Plush

One thing about hanging out with a bunch of lawyers is they tend to choose nice hotels. The conference organizers put a picture of the wrong hotel in the conference brochure, either that or held the conference at the wrong hotel, but it was Plush.

DG

Denver Pale Ale

There is more then one way to make it through a board meeting.

TR

My Wings Hurt

It took 28 hours to fly from Denver to Lexington, Kentucky. We could have driven it faster and gotten more sleep. It rained in Chicago; that is all it takes to upset the entire air traffic control system across the middle of the country. We checked in at Denver just after noon on Friday expecting to be home in bed in time to watch the late news. Within minutes the signs showed that the flight would be delayed (customer service didn't make an announcment until about two hours after the original departure time.) The flight was then delayed again; visits to the friendly customer service agents (more like agents of the underworld) and calls to customer service yielded nothing more then "it rained in Chicago, your flight has been delayed." Finally about 3 hours behind schedule we boarded the plane and taxied out, only to have the captan come on and tells us that the plane was broken and the cabin crew was "expiring" (I was starting to know how they feel!) We returned to the gate. Ten minutes later they decided that the plane might take a couple of hours to fix, and the flight attendents (there for your safety, like the paper band around the toilet seat in a cheap motel) had been on duty for 15 hours and were no longer legal to take off on another flight. Cell calls and long waits at the customer no-service desk rendered news that the flight had not been cancelled, but delayed, the 3:15 PM flight would depart at 6:00 AM. Shuttle off 20 miles to the convient "hotel" provided by the airline (stylyish in 1975, the last time it was redecorated) with instructions to be back at the airport for a 4:00 AM check in. Alarm set for 3:00 AM, taxi reserved for 3:30 AM(the "hotel" shuttle could not get me to the airport for the required check in at 4:00 AM, the desk warned my that by 4:30 the airport would be a "nuthouse" with all of the delays and cancelations. We finally leave Denver at 6:37 AM bound for the airport that puts the "dis" in disfunctional, O'Hare. If there are clouds in the sky or heaven forbid it rains sometime in the past 36 hours within 30 miles of the place, O'Hare becomes a huge waiting room for thousands of hot, cranky passengers and a parking lot for lots of pretty airplanes. At this point Airline A handed me off to Airline U; I guess they had heard enough of me. We were booked on a 10:26 AM departure (better then airline A's 8:10 PM flight that is nearly allways 2-3 hours late.) The 10:26 AM rapidly became the 12:12 PM, then the 12:34 PM, then the 1:45 PM, then the 1:46 PM, then we finally boarded, taxied out and waited for 50 minutes to take off (without air-conditioning; the APU failed and the flight crew decided that it was to risky to try to offload the passengers, the risk of un-armed revolt was far too high.) We finally arrived home about 28 hours after first checking in at Denver, we could have driven it faster and gotten more sleep.

More later, Denver was fun but my wings hurt.

TR

Herding the Sheep!

This is not what it looked like on the nature chanel. Annebele the duck with flags coming out of her legs decided that she would organize a little sheep herding. She has tried a couple of things and today things, well sheep that is, just seemed to pile up like cars on a foggy freeway. Maybe it is the Asian origin of the flock, is this how they herd sheep in China?

TR

So what is happening?

I have been hanging out at home, resting up for the next trip. We are headed to Denver next week for a few days. That will be fun and different. Did anyone hear the NPR story about the dogs being used in Australia to protect the nesting penguins from foxes. Apparently foxes just live penguins, but not in a good way. The dogs are on loan from a free range chicken farm and have been very sucessful at protecting the nesting area. The only problem seems to be that the dogs get bored after a week or two and swim back to the mainland.

TR

Passing the Oil Refinery

DooWayne, yes that was the name on his “business” card rescued us to get this trip on the road. We went to leave for West Virginia last week and the electrical system in Big Red went dead. How dead? The trunk wouldn’t close, that’s right, the trunk won’t close without electric power. Doo had several extra holes in his face with metal sticking through them (extra car parts?) and jeans hanging down extra low all the way around. And, he knew how to clean the corrosion off of the little $2 part that kept Big Red from starting. His magic worked, things came back to life and we were off.

I can tell when we are getting to close to the West Virginia boarder when I can smell the oil refinery that startles the state line. I just love the smell of an oil refinery in the morning, reminds me of sunrise in the Bahamas, but that is a very long story.

TR

I am so excited!

Confirmation of airline tickets to visit Uncle Bert and Someone just arrived in my email box! Oh the stories we will have to tell.

TR

Fog and a Spring Thaw

We awoke to a dense fog this morning, and DG and I had a 90 mile drive down into the mountains. Everything went well, we arrived on time, safe and sound. The fog was a wonderful sign. It was foggy because it had warmed up and all of the snow and most of the ice melted off for the first time in about three weeks. By noon the fog had cleared making the drive home much easier. This picture was taken on the way back to the office this afternoon.

Stay warm,

TR

Thinking Warm Thoughts on another cold winter morning

I have had enough of winter. I know, I know, I should like the cold. But I have lived inside for so many years that the cold really bothers me. Snow is nice for a day or so, then the novilty wears off and I am ready for it to be nice again. Snow and cold don't remind me of home, the smell of hot plastic does for some reason.

So on mornings like this I remember the wonderful places I have been . . . the beach in Florida, California, Georgia, South Carolina, sunny days in Italy, Greece, London in August for their three days of summer. And I dream of places I will go this summer.

STAY WARM! Spring has to arrive some day.

TR

To Flashy?

I think it would be just right. A car that would draw the respect that a world traveler expects. A level of comfort and elegance fit for a flightless fowl. If only I could pick the right numbers.

TR

I’ll Never Be Bloggless Again!

Now I can read bloggs anyplace, I’ll never be stranded, unable to read about my featherless friends. And the screen and keyboard are just my size, you should see me dancing across the key-pad sending email at the speed of snails.

It does not appear that Blogger will let me log in to read the bloggs that require log in, or to post an update; we will continue to work on that.

So, after a couple of years of resisting the “crackberry” temptation, how does on get lured in? Mobile maps and directions, live mobile weather including animated radar, and syncing to the home and office computer based calendars so that we are never without the file that runs our lives (currently booking into October.) We went paperless on calendars this year for the first time. One down-side of this is that when you leave the computer, you leave the calendar. This little joy plugs into the computer and downloads the calendar, syncing the computer and device. I even like the way that it displays a seven day calendar better then the way that Outlook does.

Onward to read bloggs,

TR

Nesting

We are home for a few weeks. Nice, quiet, not much going on. I am just chilling out, staying warm and comfy and dreaming of travels past and planning travels future.

TR

Wisdom Is Better Then Strength

The window features the original core liberal arts curriculum. I spent many years in the shadow of this window learning critical thinking, communication, civilized debate, understanding of the arts as an essential way of communicating the human condition; quantifying the world, analyzing and understanding the essential science while never loosing sight of the human factor. Exploring and understanding of the world and myself. I will never be the same person that I was when I first walked under this window all those many years ago.

TR

Columbia South Carolina

I am back from a very quick trip to Columbia, South Carolina. We left Thursday at noon, flew to Charlotte, North Carolina (Useless Air was only 45 minutes late - please don't let them destroy another good airline.) We then rented a car and drove 90 miles to Columbia South Carolina. Why fly to North Carolina to get to South Carolina? To save about $225 between airfare and being able to be home on Friday night rather then Saturday. The training went well, they laughed at most of DG's stories. The room blew hot and cold all day, but all in all it was a good session. Friday afternoon we made a mad dash back to the airport (100 miles in less then 90 minutes) returned the rental car and arived at the gate with about 20 minutes to spare. The next couple of adventures are road trips.

TR

Where in the World is TR?

I’ve kind of been resting since the trip to Florida. Not much happening here. Rain one day, snow the next. It will be cold tonight. DG is starting to plan this year’s travel. We will be in South Carolina the end of this week. The end of February we will be in Charleston, West Virginia for a couple of day, nothing to exciting there. In March we will be in Denver for four days. In April we will be on Daytona Beach for a full week workshop. In May we are scheduled to be in Rosebud South Dakota for a couple of days. In early June we are scheduled to be in Anchorage Alaska. It will be the first time either of us has been to Alaska. We were looking at glacier tours over the weekend (reminds me of home!) In late July and early August we are planning to go to England, the Netherlands, Belgium and France (Normandy.) There are tentative plans for a trip to New Mexico and another to Michigan. In October we will have at least one conference in Washington DC. All in all it will be a busy travel season. I should rest up some more. The total was 49 nights in hotels last year, a new record for the two of us.

TR

I’m melting, melting!

As we get older we become less able to compensate for temperature and tend keep our surroundings warmer and warmer (closer and closer to body temperature.) DG’s parents are in their very late 70’s and have lived in sub-tropical Florida for 24 years. Add the mix weather in the high 70’s, and 14, count them 14 dinner guests and the house was a bit steamy. DG started cooking just after 7:00 AM and started the last load in the dishwasher at 8:00 PM by which time it was 84 degrees with 99% humidity in the kitchen (he checked this with an electronic thermometer;) at that point a slight change in air pressure would have made it cloud up and rain in the house (and that would have dropped the temperature.) At some time in the afternoon the air-conditioning was turned on for a while, set at 78 degrees of course. Then DG’s dad felt a chill and turned it off. Later in the evening DG was slumped in the corner whimpering, “I’m melting, melting, oh my wonderful wonderful wickedness” (line from the death of the wicked witch in the Wizard of Ozz.)

The next day it was in the high 70’s with a light breeze and we went to the beach to broil in the sun and cool off.

Everyone behaved. All four kids made it home for the first time in about 25 years. A great meal and wonderful time was had by all (other then the steam bath.)

It is good to be home.

TR

Merry Christmas to All!

I’m dreaming of a green Christmas, just like the ones I use to know. We are headed over the river and through the woods for a gathering of DG’s family. Nothing says Christmas quiet like palm trees and mistletoe (a parasite that grows in live oak trees in semi-tropical climates.) DG’s started spending Christmas in Florida as a teenager 35 years ago (my, but he is getting old.) Nothing quite gets him in the holiday spirit like sand between the toes on his bare feet. This will be the first time in about 25 years that all of DGs siblings will be together with mom and dad at the same time. Pass the Prozac and Jack Daniels, we’ll be back to report to all you’all before New Years.

TR

Will It Fly?

On my recent trip to Florida we went out to the beach on the north side of the Kennedy Space Center (no we did not go to the far north end, it was far to cold for that.) In the process we passed within a couple of miles of the space shuttle launch pad. The shuttle is scheduled for launch on the 7th. For the first time in several years it is scheduled to be a night launch. The shuttle flies a bit like a penguin; even the paint scheme seems inspired by we wonderful “flightless waterfowl.”

TR

TR

Over the river and through the woods,

to Mom and Dad’s house we went. DG and I went home to see his parent’s for Thanksgiving this year. For DG it was a journey to one of his childhood homes; for me it was a road trip and a visit to the ocean. We had an easy trip on the road, going down we went through Atlanta, coming back we came across South Carolina into North Carolina and across into Tennessee and then north to home (passing very near Frog Pond Holler; where is Ms. Mahala?) We encountered very little road construction and the heavier the traffic the faster people were driving. Florida was cool but beautiful. Mid way through the week the winds and surf picked up whipping the ocean into a powerful froth and furry . . . it reminded me of my childhood, but the water was cooler at home. We are home; there are a few tales to be told from this trip over the next couple of weeks. I hope that all of you had a nice holiday.

TR

ROAD TRIP!

Here I am at the beach in Florida on one of the many trips to visit DG's parents. He decided at the last minute to go visit Mom and Dad for Thanksgiving. It will be a week or so till the next update, I'll try to get a few interesting pictures on the trip.

TR