Years ago I had noticed on a road map that there is an Alspaugh, North Carolina. I used MapQuest and GoogleMaps to locate it. It is a suburb of Winston Salem and I drove over there on Wednesday.
It was getting dark by the time I got there. It doesn't stay light in North Carolina as late as it does in Minnesota. The spot on both maps is just an intersection of two streets - Polo Road and Indiana Avenue. There isn't any "Welcome to Alspaugh, North Carolina" sign.
But right before that intersection is Alspaugh Drive. So, of course, I took a drive down Alspaugh Drive. Along Alspaugh Drive is Alspaugh Circle! I had to kind of park the car in the middle of the road to get the headlights to shine on the signs.
Alspaugh Drive is about as long as Alspaugh Dam Road. It is definitely a suburb and is lined with homes.
Now I have to find out which Alspaugh these roads are named for. Anyone got any ideas?
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tom Dooley, A Wilkes County Legend
That's Tom Dooley as in the folk song "Hang down your head, Tom Dooley."
Wilkesboro, North Carolina, is the county seat of Wilkes County. The Wilkes Playmakers Theatre presents a play written by a local playwrigte that recounts the story of Tom Dooley.
The performance is in an outdoor amphitheatre in Fort Hamby Park. A large cast which includes a horse, a real Civil War gun battle, and a hanging make for an interesting evening.
The newspaper review said this year's production was cut by 30 minutes and the previously live music was now recorded. It was pretty good actually. Especially the woman playing one of Tom Dooley's lovers.
update 06-30-07 -- I forgot to mention that one of the other characters in the show was Jack Adkins. Adkins is my mother's maiden name. Since the play is based on real people I assume that Jack Adkins was a real person.
Pontiac G6
Starting a new feature on the blog -- auto reviews. I almost always get a different vehicle from Hertz on these business trips so I thought I would give my impresssions.
This week I have a Pontiac G6. It is a four door sports sedan and quite fun to drive. The driver's seat is very hugging. A little too much at first I thought but have gotten used to it. The other thing I noticed right off is the steering wheel. It feels quite large...especially for a smallish car.
The G6 has really good pickup and acceleration even at highway speeds. There isn't the usual abrupt downshift when you press the accelator at highway speed. It is smooth and efficient.
My model has a sunroof that slides up and back. I had it open last night and could even keep the windows up without the ear pressure baffling that my Escape's sunroof has with the windows closed and the sunroof open.
I think this G6 is well worth a look if you are looking for a new sporty car.
This week I have a Pontiac G6. It is a four door sports sedan and quite fun to drive. The driver's seat is very hugging. A little too much at first I thought but have gotten used to it. The other thing I noticed right off is the steering wheel. It feels quite large...especially for a smallish car.
The G6 has really good pickup and acceleration even at highway speeds. There isn't the usual abrupt downshift when you press the accelator at highway speed. It is smooth and efficient.
My model has a sunroof that slides up and back. I had it open last night and could even keep the windows up without the ear pressure baffling that my Escape's sunroof has with the windows closed and the sunroof open.
I think this G6 is well worth a look if you are looking for a new sporty car.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Travelling to North Carolina
Was booked and checked-in for 7:00am US Airways flight to Charlotte. I got up at 4am and headed for the airport at 5:30. I stopped at the 24 hour post office at the airport. Made it to the regular US Airways gate in terminal E by a little after 6am. No flight, no gate attendants, nothing; and US Airways doesn't have a flight status monitor.
I went to the information person back in the airport rotunda. He seemed to know exactly what I was going to ask and told me gate C10. Hiked down to the gate. The flight was delayed to 10:15AM!! 10:15!!??? Delayed!!?? More like CANCELLED.
Never flying US Airways again!
I went to the information person back in the airport rotunda. He seemed to know exactly what I was going to ask and told me gate C10. Hiked down to the gate. The flight was delayed to 10:15AM!! 10:15!!??? Delayed!!?? More like CANCELLED.
Never flying US Airways again!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
A bumpy ride
Quite a bumpy flight back from Dallas. We left half hour let. It was cloudy but not stormy in Texas.
However, it was stormy south of Minneapolis. We had a pretty rocky ride for the last hour or so but no harm and we flew right in.
At this point I'm going to North Carolina again next week.
However, it was stormy south of Minneapolis. We had a pretty rocky ride for the last hour or so but no harm and we flew right in.
At this point I'm going to North Carolina again next week.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Not really Dallas
Turns out the client site is in Irving, Texas between Dallas and Fort Worth. It is also called Las Colinas.
The client is a high-end retailer known for their Christmas catalog with big time luxury items. Their headquarters is a distribution center and not some highrise glass and steel cutting edge architecture. The people are nice and I managed to put my foot in my mouth when I was introduced to the CIO who I didn't know was the CIO until afterwards.
One thing I've learned so far is that they don't sell deodorant here. They have all kinds of antiperspirants but not just plain deodorant.
The client is a high-end retailer known for their Christmas catalog with big time luxury items. Their headquarters is a distribution center and not some highrise glass and steel cutting edge architecture. The people are nice and I managed to put my foot in my mouth when I was introduced to the CIO who I didn't know was the CIO until afterwards.
One thing I've learned so far is that they don't sell deodorant here. They have all kinds of antiperspirants but not just plain deodorant.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Back home....next week new location
I'm back from Chicago. I don't think they are ever going to finish work on O'Hare airport. Now the entrances to all three terminals are under underconstruction.
Not only that but the Interstate/Tollway I take right outside of the airport is under construction AND the exit to get to Kraft is under construction! I tool forever to get to Kraft on Monday so I took an alternate route back to the airport. Zig-zagging my way back but moving unlike the tollway.
Next week I'm going to Dallas, Texas. There has been talk about me working on this project at Neiman Marcus since last year. So now I'll have four clients! Lowes, Kraft, an internal IBM project and Neiman.
Not only that but the Interstate/Tollway I take right outside of the airport is under construction AND the exit to get to Kraft is under construction! I tool forever to get to Kraft on Monday so I took an alternate route back to the airport. Zig-zagging my way back but moving unlike the tollway.
Next week I'm going to Dallas, Texas. There has been talk about me working on this project at Neiman Marcus since last year. So now I'll have four clients! Lowes, Kraft, an internal IBM project and Neiman.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Cicadas
I got out of my rental vehicle in the client parking lot in Northfield, Illinois -- just north of Chicago and it sounded like a sci-fi movie. It took me a minute then I remembered a story on National Public Radio about the cicada 17 year emergence. A very wierd sound.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northwest/chi-cicadas-specialpackage,1,2013741.special??track=sto-relcon&ctrack=2&cset=true
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northwest/chi-cicadas-specialpackage,1,2013741.special??track=sto-relcon&ctrack=2&cset=true
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Chicago this week
Memorial Weekend pictures
Mom mailed me her pictures. I scanned them and am posting some here in my aol account. Let me know if the link below doesn't work.
AOL Picture Gallery
Spade(Loyd) uploaded his photos to a Kodak gallery. Here is link Spade photos. You can view the slideshow without logging into or creating an account so don't let that stop you. He has some great pictures.
AOL Picture Gallery
Spade(Loyd) uploaded his photos to a Kodak gallery. Here is link Spade photos. You can view the slideshow without logging into or creating an account so don't let that stop you. He has some great pictures.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Diverted to Des Moines
Flying back from Charlotte we had to take a very southerly route and ended up not having enough fuel to circle Minneapolis. So they sent us to Des Moines to re-fuel.
I called my friend Christine in Minneapolis and she says it is clear and sunny but windy.
Don't know how long we'll be here. They just lifted the ground stop at MSP but no word if we're going to head up there.
I called my friend Christine in Minneapolis and she says it is clear and sunny but windy.
Don't know how long we'll be here. They just lifted the ground stop at MSP but no word if we're going to head up there.
Heading home
Flying home today. Could be thunderstorms in Minneapolis so hope I'm not delayed.
Co-worker and friend, Scott Baune, had mentioned that he saw "Alspaugh Dam" on one of his trips out here to North Carolina. I found it thanks to the internet and drove there on Tuesday.
Actually it is Alspaugh Dam Road. I didn't see a dam but possible site where one was. The road is only a mile or two long. I'll post picture when I get home.
Here's the picture...
Not sure where I'll be next week but looks like Chicago. 06/08 update: I will be in Chicago next week.
Co-worker and friend, Scott Baune, had mentioned that he saw "Alspaugh Dam" on one of his trips out here to North Carolina. I found it thanks to the internet and drove there on Tuesday.
Actually it is Alspaugh Dam Road. I didn't see a dam but possible site where one was. The road is only a mile or two long. I'll post picture when I get home.
Here's the picture...
Not sure where I'll be next week but looks like Chicago. 06/08 update: I will be in Chicago next week.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Back to North Carolina
Friday, June 1, 2007
Kansas - Memorial weekend -- part 4 (Monday, May 28)
Monday we made pancakes from the mix that Donna had given us. They were really good. Mom fried up a lot of bacon (streaky bacon :-))
We drove the half mile to the cemetery where they were setting up for the Memorial Day ceremony. Deb found Uncle Ben's flag right away. Mom caught up with cousins, other relatives and other friends.
The ceremony included a speaker who was a young veteran and a gun salute made up of older veterans. The leader of the gun salute finished with "Stand down not fall down." Everyone laughed.
Deb and Linda left after the Memorial proceedings. Mom, Spade and Donna went back to the cabin. Mom's cousin Hoyt and his wife, Joanne, came down to see the cabin. Joanne does genealogy and shared stories of family histories.
Mom, Spade, Donna and I went to Virgil to put our remembrance on graves of my father's family. Dad's mother's brother, Ben Dalton, and his wife Madge are buried in the Virgil cemetery. It has always been a bit of lore that Grandma Trudy's family was related to the Dalton gang! Also William and Arena Alspaugh are buried here. They are dad's grandparents. Jack (Andrew Jack) Dalton, Grandma Trudy's dad, is buried close by.
We got caught in rain on the way back. My truck (Escape) got real muddy. That was cool. We stopped at Lizard Lips (or is it Leaping Lizard?) to pick up hot dogs and buns.
Larry came down for hot dogs and we made smores again. Larry showed Spade and I how you can "devine" for buried bodies. You take two lengths of copper wire. Bend one end 90 degrees so you can hold in your hand. Keep your elbows to your side. When you walk over a buried body, the two pieces of wire will cross. This also works for buried electrical lines. That's how he showed us.
Not everyone has the "touch" to do this. Larry looked at the lifeline on my hand and said it would most likely work for me. I had the right kind of lifeline. Spade, on the other had, did not but that he might get it to work. It worked very faintly for Spade but was very strong for me. I can't wait to try it out in a cemetery.
Here are some pictures:
Larry, Donna and Mom on front porch of cabin.
Spade (Loyd), Jeff and Mom (Gracie) self-portrait.
We drove the half mile to the cemetery where they were setting up for the Memorial Day ceremony. Deb found Uncle Ben's flag right away. Mom caught up with cousins, other relatives and other friends.
The ceremony included a speaker who was a young veteran and a gun salute made up of older veterans. The leader of the gun salute finished with "Stand down not fall down." Everyone laughed.
Deb and Linda left after the Memorial proceedings. Mom, Spade and Donna went back to the cabin. Mom's cousin Hoyt and his wife, Joanne, came down to see the cabin. Joanne does genealogy and shared stories of family histories.
Mom, Spade, Donna and I went to Virgil to put our remembrance on graves of my father's family. Dad's mother's brother, Ben Dalton, and his wife Madge are buried in the Virgil cemetery. It has always been a bit of lore that Grandma Trudy's family was related to the Dalton gang! Also William and Arena Alspaugh are buried here. They are dad's grandparents. Jack (Andrew Jack) Dalton, Grandma Trudy's dad, is buried close by.
We got caught in rain on the way back. My truck (Escape) got real muddy. That was cool. We stopped at Lizard Lips (or is it Leaping Lizard?) to pick up hot dogs and buns.
Larry came down for hot dogs and we made smores again. Larry showed Spade and I how you can "devine" for buried bodies. You take two lengths of copper wire. Bend one end 90 degrees so you can hold in your hand. Keep your elbows to your side. When you walk over a buried body, the two pieces of wire will cross. This also works for buried electrical lines. That's how he showed us.
Not everyone has the "touch" to do this. Larry looked at the lifeline on my hand and said it would most likely work for me. I had the right kind of lifeline. Spade, on the other had, did not but that he might get it to work. It worked very faintly for Spade but was very strong for me. I can't wait to try it out in a cemetery.
Here are some pictures:
Larry, Donna and Mom on front porch of cabin.
Spade (Loyd), Jeff and Mom (Gracie) self-portrait.
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