General

So, now that I travel quite a bit here are the airports I frequent and what I generally think of them.  I am, erm, "inspired" to write about them because I am currently sitting in one.  Here they are, in no particular order.  As you know, if you have read my blog with any regularity, I find airports, as a rule, very depressing places.  However, many of them have tried to take the edge off of a painful process.

And I'm really not sorry if this bores you.  It's my blog, after all.

Phoenix -- This is a really nice airport, amenity-wise.  It has interesting shops and some good food choices, like Paradise Bakery (Arizona's Panera Bread). Bag claim isn't terrible, but it isn't the quickest I've ever done, either.  Plenty of moving walkways, and I once met a guy who played shortstop for the Rivercats there.  He was running one of those people movers (I didn't ask).  He did have his PCS championship ring, which was far more impressive than I expected.  The Southwest terminal is split into two wings, with different security lines for each one.  This really helps cut down on the line as this airport is pretty busy.  Rental cars have their own mega-facility, and it is easy to navigate and easy access to AZ freeways.

LAX -- Where I am currently.  This airport is the pit of despair.  The security line at the terminal is right at the door, so you are often in a line outside sucking on car and bus fumes.  The colors are all grey and depressing...it really feels like a detention area or some sort of movie-like immigration processing area.  There are very few amenities and the actual security line always takes forever.  Everything is tiled in that area, so I can imagine that all the women who are wearing sandals when they travel are completely grossed out when they have to remove their shoes to walk through this area barefoot.  I get grossed out in sympathy.  No one looks relaxed, and the surrounding area is depressing as well.  On the bright side...there's nothing here that a thorough carpet bombing couldn't fix.  Never checked a bag through here, and plan to avoid that at all cost.  Every minute in this space makes my heart sadder.

Orange County -- This is actually the John Wayne airport, and has a huge statue of the cowboy in the bag claim area.  The actual airport isn't terrible...it's easy to access, rental cars are a short walk from the terminal, and the security lines are pretty easy to navigate.  The amenities are lacking, though.  There's only one non-chain restaurant and it lacks in power plugs.  The terminal itself is single long hallway, so it can be easy or slightly more difficult, depending on your gate because there are no people movers.  However, it's a small place, so rarely is that a problem.  The biggest nag here is taking off.  The take-off pattern is over Newport Beach, and because of noise restrictions, you feel like you take off straight up and then they cut power way back, so there is this moment of semi-weightlessness.  Weird feeling, and jacks with my ears in a bad way.  Bonus points for cool surf history stuff on display.

Sacramento -- My local airport is also one of my favorites.  Everything is easy to get to, parking and rental cars are close, and the amenities are very nice.  They have a couple of cool little restaurants, including a great noodle place.  The only downside is checked bags, as they take almost forever to get, so avoid that if you can.  There are cool luggage pillars in the bag claim area, which is kinda funny.

Oakland -- this airport has gotten easier to navigate since they re-did the entrance.  I haven't flown through here in a while, so I can't speak to its amenities or security line.  driving to/from is not difficult, though.

San Francisco -- same as Oakland as far as flying through, but definitely driving to/from is a royal pain.  it has easy freeway access, but that freeway is always slammed.  Avoid at all costs, unless you are staying in SF only, then it has a BART link which, I hear, is pretty handy.

San Jose -- never flown through, but definitely hate driving to/from.  the road is an absolute disaster, signage is poor, and it feels like a post-industrial war zone.

Seattle -- great airport, which will be greater when they complete the light rail to downtown.  Lots of really nice amenities, including some pretty good sushi.  Never done the rental car, so can't speak for that.  security line is pretty good.  Bag claim, however, is the longest I have ever experienced.  It takes upwards of 45 minutes to get your bag, so stop at Starbucks or Tully's and chill a minute before you go down.

Tucson -- Weirdest airport experience I have ever had.  the place is really spread out and absolutely empty.  There were three people in the security line and it still took me 15 minutes to get through because of the world's slowest TSA agent.  I think this guy had a special skill in that area.  Lpatop counters for plug in have these weird backless seats with an awkward footrest that puts you in a very odd position.  Designed for form, not for function.  Amenities aren't bad, there just isn't many of them.  Rental car return felt like an Enterprise in a really small town.  Had to do all the legwork ourselves for the return.

I interrupt this broadcast to state that the girls Auburn basketball team just walked by.  They are all very tall, which is why it was so noticeable.  And one girl was wearing high heels, so it made here look like a seven footer.  I guess they play an LA school this weekend.  Okay, back to your regularly scheduled airport descriptions.

O'Hare -- I hate this airport almost as much as I hate LAX.  Everything is a mile away from each other, and getting to/from is a complete pain.  It's been a while since I have flown through O'Hare, so I can't go into detailed descriptions about it.  I hates it, though.  Hates it, hates it, hates it.

Houston -- This has a huge statue of the elder George Bush in it, which is weird.  And a museum.  he's not dead, yet.

Louisville -- Easy airport in a small market with easy access.  Can't speak to amenities since I didn't use them, but the rental car was really easy...right outside the terminal.

JFK -- The crush of humanity in this airport is overwhelming, and getting to/from is an exercise in frustration and horror.  I loathe the airport, even though I have enjoyed both of my visits to NYC.

Newark -- Do I really have to describe this?  Really?  *Shudder*

DFW -- Connectors through here can be a real bear, especially if your departure flight is at the other end of the double-horseshoe and you have 15 minutes to get there.  Nothing like getting on a plane all sweaty and collapsing from heart failure.

There are others, but you get the idea.  Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.  If not...well, what can I say? 

Peace.

So...this is our weekend lately.

From 9-2 on Saturday, it's "our" time.  This is the time we have on weekend to do our normal weekend stuff...like bike rides, house cleaning, laundry, yard work, etc.  It's been this way for six weeks.  From 3-dinner, we rehearse.  For example, we rehearsed four scenes yesterday, which included all of us at one point or another.  Rehearsals are getting more serious now (Christmas is closer than you think), and we are trying to do the scenes without scripts and with proper lighting and props.  Today (even as I type), we are doing the complete Act 2, with stops.  That means the director (God bless her soul) interrupts as she sees fit and provides...direction.  Also, we have worship in the morning and some kind of thing in the evening (class, home study, etc).  The Sunday rehearsals last from 2-4 or 5.

For the record, I am not complaining.  I really enjoy this...it's just a pretty big time commitment, and some things slip (like the yard work).

Last Sunday, Emma signed her first song in worship for the deaf members.  Very precious.  Just thought I'd throw that in there.

It's hard to write a blog entry when I keep interrupting myself to talk to people and look at stuff and glare at the noisy adults while the kids are trying to work their scene (i have a world class glare).  But, I persist.

Not much of an entry, I know.  But there it is.  I promised more about Chad and Brandon last time.  I'll do that later this week.  Those guys were (and probably still are) the coolest, and took the edge off of a very weird time in my life.

Because Anne brought home an original NES system, and I played Mario 2 and the fist Zelda.  And ExciteBike.  Woah.  But the system is really finicky (it's old...give it a break) so she is going to take it back to the kid at school who wanted to sell it to her.  No amount of isopropyl alcohol and blowing would bring it back to life.  Although, it certainly brought back Sunday afternoon's spent at the Shaw family household.

My two best friends in high school (Brandon and Chad) and I would go to Mr. and Mrs. Shaws' house to play Nintendo and ping pong every Sunday afternoon.  The Shaws were both math teachers at our high school.  Mrs. Shaw taught my geometry class and Mr. Shaw taught my algebra and computer math class (where I learned to write programs in BASIC on TRS-80's).  Every Sunday Brandon and Chad would pick me up (I didn't have a car) and then we would drive to their house and proceed to play.  I would play Mike Tyson Super Punch-Out until my thumbs hurt.  My addiction to video games began there.  I would try SO hard to beat Mr. Shaw in ping pong, and never could.  We would shoot basketball in their driveway with their two sons.  I always felt out-classed...Brandon and Chad were (and, I assume, are) smarter than me, and Brandon was way cooler cause he played football and was a huge guy in great shape.  I can remember playing with the kids' Transformers and being a bit jealous that they had them and I didn't (even in high school.  i was kind of a nerd, in case you didn't know).  I loved that time, and I still go back there in my head sometimes.  They lived between Buffalo and Hodgenville, and had an awesome house with a finished basement.  The basement in my house was a root cellar, and we stored canned beans and potatoes there, and went there during tornadoes.  Not exactly a fun place (lots of spiders.  LOTS). They had two televisions.  TWO.  It was remarkable.  I drove by their house last time I was there, but couldn't identify it.  I even dropped by the school and no one there could tell me where the Shaws went.  I would really like to know...Mr and Mrs. Shaw had great positive influence on me, and their kindness and willingness to have three huge dorks at their house all the time kept me (mostly) out of trouble.

Next time, I'll talk about Brandon and Chad.  Two great guys...

Okay...some stuff.

Dear Gum companies:  the following are NOT considered flavors.  Winterblue.  That's a color, not a flavor.  Vanilla Chill, Arctic Chill, and Winter Chill.  While one has a flavor name in the title, as a whole...NOT A FLAVOR.  The names suggest temperatures.  Makes me feel...chilly.  Elixir, Cobalt, Flare, Rain, and Lush.  That's four nouns and an adjective.  Not a flavor in sight.  Cool Rush.  Again, not a flavor.  Here are some appropriate flavor names:  Cinnamon.  Spearmint.  Peppermint.  Any fruit or fruit combo.  I may like your gums, but your flavor names frighten me.

Dear Deodorant companies:  the following are NOT considered scents.  Game Time.  Okay, maybe it is a scent...but certainly not a pleasant one.  Cool Fusion.  Momentum.  Fresh Rush.  Cool Rush.  Power.  Extreme Blast (excuse me?  I don't want to put that under my arms).  Sport.

Here's what I'm getting at.  Your names confuse me.  I would like to be able to look at a product and be able to generally tell what it is I am buying.  I shouldn't have to play color association games (blue=cool, red=hot, etc) or pop lids on things to see if it something that smells generally acceptable and not like yesterday's gym sock.  Please stop.  I know you won't listen, but I'm asking anyway.

I'm tired, cold and hungry.  Okay...maybe just tired.

Peace.

This one's for you, Tom.

I know, I know.  Don't worry... I patronize myself quite enough.

This past summer has been quite the event-filled extravaganza.  If you keep up with my facebook, you'll know some stuff.  Here's the highlights:

1.  Moved my mom to California.  At much expense, and with all the associated ongoing drama.  Gee, this is fun.  I realize fully that she carried me under her heart for nine months, and I am eternally grateful for life.  However, this situation isn't going that great for my lil bro and her, and there's alot of conflict there.  Pretty sure i predicted that.  Layer on top of that the financial crisis that they are enduring, and I can only imagine how thin the nerves are wearing.  I had a brief talk with Mom last night, and plan on talking with her more this weekend.  We are taking her to our church's harvest festival, so maybe that will help to create a little space for Ben and her.  I think they are beginning to realize that this transition will take longer than they expected.  Maybe *crossing fingers* some maturity will come out of this, and I won't be the broker of their ongoing conversation.  I know...I'm an optimist.

2.  Still digging my job.  We got some new hardware on the horizon that I am completely stoked to get my hands on.  It's a 10G firewall, with line speed content inspection and 3G IPSec.  *Drool, drool.*  the economy has hit us, just like everyone else, but I think we'll do fine.  Especially when I can go into a shop that is running equipment from the evil empire and replace it at less than the cost of a maintenance renewal.  In situations like that, the slower economy helps us.  I enjoy the travel bits, too.  Teresa doesn't, but she is willing to put up with it because she knows I love my work so much.  Not as much as I love her, but you get the picture.

3.  Two family vacations, one to Disneyland and our yearly trek to Tahoe.  Disneyland was great fun, and there are pics of it on my facebook.  Go there, why dontcha?  I haven't posted any Tahoe pics.  I should really do that.  Or pics of my cross country U-Haul drive.  Thank God for Audible.com and reliable GPS.

4.  I stopped blogging.

5.  I started blogging again.

6.  We (the ENTIRE family) have been rehearsing for a Christmas musical for a couple of months now, at least.  It's been way fun so far, and I'm really enjoying it.  Anne is one of Mary's friends, Emma is a friend and a shepherd girl (two separate parts), Teresa is Joseph's mother ( I KNOW.  I am as shocked as you are.  I would have NEVER pictured Teresa on the stage).  I'm trying to get her to act more like a Jewish mother..."Oy vey!  You never call, you never write, I worry sick about you!  And look at you...you look like you haven't eaten in weeks.  You're poor mother."  I play Gabriel.  which means I walk around and look angelic.  And talk real loud.  I'm good at talking loud, so it's a natural fit.  And, since it's a musical, we all sing.  There's even a Rodger's and Hammerstein bit that, frankly, annoys me to no end.  But I'm in the minority.  And, I don't have to do that bit, so I should just keep my mouth shut.

So, that's all for the moment.  I am in the OC with all of the plastic people, and I need to go to my first meeting. 

How's that, Tom?

In two words: BRU-TAL.

I spent all of last week at the RSA conference. Now, I've gone to tradeshows before, but this is the first time that i've been on the other side of the booth. Talk about hard work. I spent most of each day standing, and I was tasked with setup and teardown (along with my sales guy). By Friday, my feet, calves, and lower back were in open rebellion and were making plans to secede from the union. It was a good show, though. I talked to alot of customers and spent a good amount of time hanging with our product management guys. It's surprising how many boxes we have installed in the field...more people know about us than I originally thought. But not enough people know about us so...BUY A FIREWALL! Please...my daughters need new shoes.

Okay, if you are a tech person, then you probably know about Twitter. I have toyed with this idea, but in the end, it really seems like a technorati kind of thing. Honestly, it smacks of elitism. Even the language leads in that direction. For example, if you choose to read what I twitter, then I get to call you a "follower." Yeesh. I listen to TWiT and watch Cranky Geeks, and people on those shows talk about it all the time. But, here's the thing. It is so much a tempest in a teapot. I think, largely, that real people don't use this thing. In all honesty, I don't think people are so enthralled with what I have to say that they have to know what's going on THIS VERY MINUTE, which is exactly what Twitter is all about. Besides...it will be owned by a large company soon, and then it will succumb to the advertising engine that is on the internet, and then all of the twits on Twitter will whine and moan, and dream about the good old days.

that's all I have time for. Tune in next time, when we find out what happens to Bobby, who fell down that well.