DNC Travel Update: I’m Going

I’ve managed to figure out a way of getting down to Boston, and I’ve found place to lay my head at night.

It will be an abbreviated trip: I’m flying down Monday and flying back Wednesday; I think this will give me enough time to get a good sense of things — including Carter, Gore, and Clinton on Monday night and Teresa Heinz Kerry on Tuesday night.

At the same time, I’m not ripped from the womb of my home and family for too long (5 or 6 days away from PEI, especially in the middle of the summer, seems like an absurd waste of a precious commodity).

I’m leaving early, early on Monday morning and driving to Moncton where I’m flying Air Canada to Boston, via Montreal, arriving Boston at around 10:30 a.m. This cost me $146 on a special “Tango” fare.

I’m returning on Wednesday afternoon to Moncton, via Halifax, getting in around 7:30 p.m. This cost me $282.

I’ve booked a room at the Sheraton Braintree for $199/night (US). Although the hotel isn’t “right on the red line,” as the DNCC press office suggested, it’s pretty close, and there’s a shuttle that runs to the Quincy Adams ‘T’ around the clock.

So the total cost, so far, is just over $1000, with taxes and currency differences factored in.

All that’s left are the technical logistics.

My iBook’s battery is showing the same symptoms it did last year; it would be nice to be able to rely on a fully-operational battery; Johnny has offered the lend of his iBook if I can’t get mine repaired in time.

Our digital camera, a PowerShot S100, is showing its age: the zoom in/out toggle gets stuck from time to time, which throws the camera into a tizzy. And it will only take about 150 pictures on its existing memory card (that seems like a lot until you factor in a 12 hour day of taking pictures). So I’ll look at what’s available as an alternative this week.

And, as a member of the “unassigned media,” it remains unclear as to whether I’ll have Internet access onsite at the convention, so how frequently I’ll update here remains to be seen; at the very least it will be every night.

Now all I have to do is to prepare myself to get up at 3:00 a.m. on Monday for the early drive to Moncton.

Comments

Lisa Howard's picture
Lisa Howard on July 21, 2004 - 19:50 Permalink

We had a beautiful Canon Powershot A 70, but it was stolen from our apartment in the middle of the night after we’d had it for about a year. I surprised the burglar in mid burgle, so that’s all he got his hands on before he got away, but we were very sad to see it go.

Anyway, we later bought a Fuji which is okay, but the Canon took better pictures, especially pictures with natural light. We were even able to take pictures at night without a flash. Also, the video feature had sound which is nice if you have babies because you can hear them grunting for posterity. So we still miss it.

As for the convention, it sounds like a great time. I’m looking forward to reading about it. Are you planning to cover the November election as well?

Lisa Howard's picture
Lisa Howard on July 22, 2004 - 13:37 Permalink

Speaking of news services, I’d like to take this opportunity to complain about the Globe’s new campaign to ‘register’ all its online readers which seems to involve signing over my first born child as well as power of attorney for the privilege of reading the very abridged version of their paper (and its advertisements!) online. Oh well. I’d read The Star, but they’re doing the same thing. I guess I’ll have to get my news elsewhere. Darn. Fortunately, I have a subscription to the New Yorker, so all is not lost.

Ken's picture
Ken on July 22, 2004 - 19:01 Permalink

Here is some information to prepare you for the convention…from the Onion.