No road is long with good company!

Faces of Death

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:31:00 +0000

This posting is a departure from the travel theme. The traveling stories are really not that much fun to write anymore because they all sound the same. I find Facebook to be a better outlet for that. I'm writing this not for you, but for me. It is not about the blood and gore of so many EMS storytellers but it is about the human element, the part of working in health care that many people don't envision and doesn't make it onto many television shows.

As a paramedic I have seen more than my fair share of death. This is not unusual and certainly does not make me unique among my brother and sister paramedics.

We each handle these calls in different ways and have different reactions to the circumstances. Some laugh, some cry, some become silent, some find solace in dark and lonely places. Sometimes I'm able to appreciate the "better place" that the decedent is now enjoying but in other cases the person has left their friends and family prematurely with many unwritten chapters that will never be finished.

Over the last ten years there may be as many as 100 people that I've either tried to help or got there too late to be of any help. There is a somewhat smaller fraction of those in which different circumstances might have led to different results. A few patients have stuck with me over time, these are my Faces of Death.

There was the 36 year old female who drove her small car off the road at 106 mph with four others in her car and a drug filled syringe hiding in her bra. My first week on the job, my first Mass Casualty Incident, and I pronounced three people dead.
There was the 13 year old grandson of one of my partners who was driving a pickup on a country road, was ejected, and rolled over.
There was the 8 and 6 year old siblings who innocently rode their bikes on a sidewalk with their parents on a walk who were mowed over by a drunk lady who then drove off. Both died.
There was the 40 year old man who was ejected from a car which then rolled over him. Although the driver and this guy were extremely intoxicated, he was the new uncle of a baby I had just helped deliver hours earlier. At 3:30am in a drunken stupor he was going to meet his new niece. Now she will never know him.
There was my first month as a volunteer EMT in Montana for a service that average one call per week over the previous 20 years. That first month we did CPR four times. One person I knew and had seen earlier that day, two others who had been married for many decades and were the parents of a coworker at my non-EMS day job. The fourth required major rescue efforts in a lake resulting in my two partners and I simply being unable to perform CPR due to exhaustion and what would be required to then get the patient to the ambulance for the 40 minutes drive to a hospital.

For most of these I do not remember the fine features of the persons face but I feel the need to know that the person mattered, had a purpose, loved, and was loved. To know that when this person died, someone cared. These things are how the world knew the person and how the person fit into the world. This is their face.

Now I have two more faces to add to the collection of faces. In my mind this collection resembles a collage of pictures, the faces are static but smiling, they are real, and they are symbolic. For someone, each of these pictures is represents the person they remember. These are my Faces of Death.

I wrote this entry and then read Talking Trauma by Timothy Tangherlini. I highly recommend it ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578060435?ie=UTF8&tag=tec05-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1578060435 ). Tangherlini has a short section that describes paramedic storytellers often forgetting the faces of their patients. I found it ironic considering this topic. In his research, he found many paramedic stories actually involved disfigurement supposedly because it helped paramedics to avoid focusing on the living human with the family/friends/loved ones while they worked to save the unsaveable.

Long time no talk!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:32:00 +0000

It has been quite some time since the last posting, lest you think I have nothing to say... it is approaching the end of the year. I made it to that highly esteemed Platinum level some time ago and will finish the year with around 105 flight segments.

Traveling for work during the Holidays is not my idea of fun. There are so many people who have never flown before and many others who have not flown in the last decade. They wander the airports aimlessly looking to find their way. Some airports have staff who will give guidance if you look lost... but the truly lost are oblivious.

As a fan of Human Factors and User Interface Design, I find it interesting at how difficult some airports make it for people to figure out where to go or what to do. Well designed airports have adequate signage and traffic flows that naturally guide you to where you need to be.

Take my connection in Cincinatti this afternoon as an example. I needed to get from the plane I arrived on to gate B37. The only clue that it wasn't near my arrival point was that there were no other airplanes at the terminal. Now calling it a terminal is a bit of a stretch, its more like a tented walkway that extends 500 yards from the nearest building and is without a heating system (it was 3 degrees above zero).

Walking to the center, a common theme for airports, I found a computer display that confirmed I needed to get to B37. The only problem was that all the signage for terminal B only went as high as 19. Having learned from prior experience that you must trust the signs, I sought a friendly retired Ohioan manning the information booth. He informed me that they changed the gate numbers yesterday and to go get on the bus that would take me to terminal B.

Having just 15 minutes left before the flight there was not a lot of room for error. Getting off the bus at B, I now only had to go the very end of the building to get to the desk just as they started the boarding process. It was sort of ironic that at this terminal you walk out the door, down a ramp, and then through a series of traffic cones to find your airplane out on the tarmac. Leaving gate checked bags on a cart and climbing the stairs, I made it.

At the end of the day it is hard to be too critical of infrequent travelers. It is foreign territory, lots of chaos, and lots of pressure to get it right. I don't blame the infrequent travelers but still wish they wouldn't block the entrance to escalators or clog up an entire moving walkway.

One half of the trip down... half to go. Happy Holidays!

Its starting...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:17:00 +0000

I'm not sure if anyone reads this but as I finish a college writing
class, I'm appreciating the value of blog therapy. Its been six months
since the last posting. That is not because I've stayed home.

There have been a number of states under my feet and many different hotels.

Next week will hint at what the next year is going to be like with
four of five days traveling in three different states.

If you are reading this, what could I write about to make this more interesting?

--
Sent from my mobile device

Holy City!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:27:00 +0000

I took a first flight out this morning to Charleston, South Carolina. I had not been to the state before today but so far have been impressed. Rated as the best mannered city, it is quite a contrast to living in New Jersey. What is the proper etiquette for holding a door open for women and other men? Do you say sir or ma'am? Do you greet everyone you see? All recent challenges that are not a concern in NJ.

A group of us are staying in the heart of the Charleston Historic District at the Market Pavillion Hotel (http://www.marketpavillion.com/) which has a history beginning 300 years ago. A boutique hotel that provides a very nice atmosphere combined with excellent service. They brag of getting four diamonds from AAA and the nicest amenities in the city.

This is the view from the rooftop bar that sits just a few feet from the walk-in pool. Just over the edge of the railing, you can't see the local market. It reminds me of the Pike Place Market, minus the fish throwing. Across the street in the bottom of the three story building is an Oyster restaraunt where we had lunch. I now know that fresh oysters do not sit well with my system...

After a couple drinks and conversation we took a walk down Broad Street looking for a nice restaurant. It is not hard to find good menus, with two or three restaurant entrances per block. The first several maitre'd stands I approached offered 40-90 minute wait times. On the fourth try we found the Slightly North of Broad sign hanging invitingly and stepped in. It looked good and they could seat our group of five right away. I ordered a berry sangria to wash down my cup of crab soup and Deviled Crab Stuffed Flounder. The food was excellent and the service was great. You can check out their website at http://www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com/snob/index.html where I just now learned that it, not surprisingly, has earned top awards and the 2008 Restaurant of the year!

In the distance in this photo you can see the largest cable stayed bridge in the Americas. It dwarfs the aircraft carrier sitting next to it (not in photo). You can read more for yourself about this great city at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_South_Carolina . It is probably one of the more romantic cities that I've traveled to and looks like it would make a great couples get-away!

Be safe, keep the rubber side down, and thanks for coming along!

Time flies when you are...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:56:00 +0000

...not on the road! The past couple of months have not required quite as much travel. I have enjoyed spending more time at home! The travel season has started to warm up though over the past few weeks.

As of this week I have acheived Gold Elite status on Continental. If you recall from a prior entry that requires 60 flight segments, I now have 67 on about 35,000 miles since January 1st! Once I hit 90 there is no higher level so maybe it will be time to start collecting miles on another airline ;-)

I flew to Corpus Christi, Texas on Sunday where I shared a meal with a dear friend that I have known for years and her family. It was totally last minute, my travel agent worked to arrange for my Sunday trip on Friday evening.

After a one hour meeting on Monday, my boss and I enjoyed a family style Mexican meal. She has a new Garmin Nuvio 300 series GPS unit and we have been trying out its restaurant finding features. After criss crossing several border town looking neighborhoods we found one that was still open. The food was cheap and tasted great, if you don't count the piece of glass hidden in my plate.

Since my last entry I have been to Knoxville and Kalamazoo twice each. A couple weeks ago my boss and I went on a road trip, starting in Fort Wayne, IN to Ipsilanti and then Grand Rapids, MI. On my return flight from Houston to Newark there was some excitement. Now I get upgraded to first class on nearly every flight that has first class and for this 7pm flight I was in the first row window seat of the 757-200.

After we reached cruising altitude I raised the electric foot rests and adjusted the electric lumbar and backrest to dig in for the flight. There was a little rumble in the plane that felt like mild turbulence although it was unusual to experience it at that altitude like we did.

After a minute or two the plane banked to the south and we turned towards the sun. The last time I checked the sun should not be in front of a flight going from Houston to Newark in the evening. Expecting an announcement that we were being held for air traffic control purposes I was surprised to see that we were starting to lose altitude, as one would expect for landing.

I considered asking the flight attendant about it but noticed that they were all whispering to each other and going back and forth through the plane. A moment later the captain made an announcement in an urgent, decisive, and clear manner, "Folks, we had a little engine problem with the right side engine and I shut it down. In 10 minutes we will be making an emergency landing at Houston. You will see a lot of emergency vehicles but don't be alarmed. We expect nothing other than a normal landing. Once we stop the emergency services will check the engine for fire. If you need to do something, trust me, we will tell you."

He made one more similar announcement just before we touched down. After hearing an announcement like that, especially with 10 minutes, you really start to think about things. I was thinking, did (prior) airplane crash victims have ten minutes to think about their fate? What did they think about? Did they really think about their whole life and all that? Someone should study this phenomenon. Yes, that is me thinking that. Needless to say the landing approach was a little different, we seemed to be lower and faster, than normal. Once the wheels touched down you could feel and see the captain was making an effort to stop as quickly as possible but he couldn't use the reverse thrusters on just one side of the plane and there was some left/right steering required to keep it straight.

It looked like there were 100 airport firetrucks all over the place and as we were coming in you could see other fire trucks responding from more distant locations. Somone near me asked the flight attendant if they do this often - she responded to the effect of 'almost never'. There was no fire and after about half an hour we taxied to the terminal and another hour on the ground to switch planes. We switched to an identical plane with the same crew. The ultimate deja vu.

I am still trying to decide who the celebrity was that sat behind me. She was a 45ish extremely thin and very tall female with very long and straight brown hair. If you know who she is please let me know.

Like many of my friends, I am a beer guy. I do like vodka martinis with just a little olive juice but a nicely flavored and ice cold porter makes the evening enjoyable. Back to the moment... I'm in Knoxville and a person I sometimes interact with left a gift for me. A mason jar full of apple pie moonshine! I am not kidding!

I was told the guy who made it was recently arrested for distilling. Apparently it is illegal to own or operate an unlicensed distillery in TN. How is it? It is as smooth as root beer and sneaky as a couple of martinis. The flavor is almost identical to homemade hot apple cider. There is no burn as it goes down!

Getting up at 3am to make the first out flight then spending the day working and now I have you. Thanks for visiting, you make all of this travel worth it. Stay tuned for more frequent updates as my travel season gets going again.

The Rock

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:52:00 +0000

For the past couple weeks a coworker from Brazil has been here in Shrewsbury, NJ for a training class we were attending for work. Last weekend I accompanied him on a whirlwind trip through New York City. I have to say that we did a good job of seeing the sights by spending the whole day moving through and across Manhattan.

It should be noted that in San Paulo, Brazil right now is the middle of Summer. The weather is in the 80-90 (F) temperature range each day although even in the Winter "cold" is relative and I suspect it is more similar to Florida.

The day started with a drive up the Garden State Parkway ($0.25 toll) from exit 109 to exit 127 changing over to Highway 440. That takes you across a small bridge ($8 toll) onto Staten Island. You drive past the beautiful "Fishkill river", past the swamps of the Sopranos and a landfill mountain, right into the neighborhoods before getting on the Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn.

The Staten Island ferry is an interesting experience because of the scenery. You have the Manhattan skyline in the distance, Governors Island to the right and Jersey City to the left with the Statute of Liberty in between.

The day was sunny, the temperature was about 32 (or 0 degrees to my Brazillian friend) and the winds were fairly strong. My friend first learned about wind chill on this ferry ride. After snapping a few photo's of the Statute we snuck back into the warmer passenger deck of the ferry.

After disembarking we started to walk to the World Trade Centers but after about 100 yards my friend decided it was too cold, so we ducked into one of the many sidewalk subway openings to get a quick ride. A few pictures were taken there and my friend bought his first pair of gloves from a street vendor for $5 but passed on a $5 hat.

Next we took the train to Columbus Circle, at the Southwest corner of Central Park, which I learned is also at the foot of the Trump Tower. Don't get too imaginative with the tower, it looks just like any other 30 story or so black building except for the silver globe statute that sits out front. Deciding it was too cold to walk through the park we headed south towards Rockefellor Plaza (a.k.a. The Rock).

This involves several blocks of upper Broadway where there are a few hints of Broadway. Most notably, to me, was the Ed Sullivan Theatre where the David Letterman show is taped:

We finally made it to Rockefellor Plaza, the headquarters of NBC and many of its shows such as Conan Obrien, NBC Nightly News, and of course the morning show with Katie & Matt. It is also where the ice skating rink is located. After making about three trips around the interior we found the ticket booth for taking the elevator to the top. Oh yeah, this is not a free elevator ride and is not for those who are scared of hieghts. The ticket costs $17.50 for about a half-hour of time at the top. The main elevator takes you to the 67th story while another smaller elevator takes you to the 70th, the Top of the Rock. I didn't time the elevator ride but it took little more than one minute to get to the top. The floors were going by almost as fast as you could say the number-a great improvement over most hotel elevators that take that much time just to go one floor.

That is the view from the top, looking northward across Central Park. Across the bridge to the left is NJ, while the Bronx and midtown Manhattan are visible surrounding the park. To give you an idea of what downtown looks like, here is a cheesy picture of my friend and I with the Empire State Building behind us:

After hitting the streets again, we walked to Grand Central Station, then through Little Brazil (of course) and headed for Little Italy. A cab driver tried to sell us his music CD for $5 while he took the long way to where we were going, 'to get around' the traffic. Then we walked through Chinatown, past all the sidewalk markets... at one a lady was picking up a frog from a bucket of frogs. She was picking it up with cooking tongs. It was cold enough to keep them calm but you could still make out the breathing movements and could not miss the frogs eye blinking. I wonder what she plans on making with the frog... my friend was surprised to learn that they are edible. The frogs in Brazil may be poisonous but I'm not sure that I would eat one regardless of its country of origin.

We subwayed it back to Times Square just as darkness was creeping in. That is an interesting time of day to be there, as the normal city hustle is mixed with the flashing lights, and sidewalks crowded with tourists. A quick trip through the M&M Store and we headed back to the Ferry.

It was a fun day although being a little chaotic as any day in the city is. Just pick a city, it doesn't really matter which one, and you will be happy to go back to suburbia for the evening.

Thanks for coming along!

Blizzard

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:16:00 +0000

It seems like Winter has been going for eight or nine months but in reality it has only been a bit more than half of that. Nearly every trip to Michigan since October has been in the midst of a snowstorm. I always wondered what "lake effect snow" was really like and for some reason imagined that New Jersey suffered from it and from "Nor'Easters".

Last week I talked to someone in Michigan on Monday and heard it was raining in the morning but nice and sunny in the afternoon. Looking forward to the changing season, I flew in less than 24-hours later. During the flight the pilot reported the weather to be snowing with -8 (F) temperatures and 30mph winds which looked exactly like this:

There were slideoffs and rollovers everywhere. The new snow was 8-10" deep and four more inches was predicted overnight. I didn't bring warm winter clothing - shame on me!

Oh well, so far this Winter it has been warmer/nicer in New Jersey than Michigan. There has been no real snow to speak of with some cold nights but it rains much like Seattle in the dark months of the year. I flew home in the late evening hours, in the dark. Not long after getting home with a totally clear night sky we watched the lunar eclipse. Even in NJ we could see the moon and watched it fade out and then back in. I would share a photo with you but they didn't turn out so well.

I remember as a child waiting with anticipation for a big snowstorm. One that would be deep enough for sledding and was likely to cancel school. Living in Sandpoint, Idaho this happened all the time. It was not uncommon to get 1-3 feet of snow in the mountain community surrounding Lake Pend Oreille. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpoint,_Idaho or http://www.sandpoint.com/ or http://www.city-data.com/city/Sandpoint-Idaho.html are good places to look at the area.

So when we moved to Boise, I had conjured up images of nice peaceful snowfalls throughout the Winter. It is Idaho after all... but apparently we hit the mildest winter in recent years. A couple of light snowfalls blew through but nothing substantial, you did not need 4x4 to get around town.

Moving to NJ we once again imagined those major snowstorms that are seen on the national news. Two, three, or more feet of snow in a single dump. That is what I had imagined NJ to be like... along with lots of salt on the roadways to cause all cars to become rusty by their fifth birthday. The winter of 2007-2008 has been yet another letdown for anyone who like snow. Mild temperatures and rain have been the norm.

Until... last Friday. The biggest baddest winter storm of the year hit the NYC metro area, including NJ. I woke up in the morning to five inches of snow... and the drive to work being such a long commute, normally takes me about five minutes. This day it took almost ten minutes! This is what my commute looked like:

So for the next few months I will enjoy snowstorms as I travel to Michigan and (hopefully) warmer weather in Tennessee. NJ will probably be somewhere in the middle. In any case like the title of this blog, No road is long with good company, so thank you for coming along!

Frequent Flier

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:13:00 +0000

As January ends and February begins an interesting record is about to crash and burn. Continental Airlines requires either 30 flight segments or 25,000 miles to reach the Silver Elite status and I will have 28 segments. That's not bad for one month. By the first of March I could be hitting Gold... and by May will hit Platinum (Platinum status requires 90 segments or 75,000 miles). I could hit double platinum before the year ends, although I don't think they give you anything more for it.

What does it mean to be a frequent flier? When arriving at a larger airport there is a special area to check-in where only the frequent fliers can. There is a shorter line through security and you are allowed to be the first to board the plane. If checking bags they put a special Elite tag on it for faster offloading. For me these are the real perks. Why? It is not because of some special feeling or hidden narcissim, no... let me explain.

Last night I was seated in First Class on the 737-300 from Cleveland to Newark, a short 61 minute flight. As the second person on the plane, there was plenty of room for my suitcase and computer bag in the overhead. After about 40 minutes of people streaming by my seat, just as the door was to be closed, another First Class passenger came on board. She had a suitcase and computer bag as well but was in a bulkhead seat (that means no seats in front of her so no place to put her stuff). By this time the flight attendants had already removed the economy class passengers belongings from the first class overheads... except for one large suitcase that wouldn't fit anywhere else. This suitcase took the space rightfully belonging to the last lady on board but it was too late. Two other people had to (err, volunteered to) accomodate her luggage, taking up their precious leg room.

Getting on the plane first also gives you a chance to get comfortable in the spacious but not too nice seats up front. The really nice first class seats are found on long distance flights and planes (not the 737). The flight attendant takes your coat to hang in a forward closet then offers a drink. Yes, up here the drinks are free and there is time for one before take-off and two more during the hour long flight but I rarely have more than one vodka-cran during these short flights. I need to be able to find the limo driver waiting for me in Newark. Ok that is another perk but it comes from my employer and is available to all of our employees.

The main difference between Silver, Gold, and Platinum are the ability to get free upgrades for companions and increasing priority for the upgrade. Each flight credits you for a certain number of miles no matter your status but with the FF programs you get incrementally more miles for each real mile.

Most of my flights are short flights on the ERJ 135 or 145 planes. These hold about 48 people and every seat is first class... so I'll take it when I can get it.

Winter?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 04:01:00 +0000

I have been such a slacker, not writing for almost a month. Since the last posting I have been fortunate enough to spend about five nights in my own bed. It has been interesting traveling to Knoxville through the winter, especially having just completed the novel 'Flesh and Bone' by Jefferson Bass that is set in Knoxville with a plot around the infamous Body Farm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_Farm). You can read more here: http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/10/31/body.farm/index.html.

This evening it would be a little eery to go searching for the exact location as it is snowing a heavy wet snow. The news channels are all lit up with the snowstorm news, many school districts are announcing closures for tomorrow, reporters are interviewing
third shift' workers wondering how they will drive home in the white stuff, and there were several large planes grounded at the airport-rerouted from Atlanta and full of people sitting on the tarmac. The city of Knoxville has been "pre" spraying the roads with a wet salt mixture for three days now just to prepare for this storm.

I can hardly wait for morning to see the carnage that everyone seems to be expecting. It is almost like the frenzy that would come with huricane preparations but its barely 32 degrees and the snow is melting as it lands. The weather guy just told school administrators to wait until the morning before deciding on closures... good advice I would say.

Earlier this week I was in Kalamazoo, Michigan on the presidential primary day. Apparently John McCain had visited Kalamazoo on the same day but none of the others did. With all of the media frenzy on this topic you would think that everyone in Michigan would be talking about it. I never heard one person mention it although I wondered if McCain was staying at the same hotel. Back to the winter topic, it was cold and snowing there with several inches of accumulation during the day. No one even gave it a second mention but that is understandable, it was a minor storm compared to the several others I've witnessed there this winter already.

Back in New Jersey it has not snowed enough to matter although jackets are required most days. Over the last month I have seen 78 degrees for a high and 11 degrees for a low here in Knoxville. The San Francisco Bay Area was in the 60's, with palm trees and other blooming plants giving no indication that it was the last week of December.

Wherever you might be, be warm, be safe, and keep the rubber side down!

Winter travel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:46:00 +0000

It has been a while since my last post. This may lead you to think that I have not been traveling so let me set the record straight. Between November 1st and December 31st I will have spent six days in Orlando at a conference followed by four trips to Knoxville for 14 days, two trips to Kalamazoo for three days, one in Cherry Hill NJ (burbs of Philly), and a week in San Francisco for vacation. So out of 60 or so days I will be spending about 25 of them away from home.

I have experienced all the winter time horror stories you read about in the news from cancelled flights to sketchy landings, deicing delays, short connections, and reroutes.

We have recently started using Carlson Wagonlit travel and they have performed superbly for me. My agent, Susan E., has saved us several thousand dollars by booking creative itineraries and finding good options to meet my needs. Many thanks go to her for saving me the stress and hassle of trying to figure things out solo...

I'll try to find something interesting to write about in the coming days... my January and February travel will probably be just as intense so there should be plenty of opportunities!

Be safe and have a happy holiday season!

Interesting people...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 19:45:00 +0000

This week I encountered several interesting people on the road. Back in Kalamazoo, I have now earned "G3" status at the Radisson. I don't know what G3 means but it includes free hotel room upgrades, so I took advantage of the offer this week. My room was on the 9th floor, a.k.a. 'the concierge floor'. The amenities seemed to be the same as all the other rooms but on the floor, which requires you to swipe your room key for access, a hotel room has been converted into a cozy living/dining room slash bar.

Morning breakfast is available, drinks during happy hour, and a desert bar after that - all free. Free is a relative term here, since the rooms usually cost almost $50 per night more but for G3's it is free. If its free, its me...

Sitting at the bar, the only other people in the room was a table of three women talking about their business issues, and the bartender. I asked for a margarita and moments later started sipping as a few more people came in. Another guy came and sat next to me at the bar and we started chatting. He lives in Chicago and just took on a new job in town as the billing/collections manager for a Kalamazoo hospital where they are doing a really good job. He said the secret is to go after every dollar that is owed - no matter how long it takes. He replaced "Gus", who was well known to the bartender as an 'interesting' person - no further explanation was given and apparently none was needed.

We chatted with the bartender, who informed us she was nineteen, single, and pregnant. To many people the single, nineteen, and pregnant part would probably be an eyeraiser for sure but not for me. The fact that she was a bartender in this select location was a surprise to me. What exactly were her qualifications to be a bartender? Is it even legal? No wonder she asked me if I liked the drink and seemed extraordinarily pleased that I said it was good... not wanting to destroy my chances with any future drinks she might make (or to make her cry), I didn't tell her it was waaay too strong - less than 50% tequila would be better.

Moments later we were joined by a man who the hospital accountant had met the night before. This guy supposedly is a major league basebal umpire, in town with coworkers for meetings. He said his boss lives in Kalamazoo so they meet there two weeks of every October as well as a week in the Spring. He didn't have a lot of opinions to share about the current news of Joe Torres retirement but I did learn he was the umpire for the worlds longest game. I'll have to look that one up: http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/long185.html

Although I couldn't find his picture on the MLB website, I did find a story that corraborates at least part of his claim - that someone lives in Kalamazoo: http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070828&content_id=2174931&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

After a little while a lady sat at the bar opposite of me and joined the conversation. She works for some kind of financial services company and was proud to tell us about her son who is in the top ten of a Wall Street Journal contest where kids get to invest fake money. She let the cat out of the bag about the extra assistance he recieved from her although he refused to sell his Disney stock as she instructed.

The next evening the area came under a Tornado Warning. It's the end of October - Tornados? This caused the hotel to evacuate everyone to the basement at 11pm. Their staff was on the verge of freaking out with someone 'taking charge' and ordering everyone downstairs. The 9th floor bartender this evening was different girl who looked just as young, who was stressing out about locking up the bar and getting downstairs quickly. I held the elevator for her since she left her purse in the bar in her haste.

Thinking twice about it I decided to go down, my room was on the top floor with nothing else above. After grabbing my laptop and moving my suitcase away from the window I joined a throng of people moving like cattle in a feedlot to the basement. There I met a man who claimed to be in town for a job interview. He said he was a surgical oncologist specializing in breast surgery from the northside of Chicago, a professor of surgery, and all around rich guy. He's been operating for 29 years and is married to a family doc.

He said he was in town to interview for the CEO position at Michigan State. Wow, Michigan State is in Kalamazoo? I don't think so... however Western Michigan University is. He had an early morning interview at the hospital for a clinical position that would allow him to practice occasionally even though that could compromise his chances as Michigan State. We had about an hour to talk before the all clear signal was given and I returned to my room, I think he was following 21 year old Michigan club girls... dirty old man.

On my flight home I sat in front of two nannys who did not know each other. One was the young quiet and rather meek type nanny, probably very smart, shy and of the nerd clique. The other a little older, 20 years of experience, several nanny and housestaff schools, and 20 years of experience. She came complete with a British accent, I had to look to see if she was from Nanny 911... nope. She bragged all during the flight about all the rich people she worked for and all the places she had been. Commenting on how some nannys don't get paid enough but the smart ones do and can spend a few months off between jobs traveling the world- like her. She claimed to be just returning from Arizona were she and a couple friends were volunteering to help a new sextuplet family http://www.maschemiracles.com/ who just had a NBC television special on http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&from=truveo&vid=0e811775-0382-4987-a736-1b07e80f2d91, and this week were in Hollywood to film a Christmas special 'Deal or No Deal' show. Anyways, they found out the nerdy one knew the loud one. The job she has had for the last two years in Oklahoma working for an attorney and doctor couple, was one the loud one had applied for but was never invited to interview. The nerdy one knew her because of her prolific portfolio, obviously something that had been discussed in the househould after its submission.

This week does not include any photographs. The countryside in Michigan is very pretty now, with all the trees changing colors, although it was still very warm and humid. There is about two hours less sunlight each day there than in New Jersey, something quite noticeable since it is in the same time zone.

Take care, be safe, keep the rubber side down, and thanks for coming along!

NYC Walking Tour!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 13:34:00 +0000

Just mention the place New York City to someone, nearly anyone, and it conjures up vivid images. Some 20 million people live in or near "the city" while many more have visited it at least once.

Living in the shadows of such a large city with infamous landmarks and events in its history including the horrific events of 9/11 that are burned into our memories, gives me a unique opportunity to visit and see the sights.

On one recent trip in October it was 85 degrees and 80% humidity. The heat and humidity mark many of my trips on the East Coast but when walking through the city they become a limiting factor, limiting the time and distance that you are willing to undertake depending on the conditions.

When traveling from New Jersey a convenient and cheap way into the city is to drive to the Staten Island ferry and take a free ride in. Here is the view from inside the ferry, although the bar, restaurant, and shop is not visible here:

On the way to lower Manhattan you will pass the Bayonne Golf Club:

The ride will take you past the infamous Statute of Liberty:

In this picture you can just see Ellis Island behind the statute in the distance:

The view that conjures up many vivid memories for New Yorkers and those who are familiar with the Manhattan skyline, is this one. It is not about what you can see but what you cannot see. In the center you can see the construction cranes, they are working on or near the World Trade Centers site:

Walking through the financial district, right up Broadway Avenue we discovered this interesting piece of nature. Reportedly these roots belonged to a tree that was hit by falling debree on 9/11. The tree had been growing amidst and old cemetary in the heart of the city but when it overturned amazingly did not disturb any of the gravesites. A local artist turned it into an exhibit and my son enjoyed running through the odd root structure:

No second, third, or fourth visit to NYC would be complete without a trek through Central Park. For someone who grew up around parks, mountains, and wilderness this is an interesting concept. This picture really illustrates why and the feeling of being in a scene from some kind of science fiction movie from the future comes through. I am not absolutely certain where we were at, but the view is looking south into Manhattan:

There are several things for kids to do, like the carousel:

And the kiddie park. This too was interesting. It is a park complete with faux grass (fake), a fairly elaborate sprinkler system just for the kids, and wall to wall people. My son had a great time once he got used to the thought of running around in his diaper:

We will take other trips to NYC and will have more photo's, maybe even more of a story to go with it. It will cool off soon making long city walks more comfortable but will also limit the outdoor experiences to be had.

Lucky Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:46:00 +0000

People who do not travel much often romanticise jobs that require travel. Twelve years ago I had a job that required a lot of travel, mostly by car - 70,000 road miles, 40,000 air miles, and 250ish hotel nights a year worth. I was proud of the fact that I drove more miles on snow and ice in rural areas than most people drive on any road in an entire year and I could do it better/faster/safer. Over two plus years I saw most of the Western US, went to Canada, Mexico, England, Amsterdam, and Germany.

My new job again requires substantial travel (40-50%+) but fortunately (or not) it is mostly by air. Sure... some people get to travel the world to exotic locations like Europe, Australia, China, Japan, or India. Not me.

Well almost... The week prior to my first day on the job, I received an urgent email asking me to expedite a passport renewal by the fastest FedEx delivery method for a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil being planned for 10 days later (second week on the job). This sounded exciting although it was reminiscient of my Germany trip... in which I was underprepared for traveling into a foreign language zone.

My family and I packed up the car, saw the movers off, and quickly drove across the country to my new job. Through the first week there was some activity in trying to make preparations for the trip when at the last minute (too late for a Visa) my passport arrived and plans quickly changed sending me to Kalamazoo, Michigan. You've got to be kidding, right? There really is a Kalamazoo? Instead of going to Brazil we would be going to a small town in Western Michigan? Duty called and I went.

My travels have not been very exotic, so far. The last couple months the frequency has been increasing, spending time every week out of town.

Am I a lucky dog for "getting to see the country"? Let me describe this weeks travel and let you decide for yourself.

MONDAY

I went to work in my office and put in about 9 hours and went to a couple of meetings.

TUESDAY

I went to work in my office and put in about 6 hours before going home two hours early to pack my bags. My employer uses a limo service to take local employees to the airport, a very nice perk if you have ever experienced the NJ Parkway and Turnpike anywhere near Exit 13.

The driver dutifully showed up at 4:15pm with a coworker already on board. We quickly made it to the airport by 4:50pm only running two cars off the road in the process. The car was a stretch limo complete with party lights and an empty decanter that needed to pickup a large group at the airport after dropping us off. My coworker says our office mates hassled him when they saw the ride, I don't blame. After all we are lucky dogs, right?

The flight was scheduled for 7:00pm so we dropped off our luggage at the curbside checkin and quickly made it through security. A nearby Starbucks provided some java to go (don't waste your money outside of security because they won't let you bring it through!). Getting to our assigned gate almost two hours early means that at least two other flights worth of people are waiting in the seats for their flights, limiting the choices of good airport seating. The stools in the nearby Samuel Adams pub are much more comfortable and are ergonomically designed to prepare your ass for a long flight, so we chose our favorite seats offering an excellent people watching viewpoint. It was 5:30 by then, otherwise known as beer-thirty so... we might as well get a beer to pass the time and offer additional people watching opportunities.

Gate assignments and departure times frequently change at Newark International Airport. They treat every flight as if it was arriving or departing by complete surprise. This leg of the trip was no exception since our gate changed twice while we drank two Coronas over 90 minutes.

This time we had "Elite Access" printed on our boarding passes, although neither of us really knew why, privileging us to board the flight before all the other passengers. With assigned seating the only real advantage is being able to fill the overhead compartment with your shit leaving your footspace uncluttered. We are lucky dogs, right?

Since everything was going so smoothly at Newark, we just knew that something had to go wrong. This kind of thinking helps prepare you for the inevitable at large airports, and no sooner was the door closed to the plane, the jetway pulled back, and the seat belt announcement began, did progress towards departing grind to a stop. The pilot came on the speakers announcing that a family was running across the airport to make the flight so we would wait a couple of minutes and reopen the door to let them on... "Sorry for the delay". What? Are you kidding me? The pilot must be from Tennessee and it must be her family. I have been on hundreds of flights from 10 to 400 passengers and have never seen a pilot allow late passengers get on, but ok. She said just a couple minutes and then we can get going.

The ground crew spent the next 40 minutes trying to repair the jetway so that it would work, apparently it broke as it pulled back the first time. We did get an update and another apology from the pilot and a "there is a ground delay now anyways so I guess we might as well wait here than out on the tarmac". I'm not that stupid Ms. Pilot. Had we left the gate on time we would have been in the air a full hour earlier than we were. Did I mention that the airlines add a full hour too flights into and out of Newark just to account for the delays there? Now, who is the lucky dog? What were you doing Tuesday night at 8pm? Surely it was better spent than mine.

Our 90 minute flight arrived right on time at 9:30pm, remember the add-on hour? Yes, we used it for an on-time arrival. The airline can now report this as an on-time arrival and trick us all into thinking things with them are great. We grab the car rental, luggage, and Google Map of Knoxville. The dark roads are no match for us and our map, we drive straight to the hotel in 30 minutes.

Now that it is 10pm and we haven't eaten yet, our choices of dining are rather limited. Had this been Kalamazoo we could choose from McDonalds or Taco Bell... but the hotel desk clerk tells us about a nice bar that has a kitchen open late and gives us walking directions. It takes us about 15 minutes to get there and it is still in the mid-80's and 80% humidity... the Corona has long wore off and its time for a refresher. A couple of beers and an order of nachos later the company credit card pays the bill. Maybe this is the part that earns me Lucky Dog status? We're back to the hotel by midnight.

WEDNESDAY

I'm up at 7am checking email and the days news. My coworker and I meet up for breakfast and a quick trip to Starbucks a few blocks away at 8:30am before heading to our work assignment. At 12:30pm our work for the day is done. This must be what makes me a Lucky Dog, perhaps?

Returning to the hotel to change clothes, we again ask for a meal recomendation and are directed to a mall area several blocks away but definitely walkable. Today it is in the upper 80's with no wind or respite from the humidity although it is late September. It is a nice walk and we find downtown Knoxville to be very interesting and inviting. A nice place to visit again, maybe with more time to investigate. We choose a vegetarian/vegan cafe and quickly order homemade hummus based sandwiches and iced-tea, unsweetened please. Again the company credit card buys lunch. Maybe this is why I am such a Lucky Dog?

Later around 7:30pm another coworker has flown into town and goes to dinner with us, back to the same bar as the night before so we can try the dinner menu to go along with their great beer selection. Again the company credit card takes care of the bill. Lucky Dog now? We're back to our rooms by 10pm.

THURSDAY

My first coworker has finished his work and took the first early morning flight out but my boss came in late last night, so there are three of us. We leave the hotel for Starbucks at 7:30 and get to work. Our mornings work is done in time for lunch, so we call another coworker who lives in Knoxville but also spends a lot of time in Brazil. He recommends Calhouns on the river so we meetup with him there. He strongly suggests we order the BBQ ribs since they "are the best in the US" and the "biscuits are to-die-for". I do have to say, they were the best I ever had and I've had BBQ in esteemed places like Jack Stuarts in Kansas City. After he paid with the company credit card we took the leftover biscuits down to the river so he could show us the giant Tennessee catfish competing with the ducks for bread in the water. We didn't have the heart to tell him that his giant catfish were really just carp, the garbage collectors of fresh water. Now I'm forgetting about the flight here and starting to feel like a Lucky Dog but I know that I have to head to the airport for my flight to Kalamazoo.

Arriving almost three hours early for my flight, the checkin computer offers me a chance to be on standby for a flight scheduled to leave in 30 minutes. Now, I must be a lucky dog!

I get to the gate just in time for the announcement that the plane is not there yet and should be about 25 minutes late. This gives me enough time to call home and check on my family and to do a quick email check. This flight is going to take me to Chicago for a connection with plenty of time, always a good thing if you have to change planes to another gate, especially at O'Hare where some terminals are a great distance from each other.

I find the gate and check the standby list, I'm third on the list, giving me a pretty good chance of getting on the flight. When they load the plane I wait anxiously for my name to be called... it isn't. I watch the gate agent put about half-a-dozen others on the flight who were not even on the standby list and she promptly closes the door. Damn! The next flight, my original flight, is not scheduled for another three hours.

I pull out my laptop to discover that it had not shutdown properly in Knoxville and now the battery is dead. Double damn! O'Hare does not offer many functioning outlets, unless you want to sit on the floor between the water fountain and the mens room in the main walkway. My Lucky Dog status quickly faded as I search for a comfortable place to read a book and wait.

There are three gate change announcements made as our departure time nears. One is in a completely different terminal but I knew better than to chase that rat down its hole... and just stayed put. Sure enough I wouldn't have to go anywhere. The plane we were waiting for was late. First it was five, then 10, then 15, then 45 minutes late. I grabbed a nasty ass asian chicken noodle "salad" and diet Snapple from a vendor, paying with the company credit card again, but could only had a couple bites before it repulsed me - since I wouldn't get to enjoy a decent meal in Kalamazoo. Once boarded and pulled back, the pilot then announced that all flights East from Chicago were grounded due to weather over the destination. Triple damn! Another hour later we take off for the 25 minute flight over Lake Michigan. After picking up the rental car and I get to my hotel at almost midnight.

FRIDAY

I'm up at 7am but am dragging ass now, it has been a long week. Hotel room coffee is just nasty enough to wake you up and it does the trick for me as I iron the wrinkles from ("freshen") my clothes. I'd like to grab a Starbucks on the way but am going to be late if I do. I get to my work assignment at 9am. This assignment is taking a little longer than expected and at 12:30 I am concerned. My flight leaves in one hour and I'm not ready to leave yet. If I can finish by 1pm I just might make it... but its 1:20pm before I can head to the airport. On the way I call our secretary to see if she can find out if the flight is delayed to buy me time, but no it left 5 minutes early. I ask her to find out if I can catch the second leg of the flight at 5pm in Detroit, a mere two hour drive. After some hassle with Continental customer service we discover they had bumped me from the entire flight and had given my confirmed seat to someone else already. Damn! Quick thinking was needed here... I can drive to four airports in two hours but would have to get on the road right away. Which one had a flight to Newark?

I ended up having to call myself to deal with the customer service reps. I could get on a later flight in Kalamazoo with no guarantee on the second leg for $360 more or I could drive an hour to Grand Rapids airport for a direct flight (the one I take every Friday) with an $880 refund and a slightly higher one-way rental car rate. I accept this option.

The drive between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo is a familiar one, in no time I am dropping off the rental car and checking in. A quick look at the flight information indicates the flight is on time, so far. All indications are that it will be on time, we board and back away from the gate five minutes early. Then it happens. The pilot announces that (it is funny how this only happens as soon as you pull away from the gate, never before) Newark has bad weather and it is a busy Friday evening commute, air traffic control has said it will be at least 20 minutes before we can take off. Five minutes later the pilot updates us, now it will be another 45 minutes. Audible sighs, groans, and complaints are heard throughout the small plane. The Embardier 145 holds almost 50 people and the seat next to me is empty.

The flight attendant tries to make the best of it, teasing and joking with passengers. After several minutes she walks through offering cups of water. Next she passes out a bag of peanuts. After a while a signaling tone (the pilot summoning the attendant to call the cockpit) and shortly after she starts offering sodas but only gets to my row, the fourth row, before the pilot announces we will take off in ten minutes so everyone must shutdown their cell phones and computers.

Once in flight, about half way through the 80 minute flight, the pilot tells us that air traffic control has asked us to fly around in circles for 45 minutes because Newark is busy. More sighs and groans as we start banking to the left, somewhere over the dark forests of upstate New York. I am making good progress on my book now, almost 1/3 of the way through the Bourne Ultimatum. Once we are cleared to proceed it is clear that we are in a traffic pattern over New Jersey. I can see the landing lights of more than a dozen planes who are all following an invisible airspace Interstate. Finally we land and pull up to the gate a 90 minutes later than scheduled and find a crew waiting to get on to go onto the next flight.

I wait for my carryon suitcase to be unloaded from the cargo hold at the gate and head out to find my driver waiting by the door. He had been waiting for almost two hours but he makes the 35 mile drive in no time at all. It is 10pm after all, and traffic is light.

The stress and anxiety of the week leave me as I am dropped off in front of my house on a dark street in New Jersey. I can't wait to get inside and see my family. Now I am starting to feel like the Lucky Dog, after such a long week of traveling I get to see my wife and kids again.

So for all those who think that people with traveling jobs have the ultimate gig, let this post serve as notice. It just isn't as glamorous as you may think. Yes I did get to eat on the company card, did get to see two beautiful states (O'Hare doesn't count), and didn't have to put in 40 hours in the office with pain-in-the-ass coworkers.

I did put in my time, in fact it adds up like this:

Monday 9 hours
Tuesday 12 hours
Wednesday 4 hours
Thursday 16.5 hours
Friday 13.5 hours
Total= 53 hours

So obviously not every week goes like this it was just my turn. I do enjoy traveling and look forward to all those free vacations promised from the frequent flier miles earned through flying, hoteling, and car renting. I have over 130,000 frequent flier miles on four different airlines and three free flight vouchers for one. I just wish they could be cashed in for a dollar each, "If I had a dollar for every...".

Am I a lucky dog?

Yes! It is not the travel that earns me this status though, it is my beautiful loving family waiting for me when I get home from the road. Knowing that they are comfortable and safe while I am away makes it all worthwhile.

The Underwear Capital of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:32:00 +0000

My travels this week have brought me to the esteemed Underwear Capital of the World! Ok, maybe you know it as the Marble City. No? well me neither. Actually I had never had much of a reason to think of Knoxville. A little bit of research at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville,_Tennessee shows the city population is 173,000 and the metro has over 655,000 residents. This puts it in the category of big small cities.

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The airport is a few miles out of town but is an easy drive. The area is very pretty with a clean modern historic feel to downtown surrounded by Davey Crocket outskirts. The hotel I am staying at is right on the large Tennessee River where a couple paddleboats and yachts can be seen while crossing the bridge It also overlooks the park commemorating the 1982 Worlds Fair. Only a couple blocks away is a rather large federal courthouse complex built in period architecture, complete with a bellfry:

It sits directly across from a giant, old Baptist Church. It is neat looking, especially at night when it is lit up. You would never guess there is a 500 foot long urban style bus stop in front of it:

When traveling it is very important to discover the good places to hang out and who offers local brews. The hotel desk clerk recommended the Downtown Grill & Bar, which was about a ten minute walk away. If it wasn't 85 degrees at 9pm and 80% humidity the walk would have been better but it was well worth it! Take a look at the bar, a traditional bar with stamped copper surfaces and a number of drink offerings. If we come back here enough I may have to take them up on their mug sponsorship program. There was a local college kid musician, who resembled many of the kids you will find in Berkeley, CA, playing a guitar and harmonica. We didn't recognize any of the songs but he did sound good. After a while a patron helped him out with bongo drums.

All in all this was just a short two day/night trip and I will be back. The people are friendly and they say ma'am and y'all a lot, in nearly every sentence. I can't wait to come back to see more of the area. The University of Tennessee has a large campus and an even larger hospital. In fact I passed three large hospitals on the way to the hotel from the airport, including a childrens hospital.

When I do return hopefully another lunch at the Tomato Head http://www.thetomatohead.com/ a surprising find in Tennessee. It gets top marks from and from others as well: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g55138-d413843-Reviews-Tomato_Head-Knoxville_Tennessee.html

Well it is now late and my day begins early. I'll be flying to Kalamazoo in the afternoon.

Thank you for joining me since No road is long with good company!

Gods Country!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 00:43:00 +0000

Not all of my travels have been to populated places. In fact, the most remote places in the USA are what recharge my batteries. It is not about being a mountain man or getting back to nature. It is so serene, and it fills your senses.

You can hear sounds that others miss after a couple of days to adjust from the honling horns, sirens, and road noise.
You can smell the grass - the animals - the trees - the fresh air. These odors become even more rich as your nostrils rid themselves of the pollution stains of urban life.
When camping, everything tastes better. Whether you are cooking over the fire or have brought your campstove the food just tastes better. Perhaps the hiking and exploring add to its intensity!

Going for a hike, taking nap by a high mountain pond, animal watching, or just sitting next to the fire, these moments are priceless.

“I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.” - Steve McQueen

I have done my best to spend as much time as possible in far-away places. Here are a few pictures of one trip in the Idaho backcountry:

This is the southerly view from the Beartrap Lookout in the Sawtooth Range, in Idaho.

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From this location my satellite phone did not work, so I called their technical support from my cell phone. It worked, just enough for them to tell me they were having problems because of adding more satellites. The nearest town is about 60 miles beyond my car.

From the high mountains of central Idaho to streets of San Francisco and downtown Manhattan, this Ford Explorer has been everywhere! Maybe I will dig up some more pictures of the travels of this vehicle for other postings.

Have you ever wondered what a lookout really looks like? You could drive 8 hours northeast from Boise... or just take a peak. Here is the decommissioned Oreana Lookout (elevation 8,075 feet):

Hungry? Thirsty? Too bad... but if you were lost in the woods this would make a decent temporary shelter, complete with a fireplace.

Here is the view that this lookout affords:

There are risks that go with being in the backcountry. On this trip, my friend Wayne and I discovered a pack of wolves. We were able to determine this by their paw prints in the snow. A little disconcerting when you are 60 miles or over two hours drive, up a gravel road without any form of communication to the outside world. Then the late October weather turned cold and snowed on us, but of course it was absolutely beautiful as you can see:

There were other pictures from this trip that I would like to share but will save them for another posting. I hope you enjoy this little trip down memory lane. As a current resident of New Jersey, this is reassuring and helps with the homesickness that I experience.

YES there is a Kalamazoo!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:28:00 +0000

It is true, don't I know!

This week marked my sixth trip to Kalamazoo since early June. Some trips are as short as one day while others were as long as six days.

Kalamazoo, or Kazoo for short, is a smaller city. Much of it it reminds me of a middle income suburban neighborhood. That is not to say that it lacks variety. As the home to Western Michigan University there is a significant student population giving the city its nightlife. Other sections of town can simply be described as "ghetto".

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Usually when staying we are fortunate to have a room in the Raddisson, a local four star hotel http://www.radisson.com/kalamazoomi .The last few trips there have been conventions and meetings held there filling up the rooms forcing my workmates and I to explore more distant areas of the city.

To get to Kazoo from Newark only requires a two hour flight. The adventure starts at noon when the limo service picks up my coworkers and I for the ride to the airport. It is not often that flights at Newark are on time so we are no longer surprised when the wait is longer than scheduled. I've been told by fellow passenger pilots that the airlines schedule an extra hour for each flight at Newark just to deal with these delays. That is fodder for a different day.

To save a little money we will frequently fly into Grand Rapids, a mere 40 minutes from Kazoo. A quick pickup of checked baggage and rental car keys and we're on our way. We arrive at the hotel around 6pm and quickly decide on a dinner location.

You can spend $5 at McDonalds or $50 at Websters. One requires a dress code, the other requires you to be dressed. Kazoo has a couple of brewpubs to choose from, as well as pubs and fine restaurants. I much prefer the less pretentious locations such as the Roadhouse, Burdicks, and Olde Peninsula. We discovered McGiddicks the other day and will return. They provide a beer list that is eight pages long and outdoor patio seating during the summer.

Next week I will travel to Knoxville for the first time on Tuesday before going back to Kalamazoo on Thursday. Now that I have committed to writing a blog on my travels, I hope you will join me since No road is long with good company!