a little shocking to walk off the plane to mid-90's in Austin.
* * * 'SFAA' is 'Scenes From An Airport'. Everyone knows a "road warrior", or at minimum, is familiar with the concept. The strong-willed business man, that spends more time in the seat of a plane, than sleeping in their own bed.
I know one, and these are his stories. * * *
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