So no, I didn't write anything while I was out of town. I wanted to post a couple of blog entries, but our computers are set up to go through a different proxy when we're dialed in, as opposed to on a LAN, and that proxy absolutely refused to let me onto any web browsers. (No, turning off the proxy altogether wasn't an option, either. At least, I'm not sophisticated enough a hacker to get around their stupid snoopware that checks to make sure you're using the proxy.)

I left earlier than I'd planned on Sunday because the weather forcasters had acquired gleams of manic delight in their eyes as they predicted huge storms and snow and ice and all sorts of nastiness for pretty much the entire eastern seaboard. Naturally, it didn't start snowing in DC until nearly 9 at night, and while the roads were messy Monday morning, it wasn't too awful.

And the training center was only about a city block from the hotel. (I'd originally said two city blocks, but on reflection, it was more like one block, with an alley splitting it.)

The class turned out to actually have a modicum of useful information, so it was nice that I didn't go up there for nothing. And the guy teaching the class was pretty funny. He had great anecdotes. Though he occasionally went a little overboard with his metaphors. "Sometimes we want to just smooth the lotion of technology over the dry, cracked skin of a stupid process and hope that makes it all better."

And the training center had catering. Pastries and bagels in the morning, cookies and brownies in the afternoon, and coffee, tea, and hot chocolate all day long. They were good bagels, too.

I actually managed not to fret myself to pieces about Matt and Penny, though I was staying in much more frequent contact with Matt than usual - two calls a day, and several text messages. (As I said - what else am I going to use my cell phone minutes for?)

I was ready to kick some people, though. Tuesday morning I came down from my room and went to wait for the hotel shuttle to take me over to the training center (it was only a city block, but it was cold out) and wound up in the midst of about eight people who were apparently checking out, as they had all their luggage with them. One guy was so determined to be first in "line" (not that there was a line) that he stood right in front of the doors - despite the fact that his presence there made the auto-detect thing continuously open and close the doors, letting the frigid air into the lobby.

After about ten minutes of this, I gave up and just walked anyway. It wasn't going to be much colder outside than in the lobby, and at least I'd be accomplishing something other than raising my blood pressure.

And the guy who drove the shuttle in the mornings was No Help At All. He was uncommunicative and surly, and prone to dropping people off on the wrong side of the street just to avoid having to go around the block.

The afternoon and evening guy - Rekke - was great, though. He was an adorable little grandfatherly Indian guy. (Or at least, the vicinity of India. He actually said where he was from at one point, but I didn't catch it.) Very chatty, very eager to help. He was hanging around in the lobby when I first checked in, giving people information and advice. "You are new to this hotel, yes? There is a gym on the second floor, if you want it. Dinner? You are coming to me, and I will be telling you where to go, yes?"

On the way home from the first day of class, I observed to my fellow classmate that I might walk over to the Staples (which was two buildings over from the hotel) to pick up some sticky-notes and highlighters. Rekke said, "We go there now, yes?" and jumped the van into the turn lane. He hung around the Staples until we were done with our shopping, then drove us the rest of the way to the hotel.

Matt's observation was that he sounded like an NPC from a gaming module, and he really was kind of like that.

Wednesday morning, I went out and cleaned the snow and ice off my car so I could put my suitcase and laptop in the trunk before heading to the last class. Having successfully negotiated the wet marble floor in the lobby for three days, I wasn't paying attention. I only made it about ten steps into the building when my shoe decided that it would really much rather go into the gift shop than across the lobby, and zzzzzip! down I went.

The binder for my class came open and sprayed pages all over; my purse went flying halfway to the elevator; my keys went the other way. And I landed smack on my left knee. For one awful instant, I thought I'd broken it. But I could still move it without too much pain, and it held my weight when I stood up. Some very nice people just coming out of the elevator in time to see me land helped me gather my things. (I note that none of the hotel staff came to help, or even asked if I were all right until I'd gotten up and limped over to the front desk to ask them to summon the shuttle.)

There isn't even a bruise on my knee today, but it still hurts like heck if I touch it. Going to sleep last night was a trick, too - I can either lay on my left side, putting pressure on the knee (ow), or I can lay on my right side, putting the knee at risk of being bumped every time Matt moved (ow). But it's a little better this morning.

It was great to get home last night and see Matt and Penny. It was nice to eat food that wasn't restaurant food (hey, I like eating out, but it gets a little old when that's all there is) and it was nice to be able to get online. And it was nice to sleep in my own bed.

Though I have to admit, I kind of missed the small mountain of pillows I had at the hotel. They weren't big, but they were fluffy and numerous, and I would sleep like that all the time if I had the bed to myself.

Now, I have the fun of attempting to make heads or tails of the expense report software... Wish me luck.

--Liz