Today I got up and started to pack my back when I got a call. I do get to go to Saint Louis to do the training. Whoohoo. I can't help it. I just like to train.
So I am riding the rest of the way to Saint Louis today. Once again the forcast is for thunderstorms, but by the time I am up and out the door, it doesn't look like that will happen. It is beautiful weather, just beautiful. Perfect riding weather, great temps, etc.
The ride was just great, but when I gassed up at the Flyin J, I saw storm clouds starting to move in. I decided to move on more quickly rather than taking a break that was longer.
I have been asked to post my mileage each day and for the trip. You guys have got to be kidding. I am the one person who does all breaks during a training by saying. "OK, be back when the big hand is on the 10." At first people feel that I am trying to demean them. I always tell them no, really, just because I can read and write doesn't mean that I can tell time. After they are done rolling their eyes and really watch me try to do such a demanding ridiculous task, they begin to realize that it's just not them at all--it truly is me.
Happy Trails, Marty
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wednesday March 20, 2007
Holy cow. It is nearing the end of March already. HOw time flies when I am having fun cruising down the backroads and interstates.
I called Rob to see if we could get together for supper. (For once I checked the mileage first. LOL) It's not that far.
The weather people keep threatening rain, but I am not seeing any. Each day, it is supposed to be pouring and thunderstormy and it hasn't been.
I work some more, laying the groundwork in Michigan for this new initiative. Inching our way. LOL
Today was a great day for riding. Just a kick back and cruise kind of a day. I do look at what type of clouds I am driving into, but no damp weather has happened as of yet. Instead, the weather has been totally perfect. Rob's not free for dinner (he wants to do the Jack-in-the-Box thing. I have a hard time doing the Box thing as --never mind, I know that they all aren't like that one. but eewwww. I just can't get over it. I was worse than the ants crawling all over the salads in the salad bar at Ryans in Hammond, LA.
Since I am now in Missouri, there are no more Whatburgers. What's up with that? I do so like Whataburgers. Their iced tea doesn't taste like coffee. That can make me a fan for life. LOL
Have any of the rest of you noticed that the ice tea that many of these restaurants serve seem to taste like coffee? Now if that doesn't gross you out taste wise, think about why the tea tastes like coffee. I always see it as a not clean enough kind of thing.
When I call Rob, and find out he isn't free for dindin anyway, I decide to stop in Springfield. That way, maybe Tom will either be at home or at work when I pass through Lebanon, MO.
I like to ride through Missouri. Its a state that is green and has hills.
This afternoon, I had a heart attack when a motorhome almost moved into me while I was cruising down the road. I sped up and made contact with the driver to make sure than he knew that I was there. (Yes, it was polite contact-no fingers were flying.)
Happy trails, Marty
I called Rob to see if we could get together for supper. (For once I checked the mileage first. LOL) It's not that far.
The weather people keep threatening rain, but I am not seeing any. Each day, it is supposed to be pouring and thunderstormy and it hasn't been.
I work some more, laying the groundwork in Michigan for this new initiative. Inching our way. LOL
Today was a great day for riding. Just a kick back and cruise kind of a day. I do look at what type of clouds I am driving into, but no damp weather has happened as of yet. Instead, the weather has been totally perfect. Rob's not free for dinner (he wants to do the Jack-in-the-Box thing. I have a hard time doing the Box thing as --never mind, I know that they all aren't like that one. but eewwww. I just can't get over it. I was worse than the ants crawling all over the salads in the salad bar at Ryans in Hammond, LA.
Since I am now in Missouri, there are no more Whatburgers. What's up with that? I do so like Whataburgers. Their iced tea doesn't taste like coffee. That can make me a fan for life. LOL
Have any of the rest of you noticed that the ice tea that many of these restaurants serve seem to taste like coffee? Now if that doesn't gross you out taste wise, think about why the tea tastes like coffee. I always see it as a not clean enough kind of thing.
When I call Rob, and find out he isn't free for dindin anyway, I decide to stop in Springfield. That way, maybe Tom will either be at home or at work when I pass through Lebanon, MO.
I like to ride through Missouri. Its a state that is green and has hills.
This afternoon, I had a heart attack when a motorhome almost moved into me while I was cruising down the road. I sped up and made contact with the driver to make sure than he knew that I was there. (Yes, it was polite contact-no fingers were flying.)
Happy trails, Marty
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Tuesday March 20, 2007
I get to OKC before noon, and set myself up to look at backpacking equipment. There are three or four stores in OKC that handle overruns, etc. And there is always Backwoods. I check the phone book to see if it is still there. It is, but has changed locations.
I grab a map, and head out to find the stores.
There is a Sam's Club just down the road. I head out for a hot dog and pop.
I spend an hour or so in Backwoods. I look at a new cooking system that is better on energy, not too expensive and is well rated in the backpackers equipment guide.
Next I head to the clearance stores. There isn't anything that I really want at this time, but there is quite a bit that I might be able to use later after I pick up the trailer.
I am heading out tomorrow and looking forwards to seeing some friends. Maybe over that bottle of wine. Then maybe I can figure out where my wires became so crossed.
Other people are waiting on a call from me so I can tell them what is happening or not happening. Maybe i should look at how I am asking for this confusion to come into my life.
It's interesting about all the LOA stuff being on TV. I like the stuff that comes out of abraham better, but the LOA being all over is really strange to me. I felt like I was the only one for so very long. LOL
Happy Trails, Marty
I grab a map, and head out to find the stores.
There is a Sam's Club just down the road. I head out for a hot dog and pop.
I spend an hour or so in Backwoods. I look at a new cooking system that is better on energy, not too expensive and is well rated in the backpackers equipment guide.
Next I head to the clearance stores. There isn't anything that I really want at this time, but there is quite a bit that I might be able to use later after I pick up the trailer.
I am heading out tomorrow and looking forwards to seeing some friends. Maybe over that bottle of wine. Then maybe I can figure out where my wires became so crossed.
Other people are waiting on a call from me so I can tell them what is happening or not happening. Maybe i should look at how I am asking for this confusion to come into my life.
It's interesting about all the LOA stuff being on TV. I like the stuff that comes out of abraham better, but the LOA being all over is really strange to me. I felt like I was the only one for so very long. LOL
Happy Trails, Marty
Monday, March 19, 2007
I didn't make OKC, but I am close. I am getting in a better cruise mode, which is different than puddle jumping. LOL When one is in a cruise mode, anything is close and all rides are just that, rides, with no particular destination in mind. You have a general idea where you want to end up, but not just when.
Just when is always at the mercy of the weather, somewhat anyway.
I am enjoying the riding and am happy that things are happening the way that they are, but the weather front is going to cause me some problems. I can't move over the way that I would like. There is a line of thunderstorms ahead of me if I don't hole up for a day. I decide to move on into OKC and try to catch up on some of the business that I need to conduct.
I am always meeting some neat people on the road. There is a guy who asks to sit on my bike as he just bought one and is uncomfortable when riding it. It has a lot better set-up than mine does. My bike however, is set up to be more comfortable. I have a bag that sits on the seat that I can lean back against and it has taken me more than a couple of days to learn just where to set the bag to optimize my comfort and it's effectiveness.
The guy makes me grin. Bikers are such a diverse, interesting group of people.
I plan to head out early tomorrow to see how the weather is in OKC.
Just when is always at the mercy of the weather, somewhat anyway.
I am enjoying the riding and am happy that things are happening the way that they are, but the weather front is going to cause me some problems. I can't move over the way that I would like. There is a line of thunderstorms ahead of me if I don't hole up for a day. I decide to move on into OKC and try to catch up on some of the business that I need to conduct.
I am always meeting some neat people on the road. There is a guy who asks to sit on my bike as he just bought one and is uncomfortable when riding it. It has a lot better set-up than mine does. My bike however, is set up to be more comfortable. I have a bag that sits on the seat that I can lean back against and it has taken me more than a couple of days to learn just where to set the bag to optimize my comfort and it's effectiveness.
The guy makes me grin. Bikers are such a diverse, interesting group of people.
I plan to head out early tomorrow to see how the weather is in OKC.
Sunday March 18, 2007
Today I took off for Laredo, planning to stay there for a few days. I almost got to Laredo when I got in contact with the man who is selling me a motorcycle trailer and decided to head up to where the trailer is located.
It feels really good to just be riding, riding, riding. I lean back, relax and decide to see just what I am made off. I end up stopping in Cotulla. I lean back and smile and run the weather. Hmm. Not great weather, but I think I can work with it.
Working with the weather while riding on a bike is a lot easier than it used to be. If you have a computer with you, you can log onto weather.com and get an hourly forcast for towns that you are planning on riding through. This can help you plan when to leave, when the weather will be the best, etc.
I find that I love to kick back and ride, just cruise along the road. You can't really let your mind wander off of the road, but you can relax and let your mind just kind of roll along while you concentrate on the road. I choose to do this.
There is a pretty neat site for women who ride their own bikes. http://www.ridemyown.com/
And off of that site I found a motorcycle forum that is for ladies who tour. I thought that it would be women who soso tour, but it seems that most tour either with other women from their motorcycle groups or, tour with their husbands. That's OK of course, but I was hoping for a couple of women who were doing some lengthy solo tours. Here's the link if you are interested. http://forums.delphiforums.com/ladycruiser/messages
tomorrow I am moving on toward Oklahoma City. I am confused about our training schedule. I have tried to call about it, but it seems that there is a huge miscommunication going on and I have no idea what it is. I smile and think about buying a bottle of wine out of respect for the other person who is way overwhelmed right now and sitting down for a few moments while I am on the way home. It's pretty much on the way, LOL.
Happy Trails, Marty
It feels really good to just be riding, riding, riding. I lean back, relax and decide to see just what I am made off. I end up stopping in Cotulla. I lean back and smile and run the weather. Hmm. Not great weather, but I think I can work with it.
Working with the weather while riding on a bike is a lot easier than it used to be. If you have a computer with you, you can log onto weather.com and get an hourly forcast for towns that you are planning on riding through. This can help you plan when to leave, when the weather will be the best, etc.
I find that I love to kick back and ride, just cruise along the road. You can't really let your mind wander off of the road, but you can relax and let your mind just kind of roll along while you concentrate on the road. I choose to do this.
There is a pretty neat site for women who ride their own bikes. http://www.ridemyown.com/
And off of that site I found a motorcycle forum that is for ladies who tour. I thought that it would be women who soso tour, but it seems that most tour either with other women from their motorcycle groups or, tour with their husbands. That's OK of course, but I was hoping for a couple of women who were doing some lengthy solo tours. Here's the link if you are interested. http://forums.delphiforums.com/ladycruiser/messages
tomorrow I am moving on toward Oklahoma City. I am confused about our training schedule. I have tried to call about it, but it seems that there is a huge miscommunication going on and I have no idea what it is. I smile and think about buying a bottle of wine out of respect for the other person who is way overwhelmed right now and sitting down for a few moments while I am on the way home. It's pretty much on the way, LOL.
Happy Trails, Marty
Monday, March 12, 2007
Sunday March 11, Arlington to McAllen
I can't sleep, the time change has made me nervous so I decide to get up and go down to breakfast. I was hoping for French Toast like they had yesterday, but they have the pancakes once again today. The lady told me that people like variety. I like variety with everything else, but think the pancakes look anemic. Other people like them. LOL
I go upstairs and pack up and head to the airport.
The movie playing is Casino Real or something like that. I get some headphones and let the kid sitting beside me out a few million times. ;)
The flights were pretty uneventful. During my layover in Houston, my mom calls and says that she might be a bit late picking me up as she and dad want to go to the annual choir concert held in the park. I say great, call my friend Leslie to find out just what happened in Michigan and call Jim to ask a question.
I catch my plane and get in around 4:15. It was a good trip. I slept much of the way.
It's raining cats and dogs as I wait, but has stopped by the time my parents get there. And what is the reward for me waiting? Dinner at Tony Roma's. Now that is some reward.
Afterwards, I work the puzzle for a while and then call Steve. I am hoping ot take much of tomorrow off. I think about Rob for a minute as I called him and he hadn't recontacted me as of yet.
About 9PM, I call Berta and get the chance to talk to Matt. He is so thrilled about turning 13. I tell him that if he moves to Mississippi he can drive in two years instead of three. I ask him if his mom is feeling old as this is her first child to become a teenager. He laughs and says that he is ready to move. Also, his grades are up. Only one bad grade with is a lot of improvement. He tells me that he has to learn about Ethiopia. Why couldn't it have been England? I would have changed my ininerary to go to England once again. Some of us were talking at supper last night about how hard it is to learn to shift when the shifter is on the wrong side of the road. The steering wheel and sitting on the opposite side is the easiest. The shifter being on the wrong side, now that is hard. LOL
Happy trails, Marty
I go upstairs and pack up and head to the airport.
The movie playing is Casino Real or something like that. I get some headphones and let the kid sitting beside me out a few million times. ;)
The flights were pretty uneventful. During my layover in Houston, my mom calls and says that she might be a bit late picking me up as she and dad want to go to the annual choir concert held in the park. I say great, call my friend Leslie to find out just what happened in Michigan and call Jim to ask a question.
I catch my plane and get in around 4:15. It was a good trip. I slept much of the way.
It's raining cats and dogs as I wait, but has stopped by the time my parents get there. And what is the reward for me waiting? Dinner at Tony Roma's. Now that is some reward.
Afterwards, I work the puzzle for a while and then call Steve. I am hoping ot take much of tomorrow off. I think about Rob for a minute as I called him and he hadn't recontacted me as of yet.
About 9PM, I call Berta and get the chance to talk to Matt. He is so thrilled about turning 13. I tell him that if he moves to Mississippi he can drive in two years instead of three. I ask him if his mom is feeling old as this is her first child to become a teenager. He laughs and says that he is ready to move. Also, his grades are up. Only one bad grade with is a lot of improvement. He tells me that he has to learn about Ethiopia. Why couldn't it have been England? I would have changed my ininerary to go to England once again. Some of us were talking at supper last night about how hard it is to learn to shift when the shifter is on the wrong side of the road. The steering wheel and sitting on the opposite side is the easiest. The shifter being on the wrong side, now that is hard. LOL
Happy trails, Marty
Saturday, a day of meetings
Today, my day was filled with mind numbing meetings. Yesterday the day officially went from eight AM until nine PM. I had added three hours onto that. Then had to get my room broken into twice on top of it.
Somehow that made my day seem much longer, LOL. One thing good is that part of teh crunch time regarding the strategic plan is over. I like the new plan, but the time that one takes is incredible. What an experience it can be.
We had dinner and I was thrilled to be sitting by Anand. He is just so awesome and I seldom seem to have the opportunity, (or time) to get to talk with him.
Then later, I got to spend time with Suzanne, Kathryn and Harriett. Absolutely awesome.
A lot of people are flying out tonight, but I didn't have the opportunity to do that. My mom is picking me up at the airport and she goes to bed much earlier than I could have made it in.
About midnight I go to my room and start to read a manual that I wanted to check over. I am too tired to finish it all up tonight, but get quite a lot of it done.
Happy trails, Marty
Somehow that made my day seem much longer, LOL. One thing good is that part of teh crunch time regarding the strategic plan is over. I like the new plan, but the time that one takes is incredible. What an experience it can be.
We had dinner and I was thrilled to be sitting by Anand. He is just so awesome and I seldom seem to have the opportunity, (or time) to get to talk with him.
Then later, I got to spend time with Suzanne, Kathryn and Harriett. Absolutely awesome.
A lot of people are flying out tonight, but I didn't have the opportunity to do that. My mom is picking me up at the airport and she goes to bed much earlier than I could have made it in.
About midnight I go to my room and start to read a manual that I wanted to check over. I am too tired to finish it all up tonight, but get quite a lot of it done.
Happy trails, Marty
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Friday March 9 Arlington Virginia
The hotel that I am in is really nice. They are in the middle of a $14 mil upgrade. My room has a couple of large beds, a great kitchenette, a huge refrigerator in that kitchenette (that has ice cube trays; ice cubes in my iced tea has become a luxury since my travels have started) and a good bathroom.
I have to wake up early to get a letter out for the consumer council and have some iced tea. Then I head down to a great breakfast that is part of the room package. There are pancakes, cereal, sausage, scrambled eggs, cereals, fruit, and the opportunity to choose between toast, bagels, assorted muffins and more. The company at breakfast was great.
Happily I head back up to my room to grab my back pack to head over to the board meeting.
The door won't open. I swear a couple of times and head back downstairs and tell the front desk staff--my door won't open. When I put my room key in, both the yellow and the green lights, light up. (Now I do a lot of hotel rooms in any given year. When a door shows up yellow and green lights at the same time when you put in a room key, that means that someone has pushed or activated a privacy lock--and a new key won't do it.)
The front desk clerks say, "Oh, your key won't work, we'll give you another key." I sigh as I have been through this kind of before but head back upstairs to good old room 505 to see if by some miracle the new key will work.
It doesn't and I head back downstairs. I tell them that this key won't work either and there happens to be a maintenance guy standing there. He gets out his macho attitude and tells me that he will go up and use his master key to get me into my room. Seven minutes later, after he has put his key in and tried to manhandle the door into opening (scarey how easy it is to break into these electronic locks) he realizes that his key won't work either. Doah.
His wonderful statement was that I will have to open it from the inside. I sat down outside the door to wait. He comes back a few minutes later with what is essentially a slim jim. Now that makes me feel really secure about staying in a hotel room.
It takes Bertolo about eight minutes to successfully open my hotel room door with the slim jim. It's much less noisy to use a slim jim than to try to get the lock to work with a room key or am master key.
Bertolo tells me that he will fix the lock while I am gone during the day.
Fast forward through the meetings. Well, except for Carmen. She got a mailing out today. What awesome staff support she is.
It's 5:30, I'm back at the hotel, I have another meeting starting at 6:30. I'd like to change my clothes before that meeting. My door once again, won't work. I think about Bertolo and decide that either he didn't get back to fix my room (my hunch) or he tried to fix it and it didn't work.
I go back down to the desk and explain the problem to them and once again the desk clerks say, "Oh, your key won't work? I'll make you another key." What part of stupid desk clerks have I allowed into my presence?
Interestingly enough, a maintenance man was once again standing beside the desk. (Maybe that is why my lock won't work, the maintenance men are always standing at the front desk.)
He puts on his macho attitude and goes forth to try his master key and beat up my door. After a few minutes he calls Bertolo and Bertolo tells him that he will have to break the lock off my door. It is now 5:50 and I am trying to keep my stress level down. I sit down in the hall to wait on the maintenance man.
At 6:12 I walk downstairs and there is the maintenance man once again standing by the front desk. I go from slightly upset to irate in .02 seconds.
The maintenance guy sees me coming. He says "I am just on my way back up to your room." yeah right, does he think I was born yesterday?
We engage in the following discussion. "I don't want you to break my lock off now. I have to go to a meeting right now, it starts in about 10 minutes and I still have to get there." The desk clerks offer to loan me their restroom to change my clothes in.
Now, my stuff has been locked in my room for about nine hours. It flits through my head to scream "what %$#@*&^ clothes? I can't get to my clothes."
But instead negotiate to have the maintenance guy to open my door when I return and negotiate a ride on the hotel van to the other hotel.
I attend a three hour meeting. Then I go back.
I ask the hotel clerk if she has my new room key. She says, go up to your room, call me and I will have your new room number.
The maintenance guy comes up to my door (states to me that he hopes he doesn't wake up other people) and then unlocks the door. It only takes about twenty minutes.
I call downstairs, the desk clerk says she will have to call me back. If people would quit calling she would be glad to assign me a new room. I sit around and watch TV and wait for her to call back.
She calls back and says, " I have assigned you a new room. I have given you the room right next door to your current one. You can come down and pick up your room keys."
Why would it matter if the room is next door. I have to pick up all my stuff, take it back down to the front desk, grab my new room keys and tote it all back to a room that isn't near the elevators which might have been helpful.
I unlock the door and am in a room that hasn't been cleaned. It was disgusting.
I call the front desk and the procedure repeats. "Oh, it hasn't been cleaned. I will have to find you another room."
I turn on the TV as I know the desk clerk will take forever to change my room.
After about 10 minutes I start down to the front desk. At the door to the elevator I meet the maintenance man and he hands me the keys to a new room.
Finally I settle down. The room isn't a large or quite as nice, but I am grateful for the new room.
Happy trails, Marty
I have to wake up early to get a letter out for the consumer council and have some iced tea. Then I head down to a great breakfast that is part of the room package. There are pancakes, cereal, sausage, scrambled eggs, cereals, fruit, and the opportunity to choose between toast, bagels, assorted muffins and more. The company at breakfast was great.
Happily I head back up to my room to grab my back pack to head over to the board meeting.
The door won't open. I swear a couple of times and head back downstairs and tell the front desk staff--my door won't open. When I put my room key in, both the yellow and the green lights, light up. (Now I do a lot of hotel rooms in any given year. When a door shows up yellow and green lights at the same time when you put in a room key, that means that someone has pushed or activated a privacy lock--and a new key won't do it.)
The front desk clerks say, "Oh, your key won't work, we'll give you another key." I sigh as I have been through this kind of before but head back upstairs to good old room 505 to see if by some miracle the new key will work.
It doesn't and I head back downstairs. I tell them that this key won't work either and there happens to be a maintenance guy standing there. He gets out his macho attitude and tells me that he will go up and use his master key to get me into my room. Seven minutes later, after he has put his key in and tried to manhandle the door into opening (scarey how easy it is to break into these electronic locks) he realizes that his key won't work either. Doah.
His wonderful statement was that I will have to open it from the inside. I sat down outside the door to wait. He comes back a few minutes later with what is essentially a slim jim. Now that makes me feel really secure about staying in a hotel room.
It takes Bertolo about eight minutes to successfully open my hotel room door with the slim jim. It's much less noisy to use a slim jim than to try to get the lock to work with a room key or am master key.
Bertolo tells me that he will fix the lock while I am gone during the day.
Fast forward through the meetings. Well, except for Carmen. She got a mailing out today. What awesome staff support she is.
It's 5:30, I'm back at the hotel, I have another meeting starting at 6:30. I'd like to change my clothes before that meeting. My door once again, won't work. I think about Bertolo and decide that either he didn't get back to fix my room (my hunch) or he tried to fix it and it didn't work.
I go back down to the desk and explain the problem to them and once again the desk clerks say, "Oh, your key won't work? I'll make you another key." What part of stupid desk clerks have I allowed into my presence?
Interestingly enough, a maintenance man was once again standing beside the desk. (Maybe that is why my lock won't work, the maintenance men are always standing at the front desk.)
He puts on his macho attitude and goes forth to try his master key and beat up my door. After a few minutes he calls Bertolo and Bertolo tells him that he will have to break the lock off my door. It is now 5:50 and I am trying to keep my stress level down. I sit down in the hall to wait on the maintenance man.
At 6:12 I walk downstairs and there is the maintenance man once again standing by the front desk. I go from slightly upset to irate in .02 seconds.
The maintenance guy sees me coming. He says "I am just on my way back up to your room." yeah right, does he think I was born yesterday?
We engage in the following discussion. "I don't want you to break my lock off now. I have to go to a meeting right now, it starts in about 10 minutes and I still have to get there." The desk clerks offer to loan me their restroom to change my clothes in.
Now, my stuff has been locked in my room for about nine hours. It flits through my head to scream "what %$#@*&^ clothes? I can't get to my clothes."
But instead negotiate to have the maintenance guy to open my door when I return and negotiate a ride on the hotel van to the other hotel.
I attend a three hour meeting. Then I go back.
I ask the hotel clerk if she has my new room key. She says, go up to your room, call me and I will have your new room number.
The maintenance guy comes up to my door (states to me that he hopes he doesn't wake up other people) and then unlocks the door. It only takes about twenty minutes.
I call downstairs, the desk clerk says she will have to call me back. If people would quit calling she would be glad to assign me a new room. I sit around and watch TV and wait for her to call back.
She calls back and says, " I have assigned you a new room. I have given you the room right next door to your current one. You can come down and pick up your room keys."
Why would it matter if the room is next door. I have to pick up all my stuff, take it back down to the front desk, grab my new room keys and tote it all back to a room that isn't near the elevators which might have been helpful.
I unlock the door and am in a room that hasn't been cleaned. It was disgusting.
I call the front desk and the procedure repeats. "Oh, it hasn't been cleaned. I will have to find you another room."
I turn on the TV as I know the desk clerk will take forever to change my room.
After about 10 minutes I start down to the front desk. At the door to the elevator I meet the maintenance man and he hands me the keys to a new room.
Finally I settle down. The room isn't a large or quite as nice, but I am grateful for the new room.
Happy trails, Marty
Thursday March 8
It's eight AM and I am at the airport in McAllen. This flight is seriously oversold. They start at $200. They move up to $250. It's an hour later. We load onto the plane. They are still asking for people to give up their seats.
They raise it to $300. And an upgrade to first class. Hmm. A travel voucher and I can drink my way across the country. Well, hello continental. I'm up for that. (Sue had scheduled me with a long layover, and continental agrees to make sure I make the plane connection.)
If I had the time, I could have sat here all day and collected vouchers. The next flight was overbooked even more. So were the rest of of the flights.
I end up taking a taxi from the airport to the hotel. Ohhhh, I have stayed here before. It used to be a something else. The food used to be decent, but the rooms were the pits.
I walk in to a beautifully upgraded lobby. When I get on the elevator, I laugh at the construction dust all over the floor. Up on the fifth floor things are nice, but a number of the rooms weren't yet finished.
My room has a stove top, glasses, a dishwasher, a large refrigerator, a nice table and chairs and a couple of easy chairs. It is a nice room. I head downstairs to a meeting and enjoy some dinner.
Back in my room, I enjoy the temp of my room being a tad on the cool side. My dad has MS and he is continually cold. The temp in the trailer that I share with them when I visit in Texas is somewhere between 80 and 90. I kick back and look at some TV and read the board notebook I was handed. I finish it around 2AM.
I wish I had a car so I could pick up a bottle of wine or a six pack of sam adams or two, but I don't so I satisfy myself with iced tea. I've gotta get up in the morning. I am happy about the travel voucher. I will be able to use it as I try to fly the kids to me so they can travel with me this sumer.
I think about going home to see my therapist. I need to think some stuff through. I also have the money to pay her. grin Now, if I get the train in San Antonio I can pretty much get a straight shot through to Chicago and then head on east.
Happy Trails, Marty
They raise it to $300. And an upgrade to first class. Hmm. A travel voucher and I can drink my way across the country. Well, hello continental. I'm up for that. (Sue had scheduled me with a long layover, and continental agrees to make sure I make the plane connection.)
If I had the time, I could have sat here all day and collected vouchers. The next flight was overbooked even more. So were the rest of of the flights.
I end up taking a taxi from the airport to the hotel. Ohhhh, I have stayed here before. It used to be a something else. The food used to be decent, but the rooms were the pits.
I walk in to a beautifully upgraded lobby. When I get on the elevator, I laugh at the construction dust all over the floor. Up on the fifth floor things are nice, but a number of the rooms weren't yet finished.
My room has a stove top, glasses, a dishwasher, a large refrigerator, a nice table and chairs and a couple of easy chairs. It is a nice room. I head downstairs to a meeting and enjoy some dinner.
Back in my room, I enjoy the temp of my room being a tad on the cool side. My dad has MS and he is continually cold. The temp in the trailer that I share with them when I visit in Texas is somewhere between 80 and 90. I kick back and look at some TV and read the board notebook I was handed. I finish it around 2AM.
I wish I had a car so I could pick up a bottle of wine or a six pack of sam adams or two, but I don't so I satisfy myself with iced tea. I've gotta get up in the morning. I am happy about the travel voucher. I will be able to use it as I try to fly the kids to me so they can travel with me this sumer.
I think about going home to see my therapist. I need to think some stuff through. I also have the money to pay her. grin Now, if I get the train in San Antonio I can pretty much get a straight shot through to Chicago and then head on east.
Happy Trails, Marty
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Thursday March 1st
For a while, I thought that I had lost a day. It really bothered me, but then I realized that I was just kind of brain dead the first day I was here. Gee, I wonder why. I remember that we went out to eat yesterday at a pancake house and I remember that mom and I went to a place called Glicks.
Glicks is an interesting place. On one side is a canvas and salvage shop and the other side is probably best described as a clearance store, but it is targeted at hunting and camping. I looked at bags and a tent and t-shirts. I really liked the t-shirts that were $2.50 each and were in designs I liked. Now how often does that happen? LOL
The tent is needed because I broke a tent pole. It didn't shatter and is working somewhat well, but the problem is--what do I do when a storm brews up and it's raining cats and dogs--and the darn pole decides to stop working then. The one thing one can't do on a bike is ride when soaked and it is a trifle chilly. I learned that in Mississippi and had the wonderful chance to relearn it once again in Houston the other night.
Ahh, Houston, another stupid learning opportunity. LOL Note to self, make sure that you put your rain gear on the first instant you notice heavy fog.
I cut a pair of pants off into shorts and try to decide what to do about the rest of my clothes. Since I am heading back n0rth before the end of March, I can't just get rid of them, but then again--I don't have a lot of room.
Yesterday and today, I decided to sit back and relax. Try to figure out what the tempest is about and just how I got annialated by it. and it is a tempest in a teapot.
People email that they want the messages to stop and well in neither situation did I start sending the messages, so I can't stop them. KWIM? What does upset me is that I am being considered spam, which I go to great lengths to not do in my regular life, so being considered spam is extremely offensive.
I am going over to Corpus Christy this weekend and am going to enjoy looking around and speaking on Monday. I am so getting out of practice and I really can't afford that.
Happy Trails, Marty
Glicks is an interesting place. On one side is a canvas and salvage shop and the other side is probably best described as a clearance store, but it is targeted at hunting and camping. I looked at bags and a tent and t-shirts. I really liked the t-shirts that were $2.50 each and were in designs I liked. Now how often does that happen? LOL
The tent is needed because I broke a tent pole. It didn't shatter and is working somewhat well, but the problem is--what do I do when a storm brews up and it's raining cats and dogs--and the darn pole decides to stop working then. The one thing one can't do on a bike is ride when soaked and it is a trifle chilly. I learned that in Mississippi and had the wonderful chance to relearn it once again in Houston the other night.
Ahh, Houston, another stupid learning opportunity. LOL Note to self, make sure that you put your rain gear on the first instant you notice heavy fog.
I cut a pair of pants off into shorts and try to decide what to do about the rest of my clothes. Since I am heading back n0rth before the end of March, I can't just get rid of them, but then again--I don't have a lot of room.
Yesterday and today, I decided to sit back and relax. Try to figure out what the tempest is about and just how I got annialated by it. and it is a tempest in a teapot.
People email that they want the messages to stop and well in neither situation did I start sending the messages, so I can't stop them. KWIM? What does upset me is that I am being considered spam, which I go to great lengths to not do in my regular life, so being considered spam is extremely offensive.
I am going over to Corpus Christy this weekend and am going to enjoy looking around and speaking on Monday. I am so getting out of practice and I really can't afford that.
Happy Trails, Marty
Monday, March 5, 2007
Tuesday February 27, 2007
Ok, so it's a night nasty with fog and the hotels are a tad crowded especially for a Sunday night. I stand around and think for a bit about what to do. My cash flow is Ok at this time, but not as healthy as I want it to be.
There has been an explosion of communication regarding the non-profit that I volunteer with and it gets even later as I sit in the airport for an extra hour and try to pour some oil on churning waters as I sit and try to decern just what is going right and wrong.
I get to my bike around 2AM. I don't see things getting much better. LOL.
It takes me over half an hour to pack my bike and get on the road. Two AM, the night is foggy and I decide to move on.
About an hour later, I realize just what a really bad decision that was. I smile as I think--ahh, a learning opportunity about life. I pull off and my jeans and jacket are soaking wet from the fog. The fairing and my helmet visor keep ending up drenching wet. I decide to pull over as my load needs to be adjusted and I need gas. I see a sign up ahead for hotels, but after I pull off there is no gas station. There are security guards in the hotel parking lots which means that
1. I can't really use the hotel parking lot to rearrange my load
2. The area isn't particularly safe
3. When I pull into a parking lot to turn around, I end up dumping the bike because I was stupid.
I sigh as I pull the load entirely off the bike and grin--well, I needed to reload it anyway-- and ahh, another learning opportunity about life.
It fleetingly goes through my head that I am going to wish that I had practiced finding the best way to pick up my bike. (I am often slow to move, so doing this voluntarily isn't likely.)
It takes two tries, but I find the balance point and get the bike back up. I fleetingly wonder what it would be like to pick it up if I had a set of good knees and take a couple of Ibuprofen for my bike. I glance up as I get into my backpack and realize that the security from the Holiday Inn is watching me. That can be seen as good or bad. There is a good chance that if something goes wrong the guy will at least call 911. I hope he knows the number. The bad part is that I don't really enjoy other people watching me recover from stupidity.
So, I am soaking wet, no place to change clothes, my load is on the parking lot at my feet, my actions are being watched (and probably greatly enjoyed), and I have to tear apart my duffle bag to get to my rain gear.
I don the gear, repack the load and go to move on. I find a gas station, buy a paper, read it and fall asleep on my bike until 6AM when the gas station McDonalds opens. I eat some breakfast and think about taking it as easy as I can for a six hour ride that will require a lot of breaks.
The ride from Huston to Pharr is long and boring. I end up getting to the park around 6:30 that night as I had pulled off a couple of times in rest areas to take a nap on the benches.
I unpack my bike and wait for my parents to show up. I must be the amusement for the Banana Street or at least I feel that way. I dump my stuff next to teh storage shed and as it grows later, I realize that they are probably at a dinner for hosts tutors.
I walk over to the library and sit and read a book. I call the trailer about every 15 minutes to see if they have gotten home yet. Even with the sleep, I am still tired.
Happy trails, Marty
There has been an explosion of communication regarding the non-profit that I volunteer with and it gets even later as I sit in the airport for an extra hour and try to pour some oil on churning waters as I sit and try to decern just what is going right and wrong.
I get to my bike around 2AM. I don't see things getting much better. LOL.
It takes me over half an hour to pack my bike and get on the road. Two AM, the night is foggy and I decide to move on.
About an hour later, I realize just what a really bad decision that was. I smile as I think--ahh, a learning opportunity about life. I pull off and my jeans and jacket are soaking wet from the fog. The fairing and my helmet visor keep ending up drenching wet. I decide to pull over as my load needs to be adjusted and I need gas. I see a sign up ahead for hotels, but after I pull off there is no gas station. There are security guards in the hotel parking lots which means that
1. I can't really use the hotel parking lot to rearrange my load
2. The area isn't particularly safe
3. When I pull into a parking lot to turn around, I end up dumping the bike because I was stupid.
I sigh as I pull the load entirely off the bike and grin--well, I needed to reload it anyway-- and ahh, another learning opportunity about life.
It fleetingly goes through my head that I am going to wish that I had practiced finding the best way to pick up my bike. (I am often slow to move, so doing this voluntarily isn't likely.)
It takes two tries, but I find the balance point and get the bike back up. I fleetingly wonder what it would be like to pick it up if I had a set of good knees and take a couple of Ibuprofen for my bike. I glance up as I get into my backpack and realize that the security from the Holiday Inn is watching me. That can be seen as good or bad. There is a good chance that if something goes wrong the guy will at least call 911. I hope he knows the number. The bad part is that I don't really enjoy other people watching me recover from stupidity.
So, I am soaking wet, no place to change clothes, my load is on the parking lot at my feet, my actions are being watched (and probably greatly enjoyed), and I have to tear apart my duffle bag to get to my rain gear.
I don the gear, repack the load and go to move on. I find a gas station, buy a paper, read it and fall asleep on my bike until 6AM when the gas station McDonalds opens. I eat some breakfast and think about taking it as easy as I can for a six hour ride that will require a lot of breaks.
The ride from Huston to Pharr is long and boring. I end up getting to the park around 6:30 that night as I had pulled off a couple of times in rest areas to take a nap on the benches.
I unpack my bike and wait for my parents to show up. I must be the amusement for the Banana Street or at least I feel that way. I dump my stuff next to teh storage shed and as it grows later, I realize that they are probably at a dinner for hosts tutors.
I walk over to the library and sit and read a book. I call the trailer about every 15 minutes to see if they have gotten home yet. Even with the sleep, I am still tired.
Happy trails, Marty
Monday February 26, 2007
Today started out fairly well, but I didn't sleep well last night. I'm not sure why, but it seemed as if I was up and down all night. Usually when I can't sleep well and I am at home, I put on a movie that I know really well to try to help my mind become occupied in a different way. There aren't any movies on here that will do that.
I end up getting up fairly early and surfing the Internet for fun. I try to decide what to do tonight. There really isn't a great decision as I see it right now. I think a lot about my bike and whether it is OK.
I envision me flying down the road. After all, that is why I own a bike. The freedom of flying down a road.
I see Rob for a couple of minutes at breakfast, drink some tea and at noon I get a call wanting to know when I am going to vacate my room. So much for the clerk putting down that I wanted a late check-out, but they really were great about it when I told them that I would be out on the dot of two.
At two, I get over to the airport and sit there for another three hours. This time the plane loads. I was a little uptight as many of the flights for Philly weren't flying on time.
I sit on the plane and find a place to surf the Internet at the Charlotte airport. Then we fly on into Houston. It is well after midnight when I get my luggage and decide to repack and move on tonight. I want to go on over to Galveston, but find out hat the park is full. I don't know where to find the parks near Huston in the dark and the night is nasty with fog. Really nasty with fog.
Happy Trails, Marty
I end up getting up fairly early and surfing the Internet for fun. I try to decide what to do tonight. There really isn't a great decision as I see it right now. I think a lot about my bike and whether it is OK.
I envision me flying down the road. After all, that is why I own a bike. The freedom of flying down a road.
I see Rob for a couple of minutes at breakfast, drink some tea and at noon I get a call wanting to know when I am going to vacate my room. So much for the clerk putting down that I wanted a late check-out, but they really were great about it when I told them that I would be out on the dot of two.
At two, I get over to the airport and sit there for another three hours. This time the plane loads. I was a little uptight as many of the flights for Philly weren't flying on time.
I sit on the plane and find a place to surf the Internet at the Charlotte airport. Then we fly on into Houston. It is well after midnight when I get my luggage and decide to repack and move on tonight. I want to go on over to Galveston, but find out hat the park is full. I don't know where to find the parks near Huston in the dark and the night is nasty with fog. Really nasty with fog.
Happy Trails, Marty
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Sunday February 24, 2007
Well, my day started out with my friend Rob making hotel arrangements because he can't fly out today due to the ice storm. Jim checked on my flight and it was on time.
The training ended pretty well, right around noon. We gave out the certificates and enjoyed the people. They held up cell phones to honor the water under Kathy, grin. They soaped Tracey's windows. The soaped Chichi's windows.
There was a bit of an ugly surprise of a boxed lunch. I am not saying that the boxed lunch wasn't good, it was. I just wasn't ready and it will be around 11 at night before I can possibly get back to Houston. Then finding a 24 hour restaurant in a town I don't know well, could easily prove to be a problem.
We finish taking things down and head back to Hartford so they can drop me off at the airport. I gather up my stuff, get my ticket and head on down to the gate watching the mile long line at the United Counter as people get to the airport and then find out that they are going nowhere fast, tomorrow is probably already booked by people who found out earlier.
It makes me nervous as I wait for my USAIRLINES flight. Flights are being cancelled all around me. It's pretty ugly, but as of now my plane is slated in an on-time slot. I know that miracles happen and all that tommyrot, but there actually isn't a lot of chance that I will be able to make it out of the transfer point, but can't reschedule until they cancel my flight.
So I sit in the airport and wait for hours and hours.
Up until 30 minutes before my flight, they were saying it was on-time; then they said there would be a 45 minute delay, which switched to an over 3 hour delay which meant that everyone would miss their connections, except--I had a flight with a stopover. Is that a connection or not> I have to ask and therefore ended up in the end of the line when I had to be rescheduled. I didn't want to be rescheduled, (it's that hours in line after waiting hours at the airport, thing) but have to make do.
I call Rob and ask if I can bunk on his couch. He says yes, but calls Katheryn and she gets me a room at the hotel Rob is staying at. Rob asks if I want to go to dinner and suggests Ruby Tuesdays. I am still in line and we chat about how we could kill for some good beef. Rob and I are both from the mid-west and being in a retreat center that served chicken and fish was hard on both of us. The retreat center did serve some pork, but well-- I wasn't sure---well, you know what I mean. It was a great retreat center, the chicken and fish were outstanding.
When I get to the hotel, I must have looked bad. grin I got upgraded and got a late checkout. Both of which I needed. Rob and I talked until midnight. He's such a great guy to talk with. He is funny, enjoyable and interesting, just an awesome guy to be with.
I made a pot or two or three of iced tea, sit back and enjoy the time. The rooms at the retreat center and at the Homewood Inn and Suites were great, especially compared to my tent. LOL
Happy trails, marty
The training ended pretty well, right around noon. We gave out the certificates and enjoyed the people. They held up cell phones to honor the water under Kathy, grin. They soaped Tracey's windows. The soaped Chichi's windows.
There was a bit of an ugly surprise of a boxed lunch. I am not saying that the boxed lunch wasn't good, it was. I just wasn't ready and it will be around 11 at night before I can possibly get back to Houston. Then finding a 24 hour restaurant in a town I don't know well, could easily prove to be a problem.
We finish taking things down and head back to Hartford so they can drop me off at the airport. I gather up my stuff, get my ticket and head on down to the gate watching the mile long line at the United Counter as people get to the airport and then find out that they are going nowhere fast, tomorrow is probably already booked by people who found out earlier.
It makes me nervous as I wait for my USAIRLINES flight. Flights are being cancelled all around me. It's pretty ugly, but as of now my plane is slated in an on-time slot. I know that miracles happen and all that tommyrot, but there actually isn't a lot of chance that I will be able to make it out of the transfer point, but can't reschedule until they cancel my flight.
So I sit in the airport and wait for hours and hours.
Up until 30 minutes before my flight, they were saying it was on-time; then they said there would be a 45 minute delay, which switched to an over 3 hour delay which meant that everyone would miss their connections, except--I had a flight with a stopover. Is that a connection or not> I have to ask and therefore ended up in the end of the line when I had to be rescheduled. I didn't want to be rescheduled, (it's that hours in line after waiting hours at the airport, thing) but have to make do.
I call Rob and ask if I can bunk on his couch. He says yes, but calls Katheryn and she gets me a room at the hotel Rob is staying at. Rob asks if I want to go to dinner and suggests Ruby Tuesdays. I am still in line and we chat about how we could kill for some good beef. Rob and I are both from the mid-west and being in a retreat center that served chicken and fish was hard on both of us. The retreat center did serve some pork, but well-- I wasn't sure---well, you know what I mean. It was a great retreat center, the chicken and fish were outstanding.
When I get to the hotel, I must have looked bad. grin I got upgraded and got a late checkout. Both of which I needed. Rob and I talked until midnight. He's such a great guy to talk with. He is funny, enjoyable and interesting, just an awesome guy to be with.
I made a pot or two or three of iced tea, sit back and enjoy the time. The rooms at the retreat center and at the Homewood Inn and Suites were great, especially compared to my tent. LOL
Happy trails, marty
Saturday February 23, 2007
The place here is really great. The training is going well.
My cell phone is operating on an extended network setting which means that I pay extra for every minute and my Verizon Wireless Card is operable, but intermittent at times. I have to periodically hang up and then dial back in. And posting to the blog is fairly impossible so this will end up happening later than I like it to. Playing catchup when one is trying to make a daily blog is a bear.
I keep thinking about how it seems as if most of Texas is angry at/with me. It's frustrating as I don't really have the connections I need, but have hope that on March 5, I will be able to meet someone who can get some of them to me. I know that it is a misunderstanding, but can't figure out how to fix it.
And after I fix it, will I be able to recover from it? Maybe, maybe not. As I am tired, frustrated and discouraged, I think that I might head on down to Pharr and try to figure out how I can best recover. I can always go to Corpus as it is under 200 miles away. That's just a short toodle.
I really need to hit a church that is compatible with what I believe. In Mississippi there were none near me and in Louisiana, I didn't have the money or way to travel until I had replaced some of the parts I ended up missing. It's hard to have that spiritual side of me run down. It doesn't usually happen, but it has been a long time.
I am thrilled to be here with everyone, that does help, but I miss having like minded people around that I can discuss why things are going wrong at this time. There is a church in Pharr, and one in Corpus that might meet my needs. I so hate feeing needy. I am going to have to purchase the books again to help me move along in the way that I need to. I don't have access to enough of the tools that I need to maintain on my own.
Anyone else here want to play "Wouldn't it be nice......? Being lonesome in a crowd is strange. LOL
Happy Trails, Marty
My cell phone is operating on an extended network setting which means that I pay extra for every minute and my Verizon Wireless Card is operable, but intermittent at times. I have to periodically hang up and then dial back in. And posting to the blog is fairly impossible so this will end up happening later than I like it to. Playing catchup when one is trying to make a daily blog is a bear.
I keep thinking about how it seems as if most of Texas is angry at/with me. It's frustrating as I don't really have the connections I need, but have hope that on March 5, I will be able to meet someone who can get some of them to me. I know that it is a misunderstanding, but can't figure out how to fix it.
And after I fix it, will I be able to recover from it? Maybe, maybe not. As I am tired, frustrated and discouraged, I think that I might head on down to Pharr and try to figure out how I can best recover. I can always go to Corpus as it is under 200 miles away. That's just a short toodle.
I really need to hit a church that is compatible with what I believe. In Mississippi there were none near me and in Louisiana, I didn't have the money or way to travel until I had replaced some of the parts I ended up missing. It's hard to have that spiritual side of me run down. It doesn't usually happen, but it has been a long time.
I am thrilled to be here with everyone, that does help, but I miss having like minded people around that I can discuss why things are going wrong at this time. There is a church in Pharr, and one in Corpus that might meet my needs. I so hate feeing needy. I am going to have to purchase the books again to help me move along in the way that I need to. I don't have access to enough of the tools that I need to maintain on my own.
Anyone else here want to play "Wouldn't it be nice......? Being lonesome in a crowd is strange. LOL
Happy Trails, Marty
Friday, March 2, 2007
Friday February 22
Ok, it's 6 AM and I am up and in the shower. The fog doesn't seem to be lifting, but I really don't do cold water on any given morning. I get up and start to unpack. I realize that I should have done that last night as my bag must have sat out in the open on the tarmac somewhere as my bag is totally soaked along with about 4 inches of wet clothes.
I spread the wet clothes around the room and put the clothes on that I wore yesterday. At least I have my toothbrush and toothpaste. Steve's suitcase went missing yesterday and he doesn't have much at all. I hope the breakfast is going to be good.
Wow, it was. Eggs and sausage. Potatoes, fruit, smoothies, juices, etc. How awesome is that? What a change from yesterday mornings toast breakfast.
We start to set up and I start to get nervous. I love to train, but this is not a training that I have done a lot and I love to nail trainings with no mistakes or problems. My part of the trainings, not anyone elses. Each and every training, I plan on going in, being at my best, being what trainees need me to be that will help them relax and learn, etc. I know that this one will be a great training, my intuition tells me so (as Rob about that intuition think I try to use, more about it on Sunday) but I am still nervous as I haven't turned one of this type of training that is up to my normal standards yet.
Steve and I are paired up for training groups and then we break down still farther into smaller groups for practice.
Things go well and my group is absolutely full of the most awesome people that I could ever hope to meet. We have a lot of fun with the role playing and take our time as I beat them up making them run a group for the first three exercises instead of just letting them do the part of the exercise they are supposed to be practicing on. It means that others finish ahead of me, but the importance of sticking to the agenda and focusing on the priniciples can't be stressed enough, at least in my book.
I am really enjoying this training. It is going well.
I keep hearing about this Kathy Flaherty. What's up with that? She must really walk on water. Or two inches above it. grin
Happy trails, Marty
I spread the wet clothes around the room and put the clothes on that I wore yesterday. At least I have my toothbrush and toothpaste. Steve's suitcase went missing yesterday and he doesn't have much at all. I hope the breakfast is going to be good.
Wow, it was. Eggs and sausage. Potatoes, fruit, smoothies, juices, etc. How awesome is that? What a change from yesterday mornings toast breakfast.
We start to set up and I start to get nervous. I love to train, but this is not a training that I have done a lot and I love to nail trainings with no mistakes or problems. My part of the trainings, not anyone elses. Each and every training, I plan on going in, being at my best, being what trainees need me to be that will help them relax and learn, etc. I know that this one will be a great training, my intuition tells me so (as Rob about that intuition think I try to use, more about it on Sunday) but I am still nervous as I haven't turned one of this type of training that is up to my normal standards yet.
Steve and I are paired up for training groups and then we break down still farther into smaller groups for practice.
Things go well and my group is absolutely full of the most awesome people that I could ever hope to meet. We have a lot of fun with the role playing and take our time as I beat them up making them run a group for the first three exercises instead of just letting them do the part of the exercise they are supposed to be practicing on. It means that others finish ahead of me, but the importance of sticking to the agenda and focusing on the priniciples can't be stressed enough, at least in my book.
I am really enjoying this training. It is going well.
I keep hearing about this Kathy Flaherty. What's up with that? She must really walk on water. Or two inches above it. grin
Happy trails, Marty
Thursday February 22
I got up early, (not early enough, never early enough as I only love to sleep in the mornings. LOL).
I pack things up and pray that I won't dump my bike on my way over to "The Parking Spot" which is a covered parking strucure. This meant that I wouldn't need to go find a room to rent to store my bike in, but it also meant that I would need to get a move on because the bus would be there shortly after I parked.
So about 7:30 I go out to my bike with everything except my shaving cream, some shampoo and well, you get the picture. I want to shower after I load up my bike.
After I get everything loaded up, I run back inside--ready to take the shortest shower on record when I realize that the clerk/owner has checked me out of my room. And I can't find them. Immediately I become enraged. The night was crappy enough, no internet access, no refrigerator, no working remote in the room (actually this seems to happen to me a lot, maybe there's a message) . When I finally run down the clerk, I realize that if I say much, I will be late for the plane and I have to take luggage.
After I get to the parking spot, I finally calm down and start to relax. My bike is safe, I am safe, the plane is safe (what is the crash rate for US Air, anyway--I didn't look it up) and in a few hours I will get to meet some of my other friends who are trainers. They are a great group of people, Kathryn, Jim, Rob and Steve. It's a great balance of personalities.
I was told to hold a number of weekends, and hope that I will get to do more, but this situation has made me a little anxious as there was no intinerary and no mention of where we are to stay. I hope the place is a great place and that the weather holds as I don't travel with a winter coat.
Right after I pick up my luggage, I see Steve and give him a hug. It is so good to see him. Next I see Rob and try to draw his attention, but he is ignoring me. It fleetingly runs through my mind that he is probably trying to do that, but I think it through and laugh. When he turns around, I manage to grab his attention and tease him some.
Jim and Kathryn pick us up at the airport and we get to fully enjoy the country scenes. The scenery is truly gorgeous, (what we can see of it after dark) and the light snow fallling makes the world look clean and fresh.
We make it up to West Cornwall and then decide to slide back down the last hill. We try again and slide again. Hmm, do we call AAA or the Retreat Center that we are going to? Someone smarter than I makes the decision to call the Retreat Center and here come a couple of people. One I later find out is a waiter and the other is identified by his white coat as the cook. Talk about multi-tasking. grin
As we check in they mention that the dining room is now closed but they made us up some plates. We go, find our rooms and return back to the dining area. There is a key to the bar for which I am grateful. We chat about this and that, then go to turn in as we want to get up and meet early in the morning.
Well, maybe we don't want to do so, but we were late getting in and don't want to deal with it anymore tonight. I keep hearing about this kathy Flaherty person. Wow, she must walk on water or something.
There are a few others there but not too many. Some haven't been able to make it in due to the snow and some are coming in the morning.
I go up to my room and crash as nothing feels comfortable to me or feels that it is going right.
Happy trails, Marty
I pack things up and pray that I won't dump my bike on my way over to "The Parking Spot" which is a covered parking strucure. This meant that I wouldn't need to go find a room to rent to store my bike in, but it also meant that I would need to get a move on because the bus would be there shortly after I parked.
So about 7:30 I go out to my bike with everything except my shaving cream, some shampoo and well, you get the picture. I want to shower after I load up my bike.
After I get everything loaded up, I run back inside--ready to take the shortest shower on record when I realize that the clerk/owner has checked me out of my room. And I can't find them. Immediately I become enraged. The night was crappy enough, no internet access, no refrigerator, no working remote in the room (actually this seems to happen to me a lot, maybe there's a message) . When I finally run down the clerk, I realize that if I say much, I will be late for the plane and I have to take luggage.
After I get to the parking spot, I finally calm down and start to relax. My bike is safe, I am safe, the plane is safe (what is the crash rate for US Air, anyway--I didn't look it up) and in a few hours I will get to meet some of my other friends who are trainers. They are a great group of people, Kathryn, Jim, Rob and Steve. It's a great balance of personalities.
I was told to hold a number of weekends, and hope that I will get to do more, but this situation has made me a little anxious as there was no intinerary and no mention of where we are to stay. I hope the place is a great place and that the weather holds as I don't travel with a winter coat.
Right after I pick up my luggage, I see Steve and give him a hug. It is so good to see him. Next I see Rob and try to draw his attention, but he is ignoring me. It fleetingly runs through my mind that he is probably trying to do that, but I think it through and laugh. When he turns around, I manage to grab his attention and tease him some.
Jim and Kathryn pick us up at the airport and we get to fully enjoy the country scenes. The scenery is truly gorgeous, (what we can see of it after dark) and the light snow fallling makes the world look clean and fresh.
We make it up to West Cornwall and then decide to slide back down the last hill. We try again and slide again. Hmm, do we call AAA or the Retreat Center that we are going to? Someone smarter than I makes the decision to call the Retreat Center and here come a couple of people. One I later find out is a waiter and the other is identified by his white coat as the cook. Talk about multi-tasking. grin
As we check in they mention that the dining room is now closed but they made us up some plates. We go, find our rooms and return back to the dining area. There is a key to the bar for which I am grateful. We chat about this and that, then go to turn in as we want to get up and meet early in the morning.
Well, maybe we don't want to do so, but we were late getting in and don't want to deal with it anymore tonight. I keep hearing about this kathy Flaherty person. Wow, she must walk on water or something.
There are a few others there but not too many. Some haven't been able to make it in due to the snow and some are coming in the morning.
I go up to my room and crash as nothing feels comfortable to me or feels that it is going right.
Happy trails, Marty
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