Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thursday
Our trip to Augie last night was unsuccessful. Wisconsin-LaCrosse won in a nail-biter, with a winning three-point shot by my pal Pete's son with one second to go being disallowed by a whistled push-off foul. Ouch! Then again, Augie played poorly and probably didn't deserve to win. Their #4 in D-III national ranking will be gone, but so will the pressure. Now they can concentrate on getting better.
Tonight, 2 and I are moving up the cultural spectrum and are attending a lecture at the museum on the Frederick Remington exhibit. I've always been a fan of his Western sculpture work.
2 had a fender-bender this AM on her way to work. No injuries, and relatively little damage to her wheels. She can provide details at her leisure. Suffice it to say, it was a learning experience.
And 4 seems to have good news on a Spring internship at a TV station in CR. She too can give details when she has the time. She deserves another, "Way to go, Kiddo!"
The geek-squad in KC at my securities information desk sent me by overnight delivery a new electronic token (the size of a computer memory stick) that is a random number generator for my secure entrance to the system. Every time I log in I have to go through several pass-code queries to establish my bona fides. I had wondered what happened when whatever the power source in my initially-issued token expired. The cover memo with the new token indicated that the old token was scheduled to expire on 11/30/07. Tomorrow. I was oblivious to that fact. Techies rule.
I am only remotely interested in the NFL game tonight between Green Bay and Dallas. What does engender some curiosity is the fact that the game is not being broadcast by a network or major cable system, but by The NFL Network, a start-up system owned by the league. And The NFL Network has not reached contractural agreements with most of the major cable systems. So the game will not be available in many markets. Why? One word. Money.
This is the same type of problem presented around here with The Big Ten Network which has not reached agreements with many of the cable systems. So a lot of Iowa games are not shown here. Unless you have Dish (which I do).
Ultimately, the consumer will pay. Cable rates will go up so that cable companies can have access to these NFL Network or Big Ten Network games. And the NFL and Big Ten officials will hold themselves out on high ground saying that it wasn't them raising fees. Rather, it was the cable systems who took advantage to raise their already-too-high monthly fees. The reality is that the Big Ten and the NFL are doing these things because they can. And the consumer will pay.
They'll pay the higher access fees because they can't afford to actually go to the games.
Got to go.
Have a great evening.
Yea to 4!
BCOT
Tonight, 2 and I are moving up the cultural spectrum and are attending a lecture at the museum on the Frederick Remington exhibit. I've always been a fan of his Western sculpture work.
2 had a fender-bender this AM on her way to work. No injuries, and relatively little damage to her wheels. She can provide details at her leisure. Suffice it to say, it was a learning experience.
And 4 seems to have good news on a Spring internship at a TV station in CR. She too can give details when she has the time. She deserves another, "Way to go, Kiddo!"
The geek-squad in KC at my securities information desk sent me by overnight delivery a new electronic token (the size of a computer memory stick) that is a random number generator for my secure entrance to the system. Every time I log in I have to go through several pass-code queries to establish my bona fides. I had wondered what happened when whatever the power source in my initially-issued token expired. The cover memo with the new token indicated that the old token was scheduled to expire on 11/30/07. Tomorrow. I was oblivious to that fact. Techies rule.
I am only remotely interested in the NFL game tonight between Green Bay and Dallas. What does engender some curiosity is the fact that the game is not being broadcast by a network or major cable system, but by The NFL Network, a start-up system owned by the league. And The NFL Network has not reached contractural agreements with most of the major cable systems. So the game will not be available in many markets. Why? One word. Money.
This is the same type of problem presented around here with The Big Ten Network which has not reached agreements with many of the cable systems. So a lot of Iowa games are not shown here. Unless you have Dish (which I do).
Ultimately, the consumer will pay. Cable rates will go up so that cable companies can have access to these NFL Network or Big Ten Network games. And the NFL and Big Ten officials will hold themselves out on high ground saying that it wasn't them raising fees. Rather, it was the cable systems who took advantage to raise their already-too-high monthly fees. The reality is that the Big Ten and the NFL are doing these things because they can. And the consumer will pay.
They'll pay the higher access fees because they can't afford to actually go to the games.
Got to go.
Have a great evening.
Yea to 4!
BCOT
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Wednesday
Short today. 2 and I are headed over to Augie for a b-ball game.
4 reports that she has been elected to a position on the Panhelenic Council at Iowa. This gives her responsibilities to help govern various activities for all of the Greek houses on campus. Way to go Kiddo!
ESPN is hosting Jimmy V Week this week on all of it's media outlets. He's the flamboyant NC State b-ball coach who died of cancer in the early 90's. In his honor, The Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research carries on. It's a worthy charity.
The bleeding heart media are already crying about minority hiring for the open D-1 football coaching jobs. Texas A&M wasted little time in hiring lily-white Mike Sherman, and the sportscasters of color are chirping from the peanut gallery. At least it gives them a break from the piling on of ND.
Is the Big Ten - ACC Challenge a bit of a misnomer? When will Hilton Magic return? And where are the fans at Carver Hawkeye?
I learned today that the cordless mouse doesn't do well on a glass table-top. I wonder what the physics on that situation is?
So I obviously have no theme here. I'll pour a little more wine and get ready for 2.
Congrats again to 4.
BCOT
4 reports that she has been elected to a position on the Panhelenic Council at Iowa. This gives her responsibilities to help govern various activities for all of the Greek houses on campus. Way to go Kiddo!
ESPN is hosting Jimmy V Week this week on all of it's media outlets. He's the flamboyant NC State b-ball coach who died of cancer in the early 90's. In his honor, The Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research carries on. It's a worthy charity.
The bleeding heart media are already crying about minority hiring for the open D-1 football coaching jobs. Texas A&M wasted little time in hiring lily-white Mike Sherman, and the sportscasters of color are chirping from the peanut gallery. At least it gives them a break from the piling on of ND.
Is the Big Ten - ACC Challenge a bit of a misnomer? When will Hilton Magic return? And where are the fans at Carver Hawkeye?
I learned today that the cordless mouse doesn't do well on a glass table-top. I wonder what the physics on that situation is?
So I obviously have no theme here. I'll pour a little more wine and get ready for 2.
Congrats again to 4.
BCOT
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tuesday
1 reports that her 9th grade girls b-ball team lost their first outing today. Wins may be hard to come by this year. Most of the girls with skills have been moved up to the soph or JV teams. Hang in there, Kiddo.
A side-bar to the telephone story from the weekend was the store manager's effort to provide some extra customer service to me as 3 made her phone and plan selections. I was in attendance because I was needed to sign-off on the swap of the phone number from US Cellular to AT&T, not because I like dealing with "the phone company". And I had just finished my run with 2 within the hour of 3's request to tackle what we both anticipated (correctly) to be a pain in the posterior. The run in which I re-strained my gastocnemius calf muscle.
Anyway, I was hobbling around the store a bit just looking for a place to sit and do my crossword (NYT Friday) while 2 did her business. Recognizing my search, and potential disability, the manager asked if she could get me a chair from the back. And was quick to consent to my suggestion of me taking a spot on the floor partially behind the counter. Then she repeated her offer for the chair. And then offered me a glass of water to boot! I must have presented a very elderly sight.
In a surprising move, my carrier, US Cellular, actually ended service for 3's phone on the day of the switch. Like they were supposed to do. I'll be curious about the final bill. You pay for the month in advance on the regular bill. I wonder if I have a refund in my future?
My pal Roy is back in the saddle. But he needs to have the medics cut back on some of the drugs. I think that they have prescribed drugs for him to counter the effects of some of the other drugs that he's supposed to take.
Tuesday was a better day for me than Monday, but I'm hoping for a consistent upward trend for the week. In the service business, a substantial chunk of your time is devoted to problem-solving. When new problems occur at a faster rate than your solution generation capacity, you end up with an excess inventory of problems. (There's a linear relationship between problem inventory and desk-pile altitude. But that's another story.) There must be an algebraic equation that can help here.
I need to get out of here. Y'all have a good evening.
BCOT
A side-bar to the telephone story from the weekend was the store manager's effort to provide some extra customer service to me as 3 made her phone and plan selections. I was in attendance because I was needed to sign-off on the swap of the phone number from US Cellular to AT&T, not because I like dealing with "the phone company". And I had just finished my run with 2 within the hour of 3's request to tackle what we both anticipated (correctly) to be a pain in the posterior. The run in which I re-strained my gastocnemius calf muscle.
Anyway, I was hobbling around the store a bit just looking for a place to sit and do my crossword (NYT Friday) while 2 did her business. Recognizing my search, and potential disability, the manager asked if she could get me a chair from the back. And was quick to consent to my suggestion of me taking a spot on the floor partially behind the counter. Then she repeated her offer for the chair. And then offered me a glass of water to boot! I must have presented a very elderly sight.
In a surprising move, my carrier, US Cellular, actually ended service for 3's phone on the day of the switch. Like they were supposed to do. I'll be curious about the final bill. You pay for the month in advance on the regular bill. I wonder if I have a refund in my future?
My pal Roy is back in the saddle. But he needs to have the medics cut back on some of the drugs. I think that they have prescribed drugs for him to counter the effects of some of the other drugs that he's supposed to take.
Tuesday was a better day for me than Monday, but I'm hoping for a consistent upward trend for the week. In the service business, a substantial chunk of your time is devoted to problem-solving. When new problems occur at a faster rate than your solution generation capacity, you end up with an excess inventory of problems. (There's a linear relationship between problem inventory and desk-pile altitude. But that's another story.) There must be an algebraic equation that can help here.
I need to get out of here. Y'all have a good evening.
BCOT
Monday, November 26, 2007
Monday
I had a totally crappy day. Fortunately, I had plenty of Tuscan red available in the wine cellar, so the evening has been just fine.
The stock market sucks. Which makes for antsy clients. Not many good answers.
It does make my day to learn that Oprah Winfrey will be in Iowa next week to stump for Barak Obama. I'm applying for tickets tomorrow. I'm hoping that her appearances won't conflict with Bill's schedule for Hillary.
I attended an executive meeting for the 2008 Criterium bike race today. Since I am the presenting sponsor, I have a say-so on most of the planning stuff. They need several secondary sponsors to make the budget work. At this point, I don't think that you can say that we have a well-oiled machine in place.
I'm optimistic that Tuesday will be a better day. Hope your's is too.
BCOT
The stock market sucks. Which makes for antsy clients. Not many good answers.
It does make my day to learn that Oprah Winfrey will be in Iowa next week to stump for Barak Obama. I'm applying for tickets tomorrow. I'm hoping that her appearances won't conflict with Bill's schedule for Hillary.
I attended an executive meeting for the 2008 Criterium bike race today. Since I am the presenting sponsor, I have a say-so on most of the planning stuff. They need several secondary sponsors to make the budget work. At this point, I don't think that you can say that we have a well-oiled machine in place.
I'm optimistic that Tuesday will be a better day. Hope your's is too.
BCOT
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Sunday
I've obviously been very erratic with the blog over this extended weekend. The days are just so unusual with the Thursday holiday. This wouldn't be a problem if I were retired. I always say that the retirees often don't know which day it might be since most days it doesn't matter if it is a weekend or not. I know I could easily get used to a half day schedule. Too bad I have bills to pay.
This entry is being posted from the 53rd Street SB's as I await a call from 3 to do a Ross's breakfast with her, 2 and 4. And 3's friend James. They head back to C-town later today. And 4 returns to IC.
3 and I did the switcheroo on her cell phone yesterday and the process was actually more than the dread that we had anticipated. Since the current phone was in my name, and 3 wanted to change providers but keep the number, I was needed to sign-off on the exchange. The local AT&T retail store was something less than full-disclosure when we signed the new paperwork, and I have a suspicion that there will possibly be some double-billing before the thing is complete. Whenever a service contract situation is off the beaten path, whether it be phone, Internet, or refrigerators, the attending salesperson has a greater-than-50% chance of screwing the deal up. We'll see where this one concludes.
2 and I did a little run yesterday, but my calf muscle again cramped. If that had happened earlier in the week, I would not have been able to do the TT. So now I am forced to get my indoor bike and weight training schedule sorted out. This is a good thing. I have to make some decisions on 2008 biking goals. Which will likely include a trip up Mt. Rose.
Today's Sunday paper reminds me of an observation that I have wanted to note here in recent weeks.
A couple of popular comic strips have been running stories outside of the normal current-day presentation. For Better or Worse is back in time with the characters whom we have come to know as young adults being portrayed as toddlers. Funky Winkerbean is in the future with the main characters whom we have followed through their teens and up through their 30-somethings, now parents of their own teens, or retired.
I read somewhere that the illustrator of For Better or Worse, Lynn Johnston, has a medical problem that limits her drawing skills. And they're re-running earlier stories at times. I'm not sure of the rationale for Funky's leap forward. There was a cancer death of one of the main characters, and this just may be a transition period for the author.
Continuing a little more on the concept of juxtaposition of plot-line presentations, I watched most of the 13 episode FX series, Damages, this Fall, and I never did get the exact sequence of the events in that show. The premier started out with one of the main characters shown in jail, bloodied and ghost-like. Then they went back and forth in almost all the shows, always coming back to the scene of the one character in the jail cell. Glen Close and Ted Danson were central characters. The series was recently re-upped, in spite of marginal ratings, so the confusion will likely continue next year.
And several years ago, I kind of liked the quirky (and canceled) TV series Boomtown with Neal McDonough. That show had a less-ambitious format where they showed most of each week's climatic scene at the start of the show, and then spent the hour following just one of the character's actions/activities which brought him/her to the final scene.
I guess the flash-back has been, and continues to be, used many times in movies and TV shows. But the standard network flash-back tends to be a single linear scene meant to explain an element in a murder mystery. The various CSI shows do this a lot. And the "Kill Green" segments of ER beat the concept to death.
The danger with any of these indirect time line presentations is that the viewer can become frustrated with the need to concentrate and watch the entire episode(s). I know I have limited patience. It's one thing to show a re-play in a sports event. It's a whole other matter to base the entire show on a series of mixed-up scenes and think that the audience cares enough to take notes.
So I have no conclusions to this topic.
David Broder had a very insightful column today. It's worth the read.
Finally, I have to comment that as I have put this entry together this AM, I've had what has to be a Match.com initial meeting going on at the next table. This guy will be single for the rest of his life.
So, hope the holiday weekend ends well for the masses. Thanks for reading.
BCOT
This entry is being posted from the 53rd Street SB's as I await a call from 3 to do a Ross's breakfast with her, 2 and 4. And 3's friend James. They head back to C-town later today. And 4 returns to IC.
3 and I did the switcheroo on her cell phone yesterday and the process was actually more than the dread that we had anticipated. Since the current phone was in my name, and 3 wanted to change providers but keep the number, I was needed to sign-off on the exchange. The local AT&T retail store was something less than full-disclosure when we signed the new paperwork, and I have a suspicion that there will possibly be some double-billing before the thing is complete. Whenever a service contract situation is off the beaten path, whether it be phone, Internet, or refrigerators, the attending salesperson has a greater-than-50% chance of screwing the deal up. We'll see where this one concludes.
2 and I did a little run yesterday, but my calf muscle again cramped. If that had happened earlier in the week, I would not have been able to do the TT. So now I am forced to get my indoor bike and weight training schedule sorted out. This is a good thing. I have to make some decisions on 2008 biking goals. Which will likely include a trip up Mt. Rose.
Today's Sunday paper reminds me of an observation that I have wanted to note here in recent weeks.
A couple of popular comic strips have been running stories outside of the normal current-day presentation. For Better or Worse is back in time with the characters whom we have come to know as young adults being portrayed as toddlers. Funky Winkerbean is in the future with the main characters whom we have followed through their teens and up through their 30-somethings, now parents of their own teens, or retired.
I read somewhere that the illustrator of For Better or Worse, Lynn Johnston, has a medical problem that limits her drawing skills. And they're re-running earlier stories at times. I'm not sure of the rationale for Funky's leap forward. There was a cancer death of one of the main characters, and this just may be a transition period for the author.
Continuing a little more on the concept of juxtaposition of plot-line presentations, I watched most of the 13 episode FX series, Damages, this Fall, and I never did get the exact sequence of the events in that show. The premier started out with one of the main characters shown in jail, bloodied and ghost-like. Then they went back and forth in almost all the shows, always coming back to the scene of the one character in the jail cell. Glen Close and Ted Danson were central characters. The series was recently re-upped, in spite of marginal ratings, so the confusion will likely continue next year.
And several years ago, I kind of liked the quirky (and canceled) TV series Boomtown with Neal McDonough. That show had a less-ambitious format where they showed most of each week's climatic scene at the start of the show, and then spent the hour following just one of the character's actions/activities which brought him/her to the final scene.
I guess the flash-back has been, and continues to be, used many times in movies and TV shows. But the standard network flash-back tends to be a single linear scene meant to explain an element in a murder mystery. The various CSI shows do this a lot. And the "Kill Green" segments of ER beat the concept to death.
The danger with any of these indirect time line presentations is that the viewer can become frustrated with the need to concentrate and watch the entire episode(s). I know I have limited patience. It's one thing to show a re-play in a sports event. It's a whole other matter to base the entire show on a series of mixed-up scenes and think that the audience cares enough to take notes.
So I have no conclusions to this topic.
David Broder had a very insightful column today. It's worth the read.
Finally, I have to comment that as I have put this entry together this AM, I've had what has to be a Match.com initial meeting going on at the next table. This guy will be single for the rest of his life.
So, hope the holiday weekend ends well for the masses. Thanks for reading.
BCOT
Friday, November 23, 2007
Friday
The day after Thanksgiving. I guess the girls all went shopping in the early AM. I'll let them provide details at their leisure.
My pal Roy is much better. We had a group lunch out at the Pebble Creek Golf dining room. He may be a day or two away from driving, but otherwise, he's ok.
Very low key day at the office. The phones were very quiet. Which, for today, is good.
FFF at my place tonight. I'm not sure if we need to eat anything after yesterday.
BCOT
My pal Roy is much better. We had a group lunch out at the Pebble Creek Golf dining room. He may be a day or two away from driving, but otherwise, he's ok.
Very low key day at the office. The phones were very quiet. Which, for today, is good.
FFF at my place tonight. I'm not sure if we need to eat anything after yesterday.
BCOT
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thursday
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
FFF in Bettendorf has been a success.
The TT was a success as well. 1 finished seventh out of seventy-some in her age group. I broke an hour which was my goal. And 1.1 and 2 finished at their respective paces. 2 ran with me and 1.1 was doing a short training run in anticipation of another try at a marathon next week in Memphis. It was a bit cool and there was a northerly breeze. SB's for a post-race cup-o-joe.
My pal Roy has had a tough couple of days. He had a dizzy "episode" while playing golf in South Carolina on Tuesday and ended up coming back to some hospital time. He was discharged earlier today, but he's going to have to take it easy for a few days. No truth to the rumor that the new Mrs. Carver was doctoring his drinks while on the honeymoon.
The crew might head out for "combat shopping" in the AM. I see where Kohl's is open at 4 AM tomorrow. I'll definitely be avoiding the retail areas all day.
OK. With everyone here, I'll rely on face-to-face dialog for the rest of today's exchange. More here tomorrow.
BCOT
FFF in Bettendorf has been a success.
The TT was a success as well. 1 finished seventh out of seventy-some in her age group. I broke an hour which was my goal. And 1.1 and 2 finished at their respective paces. 2 ran with me and 1.1 was doing a short training run in anticipation of another try at a marathon next week in Memphis. It was a bit cool and there was a northerly breeze. SB's for a post-race cup-o-joe.
My pal Roy has had a tough couple of days. He had a dizzy "episode" while playing golf in South Carolina on Tuesday and ended up coming back to some hospital time. He was discharged earlier today, but he's going to have to take it easy for a few days. No truth to the rumor that the new Mrs. Carver was doctoring his drinks while on the honeymoon.
The crew might head out for "combat shopping" in the AM. I see where Kohl's is open at 4 AM tomorrow. I'll definitely be avoiding the retail areas all day.
OK. With everyone here, I'll rely on face-to-face dialog for the rest of today's exchange. More here tomorrow.
BCOT
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Tuesday
No blog today.
2 and I went to the first home Augie b-ball game this evening. After doing our last training run for the TT. Augie wins going away, but it was not easy. They could be good this year.
Everybody be careful on the road tomorrow. We have had a pretty god rain tonight. Cooler weather is on the way.
BCOT
2 and I went to the first home Augie b-ball game this evening. After doing our last training run for the TT. Augie wins going away, but it was not easy. They could be good this year.
Everybody be careful on the road tomorrow. We have had a pretty god rain tonight. Cooler weather is on the way.
BCOT
Monday, November 19, 2007
Monday
A little late today. I didn't get this done before I left the office, and then 2 and I met to do a short run. I'll have to figure out my timing for 4000 Days now that I have the flexibility to work on it a home.
I'll give some thought to 3's comment about baseball stories. Not that I have enough to write a book about, but I played a lot of games in a lot of places by the time I was 22. A little known fact: I never played another game after my last game senior year at ND. Cold turkey.
The conversion of my business to a securities-based model means that we need to be open on all of the days that the stock exchanges are open. Which includes the AM on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Historically, the accounting firm has always taken that Friday as a full holiday. I have always worked that day, but have not required or requested that staff observe the exchanges' schedule. Beginning in 2008, I'm making the change. The upside is that we get off President's Day. Is MLK Day next?
Which brings up the whole subject of holidays. For different businesses or professions. In different parts of the country. Pro basketball and Major League Baseball each have the All-Star break in mid-season. NASCAR has the off-season of December and January. School teachers get the Summer off. CPA's get April 16th off. Veteran's Day. Columbus Day. Patriot's Day (in Massachusetts. Boston Marathon day). Election Day (in several states). Check out "____ State Holidays" in Wikipedia. Especially Texas.
My pal Bill and his spouse were separately pictured recently in successive weeks' editions of the Bettendorf News. He in a crowd shot at the school assembly to honor the two-time state cross country team. She in a color ad for the Life Fitness Center. Bulletin board material at the office for sure. I've always been a believer in a below radar profile.
Starbucks' stock has been taking a hit in the market. They have had good profits, but their business model is leaking oil. They just don't make enough money to justify a higher price for the stock. I think they end up spending a lot of money to be able to make the money that they do make. And I don't think that they sell enough of the music or expensive coffee grinders to inflate their profits. Maybe too much in bricks and mortar as well. I think that they can continue to make money, just not print it.
In a related topic, McDonald's is marketing lattes and the like to franchisees as a further step into the higher-end coffee business. But the franchisees are not embracing the move whole-heartedly. It's an expensive expansion and will not have a short payback period. My observation is that Mac's will never be able to get staff trained to make these more exotic drinks. Their people have problem enough servicing their current menu. I will say that I can drink their coffee.
OK. Way too late. I'll do better tomorrow.
BCOT
I'll give some thought to 3's comment about baseball stories. Not that I have enough to write a book about, but I played a lot of games in a lot of places by the time I was 22. A little known fact: I never played another game after my last game senior year at ND. Cold turkey.
The conversion of my business to a securities-based model means that we need to be open on all of the days that the stock exchanges are open. Which includes the AM on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Historically, the accounting firm has always taken that Friday as a full holiday. I have always worked that day, but have not required or requested that staff observe the exchanges' schedule. Beginning in 2008, I'm making the change. The upside is that we get off President's Day. Is MLK Day next?
Which brings up the whole subject of holidays. For different businesses or professions. In different parts of the country. Pro basketball and Major League Baseball each have the All-Star break in mid-season. NASCAR has the off-season of December and January. School teachers get the Summer off. CPA's get April 16th off. Veteran's Day. Columbus Day. Patriot's Day (in Massachusetts. Boston Marathon day). Election Day (in several states). Check out "____ State Holidays" in Wikipedia. Especially Texas.
My pal Bill and his spouse were separately pictured recently in successive weeks' editions of the Bettendorf News. He in a crowd shot at the school assembly to honor the two-time state cross country team. She in a color ad for the Life Fitness Center. Bulletin board material at the office for sure. I've always been a believer in a below radar profile.
Starbucks' stock has been taking a hit in the market. They have had good profits, but their business model is leaking oil. They just don't make enough money to justify a higher price for the stock. I think they end up spending a lot of money to be able to make the money that they do make. And I don't think that they sell enough of the music or expensive coffee grinders to inflate their profits. Maybe too much in bricks and mortar as well. I think that they can continue to make money, just not print it.
In a related topic, McDonald's is marketing lattes and the like to franchisees as a further step into the higher-end coffee business. But the franchisees are not embracing the move whole-heartedly. It's an expensive expansion and will not have a short payback period. My observation is that Mac's will never be able to get staff trained to make these more exotic drinks. Their people have problem enough servicing their current menu. I will say that I can drink their coffee.
OK. Way too late. I'll do better tomorrow.
BCOT
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sunday
Not a lot new on this end. Not an overly productive weekend for me.
AM's comment yesterday about the mouse was on point. I got one of those gadgets with my laptop and it works pretty slick. Even on the couch next to me while the laptop is on my lap. Kudos to the geeks.
4 gets in tonight for the holiday week. She had stayed in IC for yesterday's non-game at Kinnick, and for the b-ball game this afternoon at Carver Hawkeye. Chili tonight at Mom's. Beans? Or no beans?
The Irish survived Duke. That doesn't say a lot about Duke football. (In an extremely minor recess of trivia, I recalled today that Duke was ND's opponent at the first game I ever attended at ND Stadium. In the Fall of my junior year of HS when I visited campus with an ND graduate from Ottumwa. A big rout of Duke that day as well.)
I did my runs this weekend, two both days, without further calf problems. Slow. But I was primarily concerned about injury. I'm wondering if I have a shoe problem.
An interesting comment made by different announcers over the weekend was that a particular player, often the quarterback, had "the game slow down for him." This was meant in a complimentary manner to describe the skill of the player in handling the challenges of the game. ( In football, a good offensive line is usually the biggest contributor of a quarterback being able to work the game at his pace.) Nonetheless, I do think that different players have varying amounts of ability to handle the pressures presented in a game. Some of it is just natural ability. Some of it is experience.
This personal attribute is evident in most sports, and in most businesses. In whatever the field of endeavor, stars tend to find their way to the top. Innate skill. Harder work ethic. Generally, not much reliance on luck.
Ultimately, I think that skill wins out. As a college junior, I learned how to hit a good lefty's duece, but the guy who also had a good heater made me a "guess hitter." I was lucky to break the Mendoza line against a righty with the same pitches. The guys who make it to "The Show" see those pitches in slow motion.
Finally, the media has stories this weekend that suggest that Warren Buffet was/is responsible for keeping A-Rod a Yankee. I think that A-Rod found out that there weren't many GM's in line to bid on his services after his agent, Scott Boras, had him opt out of the last three years on his then current contract. The fact that A-Rod could give Buffet a call for advice is a bit of an indication of the economic circles A-Rod calls home. And some execs at Goldman Sachs were part of the game as well. Very interesting!
Short week ahead. Looking forward to time with the fam.
BCOT
AM's comment yesterday about the mouse was on point. I got one of those gadgets with my laptop and it works pretty slick. Even on the couch next to me while the laptop is on my lap. Kudos to the geeks.
4 gets in tonight for the holiday week. She had stayed in IC for yesterday's non-game at Kinnick, and for the b-ball game this afternoon at Carver Hawkeye. Chili tonight at Mom's. Beans? Or no beans?
The Irish survived Duke. That doesn't say a lot about Duke football. (In an extremely minor recess of trivia, I recalled today that Duke was ND's opponent at the first game I ever attended at ND Stadium. In the Fall of my junior year of HS when I visited campus with an ND graduate from Ottumwa. A big rout of Duke that day as well.)
I did my runs this weekend, two both days, without further calf problems. Slow. But I was primarily concerned about injury. I'm wondering if I have a shoe problem.
An interesting comment made by different announcers over the weekend was that a particular player, often the quarterback, had "the game slow down for him." This was meant in a complimentary manner to describe the skill of the player in handling the challenges of the game. ( In football, a good offensive line is usually the biggest contributor of a quarterback being able to work the game at his pace.) Nonetheless, I do think that different players have varying amounts of ability to handle the pressures presented in a game. Some of it is just natural ability. Some of it is experience.
This personal attribute is evident in most sports, and in most businesses. In whatever the field of endeavor, stars tend to find their way to the top. Innate skill. Harder work ethic. Generally, not much reliance on luck.
Ultimately, I think that skill wins out. As a college junior, I learned how to hit a good lefty's duece, but the guy who also had a good heater made me a "guess hitter." I was lucky to break the Mendoza line against a righty with the same pitches. The guys who make it to "The Show" see those pitches in slow motion.
Finally, the media has stories this weekend that suggest that Warren Buffet was/is responsible for keeping A-Rod a Yankee. I think that A-Rod found out that there weren't many GM's in line to bid on his services after his agent, Scott Boras, had him opt out of the last three years on his then current contract. The fact that A-Rod could give Buffet a call for advice is a bit of an indication of the economic circles A-Rod calls home. And some execs at Goldman Sachs were part of the game as well. Very interesting!
Short week ahead. Looking forward to time with the fam.
BCOT
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Saturday
Ok. Saturday AM at the new 53rd Street SB's. First blog on the new wireless laptop.
2 was by earlier on her way to the museum to help with an event they are hosting this morning to view the Festival of Trees parade from their building's prime location. I suppose that the parade is the kind of event we would have taken the girls to when they were little. Cheap. Close. Free candy.
The keyboard for the laptop will take some getting used to. I have big hands, and, as you all are aware, a laptop keyboard is pretty compact. Plus, my modified hunt-and-peck technique typing skills add to the challenge.
I was out with my friend Pete and some other friends last night and we spent the most time at a bar located in the old McDonald's on Brady Street by Duck Creek. A bit surreal considering how much time we spent there when the girls were young. Lots of stops there while biking. The new place is okay, but I'm not sure who might be their target market. Maybe if Rookies up the street gets too crowded and the college kids need an over-flow option. The drinks were pretty cheap. A lot less expensive than an evening of Tuscan red at Biaggi's. Or sushi at Ron's of Hawaii in The Loop.
My pal Pete has diagnosed my calf problem as a strained gastrocnemius muscle. Wikipedia has a good description that exactly fits my situation. I'll be going out again later this AM to test it. More shuffling, I suspect.
The political climate is heating up with the Iowa caucuses now just about six weeks away. A couple of stories and op-ed pieces have focused on "planted" questions in town-hall-type settings where candidates respond to inquiries from the audience. I guess that this is common in most of the campaigns run by both Democrats and Republicans. A shill in the crowd leads a speaker into the "stump" response to one of the issues. Like the interview where, whatever the question, the candidate/politician answers with a reply right off his speech writer's notes.
I pretty much ignore all of the campaign stories, print ads, and commercials in the various media. Most of it is promises of one sort or another to end the war, lower taxes on the non-rich (I think I qualify), raise taxes on the rich (I fear that I may qualify under some definitions here too), universal health care, pro life, pro choice, or an answer on one side of the fence or the other on the matter of immigration. My suspicion is that, ultimately, the great divide in our country will carry over to next November and whomever wins will do so with a very narrow margin.
Well, I'm off to do my run/shuffle and some yard work. No Martian eggs, but there will be several paper yard-waste bags by the time I'm done.
The big question is, "Can ND get by Duke?"
BCOT
2 was by earlier on her way to the museum to help with an event they are hosting this morning to view the Festival of Trees parade from their building's prime location. I suppose that the parade is the kind of event we would have taken the girls to when they were little. Cheap. Close. Free candy.
The keyboard for the laptop will take some getting used to. I have big hands, and, as you all are aware, a laptop keyboard is pretty compact. Plus, my modified hunt-and-peck technique typing skills add to the challenge.
I was out with my friend Pete and some other friends last night and we spent the most time at a bar located in the old McDonald's on Brady Street by Duck Creek. A bit surreal considering how much time we spent there when the girls were young. Lots of stops there while biking. The new place is okay, but I'm not sure who might be their target market. Maybe if Rookies up the street gets too crowded and the college kids need an over-flow option. The drinks were pretty cheap. A lot less expensive than an evening of Tuscan red at Biaggi's. Or sushi at Ron's of Hawaii in The Loop.
My pal Pete has diagnosed my calf problem as a strained gastrocnemius muscle. Wikipedia has a good description that exactly fits my situation. I'll be going out again later this AM to test it. More shuffling, I suspect.
The political climate is heating up with the Iowa caucuses now just about six weeks away. A couple of stories and op-ed pieces have focused on "planted" questions in town-hall-type settings where candidates respond to inquiries from the audience. I guess that this is common in most of the campaigns run by both Democrats and Republicans. A shill in the crowd leads a speaker into the "stump" response to one of the issues. Like the interview where, whatever the question, the candidate/politician answers with a reply right off his speech writer's notes.
I pretty much ignore all of the campaign stories, print ads, and commercials in the various media. Most of it is promises of one sort or another to end the war, lower taxes on the non-rich (I think I qualify), raise taxes on the rich (I fear that I may qualify under some definitions here too), universal health care, pro life, pro choice, or an answer on one side of the fence or the other on the matter of immigration. My suspicion is that, ultimately, the great divide in our country will carry over to next November and whomever wins will do so with a very narrow margin.
Well, I'm off to do my run/shuffle and some yard work. No Martian eggs, but there will be several paper yard-waste bags by the time I'm done.
The big question is, "Can ND get by Duke?"
BCOT
Friday, November 16, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Thursday
Thanks to 3 for a Wednesday entry on my behalf.
The medical procedure went pretty much as forecast. Not a lot of fun.
The new laptop is in my possession. The hookup with Verizon should be confirmed tomorrow. I'll be in business by the weekend.
My pal Roy has returned from an extended trip to South America. Sounds like they saw lots of stuff. I'll be anxious to get "the rest of the story" over dinner sometime soon.
The Anniversary Edition of 4000 Days has really not been outlined. I know that two years equals 730 days and that 730 is around 18% of 4000. And 18% of 5 miles is not even a single mile. So in terms of the Turkey Trot, I haven't even hit the Main Street hill on my journey to 4000. Does that make any sense?
The Top Ten occurences since the start of the blog. No necessarily in the order of importance:
1. 1 and 1.1's wedding in St. Paul July 2007.
2. 3's graduation from Iowa in May 2007.
3. Cabo January 2006. The 2007 trip sucked.
4. KC wedding June 2006.
5. Tahoe wedding July 2006.
6. 4's birthday 2005. And every other time the fam was all there.
7. Wrigleyville with 2,3, and 4 September 2007. Not going to the game.
8. Tailgating in IC. Particularly with the VIP parking pass 2006.
9. Training with 2 for the TT. Today. Are you kidding?
10. Coffee chatting at SB's. From coast to coast.
This list could be a lot longer. Interesting how most of the events are travel experiences of some sort or another. But all require the inclusion of family or close friends.
I have also enjoyed the time at the computer adding to the 0dyssey that has become 4000 Days. My challenge has become to capture a topic and find something to say that will be of interest to my readers. No one wants to read about another's daily life unless there is an element of escapism that can fire a little imagination in the reader.
The media, sports columnists in particular, get to the reader by controversial statements meant to inflame one segment and to spark advocates to defend the premise. That's how they keep their readers/listeners. That's the equivalent of taking a sledge hammer to a classic Mercedes at the carport of an exclusive country club. Little creativity to get a sharp reaction.
My goal in the next year, the next 9% of my trek for the mathematicians in the crowd, is to continue to find a few interesting things in this collective thing called life. I've been satisfied with the use of USA Today-like sections to group topics and ideas. Unfortunately, these last couple of weeks have been difficult to find a groove because of travel or medical matters. But that's the organizational direction that I will follow as I continue to work these keys.
Sorry for not being more eloquent. Gotta go for training with 2. By this time next week, we'll be into turkey leftovers and reading our times in the TT on my laptop.
BCOT
The medical procedure went pretty much as forecast. Not a lot of fun.
The new laptop is in my possession. The hookup with Verizon should be confirmed tomorrow. I'll be in business by the weekend.
My pal Roy has returned from an extended trip to South America. Sounds like they saw lots of stuff. I'll be anxious to get "the rest of the story" over dinner sometime soon.
The Anniversary Edition of 4000 Days has really not been outlined. I know that two years equals 730 days and that 730 is around 18% of 4000. And 18% of 5 miles is not even a single mile. So in terms of the Turkey Trot, I haven't even hit the Main Street hill on my journey to 4000. Does that make any sense?
The Top Ten occurences since the start of the blog. No necessarily in the order of importance:
1. 1 and 1.1's wedding in St. Paul July 2007.
2. 3's graduation from Iowa in May 2007.
3. Cabo January 2006. The 2007 trip sucked.
4. KC wedding June 2006.
5. Tahoe wedding July 2006.
6. 4's birthday 2005. And every other time the fam was all there.
7. Wrigleyville with 2,3, and 4 September 2007. Not going to the game.
8. Tailgating in IC. Particularly with the VIP parking pass 2006.
9. Training with 2 for the TT. Today. Are you kidding?
10. Coffee chatting at SB's. From coast to coast.
This list could be a lot longer. Interesting how most of the events are travel experiences of some sort or another. But all require the inclusion of family or close friends.
I have also enjoyed the time at the computer adding to the 0dyssey that has become 4000 Days. My challenge has become to capture a topic and find something to say that will be of interest to my readers. No one wants to read about another's daily life unless there is an element of escapism that can fire a little imagination in the reader.
The media, sports columnists in particular, get to the reader by controversial statements meant to inflame one segment and to spark advocates to defend the premise. That's how they keep their readers/listeners. That's the equivalent of taking a sledge hammer to a classic Mercedes at the carport of an exclusive country club. Little creativity to get a sharp reaction.
My goal in the next year, the next 9% of my trek for the mathematicians in the crowd, is to continue to find a few interesting things in this collective thing called life. I've been satisfied with the use of USA Today-like sections to group topics and ideas. Unfortunately, these last couple of weeks have been difficult to find a groove because of travel or medical matters. But that's the organizational direction that I will follow as I continue to work these keys.
Sorry for not being more eloquent. Gotta go for training with 2. By this time next week, we'll be into turkey leftovers and reading our times in the TT on my laptop.
BCOT
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Tuesday
Happy Tax Anniversary to 4000 Days!
My training for the TT took a hit last night. I was on my way back on my normal 0ut-back route when I got a cramp in my left calf. I struggled home, but it remains a concern. I had a similar problem when I was in training for a TT a few years ago. When my conditioning gets to the point where I can actually have a running motion rather than my old-man's-shuffle, those calf and thigh muscles go into hemorrhagic shock. I'm taking a day off to lose some of that acquired conditioning and revert to the shuffle.
So I'm headed out and will have some comments tomorrow on the two year thing.
BCOT
My training for the TT took a hit last night. I was on my way back on my normal 0ut-back route when I got a cramp in my left calf. I struggled home, but it remains a concern. I had a similar problem when I was in training for a TT a few years ago. When my conditioning gets to the point where I can actually have a running motion rather than my old-man's-shuffle, those calf and thigh muscles go into hemorrhagic shock. I'm taking a day off to lose some of that acquired conditioning and revert to the shuffle.
So I'm headed out and will have some comments tomorrow on the two year thing.
BCOT
Monday, November 12, 2007
Monday
Let's make this a Travel day.
Some of my pet peeves with regard to land, air and sea transportation.
At the top of my list currently is the driver approaching a stop sign with the intention of turning right, and not making any significant effort to actually stop. I know that some town recently added a smaller rectangular sign beneath the stop sign that said something like, "Yes, this means that you are supposed to stop." I'm very conscious of this problem when running along Devils Glen with all the side streets that enter on to that arterial road. Cars will ultimately honor your right-of-way as the pedestrian, but I don't trust them until I see them stop.
There are two other specific intersections in town where that right-turning car is a problem: Jersey Ridge headed North at Kimberly, and Elmore headed South at Kimberly. In both cases, the right-turning driver is looking only at the traffic flow coming from his/her left, which is natural. But both intersections have other traffic to be wary of; the u-turning car at the Jersey Ridge intersection, and the left-turning car from across the intersection at Elmore. People in a rush, or on the phone, are too distracted to look for that other traffic.
On the train from the 'burbs down to The Loop last Thursday night, I had the delight of sitting next to a gal who should have been under house confinement for a cold/flu condition. In my current let's-not-shake-hands mentality, the germs in commuter trains make me cringe.
Torpedo shaped commuter airplanes were designed by engineers who never grew beyond 5'8". On my trip to Phoenix last month, the planes to and from Denver were both the "one seat on one side and two seats on the other side" of the aisle. I got the "one" seat both times, but I felt like I was holding my knees all the way.
Pricing of airline tickets, car rentals, and hotel rentals are always a treat. I think that we have all become conditioned to the vagaries of airline pricing. We have low expectations on the consistency of fares, and we assume that a "good" fare will only be there briefly, so we had better act rather than wait. Is there another industry where people just expect to be manipulated as a matter of course?
An interesting phenomena of the financing of any local hospitality industry is the variety of "charges" that get added to tickets and rental agreements. In many cases, municipalities see this as an opportunity to tax non-locals to help pay for infrastructure that will ultimately help the home community. Paying for streets, sewers, and utilities in a new commercial area costs millions of dollars. If the buildings placed on the property are hotels, casinos, and outlet malls, it's easier to sell the development to the local residents if the concept is financed by the transient population.
In theory, once the development is up and running, the local community can collect real estate taxes for their return on their efforts to bring the development to being. It doesn't always work out that way. And sometimes the communities grant tax concessions to the developers which further delays local receipt of direct monetary benefits. That's when the mayors and councilpersons start blustering about the ancillary benefits of more commercial activity being generally good for everyone. Particularly the developers. Who almost always live out of town.
I don't have too many peeves about water transportation. I like Uncle Phil's (Aunt Jan's?) boat at Tahoe. And the Log Ride at Adventureland is a great memory. Does anyone remember, "It's A Small World", at Disney World?
Finally, my trip to SB's this AM was marred by a full dumping of my Americano as I reached for another section of the paper. Aaauuuuurrrggghhh! I hate it when I do those things! What a klutz. It was not a good start for a Monday.
So I'm off to do my run. 10 days to the TT.
BCOT
Some of my pet peeves with regard to land, air and sea transportation.
At the top of my list currently is the driver approaching a stop sign with the intention of turning right, and not making any significant effort to actually stop. I know that some town recently added a smaller rectangular sign beneath the stop sign that said something like, "Yes, this means that you are supposed to stop." I'm very conscious of this problem when running along Devils Glen with all the side streets that enter on to that arterial road. Cars will ultimately honor your right-of-way as the pedestrian, but I don't trust them until I see them stop.
There are two other specific intersections in town where that right-turning car is a problem: Jersey Ridge headed North at Kimberly, and Elmore headed South at Kimberly. In both cases, the right-turning driver is looking only at the traffic flow coming from his/her left, which is natural. But both intersections have other traffic to be wary of; the u-turning car at the Jersey Ridge intersection, and the left-turning car from across the intersection at Elmore. People in a rush, or on the phone, are too distracted to look for that other traffic.
On the train from the 'burbs down to The Loop last Thursday night, I had the delight of sitting next to a gal who should have been under house confinement for a cold/flu condition. In my current let's-not-shake-hands mentality, the germs in commuter trains make me cringe.
Torpedo shaped commuter airplanes were designed by engineers who never grew beyond 5'8". On my trip to Phoenix last month, the planes to and from Denver were both the "one seat on one side and two seats on the other side" of the aisle. I got the "one" seat both times, but I felt like I was holding my knees all the way.
Pricing of airline tickets, car rentals, and hotel rentals are always a treat. I think that we have all become conditioned to the vagaries of airline pricing. We have low expectations on the consistency of fares, and we assume that a "good" fare will only be there briefly, so we had better act rather than wait. Is there another industry where people just expect to be manipulated as a matter of course?
An interesting phenomena of the financing of any local hospitality industry is the variety of "charges" that get added to tickets and rental agreements. In many cases, municipalities see this as an opportunity to tax non-locals to help pay for infrastructure that will ultimately help the home community. Paying for streets, sewers, and utilities in a new commercial area costs millions of dollars. If the buildings placed on the property are hotels, casinos, and outlet malls, it's easier to sell the development to the local residents if the concept is financed by the transient population.
In theory, once the development is up and running, the local community can collect real estate taxes for their return on their efforts to bring the development to being. It doesn't always work out that way. And sometimes the communities grant tax concessions to the developers which further delays local receipt of direct monetary benefits. That's when the mayors and councilpersons start blustering about the ancillary benefits of more commercial activity being generally good for everyone. Particularly the developers. Who almost always live out of town.
I don't have too many peeves about water transportation. I like Uncle Phil's (Aunt Jan's?) boat at Tahoe. And the Log Ride at Adventureland is a great memory. Does anyone remember, "It's A Small World", at Disney World?
Finally, my trip to SB's this AM was marred by a full dumping of my Americano as I reached for another section of the paper. Aaauuuuurrrggghhh! I hate it when I do those things! What a klutz. It was not a good start for a Monday.
So I'm off to do my run. 10 days to the TT.
BCOT
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Sunday
The full court press is on by all of the retailers to snatch their share of holiday sales. The latest example is at The Home Depot where I stopped today for a can of bug spray to de-bug my plants. Those types of products were no where to be seen, replaced by a fine selection of artificial Christmas trees and inflatable seasonal yard displays. I left for Lowes where their holiday stuff had been set up mostly in an area that has garden supplies during the Summer months.
The Sunday paper this time of year is another sign of the times. You need to sort through all of the ad inserts to find the news sections. And that's only a minor exaggeration.
My Yahoo email account has been deluged by assorted retail offers, not only from Kohl's and Gap where I have cards, but also dozens of online sites that must have bought my email address from one of the bricks-and-mortar places. I may set up a Gmail account when I get my new laptop to try to avoid the spam.
Another traditional item for sale seen in many of the grocery/home improvement/Walmart stores in the Norfolk Island pine tree. This is a very pretty tree that is sold in many sizes, and fetches a good price. I really like the tree, but I have never been able to keep one alive. While I have a lot of plants in my house, most of them are ones I have learned can survive a certain level of benign neglect.
The ceremony at The Arsenal today was very understated. Maybe the smallest crowd that I have ever seen there for Veteran's Day. No helicopter flower drop. No band. One Congressman. Since the day is actually being observed tomorrow (closed Post Office and other Federal facilities), it's possible that people were not geared to taking time off for a weekend day.
I see where Hollywood and Broadway stars have all embraced the strike by the Writer's Guild. Does this mean that the studios (or whomever are the big decision makers in this dispute) are part of the Big Business Establishment that usually gets a bad label on the talk shows? When the media talks about the Democratic/Clinton Hollywood connections, are they talking about the writers and the actors, or the studios?
How evident is it with the SF accident that ships at sea will forever hit things? And where do they put the oil that they "clean up"?
Hope everyone is getting prepared to have a great week.
BCOT
The Sunday paper this time of year is another sign of the times. You need to sort through all of the ad inserts to find the news sections. And that's only a minor exaggeration.
My Yahoo email account has been deluged by assorted retail offers, not only from Kohl's and Gap where I have cards, but also dozens of online sites that must have bought my email address from one of the bricks-and-mortar places. I may set up a Gmail account when I get my new laptop to try to avoid the spam.
Another traditional item for sale seen in many of the grocery/home improvement/Walmart stores in the Norfolk Island pine tree. This is a very pretty tree that is sold in many sizes, and fetches a good price. I really like the tree, but I have never been able to keep one alive. While I have a lot of plants in my house, most of them are ones I have learned can survive a certain level of benign neglect.
The ceremony at The Arsenal today was very understated. Maybe the smallest crowd that I have ever seen there for Veteran's Day. No helicopter flower drop. No band. One Congressman. Since the day is actually being observed tomorrow (closed Post Office and other Federal facilities), it's possible that people were not geared to taking time off for a weekend day.
I see where Hollywood and Broadway stars have all embraced the strike by the Writer's Guild. Does this mean that the studios (or whomever are the big decision makers in this dispute) are part of the Big Business Establishment that usually gets a bad label on the talk shows? When the media talks about the Democratic/Clinton Hollywood connections, are they talking about the writers and the actors, or the studios?
How evident is it with the SF accident that ships at sea will forever hit things? And where do they put the oil that they "clean up"?
Hope everyone is getting prepared to have a great week.
BCOT
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Saturday
Checking in on a Saturday evening.
Glad to see 3 give a little report on our evening. The idea of FFF in Chicago is all well and good, but we'll need the Lottery to come home before we take the whole fam to a trendy place on the Magnificent Mile.
3's office is located on the 24th floor of a very nice building close to the Sear's Tower. The two-or-three story street-level atrium is ringed with bamboo trees that must be 30-40 feet tall. I looked for koala's, but didn't see any. Security required check-in and authentication. Airport-style metal detector's and x-ray screening of brief cases or the like. 3 did say that you could get a gun through if it was wrapped in a taco shell.
2 and I did a nice run this AM. I checked my 2006 calendar and we were usually running that route last year less than a minute faster than today's pace. Which is a good sign for the TT. Then this afternoon I did our regular route, just a hair slower than on the days when I/we run only the one time. Another good sign. But T-Day is rushing to us, so I'll probably have only 6-7 more days of training.
4 was a star in some "crowd" shots on last night's Big Ten Network broadcast of the Iowa basketball game. 2 said that she and her new friend were at Buffalo WW's for dinner when she looked up to the screen and there was 4! In the front row.
One of my accomplishments while in C-town was the 98% completion of Thursday's Sun Times' diagram-less crossword. That's the kind where they don't give you any of the blacked-out boxes, and you have to figure out the length of solution words in order to blacken the appropriate boxes. It adds a little complexity to the puzzle. Obviously, if you can't get the solution to 1 Across, you might want to just go to the Comics section.
Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. I'll be going to Arsenal Island for the ceremony after lunch. I wonder if they made arrangements for a band? Salute a vet tomorrow.
I stopped in at the new SB's at 53rd and Elmore this AM. I'll go back. I know several of the staff who transferred to that location, and they treat me pretty well.
BTW... Wednesday is the two year anniversary of 4000 Days.
All for today.
BCOT
Glad to see 3 give a little report on our evening. The idea of FFF in Chicago is all well and good, but we'll need the Lottery to come home before we take the whole fam to a trendy place on the Magnificent Mile.
3's office is located on the 24th floor of a very nice building close to the Sear's Tower. The two-or-three story street-level atrium is ringed with bamboo trees that must be 30-40 feet tall. I looked for koala's, but didn't see any. Security required check-in and authentication. Airport-style metal detector's and x-ray screening of brief cases or the like. 3 did say that you could get a gun through if it was wrapped in a taco shell.
2 and I did a nice run this AM. I checked my 2006 calendar and we were usually running that route last year less than a minute faster than today's pace. Which is a good sign for the TT. Then this afternoon I did our regular route, just a hair slower than on the days when I/we run only the one time. Another good sign. But T-Day is rushing to us, so I'll probably have only 6-7 more days of training.
4 was a star in some "crowd" shots on last night's Big Ten Network broadcast of the Iowa basketball game. 2 said that she and her new friend were at Buffalo WW's for dinner when she looked up to the screen and there was 4! In the front row.
One of my accomplishments while in C-town was the 98% completion of Thursday's Sun Times' diagram-less crossword. That's the kind where they don't give you any of the blacked-out boxes, and you have to figure out the length of solution words in order to blacken the appropriate boxes. It adds a little complexity to the puzzle. Obviously, if you can't get the solution to 1 Across, you might want to just go to the Comics section.
Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. I'll be going to Arsenal Island for the ceremony after lunch. I wonder if they made arrangements for a band? Salute a vet tomorrow.
I stopped in at the new SB's at 53rd and Elmore this AM. I'll go back. I know several of the staff who transferred to that location, and they treat me pretty well.
BTW... Wednesday is the two year anniversary of 4000 Days.
All for today.
BCOT
Friday, November 09, 2007
Friday AM
C-town. Day 2.
3 was supposed to add some commentary about our dinner last night. Good time.
Back to The Quackers after lunch. Looking forward to the traffic.
More later.
BCOT
3 was supposed to add some commentary about our dinner last night. Good time.
Back to The Quackers after lunch. Looking forward to the traffic.
More later.
BCOT
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Wednesday
I have a story of a business friend who has managed to complicate his life because of a cycling accident last weekend that makes, by comparison, my lament from my own accident a mere whimper in the breeze.
My lawyer friend Steve, a year or two older than me, was out Sunday afternoon on his Harley Hog tooling along on one of the country roads that I use for bicycling, when a kid bombs out of a side road without any consideration to passing traffic. Steve's choices are limited, and he elects to lay his bike down rather than hit the vehicle. I don't know all the details at this point, but the bottom line is that he broke most of the major bones in his right ankle, and had surgery Sunday night to insert a metal plate and nine screws. He'll be in a non-weight bearing cast for 6-8 weeks.
We Boomers have some issues. I don't think that it's a Middle-Age-Crazy thing. We did that 15-20 years ago when we tried to fool ourselves into thinking that we were still 25. It may have taken a weekend 10K with one of the kids, or one too many late nights with younger business associates who actually could hit it hard at night and get to the office in the morning. Whichever. We did eventually, albeit reluctantly, conclude that we were past whatever prime we once enjoyed.
But as Toby Kieth might say, the Boomer mantra might be, "I'm not as good as I once was, but I am as good once as I ever was". Disregarding the double entendre, we Boomers still have the idea that, while we can't do it all anymore, we still can do some things. In many cases, financial means allow successful Boomers to enjoy the luxury of a toy car (me?), preferred parking at the game (my Pal Roy?), or gratuitous boys' trips for golf, fishing or wine-snobbing.
Motorcycling is one of these Boomer things that I have just never quite "got". Neither the bug to do it myself, nor the understanding as to why others choose to participate in such a dangerous activity. And I know of many local Boomers who have spent lots of money on very nice Harley's or comparable equipment. "Donor cycles." Steve moves to Example One on my list of why I think these guys are nuts.
The Harley Davidson manufacturing company has enjoyed some financial success as a result of this Boomer resurgence. The stock price is now off it's highs of a year ago and I really don't follow it. Travolta starred in a movie last year, Wild Hogs, that took a comical look at four over-the-hiller's who tried to re-live some of their youth on a motorcycle trip. I didn't see it. Probably because the concept of "Old Guys on Bikes" just didn't resonate for me.
I may have mentioned here before that I owned a motorcycle when I was an Air Force lieutenant in Korea. The bike was one of those things that was sold from one airman to another as they rotated to and from that base. Since I had to get back and forth between several locations for my job, my logic was that the motorcycle was a great solution. I had it for about a week before I mistakenly "popped" the clutch as I was leaving one of the repair shops that I was in charge of, and proceeded to lay it down in the middle of the street. I was luckily uninjured, and I sold the bike the next day. And I haven't been on one since.
Anyway, my friend Steve is now going to have to have his new bride (second marriage for both, last Summer) truck him around for the next two months. Daily living for me with the thumb issue was inconvenient. Steve's life will be work. Sell the bike.
I'm off to C-town for two days. Din-din with 3 tomorrow night. Does that qualify as FFF?
BCOT.
My lawyer friend Steve, a year or two older than me, was out Sunday afternoon on his Harley Hog tooling along on one of the country roads that I use for bicycling, when a kid bombs out of a side road without any consideration to passing traffic. Steve's choices are limited, and he elects to lay his bike down rather than hit the vehicle. I don't know all the details at this point, but the bottom line is that he broke most of the major bones in his right ankle, and had surgery Sunday night to insert a metal plate and nine screws. He'll be in a non-weight bearing cast for 6-8 weeks.
We Boomers have some issues. I don't think that it's a Middle-Age-Crazy thing. We did that 15-20 years ago when we tried to fool ourselves into thinking that we were still 25. It may have taken a weekend 10K with one of the kids, or one too many late nights with younger business associates who actually could hit it hard at night and get to the office in the morning. Whichever. We did eventually, albeit reluctantly, conclude that we were past whatever prime we once enjoyed.
But as Toby Kieth might say, the Boomer mantra might be, "I'm not as good as I once was, but I am as good once as I ever was". Disregarding the double entendre, we Boomers still have the idea that, while we can't do it all anymore, we still can do some things. In many cases, financial means allow successful Boomers to enjoy the luxury of a toy car (me?), preferred parking at the game (my Pal Roy?), or gratuitous boys' trips for golf, fishing or wine-snobbing.
Motorcycling is one of these Boomer things that I have just never quite "got". Neither the bug to do it myself, nor the understanding as to why others choose to participate in such a dangerous activity. And I know of many local Boomers who have spent lots of money on very nice Harley's or comparable equipment. "Donor cycles." Steve moves to Example One on my list of why I think these guys are nuts.
The Harley Davidson manufacturing company has enjoyed some financial success as a result of this Boomer resurgence. The stock price is now off it's highs of a year ago and I really don't follow it. Travolta starred in a movie last year, Wild Hogs, that took a comical look at four over-the-hiller's who tried to re-live some of their youth on a motorcycle trip. I didn't see it. Probably because the concept of "Old Guys on Bikes" just didn't resonate for me.
I may have mentioned here before that I owned a motorcycle when I was an Air Force lieutenant in Korea. The bike was one of those things that was sold from one airman to another as they rotated to and from that base. Since I had to get back and forth between several locations for my job, my logic was that the motorcycle was a great solution. I had it for about a week before I mistakenly "popped" the clutch as I was leaving one of the repair shops that I was in charge of, and proceeded to lay it down in the middle of the street. I was luckily uninjured, and I sold the bike the next day. And I haven't been on one since.
Anyway, my friend Steve is now going to have to have his new bride (second marriage for both, last Summer) truck him around for the next two months. Daily living for me with the thumb issue was inconvenient. Steve's life will be work. Sell the bike.
I'm off to C-town for two days. Din-din with 3 tomorrow night. Does that qualify as FFF?
BCOT.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Tuesday
Really enjoyed the evening over in DeKalb. No, really. My pal Pete and I picked up a couple of common clients at the Dixon exit, and eventually found our way to the NIU field house. The facility was an almost new, very modern arena that would seat around 9,500 for basketball. There may have been 1,500 or so at the game. Aguie played poorly for the first 15 minutes (down by 26 at one point) and then actually outscored NIU over the rest of the game, losing by 15 or so.
The biggest downside for me was the return time of 11:45 PM which is way past my bedtime.
Any of our English scholars out there want to take a stab at the proper use distinction between past and passed? I know that a dead guy passed away. And that a crude oaf with indigestion issues passed gas. And that that last sentence was expressed in past tense. But what's the rule?
Election Day. Which I will use to reminisce on a little Family History.
Daddy loved his job as a Supervisor. I think he loved meeting and greeting people. I'm not so sure that he loved politics. Certainly, the late elections took a toll on him and Mother as the media became more obsessed with possible "dirt" that they could throw at the candidates. I have theorized that the local paper, The Ottumwa Courier, had employees in the mid-70's who had learned their trade in the Watergate era, which meant that they took it as their professional responsibility to vet anyone in the public domain.
AM may be able to fill in some of the details from the first elections in the mid 50's. I know that my Grandpa H was a Wapello County Supervisor at some time. I suppose that that is where Daddy got the bug. In any event, I believe that Daddy ran, and lost, in his first attempt at public office. Then, again I think, in the period before the next election, he was appointed to fill an unexpired term of a Supervisor who either died or resigned. He then ran for election at the end of that term, was elected, and remained on the Board over the course of another 5-6 elections.
He was a moderate Democrat in what was at the time one of the few Democratic counties in the state. Wapello County was a "union" county with a big John Deere plant on the Southside of town, and a major John Morrell meat packing plant on the Northeast side. The unions were pretty strong and Daddy was able to get their vote. As a farmer, he also must have faired well at the polls in the rural areas of the county.
He was a Catholic, and at the time, there was a recognized anti-Catholic element in elections. Obviously, the election of John Kennedy as President diffused a lot of that prejudice. But I remember Mother and Daddy always talking cautiously of their concern about a possible religious backlash. To my knowledge, their fears on this matter never became reality.
"Running" for office meant a lot of meetings at night and "politicking" during the day. He always had "chatskey" (my term) items for give-aways. Combs, match-books, pens. I would guess that every telephone pole in Wapello County had one of his 18" x 24" picture-posters tacked to it at one time or another in the course of his time in office. On Election Day, I was always positioned just outside one of the voting sites, handing out his small picture-cards to each person headed in to vote. (That would most-assuredly be against the law today.)
Mother was in charge of "absentee" ballots. I think she worked the nursing homes, hospitals, and shut-ins for pre-Election Day votes. She had a Notary seal, and I'm certain that it was for the purpose of absentee ballots. In Daddy's last campaign in the late 70's, The Courier ran a story on the Monday before the election that there may have been some "irregularities" on Daddy's absentee ballot program. Mother and Daddy were devastated. Obviously, he won the election the next day. And the paper later printed some sort of retraction/clarification.
I had a heavy-equipment salesman from Cedar Rapids (whom I interviewed for an MBA project at Iowa in the mid-70's) tell me that Daddy was the best he had seen in a Board of Supervisor's office. He said that Daddy had a way about himself at controlling a meeting and getting people to feel like he was listening to them.
In the pre-Watergate era, Daddy would receive various Christmas gifts from salesmen that called on the county for contracts of goods and/or services. A ham here. A fifth of whiskey there. Never a lot. But it was the practice of business back then. After the press got turned on to Watergate-like shenanigans, Daddy rarely kept any of these gifts. (Since Daddy didn't drink, or drink much, that whiskey usually found it's way down the throat of a sick calf in need of something to warm it's innards! True story!)
One by-product of his position as an elected official was that he was eligible to travel, with expense account, to the annual national convention of county officers. I can't remember when the first trip was, but he and Mother made numerous trips over the years to this annual gathering. Always by car. New Orleans. Las Vegas. Miami. I don't know if their grown kids living in California factored into these trips or not, but by the mid-60's it became routine for them to jump in the car for a 10 day or two week journey. Which meant I was home on the farm milking cows and bailing hay.
I gotta go run with 2. Maybe I'll get back to this topic another time. For those readers expecting creative commentary on more interesting and timely issues, come back another day.
Have a great evening.
BCOT
The biggest downside for me was the return time of 11:45 PM which is way past my bedtime.
Any of our English scholars out there want to take a stab at the proper use distinction between past and passed? I know that a dead guy passed away. And that a crude oaf with indigestion issues passed gas. And that that last sentence was expressed in past tense. But what's the rule?
Election Day. Which I will use to reminisce on a little Family History.
Daddy loved his job as a Supervisor. I think he loved meeting and greeting people. I'm not so sure that he loved politics. Certainly, the late elections took a toll on him and Mother as the media became more obsessed with possible "dirt" that they could throw at the candidates. I have theorized that the local paper, The Ottumwa Courier, had employees in the mid-70's who had learned their trade in the Watergate era, which meant that they took it as their professional responsibility to vet anyone in the public domain.
AM may be able to fill in some of the details from the first elections in the mid 50's. I know that my Grandpa H was a Wapello County Supervisor at some time. I suppose that that is where Daddy got the bug. In any event, I believe that Daddy ran, and lost, in his first attempt at public office. Then, again I think, in the period before the next election, he was appointed to fill an unexpired term of a Supervisor who either died or resigned. He then ran for election at the end of that term, was elected, and remained on the Board over the course of another 5-6 elections.
He was a moderate Democrat in what was at the time one of the few Democratic counties in the state. Wapello County was a "union" county with a big John Deere plant on the Southside of town, and a major John Morrell meat packing plant on the Northeast side. The unions were pretty strong and Daddy was able to get their vote. As a farmer, he also must have faired well at the polls in the rural areas of the county.
He was a Catholic, and at the time, there was a recognized anti-Catholic element in elections. Obviously, the election of John Kennedy as President diffused a lot of that prejudice. But I remember Mother and Daddy always talking cautiously of their concern about a possible religious backlash. To my knowledge, their fears on this matter never became reality.
"Running" for office meant a lot of meetings at night and "politicking" during the day. He always had "chatskey" (my term) items for give-aways. Combs, match-books, pens. I would guess that every telephone pole in Wapello County had one of his 18" x 24" picture-posters tacked to it at one time or another in the course of his time in office. On Election Day, I was always positioned just outside one of the voting sites, handing out his small picture-cards to each person headed in to vote. (That would most-assuredly be against the law today.)
Mother was in charge of "absentee" ballots. I think she worked the nursing homes, hospitals, and shut-ins for pre-Election Day votes. She had a Notary seal, and I'm certain that it was for the purpose of absentee ballots. In Daddy's last campaign in the late 70's, The Courier ran a story on the Monday before the election that there may have been some "irregularities" on Daddy's absentee ballot program. Mother and Daddy were devastated. Obviously, he won the election the next day. And the paper later printed some sort of retraction/clarification.
I had a heavy-equipment salesman from Cedar Rapids (whom I interviewed for an MBA project at Iowa in the mid-70's) tell me that Daddy was the best he had seen in a Board of Supervisor's office. He said that Daddy had a way about himself at controlling a meeting and getting people to feel like he was listening to them.
In the pre-Watergate era, Daddy would receive various Christmas gifts from salesmen that called on the county for contracts of goods and/or services. A ham here. A fifth of whiskey there. Never a lot. But it was the practice of business back then. After the press got turned on to Watergate-like shenanigans, Daddy rarely kept any of these gifts. (Since Daddy didn't drink, or drink much, that whiskey usually found it's way down the throat of a sick calf in need of something to warm it's innards! True story!)
One by-product of his position as an elected official was that he was eligible to travel, with expense account, to the annual national convention of county officers. I can't remember when the first trip was, but he and Mother made numerous trips over the years to this annual gathering. Always by car. New Orleans. Las Vegas. Miami. I don't know if their grown kids living in California factored into these trips or not, but by the mid-60's it became routine for them to jump in the car for a 10 day or two week journey. Which meant I was home on the farm milking cows and bailing hay.
I gotta go run with 2. Maybe I'll get back to this topic another time. For those readers expecting creative commentary on more interesting and timely issues, come back another day.
Have a great evening.
BCOT
Monday, November 05, 2007
Monday
Technology for a Monday.
I'm looking at getting a laptop and a wireless card through my phone provider which will then make me web-accessible at home and beyond. My buddy who wrote the book while sitting at SB's gave me the idea. I thought he was subscribing to the SB's "hot spot" wireless service, but he told me today that he had gone to the phone-based technology. It's not as fast as DSL or cable, but it gives you access where ever you have a phone signal.
The financial side works for me as I have put 3 on notice that her phone service through good old Dad is history. Her loss is my gain. Sorry, kiddo. It's a cruel world out there.
My suspicion is that this particular type of wireless service, which is not widespread, will be rendered obsolete in the next year or two as the technology evolves. Wireless services may become less valuable as ad revenue and other income streams affect the business models of the various players. The existing paradigm of obtaining monthly subscribers will perhaps give way to other concepts that will live off the traffic on the Internet.
Anyway, my rationale for looking at something now is to be able to access 4000 Days with less dependency on my office-based computer. And a little flexibility with some of my business pages at home becomes an added, and tax-deductible, bonus.
Those of you concerned about the writers' strike and it's effects on 4000 Days can rest easy. Even if those LA liberals set up a picket line here in the QCA, I'm crossing. New material will always be here. No re-runs.
My pal Roy's iPhone did not work in Chile. Steve Jobs had better get back to the drawing board.
On the other hand, the I-Pass is the only way to travel Illinois' toll road systems. Breeze through those toll plazas at warp speed and save 50% off the cash price. The only losers are the toll booth operators. Another job ended by the geeks.
So I gotta go. My pal Pete and I are headed over to DeKalb tonight for Augie's season opener at Northern Illinois. This is one of those D-1 - D-III match-ups that doesn't count on the D-1 school's record. It's a lay-up. Just ask Michigan State. Grand Valley State?
Have a great evening.
BCOT
I'm looking at getting a laptop and a wireless card through my phone provider which will then make me web-accessible at home and beyond. My buddy who wrote the book while sitting at SB's gave me the idea. I thought he was subscribing to the SB's "hot spot" wireless service, but he told me today that he had gone to the phone-based technology. It's not as fast as DSL or cable, but it gives you access where ever you have a phone signal.
The financial side works for me as I have put 3 on notice that her phone service through good old Dad is history. Her loss is my gain. Sorry, kiddo. It's a cruel world out there.
My suspicion is that this particular type of wireless service, which is not widespread, will be rendered obsolete in the next year or two as the technology evolves. Wireless services may become less valuable as ad revenue and other income streams affect the business models of the various players. The existing paradigm of obtaining monthly subscribers will perhaps give way to other concepts that will live off the traffic on the Internet.
Anyway, my rationale for looking at something now is to be able to access 4000 Days with less dependency on my office-based computer. And a little flexibility with some of my business pages at home becomes an added, and tax-deductible, bonus.
Those of you concerned about the writers' strike and it's effects on 4000 Days can rest easy. Even if those LA liberals set up a picket line here in the QCA, I'm crossing. New material will always be here. No re-runs.
My pal Roy's iPhone did not work in Chile. Steve Jobs had better get back to the drawing board.
On the other hand, the I-Pass is the only way to travel Illinois' toll road systems. Breeze through those toll plazas at warp speed and save 50% off the cash price. The only losers are the toll booth operators. Another job ended by the geeks.
So I gotta go. My pal Pete and I are headed over to DeKalb tonight for Augie's season opener at Northern Illinois. This is one of those D-1 - D-III match-ups that doesn't count on the D-1 school's record. It's a lay-up. Just ask Michigan State. Grand Valley State?
Have a great evening.
BCOT
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Sunday
Time change. I think I like the "Fall back" move better than the Spring move forward. My body rhythms seem to more easily adapt.
The weather is about to change too. High in the 40's tomorrow. Low in the 20's. I have to move several plants that I want to save indoors now to maintain them across the Winter. The bigger ones will lose leaves, and a few just won't make it. Those that I brought here to my office will need to be misted somewhat regularly because the office is very dry.
Current events.
Tuesday is Election Day across the country. By happenstance, I have already voted. When I stopped by the local library yesterday afternoon to check my email, there was a table of precinct workers set up in the lobby. I thought it a bit curious, and on my way out, I asked what their deal was. And the response was simply that they were set up to accept early voting. So I completed a few forms, filled out my ballot, and wallah, my vote for Tuesday has already been cast.
For the record, I practiced a philosophy from my past: I voted against the incumbents.
The Naval Academy beat ND yesterday for the first time in over 40 years. Three overtimes. ND's fifth loss at home this year. Unprecedented. It's been a year of nightmares. It's shocking to me at how bad the Irish are this year. How does that happen?
My pal Roy reached out to me today from South America. He may be on vacation, but he's always afraid that he may be missing out on some info from home.
The local fishwrap has selected Froma Harrop as a national columnist to replace the deceased Molly Ivins. I think. I don't think that she is as over-the-top liberal as Ms. Ivins, but her tendencies are in support of most liberal causes. I've only recently begun reading some of her work. Since I rarely agree with her points, I suspect that our politics will clash. Stay tuned.
Here's a bit of history that is of note. You may have seen a story in the news this past week on the death of the pilot whose plane dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan that helped bring an end to World War II. The name of the plane, the Enola Gay, is a frequent answer in crossword puzzles. What I didn't know is that the pilot, Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr., called Des Moines home in his early childhood, and actually lived in Davenport for a couple of years. And the real interesting point, his mother, a native of Glidden, Iowa, was named Enola Gay Haggard. You can look it up.
All for today. Enjoy the last of the warm weather.
BCOT
The weather is about to change too. High in the 40's tomorrow. Low in the 20's. I have to move several plants that I want to save indoors now to maintain them across the Winter. The bigger ones will lose leaves, and a few just won't make it. Those that I brought here to my office will need to be misted somewhat regularly because the office is very dry.
Current events.
Tuesday is Election Day across the country. By happenstance, I have already voted. When I stopped by the local library yesterday afternoon to check my email, there was a table of precinct workers set up in the lobby. I thought it a bit curious, and on my way out, I asked what their deal was. And the response was simply that they were set up to accept early voting. So I completed a few forms, filled out my ballot, and wallah, my vote for Tuesday has already been cast.
For the record, I practiced a philosophy from my past: I voted against the incumbents.
The Naval Academy beat ND yesterday for the first time in over 40 years. Three overtimes. ND's fifth loss at home this year. Unprecedented. It's been a year of nightmares. It's shocking to me at how bad the Irish are this year. How does that happen?
My pal Roy reached out to me today from South America. He may be on vacation, but he's always afraid that he may be missing out on some info from home.
The local fishwrap has selected Froma Harrop as a national columnist to replace the deceased Molly Ivins. I think. I don't think that she is as over-the-top liberal as Ms. Ivins, but her tendencies are in support of most liberal causes. I've only recently begun reading some of her work. Since I rarely agree with her points, I suspect that our politics will clash. Stay tuned.
Here's a bit of history that is of note. You may have seen a story in the news this past week on the death of the pilot whose plane dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan that helped bring an end to World War II. The name of the plane, the Enola Gay, is a frequent answer in crossword puzzles. What I didn't know is that the pilot, Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr., called Des Moines home in his early childhood, and actually lived in Davenport for a couple of years. And the real interesting point, his mother, a native of Glidden, Iowa, was named Enola Gay Haggard. You can look it up.
All for today. Enjoy the last of the warm weather.
BCOT
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Saturday
Sorry for not getting online yesterday, but it was a whole day on the road. C-town for a conference. Left at 0h-dark-hundred, and didn't get back until after 9 PM.
I guess it would be appropriate if I made today's entry on Travel.
Chicago remains one of my favorite destinations. There's a ton of things I like about the city. The fact that The Loop is only 200 miles from my house is a big plus, as this makes access by car a no-brainer. As I have mentioned on these pages previously, it's satisfying to know that you can go to a big city without detailed knowledge of a destination point, and know that you can "feel" your way to the location without major trauma. This was certainly the case yesterday as my conference was held at a Northwest suburban conference center that I had never before visited. I spent less than five minutes "feeling" my way to the conference facility once I exited the freeway.
That said, traffic remains a big disincentive to make that trip very often. I spent at least as much time in the car yesterday as I did at the conference and at dinner with an attorney friend in Downers Grove. Traffic on any Friday is bad, particularly in the afternoon. Construction on the freeway entering the suburbs from the West ( I-88) is undergoing major reconstruction. And "rush hour" has extended itself to the point where non-rush hour is hard to specify.
My attorney friend said that while he normally takes the train, he had driven to his downtown office yesterday, leaving the Oakbrook area around 5:30 AM. He said that the Ike was busy at that hour, but traffic was moving along briskly. Been there. Done that. 27 years ago. Couldn't do it again.
The conference was close enough to our first house in Arlington Heights that I decided to check out the old place. It took a few missed turns to get there, but it was nice to see how the owners since us have improved the home. We were young, poor and were not planning to stay there all that long. So we didn't undertake the major work needed to refurbish a decrepit garage at the rear of the house. Someone along the way tore out the old mess and put in a new two-car garage with a second story addition to the back of the home. Really nice. By the number of pumpkins on the front steps, it must now be home to a family with several kids.
The trip South from Arlington to meet my attorney friend took over an hour. Ugh! I thought I could miss some congestion by not taking the toll road, but I was sorely wrong, and I had a few missed turns to boot. Just a lousy experience.
One of my friends at coffee this morning suggested that a GPS driving device might be at least a partial answer to the missed-turns part of my trip. He's the second or third guy who has recently touted these things to me. My pal Roy has one as standard equipment in at least one of his cars. I was with a guy a few weeks ago on a trip to southern Iowa and his GPS spoke to him in the voice of Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers films. This stuff makes Mapquest outdated. And I think that competition in the market place is driving the cost down to make the technology more affordable to the masses.
A different angle to dealing with urban traffic that my attorney friend is pursuing is working in the field with more electronic support from the office. He has had mobile accessibility through cell phone, pager and the like for several years. He is now looking at additional technology for his home office that will reduce the need for his presence in his downtown office. While this 0ff-site arrangement has been popular with IT folks and data processors of different ilks for a long time, applying it to a professional service is testimony as to how far we have progressed in today's business environment.
The attorney's social perspective as his family has aged has also evolved and he now speaks of possibly moving closer to the city at some point in the future to take advantage of cultural and entertainment opportunities. This direction rather than a move further West to avoid traffic. If you want to take advantage of the City, you need to choose your lifestyle. A backyard and a lengthy commute. Or a lot more concrete and a few more cab fares.
I might work on this discussion in a future entry. There are lots of angles to debate.
Great day here. I'm out to enjoy it.
BCOT
I guess it would be appropriate if I made today's entry on Travel.
Chicago remains one of my favorite destinations. There's a ton of things I like about the city. The fact that The Loop is only 200 miles from my house is a big plus, as this makes access by car a no-brainer. As I have mentioned on these pages previously, it's satisfying to know that you can go to a big city without detailed knowledge of a destination point, and know that you can "feel" your way to the location without major trauma. This was certainly the case yesterday as my conference was held at a Northwest suburban conference center that I had never before visited. I spent less than five minutes "feeling" my way to the conference facility once I exited the freeway.
That said, traffic remains a big disincentive to make that trip very often. I spent at least as much time in the car yesterday as I did at the conference and at dinner with an attorney friend in Downers Grove. Traffic on any Friday is bad, particularly in the afternoon. Construction on the freeway entering the suburbs from the West ( I-88) is undergoing major reconstruction. And "rush hour" has extended itself to the point where non-rush hour is hard to specify.
My attorney friend said that while he normally takes the train, he had driven to his downtown office yesterday, leaving the Oakbrook area around 5:30 AM. He said that the Ike was busy at that hour, but traffic was moving along briskly. Been there. Done that. 27 years ago. Couldn't do it again.
The conference was close enough to our first house in Arlington Heights that I decided to check out the old place. It took a few missed turns to get there, but it was nice to see how the owners since us have improved the home. We were young, poor and were not planning to stay there all that long. So we didn't undertake the major work needed to refurbish a decrepit garage at the rear of the house. Someone along the way tore out the old mess and put in a new two-car garage with a second story addition to the back of the home. Really nice. By the number of pumpkins on the front steps, it must now be home to a family with several kids.
The trip South from Arlington to meet my attorney friend took over an hour. Ugh! I thought I could miss some congestion by not taking the toll road, but I was sorely wrong, and I had a few missed turns to boot. Just a lousy experience.
One of my friends at coffee this morning suggested that a GPS driving device might be at least a partial answer to the missed-turns part of my trip. He's the second or third guy who has recently touted these things to me. My pal Roy has one as standard equipment in at least one of his cars. I was with a guy a few weeks ago on a trip to southern Iowa and his GPS spoke to him in the voice of Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers films. This stuff makes Mapquest outdated. And I think that competition in the market place is driving the cost down to make the technology more affordable to the masses.
A different angle to dealing with urban traffic that my attorney friend is pursuing is working in the field with more electronic support from the office. He has had mobile accessibility through cell phone, pager and the like for several years. He is now looking at additional technology for his home office that will reduce the need for his presence in his downtown office. While this 0ff-site arrangement has been popular with IT folks and data processors of different ilks for a long time, applying it to a professional service is testimony as to how far we have progressed in today's business environment.
The attorney's social perspective as his family has aged has also evolved and he now speaks of possibly moving closer to the city at some point in the future to take advantage of cultural and entertainment opportunities. This direction rather than a move further West to avoid traffic. If you want to take advantage of the City, you need to choose your lifestyle. A backyard and a lengthy commute. Or a lot more concrete and a few more cab fares.
I might work on this discussion in a future entry. There are lots of angles to debate.
Great day here. I'm out to enjoy it.
BCOT
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
