Kia Spectra

I think I've had this vehicle before.

A side note...Hertz now takes the card hanging thing that has the contract in it to recycle. Applause to Hertz.

Kia Spectra is a compact sedan. Mine seemed to be a bit worse for the wear. It was kind of dirty and something had really marked up the passenger seat.

There was a pretty bad ice storm and the Kia did okay. But I really wouldn't want to be in an accident. It felt like riding around in very thin tin can on wheels.

Really nothing good nor bad about this one. I think it would have a difficult time if four adults were in at the same time.

Friends in Dallas

Best week in Dallas.

On Tuesday got to see my friend John Arnone and the show in designed the scenery for at Dallas Theater Center. The show is a world premiere and uses text from Genesis and interviews with biblical and non-biblical scholars.

I had done a show with one of the actors, Hassan Al-Amin. I couldn't remember which show but he could - Dream on Monkey Mountain. That was 1994!

John introduced me to several colleagues and friends before and after the show.

Also got to have dinner with John and his friends (now mine, too ), Pat and Judy Kelly, last night. We went to a restaurant in the popular Uptown area of Dallas.

It was so nice to spend some time in the city that wasn't work time.

The ice finally arrived

The fear of an ice storm was all the talk in Dallas today. At the client site that's all that was being talked about.

Employees were released at 2pm. Many schools closed today. It was only raining.

I went to see my friend John Arnone's show at Dallas Theater Center tonight. Still only raining.

Then just before 10pm the storm finally arrived. Freezing rain and sleet made walking back to the car tricky.

I'd rather have snow than ice any time.

Back in Dallas

Flew to Dallas for work today. Aunt Donna was on my flight as she was connecting in Dallas to get to Wichita. The flight was full and we weren't able to sit together.

Mom's flight home was through St. Louis. It took off about an hour after Aunt Donna and mine.

Jill and Alicia returned to Oregon last night.

Back in the USA

Made it back last night around 11:00pm. Were actually early. Customs was easy and I think everyone has gotten home.

It was -1 Fahrenheit when we landed. It was in the upper 70's in Cozumel.

Mom and Donna head to their homes tomorrow, Monday. And I'm heading back to Dallas for work. Donna and I are on same flight to Dallas. Mom flies through St. Louis.

Leaving for the airport

Been busy. No blog updates until today. Here's is attempt to catch up...

The last entry was about last Sunday. Monday is when Jenny Batten arrived. Girls went shopping downtown. Jenny arrived a little early and was up in room talking with Marlin.

Hard to remember what we did which day or night. Mom and Donna, now known as the "Madonnas," can't remember either. They are sitting here trying to help me. Not so much.

Each evening most of the group gathered for happy hour at the pool and watched the sunset picture.

It was windy Tuesday and Wednesday. There was a plan to go on glass bottom boat and snorkeling but too windy.

Tuesday we gathered to watch the inauguration. The hotel staff was very interested in watching, too.

Wednesday we rented a minivan and eight of us went to the other side of the island. Saw crocodiles (cocodrilos). Walked up the light house which someone said they weren't going to do (that would be Mom). Took an open bus/truck thing to a beautiful beach and snorkled.
Used the same the same eight passenger minivan to take ELEVEN people to Pancho's Backyard...a nice restaurant near hotel. Donna got the fun ride.

Thursday was a calmer day and glass bottom boat ride happened. Here is the very small glass bottom boat. Donna was not too thrilled with the boat. She was very brave and thought for sure it was going to a bigger boat. It didn't.

It was a wet and wild ride. Passed the big cruise ships on way to see fish and coral. Jenny, Jill, Alicia, Bunny and I snorkeled from boat and Mom, Donna and Pat Quinn watched through glass bottom (hog trough).

Friday Jenny returned to Minnesota. Marlin, Jill, Alicia, Pat Quinn and I went to Chankanab, the national park where we could snorkel.

At some point during the week Kathy Just, Jill, Donna, Amy and Pat Quinn got sick at various times and for lengths.

Rose, Pat Quinn, Loretta and Kathy have already left for airport. They are on the 3pm flight. The rest of us fly out at 7pm.

The birthday gang

So you know who people are that I refer to.

Linda and JT


Jill and Alicia


Jenny Batten


Amy, Kathy and Loretta



Rose


Pat Quinn and Bunny


Marlin, Gracie and Donna

Birthday celebration continued (Sunday)...

Sunday the gang went down town to Casa Denis for dinner and the community gathering.
Casa Denis has been a dinner tradition for years. They have the best sopa de lima soup ever. And Martin, the waiter, has been serving and entertaining us every time since 1992.
After dinner we walked over to the Plaza Mayor (main square). There is a live band and various vendors. I danced with Alicia to a Mexican pop song. And then danced with Mom to a 1950's big band number.

I had way too much to drink but had no ill effects.

Best birthday ever! (Saturday, January 17)

The gang of 14 arrived in Cozumel on Saturday. There was one slight mix-up. Turned out that Marlin's flight was a later one but he didn't realize it until after he checked in. Connie, the travel agent, had said that every one was on the same flight.

The party had actually started earlier with nine of us on one Super Shuttle to the airport. Kathy Just, JT and Linda road together being driven by JT and Linda's super neighbor.

Jay Rendall made his first of two trips to the airport to drop off Jill and Alicia Rendall.

It had warmed up dramatically in Minneapolis. It was 16 degrees. The first above zero temperature in three days.

The direct flight from Minneapolis to Cozumel was uneventful for the most part. Bunny surprised us all by knowing Kathy, the flight attendant. She and Bunny chatted like they were old college friends. Turns out Bunny had been getting her haircut and was talking about her planned trip to Cozumel and Kathy, the flight attendant, over heard her and introduced herself. There are more "small world" stories on this adventure.

Rose had gotten luggage tags made for all. Thanks to Terry and GTees for the design. It was easy to see which bags were ours so Rose and Pat Quinn had already been gathering them.

Everyone got through Mexican immigration and customs just fine. We got tickets for the van and started piling in. Rose and Pat Quinn had purchased separate air and hotel package - a WorryFree Vacations deal. They had free ride to hotel.

Bunny and I were in the water by 3:30...just. Everyone hung out on the beach. Jill and Alicia went snorkeling. Marlin arrived in the evening.

We gathered in the hotel inside bar around 7pm. I wasn't expecting any presents. Jill and Alicia had been giving me two cards every hour. I got more beautiful cards and the most amazing present from everyone -- they had adopted a 2 mile section of Highway 10 near Elk River. I was presented with a personalized safety vest and hat.



We then headed down to the restaurant for a wonderful meal.

Here is luggage tag design on my t-shirt.


Part of the big group...

My birthDAY celebration continues.

Locksmith

I was supposed to be meeting friends for dinner on Wednesday night. I hadn't been in the garage or driven the truck for a day or so. I couldn't get my key in the outside garage door. I thought it was probably ice and shoved and pushed the key. Then realized it was the wrong key.

I got the correct key and tried again. Couldn't get the key in the lock. Sprayed WD40 in the lock. Was able to get the key in but it wouldn't turn. Heated up my 3M heat gel pad in the microwave. But heated it too much and it burst. I still put it on the door knob to try to thaw it out. Still not able to turn.

As last resort I boiled water and poured that on the door knob. I knew that was going to be a mistake if it didnt' work. It was still below zero and was going to be for another day or two. Still couldn't turn the key. Ended up calling friend to pick me up.

Next day, Thursday, got out the heat gun. Ran two extension cords from the house. Heated up the door knob. Still nothing. I couldn't break the door in because I had reinforced it a few years ago when I realized how easy it was to break in. And I don't have a spare garage door opener for the big door.

So, ended up calling a locksmith. I lucked out that the closest company had someone available within the hour. The guy shows up with tool box in hand. Big, tall guy. He asks for the key. Puts the key in the lock. Taps the key three times with the back of his screw driver. And voila, the key turns and the door is unlocked! Took about 30 seconds!

He only charged me $68.00 for the service call.

Gotta get a spare garage door opener, eh?!

Coldest week of the year

The week of my birthday is proving to be the coldest week again. Not above zero yesterday. Not above zero today. Not above zero tomorrow.

We've gotten some snow. It is very light and fluffy and sparkles like diamonds.

A week to work from home

Working from home this week. It is supposed to get super cold which is actually expected. The week of my birthday is statistically the coldest of the year.

Buick Lucerne

Isn't Lucerne a brand of milk?

I thought...Buick...old man car. And it kind of is. This vehicle is big inside and rides rather big-boat-like.

I never got the seat in a comfortable to drive position. It had all kinds of electric and manual adjustments but the gas pedal was just too far away. I'm a kind of tall person but I had the worse time trying to reach the gas pedal. And once I got close enough to the pedal, the steering wheel was too close.

Speaking of the gas pedal...it is very very stiff. Had to really push to get the pedal to move so take offs were kind of bullet. The car does cruise along once you get going and is super super quiet. The Texas Department of Transportation lay-the-road-surface-on-the-ground-without-grading in combination with the super quiet ride enhanced the big boat feel.

The Buick Lucerne also suffers from two of my other pet peeves: 1) no indoor trunk release. you have to use the key fob; and 2) the side mirrors are a tad small and the driver mirror doesn't adjust out to the insurance standard.

I'd have to say that I don't recommend this one. It's too bad cause there is lots of power and it doesn't look bad.

Best story

This was on the CBS News last Friday and repeated on CBS Sunday Morning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jGGhpo78BE

You have to watch the whole thing. It is amazing.

blogging

I haven't done much blogging lately.

This blog was set up initially for me to let friends and family know I was doing in London while living there on an IBM project. And more importantly, for me to connected to my friends and family when I was so far away and alone.

Now I've been trying to keep the blog going with what I think are the interesting things I occasionally do. My travels for work over the past few months have been far from interesting hence the lack of blogging entries.

I don't discuss work because it is mostly boring and tedious. And I don't want potentially compromise something. Makes it sound like I do important, clandestine work...which I don't.

So I'm wondering if I should keep the blog going? If so, should I enter just stream of conscientiousness stuff?

After a day of working on the computer, it is sometimes hard to turn the thing back on again and type up anything. I open to suggestions.

Dallas again...no one should be surprised

Monday through Thursday again this week. It should be warmer than home at least.

We've had a cold winter so far. And I know most of you think it is always cold here but the last few winters have not been super cold or snowy. At least we've had snow this winter, too. That kind of makes the cold worth it. Also, it warms up to snow.

Warm being in the 20's instead of in the teens or below.