Three days after my trip to NY I found myself packing for another trip. This time I was heading up to Philly and then out to Atlanta to work on some focus group testing of Cash and Treasures. Focus group testing is when a network hires a company to go out into malls around the country and approach people to watch an episode or two of a show. Then, after the show... we ask them some questions to see what they thought. The second part of the testing is where we bring in groups of people and have them watch the show and then ask them some questions. I love that part of the testing because you can watch a group of people argue about your work. All of the producers sit behind one of those two-way mirrors. Its sneaky... and I love it. Its kind of hilarious... and you need a thick skin to hear what people really think about your work.
Anyway, I took the Amtrak Acela train from Union Station in DC to 30th Street Station, Philadelphia. The trip took about an hour and a half and what I love about the Acela service is that there are outlets at every seat so you can work as you travel. The other thing I love is the guy that comes around every so often with the snack cart. I felt sorry for the guy though... he had to walk a train with a weird apron. The poor sap.. that job kind of sucks.
When we got into 30th Street station, we battled a crowd to get a cab. I was traveling with one of our big shots and he commented (and I quote...) "Homey don't wait in line." Not sure what was more fun...watching him wait in line or the fact that he called himself "homey" He's a white Canadian who wears cuff links. Not such a "homey" - I bet he's never even heard of Baby Phat and forget knowing FUBU.
We took a cab over to our camp site called The Embassy Suites. Kidding... it appeared to be fine and we chose this hotel because it was literally steps from our testing site. As we made our way to the reception desk, we realized that this hotel was going through a bit of construction. They told us that some of the floors were bring remodeled and that the fitness center was also closed. They did hand us free passes to the Philadelphia Sports Club... so, ok.. I think I can deal.
My room was on the 17th floor and I have to say... it was more of a small apartment than a hotel room. It had a small kitchenette area with a microwave, coffee maker and a small fridge. The living area was spacious with a small dining area, couch and TV setup and work desk. Then, off of this room was a small hall that lead to a private bedroom and bathroom. If you can get past the fact that you are in an Embassy Suites... this is a great room. Especially for a family... and a steal at only $239 a night including breakfast.
I dropped off my stuff and met the rest of the team downstairs in the lobby. We were testing tonight from 5pm-10pm... so, we planned to order dinner at the office. Nothing worth mentioning... all you need to know is that we ate.
After the testing, we went back to the hotel and I have to give props to them for the bedding. That bed was YUMMY. It might have been that I was exhausted... but, who really cares. The fact is that it was a great night of sleep! It was so good that I did not mind when they forgot to give me a wake up call for the gym. Oh, well...right. The intention was there.
The bathroom was nice and the shower had great pressure. The products were infused with rosemary and they smelled wonderful. Uh oh, am I becoming a fan of the Embassy Suites? I even enjoyed a bad cup of Maxwell House using the coffee maker in the kitchenette while I got ready for the day. Enjoyed is a strong word... but, I didn't have to leave the room and it did not cost be an extra $25 for room service.
I met one of the other producers at the free breakfast and it was not too bad either. Its what you would expect from a free breakfast. A buffet with all of the normal choices. They even had an omelet station. So, overall... a good value. Again, great for a family trip.
Today we are flying to Atlanta for the next round of testing. So, we all checked out and took to the street to find a cab. As we walked out of the hotel, we were approached by a guy who looked to be like one of the construction workers. He walked up and handed us a flyer telling us that the "remodeling" that they were doing... umm... that was an asbestos clean-up. What? Yeah, maybe they should have told us that when we checked in? (Note to self... if I have a kid with 4 heads... call it Embassy Suites)I will be writing a letter and for the record... I am NEVER staying in one of these again. Family vaca or not.
We made our way to the Philadelphia Airport and I smelled something. It smelled like someone was baking a chicken... and not a yummy smell. Kind of like an herb-y weird ... I forgot the lemon juice sort of smell. Strange.
We all checked into our flights without a problem and made our way to security. I have to say.. something felt weird in this airport. Almost like they hired a bunch of delinquents and put them to work for the TSA. The guy checking our IDs had a serial killer look to him. He also took his job super seriously... (and I guess in this world that is not such a bad thing)...he looked at my license with a black light and then with an eye loop to make sure that it was real. Maybe it was me... maybe I looked like I had something going on. Whatever... better safe than sorry. Then, the line stopped suddenly and it was like they were all playing kids game where they all switched spots. So, by the time we were up at the metal detectors... the serial killer was the one checking us through. Whatever. Then, he stopped me and yelled at me for not having my lipsticks in a baggy. He said that he would have to take them. OVER MY DEAD BODY! That's my favorite lip color and its $40! I pulled out the lipsticks and ran them through separately and he backed off. That's right... do not try to come between me and my MAC lipstick.
Now, I was ready for some cawff... so, I walked to the gate and found the only place that appeared to have coffee. So, I ordered a coffee with milk. The girl answered, "You want a latte?" "No", I replied. "I would like a coffee." "Oh, no latte... just coffee?" "Yeah, bitch... caawwffeee." What the hell is up with this airport??
Did you ever notice the people sleeping on the chairs in airports? I mean, have you ever been THAT tired at like 11am to full-on lay across 4 seats at a gate and just snore your head off? Now, I will say that I have had plenty a hang-over at airports and I will acknowledge the occasional snooze after puking. BUT, this was different. This was like 20 people at our gate sleeping. My question was... where were they partying last night? AND... what the hell is that smell?? This baked chicken odor is following me. Could it be... yup, its me. Remember that damned rosemary infused soap at Asbestos Palace? Yeah, well... now I smell like a baked chicken. Great. Just what I need. Someone just haul my ass to Atlanta, plllleeezz.
*L*
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