Tuesday...Return from Phoenix

I gotta say, two nights in Phoenix isn't long enough for the hassle of the travel. In this case, I was able to have successful meetings with my clients yesterday, but my original goal to have a little me-time on the extra day just didn't happen. Thank you, United Airlines.

Phoenix/Scottsdale has more road construction going on now throughout the area than we may even have back in the Midwest. I was never substantially inconvenienced by the detours, but I was never trying to fight the clock on any of my destinations...and I wasn't driving much in rush hour. They really don't have any public transportation in the Valley beyond busses, so you have no options once the construction hits your routes.

That Dodge Charger that I had from Alamo Rental Car was a nice ride. Plenty of room. And it handled the road well. I'd rent it again. And the Alamo experience rivaled Hertz for customer service. At a significantly reduced price.

I found a new coffee shop near the Country Inn and Suites where I usually stay on these non-golf trips to Arizona. It's a local brand of some sort, but it has a similar menu to a Starbucks. I actually stumbled on to it when I was looking for a Starbucks for 1st Coffee on Monday morning. Well designed indoor and outdoor seating. Off the busy street. Appealing enough that I returned there for 1st Coffee today. I could become a "regular".

And I did make a token visit to the western-wear store where I bought my George Strait hat a couple years ago. If I had had that extra day on my visit, I might have looked a little harder at a couple of western dress shirts that coulda fit in my wardrobe, but I needed more time to decide if I actually "needed" the shirts...so they stayed on the rack. Maybe next time.

You will note that I have not commented on politics here recently. My interest is at an all-time low. I'm not sure if the GOP is just incompetent as a party, but they certainly struggle to convey a message that resonates favorably (even within their own party). Of course, the MSM does them no favors, giddily highlighting every item that can be reported in an unfavorable light...by standards that the admittedly Left-leaning MSM have elected to set. Whatever.

The only reasons that I note politics in this entry are: 1) When I go on the road, I often pick up the NYT, perusing all of the sections. And I am always amazed how the Progressive meme is presented in EVERY section, from news to the theater, from society to business, from sports to the obits. Talk about an echo chamber.

And 2), I learned through the SquawkBox show today that NBC's John Harwood, a regular contributor to CNBC...and a blowhard whom I ALWAYS mute...is to be one of the moderators of the GOP debate...to be broadcast tomorrow on CNBC from Boulder. OK, let me first say that I certainly won't be watching the debate. Why the GOP is holding it in Boulder is curious in itself...I mean the U of Colorado wouldn't let any of that group speak to a campus gathering of any university-sponsored event. Whatever...the Big Tent and all. But allowing Harwood to participate is giving audience to a complete tool (or fool...take your pick) of the Left. Why not bring back Gwen Iffel instead? Yuck and double-yuck.

Moving on...

There have been some interesting stories in the media recently about tipping at restaurants following the decision of a highly regarded NYC eatery going to a no-tipping policy. This topic came up regularly on our recent trip to Spain and France where 2 routinely reminded me that tipping in Europe was no where near as widespread as it is here in the USA. There's a part of me that appreciates the well-intentioned goal of the no-tipping concept. But figuring out a way to get to fair-pay for all restaurant employees may be a conundrum more complex than even a Nobel Peace Prize winner could resolve. (The cynical part of me also senses another element of the cultural-police's "Europe does it better" movement...and that alone gives me the doubts.)

Finally, I was never a big fan of Flip Saunders...nor was I a critic. I just never paid much attention to his teams. His recent death came as a bit of a shock to me as his cancer diagnosis earlier this year was never portrayed in the press as of a fatal variety. And he was only 60 years old. It's another illustration of Rule #3...Don't look back. And I don't think he did. He kept in the game and kept looking ahead. That's not a bad epitaph.

Enough for today. Back to Maplecrest tonight. A busy 2 and a half days at the office and then a weekend trip up to see the goblins on Harvest Path. And then it's November!!!! The vapor year continues.

BCOT



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