On Hotel Living

One more thing to cross off my list of things to do in life: Live in a hotel.



Living in this hotel has turned me into such an old lady. I'm a major grandma up in here. I get home from work, I watch the local news, I watch NBC nightly news, and then I watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. By the time Jeopardy! is over, I am at a nodding-off point. I get up, putter around, and then fall asleep with the TV on. Watching TV in bed is a HUGE luxury for me. Having a TV in the bedroom is something I've always been fiercely against but am often tempted by, so I am enjoying it while it lasts.

That said, I'll be glad when it's over. The movers will have my stuff up here on Friday or Saturday and I'll get settled into my new dwelling. At the same time, though, it's been pretty cool to be here. It's forced me to unwind during my off hours. Having someone bring me clean towels and wash my dishes never gets old. I have a dedicated housekeeper here, and she is a living doll. She leaves Banjo! little treats and leaves me neatly-stacked pyramids of Hershey's chocolates. One day she even left a toy for Banjo! accompanied by a very sweet hand-written note.



And, yes, Banjo! totally loves it. Housekeeper Terry will be getting a huge tip.



The downside to the hotel lifestyle is that every so often there are guests who are loud all night long making for a night with little to no sleep. Also, it's expensive. In case anyone was wondering, it's around $2,500 to stay at a Residence Inn for a month. Considering the circumstances, though, it's been worth it. I had time to find a cool place to rent in a neighborhood I'll be happy in, and I've been able to get some rest after months of craziness. I think the hotel is cheaper than the hospital for "tired people", which is where I was inevitably headed.

Come to think of it, I'm really going to miss this place...

Country Roads

I made it.

You Flicker and You're Beautiful

I'm going to miss this view from my kitchen window.

Existence Justified, Check

It was official before, but it's super-official-official now. My relocation to West Virginia is visible on the horizon! Here's what takes me to the green, green hills of Appalachia (emphasis mine, as it applies to me)...

Business Wire | 11.02.07
LINK

West Virginia Signs Self-Funding Portal Agreement
CHARLESTON, W. Va.--The state of West Virginia finalized an agreement yesterday with eGovernment firm NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV - News) to operate the state's official Web site, WV.gov (http://www.wv.gov), for up to three years.

"A world-class Web site is a competitive advantage for West Virginia," said Gayle Conelly Manchin, chair of the West Virginia Management Steering Committee and first lady of the state. "It will help the state retain and attract companies, help our home-grown businesses to prosper and our residents to get the service from government they expect in the 21st century. NIC was selected as the private partner to help us make that happen."

West Virginia issued its bid for eGovernment services in February 2007 and awarded the contract to NIC from a competitive field. The contract is for one year with two one-year renewal options, the maximum allowed by state law. The state of West Virginia will retain ownership of the content, data and statutory fees.

"NIC will deploy the self-funded model to provide the infrastructure and staff expertise required to develop, maintain and host the eGovernment portal," said NIC President Harry Herington. "We will hire additional employees over time at our Charleston office to support the state's growing eGovernment operations."

NIC expects to launch the first new services in late 2007, and it is currently working with state agencies and the West Virginia Management Steering Committee to identify and prioritize new applications to introduce in the contract's first year. The company also will redesign the state's official Web site and build upon the portal's existing functionality.

"The state of West Virginia has high expectations for its Web site and for the value it can bring to the state's residents and businesses," said Jeff Fraser, NIC's chief executive officer. "We are honored that West Virginia's leaders chose NIC as the best partner to bring their expectations to life."

With the addition of the West Virginia contract, NIC now operates 21 state portals serving more than 69 million residents.

NIC will provide additional context and answer investor questions about market dynamics and financial performance when it reports third-quarter financial performance on November 7.

About NIC

NIC manages more eGovernment services than any provider in the world. The company helps government communicate more effectively with citizens and businesses by putting essential services online. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for 2,600 state and local agencies that serve more than 69 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.