Dan Florio's Blog

Posted by Dan Florio

When you travel enough, you will eventually find yourself seat-belted next to a smelly troll. Someone with an Air Flavor. Could be the flavor of farts, feet, halitosis, or just plain old BO. Ugh.

I hate this. Can't people shower before a flight? Wash their smelly clothes in a hotel sink or something first?

Have you ever been stuck next to a bad-smelling passenger?You can always try to change seats...although, admittedly, you are in a small confined area, breathing recirculated air. I've heard of flight attendants placing opened coffee packets in seat pockets around the offender. Hey, whatever helps!

Just don't light a match to cover the smell. A plane recently landed because a woman in flight was found lighting matches (which are illegal to bring in planes) to cover the scent of her gas.

There is probably an argument here for ponying up for Business and First Class seats. Usually people paying full fares keep their clothes and bodies clean, and maybe brush their teeth. Maybe. But there's no telling who is going to be gassy that day (it could even be you).

Remember, Beano is your friend.

Posted by Dan Florio

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Posted by Dan Florio

The planes are really getting packed in. In my recent flights I've simply been lucky to not be the poor shmoe stuck in the center seat. Yesterday the dude in the middle was a large fella, overflowing into my seat (aisle) and leaning over the woman at the window. I told him he could have the entire arm rest to himself.

Other than being cramped in a full cabin, my Alaska Airlines San Diego to Seattle flight went more smoothly in other areas - we were fed warmed ginger cookies, for one thing. The flight left on time, arrived on time. I know other airlines are having horrific problems.

This was a relief after the chaos in the San Diego terminal. En route to the airport I passed a sign proclaiming "heightened security". Great. The security check-in line was long, slow and tense. Airport security officials kept shouting about gels, liquids and shoes, loudspeakers announced not to leave your luggage or carry luggage for anyone else, and flustered travelers kept forgetting to remove their jackets.

I've seen calmer airplane check-ins. San Diego is usually a very pleasant airport. This day had everyone on edge. I even forgot to empty the water from my MSR aluminum water bottle. Damn it. I know better! I was pulled aside; my bags were hand searched. The guard told me she could not empty my water out, that I would have to go back into the check in area and empty it there...and then go through security all over again. I told her to just keep the bottle instead. I liked that aluminum bottle but at this point was in danger of missing my flight.

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Poking around my obligatory USA Today (free with my hotel room) and noticing I can check stock prices over my cell phone if I wanted.

I'm not a "play the stocks" guy. I understand we have a few mutual funds and have a few environmentally green stocks on the side, but I don't check on such things. Not my interests, really.

But if I WAS on a business trip and I cared, it's nice that I could just use my cell, anywhere I have a signal, and see live quotes.

USA Today says to send a text message to 4INFO (44636) with: Stock Ticker (Dell) or Fund trader (AGTHX).

Have fun. :)

Posted by Dan Florio

Arrrghhh. I hate losing power when I am trying to get some decent work done. As a full-time freelance telecommuter, power in my home is crucial to my livelihood. Not to mention happiness in the brain pan.

With the recent storms here in So Cal, we lost complete and total power for four days. FOUR LONG DAYS. And it's also cold and snowy up here at 5,000 feet.

I couldn't get anything done besides read under blankets in bed (no heat either) with my wife and two dogs. I could also do some writing and take notes for projects. That's really about it. As a workaholic I tried to relax, which was also tough, as my major relaxing activities involve:

• XBox games,
• and watching football.
• Both of which require electricity.

On day five and six our electricity returned. And went back down. And came back on. And then went down. Each time I would lose my unsaved work. Ha, ha! Good times.

Each time I resolved to head down the mountain to the nearest Best Buy and spring for an Uninterrupted Power Supply, or UPS. And I plan to get one anyway, even though this crisis seems to be over.

With a UPS I can at least keep two of my three monitors, plus my computer, running for about an hour in a temporary blackout.

At around $150 for a good UPS, I think it will be a bargain. I just don't handle frustration well. Ask my poor wife. You can look for her under the blankets.

Posted by Dan Florio

NYC is a progressive city, and I did like that when I lived there. In a brilliant move, the City Board of health decided to embargo transfats in restaurant food.

The Washingtonpost.com reports, within six months all New York City eateries will be required to switch to healthier cooking oils, and to reduce total transfatty grams to newly set limits by 18 months.

This is a real boon for travelers, who are forced to eat out most of the time. In my own home, my wife and I have banned all transfats - AKA partially hydrogenated vegetable oils - those deadly free-radical inducing toxic chemicals so prevalent in food products.

When you're traveling, though, you are pretty much at the mercy of whatever bulk fat bins the restaurant taps in its kitchen.

So rejoice if your business trips take you to NYC, soon-to-be land of low bad fats. The rest of your trip might be expensive, but your health won't get any worse.

More on New York and the tran-fatty acids ban.

Posted by Dan Florio

So my laptop chose to stop receiving WIFI networks just before my big trip down the coast. That was going to make doing business while traveling a bit tough.

And while I could use hotel lobby desktops and library computers to check email, I really hate that. I like my own machine, with my familiar bookmarks, password cookies, desktop icons and past history links.

Using someone else's computer is like driving someone else's car - you don't really know how well the gears mesh, where the headlight switch is or how sensitive the brakes are.

Better choices for accessing wireless networks while traveling were:

• to borrow my wife's iPod Touch for checking email (it's awkward for reading and terrible for writing, but the iTouch is reliable and also looks sleek),
• buy a new laptop (!),
• or to suck it up and fix my stupid old, dying laptop before the trip.

Great Timing

The laptop's WIFI meltdown occured two days before moving day and I didn't have time to screw with the thing. I took my laptop to the resident geek at Circuit City for their free "Firedog" checkup.

It turned out I needed to spend $50 on a new wireless USB adapter. The Firedog recommended the Linksys Compact Wireless - G USB Adapter. He also installed it, for free, while I waited. Good service.

An Inelegant Solution

The adaptor looks stupid. It sticks out of my computer like a limb, ready to break off at the slightest jar. One of my USB drives is also now permanently in use, which is annoying, too. However, I can log onto wireless networks, and that is what counts.

Posted by Dan Florio

Ha, I loved this: Survive your Holiday Office Party, at Suite101.com's Workplace Culture. I am not a huge partier in any meaning of the word, but holiday parties can be the worst. Why?

• You are with people you may not really like so much.
• There might free booze, which is great, but also a bad thing…
• Because people who have control over your life will see you acting like a moron,
• And loose lips sink ships (again with the booze).
• You also might end up kissing your secretary (this is more of a New Year’s thing but can still get you in trouble).
• There are many ways you can screw the pooch mixing work, play and possibly dancing to old Prince songs.

Prepare a Party Attack Plan

Being a no show isn't such a great idea. You'll be called a Grinch, a Scrooge or worst of all be labeled: "Not a Team Player."

Arriving fashionably late and ducking out early are good bets. Remember, if you get in later, everyone else might already be smashed, putting you in the control seat. Leaving early also means you’ll never have to be kicked out at the end of the night.

Drinking only a glass or two of the liquor is your next tactic, and saying less than you want to the boss is the best strategy of all. "Merry Christmas Mr. Sprockets," is a good start, followed with, "Your wife looks stunning in that red dress...you're a lucky man."

Say enough happy things to leave a good feeling in people's minds and slip out before you are tempted to have a really, really good time.

Scoot on home or head to a REAL party with actual friends...people who aren't going to remind you every day next month about your copy machine capers in the mail room.

Posted by Dan Florio

I just read Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook - a hilarious, sarcastic worker-drone treatise. I can only say, PLEASE READ this if you've ever been a cubicle worker. Or if, like me, you used to be a cubicle worker and can now celebrate the unfettered bonds of freelance work.

It's written by the Dilbert cartoon guy...or, as the book states, "as told to Scott Adams" by Dilbert's pet Dogbert. Dogbert's advice to being a manager is a tongue-in-cheek program to gently use and abuse your workers, slowly draining their will to live while propping up your own inflated ego. In Dilbert's world, new ideas are dangerous, Boss Logic is irrefutable, and the false hope of advancement is a powerful motivational tool.

It's a quick, fun read. I read it in two nights from different hotel rooms on my recent journey down the coast. Since I just left my cubicle job in a big move both across country and to the world of freelance, the book happily hit close to home. I could leave the capricious whims of middle management behind and laugh at the poor shlubs trapped in my wake. Ha, ha. Parhaps that includes some of you. If so, you might still want to read this Dilbert book.

After all, it's better to laugh than cry, right?

Posted by Dan Florio

They didn't feed me on American Airlines. Not a peanut, a pretzel or a little bag o' chips. Things are getting out of hand on the cheapness scale.

I was just this week on a 41/2 hour flight to Dallas - you'd think some food would have been forthcoming. Actually, there was an option to BUY a bag of chips ( three dollars) or a prepackaged side salad (five bucks). I did have all the free non-booze drinks for the asking and this managed to tide me over somewhat. I have some ideas for how to calm the hunger pangs if you forgot to bring your own snacks - mainly drink coffee (an appetite suppressant) and food-like juices like milk, tomato juice and orange juice - but the point here is that you shouldn't have to. Is it really so tough for American Air to afford a few bags of nuts?

Posted by Dan Florio

For the holidays the wife and I are getting ourselves a GPS unit. A nice splurge and a way to forestall lots of arguments on the road. You know, the ones that go..."No, I have no idea what exit is coming up. Why are those signs so small? Oh, shit...that's it, get over now!"

So to fulfill this productive goal of merrier marital harmony we need a GPS.

We have the price range nailed down ($300-500, so we can get a good one). We even have a long trip coming up to really test the new device's paces.

The problem is there are too many choices and all the features I want don't exist on the same unit.

• I want Exit POIs and AAA Roadside Assistance (Magellan).
• I want a feature that sends sound through my FW radio and has an incredibly easy user interface (Garmin).
• And I want Advance Trip Planning and Darth Vader to tell me where to go (Tom Tom).

So the consumer, me and you, have to chart out the pros and the cons and the deal breakers. In an effort to wade through the choss I published a few articles on the subject: Buying the Best GPS and Top Portable GPS Models.

But they won't really help. This stuff is just too complicated. Can't I customize my GPS? Like buying a Dell computer? Now that would be a great start-up idea for someone.

I'll be your first customer.

Posted by Dan Florio

When I first moved to Seattle, I worked at Microsoft and lived in my car. I liked to joke that I was Bill Gate's only homeless employee.

I did this for almost four months - in the dead of winter - before my wife joined me in the Pacific Northwest and we needed to rent an actual apartment. It was surprisingly simple to live out of my Nissan Pathfinder. I had:

• a comfortable bed in the back,
• my clothes in a duffel bag
• and my laptop in my backpack.

I slept in the parking lot of a Seattle area library, using their restrooms. The library was heated, had comfortable chairs, lots of electrical outlets and free WIFI.

It was the free WIFI that made the lifestyle possible. I had no friends in Seattle, being an area newbie, and my Internet connection was my lifeline. Still is, actually. I was more than happy to hang around in the library in the mornings, evenings and on weekends, programming in Flash and developing pet projects. And other pet projects. (Am I shameless?)

The only rub was Sunday nights, when the library would close at 6pm. Who wants to sit in their car (in the cold and dark) for four hours before heading to sleep? So on Sundays I'd just head to Tully's Coffee for my WIFI fix.

If you find yourself in need of free wireless Internet services in the Seattle area, be sure to try the libraries first - this is one of the few good uses of all those tax dollars your business pays, right? Or read my extensive list and further info on Seattle's best bets for free WIFI.

Posted by Dan Florio

Finding a post office while traveling is a hassle. So is waiting in line to send a package. It's so much easier to just text a message, shoot an email, or send a fax from your hotel concierge. Even Federal Express is more user-friendly to the business traveler. Who needs regular old snail mail mail these days?

This are probably among the reasons the United States Postal Service (USPS) started waving their banner about their newer, faster and - best of all - mostly free online services. According to a recently mailed USPS postcard you can now: "ship a package from your kitchen...put a hold on your mail from the airport, (and) change your address while sitting in a coffee shop."

And you can buy stamps from your hotel room, personalized with your pet poodle's face...not a free service, but definitely a fun one when you're feeling homesick.

Go to the the USPS website and poke around before your travels - register away and learn the rules at leisure in your home office. Then get ready to use what your tax dollars are paying for. Want a quick primer on easy (and mostly free) USPS options you can use from your laptop? Check out Postal Service Tips for Travelers.

Posted by Dan Florio

On recent ferry trips between Seattle and Bainbridge, Seattle and Bremerton, and Kingston to Everett, I noticed Wi-Fi icons around the ships. Checking into the matter, there are brochures describing the Washington State Ferry high-speed Internet access system. Apparently all state ferries carry Wi-Fi service hot spots.

On-Board and On-Line

The ferry Wi-Fi isn't free, but a reasonable fee schedule is available by the quarter hour ($2.15), and also by day or month at a subscription rate.

For business travelers who frequently commute in the Puget Sound region this is a great opportunity to sit back and get get some work done while cruising the Seattle waters.

I have not used the ferry Internet connection at this time but will report on speed and useability on my next sojourn across the Sound. I am not sure how useful this is for the occasional commuter - ie, ferry rides tend to be shorter than an hour. I'd rather have Internet access in the car parking lots when waiting for the next ferry.

Posted by Dan Florio

One of my close friends waited in line for the darn iPhone. He even missed opening night of Live Free and Die Hard, while waiting in line at the Apple store. I call that a damn shame. I mean, DIE HARD! Bruce Willis! And the Mac Guy! Opening night! I had his ticket and his railing row center seat saved, right beside me. Isn't that better than a new phone?

While I don't like Apple and I hate AT&T, I am open to the idea of the iPhone in general. My wife likes both iTunes and the iPod. They are reasonably decent products for the business traveler. So I am not saying all Apple products are bad.

But this particular phone I am not interested in. For one thing, new Apple products tend to be buggy. Expensive and buggy and maddeningly isolated with proprietary software.

And for another, I want my MP3 player/web surfer/phone to also have a GPS unit and a better camera. Since I still need multiple devices I will keep waiting for the perfect product to come along. A firesale even - everything must go [in the device, that is]. Just ask the technogeek Mac Guy in the Die Hard movie. Yippee-ki-yay.

Posted by Dan Florio

We in the northern countries of North America got waaaay too used to our free Skype laptop calls to any phone in the US and Canada.

Last year we had it good. Free is certainly better than cheap. Now the Skype program seems at least inexpensive, but I am not sure I need it. I can simply upgrade my phone minutes. Or use IM more frequently - still free from computer to computer. Pretty darned convenient enough.

Damn Skype anyway. I am not sure if I want to add another "communications utility" fee to my monthly payouts. Cable, Internet, DVR/Tivo, X-Box Live, iTunes, Netflix, cell phone and web hosting fees do add up. Nickle and dime-ing my life away.

Grump.

Posted by Dan Florio

I bought a rude luggage tag. Couldn't resist. Made by Inventive Travelware, it's bright enough to be seen on the luggage carousels from a distance. It's also really bright pink and says:

"OOPS: expression of surprise (as in: oops this is not your bag)"

Anyway since it's pink I gave it to my wife, who loves it and has shown it to everyone we know (she's also from New York and not especially afraid to be rude). It's a cheap gift (I paid under $4.00 at a travel shop in a tourist town). Cheap chic? The "eye-d" part of the tag has room to fill out name, address, phone, email, etc.

Posted by Dan Florio

Ah, this killed me. I love cool, crazy things, especially stuff that's originally quite mundane. Like, say, luggage tags.

These colorful tags by Inventive Travelware are just fun. I am partial to the rude ones, like the tags that say MINE, or Not Your Bag! Or even Got Luggage? Go find it, this is mine. There are some Diva type-tags for the chicks. They have bright handle wraps, too. WOOT!

There are also polite and proper tags at Magellan's website if that's what you like.

Now go read about how to pack your luggage for easy-peasy flight check-ins and hassle-free baggage claiming.

Posted by Dan Florio

I've been a regular Skype user - free phone calls from a computer - well, that's my thing. But if you use Skype's chat function, you may be opening your laptop to some virulent computer worms.

According to Websense (see link above for full article), "the worm sends messages via Skype Chat, an instant-messenging tool. The messages ask recipients to download and run a file called sp.exe."

I have not used Skype chat myself. I've only used their phone call function. So I don't feel really scared about the worm - consider this a public service announcement in case you do.

In fact, I haven't even used Skype at all in this brave new year of 2007, since I suspect there is now a fee involved. I really should go check this out. At least I have my sucky cellphone for communication while traveling.

Posted by Dan Florio

There are many reasons to bring your business cards on a trip and hand them to everyone you meet.

Just make sure you hand the right card to the right people.

I carry three or four different kinds of business cards, plus my wife's cards, all waiting for the chance to be glad-handed off. I have my Microsoft card, my personal website card, my blog site card and the card I hand out for Suite. I also have cards for my photography. Then I carry my wife's cards for her Suite editing work, and the cards for her freelance work (here, she says, pass these out if anyone needs a writer).

It's a little shady-looking, shuffling amongst your cards to find the right one to pass to people. It's like, "Psst! Ya wanna buy a watch?" It's so much cleaner to smoothly pull a card from your pocket without a glance.

Best solution - have a nice little business card case and fill it with the card du jour. You have to guess ahead of time what card you will want for the occassion. Then you only have to play the shuffle if you guessed wrong...

Posted by Dan Florio

Okay you jokesters. Who really carries a robotic dog to hotels to warn off intruders? You must really like the idea of it to be voting for it so strongly in my poll. Or do you really never think twice about hotel security?

Posted by Dan Florio

Calling aisle and exit row seats "Premium Coach", the Seattle Times reports an extra fee of $15, newly tacked on, for choosing some leg room.

Naturally we Seattlites don't take our seat fees sitting down. A flurry of sarcastic Letters to the Editor followed this pronouncement, asking when Northwest was going to install in-flight pay toilets.

Huh.

Frankly this just sucks. I fly a lot. I live in the Northwest, home of this airline. I like the aisle.

What I don't like are those middle seats, which I suspect the airlines are currently trying to fill. Or pack. Sardines, much?

If all the airlines start charging for aisle seats - and I bet the industry is watching the Northwest development avidly - then I will simply have to choose: be shoved between two strangers who might have ebola or merely stink...or pony up the cash when flying coach.

At least window seats are still considered cut rate. For now.

Posted by Dan Florio

In the bathroom - My last hotel made a pretty basket with origami washcloth art, a shampoo, a conditioner, lotion, a shower cap, and a tiny packet with an emery board, four Q-tips, needle, a button and thread.

Did I use any of that? Well, nooooo. But I grabbed it all for my wife anyway, who lives for free things (whether she needs them is another question).

On the Desk - Packet of coffee, packet of decaf coffee, black tea bag, herbal tea bags of various flavors, packet of sugar/creamer/stirrer, napkins and paper cups. I used several of those things and debated whether to bring home the rest of them for Jill. Decided against it.

On the TV - Card explaining the free cable and the pay-per-view options. Card explaining the nearby bar and grill happy hour specials. Bound Book with hotel rules, safety precuations, explanation of phone use and local tourist deals. I didn't touch any of those. They aren't technically freebies anyway.

What about other shwag, known as Things Not Nailed Down? Towels, bedding, toilet paper, the radio? Um...taking those things would be stealing. I guess I could take the toilet paper and facial tissues if I wanted, but it's hardly necessary. They probably charge you for them in the end. And, frankly, I prefer the towels I have at home. :)

I want to hear about more hotel free stuff - Read about my Top Ten Hotel Freebies.

Posted by Dan Florio

I'm picky about my sunscreen: I don't like putting glop on my face. I am told I need sunscreen and at my age (hovering close to 40) it's a damn good idea to take sun protection seriously.

I am trying different suncreens. They need to:

* have UVB (burning rays) and UBA (cancer rays) protection.

* be at least 15 SPF.

* be water resistant so they don't run into my eyes from my forehead when I am active.

* be nice feeling. not greasy, oil, waxy, gooey. I want it to soak in pretty quick. I don't have the patience to mess with my face with products. I also don't want to SEE it. I don't need a makeup look.

* have an easy dispensing, non-leaking container for travel.

* and, with some luck it will also be moisturizing and have

antioxidants in it but I won't hold my breath.

I have a few sample sizes I have been test driving. Remember you can't put lotion or gel sunscreen in your carry on bags for flights anymore. Check in only.

Posted by Dan Florio

Thanks to the sharp British Secret Service, transatlantic disaster was averted and terrorism was held at bay for another day.

What does this mean for travelers?

Big changes in airline security and carry-on routine.

What can we take on a plane now?

It's early in the game but it looks like not a lot. When I flew on Friday (the morning after) I knew enough to pack everything in my check-in bag. Except my Burts Bees Lip Balm, which, of course, security made me toss. Oh well.

News is, no lotions, gels, cosmetics, liquids or semi-solids. Parents with babies can bring juice and such, but that's the only exception besides prescription medications (with your name on the bottle).

Can I take solid shampoos and soaps?

Will get back to this topic in more detail later, after the dust settles a bit. I'm already getting emails about what I think people should bring - it's worth experimenting with solid toiletries - like the stuff from Lush (specifically, one email concerned trying to use Lush's deodorant solids like the Aromaco)...but really, really - here's a tip: don't try to carry along anything you'd hate to lose.

You can also try to take along smaller sizes (repackage them from your larger sizes yourself), so you are not losing too much money if your items are confiscated. Remember, no lotions, liquids or gels.

Posted by Dan Florio

I found a fantastic article in Suite's Pet Care topic about Pet First Aid Kits. If you are traveling with your dog (or hey, some other pet), it's a GREAT idea to bring along a few extras in your own first aid kit, stuff just for the dog. Here are some more great tips on pet travel safety from the Family Travel topic as well.

You don't have your own travel first aid kit? Not even in your car for road trips? Well, shame on you then. Emergencies (and even finger cuts) can happen anywhere. Often at the least convenient times. What if you were in New Orleans on a business trip when Katrina happened? Or in New York during 911? :-(

Go get yourself a travel first aid kit from REI or some other gear shop, and learn how to use it.

Suite101's free online course on Wilderness First Aid is a good place to start. Many of the "wilderness" aspects are the same situations an urban traveler might find themselves in. Ignorance is no excuse for not learning a few tips that could save someone's life. Maybe even your own. :-)

Posted by Dan Florio

Let's say you didn't listen to me and you forgot to bring along a power strip. Older hotels and cheaper motels often lack enough wall outlets for plugging in all a business traveler's mobile electronics.

I've found that you can usually hunt around for outlets and at least prioritize how to best use them. You can unplug the TV for an extra spot, or the plug the heat/AC unit uses. There are also usually plugs for the bedside lamps and the bedside clock radio. So think about what you need least and unplug those first.

There is usually a plug in the bathroom as well, which might have a coffeepot or hair dryer plugged in. REALLY old motels may not even have a bathroom plug at all.

I have been known to pull beds and entertainment units away from walls to find outlets. It's at least worth a shot.

Of course, if all you find are two-hole outlet plugs, you may just be out of luck. If so, you may consider yourself "roughing it". Maybe you can use the lobby outlets, or go find a library or a coffeeshop to work in!

Posted by Dan Florio

Not only is this a smart idea to prevent power surges and data loss, but...

...1. Many older hotels do NOT have enough plugs for your laptop, cell phone charger and other travel devices...

...and 2. sometimes the nearest outlet to the desk area is just a little tooooo far for your laptop to reach the power cord. Get a surge protector with an extra foot or two of reach, and that will do ya for double duty.

These won't take up much space in your laptop bag and are worth the smidgen of extra weight.

Posted by Dan Florio

I use lip balm several times a day. After I eat, definately after I brush my teeth and before bed. My lips get really chapped if I don't have balm on them.

I prefer the tubes that are squeezable; they travel really well, and if I forget to bring mine along, they are found on every gas station counter across North America. Cheap, too.

Anyway, these are the two balms I found in my travel kit:

Carmex - I used it because it was common in Tuscon when I worked there, and I got in the habit of buying it. I really do think it's too thick, waxy and greasy.

NOTE on CARMEX: The smell of menthol and camphor is strong, like fumes, almost. Both of those ingredients are counter-irrants and should only be used sparingly, when lips are inflamed. I am also concerned about the phenol in Carmex. That's a pretty strong and cytotoxic (cell-killing) substance to slather on skin and lick from lips.

I understand that Carmex is actually intended as a medicinal for cold sores - not for every day, daily use. I would say this is a suitable first aid kit item, or a maybe more of a necessity with people with viral lip issues. There is also aspirin in the product, which probably explains why it feels soothing on very cracked lips.

Vaseline Lip Therapy - Vaseline is just a nicer product. Smoother, not waxy, no strong fumes, no dangerous toxins. Gentle and it lasts for hours. I would call this a daily product for normal lips (ie - not very chapped, not bearing a sore).

OVERALL: Neither of these balms have a sunscreen component, which I should probably consider taking care of. Soon. But these are what I travel with right now. I don't have to worry about the tubes melting, like I would with a screw-up lip balm....very useful for keeping in your pocket, or for leaving on the dash in the sun.

Posted by Dan Florio

You can use an RV as a mobile office. I spent several months driving and staying around the southern US, going from campground to campground. I would simply look online before pulling up from one campground, to find my next destination.

Most RV campgrounds are quiet and pretty, and no one bothers you in the privacy of your motorhome.You can have everything you need in the RV - your desktop, a printer, scanner, comfortable desk chair, cold bottled water, snacks, or a coffeepot. You can even take a nap in your own bed, with your own pillow.

KOA is reliable for having WIFI, but more and more smart campground operators realize that free WIFI = business they would not have seen otherwise. It's worth it for me to drive some miles off the freeway for a nice place to work.

Campgrounds are cheaper than hotels, for the most part, so if you've got the travel time, an RV can also appeal to your budget. Since gas prices are so high, it's nice to combine your RV trip with stopovers to scenic destinations as well.

Read more about RVing on Suite101.com

Posted by Dan Florio

I really prefer using this simple lotion for a facial moisturizer after showering or shaving. I put a nickle sized amount in my palm and smooth it around my face and neck.

Why do I prefer this regular hand lotion for my face?

• It doesn't smell girly or anything. Mine is fragrance free, although my wife thinks it smells nice in a clean way
• It is not greasy, sticky or waxy
• The effect lasts all day
• It makes me feel smooth
• It's soothing if I get razor burn
• It is hypo-allergenic and non-comedogenic (doesn't block pores)
• It's not as expensive as a department store moisturizer
• Works double duty for hand and body lotion as well

I don't need to use an aftershave when I use this, which is a bonus for business meetings. Nobody wants to smell another man's aftershave these days. It's too intrusive.

Curel makes a 2.5 oz easy-travel size bottle of Daily Moisture Therapy Lotion. The cost is around $5-6. The tube travels just fine and doesn't leak, unless you pack something that presses down on it. Bagging your lotions in a ziplock is always advised in any case.

Posted by Dan Florio

You're working. You have to be somewhere other than your home office. You're driving, flying, mass transiting and maybe someday beaming in from Intergalactic Starships across the galaxy.

Sounds fun right? But even then, it's not all as glam as others think. Travel can take a lot of effort and you still have to get your work done. Learn how to travel anywhere and be your own sane, healthy worker bee. And maybe even have a bit of fun out there. Start with my Article Index or Blog.

Dan Florio commuted the world for work & play since 1998, and has been an Internet Geek from before there was an Internet. Follow the link to learn more about Dan.

Posted by Dan Florio

If you forget your toothbrush, or if you realize you have a "coffee mouth" enroute to a big meeting, these portable Brush Ups by Oral B do the trick.

You open the plastic sleeve and slip the tiny nubby mit over your pointer finger. Then just "brush" your teeth with that finger. Really get in there, front, back and sides. Don't forget your tongue. I've done this in the car and on the plane, and I might look funny doing it, but it works well. It clears out the fuzzy feeling, makes your tooth surface cleaner and brighter, and your breath smells nicer. Minty. Then throw the package and used finger mit away.

Slip one of these packets in your wallet or purse. Toss the rest of them in your laptop case or carry-on luggage. It's a must-have for the road.

I'm not saying you should forgo your toothbrush and toothpaste on business trips. Oral health is important and I want to keep all my teeth well into old age. I also floss daily. Or, nearly daily. You should too. :-)

Posted by Dan Florio

If you're wondering what I am doing blogging incessantly about body products, it will all be over soon. Or soon enough.

I've been asked to talk about all the essential body products that I bring on business trips. When I've worked my way through my small bag of items, I'll wrap this all up into an article. Since I don't carry more than is ever totally necessary, the article should be very useful for all kinds of people who like to travel light and find multiple uses for their products.

Posted by Dan Florio

My dog likes to curl up with me in bed. No, scratch that, this dog likes to attach himself to me bodily and be my personal leech, sucking all the attention from me, a black hole of neediness.

I am not exaggerating and normally this is fine by me, except when he stinks.

That's when this stinky chihuahua earns himself a quick little sink bath. I travel with his little soap kit when he's along for the ride. So I bathe my doggie buddy and my sensitive nose lets me relax, instead of distracting me from getting my work done.

Posted by Dan Florio

My wife seems to have joined a soap cult called Lush. It's really not a cult but it seems like one from the time and effort (and money) she spends on their products. She is trying to convert me as well. Normally I would resist such efforts but their products are not girly, they are environmentally friendly and made of fresh products, and they test on people, not animals.

So, anyway, I have switched from my very inexpensive liquid softsoap ($3.99 for 7.5 fl oz) to a pricey Lush product (about $22 for 17 fluid oz).

At least I can feel good about using my money for the product, and I do like the scent and texture of my Happy Hippy hair and body gel. The bottle is recyclable and travels fine. I still recommend placing all toiletries containers in closed Ziplocks, but I have not had a spill of this gel yet.

Anyway, the Happy Hippy (weird name) gel smells like fresh pink grapefruit juice. It also contains bergamot (the orange oil that makes Earl Grey smell good) and frankincense oil (one of the nativity gifts, along with gold and myrrh. But I don't know what frankincense smells like on its own).

The texture is pleasing - not too thick or runny, and washes off clean. It makes the bathroom smell clean after. And since it's a unisex scent, a couple can use it for cleaning both hair and body on the road.

Related, on Suite101:

• Travel Uses for Hand Soap
• A Man Learns to Like Lush
• Luxury Travel's article on Lush Bath Products
• Women's Special Toiletries

Posted by Dan Florio

Kicking around a dull hotel on a business trip. So last night I thought I'd see a movie. My plan was to see An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. I am always interested in Global Warming, plus I voted for the man to become president once upon a time.

A Bit of Fun

I ended up buying a ticket to Over the Hedge instead. I just thought something more chipper was in order for the evening. And really, it was real hoot.

The voices were perfect, with schlubby Gary Shandling, manic Steve Carell and phlegmatic Eugene Levy. Bruce Willis was a great charismatic lead, as always, while Will Shatner, my favorite hammy actor, got to enjoy spoofing...er...himself.

Over the Hedge is certainly not a top rank animated film. It's not the caliber of Finding Nemo, Shrek or Toy Story. But of the middle rank animateds, like the Ice Ages, Madagascar and Shark's Tale, Over the Hedge beats them senseless. It is laugh out loud funny and actually follows a storyline (unlike some other middling animateds that merely play on hip wisecracks). An absolute B+ and well worth my $9.50 ticket for the good feelings I took back the lonely hotel.

A Real Message Inside

So, no, I didn't yet see Gore's seminal Inconvenient Truth. I will, I will. :-) But even Over the Hedge has an important message, too: the subdivision that sprang up around the film's hibernating beasties is happening everywhere, every day. And the poor animals remaining in reality are in a similar predicament, with their former foraging acres utterly destroyed. It's no wonder "vermin" have to venture into suburbia for our tempting scraps.

In real life, cute critters like these are dying prolonged, sad deaths from starvation. Or quick, violent ones from professional extermination. Setting aside a tiny acre of green isn't going to be enough. And that is well worth chewing on after you wipe the movie's well-earned laughter tears from your face.

I would watch a sequel. Maybe where the vermin strike back, and ultimately the surburban developers create a new greenbelt, allowing the animals greater access to nearby parks and forest buffers.

Posted by Dan Florio

I read all the flight magazines and whatnot stuck in my seat pocket. Delta's May 2006 edition of Sky Magazine has a special offer of discounted toiletries for Delta flyers.

Partnered with Los Angeles-based skin care purveyor Lather, Delta offers a 10% discount.

According to Sky, Lather offers natural body, skin and hair care products with an aromatherapy base. The Lather products are currently featured in Delta's Business Class amenity kits and the onboard lavatories.

To get your discount, go to Lather.com and enter promotional code 02DEL06 when ordering. Anyone can use this code, as far as I can tell. SkyMiles members will also earn miles (three miles for each $1 purchased and a 150 mile bonus for orders $50 or over).

Related, on Suite101:

• Free Booze On Delta (commuter hops)
• Standing Room Flights (more commuter hops)
• A Man Learns to Like Lush (toiletries)
• Women's Special Toiletries (menstrual kit items)

Posted by Dan Florio

Along the lines of being converted to cruelty free products for my travel body care kit, I have to rave about Lush's Aromaco deodorant bar.

It's a chunk of what looks like really fresh parmesan cheese. I just rub it in my pts and that's all. I have in the past just showered to get clean and not used deodorant, and I can still get away with that at home.

When traveling, though, I can get a little, well, musky. I don't like using anti-persirant because of the aluminum salts and because they block pores. Since Aromaco is just really some baking soda, kaolin and patchouli, I like using it. The patchouli smells strong when you whiff the chunk, but ends up being just a mild, masculine smell on the body. It's about perfect for a man and my wife loves the smell on me.

If you are a really stinky person, you will probably need a stronger deodorant. My wife uses a stronger Lush one, for example, the tub of cream deodorant: Aromacreme. She has Mediterranean genes and needs that stronger product.

Her product does not travel as well as mine, being a thick paste in a tub. Actually I think hers looks a little gross but she likes it.

Like I said, mine is a like block of off-white hard cheese. I just stick it in a Ziplock in my travel kit and it lasts forever.

Posted by Dan Florio

I have always just used Softsoap for my hair, my face, my body and for shaving. It's a little drying but then I follow with a lotion like Curell. Recently I switched to a more upscale liquid soap, at the urging of my wife. She's more into stuff like that. It's called Happy Hippy (my product review), and it is made by Lush (a review of the company by Suite's Luxury Travel writer).

Lush is my wife's current soap cult. Really it's just like a cult but at least it's a CLEAN cult. :-) In any case, my new liquid soap has a nice amount of real citrus in it, and I can also use for for just about anything.

Here is my list of the many uses for my new liquid travel soap.

Posted by Dan Florio

You don't have to have WIFI access, or even a laptop/Blackberry to get work done - although sometimes it seems that way, these high-tech days. But anyone can work well, anywhere in the world, with the proper desire and a little extra effort. I touch on this, working from my tent in the US southwest, and coffeeshops in Wales, Italy and Asia. You don't have to be logged in from a hotel, airport or even coffeeshop. You can work from a sleeping bag in the tropics.

I'm compiling ideas for an upcoming article on low-tech ways to get real, honest business work done while traveling. It might take a bit more effort, but you can always get something accomplished - pen and paper, anyone - from just about anywhere on the planet. Or off the planet. (Depending on what you do for a living.)

You probably have advice too. Feel free to join the Low Tech Locale discussion.

Related on Suite101:

• Traveler Work Setting Poll Results
• RV Travel and WIFI Access

Posted by Dan Florio

Drinking and Driving. Basically don't do it. Ever. Unless you are at home with your new X-Box 360, playing Test Drive, Need for Speed or some other hot game on X-Box Live. And only when your wife pours you a nice glass of Big House Red while you settle in to play. Weeeee!

I never go out for a drink to actually DRINK. I am always the designated driver. But at home I don't mind a vino and just discovered I'd be a terrible drunk driver - just one glass amid my X-Box feeding frenzy and I feel my usual shark-like reflexes...just...slipping away.

X-Box really is my first choice for relaxing at home, between trips for Microsoft. And, hell no, I didn't even get a discount on the X-Box or the games. So don't even ask. Now, pass me that bottle. And the remote! :-)

Posted by Dan Florio

I don't even like thinking about women's little weeks of terror but sometimes I have them pushed in my face. Like, when my wife suddenly takes offense at everything and then cries for no real reason. Or the other months where she is under emotional control but can't sleep for the cramps. I'm glad to be a man, even though I have to be the gentleman and rub her back for hours. If I had to choose, though, I would rather take the cramps than lose emotional control.

Anyway, I noticed my wife travels with a whole bag of special stuff to handle her periods. Bottles of pills and some lotions and many wrapped "pads" - I think. I don't really want to know.

Okay, half the business travelers are women. So I asked her to write a piece on what she takes along. Here is her Business Travel guest article on her Female Menstrual Travel Kit.

Posted by Dan Florio

I just hooked up Skype for the first time and I can't say enough good things about it. For one thing, it's totally free to set up and run (once you have a headset). And it works like a charm - almost. Sometimes there's an echo or a line doesn't go through properly, but these bugs are being worked out fast.

Mostly, Skype's sound is clearer than an actual hard line or cell phone. It's pretty intuitive to use and you can call anywhere (in the US and Canada), for free for the rest of 2006, for calls as long as you want...and from anywhere your computer picks up a wireless Internet signal.

I'm going to play with Skype a little more before logging in a full review. But in the meantime, two shiny, enthusiastic gold stars for this useful, innovative and free program.

(Ha! Take that, AT&T! Er, Sprint. Quest? I haven't had a land line in years. Who's in charge these days?)

2007 Update - Skype is no longer free. Bummer. Still a good service though. Except for the worms. Do your research first with Skype calls.

Posted by Dan Florio

I have a business trip coming up and it's going to fall right in the middle of several important phone calls - my anniversary with my wife (four years) and two nieces' birthdays (ages to be: 10 and 14). I might remember to send cards via snail mail ahead of time...but then again, I don't have a great track record that way.

Internet topic writer Linda Roeder offers some help for lazy types like us: Greeting Cards Online for Free. It's also nice to make a phone call, but people really like to get a gift type thing. Opening an eCard is at least something that shows care and thoughtfulness. Remember to bookmark your eCard page for traveling emergencies!

Posted by Dan Florio

My car mascot is a little plush Triceratops. He goes on all my road trips, lives on my dashboard and protects me against evil mastermind plots to foil my brilliant work plans.

Why a dinosaur? Because I am a geek (and proud of it). Every geek should have his or her own plushy mascot to road trip with them and to even appear in pictures, for showing off back home. You know what I mean - the mascot at the Grand Canyon. The mascot on your hotel desk. The mascot at the after-convention party, next to a very relaxed-looking you. You get the idea.

But I am thinking of retiring the dinosaur in favor of something even geekier - a five inch plushy of a virus.

Think Geek has, what I would have to say, are the BEST travel mascots on the planet. Maybe even in the universe. They are, ahem, "infectiously cute." Cute in a good way, not cute like an iMac (blech). And they come with an instruction card all about the care and feeding of your particular microbe.

I want them all but I need to pick one really. Having a entire host of disease on my dash is a tempting thought, but maybe I'll just start with ordering Ebola. Or a Martian Microbe - so cool.

Support this company that is quirky enough to make plushy pimples, ulcers and head lice. How much more perverse can it get? Even if you don't travel - just stick one on your work desk. Or, hey, tell your boss you're giving him The Clap. That will go over REAL well....

Posted by Dan Florio

Sometimes when you travel you end up couch-surfing. On a recent trip I needed to check in at work and for some reason couldn't use my laptop on my friend's connection. And I really didn't want to use his computer. For one thing, I don't type on the QWERTY keyboard, so I can't use some random computer. And for another thing I really only like my own stuff. I'm like that.

So we went WarDriving. And parked outside a Paneira Bakery so I could download my email and check a few quick feeds.

I've done this across the USA. Chain hotels are good places to at least park at and try to tap a line, as well as JiffyLubes, some McDonalds and - more and more often - any old highway truck stop or rest area. I've done this in affluent suburban neighborhoods. It's not stealing - many people leave their WIFI connections open in the spirit of sharing free Internet with people who need it. Just be a good soul and don't abuse the priviledge. No hacking.

Just a caution - I would say that WarDriving in a neigborhood can be chancy. A few people have been arrested for such. No one has been convicted - yet. Personally I don't think anyone who has unsecured WiFi has a case for prosecution; that would be like someone playing their music real loud next door but telling you not to listen. Basically, if you don't want to share, secure your waves. Otherwise, thank you for sharing.

Wondering where the name WarDriving comes from? Remember the classic film War Games? War Dialing was coined right there and then. Go rent it again. :-)

Read the Wired News article on finding WIFI signals - Stalking the Wild Wi-Fi Network.

Posted by Dan Florio

My wife and I were discussing how most people own PCs over Macs, but how the people who own Macs really, really love them. Mac people are brand-loyal and I think cute is a big factor for Apple-philes.

I personally run, run, run from cutesy computer applications. I just want to get my work done. Why do you think Clippie failed so spectacularly? He was annoying. Everyone hated Clippie: "I see you're trying to write a letter..."...BAM! SQUISH!

Anyway, Jill maintains that not only was Clippie annoying, but he also really wasn't very cute. She DOES like the little Mac "waiting" symbol of a smiling computer, and says the iMac is a very stylish-looking computer. I say Meh. The egg-shaped "Base Station" - ie, it's just a router, people - also has her vote for being cute and smart-looking. But she also thinks the iRobot is a good idea. Save me. It's another annoying, trying-to-be-cute product.

The iPod isn't cute, and that's why it has a cross-gender appeal. IMO.

Give me a sleek design anyday, like the one around my new X-Box 360. Forget cute. The X-Box is just darned sexy. Much, much better.

Posted by Dan Florio

With the power of my superior brain, I can magically drive right where ever I need to go. It's true. I don't need directions.

Okay, maybe it's not so true. I cheat a little: I use Google Earth.

Nothing gets me testy quicker than driving around and around, even armed with maps, written directions, or the best intentions of my oft-lost "navigator" (ie - "wife"). I HATE being lost. And as the Luxury Travel writer says in her blog, Men Don't Ask for Directions.

Well, let me salute Jen's husband - good for you, man. Don't break the code, not even in Italy.

So to all of you of either gender, learn a little lesson here and just zoom into Google Earth, find your location in real space, and plot your course. When going somewhere new I like to trace my route, right on GE. They have a tool for that. That way I can see which lane I need to be in, where entrances to parking lots are, details like that.

Have fun zooming in from outer space and flying anywhere on Earth. Use your X-ray vision to spy out your old childhood home, and leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Yup. Never be lost again. Just like me.

Posted by Dan Florio

Flipping through the June 2006 issue of Laptop Magazine (tagline - Mobile Solutions for Business and Life), I see a smorgasbord of interesting articles. Best Gadgets. Check. Top 3 Pound Notebooks Tested. Hmmm, sounds great. Ditch the Credit Cards, Swipe your Cell...I'll have to think about that idea. A Portal in Your Pocket. Okay, yeah, I have to buy this magazine.

(Plus they are mentioning stuff about Microsoft I thought only I knew about. I mean, I work there.)

So I bring the magazine home and Jill immediately confiscates it. As a freelance writer/editor, she really digs anything about being able to work while traveling.

When I get my magazine back, I'll blog about what I think of the latest in Laptop and Mobile Solutions, as reported by this mag and my own two cents.

Posted by Dan Florio

It's a little disheartening to realize so many people - a huge percentage of poll voters - don't get much of anything done, workwise, when traveling. But then I thought - hey! This is good news. I mean, I can help, here. This is something I am really good at - working while traveling. I can even do it in darkest Africa.

So to speak. I haven't gone to Africa yet, but I have a friend there who has started an African orphanage non-profit, almost all online...and another friend who works as a teacher in Haiti, where the Intenet connection goes down every time someone does the laundry. And a friend who shared travel stories from beach cafes in Thailand. My wife scribbles articles on paper from actual mountain peaks.

I myself have found great ways to work in Europe, Asia, Mexico, Canada, the US and even on cruise ships. And even while...aHEM...living for a season in my tent. And another year I worked for three months while traveling/living in my car. It CAN be done.

Anyway, cheers to us who wish to stay plugged in and get a little work done whether on the road, the savannah or in the yurt. Read the Work Setting Results for my poll analysis.

Posted by Dan Florio

I have heard both sides of the coin - that it's best to travel light and use just a carry-on bag...negating the need to check in your luggage and deal with baggage claim...or to take what you really need and not have to cram it together in one tiny wheeled case? Or does it depend on where you are going and who you travel with?

What do you do? June's Poll will ask this question. And I'd like to hear your thoughts in the Luggage Discussion. Also, check out Luxury Travel writer Jen Miner's tongue-in-cheek take on lost luggage hell in Florence. Well, if you are going to have a nightmare, may as well laugh about it later! :-)

Related, on Suite101 -

• Airline Security Checkpoints
• Family Road Trip Packing
• Learn to Pack your Backpack

Posted by Dan Florio

For a brief time my wife worked as a leasing agent. She was on her feet most of the day, walking around the apartment community, showing the property, the models and the hauling sandwich boards around parking lots. She wore three-inch heels. And she came home in absolute pain every day.

So I have to wonder, why does society cripple our women? High heels make ladies' legs longer and more shapely, but how does that showcase business acumen? It's ritual foot binding. Like a form of gender slavery. Really.

Jill would come home hobbling and whining, sticking her feet in a portable cleaning, vibrating heater thing. Then ask me to rub Pied de Pepper (cinnamon smelling) pink lotion (yes, more LUSH stuff) on her soles and legs.

When she quit that job, I really think it was more about saving her feet than anything else. I'm happy to not hear the complaints. After all, I work at Microsoft and get to wear tee shirts and flip flops to the office if I want.

I apply these comfortable clothes rules to business travel. It's all about my personal comfort. I make a better worker when I am not in physical pain.

When I see women traveling in hose and heels I have to wonder if there are appropriate cost benefits to this torture. If in retirement, high-powered business women can't even walk anymore.

Way to go, modern culture. Bravo.

Posted by Dan Florio

Hotel Chatter's Best and Worst Hotel WIFI Awards are a useful place to start your search.

For example, the Worst WiFi Hotels 2006 detail how much some international hotels charge for their WIFI service per day. Some of these charge a LOT more than you'd think. We are talking hellish fees, like $6.99 a minute in worst cases. But most of the high end hotels charge $10-15 for each 24-hour period, which I consider out of hand.

The Bests section include both low, middle and high end hotels offering free room, or at least lobby WIFI, and rating only places with decent connections worth using. The Holiday Inn Express and Marriot Residence Inn makes this list...whereas The Four Seasons definately does not.

Related Article - Finding Hotels with WIFI

Posted by Dan Florio

I hate Apple, and not only because I work for Microsoft. I just have some issues and it's better not to even get me started. However, I will admit the iPod is a really superior product.

I especially like the new Nike and iPod running invention I have been hearing about in USA Today and all over the news channels. There is a new running shoe with an iPod insert that sends fitness messages to your player.

Apparently, the iPod will list your heartrate, number of strides, distance, time, pace and calories. USA Today reports audio feedback is available at the touch of a button.

"You can customize a workout and choose playlists to hear on the run," USA Today (May 24, 2006) declares, as well as programming in a "Power Song," for that extra burst of energy, as needed.

As a running enthusiast, I like the sound of this. The right music can transform a workout. If I am on the road, languishing in a hotel somewhere, the right playlist could make the difference between getting me out the door and clicking around the sports channels on TV. It's not like this will take up much space in my carry-on bag, either.

Of course you have to buy the Nike shoe ($100), and have an iPod Nano ($149), and then there's $29 for the conversion kit. I do think business travelers should think about getting this if they already have a Nano and they are thinking about adding running or walking routines to their travel fitness regime.

For now I will just stick with my more humble MP3 player.

Posted by Dan Florio

I really enjoyed this article about Airline Coffee: A Bitter Cup on MSNBC. Basically it's full of tips to get a good cup of coffee on a flight. Good advice.

Here are my own tips:

• I bring my own coffee, the kind I like best from my French press, and in a Nissan stainless travel mug, for morning flights (when I remember to make it).
• If I forget, I'll ask for a cup right after boarding, when it's hot and freshly brewed. By the time the coffee makes the beverage cart rounds, it's sure to suck already.
• I myself have noticed that early morning flights get better brews than coffee in afternoons or evening schedules. I couldn't say why - except that maybe the airline attendants just had stolen a few hours of sleep and are feeling generous with their attention to brewing. Or maybe the coffee just sits there as the day wears on, glumly reducing away between flights. You know that taste of which I speak.
• I use half-and-half in my coffee, but whole milk will do. Skim milk is pointless; tastes like water. I also hate powdered cream, but those are still better than skim milk. My point here, is I will ask the flight attendant what they offer for coffee, and decide myself rather than just blithely accept a "cup with cream".
• For a treat, ask for a container of chocolate milk and add it to your coffee yourself. Yum.

Hmmmm. My mother worked as a flight attendant for Delta. I'll have to ask her about secret coffee flight tips. Later.

Posted by Dan Florio

A little humor goes along way, in my book of life. On CNN's Sign of the Times segment today, they showed a California gas station billboard with the "normal" $3.50 gas prices replaced with body parts.

In other words:

• Regular - Arm
• Premium - Leg
• V-Supreme - First Born

Nice! Hahaha. We can all use a good laugh over this expensive situation, and I am sorry those folks got fired.

Related Article -

Read Kelby Carr's excellent Family Travel article Save Gas on Road Trips. While the article is about family road trips, the tips are applicable across the board. Also, you read about travel bargains at Budget Travel.

Posted by Dan Florio

According to the May 06 Delta In-Flight magazine Sky, free beers and wines will now be offered on Boston, New York City and Washington, DC shuttle flights. Reportedly, Sam Adams and Bud Light will be among the complimentary beverages.

The issue also includes a note about how Delta recycles their bevie cans. Which is always a good thing to do and can often be a challenge for travelers. Go, Delta. Now, pass the vino...

Posted by Dan Florio

It's nice to know you're not alone when it comes to being imperfect. In other words, travel stresses other people out as well.

It's a conundrum. Hey, isn't travel supposed to be fun? Don't we all dream of being able to travel? So why should my wife and I have our nearly-expected pre-trip arguments?

Well, I just got an email from a fellow travel writer here (I won't give away just who), who shared some tips on how to de-stress before packing for a trip and the "inevitable pre-flight fight" with the spouse.

Which actually goes a long way towards making me feel better about myself and my own marriage. I mean, it's not just me and the wife, right? Travel DOES create unusual pressures. Life stress, if you will.

Jill and I normally get along just fine. But sometimes I really think travel brings out the bear in each of us. Or at least in her. He he. Like I said, I'm perfect, right??? ;-)

Posted by Dan Florio

I still have not seen United 93, and just don't think I will. While it was on the movie screens, my wife took a flight and asked several flight attendants whether they were going to view the film. The answer was unanimously no. Apparently the idea of watching such a nightmare reenacted would have hit them too close to home.

I also asked my mother, an ex-Delta flight attendant, whether she would see the film. She was actually on a layover that horrible, fateful day, and said she carries feelings of guilt to this day, guilt that young people, with young children, were sacrificed, and that she was spared.

As a frequent flyer businessman, an ex-New Yorker who was in NYC on 9/11, and someone whose mother works in the flight industry itself, this movie stirs up too many painful memories.

Related Blog - United 93 - A Movie to See?

Posted by Dan Florio

I have readers asking me many questions about laptop and travel security, and my Outdoor & Adventure section editor wants me to write a series on this topic.

So get ready for my upcoming series on Business Travel (You can bookmark Business Travel for updates if you wish - just use the link above) with these article titles:

• Hotel Laptop Safety
• Coffeeshop Laptop Safety
• Airplane Laptop Safety
• Bus and Subway Laptop Safety
• Taxi Laptop Safety
• Laptop Packing Tips
• Prevent Laptop Theft

Have any tips to share, or any questions on this topic you'd like answered? Ask or share, right in the Business Travel Forum. I promise to get back to you within a day, or two-three at most (if over a long weekend).

Here are some related articles with some Laptop Airport Tips and Hotel Security Basics to get you started.

Posted by Dan Florio

I generally use the freebies left in the hotel when I travel - the cheap soaps, bottled shampoo/conditioner. Actually I am usually so lazy I just use the soap on my head. My wife Jill thinks this is nuts but I have short hair and it all looks the same to me.

I also don't use deodorant. I shower a LOT and I don't think I smell. Even Jill agrees I don't smell. Or, at least, "Not much," she says. :-)

She thinks I need a few new and better things for my business travel kit. I do have a lotion I like for my hands - Curell - and I always bring Q-Tips, lip Carmex, toothpaste, floss and my toothbrush.

I am now told I need a face moisturizer with SPF, an after sun lotion, and some kind of mild deodorant that I don't hate. Something environmentally-friendly would be best for all the above. Shopping is not fun for me, but I am really picky about what I allow on my face.

So this week Jill dragged my butt into uber-urban bathroom "stuff" store Lush. I swear Jill may as well move in there since I can't get her out, once in. But I like the Lush concept. It's set as an upscale deli, where they cut you blocks of cheese-like things (soaps) and baked goods (bubble bath bars), etc. The women who work there love talking to men and gave me free things to try. Like the slice of deodorant, which is like rubbing parmesan cheese on my pits. So far I like it. I also got free Lush samples of moisturizer and a salty face scrub.

But if I was single, I would hang around there just to pick up chicks! Ha ha. Women seem drawn to men who wander into that store. Single blokes, make a note of this.

This all started due to Jen Miner's Luxury Travel discussion thread on Lush spa products.

Anyway, I am NOT a foofy spa guy but I do like natural products that aren't stinky and greasy (and who don't do animal testing), so Lush has my consumer dollar.

I am not too sure how well the Lush lotions will travel in those cool-but-wiggy black containers. The soaps also seem very melty. So the jury is still out whether Lush products can handle the rigors of business travel.

Related Blog: Children Learn to like Lush, too, by Luxury Travel writer Jen Miner.

Posted by Dan Florio

Teleportation technology will revolutionize business travel. Once we figure out how to have humans do it, at least. According to NASA, we've already teleported the quantum state of individual atoms from one place to another.

When you can live in a beach house in Thailand, and commute daily to NYC, the world will truly shrink. Hell, you could own a condo beneath the lunar surface and commute to Microsoft's InterPacific Space Elevator. Beaming will ensure everyone and no one is a business traveler.

We won't even need Scotty. Just a large, glorified fax machine.

(Of course, this gives a whole new frightening meaning to lost luggage...)

Posted by Dan Florio

I have to say I have never heard of standing room only flights. But Travel and Culture editor Catherine Tse's blog about this odd phenomenon posits this revolutionary concept is being explored...I am intrigued.

Hmmmm, how long would I be willing to stand? And why would I want to?

Maybe on a commuter hop. Unless there were long delays on the runway, which would get taxing. I keep picturing these flights like a subway station, with people jostling around, smelling each other's smells and bumping elbows.

Frankly I'd rather not stand for flights, but if the rates were cheap enough, I'd give this serious consideration. I'd go seatless from New York to Boston, for example, for $25.

Of course, if the company was springing for the flight, I really wouldn't...um..stand for it. ;-)

Posted by Dan Florio

Telecommuting is a natural for the business traveler. Every time we head out on a trip we become default telecommuters. So if you're new to the whole idea of working out of the office, or from the hotel/plane/train/car, you might want to read these Telecommuting articles at Melissa Dylan's Working Culture topic at Suite101.

This article, her Adjustment Period telecommuter piece, is useful and applicable for the business traveler. You might be dealing with issues of checking in with the boss, dealing with co-worker jealousy and handling time-stealing family requests (especially if the family is along for the business trip).

Each time you see the words home in these articles, mentally insert coffeeshop, airport, hotel room, yurt, igloo or wherever else you are temporarily and professionally squatting.

Posted by Dan Florio

If you read my personal blog at all, then you know I think about Global Warming a lot. I have a lot to say on the subject and lots more reading/researching yet to do. My wife has a degree in Conservation Biology.

So, basically, ecological living is a common theme around the hearth of our home. :)

I firmly feel we should be aware of this growing issue and take a few steps to:

1. Help do our part to prevent ecological catastrophy, and
2. Plan for the eventuallity of a soon very changed world environment.

There are lots of considerations that the eco-friendly buiness traveler can affect. I will add Green Business Travel articles to this section soon. In the meantime, if you have any eco-travel tips, please help get the discussion going in the forum.

I've started it off, talking about how tough recycling can be when you are on the road. I'd love to hear some tips and hear what other issues you have with staying green.

Posted by Dan Florio

I was just a kid but I remember well the horrible oppressive feeling of suffocation under toxic cigarette smoke on airplanes. Even in the non-smoking sections. And honestly, it's all the same air, recycling endlessly - how could airlines have even THOUGHT a non-smoking section would, ahem, fly?

I guess you could say we've come a long way, baby. Thank the maker no one smokes on planes anymore, not even on long flights to Europe.

As an adult, I can barely act nice to people smoking in public places, if they are near me at all. Maybe I am a little extreme. But I cannot, cannot, cannot get any meaningful work or even thinking done when traveling, if someone's noxious exhaust enters the sanctity of my clean lungs. Especially if I am trapped, like I would have been on 1970s and 80s airplanes.

Even so. On a related theme, I did really enjoy the recent film, "Thank You for Smoking". It was clever, funny and even believable to like this guy who promoted pure evil. I liked it enough even to review on my PolyGeek blog.

There is even a bit of business travel in the film...as when the protagonist flies to California to buy off the Marlboro Man (who is, of course, dying of lung cancer). And no, there is no smoking on the plane. Or even throughout the whole movie, in fact.

Posted by Dan Florio

Not sure yet if I can see the new film, United 93. For one, I was in NYC, skating to work through Central Park, when both planes smashed the Towers and the world as we knew it changed forever.

For another, my mother at that time was still a flight attendant on Delta.

And thirdly, I still have nightmares about 9/11. Enough said.

I am still thinking about whether I can see this movie. Most of the planes were full of people traveling on business and I would like to cover the movie, as a review here, from the perspective of a business traveler.

I might do it. I might not. I'll keep thinking on this one. I do know the director did everything he could to honor the fallen and the families that survived them.

So at least I can offer the director a hat's off for making a respectful movie about an event we won't none of us forget.

Posted by Dan Florio

I'm afraid of germs. There, it's said.

My wife gets sick after flights all the time, she's decided to try taking Airborne. But part of our collective germ distaste is really a psychological one. Jill studied enough microbiology in college to know more about germs than a sane person should, and enjoys telling me all about where the critters lurk.

The result? Paranoia. We use our sleeves to open and bolt public bathroom doors, raise our feet to flush toilets, and elbow-operate the sink handles. I'm not touching anything in those tiny microbe incubators!

The shared cabin air is bad enough, but in airline bathrooms I am basically forced to touch things countless traveling masses (with their traveling germs) have coughed on and fondled.

I do have some semi-useful ideas about not catching the flu or colds on planes.

Okay, now that everyone is just as creeped as me, this rant is over. You may go back to your regularly scheduled blog.

Why I Like Airline Bathrooms

Posted by Dan Florio

Jerry Seinfeld likes airplane bathrooms. I do too. Like Jerry, I appreciate the little room with the little toilet, little counter, little sink. Everything has a place - seat covers, trash bins, tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, mirrors, hand soap...and mysterious free things in boxes that I suspect are for feminine hygiene. That's smart - saves on seat cleanup from feminine "accidents".

I like how you can close - and lock! - the door and have your own private chamber. Amid a pressurized cabin of tightly packed bodies, that offers a nice little sanity break. A man needs a moment to himself at least once on every flight.

There are also extra barf bags in the potty room. Some bags now come in plastic. Good move. The better for handing the flight attendant a bag of hot vomit; less leaky and all. ;-)

Why I Hate Airline Bathrooms

Posted by Dan Florio

Lest ye think I'm being alarmist - or as X-Files' Mulder would say, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean you're not being watched," - you really need to watch your back when you travel.

My wife just called in from her Orlando business trip with news on this theme. She's a smart girl and follows my sound advice: double-lock the hotel doors, leave on the TV and lights, don't permit maid service, and etc.

Yet she reported, on her first night at the Disney's Grosvenor Hotel, that two men knocked repeatedly on her door at 2AM.

She says, "I looked through the peephole and saw a guy looking off sideways, not straight at the door. I heard him murmur to someone esle who said something back that I couldn't make out. Three times I asked loudly, 'Who is there?'. No answers any times, just more knocking. So I went back to bed.Eventually they went away. There was no way I was opening that door."

I'm glad. But she should have also called the front desk to send up security.

Neither she nor I have any idea what the 2AM incident was about, but she says her hotel room is accessible from the parking lot.

Not the most secure location for a room. A common access walkway like that is not as secure as an internal-hallway access. A higher level, and one facing the courtyard, would have been a better bet.

Related Article - read my common sense tips on Hotel Safety and Hotel Security.

Posted by Dan Florio

I didn't get to spend much time at SEA-TAC, the Seattle Airport. Normally that's a good thing, but I did want to review the place from the perspective of the business traveler.

As it turns out, I just dropped off the wife and sped away from the curb for home. Without thinking...just habit. I am not used to thinking of the AIRPORT as a destination of its own.

Okay. So on my next business flight I will just arrive early and hang around. Doesn't that sound like a GREAT time?

Posted by Dan Florio

My future in my fortune cookie today was, you ready for this? "Your romantic fantasies are about to come true."

So at the Microsoft lunch table when I read it I said, "How perfect is this. My wife is out of town for a week and I get this. SWEET!!!" Everyone laughed.

Posted by Dan Florio

I found a cool book for frequent flyers, called, Stuck at the Airport. Been flipping through it, mainly checking on airports I've known, for comparison. It's a great resource for finding things to do and see, spots for eating or napping or what-have-you, when you have time to kill at the airport.

I will write up a more in-depth book review once I've compared the work to some real-life airports.

So, tommorrow, I drop my wife off at SeaTac, in the wee early hours. That's Seattle-Tacoma, BTW. She's off to Orlando on a business trip of her own. Very cool.

I plan to jog around the terminals and see if I agree with the author - who is a Seattle local, BTW - that the airport can make a decent hangout for the bored business traveler with time weighing heavily on his hands.

Stay tuned to this Bat Channel...in the meantime, read my piece on Using your Laptops and Getting Business Done at the Airport.

Posted by Dan Florio

I'm enjoying surfing the many Suite101 topics and wanted to mention Ryan J. Faas's Mobile Technology Topic. An IT man after my own heart, except that he likes Macs.

In spite of this flaw he's got some great information for the tech-savvy business traveler, writing about iPods and MP3 players, Blackberrys, cell phones, VOIP, laptops and WIFI devices.

I especially like this article, The Convergence Myth. Like Ryan, I have my doubts this mythical Ultimate Device will ever be worth buying. We already have the technology. I don't think everyone is going to actually be happy with the inevitable compromises inherent in such a device. But that's another story...

Posted by Dan Florio

Guest Blog: Sushi is a reliable cuisine for the traveling low carb dieter. Sushi has naturally zero or low amounts of carbs, especially if one avoids the rice-bearing sashimi treats. Sushi is healthy and readily available in the urban areas business travelers often frequent.

Another nice thing - sushi is naturally low in fat! So for low carb travelers also watching their fat and cholesterol, finding a sushi bar comes as a big low fat relief! Yay - you can actually find a whole menu FULL of things you can eat.

When you travel much, you KNOW how rare that can be. :)

More on Sushi: Traveling in Southern California? Suite101's Luxury Travel columnist Jennifer Miner shares the best hidden sushi bars of LA. Well, actually, she says the best hidden sushi bars are in "The Valley"...as in San Fernando; as in, "Like, gag me with a chopstick"...yeah, THAT Valley. Who knew? - Jill Florio

Posted by Dan Florio

Do you get any meaningful work done while waiting at the airport? Sure, they have WIFI and business services you can use...but there's also a seething mass of humanity in way too close a proximity. I can use my time well, but I'm pretty good at tuning things out and concentrating on my work.

What about you? Can you get anything done over the screaming kids, the buzzy-sounding announcements and weird smells from strangers? Join the discussion.

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Posted by Dan Florio

I almost always use hotel fitness centers, unless I am totally exhausted from travel or working, or from both. :-) A gym of sorts is a must-have hotel amenity, for me.

What do I like in the fitness center? I usually use a pull-down bar, lats press, leg press and butterfly machine. So a nautilus-type gym with multiple options is great for me.

A handful of free weights is a plus, too.

I also use a treadmill or elliptical trainer, preferably. Lacking those I will use a stair stepper or cycle, but those can be really tough on your knees.

What else? I like a mat to stretch on, a water cooler for bottle refills...and most of all, a TV. I will even plan my workouts around watching the game.

What game? Football or basketball, please. And I live for the Lakers. Go Wildcats! Yeah, Cowboys!

...Okay, don't get me started...

Dan Florio's Business Travel Blog Archive

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Posted by Dan Florio

After writing about hotels and the low carb diet, I have been asked to discuss low fat eating tips for business traveling. You can easily eat healthy hotel morning meals that won't encrust your arteries, with a bit of care. This article describes common low fat hotel food options.

I also wanted to add that it doesn't take much exercise to keep your heart tuned up - 20 minutes of even mild walking is helpful. I like to take a walk after a meal, if I can take the time. I do try to get out there, whether at home or on the road.

Yoga and simple stretching is another tip to keep your heart happy and healthy. Business travelers can become pretty Type A after a while. Travel is actually stressful! Yogic breathing and gentle stretching movements keep me both mentally and physically limber.

Posted by Dan Florio

I love working in coffeeshops, drinking vanilla lattes and looking cool. My Dell Inspiron 17-inch widescreen monitor always attracts attention. Yeah, I enjoy the notoriety, and I get to tell people I'm being paid for my time, too.

It's a super cool laptop, but it's also a table hog. Those little bistro tables are totally dwarfed and my wife can't see me from behind the screen. She says it's like playing "You Sunk my Battleship!" with me, but far less social. :-)

In spite of this point, I do get a lot of work done. I try to follow my own Dan's Rules of CoffeeShop Laptop Etiquette, and to not to take over the free-spirited coffeeshop ambience with my technological terror of a work machine.

Posted by Dan Florio

Want to add your own tips and comments on Business Travel, or comment on an article or blog at Suite101.com's Business Travel? Visit the Business Travel Discussion Board and add your two cents. Or two Euros. Two yen? Remember, with buiness travel, you can be anywhere. :)

Posted by Dan Florio

A good MP3 Player is a must for the serious Business Traveler. I have an RCA Lyra that serves me well enough, but I'd rather I had an iPod. I use iTunes and that would've made the interface darned easy.

My Lyra uses a Media Player interface, which I do have, but its just another step to move my music there from its storage in iTunes.

Plus, I like the options iPod is coming out with, like the music dock for the home, office and car. I am not normally an Apple fan, but I have to admit iPod is a superior product.

But, hey! Oh well. For now I have my convenient, portable and even rather attractive (it's red and ergonomic-looking) Lyra. Fine for today; that's my new motto.

I'll have to get my hands on a few more MP3 players to review. Terri L Griffin, BellaOnline editor for West Coast Travel, reviews the SanDisk Sansa MP3 Player. BellaOnline has honest reviews, so I feel safe sending you to a review there. I will try to add more, myself, from my own point of view, when I get my mitts on more MP3 players.

In the meantime, how do you like your players? Do you prefer CDs? Are you an early or late technology adopter? Join the MP3 player discussion to add your two cents.

Related Article:

Why Business Travelers need MP3 Players

Posted by Dan Florio

I like a hands-free device for driving, walking and conducting most business with my cell phones. The problem is finding a good one. I don't like things INSIDE my ears or cords that dangle and twist too much or loud mikes that pick up every little bark and siren and breeze and my heartbeat too.

Maybe I am asking too much? Well, in a perfect world my headset would be cordless, sit comfortably on my head, have a few phone controls on the device itself and be a fair price.

I'll be starting to review the headsets I stumble across, starting with the Jabra Ear Wave Boom.

Posted by Dan Florio

Guest Blog: I always travel with my own pillow. I am very pillow-oriented and can't sleep properly with a substandard pillow. Hotels often offer these mile-high uncomfortable ones...or too-thin nonexistant limp things that you can only pile up into the semblance of a pillow if they give you enough of them.

My own travel pillow is a small, portable, but perfectly proportioned affair. I have two different kinds, actually, depending on how much extra room I have in my luggage. One is an actual real standard-sized pillow with my luxurious, silky Pima Cotton pillowcase that I bought at Goodwill. It goes on road trips, bus/train trips, when staying at a friend's house overnight and whenever I am not traveling light.

The other thing I use is a little neck pillow that has several comfortable positions for various uses - one for propping up my head to read, or for sleeping lying down, or for trying to sleep on planes. I found this at Goodwill too (I am an unashamed scavenger).

Since all pillows attributes are a personal choice, you will just need to try different travel pillows to find the right one for you. You don't even have to feel embarrassed at your pickiness, since as this blog shares, you are not alone in your pillow woes.

I like to travel with a lavendar linen spray too. I use it at home and have a small size for traveling. Dan even likes the spray and will obligingly sit up to let me scent his pillow before lights-out. It does help us sleep better and through the night, no matter the condition of the available pillow. - Jill Florio

Read Jennifer Miner's article about luxury hotel pillows at Luxury and Resort Travel.

Posted by Dan Florio

Mmmmm. Danishes. Toasted frozen waffles with syrup and packets of maple sugar oatmeal, donuts and muffins. Yeah, I like my free hotel "Continental Breakfasts". There is usually something for everyone, even jelly packets for picky children - ie, Condimental Breakfasts, as the Luxury Travel writer insists on calling them.

I will even pick a hotel with free breakfasts even when I can certainly afford to eat out - I like the convenience and I love getting a freebie. And I resent being nickled and dimed by things like phone charges and Internet fees, so a free breakkie will go along way towards making me likeable in the morning.

For my low carb wife, those starchy, sweet spreads are tough to handle. But low-carb CAN be done if you plan ahead and are inventive. If you are lucky enough to get a free breakfast with eggs, you are all set.

...or, HEY! At least enjoy the free black coffee! (Okay, you can add milk and Splenda.) :-)

Posted by Dan Florio

I can't think of a more irritating way to spoil the tone of a trip than to know your stuff is...somewhere...out there...lost. And you are stuck with whatever you had on your back or in your carry-on.

I haven't had to deal with this yet, but then, I travel light. I am what you might call a 'carry-on' person. I don't check anything and I have no worries. I highly recommend traveling this way, if you have the self-restraint to travel light.

If you don't, or if your wife forces you to carry extra luggage and check it, you'll need to review this helpful article on How to Prevent Lost Luggage.

Posted by Dan Florio

A little-used feature at hotels are the free late checkouts. Just because your official checkout time is 10 or 11 am, doesn't mean you have to hurry on those lazy layover days. Simply call the hotel office and ask if you can have a free late checkout. Then you can leave the hotel and have a great breakfast, see the sights...and THEN come back and pack up. Common late checkouts are until noon or 1 pm. I call that a SWEET freebie!

Posted by Dan Florio

When you are driving between hotels and reserving inns online, it's generally easier to book advance rooms at smaller towns. Not because you have to worry about larger cities being booked up or more expensive, but since they are generally easier to find. In small towns the Best Westerns and Super 8's are right off the Interstate. You don't have to drive around inside a new and confusing city when you're tired and cranky! Yeah! You simply pull over, check in, and grab that well-deserved nap. Don't forget to hang that Do Not Disturb door tag. :-)

Posted by Dan Florio

A big, flashy car - whether a rental or your own - is only a come-on for thieves. I try to keep a low profile during my own business trips so I don't have to worry about people messing with my stuff, stealing my ride, or targeting me for unfriendly attention. Unless you really need to impress clients with your automobile, downsize your vehicular expectations.

Posted by Dan Florio

Avoid large metro cities during rush hour. I know this sounds obvious, but it bears mentioning. There is nothing less fun than getting caught up in someone else's gridlock when you are on the road for business. For example, if you are driving from San Diego to Santa Barbara, you have allll of Los Angeles to traverse. It may seem cumbersome to plan your travel with the sole purpose of avoiding rush hours that seem to last all day, but you will be the better for it, and get more work done, for using your head when planning your trip.

Posted by Dan Florio

Sometimes you just need to get away. And sometimes you just need to have everything just like at home. When I travel, I want to access my email and web work with no fuss, no muss. This is my biggest concern when I plan a trip - will my hotels have WIFI? I will even plan my whole trip around that and not call it geeky. Hotels are starting to wise on up this issue in our interactive media age, but we still have to be loud and clear, so the managers hear when we say, "I want my MTV!...er, I mean WIFI!"

http://businesstravel.suite101.com/article.cfm/FindingHotelswithWIFI

Posted by Dan Florio

Like the Cheers theme song says, sometimes you just neeeeeed to get awaaaaay. And sometimes you need to have everything just like at home. When I travel, I want to access my email and web work with no fuss, no muss. This is my biggest concern when I plan a trip - will my hotel have WIFI? I will even plan my whole trip around that and not call it geeky. Hotels are starting to wise on up this issue in our interactive media age, but we still have to be loud and clear, so the hotel managers hear when we say, "I want my MTV!...er, I mean WIFI!"

Make SURE you have your hotel Internet connection before you go...it takes some effort but it's worth your time.

Posted by Dan Florio

Like the Cheers song says, sometimes you just need to get away. And sometimes you need to have everything just like at home. When I travel, I want to access my email and web work with no fuss, no muss. This is my biggest concern when I plan a trip - will my hotels have WIFI? I will even plan my whole trip around that and not call it geeky. Hotels are starting to wise on up this issue in our interactive media age, but we still have to be loud and clear, so the managers hear when we say, "I want my MTV!...er, I mean WIFI!"

http://businesstravel.suite101.com/article.cfm/FindingHotelswithWIFI

Posted by Dan Florio

I am actually on the road as I kick off this weekly Business Travel column for Suite101.com - and yes, you can indeed get all your work done on the road, if you plan ahead and travel smart. I'm here to help and show you how.