Friday

I caught this pic (with max telephoto on my Canon minidigi) of the Metlife blimp at lunch as it flew overhead at our office building in Davenport on its way to the golf tournament on the Illinois side.  It is tethered at the private airport North of Davenport for the week rather than at the commercial airport in Moline.

(The new Home Page pic was snapped with my iPhone on the early ride yesterday morning around 0540 on Devils Glen Road.  Kind of a cool sunrise through the trees with freshly cut hay in the foreground.  Hard to get a good pic straight on at the sun.  I might try it another time with the minidigi to see if the clarity can be improved.)

My attendance at the tournament yesterday afternoon was worth the trip.  Of course, other than the $10 for parking and the tips to the bartender in the skybox, there were costs associated with the excursion.  Perfect weather.  Not overly crowded.  Plenty of friends to chat up.  But three hours was enough, and I won't be headed back this weekend.  I mean, you see things so much better on TV, right?

Interesting take on security at the tournament.  I parked at a lot a mile or two away and took the school bus shuttle.  To get on the bus, a sheriff had a wand scanner, and he actually patted me down for the side-pocket zipper, and the coins in my left pocket that set off the alarm.  No back packs.  Ladies had their permissible small purses searched and tagged (to indicate that they had been inspected).  Then once on the grounds of the course, you had to show a separate guest name-plate for the skybox area.  Gone are the days of free movement...even in Silvis, Illinois.  Hello Boston.

I had an experience with DirecTV this week that surprisingly ended up with me reducing my service package.  The last couple of times that I have called in to gripe about my bill, the Customer Service Rep would find a way to work me into a program that kept my programming the same, but at a cheaper rate.  The two gals I talked to this time just had little to say, and when I remained insistent on my quest to reduce my monthly bill, it was, "Okay, you can cancel HBO."  Which I did.  (The only reason I had HBO of course, was because on one of the same types of calls from a year or two ago, an agent must have found some short-term fee reduction by by adding a premium channel.)  Whatever.  Is that a sign of the economic times?

No big plans here for the weekend.  Bike and golf.  Wine, I'm guessing.

Make it a good one in your neighborhood.

BCOT