Semi Tropical Birds

We recently spent a week in Florida and along the way we encountered several birds, odd birds, the kind that fly without airplanes.  This one was successfully avoiding being lunch for an alligator, while looking for lunch in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Preserve. 

TR

Where to in 2012?

Planning is well underway for the 2012 travel season.  Confirmed are Philly, New Orleans, Lexington, KY, Cadiz, KY(the middle of nowhere,) Chicago and Jacksonville, FL. The list of possible but not confirmed, currently includes Seattle and Denver.  And, we need to figure out a summer vacation.  A nice quite get away week.  Any suggestions?

Over the River and Through the Woods

Off to Florida for Thanksgiving and visits with some old friends.

TR

Train Ride

We took the train to Boston, and flew back.  Amtrak on the east coast is a real delight.  The seats are big and comfy, the train was never really crowded, the snack bar is a couple of cars away and the train lumbers slowly but steadily along.  It was early November - the peak of leaf season.  In the 8-hour train ride from DC to Boston, I spent at least 6-hours watching the countryside glide by.  Someplace north of New York City, we were wandering along the coast and went through a coastal fog in the middle of the afternoon.  Granted the flight home took half the time, but the plane was packed, the seat uncomfortable and tiny. For the train I picked up my boarding pass from the automated machine, showed my ticket and ID to get on board and that was it.  With the plane I had to check in the machine, wait in line at the counter to check a bag, only to be told I needed to go to another counter to check my bag, then take off my shoes, belt, glasses, jacket, empty EVERYTHING out of my pockets and go through the automated strip search machine to get on the plane. If you are on east coast and you can spare the extra couple of hours, take the train.  

Boston

So this Penguin walks into a bar in Boston, stop me if you have heard this one,  the bartender looks up at the penguin and says, "just what we need, another bird that thinks he can fly, don't the Celtics have enough problems?"

Back on the Road

Well, here I am at the Palace Gates this summer, on my way for a visit.  It was great fun, a little big and drafty, but the staff was every so nice.  I am off on the road, railroad that is in the morning.  We are taking the train from DC to Boston, I have never been to Boston.  Should be fun, but DG has far too much work to do in far too little time.  Talk to you soon,

TR

DG met another blogger today.  Kesha Bruce is an American artist, married to a French man (AKA  French Boy.)  She is having a gallery show in DC.  Very cool! Her work is all about understanding self  identity.  http://mysocalledlifeinfrance.blogspot.com/  and http://www.keshabrucestudio.com/

Dallas

It is kind of a pilgrimage, if you are in Dallas you have to go to the place that JFK was shot.  It was kind of shock when the shuttle van from the airport drive through Dealey Plaza on the way to the hotel.  Later that day we want back, paused, and took a few pictures.  How many specific locations have changed the course of history. 

TR

Nice Ride

There are only about a dozen Tesla dealerships in the US, we were in Palo Alto recently and stayed in a hotel next door to one of them.  They had about 15 new Tesla's on the ground (in case you are looking to buy one - they have them in stock and ready to go.)  I think I need peddle extensions.

What this place needs

Is a flock of tropical penguins to put on a show.

e-Fun

You are never very far away from a slot machine in Las Vegas.  E-Fun can be fun, I do miss the tubs full of quarters.  TR

Headed out again

We are headed to Las Vegas in the morning, business for someone, pleasure for me, what penguin wouldn't want to visit the dessert.  From there we go back to San Francisco, south to Stanford, then home from San Jose, seven nights, eight days and five workshops.  We will try to have a little fun along the way.  TR

Out for a bike ride

On the recent trip west, we took a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge.  An electric bike really helped level out the hills. 

Mass Transit

I love relaxing and letting someone move me from place to place.  Mass transit is very relaxing, I can sightsee - read - and daydream while moving from place to place.  Reading while driving a car was always a bad idea, daydreaming and sightseeing are also problematic, I have drive right past my exit a couple of times.  The San Francisco Cable Cars are just neat, more cities should have them. Surprisingly many air travelers have ridden cable cars, some of the underground people movers in airports like Cincinnati are actually cable cars.  In a cable car system, the cable moves constantly and the train grabs onto it to move, look for the moving cable below or on the side of the car the next time you are moving from concourse to concourse. 

Sometimes it is good to be small

Last week was the week of packed flights, the only flight that was not packed was one that was so badly delayed most people missed it.  When the planes are full, it is good to be small, I can hide away and bask in the vastness of the space. 

Wide Body Flight

The last trip was airline hell, delayed because of mechanical problems, delayed because of weather, 10 minute change of planes, followed by another weather delay, landing and waiting 30 minutes to get to a gate, taking 15 mintues for someone to drive the jet bridge.  The only highlight was a cross country flight on a 767.  Passengers LOVE riding on wide body jets, why don't the airlines fly more of them? 

Guess who is back traveling

Ok, I know it has been a very-very long time since my last post, and yes I have been a few places, but have failed to post. I am back for an active travel year, I just flew in from five days in San Francisco.

Chicago Last Week

We were back in Chicago last week for a few days. The weather was wonderful, warm and spring like. Good conference and lots happening in the windy city.

TR

The View

The movers moved - nice and fast and we are here. DG is tired and sore and complaining that he is not use to working that hard and he still has a ton of boxes to unpack, then closets to reconfigure, and painting to do, and baths to remodel, and a kitchen to remodel. It is nice to be home. It is quiet here - very quiet. There are six boxes sitting next to the desk, do you have any idea what is in them? Me neither! We will get to them soon and post more pictures as the place starts to look less like a warehouse and more like home.

TR

Moving on Up

Well it is official, other then a little typo someone has to fix, DG has bought a new nest. Sort of a "deluxe apartment in the sky." A nice 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo. The buying process has been an ordeal. But it appears to be completed, other then discovering after getting home that the deed has the wrong unit number on it. But the attorneys say they will fix that, sure am glad I bought the expanded title insurance policy. Moving will take place over the next few days. I will update with nest pictures as soon as we get settled.

TR

Moving on up

We should have a new nest by the first of February. TR

Nesting sites

DG has been searching for a new nesting site, in fact he just made an offer on a condo in Alexandria Virginia. We should hear in a few days. The DONALD, and I don't mean the duck, owns the Empire State Building, I wonder if he has a nest there?

TR

Fat Men in New York

It is nearly time for the jolly fat man to arrive at Macy's in New York. DG was there a couple of weeks ago. We are headed to warmer climates to spend a few days with DG's parents.

TR

Old Friends

I stopped by to say Hi to some old freinds one day. They are so warm and fuzzy!

TR

All Aboard!

Amtrak has extended the discount fares on the Northeast Regional Service, less the $100 round trip on selected trains to New York or Boston. Maybe DG will take me someplace interesting again.

TR

Third time is the charm

This is my third attempt to post, blogger keeps eating my post. DG wanted to go to Times Square for New Years Eve, do you think we are a little early?

TR

Fashion week

It was fashion week my style in Braynt Park in New York last weekend. The skating rink opened, just like in the old country, people dressing up in their finest and sliding around on the ice. It helped that it was 60 degrees.

TR

Bright Lights - Big City

Oh my, what bright lights and a big city. I had never been to Times Square before. It was not New Years Eve, but a good time seemed to be had by all.

TR

Money - Money - Money

I stopped by Wall Street on Thursday to check on the Money. Why? Because I had never been there and had allways dreamed of visting there. It is a nice place, but the police officer with the machine gun was staring at me kind of funny. I assure him I am a peaceful penguin in search of funding for Penguin Airlines all Zepplin service.

TR

TR Checks out Dartmouth

Dartmouth is in a cute little New England town on the boarder between Vermont and New Hampshire. Kind of the middle of nowhere. We had a nice burrito and wandered about for a little while. One thing I noticed was all of the women appeared to be anorexic. There must not be any fish in the White River.

TR

The Farmers Dinner

Vermont should have great food, in the tradition of the Minute Man Cafe'.

I would bet that fried chicken is involved, not for me, too much like a member of the family.

TR

Cue the Newhart Show theme music

I enjoyed the old Bob Newhart show, the one set in Vermont, not the one set in the City. Earlier this month I spent a day in Vermont, every time things went quiet the theme song started playing in my head. I kept looking around and never did find Larry and Daryl and Daryl.

TR

What Weather?

It felt a bit like home, 32 degrees, a steady 40 mile an hour wind, and dense fog with visibility of around 25 feet. Last Monday I took the steam train to the top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. I didn't know it was possible to have dense fog when it was 32 degrees with a mountain shaking wind, but the locals just shrugged and said "what weather?"

TR

Thanksgiving

I stopped to warn her that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Being a Turkey, she ignored me and rapidly disappeared into the north Michigan Woods.

TR

Torpedos Away!

Torpedos away! It is so nice to be living with lots of water around. You can smell the water when you step outside. It makes it so much easier to launch the torpedos.

TR

Just a little one

There was an article in today's Washington Post about the two week process including at least five trips to the local police department that it takes to legally own a handgun in the District of Columbia. How silly, it's only a little gun. It is not like the bad guys don't already have guns, in many cases bigger ones.

TR

And they came in two sizes

They came in two sizes! Sometimes you want the big fat yellow one and sometimes you want the little guy.

TR

Las Almos

Just a little something I picked up in a surplus shop in Los Almos . . . Penguins Rule!

TR

Dreaming of France

Day dreaming of France

I was strolling in DC one day

I never tire of strolling around the capital, looking at the sights. One thing I seldom see is other penguins, I think we are under represented in DC.

TR

I wonder if I can get in

Few people know this, but I was hatched in China. Does that qualify me for entry into the Asian reading room? Nice hallway and it is warmer then the Antarctic Reading Room.

TR

I went to the desert on a horse with no name

For some reason that song invaded my brain as I was looking at the pictures from New Mexico. It did feel to be out of the rain, until the monsoons hit in the afternoon. You never know what you will find when you are wandering around, going wherever Ms. Garmin tells you to go.

TR

Happy 4th of July!

TR

Two Mile High

I decided to hop up to the top of Sandia Peak. Fortunately for me there is a tram-way available to fly you to the top two miles above sea level.

TR

Desert Adventures

Well we were not off in Argentina having an illicit affair like a certain Governor, but we were off exploring on the edge of civilization late last week. I love the desert. It is so desert like, with rocks and cactus and such. It is Monsoon season and it rained in that desert sort of a way a couple of times. As to the dear Governor, we won't cry for you in Argentina.

TR

Nice Perch

This was taken on the roof of the new Modern Wing at the Art Institute in Chicago. They have a large arrangements of stone chairs on the roof deck. Great views and a wonderful building. It surprised me how few people were taking advantage of the comfortable perches: reminds me of home.

TR

Onward we go

While walking down the street in Chicago I came across this young bull. I hoped on and went for a walk - onward!

TR