The Joy of....

..eXpenSE reports.....NOT!!!

I was going to rant on and on in this post. About expense reports. OK, if you don't work in an industry where you need to do one, it might sound "snobby", or "high handed" to complain about this kind of thing. I mean, after all, an expense report, la ti da, wouldn't it me nice to get to expense some things sometimes...

How about NO. They are the bane of anyone's existence who has ever had to do one. Think, copying receipts. Keeping track of receipts. (Now imagine how often one can lose a late-night airport parking receipt when you just want to get home....)

How about this scenario: (And just so you all know, this is purely hypothetical. I, personally, have never done anything like this, but pity the fool who has.....)

You (responsibly) book your business travel on the company website. (saves the company $34 , so this is encouraged.) In your fatigued state, you finish up all the booking, which includes two way airfare, and a hotel room. You fail to notice that you've booked it for the wrong dates.

You (obviously) never check in or catch this flight, since you believe you've booked it for the following week.

The next week, preparing to fly out, you realize that you don't have an itinerary. Good God. You've missed your flight and hotel because you booked it for the wrong dates, ahem, the previous week. Naturally, your corporate card has already been charged.

I just broke out into a cold, cold sweat. Good thing this has never happened to me.......

Airports

I think a sociologist could do a whole dissertation on airports. It's a completely crazy but very real sub-culture. If you travel at all, especially for work, you know exactly what I mean. If you don't, then, well, you don't know what I mean.

I travel some. That is to say, I travel a TON more than I did 6 months ago, what with meetings and seeing clients, etc. However, I travel waaaay less than a lot of people. That is to say, not enough to qualify for any of the points' programs the airlines offer for "frequent flyers". So many people are flying around that you have to have what seems like MILLIONS of points to even get the perk of boarding early. Don't even get me started on First Class upgrades.

But I do digress. The sub-culture of airports. So, for starters, is it weird, considering I don't qualify for the points' programs, that I am starting to recognize fellow travelers? Who work for other companies? How about TSA agents? Is it weird that I recognize some of them? More importantly, wouldn't it be nice if they started to recognize me? So that I wouldn't have to go through that scanner everytime, and get a pat-down?

I'm just saying....

The Art of (business) Travel....

....or how not to go bonkers when you're on the road.

I do these little "jaunts" down and back from Oregon to Washington quite frequently. ("Jaunts" somehow make it sound more friendly than it really is, but I digress.) Packing can be quite a challenge. I suppose if you are a guy, and it's only one night and two days of work, it's not too hard. Or is it? I mean, there's the business clothing situation. Then there is the workout clothes for the evening...very necessary. Then, the reading material. Let's not forget electronics: laptop, check. iPad, check. B-berry, check. iPhone, check. Cords to charge all of that stuff, you bet. Oh, how about Kindle, for putting myself to sleep. Snacks, since airlines don't do much food these days.

Kitchen sink?

Blue Monday

6:34 am and I've been sitting here at the computer since, oh, roughly 5:30. Now, it's not that I am forced to work this early, it's just that it turns out I don't sleep much anymore. I just can't seem to turn off my brain, this work-thing is eating it! I eat, sleep, and definitely dream work. So, the big bad question is: will this part of things get better? Will this intrepid employee regain work/life balance? And still do her job well? Big questions, friends.