October 21, 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think the utility of the internet is incredible. It just turns out that there are a few bugs with getting multiple computer systems to talk to each other, or look up the right information. When I agreed to do the Distinguished Lecturer talks, I figured the big time drain would be creating the presentations, and of course, the actual travel. Once the presentations were made, I would just have to tweak them every now and then, but it shouldn't be too bad. As I get better at the travel, I find places where (if I get my travel approvals on time) I can shave off an hour here and there by choosing my flights and hotels carefully. I've got all that down, so there shouldn't be any more time required, right? Well, I must think otherwise or I wouldn't be typing this right now...
It takes hours to plan the trip. It shouldn't, but it does. Airfare is expensive, and I have a budget for these trips that gets difficult to meet, especially if I have to travel to the other coast. Thanks to the wonderful internet, I can look over a multitude of flights to determine what I can afford both with respect to money and time. I have to see how long it takes to drive from the airport to where I'm supposed to give the talk, and sometimes I can't get there if I fly the day of the lecture. Back to the flight schedule, and see if I can afford to fly the day before. Annie hates it when I have to do that. Once I find a reasonable schedule, I submit a travel request, and wait. And wait. By the time I get approvals, the original schedule is shot, and I have to do it again, pray that I stay within budget, and THEN book everything. Annoyingly, that means I have to foot the bill for about two months before I get reimbursed. Frequently, that includes the hotel. Since when did we have to pay for a hotel in advance?
After the trip, I have to fill out a reimbursement form, put all the receipts and form in an envelope, and forward an electronic copy of the request to the Society. Then I wait again for them to get around to saying yes or no. Then I finally send the envelope with confidence in getting my money. This is the largest professional society for electrical engineers in the world. Do they electronically transfer the money? No. They write a freakin' check and put it in the mail. In the mean time, and here is the issue with computers talking to each other, I have to watch my credit card like a hawk. This morning I discovered that the hotel billed me again for my stay. This is the second time this has happened. After a half hour on the phone, I was assured that a refund would be issued to my card. I know it isn't a lot of time, but it is tedious, and unnecessary. Come on! Before you hit enter on the billing would it really be so hard to check the account for payment? It's probably not even 'enter.' It's probably a mouse click. Put down the donut and coffee for a second, and actually look at the account. The worst part this time was that the hotel billed me less than I had already paid for the stay. Frick.
Ok. Whining terminated...
Like I have anything better to do?
It takes hours to plan the trip. It shouldn't, but it does. Airfare is expensive, and I have a budget for these trips that gets difficult to meet, especially if I have to travel to the other coast. Thanks to the wonderful internet, I can look over a multitude of flights to determine what I can afford both with respect to money and time. I have to see how long it takes to drive from the airport to where I'm supposed to give the talk, and sometimes I can't get there if I fly the day of the lecture. Back to the flight schedule, and see if I can afford to fly the day before. Annie hates it when I have to do that. Once I find a reasonable schedule, I submit a travel request, and wait. And wait. By the time I get approvals, the original schedule is shot, and I have to do it again, pray that I stay within budget, and THEN book everything. Annoyingly, that means I have to foot the bill for about two months before I get reimbursed. Frequently, that includes the hotel. Since when did we have to pay for a hotel in advance?
After the trip, I have to fill out a reimbursement form, put all the receipts and form in an envelope, and forward an electronic copy of the request to the Society. Then I wait again for them to get around to saying yes or no. Then I finally send the envelope with confidence in getting my money. This is the largest professional society for electrical engineers in the world. Do they electronically transfer the money? No. They write a freakin' check and put it in the mail. In the mean time, and here is the issue with computers talking to each other, I have to watch my credit card like a hawk. This morning I discovered that the hotel billed me again for my stay. This is the second time this has happened. After a half hour on the phone, I was assured that a refund would be issued to my card. I know it isn't a lot of time, but it is tedious, and unnecessary. Come on! Before you hit enter on the billing would it really be so hard to check the account for payment? It's probably not even 'enter.' It's probably a mouse click. Put down the donut and coffee for a second, and actually look at the account. The worst part this time was that the hotel billed me less than I had already paid for the stay. Frick.
Ok. Whining terminated...
Like I have anything better to do?