Back in Dallas and it is warm warm warm. Also humid so that's why I've titled this "milk-toasty." It is warm like toast but wet like milk.
It may sound gimmicky but my rental vehicle has air-conditioned seats and boy do they feel good. Hit the button and they immediately start to cool which cools you down before the regular air conditioning can take effect.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The gamble paid off
Way before I left for the Charlotte airport, Delta messaged AND called me that my flight that was supposed to depart at 7:05pm would be an 8:30pm departure. Several co-workers were going to the airport to catch flights with departures at various times so it was best to go ahead to the airport and wait. There were no other direct flights on Delta.
Charlotte airport, turns out, has free wi-fi. I did some work. Ate some Carolina pork barbeque. Did some more work. Found out I have to go to Dallas on Monday which I hadn't been planning on doing. Ran into a co-worked who told me he noticed my flight was not scheduled for 9pm departure.
I headed to the gate to see what was going on. Usually when a flight delay jumps like that it is going to the "CANCEL" state. The gate attendant was trying to help one passenger and it was taking forever. I called our American Express Travel folks. The guy at AMEX was very helpful. I asked about a flight from Charlotte to Detroit and then connecting from Detroit to Minneapolis. The first flight to MSP from Detroit was full but there was another one later. I took down the information.
The Delta gate attendant suggested we call the rebooking number that was on these cards she placed on the counter. I did.
The lady at the rebooking center was wonderful. I gave her the information about the Charlotte to Detroit and on to Minneapolis. She said if I could get to the gate, she would try. I told her I was standing in front of the gate. Then the system wouldn't let her make the change because my direct flight was not canceled. I asked her if her supervisor could do that. She put me on hold.
When she came back, she said that she was making the change I just had to confirm that I agreed to having my direct flight ticket canceled. I took the gamble that the direct flight was either going to get canceled or continue to be delayed.
My gamble paid off. The connection in Detroit was close and really needed the Charlotte flight to leave soon even though it too was late. The Delta staff turned around the plane very quickly. I was in the very last seat on the plane. The sky was beautiful with dramatic layers of clouds and sunlight.
The flight from Detroit to Minneapolis was also late and packed. But when I got to Minneapolis I looked at the arrivals screen...the flight from Charlotte was due to land at 1:50AM...it was 11PM when I landed from Detroit!
Charlotte airport, turns out, has free wi-fi. I did some work. Ate some Carolina pork barbeque. Did some more work. Found out I have to go to Dallas on Monday which I hadn't been planning on doing. Ran into a co-worked who told me he noticed my flight was not scheduled for 9pm departure.
I headed to the gate to see what was going on. Usually when a flight delay jumps like that it is going to the "CANCEL" state. The gate attendant was trying to help one passenger and it was taking forever. I called our American Express Travel folks. The guy at AMEX was very helpful. I asked about a flight from Charlotte to Detroit and then connecting from Detroit to Minneapolis. The first flight to MSP from Detroit was full but there was another one later. I took down the information.
The Delta gate attendant suggested we call the rebooking number that was on these cards she placed on the counter. I did.
The lady at the rebooking center was wonderful. I gave her the information about the Charlotte to Detroit and on to Minneapolis. She said if I could get to the gate, she would try. I told her I was standing in front of the gate. Then the system wouldn't let her make the change because my direct flight was not canceled. I asked her if her supervisor could do that. She put me on hold.
When she came back, she said that she was making the change I just had to confirm that I agreed to having my direct flight ticket canceled. I took the gamble that the direct flight was either going to get canceled or continue to be delayed.
My gamble paid off. The connection in Detroit was close and really needed the Charlotte flight to leave soon even though it too was late. The Delta staff turned around the plane very quickly. I was in the very last seat on the plane. The sky was beautiful with dramatic layers of clouds and sunlight.The flight from Detroit to Minneapolis was also late and packed. But when I got to Minneapolis I looked at the arrivals screen...the flight from Charlotte was due to land at 1:50AM...it was 11PM when I landed from Detroit!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Music by the Lake
Thursday evenings is free music by the lake. Lots of people were enjoying the music and dancing. It was a pleasant way to pass the time.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Something different
I think it was about a year ago I got to attend a training class in Miami. This week I'm attending a different training workshop in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Flew in Tuesday night. The instructions were very clear that we are not to rent cars for this workshop. It cost $45 to get from the airport to the hotel. And yesterday it cost $20 to get from the recommended hotel to the office. I did meet up with another co-worker who shared my cab. He knew someone at the office and we got a ride back to hotel with him. If we had not hooked up with someone with a care, the overall expense would have greatly exceeded renting.
The hotel gym is not much so I asked if they had an affiliation with a local gym. They gave me the name and address of a LifeStyle Family Gym. I asked if I could walk. The hotel employee questioned it but figured it was doable. She couldn't find a map so drew one. It was not clear. She then found a driving map and tried to explain a way to walk.
I headed out falling the directions. It was not at all a way to walk. There are not sidewalks. It was probably a good 2 miles away and at least one major intersection with ramps.
I decided that was not worth the risk. On my way back to another gym I passed I found an old graveyard. All the gravestones were identical and perfectly aligned even though the people had passed away from the mid 1930s to 1950. It was in a grove of trees next to a new shopping center. It was interestingly odd.
Flew in Tuesday night. The instructions were very clear that we are not to rent cars for this workshop. It cost $45 to get from the airport to the hotel. And yesterday it cost $20 to get from the recommended hotel to the office. I did meet up with another co-worker who shared my cab. He knew someone at the office and we got a ride back to hotel with him. If we had not hooked up with someone with a care, the overall expense would have greatly exceeded renting.
The hotel gym is not much so I asked if they had an affiliation with a local gym. They gave me the name and address of a LifeStyle Family Gym. I asked if I could walk. The hotel employee questioned it but figured it was doable. She couldn't find a map so drew one. It was not clear. She then found a driving map and tried to explain a way to walk.
I headed out falling the directions. It was not at all a way to walk. There are not sidewalks. It was probably a good 2 miles away and at least one major intersection with ramps.
I decided that was not worth the risk. On my way back to another gym I passed I found an old graveyard. All the gravestones were identical and perfectly aligned even though the people had passed away from the mid 1930s to 1950. It was in a grove of trees next to a new shopping center. It was interestingly odd.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Peony Party and Asha's Visit
What a difference a day makes. Today is rainy and cool. Yesterday was beautiful for the peony party. I didn't take a single picture the entire time! I had such an enjoyable time talking and catching up with friends and neighbors. I think 25 or 30 people came through out the evening.
I think Asha had a very nice trip. We didn't do anything real touristy.
We went to a show at the Guthrie on Sunday. Here we are on the "bridge" overlooking the Mississippi River.
One way to make a trip memorable is to get a tattoo! Asha and I went to Saint Sabrina's where Asha got a tattoo on her foot.
I think Asha had a very nice trip. We didn't do anything real touristy.
We went to a show at the Guthrie on Sunday. Here we are on the "bridge" overlooking the Mississippi River.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Home from Dallas - long short week
For a short week this sure felt long. Flight home was delayed by almost 2 hours and I was already on the late flight. I finally got home at 12:45AM this morning.
Dallas was hot but not as bad as was predicted. Next week brings travel to a new city....mystery.
Dallas was hot but not as bad as was predicted. Next week brings travel to a new city....mystery.
Monday, May 31, 2010
A memorable Memorial Weekend
It was a busy weekend starting with Friday evening.
Marlin, Christine and Jan dropped by for beer in the backyard. It was a hot evening but sitting out on the back patio was pleasant.
Christine, Jan and I walked over to "It's Greek To Me" restaurant to meet Kay for dinner. Ate on their back patio which was very very pleasant. We all walked back to my place and sat in the back yard for a bit until the mosiquitos started to eat me alive.
Saturday morning had breakfast with Marlin. We decided to look for a new place and ended up at Glacier Cafe in the Mural Building.
The menu was limited but the food was fantastic and so was the Ethiopian coffee.
The mural is Mayan inspired and magnificent.
Following my my regular noon workout, I picked up Christine and we went to get the grill's propane tank refilled. We then went to Menards to get the lumber for the new step project in the backyard. I've wanted to make steps coming off the back of the porch and into the backyard. Picked up the stringers and lumber.
Saturday evening I started work on the steps. It was mostly just assembly because the stringers are pre-made and I got boards for the steps that were already the correct length.
But it turned out three of the seven stringers were not correct. They had been cut to a different (wrong) rise. I was too tired to return them right then.
Sunday I met Christine for coffee at Isles Bun and Coffee. Then I returned the wrong stringers and got three that were the correct size.
Martha was having a Memorial gathering at her place in North Minneapolis at noon. I was the first to arrive. It was a real family affair with Tree and Dan and their two children, Lisa and Andreas and there four children; Kelly and her son, Elliot, and her boyfriend, Fritz. Also, Brian and Becky were there and Martha's friend, Mae.
There was a wonderful spread of Greek food. I brought yogurt with blue berries and raspberries -- the red, white and blue dessert.
Martha lives a block from Victory Memorial Parkway. I didn't know that there are plaques along the parkway that are memorials to veterans who served in WW II. Marth wrote down names and ranks of several. We returned to Martha's house and she had the kids read the names of the fallen service men before we had dessert. It was very very nice.
Sunday evening I picked Christine, Jan and Allison to go downtown and see the movie "Prince of Persia." It was a lot of fun. From the movie we drove back to Uptown and stopped at Roat Oasha Thai restaurant for a nighcap. The Twins game was on and Allison is a big Twins fans. John, a neighbor of Allison, was there and we all watched the Twins beat the Texas Rangers.
Monday I finihsed the step project.
Monday evening Kelly and Fritz threw their annual Memorial Day rib cookout. Marlin and Martha came over to my place. I wanted to be sure that Martha got to see the Miss America peony before it was over.
Got to meet with Kelly and Fritz's friends most of which I had met last year. It is always fantastic food and fun. I made rhubarb cake.
The whole three-day weekend was fun and fulfilling.
Marlin, Christine and Jan dropped by for beer in the backyard. It was a hot evening but sitting out on the back patio was pleasant.
Christine, Jan and I walked over to "It's Greek To Me" restaurant to meet Kay for dinner. Ate on their back patio which was very very pleasant. We all walked back to my place and sat in the back yard for a bit until the mosiquitos started to eat me alive.
The menu was limited but the food was fantastic and so was the Ethiopian coffee.
The mural is Mayan inspired and magnificent.
Following my my regular noon workout, I picked up Christine and we went to get the grill's propane tank refilled. We then went to Menards to get the lumber for the new step project in the backyard. I've wanted to make steps coming off the back of the porch and into the backyard. Picked up the stringers and lumber.
Saturday evening I started work on the steps. It was mostly just assembly because the stringers are pre-made and I got boards for the steps that were already the correct length.
But it turned out three of the seven stringers were not correct. They had been cut to a different (wrong) rise. I was too tired to return them right then.
Sunday I met Christine for coffee at Isles Bun and Coffee. Then I returned the wrong stringers and got three that were the correct size.
Martha was having a Memorial gathering at her place in North Minneapolis at noon. I was the first to arrive. It was a real family affair with Tree and Dan and their two children, Lisa and Andreas and there four children; Kelly and her son, Elliot, and her boyfriend, Fritz. Also, Brian and Becky were there and Martha's friend, Mae.
There was a wonderful spread of Greek food. I brought yogurt with blue berries and raspberries -- the red, white and blue dessert.
Martha lives a block from Victory Memorial Parkway. I didn't know that there are plaques along the parkway that are memorials to veterans who served in WW II. Marth wrote down names and ranks of several. We returned to Martha's house and she had the kids read the names of the fallen service men before we had dessert. It was very very nice.
Sunday evening I picked Christine, Jan and Allison to go downtown and see the movie "Prince of Persia." It was a lot of fun. From the movie we drove back to Uptown and stopped at Roat Oasha Thai restaurant for a nighcap. The Twins game was on and Allison is a big Twins fans. John, a neighbor of Allison, was there and we all watched the Twins beat the Texas Rangers.
Got to meet with Kelly and Fritz's friends most of which I had met last year. It is always fantastic food and fun. I made rhubarb cake.
The whole three-day weekend was fun and fulfilling.
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