City of Angels 2014 Update #1 – Police Tape, Toilet Paper, and Ernie Halter
Thursdays are about armrests, overhead luggage bins, taxis, front desks, after-hours foraging in a new city, hanging yellow police-tape across my area of the room. The stuff all of you who travel to events deal with many (or most, or all if you’re really messed-up) Thursdays or Fridays of the year.
Grrrrreat “City of Angels” Thursday this year!
Checking in at the front desk and first, here comes Brandi!
Bounding over with a huge grin and a gigantic bouquet of spring flowers! Freshly scrubbed, wide-eyed, radiating excitement, – hugging and chatting with every person in the line.
She gets to me and says
“Liza! I have something I want to give you! It’s in my purse! Let me go run and get it!”
Hops out like a happy Easter bunny and comes bouncing back in 5 minutes later.
“Here you go! Last year you said you didn’t like our soap! So I brought you your own special soap!”
hahahaha HOW GREAT IS THAT!?! Can you believe she remembers EVERY DETAIL of every single person who comes to this event? And takes care of it?!? That is awesome that is just crazy awesome.
Ten minutes later I feel arms around me and there’s Ronnie! Huge bear-hug. For me, and every single other person in the entire lobby! Even the staff are all his best friends.
AUGHGH THESE PEOPLE ARE SO WELCOMING! I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!
Love this hotel too, even if it is a Sheraton.
Love the layout of the lobby/restaurant/bar/pool area (described it last year) love the staff, LOVE the ballroom (which looks huge this year – more on that later), love the airport runway right exactly outside my wall-to-wall window (can barely hear them taking off – must be special walls and windows.) Love the beds and pillows.
Minor room annoyances only a structural engineer or architect (or me, the wife of one) would notice:
- If you sit on toilet you can’t open or close the door without knocking yourself onto the floor;
- To reach the toilet paper dispenser you have to grope behind you with your left arm so awkwardly the whole roll comes flying off every time unfurling paper all over the counter and bathroom floor;
- If the bathroom door is open the light is blocked making it so dark in the shower you can’t see your knees;
- The clothes closet is for short very skinny people who share a single shirt and pair of pants between them. It’s so small I’ve got it jammed already without even any Genieboy clothes in there – I can’t imagine how four people could fit their stuff. Maybe I bring a lot of stuff.
By the way – anyone know who called me this morning? A “hotel guest” called my room last night and twice this morning, at 7:00 am, waking me up HELLO, and all I (or the hotel engineer) could hear in the message was loud static.
Ted, the sweet young engineer who came to check the phone (within seconds of calling the front desk) says this hotel has brand new owners! Who are GREAT! Complete total room renovations by this time next year. Cool! Hope Ted tells all my ideas for bathrooms.
Energy here is on Red Bool. Lobby buzzing, registration area buzzing, ballroom buzzing, workshops all morning buzz buzz buzzing.
200+ students when I looked in, another 50 sitting with open laptops taking notes university style.
Stunning Los Angeles weather today. Blindingly yellow. Happy flowers dancing up in your face.
It’s all a bit disorienting for us blinking, swaddled, shivering people flying in from the chilly grey cities of the world.
Opening Ceremonies in one hour!
Oh, and last night was GREAT! Ernie Halter was here singing live! Ballroom packed! Fantastic dancing all night!
Oh, and Pool Party on Sunday after awards! It will be 80° in the evening omgomgomg! So they’ve set out these beautiful tall heaters, and putting down a floor beside the pool and cabanas.
Oh, and THE FOOD TRUCK! Which I was corrected by the food-truck guy: “No we’re NOT a food truck! We. Are. In N Out Burger.” That’s tonight! I have never had a famous In N Out Burger. Can’t wait!
Love this event!