March Madness
My crazy month of non-stop travel

Day 1 – March 1, 2011

San Diego airport – nothing to complain about. Easy in, no lines and an A32 boarding pass. Right back to the last seat on the plane.

Flight uneventful. My overhead seat light was extremely bright for some reason, but at least I got to read the entire time.

Oakland airport, Budget rental counter. My name isn’t on the Fast Break list, of course! Why isn’t it ever on that list? Oh, because my credit card on file has expired. Oops. Tried to get an upgrade. No bargaining with this lady. However, I could get a Chevy Malibu for ten dollars more a day. I don’t think so. Instead, I get the economy sized Ford Focus in the ugliest pale green color I’ve ever seen. What.

It’s lightly raining in the bay area, and the windshield wipers on this majestic Ford only work to spread a foggy mess of smeared water or something all over in front of my vision. Great.

Check in at the Pleasant Hill Inn, conveniently located in Pleasant Hill. Front desk lady is nice enough. The lobby looks humble but nice enough. Fine so far for a super-economy hotel for one night.

Room 203. The key doesn’t work. Lug all my stuff back downstairs and request a room that’s not right next to the elevator anyway.

Room 313. The key works and I enter my dormitory for the night. Not one to complain about cheap hotels I ignore the manifest disgusts… the ratty bed spread and thread-bare sheets. The dust bunnies lining the walls, the dried paint (or SOMETHING) all over the carpet, the internet that doesn’t work, the TV that doesn’t work….sigh. But whatever. I’m not complaining, remember? All I can think about is how I have 27 more days of this. Blah.

I call the 800 number for Budget to get a new car tomorrow. They direct me to Oakland’s Budget center. I try calling three times with no answer. Can’t even look up a nearby Budget place on the internet. I’ll have to wake up early to go sit at a Starbucks and surf the web.

11:29. Day 1. It can only get better from here.