A day in NJ and travels to Chicago

Where am I? What day is it? What time is it???


*sigh* Mama is toast...


I had to give training today. I went into this whole ordeal knowing the customer is not happy and that they think 'the tools don't work'. Well yes, we have had some technical issues due to the rush of the project, the firewalls at their site location, people not 'getting it' so I knew I had to do something to help the situation aka use my charm :)


I thought we were starting right at 8am so I got to the site about 7:45, called my two contacts and waited until after 8 when they finally came to get me.


Got to the conference room to find out there is no network ports so we had to wait for someone to bring it. Finally got that, I got online only to find out MY tools were not working because I was on my laptop on their network, not on one of their laptops on their networks....UGHHHHH


So out of the 7 people I was training, only 3 actually had their laptops!!! Out of the 3 laptops, only one of them had all the correct versions of the tools loaded so we had to take time to get them all up to date. This was supposed to be hands on training because they have already been through this training via web meetings but they complained hence the reason I have to fly to these locations and give face to face/hands on training and they were instructed to BE PREPARTED TO START IMMEDIATELY! I was a bit miffed at that!!! So I had to end up using one of their laptops which worked but again, the person wasn't prepared so all the training files that I emailed out on Tuesday telling them to have these saved on their desktop...yea they weren't there. Let's just say training went from 9am-4pm. I AM BRAIN FRIED!!!


I hauled ass outta there and drove back to Newark aiport (with no issues YAY) in enough time to grab some crackers and a water. Or so I thought....my flight to Chicago was delayed about an hour. I finally got here and to my hotel about 10:30. Ugh, room service closed at 10. I just ordered some baked sketti from the italian place next door so it will be about 11:30 by the time I eat...NICE!


Ohhhh one cool thing that happened today was a saw a famous person at the airport. I was waiting in the security line and it is next to where people who just got there walk past. I'm standing there spacing off and see this good looking guy in a ballcap coming towards me...looks familiar...oh wow...it's Luke Perry!! DILLON FROM 90210 Hubba hubba!!! Of course I wasn't prepared for a picture so I found one on the net in case any of you don't have a clue who he is!


Ohhhhhhh and another thing...I was standing waiting for the shuttle bus to take me to the rental car place and I notice this girl. Thinking she looks really familiar too. Nobody famous though. I finally ask her if she's from KC or Iowa (cuz I couldn't figure it out). She says KC and it clicks, it's Pam, a girl I started with back at Sprint in 1989!!! We both freak out and laugh! She's there on vacation. Small world eh???


Tomorrow - the same training for the Chicago folks then off to the airport to fly back to KC. I believe I am to land in KC about 6:30 but how my luck is going, I'm not holding my breath!!!


Enough rambling...I'm going to eat my sketti if it ever gets here then pass out on my cool sleep number bed!