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April 1, 2011

Cleveland – New York

Distance traveled today:  445

Distance traveled so far:  2760

Very happy to be heading off to New York!  It’s such a rare treat to be sent to New York on a project, since there are lots of contractors there who usually get those assignments.

I have had my tickets for The Book of Mormon for months.  mormon on broadwayIt’s the new Broadway musical written by one of the Avenue Q guys and the two South Park guys.  So looking forward to that.  Obviously I hope to have some quality time with friends as well.  I need to watch my budget a bit and not just go dropping $125 for every damn show that I want to see in New York.

Broadway Shows I Saw When I Was in New York Last September

  • Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
  • Next to Normal
  • Brief Encounter

New York will probably be an even more challenging place to stay on a good eating regimen than Cleveland has been.  In fact, as far as food goes, as I look at my itinerary for the remainder of the trip, it appears that eating low carb is going to get progressively more difficult.  (Picture me attempting to order low-carb in Russia.)  I’ll just have to do the best I can on that score. 

On the other hand, balancing out the food peril is the fact that the deeper I get into my trip, the more likely it is that I’ll be doing an increasing amount of walking.  The weather should be getting better and better, and the sun will be up later and later.  Eventually, when I’m in Russia in May, the sun will be up until almost midnight!  I imagine I’ll be spending less and less time huddling in my hotel room, like I’ve been doing a lot of in frigid Cleveland.

Spa Cuisine?
Spa Cuisine?

However, I’ve been trying to be good about exercise.  I’ve been using the gym pretty regularly.  I even swam laps on Monday night – and there’s a pool at my New York hotel as well.

The other night I pushed over 300 lbs on the leg press during my workout.  Not too bad for an fat old guy.

Everyone knows fitness is my life.
Everyone knows fitness is my life.

Here’s to hoping that exercise will help stave off the effects of pretzels, bon bons, blini and borscht!

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 294 user reviews.

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March 31, 2011

Cleveland

Putting it Together (Part 2)

Like my 1987 five-week Italy/Switzerland/France trip, my current twelve-week extravaganza is requiring LOTs of planning. 

The strategy is further complicated by the fact that the trip has a dual nature:  Mostly work, but some play.  This greatly affects planning, since the Client pays for the former, me the latter.

It’s like putting a huge sculpture together with an extensive Lego set.

It's on its way!
It's on its way!

The Client portion is all in the bag:

Client Trip Elements In Place

  • Flight from LAX to Cleveland
  • Hotel(s) in Cleveland
  • Flight to New York
  • Hotel in New York
  • Flight from New York to Brussels
  • Brussels Hotel
  • Munich Hotel
  • Flight from Munich to Moscow
  • Moscow Hotel
  • Flight from Helsinki to LAX
  • Russian Visa secured (in process)

The visa for Russia was a surprising amount of work, but my portion is done.  I’m just waiting for my passport with the thrilling official Russian visa stamp affixed to it to arrive in the next few days.

But there’s a great deal of work required for my portion of the trip:

Personal Elements of Trip in Place

  • Round Trip Train from Brussels to Paris (reserved, paid for)
  • Hotel in Paris (reserved, paid for with Marriott rewards points!)
  • Flight from Brussels to Vilnius (reserved, paid for with frequent flyer miles)
  • Flight from Vilnius to Berlin (reserved, paid for with frequent flyer miles)
  • Hotel in Vilnius (cousin is making reservation)
  • Hotel in Berlin (reserved . . .  this is going to be the single most expensive piece of the personal portion of the trip)
  • Train from Moscow to St. Petersburg (reserved, paid for)
  • Hotel in St. Petersburg (reserved, probably going to be paid for with Marriott rewards points)
  • Hotel in Helsinki (reserved, paid for)

 

Personal Elements of Trip Still to be Done

  • Train from Berlin to Munich
  • Transportation from St. Petersburg to Tallinn (Ferry preferred, bus or train possible)
  • Hotel in Tallinn
  • Ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki

 

I hope to see an old acting buddy in Helsinki!
I hope to see an old acting buddy in Helsinki!
ferries-baltic-sea
Baltic ferry lines

So I feel like I’m coming right along.  I’d take care of more things in the Still to be Done list except I’m really stuck until I get another paycheck.  I have to outlay the cost of the hotel in New York and expense it, so I have to keep my credit card nice and open for that.  The only part I’m slightyly anxious about is the St. Petersburg to Tallinn segment, but I’m sure it’ll be all right.

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Cleveland

Putting it Together (Part 1)

One of the most fun things about any trip is the planning.  At least for anal retentives like me, I guess.

 I remember my second trip to Europe in 1989.  I was to spend a month in Italy before meeting friends in Paris.  I had a wonderful time mapping out my trip, checking train schedules, and carefully making hotel reservations in my halting tourist Italian.It was to be my second trip to Italy.  In 1987 I had the good fortune to go to Pisa, Florence, Venice, and Milan.  Amazing trip, but pretty easy, planning-wise.  Not so with the 1987 journey.

The beautiful and mysterious hill town of Assisi.
The beautiful and mysterious hill town of Assisi.

Here were the stops on my second trip:

1987 Europe Trip Destinations

  • Rome
  • Tivoli
  • Naples
  • Pompeii
  • Perugia
  • Siena
  • Rimini
  • Assisi
  • Ravenna
  • Bologna
  • Ferrara
  • Verona
  • Sirmione (Lago ie Garda)
  • Stresa (Lago Maggiore)
  • Cervinia
  • Zermat (Switzerland)
  • Lausanne
  • Geneva
  • Dijon
  • Paris

I had a pretty horrible claustrophobia episode while climbing to the top of this damn thing, the tallest brick tower in the world.
I had a pretty horrible claustrophobia episode while climbing to the top of this damn thing, the tallest brick tower in the world.

  It was a GREAT trip.  Rome knocked me out.  For a history buff, Rome is heaven.  You can see the various layers of its vast history all around you.  Memorable moment:  Seeing Who Framed Roger Rabbit in Italian at an open-air cinema in Trastavere. 

My day trip to Tivoli was memorable because of The Villa d’Este, a spectacular hillside estate with water gardens that cascade down the hill.

In Siena I climbed the tallest brick tower in the world.  In Assisi I saw the altar where St. Francis preached to the birds.  In Rimini I attended the Mr. Olympia World Bodybuilding Championships.

In Verona I soaked up Romeo and Juliet lore and experienced my first earthquake.  I saw both sides of the Matterhorn, the Italian side (Cervinia) and the Swiss side (Zermat).  Saw a pretty good production of Evita in Geneva.  Met my friends Laura and Ceci for a week in Paris.

Except for one missed train connection in Italy, which resulted in the one and only time I have ever hitchhiked in my life, my vast planning paid off handsomely.  Everything worked.

I realize that planning a trip extensively doesn’t seem very sexy to many people.  “Where’s the spontenaeity?” they ask.  Well, spontenaiety is great if you are rich and have unlimited time.  But if you’re not, and you wait until the last minute to book things, you can get shut out, shut down, and wiped out.

Tomorrow:  Planning progress for this trip!

[Note:  I have many great photos from the second trip to Italy, but alas, I don’t have access to them while I am on the road.  I’ll put some up when I get home.] 

In Rimini I got to see the Mr. Olympia competition in 1989.
In Rimini I got to see the Mr. Olympia competition in 1989.

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Cleveland

Puff Piece

On Day 7 I was pretty mean to poor Cleveland.  Today I’ll be a little bit nicer.

Of course there are many terrific things about Cleveland. 

Cleveland has one of the better local newspapers in the country, the Plain Dealer.  The paper’s current headquarters is one of my favorite new-ish buildings in the country, at 1801 Superior Avenue East.  [PHOTO]  It has lots of other appealing architecture as well.

My photo doesn't do justice to this beautiful building.
My photo doesn't do justice to this beautiful building.

It also has a fantastic film festival, which was not only happening while I was in town, it happened five blocks from my hotel!  It’s the 35th year of the festival, and they screened movies from all over the world.  I was able to see four of them:  Undertow, Insidious, Rubber, and Connected (hey, all one-word titles … it’s a theme!).

I’ll say this about the 35th Annual Cleveland International Film Festival:  It was the best run such event I have ever attended.  I’m used to film festivals being run by a bunch of arrogant know-nothing volunteers with screenings that are oversold and wildly off schedule.  They run a very tight ship at the CIFF.  I hope I get to attend it in the future.

CIFFOf course, Cleveland is heaven if you’re a sport fan.  Like baseball?  You can see the Indians at Progressive Field and cheer on the way cute porno-named Grady Sizemore.  How about basketball?  There’s the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.  Football?  The Browns at Browns stadium.  Not to mention arena football heroes the Cleveland Gladiators, also at Quicken Loans.  The busy QL Arena is also home to Cleveland’s hockey team, the Lake Erie Monsters.  That’s not even mentioning the pile of local college teams. 

Cleveland is, of course, also home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  It’s situated in downtown right on Lake Erie.

If you’re more the artsy type (you know the type of person I mean), you won’t want to miss Playhouse Square, the largest performing arts center outside of New York.  It has seven theaters and over 1000 events per year. 

I like this snappy apartment building in Cleveland.
I like this snappy apartment building in Cleveland.

Of course Cleveland also has the majestic Lake Erie!

Majestic Lake Erie behind the boring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Majestic Lake Erie behind the boring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Not to mention it’s the home of my very favorite client.

Places That Are Less Appealing Than Cleveland

  • Rockford, Illinois
  • Waco, Texas
  • Barstow, California
  • Binghampton, New York
  • Lake Charles, Louisiana
  • The Entire State of Indiana

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Cleveland
March 28

Alrighty then!  Checked out of the Residence Inn, got rental car, checked into Doubletree, returned rental car, made it work by 8:30!

Only four more nights in Cleveland, then on to New York on Friday night.  Looking forward to being back in NYC!  

If only Alex was available to help me with my bags.
If only Alex was available to help me with my bags.

I’ve been remiss about taking photos around town, so in tomorrow’s entry I’m going to include several photos of Cleveland.

I really think if the weather had been a little milder I would have gotten many more pictures while I was here.  But it’s been as low at the mid-twenties, for pity’s sake.

///

One of the challenges of a trip of this length is the combination of having lots of pounds worth of baggage and many instances of having to move said baggage around.  I’m not particularly fond of packing, and schleping my pile of bags from one place to another.  I guess I should look at it as a real-life workout opportunity.  But it’s the kind of thing that makes me think it would be awfully nice to have a servant.

Luggage Moves on Trip
(bold: already been done)

  • Home to LAX
  • Cleveland Airport to Residence Inn, Cleveland
  • Residence Inn Cleveland to Doubletree Cleveland
  • Doubletree Cleveland to Residence Inn Cleveland
  • Residence Inn Cleveland to Cleveland Airport
  • JFK Airport to Courtyard Upper East Side, New York
  • Courtyeard Upper East Side, New York to JFK Airport
  • Brussels Airport to Hotel Montgomery, Brussels
  • Hotel Montgomery Brussels to Brussels Midi Train Station
  • Gare du Nord, Paris to Marriott Rive Gauche, Paris
  • Marriott Rive Gauche, Paris to Gare du Nord, Paris
  • Brussels Midi to Hotel Montgomery, Brussels
  • Hotel Montgomery Brussels to Brussels Airport
  • Vilnius Airport to Holiday Inn Vilnius
  • Holiday Inn Villnius Lithuania to Vilnius Airport
  • Berlin Airport to Courtyard Berlin City Center
  • Courtyard Berlin City Center to Berlin Train Station
  • munich palace hotelMunich Train Station to Hotel Muenchen Palace, Munich
  • Hotel Muenchen Palace to Munich Airport
  • Moscow Airport to Sheraton Palace Hotel, Moscow
  • Sheraton Palace Hotel to Moscow Train Station
  • St. Petersburg Train Station to Courtyard Pushkin Hotel, St. Petersburg
  • Courtyard St. Petersburg Hotel to Ferry Station
  • Tallinn Ferry Station to St. Olav Hotel, Tallin
  • My hotel in Tallinn. I think.
  • My hotel in Tallinn. I think.
  • St. Olav Hotel, Tallinn to Tallinn Ferry Station
  • Helsinki Ferry Station to Hotel City Center, Helsinki
  • Hotel City Center to Helsinki Airport
  • LAX to HOME

 

Okay, getting tired just looking at this list!  Be careful what you wish for, I guess!

///

Yikes!  Speaking of being remiss, I’ve been VERY negligent of my Lynda.com training so far on the trip.  I’m going to get better at that.  I’m still working my way through the courses in Sharepoint and Lightroom 3.

For those of you not familiar, Lynda.com is this fantastic subscription website where you can learn almost any tech subject you care to learn.  The instructors are top-notch and the videos are clear and focused.  I highly recommend it!

Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 252 user reviews.

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On the porch of their gorgeous 100 year old home in Toledo.
On the porch of their gorgeous 100 year old home in Toledo.

Toledo
March 26

Distance traveled today:  240

Total distance traveled:  2755

Today I drove west to Toledo to see my old World of Warcraft buddy Eric, better known as Kirian/Kirinas.  He and I go all the way back the days of The Older Gamers / Thorns of Gold days in late 2004.  After we were thrown out of T.O.G. (long story) we formed a guild called More Explosions that turned into sort of our WoW alma mater.  Eric and I haven’t been in the same guild for a while now, but we’ve remained friends. 

He and his wife and 20 month old daughter live in a beautiful 100 year old house in a lovely part of Toledo.  We had a lovely visit which included Mexican food – always a plus!

eric and meIn the 6.5 years I’ve been playing World of Warcraft, I have always jumped at the chance to meet up with friends I’ve made in the game.  I don’t know anyone who’s met “IRL” more WoW friends than I have.  Highlights:

Memorable Meetups with World of Warcraft Friends

Tantred, Neverwind and Lavalia – From the Bay Area, met in Hollywood

Drajh, Gaspard — Houston

Cclaudius – From Australia, met in Los Angeles

Nerual and his family – from Pacific NW, met in Los Angeles

Cloudblueyes – From LA, met in LA

Sacred – From Long Beach, met in LA

Aetropos and Thal – from Connecticut and Northern Cal, met in New York

Ardwen and Kulgarr – in Scottsdale

Iconia, Adam, others – Orange County

Jone, Newt, Natalyst, others – BlizzCon Anaheim

Kirinas – Toledo

Elithamaeter – from Seattle, met in Los Angeles

//

After tonight’s screening at the Cleveland International Film Festival, I have to pack, blech.  I have to go stay in another hotel for two stupid days before coming back here to finish the week.  What a bore.

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Pittsburgh
March 26

Distance traveled today:  280

Total distance traveled:  2315

Great day trip today to see my friend Randy in Pittsburgh.  For eleven years, I have written about computer games on Randy’s website, www.justadventure.com.  Randy is a passionate enthusiast of games in general, but most particuarly of that most maligned genre, the adventure game.

After having a brief heyday in the late 80s and early 90s (until The Sims came along, Myst was the biggest-selling PC game), adventure games have been in a long, slow, sad decline.  But at least partially thanks to Randy, the genre is still hanging on.

The view from Randy's neighborhood
The view from Randy's neighborhood
Randy in the fabled computer lair!
Randy in the fabled computer lair!

Through these years I’ve met many interesting people in the gaming industry through Randy.  My involvement with JustAdventure also led to a couple of actual paying gigs in the industry.  I was the puzzle design consultant for the second and third Law and Order pc games. 

It's well known that, like Patrick Wilson, all graduates of Carnegie Mellon are handsome and talented.
It's well known that, like Patrick Wilson, all graduates of Carnegie Mellon are handsome and talented.

I used to see Randy once a year, when he’d come to Los Angeles to attend the Electronic Entertianment Expo with me.  But for the last several years, Randy’s been fighting life-threatening d so he hasn’t traveled as much.  It’s been ages since I’ve seen him, so I’m awfully glad I had this opportunity.

A tiny fraction of Randy's vast game collection
A tiny fraction of Randy's vast game collection

I finally got to meet his other two sons (I’d met Randy, Jr. before once when he also came out for E3), as well as Randy’s wife Sandy.  After a tour of the city, they cooked me a fabulous Polish dinner before I hit the road back to Cleveland.randy and ray

Average Rating: 5 out of 5 based on 299 user reviews.

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Cleveland
March 25

Good news on the electronics front.  The Magellan Travel Store online has comprehensive resources to help you figure out what your actual travel needs are.  I just need to fire it up and go through my gadgets one by one and cross check them with each country I’m going to be in.  Maybe a bit time-consuming, but should be doable.

///

Busy weekend ahead!  I’m renting a car tomorrow morning and heading to Pittsburgh to see my friend Randy.  I’m looking forward to the ride.  It should be good weather for driving, cold and clear.  I haven’t seen Randy in several years, so I’m happy I’ve got this opportunity.

On Sunday, I’m driving two hours in the opposite direction, to Toledo.  There I’m meeting an old World of Warcraft buddy who I’ve known for over six years but have never met in person. 

On top of all that driving, I have tickets to attend four screenings at the Cleveland International Film Festival, which starts this weekend in a venue just a five minute walk from my hotel.  Lucky me, huh?

Things could get even crazier, because there’s a very real possibility I’ll have to check out of the Residence Inn Monday morning, which means I’ll need to pack Sunday night after all that driving plus a screening.  Ugh. 

Have to bounce back and forth between here . . . .
Have to bounce back and forth between here . . . .

It’s my own fault.  I was so obsessive about getting as many Marriott nights as possible, when I was informed that during my time in Cleveland the Residence Inn was sold out for some of the nights I needed to be there, I agreed to a silly leap-frog arrangement back and forth between the Residence and another hotel.  I got lucky a week ago when cancellations allowed me to avoid the first trip to the other hotel.  But my luck may run out this weekend.  Fingers crossed. 

Having to check out of my hotel, check into another hotel and return a rental car all before work on Monday could lead to a pre-work migraine.  Yipee.

After all this activity I hope I’m not exhausted come Monday morning when I finally make it to work.

. . . . and here.
. . . . and here.

///

By the way, the Magellan Travel store is to die for.  I want almost everything I see for sale there[1].  I think I’ll be placing an order soon and have it delivered to my hotel in New York.

Items Currently on my Wish List at Magellan’s Travel Supplies

WindPro Auto Umbrella

CarrySafe 100 (wire-reinforced camera strap)

World Time Alarm Clock (practically free with any order)

Luggage Scale (should have gotten this long ago)

Day/Night Pill Organizer

Traveler’s Pill Organizer Replacement Pouches

Magellan’s StowAways Mesh Cubes (cool, helpful storage)

EuroSurge Surge Protector

 

[1] But, of course, that doesn’t mean I’m into things.🙂

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Cleveland

Last night when I was leaving work I ran into my friend Sara on the elevator.  She invited me for a drink.  There’s this bar in the basement of the building that a lot of the IT folks from the Client like to hang out in.  I almost said no.  I mean, I don’t drink.  But thank goodness I considered my response before my knee-jerk “no.”

There is a very friendly bar hiding deep in this complex.
There is a very friendly bar hiding deep in this complex.

Reasons to Say No and Go Straight Home to my Empty Hotel Room

I don’t drink!

Those World of Warcraft daily quests won’t do themselves!

That Terry Pratchett book on my Kindle won’t read itself!

That Mario and Luigi game on my Nintendo DS wouldn’t finish itself!

 

Yeah.  I’m that pathetic.  For a brief moment those sad, small-minded reasons nearly scuttled my evening.  But fortunately, in the instant I was weighing my answer to Sara, my mind ticked off the next list:

Reasons to Say Yes, For Heaven’s Sake

I have NO PLANS (see above list).

I LOVE Sara!

I only see Sara when I’m in Cleveland!

I’m not in Cleveland very often, and I’M IN CLEVELAND NOW.

What the hell is the matter with me!

 

Happily the second list won.

“I’d love to, ” I said.  Thank goodness.  Of course I had a wonderful time, club soda or no club soda.  Sara is always great company.

Sara and I met, you may remember, in Beijing.  Here’s a photo of us on the Great Wall of China: 

///

plug frontI’m finding myself surprisingly intimidated an discombobulated by the spectre of needing to use electrical devices in seven countries without blowing something up, starting a fire, or simply not being able to use one of my devices.

There’s more at stake here than the last time I was in Europe (2006).  On that trip, I wasn’t hauling a laptop around.  More importantly, I wasn’t hauling a C-PAP machine around. 

The C-PAP machine is for my sleep apnea.  Getting one changed my life for the better in September 2008.  (Blog post:  http://rayivey.com/wordpress/?p=137)

plug backI have not slept without it a single night since getting it.  I do not intend to have to start sleeping without it just because I am in Estonia.  Even in Estonia I will need a good night’s sleep.  And, oh yes, a modicum of oxygen to the brain.

So.  I have to evaluate all of my gadgets and determine which ones will run on the European current.  Plus, I’ll need to make sure I have a set of adaptor plugs for the outlets.  Plus, I will need a power strip, because European hotel rooms are notorious for having scarce wall outlets.

I’ve always been a moron when it comes to electricity.  Watts, amps, volts, just kill me now.  I know that’s lame, but there you have it. 

transformerSo I’m trying to research on the interwebs and from friends to make sure I’m prepared before I take off for Brussels on the 15th of April

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Cleveland

Well, Cross THAT One Off the List

Whew!  Plane tickets purchased for Cleveland/New York, New York/Brussels, Munich/Moscow and Helsinki/Los Angeles. 

Hotel reservations secured in New York, Brussels, Paris (!), Berlin, Munich, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Helsinki.

Good news!  I had enough frequent flyer miles for the flights from Brussels to Vilnius and from Vilnius to Berlin!

It’s a huge relief to have this much on the Done list.

Vilnius Old Town
Vilnius Old Town

You may notice there’s still some gaps in there.  A certain amount of the travel is on my dime, so I still need to book the following:

Europe Trip Arrangements That Still Need to be Made

Train from Berlin to Munich

Train from Moscow to St. Petersburg

Ferry/Bus/Train from St. Petersburg to Tallinn

Hotel in Tallinn

Hotel in Vilnius

Ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki

 

yum
yum

I simply cannot believe my good fortune that I get to go to all these interesting places in the next couple of months.  I’m sooooooo lucky.  I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas.

//

Eat here the next time you are in Cleveland!My evil friend Sara has introduced me to a Cleveland restaurant that’s worth going off my diet for.  It’s called Melt, and there are a couple of them in the Cleveland area.  They serve the most amazing, naughty sandwiches accompanied by ridiculous french fries.  We’ve gone there twice in the three weeks I’ve been here.  It’s good that I’m leaving soon.

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