A moment in time

Walking on the second level of the client's four story atrium...looking out the four story glass wall toward the Rocky Mountains...three hot air balloons floating in the sky...very near.

It was beautiful. I tried taking a photo with my camera but it was too bright. The brief time the balloons were perfectly framed by the windows with the mountains in the backgroud, was awesome.

I found me a Popeye's

There are tons of shopping malls, shopping centers and restaurants near the client's office and to/from hotel.

Driving to a sushi place one evening, I passed a Popeye's. Most everyone knows I really like Popeye's fried chicken.

I wanted to get out of the office for a bit. The weather is gorgeous and I needed some air and sun. Turns out the Popeye's is part of a gas station/convenience store. I'm sure this food isn't all that healthy but I love it and I love finding sommething that makes me happy when I'm away from home.

Spring Green, Wisconsin

This weekend was the annual road trip to Spring Green, Wisconsin to see a show at American Players Theatre and generally have fun and relaxation.  It was a great trip.

This year were Dave, Me, Rose, Kathy, Meagan and Michael.

Meagan and Michael drove up from Iowa City.

You can't make a trip to Wisconsin without picking up some beers. We made a usual stop at Burnstad's in Tomah and made our own six pack with mostly Wisconsin beers...theSchell's Snowstorm is a Minnesota beer.

We saw "The Circle" by Somerset Maugham. It was a chilly night at the top of the hill.

During the day we went to House on the Rock. It takes a blog entry all on its own which will come when I get back from Denver this week.

Working from home...until Friday

Home this week until Friday when it is time for the annual road trip to The American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

The apples have turned red.  This picture is a bit Charlie Brown looking but in real life, I think it is beautiful.

Shared one with my neighbor Roxi as we chatted across the fence.  It was very very tasty.

Kia Soul

The return of auto reviews....Aunt Donna :-)

There just aren't that many different vehicles available but I'll try to find the ones I haven't had before.  So this week I saw this strange looking little car at the end of the row.  I really didn't know what it was until I got up to the front grill and saw the Kia badge.  The upholstery has "Soul" all over it...so a Kia Soul.

This thing is small on the outside but fairly roomy on the inside.  The Soul is square like the Honda Fit and not a silhouette I particularly care for.

The drive from the airport to the client site is high-speed toll way the whole way.  The Soul zips along just fine at tollway speed but there is a lot of road and wind noise.  The controls are easy to use and reach.

The Soul probably gets good gas mileage but there is not a readout to tell you.  The model I rented was pretty basic.  I think a manual transmission would be more fun to drive.

Back home...flying is dreadful

Got back home last night.  We even landed "early" according to the pilot.  Of course, when the times are padded, making an early landing is easier.

The flight was packed.  And I mean packed.  I had a window seat with what felt like three other people.  The rows are so close and the seats so narrow I don't know why they even bother putting in seats.  In addition there is virtually no padding in the seat bottom so almost immediately my butt check was screaming.

The airline is Delta and the plane is an MD-90.  Dreadful.

Very smoky

Monday driving from the airport to Broomfield, the mountains were incased in thick smoke and smog from the two fires.  The northern part of the mountains were completely obscured.

But as I got closer to the mountains, it appeared to clear up some.  And by the end of the day it was dramatically clearer.  The fire closests to Boulder was declared under control.  The more northern one was still being worked but higher humidity and lower temperatures were helping the fire fighters.

This morning the mountains were once again clear and beautiful.

Back to Denver area

It has been several weeks without business travel.  This week I go back to Broomfield, near Boulder where the devastating fire has destroyed several homes.  I hear on the radio this morning that another fire has started near another town in the same area.

Rabbit no more

Just a day after I caught my Mrs. Rabbit and one of the squirrels meeting to plan a possible assault on my apple tree, I found Mrs. Rabbit flattened by a car right in front of the house.

It was a gruesome sight.  I did not want her body to suffer anymore indignities so I picked her up with a shovel and have disposed of her remains.

While saddened by the death of any animal, I do believe she lead a very active and fruitful life.  I also would not put it past the squirrel gang to have lured Mrs. Rabbit into a death trap by possibly encouraging her to cross the road just as one of the many vehicles was barreling down upon her.

As if the weather knew...

What a difference a date makes.  When the calendar turned to September 1, our weather has been completely different.

We've gone from tank tops, shorts and sandles to light jacket, long-sleeved t-shirts, jeans and shoes from August 31 to September 1.  I'm not complaining.  It is just so odd.

As if to say "We cannot be defeated!"

Walked out to the backyard this morning to find the umbrella tie lying on the patio table.  The squirrels had eaten the shoestring with the mothball sock that I've used all summer to keep the umbrella closed tight.

Also, an apple had been picked from the tree and half eaten.  I am hoping that just the potency of the mothballs has decreased so I'm adding more mothballs to the socks.

Unexpected Travel

I found out this week that my employer no longer has a tech support office in Minneapolis.  My laptop has had problems for over a month and I finally got someone to take a look at it.

Turns out the closest place to get the laptop fixed is Rochester, Minnesota.  I could have mailed it in which would have meant at least 3 days without it and therefore no work.  So I drove to Rochester this morning.

The Rochester facility is enormous and blue and so much of it is empty.  It is an okay drive that takes exactly 1-1/2 hours each way.  It is frustrating that this is now the situation with support.