JUST SOME POSTS

I just returned from a road trip vacation. I covered a large portion of seven states and a bit of two others in seven days, for over 2,500 miles. I did a significant portion of it alone, and the rest with my mother, sister, and her eight (almost nine) year old daughter. It was a very nice trip. I will admit it was too much driving, but then I like to drive. One of the things I was thinking about on the day long trip through three states getting home, was some truisms or laws of travel. This is what I came up with. FYI, I am not basing this exclusively on this trip. I have logged a LOT of miles over the years, both work and leisure related. (in no particular order) 1) the restaurant, gas station, etc you really want is always on the other side of the divided highway 2) urine production is correlated directly to the availability of restroom facilities 3) the lowest priced gas always occurs when you have no need of fuel     subset - the...

Back when I used to travel a LOT, I told an airline employee that I was very impressed with their company's computing power. When she looked pleased but a bit puzzled, I explained. I told her it took an amazing amount of computing power to assure that my original boarding gate was as far from security as possible, my arrival gate was as far from ground transportation/baggage as possible, or if I was catching another flight that my arrival gate and my departure gate distances were maximized. She was no longer as pleased. I am travelling this week and have more musing on the wonders of travel. I find myself even more amazed at the airlines computing power today. They still are able or maximize any distances I have to travel to, from, or between planes. However, now they are able to assure that my seat mate is larger than me. I am usually sitting with an empty seat beside me just knowing that the first person resembling King Kong that comes down the aisle will ask me to get up so ...

I am travelling again, this time by car. I came up with some random thoughts during the long ride today. I have been making the trip down I-95 since the early to mid-70s. (if I was being fair there was the illicit trip in my father's car when I was 16, but I digress) In fact, the first six or seven years we made the trip you had to leave I-95 at many points because it did not exist yet! (anyone else remember the old, decrepit, bridge in Savannah, Ga?) I found myself doing it again today. This trip was a bit different because I did it alone. I am not sure I have made the trip alone before. If so, it has been very rare. With six kids and a wife, there was usually a few or more other travellers. Even when I was going down for business as I was this time, and have a few times in recent years, I usually had my wife with me to combine a visit with family in Florida. This trip was done alone. Nine hours in a car alone can give you a lot of "thought time". So, here are some of th...

I just got back from a trip. Some things struck me (as usual) as I was out viewing the world. Here are some thoughts... I wonder how we ever got along without one of the most annoying and yet helpful inventions of my lifetime - wheeled luggage. I am really surprised at how civilization advanced to the point that we have with this technological marvel only being around for a short while. Everywhere you looked there was luggage (and backpacks, and briefcases, and computer cases) on wheels. In a crowded area, I would get my toes and feet run over multiple times. I was waiting in a cab line with several hundred other people going up and down through the maze of ropes, all of us pushing or pulling our wheeled marvels. In fact, the one guy I saw that was NOT equipped with wheels was quite noticeable. We of the wheeled wonders would whip wildly through the winding path while he kicked, slid, tossed, dragged, and otherwise schlepped his belongings a foot or two at a time. By his lack of lugga...

My wife and I are on a bit of a road trip. We travelled to Nashville, Tennessee yesterday to meet with family members. The trip consists of about six hours of actual drive time and then you add in the stops for various and sundry things. That gave me over seven hours of time to let my mind wander. My mind wandering is kind of like a three year old at the mall - flitting here and there and no knowing where he is going next. One of the things I was thinking about was writing a post about the trip, so I traversed hither and yon with different comments based on the journey and travel in general. You will have to trust me when I tell you some of it was GREAT - because I don't remember any of the details of it. We had our usual bathroom trials and tribulations, but I have done that. If you are not aware of what I am talking about -see this: http://justsomeposts.blogspot.com/2009/03/to-pee-or-not-to-pee-with-apologies-to.html People have, and do, think I am weird (correctly so, in m...