Travellin' Man

AH! The joys of business travel…

I have spent the last Day and a half in downtown Pittsburgh, PA, a full 7 hours to get there Monday Aft./Eve. . As I sit in the Airport in Cinci, eating the dinner I was never supposed to be here for, it looks like a full 10.5 hours to return to KC, not counting the full drive home from KCI. (MCI in Airport locator lingo.) The 'official' trip I will log for work only counts the milage to the office...

Out-bound, the Delta flight was delayed by weather. Missed the connection, of course, but did get to eat a real dinner at a decent time.

Same thing on the return flight, with much worse results time-wise.

Anyway, this was my first time in Pittsburgh, as far as I can remember. Flown through many times, but never had occasion to stop.

Very nice downtown, at least what I saw. Lots of very interesting architecture. The Allegheny County Courthouse is positively medieval. If it were closer to the river, I would swear it started life as a fort guarding the convergence of the three waterways. My client, a large bank/financial services company (hint, they are half of the name of the most well-known university in town) occupies several buildings. The one where we borrowed a classroom today was gorgeous. Beautiful ornamentation, huge internal rotunda, lots of brass and oak.

Down at street level in this building and across the street from the other offices I visited, you will find Sister’s Brew. Lovely cup of Joe and two small outdoor tables if the weather is conducive to al-fresco sipping. (I am paying for the GREAT weather in PA on the way home. 75 everyday, 52 each night. I left the windows open.) Say Hi to Betty for me.

Grey Market WiFi hint: While Sister’s does not offer connections, the former William Penn Hotel next door does. (Now under new management, think the Hotel chain that is everywhere…) You can snag a good signal while sitting out front…

No other reliable hotspots found. There were several weak signals at the Marriott. (How long before the market forces them to go WiFi in their full-line hotels? The Courtyard here in Blue Ash (a Cinci suburb) had it in the lobby last year and throughout the hotel by this time, assuming their schedule held. (I didn’t have to go be sociable, my room was close enough to sit at the desk and surf. ;->)

Part of the coffee-house/WiFi thing is to get out and at least pretend to be sociable.

Could not find any hotspots in Pittsburgh, though I only searched near my gate. Attempted several points here in Cinci, also no joy.

Will post this when I return to KC. (See what an optimist I am? ;->)

Of course, given that you are reading this, I arrived…

Update:
Found a T-Mobile AP. Don’t think it was a Star$ one, too weak. Probably bleed from a Delta lounge.

The plane for KC was late taking off. (Of course!) They replaced a whoozit. We lifted 20 min. past our original launch window.

Passed within two blocks of my downtown KC office 20min. shy of 12hours from when I exited the Marriott to head for the Pitt airport.

Finally home. Total elapsed time: 12hours 5min.

Good Night Gracie…