Arrival at AECT

Monday, 10/22/07, 7:50 p.m., Salt Lake City Airport, Gate C4

Forgot I had a flat pocket knife in my card wallet, and got a very serious patting down at Gallatin Field Security. The 2:45 p.m. from Bozeman was delayed on the way here. Something about Santa Ana winds. I boarded about 4:10 and arrived in Salt Lake City about 5:30. Since my connecting flight left at 4:37, I was rescheduled for the 8:50. Story's like this never make any sense to non-travelers, so let's just say a lot of down time. I dined in concourse C at the Squatters Pub Brewery. I had the bourbon burger (cheddar and onions sauteed in bourbon ($10) and two glasses of Robert Mondavi merlot (@$6) for a total of 23.73, which, I assume, includes one of those "sales tax" things. Being a guy not used to traveling on the company, I forgot to keep the receipt, so that one was on me. You can thank me any time, MSU.

I walked all over the airport killing time. We expect to begin boarding in half an hour, says the announcement. Wireless access is available in both Gallatin Field and here for $7.95. Thus, I am typing this into a word processor, with the intention of posting it later.

Tuesday, 10/23/07, 7:00 a.m., Hyatt Regency Orange County hotel, room 1526

Internet access costs $2.95 for 15 minutes. $9.95 for 24 hours. $39.95 for four days. Wireless or wired. The wireless signal I picked up was weak, and even then turned out to be from the Marriot across the street and also pay only. Maybe I can find a cafe with free wireless. I think I will blog in bursts.

I took the Supershuttle from the airport, a trick Denby Starkey taught me many years ago. Takes a little longer, but you see more of the town, and it costs a whole lot less. ($10) Seats way more comfortable than the airplane. Driver was a very nice fellow. One couple was being dropped off at somebody's home, so got a spin through a little residential neighborhood.

Hyatt first impression, huge and horrible. Lobby is vast, and, at night, dark. Registration desk is one pool of light among many. Friendly staff, though. Corridors remind me of computer game graphics. Look nicer than they are. Arrive in the room dying of thirst. Find two bottles with this message:
"Aquafina
Purity Guaranteed
Enjoy A Refreshing
1-liter Aquafina for $5.00
this bottle of clear, crisp, cool refreshment is
provided as a service for our Guests.
If consumed, a charge of
$5.00 will be billed to your
room. For your convenience
our staff will refresh daily."

This is not a welcoming kind of thing. "You look thirsty, weary traveler. For five bucks you can have some of this water." If I am buying water from them at $5.00 a liter, they are not just refreshing it for my convenience. I spent the rest of the evening being afraid to use anything in the room without reading it carefully first to see what it was going to cost. The ice machine on my floor was broken. The vending machine offers Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Aquafina, and Aquafina. I tried a couple of other floors, found ice, but could find nothing with fizz that was not caffinated. I drank the tap water, and woke up this morning regretting it.

I scouted out the location for the Tuesday workshop and found a couple of AECT folks setting up in a room full of projectors and cardboard boxes full of tote bags. They seemed very nice, which helped to relieve some of the oppression of this hotel. My sensation at the moment is a lot of nice people working inside a vicious machine.

The bed was very comfortable. Five pillows. Good mattress. Slept like I always do, loglike, despite the odd thump the ventilating system makes each time it kicks on or off. In the morning I discovered that the bathtub has a nearly straight up and down back. Very uncomfortable. Lots of hot water. Bumpy "massage" bar of soap. Not at all like a massage. Label on soap says nothing about extra charges, but I am worried.

Garden Room 2
Sarah McPherson intros Hui-Yin Hsu and Shiang-Kwei Want of NY Institute of Technology.

Intros. Lots of handouts. AECT has free wireless here. wOOt! I will post this during the intros.