Recorded in the TravelCommons studios after a 3-day Chicago-San Francisco-Boston triangulation, I left behind some torrential rains in Chicago, which flooded our basement, causing me a good bit of long-distance guilt as my wife was left cleaning up the mess solo. We continue the thread on solid toiletries — even with the recent relaxation of the TSA’s no-liquids rule, it’s less hassle to travel solid, though that tooth powder keeps fooling some screeners. We then wrap up with some things I’ve recently overheard in bars. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file.

Here are the show notes from TravelCommons podcast #46:

• Intro music — Warmth by Makkina
• Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago
• Had yet another big 3-day triangulation — Chicago-San Francisco-Boston
• Heading out to London with my mother and daughter for a quick 4-day vacation
• Bridge Music — Heaven by Electric Skychurch
• Orbitz’s fare matrix on the web is best-in-class, but their live customer service is at the bottom of the heap
• The Eco-Dent tooth powder keeps fooling TSA screeners
• Staying with solid toiletries avoids the hassle of having to pull out yet another thing out of my bag for special screening
• Direct Link to The Onion satire on George Bush missing his Air Force One flight
• Stopped off at the Podcast Expo last week in Ontario, California. Got to meet up with T/C contributors Ed Vawter and Chris Christensen, and Alan Lew of the Geography for Travelers podcast.
• Bridge Music — One Foot Down by Peter Bradley Adams
• Torrential rains started in Chicago right after I left for San Francisco
• Hit the ground and was greeted by two voice messages from my wife about our flooding basement
• While some might call it “lucky”, it’s actually frustrating not to be able to help solve the problems at home that always seem to come up when you’re on the road
• Trying to deal with the frustration and guilt over a phone line is fraught with danger
• Bridge Music — Heaven by Los Lonely Boys
• Back in T/C #23, I did a topic “Scenes from a hotel bar” about what was going on at 10:30 on a Wednesday night in the Memphis Marriott’s Blue Shoes bar.
• Overhead some classic California-speak in the Jack Falstaff restaurant in San Francisco
• Got a lesson in the pervasiveness of American culture at the Tanumstrand Resort on the west coast of Sweden
• Closing music — iTunes link to Pictures of You by Evangeline
• Bridge music from IODA Promonet
• Feedback at comments[at]travelcommons.com, the comment board on podcastalley.com, or right here in the comments section below
• Direct link to the show