tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6145909909609094722009-03-08T17:14:03.909-07:00<p>This is the web page of <br><b>Mark Bartlett</b>.<br>You can e-mail me at <a href="mailto:mataglap@yahoo.com">mataglap@yahoo.com</a></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.comBlogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-37232485241680613172009-03-08T17:09:00.001-07:002009-03-08T17:14:03.933-07:00

Well, it wasn't supposed to take six months to get the final pictures up, but these things happen...

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2009/03/and-now-moment-youve-all-been-waiting.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-29372869579601145412008-09-21T17:07:00.000-07:002008-09-21T17:15:56.501-07:00

In the interest of creating phony dramatic tension, now here are some pictures of the kitchen shortly after the demolition. Also, the living room wall which crumbled when they jacked up the house to make it level.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/09/kitchen-during.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-8614806348307157252008-09-07T07:56:00.001-07:002008-09-18T12:37:56.908-07:00

So here's what the kitchen used to look like (although it typically was not this empty). These pictures were taken around mid-July, just before the destruction began.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/09/kitchen-before.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-52242525773184755462008-08-10T06:11:00.000-07:002008-09-18T09:17:17.097-07:00

Last day in Denver, and let’s be honest there’s not a lot going on here other than your general outdoor activities. We had thought about going to the science museum after the convention was over, but it’s only open until 5 and it was already after 2, so I decided to skip it and we walked over to the Virgin Megastore instead. It turned out to be a short visit, since their classical section was

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/08/worldcon-day-5.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-40136422564630867432008-08-07T09:18:00.000-07:002008-09-18T09:19:37.068-07:00

Beth took the kids to a student production of Peter Pan this morning that was nearby, then they drove out somewhere and did some shopping. Meanwhile it was day two of Worldcon, and today’s panels were a little more interesting, although even though I got a good night’s sleep I still passed out for a few minutes during one of them. I got back to the room at the same time as everyone else, and we

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/08/worldcon-day-2.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-28680281012516314772008-08-06T09:20:00.000-07:002008-09-18T09:21:25.781-07:00

The first day of the Worldcon had finally arrived and for once we were already in the city and ready to get started. Beth decided that the most interesting thing to do in Denver would be to get the car and drive down to Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods, which took most of the day. Meanwhile I got going so I could register before the first panels started at 11:30. It was raining by dinner time

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/08/worldcon-2008.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-70107514929712325062008-08-05T19:20:00.000-07:002008-09-20T10:49:17.278-07:00

Woke up bright and early so we could be on the road in time to get to the fossil dig by the proscribed 9am. Had one last free hotel continental breakfast, where they made the waffles for you, then it was a long drive down a completely deserted US-30 to Ulrich’s Fossil Site just up the road from Fossil Butte National Monument. We got there around 8:30 or so, and were actually ready to go

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/08/fossil-hunting.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-41240325372026264142008-08-04T08:37:00.000-07:002008-09-18T08:47:40.401-07:00

Today was the nebulous day between the rafting trip yesterday and the fossil excavation tomorrow. The only goal was to get somewhere close to Fossil Butte National Monument by nightfall, which ends up being Montpelier, Idaho, unless you want to stay at a flophouse or double back a similar distance through the wasteland of southern Wyoming. Between Jackson and Montpelier is about 2 1/2 hours of

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/08/bonus-day-in-jackson.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-85990403932998133182008-08-03T08:37:00.000-07:002008-09-18T08:46:22.504-07:00

After four nights in Yellowstone, we hated to leave, but felt like we had done quite a bit so there weren't too many regrets. The kids were more than happy to go back to the same diner as yesterday for breakfast and order the same cheese omelet, so we could get on the road by 8:30 or so. This gave us enough time to go north for a few miles, so Beth could get a few pictures of the wildflowers

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/08/onward-to-jackson.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-81504201227093714252008-08-02T08:37:00.000-07:002008-09-18T08:47:40.409-07:00

So far this trip has been comparatively hike-free for a National Park tour, mostly because there are so many things to see that right off the road. We did do a lot of walking through the upper geyser basin on Thursday, but it was all paved roads and boardwalks, not exactly a hike. So today was our one day to actually get out on a trail, although it also has long paved sections and even a short

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/08/other-grand-canyon.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-12848891812433066102008-08-01T08:37:00.000-07:002008-09-18T08:47:40.415-07:00

This morning no one could get out of bed early, including myself, so it was 9 before we made our way to the village general store and grabbed a few breakfasty items, and ate them right outside on a picnic bench. Checked in at the visitor’s center, where they said the road to Fishing Bridge would re-open at noon, although at reduced speed and still subject to delays. We weren’t planning on going

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/08/not-necessarily-mammoth.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-24636432617575485442008-07-31T08:37:00.000-07:002008-09-18T08:47:40.422-07:00

Until I started to educate myself about Yellowstone, its primary claim to fame was as the home of Old Faithful, and that was the initial reason to come here, as we check off the iconic American landmarks one by one. So on our first full day in the park, that was where I felt we must go. We got up at a reasonable hour this morning, had the buffet breakfast at the Canyon Village restaurant, got 10

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/07/geyser-city.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-74811453054842483002008-07-30T08:37:00.001-07:002008-09-18T08:47:40.429-07:00

Today was another long day in the saddle as they say in bike racing, longer than it should have been as we were expecting to do about 320 miles and ended up around 400. This was not the fault of Google Maps or myself, as I’ll get to in a minute. After travelling so much yesterday, we were still able to get up and going reasonably early this morning, and had our complimentary breakfast (

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/07/grand-tour-of-yellowstone.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-47834572856514941102008-07-30T08:37:00.000-07:002008-09-18T08:38:43.445-07:00

So here we are back in Wyoming, a mere three years after our last trip out this way. Last time we covered the eastern half on our way to and from South Dakota, this time we tour the western half, starting here in scenic Casper (after a four hour drive from Denver last night), and heading towards Yellowstone. We'll spend a few days up there, then back down the western side through Jackson and

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2008/07/hello-from-wyoming.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-54217091325329500632007-10-31T10:47:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.227-07:00

Our whirlwind weekend on the Cape saw much better weather on Sunday, with sunny skies albeit somewhat cooler temperatures. The kids saw this as a recipe for a return trip to the beach, but we had other ideas, and the beach was plenty windy the day before when it was warm, a cold and windy beach didn't seem that appealing. We checked out of the Tidewater Inn after walking around the grounds a

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2007/10/around-cape.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-67856020808871932892007-10-27T10:59:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.235-07:00

Taking advantage of a commitment-free weekend to spend a couple of days with the family on The Cape (that's Cape Cod if you're not from around here. You can even buy a sweatshirt that just says "The Cape"). I haven't been here since Beth and I did a road trip down this way 20 years ago, although Beth has returned several times for various things with and without the kids. We managed to leave

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2007/10/down-cape.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-14709601422297459842007-04-21T11:00:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.245-07:00

Our last real vacation day had no agenda, and the weather was promising, 70 degrees and sunny, so no one was in a hurry to get going. I waited around a while this morning and finally decided to go for a run around 8:30, figuring by the time I got back everyone else would be eating breakfast downstairs, but no, they were all still in the room and Justin was still in his pajamas. I ran up the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2007/04/last-lazy-day.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-38730177277563305882007-04-20T11:00:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.254-07:00

Another sunny day today and getting progressively warmer, although still not up to the average for this time of year. Took a while to get everybody out of bed and ready for breakfast. Chloe knew we were off to some historical stuff today, so she lounged around in bed pretending to be asleep, reminding me of Sunday mornings when I was a kid and didn’t want to go to church. We ate breakfast in

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2007/04/something-historical.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-45583265890244385612007-04-19T11:01:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.265-07:00

Today was a travel day, but the distance to travel was not that ambitious, just from Shenandoah to Virginia Beach, about 250 miles. It was still cool and overcast, an occasional sprinkle, so we didn’t feel like we were missing too much by driving much of the day. Took our time getting ready in the morning, had one last breakfast at the lodge, then after we checked out we headed towards Big

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2007/04/to-beach.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-44766922466249190422007-04-18T11:01:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.278-07:00

I figured this morning the restaurant would once again be overrun with bus tour people, and we were out of the room and ready to eat by 8:30, but they were long gone by then, and we could dine in relative peace and quiet. The eggs and toast had been a big hit with the kids yesterday, so they got the same thing again today. They were serving a buffet too, but we thought it was just continental

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2007/04/white-oak-canyon.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-31783653746533261212007-04-17T11:02:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.287-07:00

Slept in this morning and took forever to get going and get to breakfast, but there was no huge rush because it was still extremely windy outside. We were back at the lodge for scrambled eggs before 10am, and this time the windows weren’t rattling quite so much, and it wasn’t raining, but it didn’t seem particularly inviting either. The staff at the lodge were an odd assortment of locals and

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2007/04/into-shenandoah.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-48371618498362450262007-04-16T11:03:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.295-07:00

Nobody was moving very fast this morning either, both times we were availing ourselves of the free breakfast in the lobby at close to 9am. It was still cold and windy, just an occasional sprinkle, still not great zoo weather. I was skeptical that we’d see any pandas, but Beth convinced me to go anyway, so we checked out and jumped onto the beltway and a big traffic jam, then got off at

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2007/04/encounter-with-giant-pandas.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-72465595838212876032007-04-15T11:03:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.304-07:00

With only one full day to do Washington, DC, it would have been nice if the weather was half way decent. But instead it was lousy, cold and wind-blown rain most of the day. Fortunately we had plenty of advance warning of this, since it was going to be the same thing in Boston later on, so we decided the zoo probably wouldn’t be the best place to go. Fortunately there are plenty of indoor

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2007/04/soggy-day-in-nations-capital.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-54324192517300506232007-04-14T11:04:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.314-07:00

This was one of the more complicated starts to a vacation in recent memory, and it began months ago with the fact that historically, everyone goes away for school vacation week except us. Now that the kids are both in school, your choices of vacation weeks are limited to about 9 weeks in the summer, and everything else is shoe-horned into those weeks also. this year requires a big trip to

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2007/04/off-to-dc.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614590990960909472.post-11049735121531434672006-08-27T11:05:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:20:39.323-07:00

Last real day of vacation, tomorrow will be mostly on a plane and be three hours shorter than normal. Beth and the kids were barely awake when I left the room at 9:30 this morning. Grabbed another fruit frappacino and muffin at Starbucks on my way to the convention center, not something you’d want to make a habit of. I think I liked the tangerine better than the pomegranate. It was after 2pm

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018287699918509559noreply@blogger.com0http://www.markbartlett.net/2006/08/last-day-in-la.html