First Post for 2011

So much has happened since my last post!

I did my usual business training activities for the first two weeks of December and then I learned that I would be spending Christmas and New Years Eve in Texas, so I had dinners with my special friends Joe L. then Sue Z, Suesan W and Jackie K, got away all my Christmas cards and prepared for my trip.

Fabian, the wonderful young guy I work with has been in Lubbock, Texas for about six months with only a weekend home with his wife every 3 weeks or so. He has been consultant and business trainer for the downtown Radisson hotel in Lubbock and wanted to spend Christmas and New Year with his wife back here in Los Angeles. He asked me to take his place in Lubbock for a couple of weeks and I agreed.

I left for Lubbock on South West Airlines on Sunday December 19, 2010 and arrived that evening. It was very cold yet very dry on my arrival. Fabian met me at the little International Airport and drove me to the Raddison in the hotel mini-van that I would have use of while there.

I learned to say the name of the city correctly - Lubbock is pronounced Lub-bic with the emphasis on the Lub and the "u" sounded like in "up".

I met the night hotel staff and got assigned a great suite and get some sleep in an amazingly comfortable bed.

Next day I was introduced to the day staff and right away I got some of them onto their study courses. Over the next couple of days Fabian trained me up on what my duties would be as consultant to the hotel and then I drove him to the airport and he left for Los Angeles - leaving the hotel in my hands and those of the regular staff.

Lubbock is a small city in the middle of the desert. It is flat as a billiard table out there for as far as the eye can see and the grass is all dry and yellow/beige giving the impression of clay ground. It is very cold at this time of year but it is not wet like it has been recently in Los Angeles.

The city is prominent for agriculture, particularly cotton, and for its university which has the biggest campus in the USA (other than the millitary training school which is only bigger bacause the plane runways are included in its area). Football is also a huge draw in Lubbock and theit team had a major seasonal win while I was there.

In exchange for my consulting and business training duties I got pay plus a great suite to stay in plus meals at the hotel restaurant. I also got to drive the mini van around the city - to the bank for change for the restaurant, bar and front desk and for other hotel chores - and to use it for my own discovery of town layout etc., plus I also had some of my own personal expenses paid.

The cook is great and put on a wonderful Christmas buffet and cooked me special meals for my organic diet.

Over New Year the general manager went on vacation leaving me as the only executive and I made all the decisions regarding the running of the hotel.

Fabian returned from Los Angeles on Monday, 3 January 2011 and I turned things back over to him and had a couple of days to look around and then left Lubbock on Wednesday, 5 January 2011 for Los Angeles.

The flight was delayed for one and a half hours from leaving Lubbock as, on landing, it struck a Canadian goose and we had to wait for maintanance to be located somewhere off the airport, to come and inspect and clear the plane to leave. The plane was only about quarter full leaving Lubbock but we stopped in Austin, Texas, and it filled to a full flight for the three hour trip to Los Angeles, California. After waiting for a shuttle at LA airport I got home to my apartment at 11:30 pm last night and unpacked, went through my mail and got some sleep - the adventure over - for now!

Today, Thursday, 6 January 2011, I shopped for food and a new bigger and more-easily-wheeled suitcase, as Fabian wants me back there in a couple of weeks for two more weeks at the Radisoon while he comes back here to Los Angeles again.

I have arranged students for business training for tomorrow, Friday, - and for Monday - so I am getting back in the groove again fast.

Until next post...

Lots of love to all.
Barry