Off to Our Nation's Capitol...am I as Geeky as Jason?

[Tim Williamson]

I know I just started as a Contributing Editor on Digital Home Thoughts, but Jason is such a slave-driver, I already need a vacation!  LOL!  Actually I've been planning this trip to Washington DC for a few months now (I made it a personal goal to travel more this year, and DC was one of my top picks).

Getting through security at the airport was a little bit of a hassle since they make you remove your laptop from its case and take your shoes and jacket off, but it was relatively painless; I was surprised they didn't ask to open my backpack with all the electronics I'm bringing along.  After making my way through security and into the main terminal area, I noticed quite a few people using laptops, I wondered...could there be free Wifi around?  I turn on my laptop, and lo and behold, up pops a free access point run by Sacramento International Airport.  The funny thing is I had spent a few hours this week at a failed attempt to get my laptop to share my Dash's internet -- I never thought to check whether the airport has Wifi access *smacks forehead*!

So for the next two weeks I'll be staying with some friends in DC and touring around all the historical sights while taking tons of photos in the process.  Here's the technology I plan to bring:

• Gateway Laptop (used to offload photos every night and to keep me connected to the intArwebs, I might upload my "better" photos to Flickr every night as a backup method) 
• Canon 10D DSLR Camera (512 MB CF card, 3 extra batteries, telephoto lens, medium zoom lens, and prime lens)
• Canon SD870IS Point-And-Shoot Camera (it's small enough to carry wherever I go, plus it has a wider-angle lens than my 10D!)
• T-Mobile Dash (to use as a phone, plus I checked my flight status on the way to the airport)
• Nintendo DS (for fun if I get bored)
• PSP (for even more fun if I get bored of the DS)
• iPod Nano 8GB (1st gen)
• Philips In-Ear Headphones (I'm curious to see how well these work on the plane)
• An Old-Fashioned Book (in case all my technology fails )

Am I as geeky as Jason?  And am I forgetting anything?  I guess it might be a little late to ask this since I'm sitting in the airport waiting for my plane to leave within the next few minutes...

[Tim Williamson]

I know I just started as a Contributing Editor on Digital Home Thoughts, but Jason is such a slave-driver, I already need a vacation!  LOL!  Actually I've been planning this trip to Washington DC for a few months now (I made it a personal goal to travel more this year, and DC was one of my top picks).

Getting through security at the airport was a little bit of a hassle since they make you remove your laptop from its case and take your shoes and jacket off, but it was relatively painless; I was surprised they didn't ask to open my backpack with all the electronics I'm bringing along.  After making my way through security and into the main terminal area, I noticed quite a few people using laptops, I wondered...could there be free Wifi around?  I turn on my laptop, and lo and behold, up pops a free access point run by Sacramento International Airport.  The funny thing is I had spent a few hours this week at a failed attempt to get my laptop to share my Dash's internet -- I never thought to check whether the airport has Wifi access *smacks forehead*!

So for the next two weeks I'll be staying with some friends in DC and touring around all the historical sights while taking tons of photos in the process.  Here's the technology I plan to bring:

• Gateway Laptop (used to offload photos every night and to keep me connected to the intArwebs, I might upload my "better" photos to Flickr every night as a backup method) 
• Canon 10D DSLR Camera (512 MB CF card, 3 extra batteries, telephoto lens, medium zoom lens, and prime lens)
• Canon SD870IS Point-And-Shoot Camera (it's small enough to carry wherever I go, plus it has a wider-angle lens than my 10D!)
• T-Mobile Dash (to use as a phone, plus I checked my flight status on the way to the airport)
• Nintendo DS (for fun if I get bored)
• PSP (for even more fun if I get bored of the DS)
• iPod Nano 8GB (1st gen)
• Philips In-Ear Headphones (I'm curious to see how well these work on the plane)
• An Old-Fashioned Book (in case all my technology fails )

Am I as geeky as Jason?  And am I forgetting anything?  I guess it might be a little late to ask this since I'm sitting in the airport waiting for my plane to leave within the next few minutes...

[follick]

Originally Posted by Tim Williamson

An Old-Fashioned Book (in case all my technology fails )

What's that? An old ebook reader?

[yslee]

Just the one book? :P

[Tim Williamson]

Hello safe and sound from DC!

LOL, yeah I only brought 1 book, and didn't even touch it since both airports had Wifi. On the airplane I spent most of the time playing PSP and Nintendo DS and napping. I was surprised at how well my Philips headphones worked and blocked out most of the engine noise.

[Stinger]

I've got a pair of in-ear Shure e2c headphones that I use with the foam tips. Something gave me a TERRIBLE headache the last time I flew. I'm not 100% sure but I think it was the headphones. The air sealed in my ear canals was probably at a different pressure to the cabin air and that caused it.

Next time I'm going to take my Sennheiser cans instead.

[Tim Williamson]

Day 0 Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/t-will/...7604362035988/

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by Stinger

The air sealed in my ear canals was probably at a different pressure to the cabin air and that caused it.

Hmm...did you defy the flight attendants and have your headphones until before the plane reached cruising altitude? If so, maybe that's what happened - I don't put in my headphones until they tell me I can, so I haven't seen this problem personally...but it could have been any number of things. Maybe you had a slight ear issue that day - I know coming back from Japan the last two flights I had a MUCH harder time coping with the ear pressure changes. Not sure why.

[Tim Williamson]

Day 1 Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/t-will/...7604406521053/

(I'm a little behind on my post-processing, today is Day 4)

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by Tim Williamson

(I'm a little behind on my post-processing, today is Day 4)

Hah! Do I ever know that feeling! ;-) I'm processing my day six photos now, of 14 days total, and I'm back home...so I'm really behind.