Christmas in Virginia part two

My sister, Lea, her husband, Tim, and their twins, Raymond and Kathy, came over to Mom's on Christmas Day. Carol also joined us. It was fun and there was lots of laughing.

Mom and I went over to my friend Lance's later that evening. Lance decorates his condo to the nine's for Christmas. More Department 56 village scenes than you have ever seen. A beautiful tree covered in ornaments. Lighted garlands. More and More.

Wednesday night was dinner with my friend Judy. Judy and I worked together at my very first job out of college. We have tried to keep in touch through all the years.

Wednesday day Mom and I drove over the new Woodrow Wilson bridge then past the new Nationals' baseball stadium. We went to the American Indian museum. It is made from limestone from Minnesota. It is quite beautiful inside and the food at the restaurant was fabulous. And you can't have a trip to DC with Mom without seeing The Awakening on Haines Point. It is being moved to another site at some time so may not be as easy to get to.

We went to Mount Vernon. There is a new museum on the site that I had not seen. Tons of information about George Washington and his life. A movie narrated by Glenn Close about George and Martha together.

There's also a sensoround kind of theatre where you get to feel and experience our War of Independence. It includes a real indoor snow storm as George is crossing the Delaware River!

Christmas in Virginia part one

Spent Christmas in Virginia this year. My sister, Carol, hosted the Alspaugh Christmas Eve dinner of potato soup and eye-of-round. My brother, Spade, and his wife, Bev, were there. Also Spade and Bev's two daughters, Kim and Jamie.

Jamie and her husband came with their new born (Dec. 19), Duncan Aaron Patrick and their 2 year old, Douglas. Kim's daughter Anika was there and Todd and Julia's daughter, Kaila, was also there. Todd and Julia were not there as there new born, Megan, was not well.

Carol's son, Kenny and his wife, Watchara, were also there with their two daughters, Jasmine and Lotus. Add me, my Mom and co-worker Venkat and you have the whole list...plus Carol's two dogs and one cat.

It was great to see everyone. The kids all got along and had lots of fun. Carol went big and made all kinds of things to eat.

Old fashion winter

We're having a pretty good snow storm here today. Not actually a lot of snow as inches go but cold and wind and snow combining to make a dramatic show.

December has been cold with snow on the ground since Thanksgiving. It is actually nice to have the snow and you get used to the cold.

The crunch of the snow. The trees wrapped in white. The sparkle of fresh snow and ice crystals in the street lights or moon. All this makes the winter so wonderful.

Don't know that I'll still be saying this come March and it is still cold and snowy but for now, I love it!

Saturn Ion

Basically I hated the Saturn Ion. It looks nice from the outside but once in the finishes are cheap.

The first thing to get used to is the gauges are not in front of you behind the steering wheel. They are in the center on top of the dashboard. So you have to glance to your right to see the speed. And when you turn on the blinker both of them are to your right. When you turn on the left blinker, the flashing light comes from your right and it seems like you've made a mistake.

At night without the gauges behind the steering wheel, it is very dark right in front of you which is just more disconcerting.

The engine is noisy and not very powerful. The seats were comfortable enough but not great.

I would not recommend a Saturn Ion.

Billy Bob's

Touting itself as the biggest honky tonk bar in the world, I finally got the team, or at least part of it, to go to Billy Bob's bar in Fort Worth.

This enormous bar, club, restaurant, concert venue, games and arcade AND live professional bull riding establishment (that is the rink in the photo to the left) is in the Stockyards...an urban renewal kind of thing of the actual Fort Worth stockyards.

It was a long drive from Irving to Fort Worth. Thank goodness I had a navigator with me. Sam used is browser-enabled phone and Google maps to guide us. What can I say? It is Texas and things are separated by lots of miles and the signage is weak to say the least.

Billy Bob's really is huge. Unfortunately there wasn't anything going on and the place was virtually empty. The restaurant is nothing to write about. The most amazing feature is a real live bull riding rink is inside the bar. There are professional bull riding on Fridays and Saturdays.

Venkat, Sam, Veejay and I did get a couple of rounds of pool in. I can say I've been to Billy Bob's in Fort Worth.

Holidazzle

Downtown Minneapolis has a parade on Thursday through Sunday nights from Thanksgiving to Christmas. It is to promote shopping in the downtown district. The parade is at night and all the floats and people in the parade are lit up. It has become a big event.

Here is our group having a really fun time.

Here's the Nutcracker. Everyone shouts out, "Spin! Spin!" to get the floats to twirl.




And on of my favorites...the walking Christmas Light Bulbs.

cold, cold, cold

It has been extraordinarily cold here. They said it got up to 34 the other day. It felt nice but not that nice. It has been below freezing since Thanksgiving. This morning we were down to zero again.

Looking forward to going to Dallas next week for a few days. It has gotta be warmer there.

Hoar frost

On walk to gym this morning the trees were covered in hoar frost. So pretty....not like the ice storms in Kansas and Oklahoma.

If you have never seen hoar frost, it is water like dew or fog that freezes on tree branches. The street lights or morning sun makes it shine and sparkle. It looks magical.

Six degrees this morning. Supposed to get into mid 20's today. Warmest since Thanksgiving.

Another week home

Working from home again this week. Been super cold but you really do get used to it. No melting of the snow but we also didn't get anymore.

Frankie's balls

Frankie has really been in to playing fetch these days. We found his favorite old red fuzzy ball that gets lost for months at a time. Up and down the stairs he goes. Or in and out of the dining room.

Then I'll found a ball in the middle of the upstairs bathroom. Just waiting for me to throw it. Tonight he find a dirty, hair covered purple one in the basement under the paint can board. Don't know how he found that.

Uno doesn't know how to play fetch. She'll run after one of the balls when it is thrown but doesn't pick it up or even bat it around. Frankie seems to try to encourage her but she really isn't interested. It always discourages him from continuing to play.

20,000

After 2 years and 7 months I finally have 20,000 miles on my Ford Escape Hybrid (FEH - is what they call it on the yahoo user group).

Goes to show how much I don't drive. Parking for four days out of the week most weeks. Not driving it for 3 1/2 months while in England. Only one big trip... to Kansas and back. It all adds up...or better...doesn't add up.

I do love it though. Not getting as good of mileage now that it is winter time. Takes longer to warm up and the electric motor doesn't kick in when the engine is cold. Engine doesn't stay warm so gas motor kicks on easily. But it is all-wheel-drive which is fantastic in the snow.

Winter Wonderland II

Another 4+ inches of snow! Staying pretty cold (high teens) so it is the really light kind. Very sparkle y.

Winter Wonderland

We got about 6 inches of snow on Saturday and it is cold cold cold. I'm home for two weeks (at least definitely this week) so get to enjoy the winter scenery.

Spiderwoman

Almost forgot to share this picture with the world.

Can everyone guess who it is?

Ford Escort

I searched my blog and I can't believe I haven't had a Ford Escort in here before.

This week's car was another base model. The Ford Escort. My the first car I bought on my own was a Ford Escort. A 1985 model I think. I remember it was red. We went across the country twice and was the car I used to drive my brother Bill's ashes from Hollywood, California to Wichita, Kansas.

The Ford Focus hasn't changed that much in all these years. The driver's seat is still kind of awkward. I did finally figure out how to adjust it to fit me for the week but don't think it was anything I could ever really get used to.

The heating/venting controls are better than in my Escape with more options. The trunk is enormous. It is a good car to just get around in.

A familiar face

Almost 2 years ago now, I spent 10 hours on a flight from Chicago to Minneapolis. Between delays caused by snow in Minneapolis then the same storm reaching Chicago and American Airlines not willing to cancel the flight, I got to know Rachelle, one of the flight attendants.

She is based in Minneapolis so we ended up seeing each other fairly frequently when I was working in Chicago and flying there nearly every week. Because of my trip to England and not taking the Chicago flight, I had not seen Rachelle for over a year. Until last night.

She was one of the flight attendants on my trip home last night from Dallas. It was so nice to see a familiar face. We talked for quite a while to get caught up.

Dallas this week

Back to Dallas for the week. Just checked the weather. Going to be in upper 50's and 60's. Much warmer than Minneapolis.

Happy Thanksgiving

Woke up to a dusting of snow. So pretty. The snow has kept up a little and is actually cold enough to stick to the roads.

Big thanks this year to:
Mather and Roxi for all the cat care for this year. I couldn't keep Frankie and Uno without these two fantastic neighbors.

Mom (Gracie B.) for always caring and loving. Mom has been a great guide for living a good life. That and she always checks the blog every day.

Rose, Amy, Bunny and the gang, Friends here in Minneapolis, for organizing all the fun activities.

Chris and Jill, Friends far away, for being friends willing to travel far distances to get together.

Frankie and Uno, my cats, who always greet me when I come home from business trips (unless I've locked them in a closet!)

Scott B., Friend and co-worker, who keeps an eye on my back.

Toyota Corolla - repeat

My first repeat vehicle in a long while. I reviewed this on 8/19/07. I think I got the exact same car.

Nothing much to say. It goes from A to B.

A true story?

I think Gay McEwen sent me this. It reminded me of my first week at Fitness Together, the one-on-one training that I've been doing.

A WOMAN'S WEEK AT THE GYM
This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine.

Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.

Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago , I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.

My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blonde hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!
Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door.

Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the Hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other shit too.

THURSDAY :
Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes.

Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny bitch to find me

Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.

FRIDAY :
I hate that bitch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.

Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don 't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damned barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher.

Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY :
Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY :
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter (the little shit) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

Added Hawaii pictures

I finally got the photos off my cell phone and went through the editing/fixing process. Go back and check the Hawaii entries for some pictures.

Home Home

Made it home to Minneapolis last night. I don't think I have been on an on-time flight for months. We landed about 20 minutes late.

So good to see Frankie and Uno. They were excellently taken care of by my neighbors.

I've started filling out paperwork for a trip to India. This would be a work trip for two weeks and might be before Christmas. I have to get a Visa and shots.

Hawaii not so far away

Driving to my hotel in Dallas this week I noticed a Hawaiian Spa across the street. Then in the elevator up to my room is a picture of the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort. That's the same resort Jill, Chris, Eliza and I crashed to swim in their pool and on their beach.

A very long day

Made it to Dallas...finally.

Left the hotel about 6:00am Hawaii time. My flight from Honolulu left pretty much on time at 8:30am. I did not get upgraded. Had a bigger plane but still full. There was some rough skys on the way to Los Angeles and we landed late.

I was really concerned that I wouldn't make my connection. I walked off the Honolulu flight hearing my name being paged for immediate boarding. Fortunately the gates were close and walked directly on board. I figured there was no way my luggage would make it.

They closed the plane door soon after I got on. We ended up sitting there for a bit while luggage was loaded. I felt better about my luggage.

We landed pretty much on time. I headed down to baggage and waited and waited. One piece of luggage came off. It was the second to last one. No sign of the other one. The line for the baggage office was long. I called the American platinum line and filed a lost luggage report.

Headed out to catch the shuttle to the car rental. It was now about 10pm central time. The timer for the shuttle said a 7.5 minute wait. But the time wasn't going down. It finally changed to 10 minute wait. I decided to check with the baggage people again. There was another flight to Dallas from LAX at about the same time and thought maybe my other bag was on that plane.

The baggage person was very nice and checked with the baggage people at the other flight's arrival carousel. Lo and behold, the bag was there. I went back out to the ground transportation place and caught the shuttle to the terminal where my bag was waiting. I went back out to catch the car rental shuttle. It was now 11:00pm.

The wait at this terminal was very short. I got my car and headed to the hotel. It was midnight by the time I got to the hotel.

Heading back to Dallas

At the airport checking emails and stuff. Going back to Dallas today for work. Don't get home until late Thursday night. I miss by kitties.

Jill and I went snorkeling on Thursday at Huanama Bay. It is a state park and very well keeped. Lots of fish but not much colorful coral. Saw some pretty big fishes.

Huanama Bay is another volcano crater. This one was filled with water thousands of years ago when one side of the crater collapsed. It is a steep walk down to the beach. They have a shuttle bus that Jill used. It is a dramatic view from the top.

Jill went home on Thursday. On the way to the airport we stopped in Chinatown and ate at Mei Sum, a dim sum restaurant. The food was fantastic and the waitresses were a hoot.

Friday was a do nothing day. We went to a movie and walked back along the beach. I stopped and watched the hula show on Waikiki Beach.

Saturday we went to the US Tennis Association Pro-Circuit Honolulu Tournament. It was neat seating right next to the tennis courts and watching up-and-coming tennis professionals. They are so young.

We went to the Honolulu Academy of Arts for lunch again. We had gone the previous Saturday and really enjoyed the food.

That's it from Hawaii. A great trip. I'll be adding pictures after I get home and can download them to my home computer and doctor them up.

Pat, can I buy a consonant?

You know how on Wheel of Fortune the contestants buy vowels? Well, over here you need to buy consonants. There are so many vowels in some of these town and street names and all are pronounced individually.

For example, Ka'a'a'wa is one of the towns we drove through. Or Aeia and Leia two other towns that we saw signs for. When you work through them, they sound quite beautiful.

Tokkuri Tei

Eliza and Chris had gone to this Japanese restaurant before for lunch and wanted to try it for dinner.

It is literally a whole in the wall place. If you didn't know it was there, you would never find it. The food was really, really good. And the service was great. The waitresses are the nicest people.

I don't know much about sushi but Jill, Chris and Eliza do and we ordered a lot of different things. All were delicious.

Highly recommend this place. It is on Kapahulu Avenue. Just ask any local.

Haleiwa and macadamia nut farm

Eliza, Jill and I drove up to Haleiwa on the North Shore. We drove past the Dole pineapple plantation but didn't stop.

Haleiwa is a picturesque surfer village. We stopped at a surf shop so Jill could buy a new snorkel. The "dude" behind the counter was so nice telling us about the shave ice down the street and where the macadamia nut farm was.

The shave ice at Matsumoto's was incredible. Surfer store dude told us to order the small in a bowl with ice cream because you get the same amount as a large in a cone and it is easier to eat.

We headed on around the top of the island. We stopped at Sunset Beach where this weekend's international surfing competition is being held. We passed the Polynesian Cultural Center. We stopped for directions to the macadamia nut farm because we were afraid we had passed it.

We hadn't and continued on. Amazing trees that reminded us of those savanna trees in African safari films. They are huge and curve like umbrellas. No waterfalls this time of year but it was cloudy and every so slightly rainy at times. We got to the macadamia nut farm outlet just a few minutes before it closed. Bought some nuts and coffees and souvenirs.

We drove on to Kailula and were supposed to meet up with Chris. There was some confusion about times and locations. That was a bust and so we drove back over to Waikiki directly over the mountains.

USS Arizona Memorial

Rented a car today. Actually got a new Ford Escape. Eliza and I drove to Pearl Harbor to visit the USS Arizona Memorial.

We got there at 10:30 and thought we might have a long wait to get in. They hand out free admission tickets that are good for specific time slots. Turned out we got in the 11:30 slot so not bad.

You watch a video about the Japanese attack and the naval and air stations at Pearl Harbor before getting on a boat that takes you to the memorial.

There was a large naval ship in port. It had all kinds of communications equipment and antennas on it. It was leaving as we were going over to the memorial site.

The memorial is very solemn. You cannot see into the water very much. It is hard describe my feelings there. Such a sense of loss knowing there are over 900 men that are interred in the wreckage of over 1,000 that lost their lives on that one ship that day.

In the movie before going over it is mentioned that President Roosevelt cut off oil to the Japanese before war was declared. Another war that concerned oil. There was an audible reaction when that was narrated.

The flag is flying over the USS Arizona Memorial.

Hilton Hawaiian Village and To'Daii

We decided to crash the Hilton Hawaiian Village so Jill could hang out at a big pool. This was our first real sunny day.

This Hilton is enormous and has several towers, restaurants, shops, etc. They even had flamingos and penguins.

Jill and I swam in the ocean for a bit. Chris and Eliza went to the pool. I stayed at the beach for sun whild Jill went on to the pool. Our beautiful sunny day turned into another downpour afternoon. We hung out in one of the bars while we waited to go to To'Daii, a sushi buffet restaurant.

To'Daii was amazing. So much food. Much much more than just sushi. We all ate a lot. We walked back to the hotel taking our time window shopping in the ritzy part of Waikiki. We ran into an actor from the tv series Lost that Chris had met before. His name is Michael Emmerson and he plays one of the bad guys in the show if you watch it.

We stopped at our usual Royal Hawaiian Hotel Mai Tai bar for drinks and to listen to the musicians. Jill is doing really well considering she is having knee replacement surgery in a week.

Diamond Head hike

Hiked up into and up Diamond Head on Sunday with Eliza. Diamond Head is an inactive volcanoe crater on the southern end of Oahu. It is the famous natural site from Waikiki Beach.

Eliza and I walked to the State Monument (Park). You enter the crater through a road tunnel. Inside the crater is like a jurrasic park feel. There are military buildings but it seems so desolate and foreign.

You hike up a well-maintained trail that includes handrails and some very steep stairs to the highest point of the crater -- some 760 feet up. You actually end up inside a WWI bunker, climb through the gun slit and up to the top of the bunker.

They warn you of the strenuous climb but that it is possible for anyone. It is not an easy hike and there were some folks I questioned whether they would make it or not.

Great views once on top. It was an overcast day for us but still quite spectacular.

Raymond Reed, Third Division World Champion

My nephew, Raymond, is the National Barrel Horse Assocation Third Division World Champion.

Congratulations!

Here in Hawaii

Arrived Friday night just a few minutes later than scheduled. I had reserved a driver pickup. I've always wanted to do that.

Arrived at the Royal Grove Hotel to meet up with Chris, Eliza and Jill. This is a surfer hotel. There are surf boards all over the place.

Saturday was cloudy but warm. We played tennis. I haven't played in a long long time and did pretty good. An incredible view of Diamond Head from the tennis courts.

We took the public bus to the Honolulu Museum of Art for lunch. Chris and Eliza were going to attend a free lecture on Italian art but found out it was a lecture for people going on a museum sponsored tour. They decided not to go. The restaurant at the museum has wonderful food.

The park across from the museum has four really big banyan trees. The kind of trees that drop down roots from their branches.

Saturday night we went to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Mai Tai Bar. It is right on the beach and has great drinks. It is a historic hotel and just beautiful inside. Like a movie set.

It started to rain while we were there. We were able to get back to our hotel between rains. It rained all night. Looks like it has stopped now but all cloudy. Going to be a lazy day of card playing and reading I think. Nice.

Aloha Hawaii

I am so excited about going to Honolulu on Friday. I just got notified that I was upgraded to first class for the Los Angeles to Honolulu leg.

But most of all I'm looking forward to beautiful weather, fun with friends (Jill and Chris), hanging out at the beach and snorkeling.

Chevy Equinox

This week's vehicle was in interesting one. I think the Chevy Equinox qualifies as a Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV).

It stands tall so is easy for me to get in and out of. It drives sort of like a truck though. The windshield rakes very steeply and made it hard for me to see stop lights when you pulled up to them.

The most irritating thing was that the power window controls are all in the center console. I don't think I would ever get used to that.

One thing that GM and Chevrolet should get credit for is the transmission. I've had a couple of other GM vehicles and the automatic transmissions on all of them have been outstanding. The shifting is smooth. The down shifting when accelerating is not abrupt or jerky.

Travel Travel Travel

Start a three week travel schedule on Monday. Leave for Dallas on 29th for work. Then on Friday, Nov. 2, I fly to Honolulu, Hawaii for vacation. Yaaaahoooo! I go back to Dallas on the 11th from Honolulu. Then home on the 15th.

It is a long time to be away from Frankie and Uno but I have the greatest neighbors. Splitting cat care between Mather across the street and Roxi in the apartment next door.

pots and pans

I've been home long enough and trying to stick to my trainer's food suggestions that I've actually been using the pots and pans and have dishes to clean.

How sad is that?!

Soldier of the Quarter

My niece, Gracie Kay Best, was named Soldier of the Quarter for the second time this year. That means she is only competing against two other soldiers for Soldier of the Year honors.

Great job, Gracie Kay.

Odds and Ends

I am working from home again this week. Yeah! It looks like it might be a nice weather week. No rain. Might even get back to mid-60s by Thursday.

I put the storm windows up in the front porch. Need to put in the one new one still. Haven't cleaned up the garden for end of season yet. Some of the Stella d'ora day lillies are still blooming and the potted geraniums, too.

Frankie has figured out how to get more food out of the automatic feeder. He can poke his hand up the dispenser spout and dislodge some of the food. He is able to get a few more nuggets of the food. This is probably a good thing since he doesn't eat all that much at feeding time and little miss round thing, Uno, eats everything.

Today is the 18th anniversary of the Jacob Wetterling kidnapping. In honor of his abduction and other child abductions, turn on your porch light tonight.

Fitness Together - six weeks later

I had my sixth week fitness evaluation at the Fitness Together - the one-on-one workout studio. I improved in all areas but I hadn't lost as much fat as I thought.

My weight was almost exactly the same - 196.8 to 196.6. My lean weight (muscle) increase 2 - 4 lbs and my fat weight reduced 2 - 4 lbs. The range is from two different caliper tests.

I went from 26 push-ups in September to 33 in October. That's a 27% improvement. I haven't done push-ups since high school.

My bench press went from 225 lbs to 263 lbs, a 17% improvement.

Doing the one-on-one training has been one of my better decisions. I feel better physically and emotionally. And I can walk home now without the pain and moaning I had those first few times.

Kathy's blog

Check out my friend Kathy's blog, JustBKath and while you're there, encourage her to keep it going.

The picture of her vehicle after driving back from North Dakota deserves close attention.

Home

I'm working from home this week. I have work area set up in the sun room. Uno and Frankie have taken over the two wingback chairs in the sun room.

Uno and Frankie hanging out while Dad works.

A rare awake time.

Honda Accord

I now know why this car is so popular. I have never driven a Honda that I can recall. This is an extremely well put together car, comfortable to drive and efficient.

The radio controls are some of the most intuitive I've seen. Nothing really outstanding or extraordinary which makes it a perfect rental vehicle. It just works and works extremely well.

I imagine it is very reliable and gets good gas mileage.

Travel plans

As of now, I'm home for two weeks in a row! I hope it stays that way.

Then I'm back to Dallas the last week of October. I'm going to Hawaii for vacation the first week of November and will be leaving from Dallas. I return to Dallas from Hawaii for another week of work then home.

Featured Hybrid

A picture of my Escape Hybrid got chosen for this week's picture on the Ford Escape Hybrid yahoo user group.

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/hybrid_ford_escape/

My Escape has our two canoes on top parked in front of Baker Lake.

Grassy Knoll

As you've probably figured out, I finally went to the sight of the John F. Kennedy assassination.

My rental car this week happened to have the navigation system. While trying to find the SpeedZone attraction, I noticed that the Grassy Knoll was one the attractions the system had. I couldn't pass up the chance to have the system guide me there.

Venkat, one of my fellow IBMers, went along. It was late in the evening and already dark. The navigation system directed right to a parking lot. We got out and were looking around when a man with some newspapers in plastic bags approached us and offer to show us the highlights of the assassination. He readily admitted he belonged to a conspiracy theory group.

Everything is pretty much the same as it was 40 some years ago. The book depository where Oswald fired from is there and is now called the Six Floor Museum. The window where he allegedly was has a webcam in it. You can see live pictures from the window by going to the JFK site and clicking the Dealey Plaza Cam link.

It is kind of surreal that all the landmarks are still there. There are even white X marks in the road where the motorcade was when the supposedly two different shots were fired.

SpeedZone (Tuesday)

Stacey at Neiman Marcus organized a field trip to SpeedZone, a go-cart race track. It was so much fun. Stacey's dad and sister were also there. Stacey was the only one from Neiman Marcus to go. In addition to me, Luis and Albert from IBM went.

We did time trials of small open-wheeled cars. A very curvy course. I had the worst time but had a blast. I even did a 180 spin on one run.

We then went to a track where you could race against others head to head. These cars have bumpers all around them and you zoom around another very curvy course. You don't start even with others. I was in front so slowed down for others to catch up and make it more fun.

Our last ride was drag racing. This was a huge adrenaline rush and I won 3 out of 6 times. It was all in the start. I used by Stage Management calling experience when watching the light tree count down.

These drag race cars were really fast. You could get up to 70 miles per hour in 3 seconds. Chevy 350 engines that were nitrogen boosted. Way fun.

From back door to airplane door

Back in Dallas though I almost didn't make it. There was an accident on my route to the airport and it was raining. Traffic was going less than 10 miles per hour!

I caught some luck with the TSA opening a new security line and I was the first through. I boldly stopped to get coffee at the Carabou along the way. Got to the gate. Showed by boarding pass. Boarded the plane.

Ford Focus

This week I actually got the level of car I rented. A small compact, the Ford Focus. It is a cute little car. The seat goes back far enough unlike my Ford Escort I had years ago.

The seating is kind of high so even though my head doesn't hit the roof the windshield doesn't go up far enough for me.

It is a fun car to drive. One feature that I've only seen on a Honda is the delayed last swipe after pressing the windshield cleaner. You press the button to wash the windshield and the wipers come on. The wipers stop then a few seconds later they make one more swipe. Clever idea to get those drips that always happen.

Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog launch

The Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog was launched on Wednesday. The office and distribution center celebrated the launch with an outdoor modeling show and displays of some of the 'fantasy' gifts.

Also on display was this ultralight used to follow and document the monarch butterfly migration. Neiman Marcus' logo is a butterfly.

BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

So much to tell but I'll keep it short. Here we are picking up the canoes. Fresh.

Many thanks to Scott Baune and his mom and dad for letting us spend the night at the Baune house in Silver Bay on Wednesday night.

We got up early and went to the Ranger Station to watch the video and answer the test questions. This is when we found out it was moose hunting season in the Boundary Waters.

It was a wet trip in. It didn't rain during the five hours of canoing and portaging (carrying canoes and gear to next lake) but it was very wet. I did rain right after we got our tents set up. Perfect timing. It was followed by the most incredible double rainbow. The end of one of the rainbow actually ended just on the other side of the lake.

Friday was the most beautiful day. We canoed around our lake. Jenny and Andrew fished along the way while Julie and I paddled. We found a beautiful waterfall and all fell asleep on a big rock next to the falls.

Saturday was a rainy day. Julie and I stayed at camp and kept the campfire going. Jenny and Andrew went fishing. Got completely dumped on but came back with a large small-mouthed bass. Andrew did a great job cleaning and cutting it. Jenny did a fantastic job frying it up. We ate very well.

Sunday was another 5 hours out canoing and portaging. We saw a huge moose (cow). We also saw an otter. We ran into three hunters we had seen on the way in. One had gotten a bull moose. He was so proud. It is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

It was rainy and windy and kind of a tough trip out. The hunters had taken the moose meat and trophy head out. They were on the second trip out with their gear. When we reached the truck (my Escape Hybrid), we stopped to see the head in their trailer. It wasn't real big but still fascinating.


Julie has great photos on Kodak.com. Please try this link click here

And here we are after returning the canoes. Not too worn for the wear.

Back from Boundary Waters and off to Dallas

Made it back from Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness yesterday (Sunday) evening. A great trip. I'll provide details later this week.

Down to Dallas again this week.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

BWCAW here we come. Jenny and Andrew, me and Julie are heading up to the Boundary Waters today.

We are overnighting it at my friend and co-worker's parent's place in Silver Bay. Thursday we'll go to the ranger station to take the test for the permit and putting in at entry point #39 off the Sawbill Trail.

Here's to warm(ish) weather and NO rain!

Home this week and heading to Boundary Waters

Working from home this week - Mon, Tues, Wed. Going up to the wilderness for a long weekend.

Ford Mustang

Last week's rental was a black Ford Mustang. I've had this vehicle before and while really hot to drive was not very comfortable. I think they've adjusted the suspension because this time the ride was not nearly as rough. And that is saying something because Texas highways are not very smooth.

The Mustang is definitely one powerful vehicle. I was surprised how easy it was to squeal the tires - even backing up. This is a very low riding car but there is plenty of head room was in. It was kind of funny pulling up to the booth to exit the parking lot at the hotel. You have to hand your ticket to the attendant and give her your name and room number. I felt like I was sitting on the ground looking up to talk to her especially after the previous week's Jeep. She did comment that she really liked the car though.

A black car with black interior is not the smartest thing to have in hot Dallas. Thank goodness it was a bit overcast.

My only real complaint is the layout of the gauges. The fuel oil gauges are center with the speedometer to the right and the tachometer to left. The steering wheel hides the tach and speedometer so you have to look around to see how fast you are going. And you can go really fast really easily!

Spring Green, Wisconsin

Last weekend was the annual Spring Green, Wisconsin, road trip and American Players Theatre play weekend. There were eleven people this year with a GMC Suburban and a Chrysler mini-van.

We always stop in Tomah at Burnstad's for lunch. Burnstad's is a restaurant/grocery store/variety store/floral store/gift shop/souvenir shop/etc. There is a dessert carousel that has the most amazing meringue pies, cakes, and other German inspired treats.

Jane has to go to the candy store in Baraboo to restock her supply of cow pies. She had gotten the directions on the internet and also found out they close at 5pm. We made a mad dash to get there in time. Turns out they are open until 8pm. Jane got a wheel-barrow full of cow pies and others got various chocolate-covered things or licorice or circus peanuts. The candy is made here which makes it so special. See the picture of Linda and JT on the cow outside the candy shop.

On to Spring Green. A beautiful drive through farms and small towns. No matter how many times we make the drive, I think it is always wonderful. A friendly game of horse and cemetery was played. Some people might not think it was so "friendly" but that is just their competitive nature.

We always stay in the Spring Green Valley Inn if possible. Huge thanks to Rose Block for arranging everything. There is a big indoor pool which we always take advantage of. We ate at the restaurant at the Inn. Friday is all you can eat fish fry night.

And then the big reason for staying at the Inn -- the fire pit! That's a story in itself. I think Bunny should write about that.

Saturday was a lazy day of eating, shopping and sightseeing, including an old mill.




The play we saw Saturday evening was Misallince by George Bernard Shaw. I worked on this play in college and have always enjoyed it. American Players Theatre is an outdoor amphitheater. It was cold....really cold. Thank goodness everyone else was prepared and let me borrow various pieces of clothing and/or blankets.

It was a great weekend. Lots of laughing. Lots of stories. Lots of fun.

Jeep Wrangler

Catching up on my posting.

Two weeks ago I got a Jeep Wrangler as my rental vehicle. I didn't even know Hertz had them and certainly didn't expect one. It was fun to drive.

Closest thing to a real truck I think I've driven in a long time. This new Jeep Wrangler is more comfortable than the older models I've ridden in. This one was a soft top but had real windows in the doors. I wish I had had time to put the top down.

Overall, it was definitely a fun vehicle. Wouldn't want one as a daily vehicle though.

Am I whining a lot?

I was going to title this one, "Isn't it any wonder that I'm tired," but maybe I'm just whining.

Here goes...American Airlines changed their schedule first of September and I'm now taking the last flight out of Dallas which is at 7:45pm. The later in the day the more chance that there are going to be storms. Last night was one of those nights.

I got to airport just a bit before 7pm for 7:15 boarding. I do like to cut it close so I don't have to hang around the airport. A bit before 7:15 the flight gets delayed to 8:25. There are severe storms in Minneapolis.

We actually board the plane for an 8:25 departure. The pilot announces that our take-off time is now 9:20 but we have to pull away from the gate because another flight needs our gate. We drive out onto the tarmac and wait.

About 9pm the pilot announces that because the Minneapolis airport has been closed and there is only one runway, we are pushed back to 10:15pm take-off.

You guessed it.. pilot announces another time change. Now it is 10:39. Then about 10:20 he says they have shaved six minutes off our departure and we are going to take-off at 10:33, six minutes early! EARLY! What happened to 7:45!!??

We actually do take-off. We land at 12:15am and I get home about 1:00am.

Flying with the Governor

Back in Dallas after a weekend roadtrip to Spring Green, Wisconsin. More about that trip later in a separate entry.

The governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty, was on my flight this morning. And, as a matter of fact, he sat in the row right before mine. I was in my usual 21D (aisle, exit row over the wing). He was in 20B, aisle, opposite side, there is no "C" seat).

Kind of interesting to have the Governor right there. And that he was flying coach. And that he was flying American Airlines instead of Northwest.

Quick turnaround

Just got back from Dallas. Heading to Spring Green, Wisconsin, tomorrow for annual theatre trip to American Players Theatre. Sounds like big group this year. This is a driving trip but not taking my Escape so won't have to drive too much.

I'm back in Dallas next week. So much time with Frankie and Uno this weekend and not weekend projects.

Aghhh!!! -- Dallas!!!

I really dislike Dallas roads and streets. Or maybe it is the lack of signage or that there is no way to figure out which compass direction you are headed.

I drove all over the place trying to find the hotel from where the guys decided to go eat. I know I've complained about the roads here before but this is just rediculous. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

Big rain storms this morning delayed are takeoff. Then we had to circle. When we finally landed we had to wait on the tarmac for 45 minutes for a gate. I left my house and got to the office at 3pm. I should have gotten in around noon.

Wasn't as bad as the project manager though. He was flying in from Miami. His 8am flight was cancelled. Then his 9:45 flight was cancelled. The his 10:45 flight took off at noon. When he landed his plane had to wait almost 2 hours to get to a gate! Now, that sucks.

A busy Minnesotan

My friend Bunny shared her mom's email with a group of us. I found it very humorous, a insight into mother and daughter, and a slice of life. Here is Bunny's email (with permission) with her mom's email in the middle of it:

hey, everyone. i emailed mom my regrets that i wouldn't be coming to ely for the "harvest moon festival" this weekend, and i got this reply, which i'm sure you'll enjoy, too!

i'll miss seeing you but i understand...sat
morn i have to take requests for Polka
don, in the afternoon from 2-4 i have to be
in the ely winton hysterical booth and then
all day Sunday i'll be in Biwabik for the
SWU minnesota days.....so i'll be busy but
i'll still miss you!! mom

oh, so you know, polka don hosts a 3-hour polka only radio show. in my family "historical" and "hysterical" have always been interchangeable words. SWU is 'slovenian women's union". don't even ask:) anyway, she's busy, so don't bother going up there! bunny

Who needs to travel for true wildlife

I was driving down my alley yesterday and there in the middle of the alley was a peregrine falcon with its tallons embedded in a bird. The falcon was still in the process of killing the bird and was not about to fly away just because this big green thing was heading toward it.

I tried driving around her/him but was a bit afraid of pissing it off. She got a good hold on her prey and flew off.

A few years ago a was walking in the neighborhood and saw a falcon swoop and grab a pigeon on the fly. I thought that was astounding. I wonder if it is the same one.

Labor Day week working from home

Working from home this week. Yeah!

Back to Dallas next week. Dallas is going to be the location for while I think.

Chicago (actually Northfield/Northbrook/Des Plaines)

I was in north Chicago last week for work. You may have read or seen on the news about their flooding. I didn't see signs of flooding though I did see very high water on the Des Plaines river.

There were a lot trees blown down and the electricity was still out for thousands of homes from the storm the week before.

My flight home is usually around rush-hour time and it just isn't worth taking the toll road because of backed-up traffic and construction. So I take the drive over local roads through Des Plaines. Along the way is the original McDonald's Restaurant built by Ray Kroc.

Don't blink though or you'll miss it. There is a newer McDonald's right across the street and the intersection right here is kind of tricky. The original McDonald's is not open.

I took this picture while driving by using my cell phone, of course. I do not recommend this technique but the pic really came out pretty good.

A few blocks before the McDonald's is a very large cemetery on one side of the road and a hospital on the other. I've always thought that kind of morbid. If I were to have to go the hospital, I think I'd ask for a room on the non-cemetery side.

The hospital has a time and temperature sign. While I was stopped at the light, I knew it was hot but this hot?

Glacial Lakes State Park

Last weekend I drove about 2 1/2 hours west of Minneapolis to hike in Glacial Lakes State Park. There is an interesting self-guided hike that describes the various features of the park.

It was a good challenging hike as there are hills and valleys and wide-open spaces. One of the big features is Mountain Lake. It has no inlet, no outlet and is spring fed.

The woods are mostly made up of bur oaks. These are medium to large trees with really rough bark. There weren't as many acorns as I would have thought given that the oaks were about the only tree. These trees are known for withstanding forest fires because of their thick bark.

These same trees were mentioned in the Toronto Lake area where Mom, Spade and I were for Memorial weekend.

There were also lots of flowers which attracted lots of butterflies. Maybe it is Monarch butterfly migration time because I say lots and lots of those.

Dallas night skyline

Catching up on some photos in my telephone. Here is the Dallas night skyline as seen from my favorite Dallas hotel, Hotel Anatole.

A lot of the buildings use lights to outline their shape. It is really nice.

Rabbit and Squirrel

My backyard is over run with squirrels and at least one rabbit. Between the squirrels digging in the yard and the rabbit eating my flowers, I've just about had it.

Then today I discovered my rabbit, which I've always suspected was a female, has indeed had a baby bunny. While cleaning up "the back 40" I almost stepped on a tiny tiny bunny. It hopped away all back feet and legs. It was the same color as the dirt and I couldn't find it again.

No getting rid of the rabbit now. I sprayed my new aster plant with a concoction of hot sauce, red pepper powder and dishwashing liquid. Let's see if that keeps her away from that plant at least. Why doesn't she eat weeds!?

Fitness Together

Had my first session with trainer at Fitness Together tonight. I feel like a got hit by a truck. It was a leg and ab session. I have not been working out consistently since the beginning of the year when I went to London and boy am I feeling it.

I think I'd be wiped anyway. I've never had a trainer or someone pushing me. And push Jesse did. I go back tomorrow for upper body and a different trainer.

Hopefully I'll be able to walk the block and a half to get there. I almost didn't make it back home tonight! :-)

Toyota Prius

A short week in Chicago. A delayed flight on Monday so an upgrade at Hertz.

I have never had a Prius before and have only been for a short ride in one. Where to begin? Let me try starting from the very first.

Another keyless starter. With the Prius, the keyless fob has to be in a slot next to the steering column before you can press the 'Start' button. And when you start it, the gasoline engine doesn't actually start. It starts in electric mode. My Escape Hybrid always starts with the gasoline engine running. So there's a bit of wondering whether your started or not.

The other problem about not knowing if the car is started or not is that there aren't any dials or instrument panel like a normal car. There are some digital indicators and a digital speedometer way forward under the windshield.

Then to figure out how to get in reverse. There isn't a shifter between the front seats. There isn't a shifter on the steering column. There is a knobby thing to the right of the key slot with R - N - B and a button labeled "P."

The driver's seat is quite high and the windshield is long and low. I like to sit up high but I don't like having the roof line and visors right in my line of sight. The side mirrors are big and adjust like I like them. The rear of the car is low sloping and has glass down to the bumper. It is kind of an odd look through the rear view mirror.

Getting used to the controls and instrument panel takes a bit of getting used to. The Prius has good pickup though there is a delay when pressing on the gas pedal and the car's reaction. You really feel like you're driving by wire in this vehicle. I did get the wheels to squeal pulling out into traffic at one point.

The Prius is definitely an impressive vehicle. It is like driving a concept car with all the high tech knobs and indicators. The Info panel controls the audio, ventilation and vehicle data. It certainly helped being kind of techno-junkie.

Chicago

Heading to Chicago today. Or supposed to. Got a phone call from American Airlines at 4:45am to let me me know my 7:50am flight was postponed to 10:00am. The voicemail said to call. I did but there is only one other flight this morning. It is a 9:25 and already sold out. The reservation's person said my plane was being repaired and they needed a part. That is always a bad sign. Wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing gets canceled.

We had some big lightening and thunder storms roll through between 2:00 and 3:00am. Looks like it the storms are heading toward Chicago -- something else that might delay or cancel the whole thing.

Minneapolis construction/deconstruction tour

A couple of weeks ago I hopped on my bike to take a construction/deconstruction tour.

First I went to the former site of the Guthrie Theater. A building I worked in for seven years and was the reason I came to Minnesota in the first place back in 1987. Here is what it looks like now.


As you can see. It is gone. For those of you that have been here. This picture was taken from across the street on the sculpture garden side. What you would have seen was a wall of glass that was the lobby.
Here is a picture with the remaining part of the Walker Art Museum. There is actually an underground parking lot in there.



I then went down to see the site of the new Twins baseball stadium. It is going to be right downtown next to the Target Center. I know the site and couldn't figure out in my head how it was going to fit in such a small space.

You can make out the baseball diamond they have draw on the existing parking lot. Home plate is just above the trailer on the left.
You can see there is a road bridge in left outfield. I'm standing on another road bridge taking this picture and talking to a hobo about how he doesn't think it is going to fit either. Center and right outfield is bordered by another street.
I think it is going to be awfully small.

I then rode my bike to the Mississippi River to see the collapsed I-35W bridge. I couldn't get very close. There were a lot of people down at the river looking. I think it was good that you couldn't get close. They were still looking for victims then and that should be done without people taking pictures.

The new Guthrie is down by the river and close to the bridge collapse. I took a picture but it was too bright and didn't come out.

I rode down the Mississippi River bike path where there are great views of the city and the river. The new Greenway Bike Path is completed to the river and goes practically right by my house. It is a beautifully constructed bike way. Safe, wide and comfortable. Midtown Greenway map

Mercury Mariner

The Mercury Mariner is the Lincoln/Mercury version of the Ford Escape that I own. My rental vehicle wasn't a hybrid like mine but was a six cylinder. It was also the 2008 model which is slight redesign.

The Mariner definitely feels more like a car than a truck. The interior is nice and the seats are cushier than mine. The controls are pretty much the same as the one in my vehicle. I really like the big windows and the big side rearview mirrors. The hood seems a lot longer than mine. That may be part of the redesign.

There is so much room in the interior that one of my passengers thought it was an Explorer! I might have to consider the Mariner hybrid version if I ever trade mine. Definitely worth a look if you are looking for a nice SUV. The gas mileage indicator showed an average 21 mpg.

Dallas - freezing

Back in Dallas again this week. And it is freezing...in the office. The combination of keeping the building very cold and all the air-conditioning dumping into our conference room combines to an absolutely freezing environment.

If there were enough moisture in the air, I think it would be snowing!

Toyota Corolla

This week's vehicle was a very basic model of the Toyota Corolla. It didn't even have power locks.

Not much to say about it. Drives okay. Looks okay. Not that I need bells and whistles but simply nothing extraordinary good or bad.

What a difference in Lattitude

Dallas was in the low 100's Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. A 'cool' front came through on Thursday bringing high 90's instead!

Flew home last night and arrived to a beautiful mid-70's. If you look at a map, Dallas and Minneapolis are almost in a line north and south. You only have to take one Interstate between the two cities - I35.

It is supposed to stay in the mid-70's the rest of the week.

Pat and Judy Kelly

My friend, John Arnone, introduced me to Pat and Judy Kelly of Dallas, Texas a few months ago. Pat and Judy are a professors at the University of Dalls and head of the theatre department.

They invited me over to dinner last night and we had such an enjoyable time. They are the nicest people and have wonderful theatre stories from all over and especially the Guthrie when Sir Tyrone Guthrie was there.

Many thanks to John for hooking us up and many many thanks to Pat and Judy for entertaining a lone traveller away from home.

Dallas. Ah, real heat.

Heading to Dallas this week. Checked out the weather and it looks like its going to be a scorcher.

A Coke commercial

You may see my nephew, Raymond Reed, in a Coke commercial one of these days. He won the Coke Race at his recent Horse Barrel Race competition. Someone gave his name to a commercial agent and there was a video shoot this past week.

Here he is running the race...

The photo source is here
And another photo is here

Subaru Impreza review

Haven't reviewed my vehicle from last week in Chicago. I had a Subaru Impreza. It is a sporty sedan. I had a Subaru Legacy a few weeks back in North Carolina and really enjoyed that in the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I didn't get to do much actual driving while in the south Chicago suburbs. Traffic construction and congestion doesn't allow for much in the way of enjoyable driving.

Nonetheless, these Subarus are fun to drive. The all-wheel drive is definitely a plus and they have very nice power. The seats aren't the most comfortable is one drawback.

The ventilation system is easy and convenient to control. I especially liked the vent controls with knobs that you twist to open and close the vents and also move to direct the air flow.

The dashboard was easy to read and not cluttered. I would recommend this vehicle.

Home this week

Sorry for no updates lately. Not much going on. I'm home this week. Yeah!

The plan for working from home was so we could get more of our tasks done without the interference of meetings. Well, that didn't really work today. Had one meeting that went from 11am to 12:30. Then another meeting from 1pm to 3pm. Chewed up a big chunk of the day. Tomorrow looks about the same.

Water, water every where

After all the stuff about the bridge last night and it was still so muggy, I decided to take a shower to cool off. There wasn't any water pressure in my shower and I was cursing the new faucet. Then I realized it was just the hot water and thought, "Oh boy, I hope the water heater hasn't finally blown." I went downstairs and there was water all over the place. It wasn't the water heater but the washing machine hose. The hot water hose and burst and was spewing water all over the basement.

The water heater was running like gangbusters. The dehumidifer was cranking away. The washing machine itself was full of water. The sink was full of water. It was a mess.

I shut the water off. Called my neighbor Mather at 10:30pm to borrow his wet vac and started cleaning up. Fortunately I had gotten rid of tons of stuff in the garage sale and had completely straightened up the basement taking almost everything off the floor and putting it on shelves. I had been fearing my almost 15 year old water heater was going to go. The water had stayed pretty much on one side of the basement.

It is all dry and very clean now.

I had been wanting to clean the floors. So, now they're clean!

I am home and safe

If you haven't heard, the bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed today. It occurred while I was in the air traveling from Chicago.

I do not travel over that section of the highway as it is north of me and the airport is south.

It looks like a terrible tragedy. Still no word of deaths. Prayers and thoughts to the victims, rescuers and all their families.

AOL Story and Pictures

Jogging and Nature

I went jogging last night. Okay, don't laugh. I actually did go jogging even though someone walking would probably have easily passed me. All this travel has lead to some bad eating habits and I haven't been going to the gym on a regular basis (read - not at all when I'm home).

There is a state forest next to the hotel that has a trail. I was hoping to see some nature. Ya'll know how much I likes me nature.

First there was a bunny in the middle of the trail. Then I saw a red-tailed squirrel off to the side. I'm thinking this is prime deer country and BAM! There's a whole herd of them. Probably ten or so. Some on the trail. Others just off in the woods. There is a stream and some are there. A doe with a fawn and four or more bucks with antlers. The antlers still have their fur on them.

The deer pretty much just watched me like I watched them. I was easily within 15 or 20 feet of one or two. It was so cool. They are really beautiful.

As I continued jogging down the path I ran into several other smaller groups of deer. The trail ends up next to the Des Plaines river. At one point it opens onto a field of Queen Anne's Lace. Mostly the trail is in the woods which have these incredible oak trees.

I was so glad I went.

Chicago - O'Hare

I'm back on Chicago this week. Actually Northfield to be accurate. Road construction everywhere. And, for crying out loud, when are they going to finish the American Airlines terminal project at O'Hare!!

They are extending the front and putting a glass wall the full length of it. They were working on it back in 2004 when I first started coming here and it STILL IS'NT DONE!

And then there is the tollway I have to take from the airport to the client. Major construction right at the getting on point. And another major project at the getting off point. Since I came in later last night the traffic wasn't bad at all. But I'm going home Wednesday evening and heading to the airport during rush hour. I think I'll take the back roads.

My but I sound like such a whiner! I'm a total travel snob now and want everything to be perfect. I don't have time for it to be anything else.

My friend John's blog and web site

The famous Broadway and international set designer John Arnone has opened a website showcasing his set design work. Check it out at Arnone Designs

He also joining the blogishpere. Encourage him along at John's blog

Ford Fusion

I've been hoping to get a Ford Fusion rental car and finally did this week. I think it was a base model because there weren't too many bells and whistles.

I really like the look of the car. First thing I noticed is how comfortable the driver's seat is and it sits fairly high which I like. The instrument panel is well configured with the steering wheel so you can see all the gauges. It is surprising how many cars don't have the steering wheel and gauges lined up right.

The climate controls are way too low. They are below the radio which is kind of low. The climate controls end up at the same height as the gear selector and so are not easy to get to. There was a pretty bad rattle in the dashboard. I think it had something to do with the storage compartment on top of the dash.

For some reason in Dallas they don't grade the road surface before putting it down. They just put the road on the contour of the land so there are all kinds of bumps and humps and curves and dips. It can be kind of fun to drive but anything loose in the car shakes, rattles and rolls.

The transmission is not as smooth as the General Motors ones I have had recently. The car is fun to drive but I think the weak point is the transmission. The sound proofing is excellent though. I was trapped between two semi-trailers and did not have that level of noise I thought there would be.

Result is a mild recommend.

Road Weary

Boy, am I tired. This week after week of travel is wearing me down.

I'll be glad when the summer travel time is over. The airports are crowded. The planes are crowded. The roads are crowded. And I'm crabby.

:-0

Soneone's lost luggage?

When we landed at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), I think we must have actually landed on the Fort Worth side. We taxied forever to get to our gate passing by several other terminals along the way.

As we're finally getting close to the gate, I see a piece of luggage out on the tarmac. It is along the "road" marked for vehicles. I figure it has fallen off one of those luggage wagons. I'm watching and we pass within a few yards of it. The guy guiding the plane in is fairly close to it. He doesn't touch it.

A few luggage wagon drivers sail right by it. A pickup truck or two zoom on by it. One luggage wagon cart driver actually stops and reads the tag. Then he goes on and leaves it there.

I'm thinking about the poor passenger who is either going to be missing their luggage at their destination or they're standing at the baggage carousel wondering where their personal belongings are. Then I get to thinking isn't it kind of security issue to have this piece of luggage sitting out on the airport tarmac? What's the thing they announce about leaving your luggage unattended?

A beautiful night for fireworks

Last night was the end of the Minneapolis Aquateneal - "the best 10 days of summer" - festival. Target sponsors a fireworks display on the Mississippi River.

Christine, Kay, Rachel, Tom and I went down to the Stone Arch Bridge at lock and dam #1. This is the best place to view. And there were several tens of thousands of others who also thought so.

The fireworks are shot off from the next up river bridge. It was a cool, clear night with a slight breeze. The fireworks were crystal clear.

Its back to Dallas this week.

Cat check

Well, it finally happened. I got home last night to find Uno in the upstairs closet. She must have gone in when I was getting dressed Monday morning and I didn't see her. She was shut in there for four days!

She seems okay. She drank a lot of water and the bedroom closet is kind of a mess.

I'll be checking for both cats before I leave in the future.

John Arnone's cousin

Turns out that my friend John Arnone (check out his website: John Arnone Design) has a cousin that works at the client I'm consulting for in Irving, Texas. He is the Vice President of Human Resources. We went out to lunch on Wednesday and had a good time talking about John and especially about John's family and boyhood.

It was nice to spend some time with non-IBMers and not have to talk about the project.

This week's car - the Nissan Altima

Got a "foreign" car this week. It has fairly standard equipment so not too luxurious but very comfortable to drive.

The brakes are very very sensitive though. I was lurching out the Hertz parking ramp trying to get used to them. I don't know if the pedal is further out than I'm used to or what. I finally got used to it by the end of the week.

The radio was tricky to figure out. I think I had that comment about the Cadillac. Manufacturer's seem to try to make these fancy controls and it just ends up being complicated of busy. The Altima also had the keyless start like the Caddie. I just don't get the advantage of that. You still have to carry the fob to unlock and lock the doors. And it is so easy to just get out of the vehicle without turning it off.

The Altima does drive nice and has nice power though so I would recommend it.

Back in Dallas/Irving, TX

Back again to the hot and humid south. I cannot figure out the roads and streets around here. I'm usually so good about getting around and figuring out my way. This is my third time here and I'm still getting lost and confused.

Garage Sale

I had a very successful garage sale today. First off, having a garage sale and traveling in the same week was kind of stressful. I got home Thursday evening and planned on taking Friday off so I could get ready. I wasn't able to take the whole day and I was easily distracted from the main task.

Thank goodness Andrea and Jason were able to come over and help take stuff out to the garage. We got all the boxes from the basement and the table and chairs from the dining room and the bedroom set from upstairs.

Meanwhile I had advertised by storm windows on Friday and got a call right away. That guy wanted to come over and check them out. And Troy was going to come over and get stuff he had his eyes own.

I actually sold over $300.00 of stuff Friday!

I started making signs late Friday night and but together a price sheet instead of marking each item. That was one of the better ideas.

Got up early today to put out the signs and continue taking stuff to the garage. Picked up Christine who was my life saver. When we got back to the house the people started coming already - a half hour early. While I was still bringing stuff and setting up, Christine handled the buyers.

It was a busy day. So many friends showed up and made the day pass by amusingly. Many thanks to Amy for purchasing the table and chairs. Also, thanks to Roxy and Rose for helping pack up at the end. And simply could not have done it at all without Christine.

So you're probably wondering how much I made? The answer is $591.00!! Awesome!!

No time for touring

I am working on three projects at the same time. This hasn't left anytime for being a tourist. I was hoping to catch some sites here in Dallas.

We have two developers from Canada here this week. They checked into some of the sites and discovered that most everything closes at 5pm. There isn't anyway to see or do things if they close that early.

I'm back here next week. Hopefully I'll find some time.

I did meet my friend John Arnone's cousin. He works at the client I'm at. We are planning on going to lunch next week.

Cadillac STS

This week I ordered the Hertz navigation system called Neverlost. You usually get a nicer car when you order that feature but I didn't expect to get a Cadillac STS. This model is similar to the CTS that I leased a few years ago for 3 years. The STS is the bigger 8 cylinder model.

It definitely drives nicely and has incredible power. The side mirrors are small and make seeing the multiple lanes that all the highways here have.

The car actually has its own navigation system but is a DVD-based system and, of course, they don't provide those. The display is nice and large and also serves as the radio controls. Unfortunately the radio controls are rather tricky. Some are part of the screen and some are regular knobs.

It is a fun car to drive but wouldn't be something I would really recommend.