AT&T… we have a connection!

I bet you thought I was going to talk about my phone, huh? Well, I’m not. Okay, maybe I am – a little. We have been having major challenges with our cell signal at the house. AT&T just can’t seem to keep us connected no matter what they do lately. I think it’s because instead of fixing our cell tower, AT&T has been putting all their resources into the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas.

I've stayed in this hotel before, and again it was a wonderful place to stay while attending a conference. The conference rooms were excellent and the breakout refreshments were very nice. My room was comfortable, quiet, had a great work desk, and fast internet. Our group had a couple of very good evening meals (and more than a few drinks) in the bar and were served by a great bar staff.

Now let’s talk about those new-fangled energy efficient light bulbs.

If I have anything negative at all to say it would be that the lighting in the room was a little dim for my taste. I appreciate the energy efficient lighting and the fact that it softens the wrinkles when I look in the mirror… but it would’ve been nice to be a little brighter when I needed to put on my makeup. Even soft wrinkles need a little help when you get to my age.

Texas is better with whipped cream

The Rio Grand Valley and South Texas are a part of my territory now, so I will obviously be looking for a great home-away-from-home. I think I've found it already. The Staybridge Suites Brownsville, in Brownsville Texas is a wonderful and comfortable property.

I was a little worried when I was given a room on the first floor, because I don't like to hear stomping around above me. But this turned out to be one of the quietest hotels I've ever stayed in. Either it was extremely well insulated or there was no one else there. I think it was just well insulated.

I asked the desk clerk to steer me to a good Mexican Restaurant and was sent to Mi Pueblito, just down the street. It was wonderful and offered a regional cuisine, not typical Tex-Mex.

Then, just when I thought I'd found a nearly perfect hotel, I went to breakfast. The waffle machine made Texas shaped waffles. I've had Texas waffles before - but this hotel offered fresh strawberries and whipped cream as toppings.

I think I'm in love.

When you're hot - you're hot.

I have stayed at the San Luis Resort in Galveston, Texas three times now. It is the chosen hotel (the rooms are booked for us, and we just show up) for my required staff off-site working retreat, but I've never been there for fun. Not that we didn't manage to find a little fun while we were there, but the majority of the time was spent locked away in the bunker under the hotel. It really is an actual bunker. The San Luis Resort Hotel was built on the site of the old Fort Crockett. Fort Crockett was originally built in 1897 and was used in some form until 1947.

The conference rooms are built inside the eight foot walls that surrounded the fort. Apparently the military operations didn't use cell phones, because the signal in the conference center is nonexistent. Now that I think about it, it might have been deliberate. I imagine the military leaders didn't think it was wise for the troops to be playing Angry Birds while on duty.

Now back to my stay in the hotel. The room was fine, no weird layout or lumpy pillows, no odd noises or lights in my room. But it was hot. I don't sleep well in a room that is warm, and this one was more than warm - it felt like a sauna. I dozed off and on through the first night, but first thing the next morning I went to the front desk and asked if engineering could be sent up to my room to check on the air conditioner. The clerk asked me if I had left the balcony door open. Out loud I said no, but I was really saying "Excuse me? I've been in a conference. I've been holed up in the bunker without a cell signal. After a long day, sitting on the balcony in the dark soaking up the humidity at night isn't very high on my list." The clerk said he'd have someone look at it.

That evening, I went back to my room and found a box of Belgian Chocolate Truffles and a note from the maintenance guy. He apologized and said he was sincerely sorry that I had maintenance issues. The room hadn't cooled down a bit, but I did.

Chocolate has amazing properties, doesn't it?