Things that happen while I'm gone

I wrote some time back about the house in transition. Stefan is remodeling and I'll take off on a trip and come home and see all his hard work. A few weeks back I left and he was planning on putting up some new lamps on each side of the front door. This project was going to include adding some cedar shakes around the area as an accent. Least to say that project went a bit farther than planned.

Here is a picture of the house I took a while back (6-9 months back) and this is what it looked like for the most part when I left week before last. I came home to the bottom two pictures this week.

This is the new look.

Japan Trip

I'm too lazy to write about anything this morning so I thought I'd share a few pictures from my trip to Japan a few years back. Both of these pictures were taken at Miyajima just out of Hiroshima.

The Road Home

Last week I was in Portland and the airfare was too expensive to take the most direct route home. So to save about $600 on the airfare I took the route that had me stop in Minneapolis and Atlanta on the way home. For a few hours time to save that much seems worth it.

The day started out with the typical Delta Delays. We were an hour late leaving Portland due to runway construction and weather in Minneapolis. Four hours late leaving Minneapolis for Atlanta and one hour late leaving Atlanta to head home. Total delays in one day were 6 hours.

I gave up the thoughts of ever landing on-time a long time back. I make my reservations and plans to always be one hour late. It’s really a shame but I’m more accurate than the airlines and I don’t stress about when I’m getting there.

I did however have a fun experience that was a first for me. I actually had a coupon to use wireless internet on the plane. So I hooked up on the 2 hour flight from MSP to ATL and it was a lot faster than I expected. The good thing I figured out is that you can hit the wireless and go to Delta’s website for free. So I was able to see the status of my next flights, find out where we were landing and even could have re-booked a backup flight if necessary. I’d have never thought of internet on the airplanes when I started my travel career. I just hope they never allow phones.

Today I’m back on my way to Houston. My flight was on-time. I am meeting a co-worker in Houston and I arrive about an hour before him. This will be the day we will be ahead of schedule.

Portland Tour

Well everyone I actually got out and about this week on my trip to Portland. The picture below was taken today in the Rose Gardens.

I thought these flowers were so beautiful. I want a huge mound of these at home. I love the bight yellow. This was taken outside the Rose Gardens.
This picture was taken in the Japanese Gardens there in Portland. This is one of my favorite places in Portland (along with about 20 other favorite places).
Here is Multnomah Falls. I find this place amazing and I can't go there enough.

Beaches Report

Well this is my report from your favorite Restaurant in downtown Vancouver. I ate at Beaches tonight.

It’s really hot here in the Portland area today (about 96 degrees). Even so I sat outside on the patio overlooking the Columbia River. I really enjoy watching the boats and everyone playing on the river. It was so hot the poor birds were panting. I can’t say I knew they did that before today. They all had their little mouths open and some you could even see the deep breaths.

I should have taken my camera. I never have it when I want it the most. They have a pay phone up on posts out in the river with a sign to call in your order. Of course the phone is way too high and there is not enough room to pull a boat in. But it was one of those cute things I’ve never noticed before.

I had the Beaches House Salad which is wonderful. Then I had the Blackened Pork Chop with mixed grilled vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes.

I really like the waitresses at Beaches. They ask your name when you are there and from that point on they call you by name. I know they have to write this down somewhere to keep up with all the names each night. It’s just a really nice touch to the customer service. Then at the end of the meal they bring you a notepad with things people have written about the service they gave.

Beck this was a great suggestion you gave me all those months back.

A Day of Changes

Well it’s been a while since I’ve updated everyone on what’s going on in my life. So I’ll start off with where I’m at! I’m in Vancouver, WA again. This is one of my favorite areas of the USA. I really love the Portland/Vancouver area.

Monday was the day of changes. I flew from Myrtle Beach to Atlanta and we were pulling up to our gate D22 to park when they changed our gate on us to C36. I had it all planned out because I was supposed to depart from E33 and I could walk it from the D concourse. I got off the plane and confirmed my gate of E33 and then when I got to the train I thought you might need to look at this again. Good thing because they moved the gate to T6. So that’s on the opposite end of the airport so off I went to the new gate.

I got there and I looked at the plane and I knew it was much larger than the 757 I had picked my seats on. So I asked the agent and sure enough they had changed our aircraft to the larger plane. I asked to be moved to a window like I had booked and the system had already done it. This was a fantastic change because I had been upgraded to First Class and this is the type aircraft they send back and forth across the Atlantic. The seats lay back farther than my recliner at home. I would say about 80 degrees. To get to the seat back pocket in front of me I had to unbuckle and get up. I was loving life.

Monday I got up at 3AM Eastern time to start my journey. I got to Portland at 11AM Pacific. I headed to Multnomah Falls first thing (it’s one of my favorite things to see up here). I then went to my motel checked in and took a nap. About 3:30 PM I got up and headed north to meet a few friends for dinner half way to Seattle. We had a nice dinner then I came back to my room last night and got to bed about 20 hours after my day started.

Now I’m on a scavenger hunt for a Dove candy bar that my client gave me today after lunch. I put it somewhere and can’t find it. I looked all through my laptop bag and it’s not there. So I figure it’s in my jacket pocket down in the car in the garage. So I’m going to need to head down there and see if its there. I sure hope not because it’s plenty hot here and I’d hate to think it’s in my nice suit coat melting. Then again.. I do really want this chocolate bar. Darn that sweet tooth..


Beck – I’ll have dinner for you at Beaches tomorrow night..

What a lazy blogger

I know it’s been a week and I’m still uninspired to write. Last week was a good week mom came to Lufkin where I was working to spend the week with me. We really had a good time and I’m glad I have been assigned a place close enough she can come see me.

I caught a nice summer cold on the way home so the weekend was spent sniffling and sneezing. And today I am on my way back to Houston. Next week I get to head back to Oregon and I’m really excited to get that long flight again. It gives me time to write and do things I never seem to do on the shorter flights.

I had sworn off vacations this year to focus on the remodel at the house. Well this is a testament to my will power… I booked tickets to South Dakota and then later this year I’m heading off to Isla Mujeres. So much for not taking a vacation! Good thing I get all the frequent flyer miles and the costs are minimal. When I was able to secure my tickets to South Dakota for the lowest miles and $10 I thought I just have to do it.

So I will get to see the area my dad grew up in. I have not been there since 1995 when I went to my grandmother’s funeral. My dad was raised in the Black Hills in a town named Custer.

www.visitcuster.com

He always told me when he went into the military that he found out there were places you could live and not have the bitter cold. He never went back there to live, only to visit after that.

Well it wasn’t much to write about today and just the mixed up ramblings. At least you all know I’m still alive though.