Meet Me in St. Louis

I've been traveling to St Louis for work... and that's just what I did Sunday. And I was back in Portland last night. Definitely a quick trip.

• Thick fog on the early Sunday morning drive to the airport.
• Carpooling with two co-workers... both of whom are twice my age and one who is a company Vice President. They elected me driver. Yeah... no pressure.
• Layover in snowy Minneapolis.
• Short, turbulent flight to warm, 78 degrees St Louis.
• Gourmet burgers at hotel restaurant, the only restaurant open downtown Clayton (suburb of St Louis) within walking distance of hotel on Sunday night. Seriously like a ghost town.
• Rooming with one of my co-workers who is usually super quiet, but quite talkative when it was just her and me in the hotel room. She likes ironing and licorice. A lot. (Not together)
• Silent hotel suddenly turns noisy after 10pm - squeaky rolling suitcases in hallway... jacuzzi tub filling above... football game next door...
• Wake up Monday to cold St Louis. Good thing I checked the forecast and packed my coat.
• Tour of old Clayton mansions on short drive to training in University City. Lots of colonial antique red brick and white trim. Quaint. Historic.
• Meeting in basement. Wood-burning fireplace. Quilt-covered couches. Elderly genius imparts wisdom.
• Italian lunch finished with excellent spumoni.
• Hardcore 9-to-5 day of training... tired. Want pillow in Portland. Still have 7 hrs of flying.
• Snowing in St Louis.
• "Inoperable" seat next to me in small plane to Minneapolis. (no seat back - wonder how that happened... probably awkward for whoever was sitting there when it broke)
• Flight #2: Long. Finished book... 2hr conversation with young mom next to me... 1 hr nap.
• Got my passenger co-workers home within 1 hr of plane landing (despite their checked bags and having to take a shuttle to the lot where my car was waiting - yay for no traffic after midnight).

Perhaps not surprisingly, it was really hard to get up this morning. In fact... I slept through my alarm. Thank goodness I have roommates.

Sarah woke me up as she was leaving the house at 8:40, "Jamie, are you going to work today?"

Groggy Jamie sees clock across room.

"Shoot... yes."

Jamie goes into hurry-get-out-of-bed-and-out-the-door mode.

Technically supposed to be working around 8:30... thank goodness for the semi-flexible hours (since I'm salaried) and the 3 minute commute.

Next St Louis trip? April 20.
Hopefully I'll remember to pack my camera...