7 posts tagged “travel”
This was my first big airsoft event and it was fun, educational, and overwhelming. I've never done an after-action report before, and I wasn't even playing in this event. However, I was shooting with my camera---I took A LOT of photos, as you'll see on my flickr blog---and at least I can give you my perspective as an outside observer. This was also my first time using this new camera---Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8. It's a low-end DSLR, but it has a super-zoom lense and I'm really pleased with how it performed.
The event took place at Camp Blanding's MOUT facility, in the middle of nowhere, Florida. Actually, the area features several wildlife preserves and state parks, and is probably a good spot for hiking, biking, and other types of outdoor recreation. The MOUT is also a popular site for paintball events.
We stayed at a cheap, unremarkable motel in Starke, which is about 25 minutes away from the entrance to the MOUT facility. The alternative was camping on-site, but since the site had no running water, I was glad to make the commute from the motel. I can't say much more about Starke, except that it's a prison town, has most of the popular chain fast-food restaurants, and the best place to eat in town is the IHOP. There are a couple of historical buildings, but didn't have time to check those out.
We arrived last Thursday and got a chance to walk around the MOUT facility before the event started. I had never seen such a place before, and I was fascinated by the "fake" town. Lots of cinder-block buildings with nothing in them, some made to look like they were damaged by bombs. The buildings were speckled with small windows for shooters, and some of the roofs and floors even had hardware fixtures for repelling. The area was surrounded by woods and sugar sand marked by tank tracks. I was also warned that there were bugs and snakes out there that could kill you, and prehistoric animals that are protected by state law (turtles and tortoise).
Pre-Game
Friday was mostly registration and chrono, vendor setup, and briefing, which took place mostly at the warehouse. There were several vendors of airsoft equipment at the event, along with other sponsors, and the Army recruiters even made an appearance over the weekend. I think they were impressed with our enthusiasm for the hobby. I told them I was too old for them, but I was surprised to learn that they are accepting people up to age 42, some of them even make it through, one of the guys said. LOL.
Day 1
However, once I got out there in the woods, I realized that because of the heat and my own personal limitations, I'd be better off hanging out closer to the town. So I volunteered to hang out with the group of NPCs stationed in Building 1, or what we called "The Embassy." We waited and waited for something to happen...it was somewhat fun and amusing pretending to be holed up in the embassy, waiting to be rescued or overrun by the enemy...but the scenario didn't play out exactly as the organizers expected. The action didn't really make it up to the town during that round.
After lunch, we were back in the embassy for round two. This game played out a bit differently, but still didn't end the way we anticipated. We waited, once again, for special forces to come to our rescue. In the meantime, one of the other reporters and I went to the roof to get some good shots. We start to see movement, a bit more action, and then I hear some shouting and I see the embassy staff making a run for it out the back door...without me! Doh! Oh well, at least I got some good photos.
So here goes my "No shit, there I was" story
I went back down into the building and there was only one marine left to hold it; the building was about to be overrun by the Red force. I was crouched against a wall, while BBs were literally spraying into the room through every window and door. I got to see Jason from AI up close in action. He managed to hold the room against the onslaught for several minutes! Until one of the enemy got him in the back with a pistol, through one of the small windows near the floor, doh! At that point, it was time to get some photos of the other side.
Night Ops
So after playing "photojournalist" all day, I borrowed a pistol to play in the night ops. I went along with the other NPCs and reporters who wanted to get some trigger time and we started out defending in one of the buildings that Red force was supposed to hold. It sounded like there was a lot going on outside. There were bright flashes from explosions and pyro, but we didn't see much action at our end of the street. However, I heard stories from folks who were closer to the front and they said it was one of the most fun games they ever played in, and I can believe it! Deathidol told me that he and Blue force held a building for a long time and it was about to be overrun when the game was called. I tried to get some good photos, but it was difficult. The other players near me didn't want me using a flash because it might give away our position, so I experimented with a flashlight, and the natural light. I think I got some good photos of the debriefing after that game.
Day 2, Sunday
They just did a simple-each force starts on opposite sides of town and tries to take it-scenario, first with Blue force at the bridge, and then they switched sides for the second game. I think I got some great action shots this day. I was basically free to move around as long as I didn't mind being shot at;)
Comments from an Independent Observer
I noticed players on both sides cheating, and accusing each other of cheating. It seemed pointless, and the lesson I take from it is, even if you think someone is cheating, don't waste your time arguing about it. Just keep playing. At least in one case, the side accused of cheating was not actually cheating. It looked like the guy was not taking his hits, but after I walked over to his place, you could see that the BBs were just falling short of the mark. We had a good laugh about that:) It's a just a game. Don't forget that.
I saw examples of great teamwork, and non-teamwork. I saw both chivalrous and non-chivalry-like behaviour. I saw both good and bad sportsmanship. The lesson I take from that is, there is always going to be positive and negative in any situation. You can always choose to focus on the positive. Don't feed the negative.
A lot of people worked very very hard to make the event happen. It's obviously not easy coordinating an event of that size, with that many people involved. Some people took time off from work and basically donated their skills and services so others could have a good time and play a game. Don't take that for granted.
I really had a lot of fun just taking photos, and as much as I would like to get more experience as a player, I think I would have repeatedly gotten my ass handed to me if I actually played as a combatant. However, I did learn a lot by observing the other players. It was also a good test run of my uniform and the basics that I need to have with me all the time. For example:
Thank Goodness for...
The camelback---indispensible. Don't go out without it.
Wiley goggles, treated with fogtek, with the tinted lenses for daytime, clear for night.
Shemagh (keffiyeh)---great as a sunshade, brow mop, etc. I would soak it in the cooler first.
Rocky tactical boots---without these, my feet would have been bloody stumps at the end of each day.
Wigwam performance socks---see above.
Under Armour---I should buy stock in the company.
Wipes/hand sanitizer---required anywhere you have to use a portalet or go outside.
Vitamin Water---my new best friend. I don't like gatorade, so this works better for me.
Clif bars or trail mix
Sunscreen, bug repellent, aspirin/pain reliever, etc.
One thing I was really bummed about: the Garmin Rino 120 GPS/two-way radio I bought worked for a couple days, then just quit on me right before the event. I had to send it back. It would have been cool and fun to play with at the event.
What would I have done differently?
- Not gotten sick or had an allergy flare up, or whatever that ailment was that plagued me all weekend. I might just be allergic to the state of Florida. Before I go there again, I need to find out if I do have allergies so I can be better prepared.
- Brought more guns. We only brought the one pistol because that would fit in the suitcase. For next time, we are going to invest in a large gun case so we can take a bigger arsenal. More guns=more fun.
My only suggestion to the organizers of such events: Provide more/better portalets, and hire a service to clean them daily. Please, on behalf of all the women who attended the event...we beg you...
My advice to anyone who attends such an event: STAY HYDRATED. Be prepared. DRINK WATER. Bring adequate gear. STAY HYDRATED. Bring backups. DRINK WATER. Expect gear to break or fail. STAY HYDRATED.
It was late Sunday night when I checked into the Rio, and as luck would have it, they upgraded my suite. This place is friggin' huge! There's a huge living room, dining area, and the bathroom itself is bigger than some other hotel rooms I've been in. I also have panoramic views of the strip and beyond from the floor-ceiling windows that wrap completely around one end of the Masquerade Tower. That's what I'm talkin'bout:
I can see a lot of similarities between St. Louis and my home of Pittsburgh. The downtown area of St. Louis looks clean, with lots of green spaces and a mixed bag of architecture old and new. It's got rivers and bridges. Their sports teams, esp. the Cardinals, are a religion. The people are friendly. It's got that big small town feel. I'm not going to be here long enough to see very much of it, but I wouldn't mind coming back.
Local beer: Schlafly. I tried the coffee stoudt and pale ale, both very good. They also have a Hefeweizen, but I'm not so into that.
Local cuisine: I'm told it's IMO pizza and toasted ravioli. (Foods of St. Louis)
Walking around, I found three Toynbee tiles within blocks of the baseball stadium.
I see that I have some catching up to do here. My work-related trip to Malvern (Philadelphia), PA, was unremarkable, so I'm not going to even comment on that. However, I do have a few things to say about my more recent trip to Los Angeles, CA. As follows:
January 23, 2008, 9:25 pm
The Wineaux Report
Conundrum White Table Wine---awesome, complex, floral and fruity. Went great with the seafood in a light curry sauce over butternut squash ravioli. Last couple nights, I also sampled their house Reisling, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, and a Centine, but the Conundrum is really worth checking out if you can find it.
The hotel restaurant just opened a few weeks ago, and they haven't even done their grand opening yet. Room service the past couple nights was spotty, so I went down to the Sonoma Grill tonight for dinner, and found the usual crowd of road warriors---people in sales, marketing, education---and the person who opened the restaurant spent several minutes talking to me and the other guests at the bar to see how we're doing. Apparently, the butternut squash ravioli recipe is her own. It was very cool. I like that kind of attention.
Nope. I haven't ventured outside the hotel yet.
January 24, 2008, 7:21 pm
A Stranger in a Strange Place
Observations:
This is a familiar, but also strange place. My hotel is near all the county office buildings: city hall, county courthouse, registrar's office, social security administration, the county library, and so on. When I arrive at the building where I work, there is a long line of people in the lobby waiting to get "processed."
Today, I went for lunch at a Japanese fast-food place and got there just minutes before a flood of jurors poured in. There were already a couple of guys in LAPD HAZMAT UNIT uniforms in front of me in line.
Otherwise, I haven't gotten out much. This is my fourth night in, but I figure that I'll make up for that over the weekend. One of the students in class suggested I try the Citadel factory outlet shops for some retail therapy. And that's not all---this Saturday, Ego Likeness is playing at Bar Sinister in Hollywood!!! I am going to see them. Yes I am. I'm afraid I might not have clothing posh-goth enough to get in, but I'm hoping that the factory outlet adventure will bear some fruit for that.
January 25, 2008, 10:35 pm
Only the shampoo changes...
After a little quickie nap/rest, I'm going to venture out in search of
a Borders (or equivalent) bookstore, and maybe also an Irish pub. I
know that's unoriginal. I went to Starbucks every morning this week
too, and dinner every night in the hotel, lacking the energy to do much
exploring. It doesn't matter what city it is, only the shampoo changes
(and maybe not even that, if you stay at the same hotel chain all the
time)...but I will go out for some retail therapy tomorrow and catch
that show in West Hollywood.
In other news, I'm saddened to see that the Monte Carlo hotel in Las Vegas has burned, and there were even a lot of casualties. I hate LV with a passion, but I got married at the Monte Carlo (and have since been divorced), and I like that place. It's classic and elegant and, it has a reasonably good brew pub. If it can't be restored, I'll even miss it when I go to LV for work in May this year.
ADDENDUM: Ok, so I got side-tracked from going to Borders when I saw the Target--- cuz I needed some stuff from there, and then I headed over to the Irish pub that I looked up on the Internets...um...so my instincts told me not to go inside. The neighborhood looked bad, and the place looked really rough on the outside. You'll have that. I came back to the hotel for dinner, doh! And the barkeep said there's a Maggie's pub nearby, double-doh!
January 27, 2008, 4:22 pm
From the Bureau of Gothic Tourism:
As it neared show time, the place really filled up, and then people started to migrate over to Bar Sinister. It's a very large, dark club with a lot of ambience. The main part of the club has high ceilings and a loft/balcony area, and the stage for bands is actually on a patio behind the place. This area was a bit wet and drippy, but otherwise, I really enjoyed both Jessica Vale and Ego Likeness. They both put on great sets and I'm glad I was able to see them. Jeff from TLD also showed up and I really enjoyed hanging out with him again. He's such a sweetie. He introduced me to people, and we had some good conversations about music stuff. These types of experiences have really inspired and motivated me to keep the music going. I also hung out with the Ego Likeness merch girl, Willow. She was a punkrock ball of fun!
Some observations about the LA goth scene:
- Populous. The largest crowd I've experienced at a goth night. I think it easily beats Club Man Ray (still closed) in Boston and that's saying something.
- Older. I never saw so many aging goths in one place. There were people way older than most of our (Pgh.) old-timers, and very few younguns to speak of. I'd say a large proportion of 30+ and an astonishing proportion of 40+. I wasn't expecting this, but it makes sense. In LA, people can get away with looking goth longer. They can get/keep good jobs and so on, without giving up their lifestyle, whereas in a place like Pgh., most of us old-timers eventually have to tone it down quite a bit to move ahead in business, or cut way back on the social life after settling down.
- A lot of scantily clad people in little
more than lingerie; what I would expect to see more at a fetish-themed
event. There were some good bodies, but a lot of folks should have had
more clothes on.
I did not need to see your 47-year old ass hanging out of that micro-mini skirt. - More women who were actually men than I've seen outside of any gay/tran club.
- Excellent mix of DJ'd music for an older crowd.
- Shallow/Superficial? ---not my observation, but comments from some of the people I talked to. I thought everyone was friendly enough, but I'm told that it's mostly an act. Someone might say to you, "Let's hang out again," and it really means "b-bye."
Overall I had a really good time. Once again, I found myself in a club where I was a stranger and I hardly knew anyone, but I got to hang out with the coolest people there and they made me feel very special. Being a road warrior does have its moments.
Today, it rained like a monsoon again. This makes driving and sightseeing not a great idea. So I'm stuck in the room again, I think.
I've been trying to emphasize the positive here, but this trip has had it's issues. Firstly there was the lost luggage, which worked out ok without too much trouble, just a little panic on my part. However, I feel like I'm training some of the staff at this hotel. They just went through a renovation, and there are a lot of new people, and I don't mind so much when they get my order wrong or make mistakes, but its starting to get on my nerves considering how much I'm paying for everything. They get points for being very responsive and trying to fix things, but just add my frustrations to the list of reasons why I wish I could go home now.
Other reasons why I want to go home:
- It has been raining cats and dogs, but mostly dogs, the whole time I've been here. The sun comes out every once in a while, but doesn't stay around, and when it rains, the streets turn into rivers and its really hard to get around. Even the locals are saying this is unusual for this time of year.
- In my history of business traveling, this is the second time that I had a room with a leak. The carpet in front of the window and AC unit is soaked. It could be the AC, or the rain, and they offered to move me to another room, but I really don't want to pack up and unpack again, so they gave me bunch o' extra towels to cover the floor where its damp.
- I keep dreaming that I'm home, and then wake up in the hotel room. I hate that.
One reason I don't want to go home just yet: there is a remote chance that TLD might be able to get me on the guest list for their show at The Knitting Factory this Friday. Jeff said he would check into it because the show might sell out, but I'm not going to hold my breath. It was really nice of him to offer, anyway.
I did not go see the Queen Mary yesterday because it was rainy and yucky out most of the day and not good for sight-seeing. However, today the sun came out for a bit and I went to the Universal Citywalk, and then took a drive up Mullholland. I saw lots of homes owned by rich/famous people, precariously perched on the hillsides, and the view from the Hollywood Bowl overlook was spectacular. The winding road reminded me of the drive from Nice to up to La Gaude (in Southern France).
Don't know what I'm gonna do with myself tonight. I cannot eat in the hotel again, and I've got work tomorrow at 8:30 am.
January 29, 2008, 8:27 pm
And if I dont die by thursday Ill be roarin friday night.
So I got that pain behind my eyes again, and that usually lasts a couple days. If that's what a migraine is, then I'm one of those more fully functional migraine sufferers, because this isn't keeping me from work. It just sucks. At least, I don't have to give as many lectures because I am co-teaching class this week with another instructor. I only wish I had brought my peppermint oil.
So I might just be paranoid, but I think I dodged a "predatory male" last night. It happens. You guys don't even have to think about this stuff, but this is how it is for us girls. I'm often the only female, or one of few, at the hotel bar on a weeknight. The rest are mostly harmless business travellers who just want to mind their own business, but some folks are friendly and want to make conversation. That's all fine. I don't mind comparing notes and trading stories with fellow road warriors. However, in my history of business travelling, I occasionally run into the guy whose intentions are not good. So I ditched a guy who was talking to me, after I saw the red flags.
Otherwise, nothing new to report.
January 30, 2008, 8:53 pm
Picoso y caliente
...ok, so Spanish isn't one of my languages 'cause I don't even know what that means, except that Tacos Don Chente is a pretty good-cheap taco place near here. I have pretty much tapped out the hotel's menu.
However, tonight there was a wine tasting happening when I got back, and it was pretty good: Valley of the Moon Barbera, an Italien red varietal.
2003, I think. It was rich, fruity, slightly smokey in the nose. I tasted spice and lots of berries. I liked it a lot.
February 2, 2008, 8:06 pm
Venting
DFW has not-free wifi...t-mobile hotspot that also accepts Boingo.
A week here and there is nothing at all, but two weeks feels like a long time for me to be away from home, especially when it's not for fun.
Travel makes me feel run-down, eventhough I'm not doing much running around.
The problem is boredom. Boredom makes me tired and hungry.
Sure, there might be plenty of things to do in LA, if I had the energy after teaching class all day, and the money to pay for stuff that I can't expense to work. (The one night I went out: parking was $10, cover was $10, spent about $30 on food and drinks...and that was a cheap night out in Hollywood.)
The hotel cable only got the networks, cnn, espn, and hbo, and there was nuthin on!!!! I had a belly full of political debates, heath ledger, amy winehouse, and britney spears. Enough. The tv highlight of my week was season premier of Lost.
I did all the reading and knitting I could stand.
So I often resort to retail therapy and comfort eating. My appetite goes crazy when I'm traveling and teaching. I feel ravenous, but there's almost nothing good to eat at airports or on airplanes. I end up eating junk, and then I feel sick from it.
Retail therapy makes my suitcase bulge. Comfort eating makes me bulge.
I think the bottom line is that when I have free time, I'd rather be at home with the TiVo (and the kitties, and the BF), and have access to a kitchen, where I can make something decent to eat, and access to all my stuff in case I feel like making music or sewing...
CALLED MY ZONE...to be continued...
February 4, 2008, 2:48 pm
Home
Miraculously, both my flights on Saturday were ON-TIME. That brings the stats up to 5 out of 10 flights in the last two months, delayed or cancelled. Still, that's not a stellar performance.
I am so glad to be home, but now I have so much catching up to do, and a roadtrip this weekend. Doh!
There are a LOT of Mexican restaurants here, but I asked the locals which one is the best. The consensus seemed to be the Red Iguana, so that's where I went for lunch yesterday. The place is a little "hole in the wall," family-run business with kitschy colorful decor, and I had to wait a few minutes for a table, but it was well worth it. I had a delicious and huge plate of fish tacos. The homemade chips and salsa were wonderfully decadent. In addition to your typical tex-mex fare, the menu also offered traditional Mexican dishes and a wide selection of mole sauces. This place reminds me a lot of Chuy"s in Austin, TX.
k3llya and some of her friends at Cafe Trang.
This place serves Vietnamese, Chinese, and Sushi, and everything we
ordered looked very good. I had the tofu vermicelli salad with that
wonderful sweet vinaigrette dressing. The crowd was also pleasant
company indeed. It's a special treat, whenever I'm on a business trip,
to be able to hang out with some cool local people that I know.P.S.---
afisherking happened to be in SLC this week, too, and he posted this lovely photo. This is what I see on my way to work each morning.k3llya for getting me cross-eyed tonight...I had a great time! I checked out two clubs tonight: Area 51 and Underworld---a new goth night that just opened up.Area 51 has been around for a while...I really like the space and the music was especially awesome. DJ Evil K was spinning tonight. I also met DJ Viking, who looks like one, and lots of other ppl whose names I can't remember now because I am very tiddly, tipsy, half-cut, squiffy, half-seas-over pissed, sloshed, tight, plastered, bottled, mullered, elephant’s, boozed, wellied, sozzled, stocious pissed as a newt, leathered, pickled, banjo’d, jar’d, palatic, blind drunk, paralytic, blotto, trolleyed, rat-arsed, stonkered at this point...
Oct. 4, 2007 5:34 pm
I spent the last couple days walking around Salem, and something that kept jumping out at me was all the references from HP Lovecraft. They were in the names of streets and buildings, and on the gravestones in the old cemetary.
Another remarkable thing is the presence of many buildings that aren't square--in other words, they have corners that aren't right angles. Of course, I've seen triangular buildings in other cities, where they were obviously built that way to fit the space available, but here you see it all over and it doesn't seem necessary as much as it just seems peculiar and odd.
This place reminds me a lot of Newport, RI, which is another old New England town, with lots of old buildings and cemetaries. Except this place is more touristy when it comes to the witch lore. Need I remind you that this is where the infamous Salem witch trials occurred?
I walked around the memorial dedicated to their memory, and the cemetary where they were laid to rest. Most of those unfortunate folks were not pagan by any means, but this place has become a mecca for all things pagan and "new age." It seems ironic.
It is purely a coincidence that
all the Halloween celebration stuff here kicks off this week, and all
the decorations are out (because I didn't come here for that reason).
There is even a parade tonight. Lots of people running around, dressed
as witches. I got lots of photos, which I will have to post when I get
back.
Ok, that parade was a spectacle. It wasn't anything more than a small-town parade for the locals--there were marching bands for all the schools and lots of
There was a group of guys marching in the parade, carrying folding lawn chairs above their heads, and they were opening and closing them such that they made a snapping noise, and so they were playing the chairs as musical instruments. There was also some choreography that involved putting the chair down and sitting in it, and then what looked like musical chairs or perhaps "Chinese fire drill?" And last but not least, the Roto Rooter truck was pulling a float that featured a blue cow with a hole in the middle that revealed "plumbing," followed by a band of marchers brandishing toilet seats, which they were banging with plungers and other implements (as a percussion instrument).
I hope I left you with sufficient imagery because, unfortunately, I didn't get good photos because it was dark and the camera flash was too weak.
Another peculiar observation: they love dogs here. There is a noticeable number of dog-oriented services such as doggie day care, grooming, vets, and so on. My hosts' dog was a stray from Portugal. They take such good care of their dogs here that they need to import the strays and rescues from other places. I still want a dog.
Ok, so I'm paying $8 for Internet right now, but I have at least 90 mins. to kill...
It was a good day. Walked to the water and looked at rocks, seaweed, birds, crabs...it was nice. I felt scared for about 10 seconds when I climbed up on rocks that I thought I could easily fall off of if I lost my footing. Found the popular teenage party spot and collected about 3 cases worth of discarded beer cans. Keep in mind, I think that sort of thing is cool--decay, rot, refuse, contrast, texture, repeating patterns... I found a large portion of a dead seagull. The beak, feet, skeleton, and some feathers were still intact. I also saw lots of wee-little bright green crabs--living ones--in the tide pools collected in the rocks.
I also had an excellent meal at Salem Beer Works. I tried their Custom House IPA, Oktoberfest Ale, Blueberry Ale, and Black Bat Stout. The IPA was one of the best I've ever tasted. It did say on the menu that it won awards. The Oktoberfest was good. The Blueberry Ale was unusual. It had a tart blueberry flavor, and tasted a bit weak or watered down, like a cider, but I still liked it. I would compare it to M & S's cider that I tasted at Pennsic? I was dissappointed in the stout. It tasted of ashes to me, and although I like a little burnt flavor in a stout, this was unpleasant to me. Foodwise, the menu offered typical brew pub food, and I had some french fries, which were awesome:)
It was a nice escape for a few days and I enjoyed seeing my friends up here. I think I am going to just hibernate this weekend. I did so much walking, and I already feel sore. I'm going to put myself to bed as soon as I get home, sleep as late as I possibly can, and then spend as much time on the couch as I can stand this weekend.
Links:
Salem Witch Trials The Stones memorial
Burial Point - oldest cemetery in Salem
The Salem Friendship - a reconstruction of a 171-foot three-masted Salem East Indiaman built in 1797
Salem Beer Works
House of Seven Gables
Salem Willows Waterfront Park; see also http://www.salemwillowspark.com/index.html
I'm also thinking that this would be a nice place to document my travels...recently I've been to Toronto, and San Francisco...but alas the whole not having enough time thing. For now, most of my notes on that are captured here: http://mirvana.livejournal.com/.
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