I’m hanging out in the Westin St Francis lobby right now, killing a few more minutes before I go down to SFO to catch my plane back to LAX. Being all resourceful & eco-friendly, I’m actually planning to take BART from the Powell St station down to the airport. It’s there, it’s just as fast as a cab in rush hour traffic, and I know how to get around on it.
The St Francis is the sort of hotel I’d never normally stay in. It’s gorgeous and historic and high class, but it’s also expensive. And if I, personally, am spending that kind of money with a Starwood brand, I’m a W type of girl. I like the boutique-y, newer hotels, where there are spa-type bath products and trendy decor and downtempo playing in the lobby. But this was the LAST ROOM IN SAN FRANCISCO, apparently, due to the multiple tradeshows happening this week. And the travel coordinator at work still picked it up at a reasonable price, so, here I am, gazing at all the gilded trim and marble floors and crystal chandeliers in the lobby.
AD:Tech has been a couple days of a lot of walking. I have been working the floor – or just plain working – all day today. I walked around to look for and talk to new technology providers and vendors, and then I took a couple hours to sit at the back of the Moscone Center West and catch up on email and deliverables. I’ve had meetings and meals with vendors constantly since I got here yesterday morning, and by now, I’m almost talked out. Last night, we went for dinner with a vendor, and then hit a couple of parties at hotels. A small group of us stopped by a small party thrown by another vendor at the Palace Hotel, had a couple open-bar drinks, and then went down to the W to listen to the fairly decent DJ there and see the hotel lobby fill up with trendy tradeshow goers. I got back to the hotel around 11pm, and, since I hadn’t slept at all Monday night, I barely managed to take out my contacts before passing out from exhaustion.
And it was tough being inside working all day when it was freaking GORGEOUS in San Francisco today! I walked outside this morning into a perfect, soft, 70F day, and wanted to just go walk around in the park or by the Bay or something. I settled for a quick walk through Union Square on my way to Moscone Center this morning instead. Yesterday, it was 85F outside IN THE CITY. It was L.A. hot! It was ridiculous! I shudder to think how hot it would have been in L.A…or, for that matter, in East Bay. Now, it’s back to normal: slightly cloudy, cold wind off the Pacific. April in the City.
It’s probably time for me to head back to L.A., back to my chunk of a baby, and my husband, and work tomorrow. I miss my men – especially my tiny one. I actually like travelling, except for the whole being away from my baby thing. I will get home, and Mr. Ben will be fast asleep, and I will have to wait to see him in the morning for his usual feeding & cuddle time in bed. But I’m still so glad to be going back to my tiny family. Time to head for BART.
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