Quick Trip to Pasadena

When I was much younger, I didn't mind travelling, especially by air. Somehow that has changed. What I dislike the most are those same day trips by air. You catch an early flight out, leaving the house before the sun rose, then flying back later in the day, and arriving home when the sun has already set. I am all about efficiency, and unless a face-to-face meeting is necessary, I wouldn't go.

Today, I had a quick little trip to Pasadena for a brief presentation and a little Q&A session with a group of representatives from a newly-formed bargaining unit within the client group I support -- Information Technology. These were the Desktop Support folks in the California region.

My day started at 4:30am. I took the 5:30am BART ride to the Coliseum, then a connecting shuttle, and flew out of Oakland airport. I arrived at Burbank, and gave the address to the cab driver. I had never been to the Pasadena office, so I had no idea where I was going or what to expect. The ride as a good 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic, and about $55 each way. Since my meeting was mid morning, I landed at around 9, so traffic wasn't bad.

Before the meeting, I was informed about the participants from the bargaining unit, and forewarned about one of the characters -- the union rep. And yes, he was a character alright. Since I have not been involved in union meetings in the past, I didn't know what to expect.

When everything was set and done, it wasn't that bad after all. But I did see firsthand how influential and convincing a union rep can be to its members. Unfortunately, it didn't have the same effect on me or anyone else in the room. And I wasn't really surprised at how such individuals are able to "defend" their cause and believe in their minds the validity of their arguments. It was an amazing, if not entertaining, experience.

Lunch was another interesting dilemma. Since I wasn't familiar with the area, I didn't know where to go or what to eat. With less than an hour for lunch, there wasn't time to explore the neighborhood. So, I got my cellphone out and checked out the eating places around me. I wanted something quick, cheap, and, hopefully, familiar. And the only thing that stuck out was a noodle place -- World Noodle. Food was OK, but a burger would have been better.

I sat in the meeting for another 2.5 hours, then I had to leave for my flight back. I called in a cab service so I could get to the airport sooner. There was a cab waiting outside the building, but it certainly wasn't from the same company, so I ignored him. I called and was told that a cab was on its way. After waiting for over 15 minutes, the cab driver that had been waiting approached me and asked if I called in a service. When I said yes, he said that HE was from the same company and had been waiting all this time. I told him about the difference in company name, and he explained that they were the same. How should I know? Off we went, and headed back to the Burbank airport.

The flight back was almost full, and I barely got an isle seat. Of course, someone had to take the remaining middle seat next to me. It was a good thing it was only an hour flight. By the time I arrived home, it was past 8pm. My wife and son, along with Coby, attended the Freshmen Information Night at Bellarmine this evening. I met them for a late dinner right after.