My World of Wonders, aka the Wednesday Ws.

What took my breath away? The Saturday morning sunrise view from my hotel room in Phoenix. Wow! 

Who have I seen? My Sweet Bear, a bunch of old lawyer friends, Doc Spo, Someone, and Sharon from Phoenix Daily Photo. 

What have I seen? A spectacular flight across the country, including spotting Cincinnati and St Louis from the air. The Phoenix Museum of Art, the Heard Museum of Art, and downtown Phoenix. 

What made me both angry and brought tears to my eyes? The air crash in my hometown. This one will take a while to process. 

What was disappointing? Eggs Benedict at the Sheraton in downtown Phoenix. It was done with thinly sliced ham, that was both overly salty and there was too much of it. The eggs were slightly over cooked. I always look forward to a great breakfast when I travel, and this was disappointing. 

What was the sage advice of the trip? Two things, "DEI is important," and "don't rush." 

When is the next adventure? April.

What have I been thinking? I talked with a couple of people who could retire and continue to work.  I saw the joy and sense of pride they have in their work.  If work brings you joy, do it as long as you can. 

When did I touch the future? Returning from lunch and a museum on Sunday afternoon, I summoned a Waymo autonomous taxi for the last mile of the ride back to the hotel.  It was comfortable, felt safe, smooth, quiet - except for the sound of the dozen radars spinning around the car. The radars on the car, display on screens you can see.  With luck the video will work.

 

What was the best thing I tasted this week?  A pear martini at a restaurant named Fez in Phoenix.  For my European readers, encourage your bartenders to learn how to make a great martini. 

HoW was Phoenix? I have a deep affection for the high desert landscape.  I was surprised by how smoggy the Valley of the Sun has become. Mountains in the distance that were clearly visible in my fathers photos from the 1960s are rarely visible today. 

What art? I was surprised by how much art there is in Phoenix, murals, public art, and nice museums. 

How was the trip home? We boarded, we sat, we got off, and before we were all off, they announced that we would be getting back on. A quick check under the hood to see what was leaking and we were off across the country with a nice tailwind.  We arrived about 90 minutes behind schedule. 

What is the brightest idea I have heard this week? When HWSNBN sends a plane load of deportees to say Mexico, Mexico should not allow the plane to return until they have filled every seat with United States citizens who are in Mexico illegally, or who have committed a crime there.  Millions of United States citizens are living in Mexico, (and thousands in Costa Rica, and Panama.)  Many of them crossed the border on vacation and simply stayed.  It is fairly easy to rent a home, the weather is warm, the cost of living lower, in many cases much lower than in the USA.  Thousands of college students cross the border, get drunk or stoned and commit crimes and end up in jail.  Send them all home.  HWSNBN is ranting about Mexico and Canada not doing enough to stop illegals from crossing the border.  I have driven across the border into Canada, and walked across the border into Mexico, the US didn't care when I left the country.  They made no note of it, didn't ask for my passport, didn't care.  When passing out of the European Union, they record my passage, because they enforce limits on how long a non-citizen can stay. The airlines, ferry operators, or train companies check because if I am refused entry I am there problem, but the US does not check my passport when I fly out of the USA.  He is trying to shift the burden for a secure border to other countries in a way the United States does not enforce on people leaving our country.