She's back but more white than last year.
All the sparrows at Isle's Bun and Coffee have pretty much lost their fear of people and even dogs. Just throw out some bun crumbs and you've got a whole flock of new friends....including bald-eagle sparrow.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Bald-eagle sparrow update
She's back but more white than last year.
All the sparrows at Isle's Bun and Coffee have pretty much lost their fear of people and even dogs. Just throw out some bun crumbs and you've got a whole flock of new friends....including bald-eagle sparrow.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tornado
I missed the tornado in Minneapolis. It sounds like it was fairly close to the house. So far I haven't heard of anyone I know having damage. Thank goodness.
Didn't even make the local NBC news here. The TV weather forecasters don't go much beyond North Texas in their broadcasts. You're lucky if you see the border with Oklahoma. I guess they don't care where the weather comes from just what the weather is.
Heading home today. I hear there are supposed to be storms in Minneapolis but not severe like yesterday. Here's hoping...
Didn't even make the local NBC news here. The TV weather forecasters don't go much beyond North Texas in their broadcasts. You're lucky if you see the border with Oklahoma. I guess they don't care where the weather comes from just what the weather is.
Heading home today. I hear there are supposed to be storms in Minneapolis but not severe like yesterday. Here's hoping...
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Folks along my route
There are many people I see and interact with on my route from Minneapolis to Dallas every week. The Monday route is such a routine. I know some names but not all.
Ms. Wong is the TSA boarding pass and identification checker. It is unusual to get the same person at the same time but Ms. Wong and I have quite the patter going. She apparently knows another Alspaugh in Indiana or Ohio.
There's the gals at the Caribou coffee in terminal E. This group changes up every few weeks but I always stop to get my morning coffee. On Mondays you can get a medium Caribou blend for only $1.
My flight to Dallas wouldn't start off right without Tom at the American gate...usually E14 or E16. Tom will almost always give me free upgrade to first class if there's room. He deals with all kinds of issues at the gate and runs a tight ship.
The flight attendants are always changing but I usually at least recognize some from previous flights. Rachel (aka Shelly) and I go way back and I'm always on the lookout for her.
Don't interact with anyone really when picking up rental car. Hertz and National just let you go directly to the vehicle. The people in the checkout kiosks are difficult to see and talk with because the whole thing is to move you through as fast as possible.
I go to a GNC in Irving to pickup protein drinks for the week. Darryl is always there on Monday. We chat about the weather mostly and he always greets me with big "hello."
Then over to Quiznos. I get a chicken salad there since I started cutting back on carbs for my contest. The three workers at Quiznos are so pleasant. Each one says "hello" and the proprieter greets the regulars so warmly. I can tell I'm not the only one who likes to go to this Quiznos.
It is real nice to see and be greeted by the same people each week. It helps with the travel and being away from home.
Ms. Wong is the TSA boarding pass and identification checker. It is unusual to get the same person at the same time but Ms. Wong and I have quite the patter going. She apparently knows another Alspaugh in Indiana or Ohio.
There's the gals at the Caribou coffee in terminal E. This group changes up every few weeks but I always stop to get my morning coffee. On Mondays you can get a medium Caribou blend for only $1.
My flight to Dallas wouldn't start off right without Tom at the American gate...usually E14 or E16. Tom will almost always give me free upgrade to first class if there's room. He deals with all kinds of issues at the gate and runs a tight ship.
The flight attendants are always changing but I usually at least recognize some from previous flights. Rachel (aka Shelly) and I go way back and I'm always on the lookout for her.
Don't interact with anyone really when picking up rental car. Hertz and National just let you go directly to the vehicle. The people in the checkout kiosks are difficult to see and talk with because the whole thing is to move you through as fast as possible.
I go to a GNC in Irving to pickup protein drinks for the week. Darryl is always there on Monday. We chat about the weather mostly and he always greets me with big "hello."
Then over to Quiznos. I get a chicken salad there since I started cutting back on carbs for my contest. The three workers at Quiznos are so pleasant. Each one says "hello" and the proprieter greets the regulars so warmly. I can tell I'm not the only one who likes to go to this Quiznos.
It is real nice to see and be greeted by the same people each week. It helps with the travel and being away from home.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Quick trip to Petoskey, Michigan
Last Saturday, caught the 6am flight to Chicago for connecting flight to Traverse City, Michigan. All went smoothly. The Traverse City airport is called the Cherry Capital airport.
Rented a great Ford Focus to make the 1 hour 15 minute drive to Petoskey along Lake Michigan. Lots of cherries for sale along the road. Passed cherry and apple orchards, raspberries, sun flowers and beautiful views of the lake.
My friend Kathy Bardins and her family moved to Petoskey a view years ago. Kathy continues to do event management and was working the Petoskey Festival By The Bay, a music festival right next to Lake Michigan in northern Michigan.
I arrived about 1:30pm and met her at her house which has an incredible view of the town and the bay. We drove down to the festival and wandered around while she checked in with vendors and volunteers.
Kathy is new grandma. Her grandson was born in January. He is a cutie and always happy. Kathy, her daughter Sarah and the baby, Declan, and I attended the evening's music of jazz and blues. We sat out on a blanket on a little hill. It was so nice.
I took Sarah and Declan home and returned to the Festival for the night's rock and roll band. Lots of people and a decent band. I helped Kathy and the volunteers to break down the tables and move the chairs for Sunday morning's multi-denomenational church service.
I was tired and slept pretty well Saturday night. We had breakfast at the house on Sunday morning. I headed back to Traverse City at 11am. My flight left on time but an unexpected storm hit Chicago O'Hare and our flight was diverted to Milwaukee.
The pilot announced that we wouldn't know for an hour what our status was going to be. I called American Airlines and had them book me on a flight from Milwaukee to Minneapolis. I thought my chances of getting home would be better if I didn't go to Chicago. The agent got me on a 5:55pm flight so I hung out at the Milwaukee airport for about 4 hours.
I made it home about 7:30pm. My patio umbrella is barely hanging on...the squirrels have destroyed even more of it!
Rented a great Ford Focus to make the 1 hour 15 minute drive to Petoskey along Lake Michigan. Lots of cherries for sale along the road. Passed cherry and apple orchards, raspberries, sun flowers and beautiful views of the lake.
My friend Kathy Bardins and her family moved to Petoskey a view years ago. Kathy continues to do event management and was working the Petoskey Festival By The Bay, a music festival right next to Lake Michigan in northern Michigan.
I arrived about 1:30pm and met her at her house which has an incredible view of the town and the bay. We drove down to the festival and wandered around while she checked in with vendors and volunteers.
Kathy is new grandma. Her grandson was born in January. He is a cutie and always happy. Kathy, her daughter Sarah and the baby, Declan, and I attended the evening's music of jazz and blues. We sat out on a blanket on a little hill. It was so nice.
I took Sarah and Declan home and returned to the Festival for the night's rock and roll band. Lots of people and a decent band. I helped Kathy and the volunteers to break down the tables and move the chairs for Sunday morning's multi-denomenational church service.
I was tired and slept pretty well Saturday night. We had breakfast at the house on Sunday morning. I headed back to Traverse City at 11am. My flight left on time but an unexpected storm hit Chicago O'Hare and our flight was diverted to Milwaukee.
The pilot announced that we wouldn't know for an hour what our status was going to be. I called American Airlines and had them book me on a flight from Milwaukee to Minneapolis. I thought my chances of getting home would be better if I didn't go to Chicago. The agent got me on a 5:55pm flight so I hung out at the Milwaukee airport for about 4 hours.
I made it home about 7:30pm. My patio umbrella is barely hanging on...the squirrels have destroyed even more of it!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Home - briefly
Home for a day. I'm going to Petoskey, Michigan tomorrow and Sunday to visit my friend Kathy Bardins.
Kathy moved to Petoskey which is way up in Michigan just below the Upper Peninsula. There is big music and arts fair going on this weekend and she is event organizer for it.
When I got home last night, I noticed that my outdoor table's umbrella was messed up. I think I mentioned that the squirrels had chewed the tie. Well now they are chewing on more of it!
The squirrels are detaching the top section from the bottom section!!! I don't know what to do to keep them away. I don't want to discolor or damage the fabric and I don't want to have to take it indoors all the time. Ugh! I hate squirrels!!!
Kathy moved to Petoskey which is way up in Michigan just below the Upper Peninsula. There is big music and arts fair going on this weekend and she is event organizer for it.
When I got home last night, I noticed that my outdoor table's umbrella was messed up. I think I mentioned that the squirrels had chewed the tie. Well now they are chewing on more of it!
The squirrels are detaching the top section from the bottom section!!! I don't know what to do to keep them away. I don't want to discolor or damage the fabric and I don't want to have to take it indoors all the time. Ugh! I hate squirrels!!!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
More media for turning 50
Bruce Cochran who wrote the article in Uptown News also wrote a companion article in Twin Cities Daily Planet.
Monday, August 10, 2009
No surprise - Dallas
On the way to Dallas again this week.
Went to tie up the patio umbrella last night. I thought I'd forgotten to tie it before which was odd. I reached around and could only find one end. Turns out the cloth tie had been eaten through!
I can only figure that the destructive squirrels ate the strap?! Don't know why. They had eaten where the bow tie was so the two sides of the strap were still there and the knot was hanging loose.
Hate the squirrels.
Went to tie up the patio umbrella last night. I thought I'd forgotten to tie it before which was odd. I reached around and could only find one end. Turns out the cloth tie had been eaten through!
I can only figure that the destructive squirrels ate the strap?! Don't know why. They had eaten where the bow tie was so the two sides of the strap were still there and the knot was hanging loose.
Hate the squirrels.
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