Day 28
Return to work as we now have propane so it wasn't another cold night. The checkbook will be a lot lighter after that propane delivery but it is what it is until we can get converted.
Little happening today other than work as I had more to do than hours to do it in.
The Photo
Nothing to see here, nothing to highlight the day.
Day 29
The snow returns as we had snow overnight and ended up with about 8 inches, so much for the prediction of only a couple inches but it seems that is the trend lately, poor snow predictions.
Worked the day from home as the day began with a meeting that led to another and another and when all that was done it was already afternoon.
Some quick shoveling at lunch and then on to a mass of issues from the various Go Lives which were happening. Would have been easier to be at a Go Live as then I would have only needed to worry about one set of issues. At one point I had 5 different conversations going on from the 3 locations that had upgrades, another from a client issue and another from a QA issue. All that while trying to juggle calls about a couple high priority projects.
This day was insane but working from home made it seem a little less stressful.
The Photo
More of the white stuff,,,
Day 30
Back to the office today. Just another day at the office as of late. There must be a better way as my life is turning into one boring day after another.
My mom turned 79 today. Talked to her on the phone.
The Photo
Nothing to see here either...
Day 31
Friday and a typical day at the office; but at least it's Friday.
Unable to get someone to go to the Wings game tomorrow so Kayla will gladly go. Still sad with what those games have become and that I feel okay taking my daughters to the game. Miss when that place used to be insane and anything but family friendly.
The Photo
Nothing to see here...
Day 32
Can't believe it is February already.
Received my tax information today so I was able to file my taxes, an okay refund (but nothing to make plans over). Hopefully this year goes as expected and next year's will be the first really decent one thanks to the mortgage interest.
Before doing the taxes I took Kay and we went out to pick up a couple things for Tabby (the vet said we should go with a harness for walking her) so we went to Pet Smart. Afterwards we stopped at BAM and picked up a couple books (she got an American classic while I picked up something a little lighter).
We surprised Rachel and Chris afterwards as Ray was selling Girl Scout cookies with her troop in front of Men's Warehouse and they arrived while we were inside BAM.
That night it was onwards to see the Wings play. We stopped on the way up to grab some dinner and then on to the game. For a Saturday night game the attendance was awful but the game was great as they won 15-9 and pretty much dominated all game.
The Photo
An evening at the Wells Fargo Center...
Day 33
Sleeping in a bit with a slight headache but nothing serious. It is Super Bowl day!!!
Did a little around the house today, no Super Bowl party plans. Thought about going to grab wings but decided to go with something easy from home instead.
Did go outside with the girls in the afternoon and threw the ball around to get Rachel back into lacrosse a bit more as she wants to play on the travel team this year.
Great game as the Seahawks won easily. Not a good game in terms of the game itself but since I like the Seahawks I was happy with it. It's not like the Eagles winning, I bleed green, but it is a nice consolation as they are my second team (have been since the early 80's).
Tweaked my back putting wood on the fire later that evening. Felt something pop, or slip, or something. Made for a rough night sleeping as the pain is sciatic in nature and going right down my leg. Sitting makes it worse and laying down wasn't helping either.
The Photo
Go Seahawks...
Day 34
Rough morning with the back pain and had a headache most of the day which I blame on the weather as it is raining all day.
We were spoiled over the weekend as it was a cold rain, hovering just above freezing, but at least it wasn't ice.
Not much to say about the day today, laid down for a while when I got home.
The Photo
Nothing to see here...
Monday, February 3, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
Day 27
Empty propane tank, the chill and the bill...
The Day
Before getting to bed last night I first noticed that the hot water seemed to cool off rather quickly. Then I noticed that the heater was cycling; that happens when it wants to start but there is no propane to light it. We're out of propane!!!
Rachel was already sick and would be out of school today because of a fever over the weekend and now I had to do my best to make sure we had enough heat for the night and that the pipes wouldn't freeze.
I found some extra blankets for the girls and turned on an electric heater in the master bedroom for Chris (she also had the dogs curled up next to her for added warmth. From there it was an all night affair make sure the water was running and keeping the fire going in the wood stove (that will help with the one side of the house but not the newer side where the master bedroom is).
Ended up with a sleepless night (my biggest fear was the pipes as the water already felt like it was close to freezing temps when we had heat).
I emailed my boss to let him know that I would be taking the day off today (would need to get some sleep after hopefully getting a shipment) and called the propane company to leave a message about getting an emergency delivery today.
The rest of the night was watching a little TV and laying down a little.
In the morning I called the propane company again and setup a delivery, they would be here sometime today. Chris had a dentist appointment so the girls stayed home with me. Not too long after Chris left the truck showed up.
He filled up the tank, checked for leaks and started up the hot water heater. Then we got the bill, another major shock of almost a thousand dollars.
Right after he left I received a call from South Jersey Gas to get some details about converting. Propane sucks, avoid it at all cost.
Now to do some research to get a good contractor to handle the conversion. Debating about switching to a tank-less hot water heater.
Then Chris took the girls with her as she took Ray to the doctors and I laid down for a couple, before having a 2 o'clock meeting to dial in for.
After the meeting I laid down some more and then had dinner when they got home.
Now time to relax in front of the TV/laptop.
Day 4 with no soda!
The Photo
Well, not exactly a photo but it defines the day...
The Day
Before getting to bed last night I first noticed that the hot water seemed to cool off rather quickly. Then I noticed that the heater was cycling; that happens when it wants to start but there is no propane to light it. We're out of propane!!!
Rachel was already sick and would be out of school today because of a fever over the weekend and now I had to do my best to make sure we had enough heat for the night and that the pipes wouldn't freeze.
I found some extra blankets for the girls and turned on an electric heater in the master bedroom for Chris (she also had the dogs curled up next to her for added warmth. From there it was an all night affair make sure the water was running and keeping the fire going in the wood stove (that will help with the one side of the house but not the newer side where the master bedroom is).
Ended up with a sleepless night (my biggest fear was the pipes as the water already felt like it was close to freezing temps when we had heat).
I emailed my boss to let him know that I would be taking the day off today (would need to get some sleep after hopefully getting a shipment) and called the propane company to leave a message about getting an emergency delivery today.
The rest of the night was watching a little TV and laying down a little.
In the morning I called the propane company again and setup a delivery, they would be here sometime today. Chris had a dentist appointment so the girls stayed home with me. Not too long after Chris left the truck showed up.
He filled up the tank, checked for leaks and started up the hot water heater. Then we got the bill, another major shock of almost a thousand dollars.
Right after he left I received a call from South Jersey Gas to get some details about converting. Propane sucks, avoid it at all cost.
Now to do some research to get a good contractor to handle the conversion. Debating about switching to a tank-less hot water heater.
Then Chris took the girls with her as she took Ray to the doctors and I laid down for a couple, before having a 2 o'clock meeting to dial in for.
After the meeting I laid down some more and then had dinner when they got home.
Now time to relax in front of the TV/laptop.
Day 4 with no soda!
The Photo
Well, not exactly a photo but it defines the day...
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Days 25 and 26
Weekend of leisure...
Day 25
The weekend has arrived. It was a day of recovering and a headache that interrupted it. After staying up later than planned I slept in a bit.
Quick shopping run to pick up a couple things and then there was little else going on during the day. A headache showed up in the afternoon and I pretty much shut down from there.
Kay is sleeping over a friend's house tonight so it's just the three of us tonight. We decided not to do a big dinner so I ran to Wawa and grabbed us a small dinner.
Sadly that was about it today.
The Photos
Nothing noteworthy today.
Day 26
Up and getting the fire back to a good level today. Trying to keep it constant can be a pain but worth the couple hundred dollar savings on each propane delivery.
Dug a path for the dogs today into the yard so they could have a little more clear path than the driveway. They can be a pain in this weather as they are stubborn and don't want to go outside in it.
After Kay came back the two of us cooked dinner. Was a good day for having the oven going and we made baked ziti and our own version of garlic bread with cheese (we took fresh Italian bread and made a batter with butter and garlic to coat the slices with and then sprinkled parmesan on that and topped it the mozzarella). Was a nice dinner.
Watched the Pro Bowl tonight, was better than previous years as I usually turn it off before the end of the 1st quarter because of how bad it is.
Now I write this while watching Leverage and prepare to get some sleep for work in the morning. May have to work from home in the morning as Chris has a dentist appointment and Ray has a fever tonight so she may not be going to school in the morning.
The Photos
A little baked ziti with meat sauce and some tiny meatballs...
Day 25
The weekend has arrived. It was a day of recovering and a headache that interrupted it. After staying up later than planned I slept in a bit.
Quick shopping run to pick up a couple things and then there was little else going on during the day. A headache showed up in the afternoon and I pretty much shut down from there.
Kay is sleeping over a friend's house tonight so it's just the three of us tonight. We decided not to do a big dinner so I ran to Wawa and grabbed us a small dinner.
Sadly that was about it today.
The Photos
Nothing noteworthy today.
Day 26
Up and getting the fire back to a good level today. Trying to keep it constant can be a pain but worth the couple hundred dollar savings on each propane delivery.
Dug a path for the dogs today into the yard so they could have a little more clear path than the driveway. They can be a pain in this weather as they are stubborn and don't want to go outside in it.
After Kay came back the two of us cooked dinner. Was a good day for having the oven going and we made baked ziti and our own version of garlic bread with cheese (we took fresh Italian bread and made a batter with butter and garlic to coat the slices with and then sprinkled parmesan on that and topped it the mozzarella). Was a nice dinner.
Watched the Pro Bowl tonight, was better than previous years as I usually turn it off before the end of the 1st quarter because of how bad it is.
Now I write this while watching Leverage and prepare to get some sleep for work in the morning. May have to work from home in the morning as Chris has a dentist appointment and Ray has a fever tonight so she may not be going to school in the morning.
The Photos
A little baked ziti with meat sauce and some tiny meatballs...
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Days 19 Through 24
A business trip gone awry and a return to cold weather...
Day 19
The day began early as I head to the airport to go to Vegas. I scheduled an early flight so I could have the rest of the day to recover from the trip and any potential headache or back issues I may have. I say that as I have been getting migraines after flights quite a bit lately and it seems to be flights over 3 hours (if that has anything to do with it). As for the back, it is still tight from the wood stacking and I don't know what 5 plus hours on a plane will do to it.
No issues getting to the airport though it was in the 20's as I was on the way to the airport. I knew that would change when I arrived at Vegas and was looking forward to a brief escape from the cold.
Found a nice parking spot in the garage on the 2nd floor near the exit. Hope that is a sign of things to come for the trip (sadly not the case).
The current plan is that I will be in Vegas until Tuesday morning and then fly to Reno. We would stay in Reno Tuesday night, give a presentation and that evening I would fly back to Philly in a red eye (through San Francisco for some reason).
After the flight I arrived at the hotel at a little after 11 AM. The trip from the rental car pickup to the hotel was about 4 minutes, one turn. That is convenient. They were not ready for check ins so I left my luggage and contact information and went to Applebee's for lunch (it is right behind the hotel). I was their first customer of the day as they had just opened. As I was there I saw a couple that I had seen at the car rental location also show up (could be in the same boat as me?).
I had noticed that my car charger for the phone wasn't working properly (the phone went from 20% to 5% while plugged in) so after I ate I went looking for a place to buy a charger. I found (right up the road) an outlet mall, a rather large outlet mall. I walked around a bit but didn't see any electronics shop initially and my back was starting to really tighten up so I headed back to the hotel.
When I arrived they had a room ready for me, nice one up on the top floor actually (though that is just 6 floors up). Was happy to check in and be able to get off my feet (starting to feel the sciatic pain and that has led to days being completely laid up if it gets bad). Unfortunately that meant my initial plans of being able to check out Vegas on a free day were out the window.
When I checked in that I was on the way to Vegas I got a response from someone who posts at a web site that I have posted at since 1999 (a football game based site). He said that I should let him know when I am in and we can meet up. I was hoping that the back would not be an issue so I could take him up on that offer as it would be the first person from the site whom I would have met in person.
The rest of the day was pretty much resting in the hotel and having room service for dinner before falling asleep around 8 (or slightly after); was still on a long east coast day at that point.
The Photos
Leaving cold weather...
View from the hotel...
Day 20
Still on Eastern time as I woke up at 4 and laid there waiting for the alarm before I realized it was still dark. Got up at 5 and did a little work while watching TV and getting breakfast.
The day was okay as I worked out of one of the office we have in Vegas most of the day preparing for the demo. Did find out late in the day that the Wednesday demo was not going to happen for certain (we had a meeting earlier in the day with the client and only one person from the client dialed in but that person didn't even know it was cancelled so he wasn't able to confirm any rescheduling).
Waited until very late in the day to cancel my flight to Reno and subsequent return from to Philly from there. Instead scheduled a Thursday night return from Vegas (also through San Fran) and if the demo is scheduled for Reno on Thursday (still a possibility) I will do a round trip from Vegas and still take the same flight back from Vegas.
With my back hurting I laid low again that evening, in addition I had a couple late meetings with the India office so I stayed in after getting back from the office. Not exactly a Vegas trip dreams are made of at this point.
The Photos
The morning sunrise...
I can get used to these temperatures...
UFOs!!!! Or planes lining up to land... :-)
Day 21
An early day today as I had meetings to call in for which were early morning EST, let alone PST. Today we found out that the Thursday timeframe wouldn't work for the demo so I won't have to schedule a flight to Reno. I'll work from the Vegas office until returning to Jersey. Trying to get an earlier flight home on Thursday but more on that later.
Spent most of the day working on other projects in the office today. We will run through the demo tomorrow to make sure we are good. That gave me time to work on a couple other projects. Ironically one of them we now have to deliver to development soon even though that was a project that I was told would be put on the back burner because of a couple other high priority projects. Now it is in the "must be done by" category. Situations like that can make me hate my job. Though I love when I get to work with the clients and do presentations for them. I just hate things being out of my control (and in the control of lesser beings...;-) ).
When I got back to the hotel today I heard what sounded like an entire herd of emergency vehicles beginning an assault on an unsuspecting gazelle. I looked out the window and saw a huge plume of smoke not too far down the road. Ironically I had just driven relatively past that area just minutes earlier. Turns out there was a fire and sadly a young boy was killed; I will say the story sounds really fishy as to why no one "knew he was home"... he was 4 years old.
In addition to that, there was a car accident/shooting not too far in the other direction. Seems the police showed up for what seemed to be a car accident and found the driver to be shot in the chest with 2 young kids in the back of the car (2 and 3).
I was exhausted and fell asleep watching TV. Another fun Vegas night (see sarcasm). More discussions at night and another early morning coming up.
The Photos
The morning sunrise as I take a meeting...
The fire nearby...
Day 22
Today started with an early meeting and continued with what was a productive day. We practiced our demo and I got a lot accomplished with my newly reprioritized project. In the afternoon I went to one of our other offices to review a few other minor projects going on (minor in relation to the other "high priority" projects).
After the day was over I stopped at the outlet mall and found a car charger. I also picked up a shirt to wear (as I didn't have anything for the added day) and a present for Chris; got her a suitcase to use for her trip to Florida next month (she's going with my sister Debbie).
When I got back to the hotel I decided to make tonight a "Vegas night" so after relaxing the back for a couple I had the front desk call a cab and headed out. Didn't want to worry about driving through the strip traffic and finding parking so I figured cab was the way to go.
I got dropped off at Caesars Palace and walked around the forum shops for a bit. While there I picked up a Seahawks hoodie (they have been my second team for 30 years now, because my brother liked the Raiders and I saw them playing them one time and liked them).
Out from Caesars and I headed to the Bellagio to walk around a little and then out to see the fountains. Still haven't found anything that I wanted to really do yet.
Decided to go across the street to Bally Paris to see if I could go to the top of the Eifel Tower that they have but then saw a sign for single deck blackjack so I went to play that instead. As it turns out it was my favorite pit ever. :-)
As I was walking over to the table I noticed that in the middle of the pit there were two stages and a woman was on each stage dancing in a distracting outfit. Then I saw that the dealers were also dressed in lingerie. Favorite pit ever. :-)
I sat and played for a while, never far enough ahead to make it worthwhile to stop, though I probably would have been if not for the tips I was betting (nothing to do with the pit as I always place a tip bet as it is common courtesy; and hopefully good karma).
A dealer change shortly after sitting down led to the 'regular' dealer that we had while I was there. She was pretty but a little chunky (not a criticism, just painting the picture); not chunky in an extreme way but not someone that, on face value, someone would immediately think would be a dealer in a pit like this. With that said, she was one of the better dealers that I have ever had at any table that I have ever been at.
She really got into the game and would fist bump the players on a big win, or when she would bust. She seemed to be genuine and that made it a fun evening.
In the middle of the time in which she was dealing she had a break and the dealer that broker her was quite the opposite. She was easily the sexiest of any of the women in that pit, she put the dancers to shame. She moved better and looked better than any of them. Sadly she seemed to be an empty shell and was dealing just to deal. There was no connection between her and the table.
The other dealer returned and I stayed for a little while longer before seeing that it was getting late and that I hadn't eaten yet and also needed to call to the offshore office that night.
I headed back to the hotel and was too late for room service but luckily the Applebee's behind the hotel was still open for a few more minutes so I called and went over to pick up my dinner. Was their last customer of the day (fitting as when I arrived I earlier in the week I was their first customer of that day).
After some discussions with offshore and letting the meal digest a little before going to bed I got a couple hours sleep. More later as I head to the final day in Vegas, this time around.
The Photos
A stingray in the tank at the forum shops... looks like it's smiling as it swims...
The fountains at Bellagio...
The Vegas version of the Eiffel Tower...
Day 23
Today I leave for home. Have been trying to get on an earlier flight but no avail as of yet.
I woke up early and had meetings from the hotel room for most of the morning and worked on a couple of my projects. When time came to checkout I headed to see one thing that I planned on seeing while here, the pawn shop from Pawn Stars.
I found it and after parking at Walgreens several blocks away I walked over to check it out. Had to stand in line to get in but the wait wasn't too long. Have to say, not much to see in there. The first part of the store has items for sale and some had tags on them that they were on the actual show but those items were extremely over priced. Nothing else really stood out and the second half of the store was all Pawn Stars souvenirs for sale.
They must clear the shop out when the film as there is no room in there if not.
From there I went to LVH to find a place to eat a quick bite before heading to the airport to see if I can get on the earlier flight.
After filling up the car and returning it to the rental agency I was at the airport and checked in. Sadly I couldn't get a booked seat on the earlier flight but still a chance. It would turn out that was not meant to be but then I saw that I didn't have a seat on the flight from San Francisco to Philly. I didn't want to be stuck in San Francisco airport overnight so I tried to get in touch with someone to either confirm or rebook but I had to wait until there were agents available for my first flight.
As I was standing in line I heard someone say my name. I turned around to see Marty, someone that I had worked with several years ago and who was also in Chennai on my first trip to India. He has since left the company and is living in Vegas. As it turned out he was on my flight to San Francisco and then the same flight to Philly. He is going to see the Rangers/Devils game being played in Yankee stadium with his son.
I was able to get a seat booked for the second leg of the trip. Good news!
From there it was on to San Fran for a bit of a layover. I picked up a couple things for the girls while there and then the red eye to Philly. Heading home!
The Photos
Final sunrise in Vegas...
The pawn shop...
Day 24
After a long red eye I arrived at Philly early in the morning. I was slapped in the face by the 9 degree weather and it was made worse by having to walk from the garage at the terminal where I arrived to the garage at the terminal where I departed. My hands were frozen.
After an uneventful drive home I gave Chris the suitcase that I got for her and showed her the other items I picked up and my photos. From then it was time to sleep since I couldn't get much on the plane.
A couple meetings later in the day and then a relaxing evening with the family.
The Photos
No photos for the day. Though I should have taken one of the temperature as that would be the biggest happening of the day, the temperature shock.
Day 19
The day began early as I head to the airport to go to Vegas. I scheduled an early flight so I could have the rest of the day to recover from the trip and any potential headache or back issues I may have. I say that as I have been getting migraines after flights quite a bit lately and it seems to be flights over 3 hours (if that has anything to do with it). As for the back, it is still tight from the wood stacking and I don't know what 5 plus hours on a plane will do to it.
No issues getting to the airport though it was in the 20's as I was on the way to the airport. I knew that would change when I arrived at Vegas and was looking forward to a brief escape from the cold.
Found a nice parking spot in the garage on the 2nd floor near the exit. Hope that is a sign of things to come for the trip (sadly not the case).
The current plan is that I will be in Vegas until Tuesday morning and then fly to Reno. We would stay in Reno Tuesday night, give a presentation and that evening I would fly back to Philly in a red eye (through San Francisco for some reason).
After the flight I arrived at the hotel at a little after 11 AM. The trip from the rental car pickup to the hotel was about 4 minutes, one turn. That is convenient. They were not ready for check ins so I left my luggage and contact information and went to Applebee's for lunch (it is right behind the hotel). I was their first customer of the day as they had just opened. As I was there I saw a couple that I had seen at the car rental location also show up (could be in the same boat as me?).
I had noticed that my car charger for the phone wasn't working properly (the phone went from 20% to 5% while plugged in) so after I ate I went looking for a place to buy a charger. I found (right up the road) an outlet mall, a rather large outlet mall. I walked around a bit but didn't see any electronics shop initially and my back was starting to really tighten up so I headed back to the hotel.
When I arrived they had a room ready for me, nice one up on the top floor actually (though that is just 6 floors up). Was happy to check in and be able to get off my feet (starting to feel the sciatic pain and that has led to days being completely laid up if it gets bad). Unfortunately that meant my initial plans of being able to check out Vegas on a free day were out the window.
When I checked in that I was on the way to Vegas I got a response from someone who posts at a web site that I have posted at since 1999 (a football game based site). He said that I should let him know when I am in and we can meet up. I was hoping that the back would not be an issue so I could take him up on that offer as it would be the first person from the site whom I would have met in person.
The rest of the day was pretty much resting in the hotel and having room service for dinner before falling asleep around 8 (or slightly after); was still on a long east coast day at that point.
The Photos
Leaving cold weather...
View from the hotel...
Day 20
Still on Eastern time as I woke up at 4 and laid there waiting for the alarm before I realized it was still dark. Got up at 5 and did a little work while watching TV and getting breakfast.
The day was okay as I worked out of one of the office we have in Vegas most of the day preparing for the demo. Did find out late in the day that the Wednesday demo was not going to happen for certain (we had a meeting earlier in the day with the client and only one person from the client dialed in but that person didn't even know it was cancelled so he wasn't able to confirm any rescheduling).
Waited until very late in the day to cancel my flight to Reno and subsequent return from to Philly from there. Instead scheduled a Thursday night return from Vegas (also through San Fran) and if the demo is scheduled for Reno on Thursday (still a possibility) I will do a round trip from Vegas and still take the same flight back from Vegas.
With my back hurting I laid low again that evening, in addition I had a couple late meetings with the India office so I stayed in after getting back from the office. Not exactly a Vegas trip dreams are made of at this point.
The Photos
The morning sunrise...
I can get used to these temperatures...
UFOs!!!! Or planes lining up to land... :-)
Day 21
An early day today as I had meetings to call in for which were early morning EST, let alone PST. Today we found out that the Thursday timeframe wouldn't work for the demo so I won't have to schedule a flight to Reno. I'll work from the Vegas office until returning to Jersey. Trying to get an earlier flight home on Thursday but more on that later.
Spent most of the day working on other projects in the office today. We will run through the demo tomorrow to make sure we are good. That gave me time to work on a couple other projects. Ironically one of them we now have to deliver to development soon even though that was a project that I was told would be put on the back burner because of a couple other high priority projects. Now it is in the "must be done by" category. Situations like that can make me hate my job. Though I love when I get to work with the clients and do presentations for them. I just hate things being out of my control (and in the control of lesser beings...;-) ).
When I got back to the hotel today I heard what sounded like an entire herd of emergency vehicles beginning an assault on an unsuspecting gazelle. I looked out the window and saw a huge plume of smoke not too far down the road. Ironically I had just driven relatively past that area just minutes earlier. Turns out there was a fire and sadly a young boy was killed; I will say the story sounds really fishy as to why no one "knew he was home"... he was 4 years old.
In addition to that, there was a car accident/shooting not too far in the other direction. Seems the police showed up for what seemed to be a car accident and found the driver to be shot in the chest with 2 young kids in the back of the car (2 and 3).
I was exhausted and fell asleep watching TV. Another fun Vegas night (see sarcasm). More discussions at night and another early morning coming up.
The Photos
The morning sunrise as I take a meeting...
The fire nearby...
Day 22
Today started with an early meeting and continued with what was a productive day. We practiced our demo and I got a lot accomplished with my newly reprioritized project. In the afternoon I went to one of our other offices to review a few other minor projects going on (minor in relation to the other "high priority" projects).
After the day was over I stopped at the outlet mall and found a car charger. I also picked up a shirt to wear (as I didn't have anything for the added day) and a present for Chris; got her a suitcase to use for her trip to Florida next month (she's going with my sister Debbie).
When I got back to the hotel I decided to make tonight a "Vegas night" so after relaxing the back for a couple I had the front desk call a cab and headed out. Didn't want to worry about driving through the strip traffic and finding parking so I figured cab was the way to go.
I got dropped off at Caesars Palace and walked around the forum shops for a bit. While there I picked up a Seahawks hoodie (they have been my second team for 30 years now, because my brother liked the Raiders and I saw them playing them one time and liked them).
Out from Caesars and I headed to the Bellagio to walk around a little and then out to see the fountains. Still haven't found anything that I wanted to really do yet.
Decided to go across the street to Bally Paris to see if I could go to the top of the Eifel Tower that they have but then saw a sign for single deck blackjack so I went to play that instead. As it turns out it was my favorite pit ever. :-)
As I was walking over to the table I noticed that in the middle of the pit there were two stages and a woman was on each stage dancing in a distracting outfit. Then I saw that the dealers were also dressed in lingerie. Favorite pit ever. :-)
I sat and played for a while, never far enough ahead to make it worthwhile to stop, though I probably would have been if not for the tips I was betting (nothing to do with the pit as I always place a tip bet as it is common courtesy; and hopefully good karma).
A dealer change shortly after sitting down led to the 'regular' dealer that we had while I was there. She was pretty but a little chunky (not a criticism, just painting the picture); not chunky in an extreme way but not someone that, on face value, someone would immediately think would be a dealer in a pit like this. With that said, she was one of the better dealers that I have ever had at any table that I have ever been at.
She really got into the game and would fist bump the players on a big win, or when she would bust. She seemed to be genuine and that made it a fun evening.
In the middle of the time in which she was dealing she had a break and the dealer that broker her was quite the opposite. She was easily the sexiest of any of the women in that pit, she put the dancers to shame. She moved better and looked better than any of them. Sadly she seemed to be an empty shell and was dealing just to deal. There was no connection between her and the table.
The other dealer returned and I stayed for a little while longer before seeing that it was getting late and that I hadn't eaten yet and also needed to call to the offshore office that night.
I headed back to the hotel and was too late for room service but luckily the Applebee's behind the hotel was still open for a few more minutes so I called and went over to pick up my dinner. Was their last customer of the day (fitting as when I arrived I earlier in the week I was their first customer of that day).
After some discussions with offshore and letting the meal digest a little before going to bed I got a couple hours sleep. More later as I head to the final day in Vegas, this time around.
The Photos
A stingray in the tank at the forum shops... looks like it's smiling as it swims...
The fountains at Bellagio...
The Vegas version of the Eiffel Tower...
Day 23
Today I leave for home. Have been trying to get on an earlier flight but no avail as of yet.
I woke up early and had meetings from the hotel room for most of the morning and worked on a couple of my projects. When time came to checkout I headed to see one thing that I planned on seeing while here, the pawn shop from Pawn Stars.
I found it and after parking at Walgreens several blocks away I walked over to check it out. Had to stand in line to get in but the wait wasn't too long. Have to say, not much to see in there. The first part of the store has items for sale and some had tags on them that they were on the actual show but those items were extremely over priced. Nothing else really stood out and the second half of the store was all Pawn Stars souvenirs for sale.
They must clear the shop out when the film as there is no room in there if not.
From there I went to LVH to find a place to eat a quick bite before heading to the airport to see if I can get on the earlier flight.
After filling up the car and returning it to the rental agency I was at the airport and checked in. Sadly I couldn't get a booked seat on the earlier flight but still a chance. It would turn out that was not meant to be but then I saw that I didn't have a seat on the flight from San Francisco to Philly. I didn't want to be stuck in San Francisco airport overnight so I tried to get in touch with someone to either confirm or rebook but I had to wait until there were agents available for my first flight.
As I was standing in line I heard someone say my name. I turned around to see Marty, someone that I had worked with several years ago and who was also in Chennai on my first trip to India. He has since left the company and is living in Vegas. As it turned out he was on my flight to San Francisco and then the same flight to Philly. He is going to see the Rangers/Devils game being played in Yankee stadium with his son.
I was able to get a seat booked for the second leg of the trip. Good news!
From there it was on to San Fran for a bit of a layover. I picked up a couple things for the girls while there and then the red eye to Philly. Heading home!
The Photos
Final sunrise in Vegas...
The pawn shop...
Day 24
After a long red eye I arrived at Philly early in the morning. I was slapped in the face by the 9 degree weather and it was made worse by having to walk from the garage at the terminal where I arrived to the garage at the terminal where I departed. My hands were frozen.
After an uneventful drive home I gave Chris the suitcase that I got for her and showed her the other items I picked up and my photos. From then it was time to sleep since I couldn't get much on the plane.
A couple meetings later in the day and then a relaxing evening with the family.
The Photos
No photos for the day. Though I should have taken one of the temperature as that would be the biggest happening of the day, the temperature shock.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Day 18
Wings game, malls, hair cut, shopping, back pain, a little bit of everything...
The Day
Started the day out heading to Philly to see the Wings play. The game started at noon. Took
Kay up and we were going to go early and take the train in to Philly. Then we were going to walk The Gallery after the game. As life tends to do, plans changed. Having major back pain and decided to just drive to the game.
The game ended with the Wings losing by a goal. It was yet another second quarter meltdown that led to their loss as they dug a hole they could never get all the way out of. Kay had a good time at the game and we each had a dollar pretzel for at halftime to keep us going until we would eat later.
I picked up my season ticket holder gift today. It was car mats and scarves.
After the game I decided to stop at the Deptford Mall so we could still get some father/daughter time. We walked the mall and I bought new shoes (needed new work shoes and new sneakers). Starting to feel the back even more as I carry the bags so Kay helped out with that.
From there we ended up going to the Hamilton Mall and by the time we arrived I was really feeling it as we got out of the car. This has me worried as each time I sit down I can barely stand after about a half hour and I have a 5 hour plane ride tomorrow. At the Hamilton Mall I got my hair cut, it was needed and will be easier to deal with on my trip now.
We walked a little more before we did a little research for ideas for later in the year for things for the family to do (more on that another day).
From there it was on to Walmart to pick up a couple things for my trip. As we were about to park Kay saw Chris' car so we looked for and found them inside. They had stopped to pick up dog food after Ray was selling Girl Scout cookies near BAM. Kay and I picked up some things that I can take on my trip and a couple things that we needed in general and then on to WaWa to grab something to take home for dinner.
The evening has been eating, trying to get a fire going again and laying down because of my back. I continue to check my email as there is a possibility that the trip will be postponed and with my back the way it is I would like to know that before I get on a plane. It feels at times like something is about to pop. I have had that feeling before and when I feel the pop it ends up being a tear which has led to my being laid up for a couple days barely able to move. If that is in my suture I would rather it happen now then while thirty thousand feet over the Midwest.
That sucks as I wouldn't care about the trip being postponed or not if my back was okay. At worst it would mean I get to Vegas for a day, enjoy Vegas and the weather on a weekend day, find out the presentation is cancelled and then schedule a trip back on a Monday. That would make for a bonus Vegas day and a brief trip to 70 degrees.
Time to finish packing and try to get some sleep.
Oh, 13 days with no soda.
The Photo(s)
The Day
Started the day out heading to Philly to see the Wings play. The game started at noon. Took
Kay up and we were going to go early and take the train in to Philly. Then we were going to walk The Gallery after the game. As life tends to do, plans changed. Having major back pain and decided to just drive to the game.
The game ended with the Wings losing by a goal. It was yet another second quarter meltdown that led to their loss as they dug a hole they could never get all the way out of. Kay had a good time at the game and we each had a dollar pretzel for at halftime to keep us going until we would eat later.
I picked up my season ticket holder gift today. It was car mats and scarves.
After the game I decided to stop at the Deptford Mall so we could still get some father/daughter time. We walked the mall and I bought new shoes (needed new work shoes and new sneakers). Starting to feel the back even more as I carry the bags so Kay helped out with that.
From there we ended up going to the Hamilton Mall and by the time we arrived I was really feeling it as we got out of the car. This has me worried as each time I sit down I can barely stand after about a half hour and I have a 5 hour plane ride tomorrow. At the Hamilton Mall I got my hair cut, it was needed and will be easier to deal with on my trip now.
We walked a little more before we did a little research for ideas for later in the year for things for the family to do (more on that another day).
From there it was on to Walmart to pick up a couple things for my trip. As we were about to park Kay saw Chris' car so we looked for and found them inside. They had stopped to pick up dog food after Ray was selling Girl Scout cookies near BAM. Kay and I picked up some things that I can take on my trip and a couple things that we needed in general and then on to WaWa to grab something to take home for dinner.
The evening has been eating, trying to get a fire going again and laying down because of my back. I continue to check my email as there is a possibility that the trip will be postponed and with my back the way it is I would like to know that before I get on a plane. It feels at times like something is about to pop. I have had that feeling before and when I feel the pop it ends up being a tear which has led to my being laid up for a couple days barely able to move. If that is in my suture I would rather it happen now then while thirty thousand feet over the Midwest.
That sucks as I wouldn't care about the trip being postponed or not if my back was okay. At worst it would mean I get to Vegas for a day, enjoy Vegas and the weather on a weekend day, find out the presentation is cancelled and then schedule a trip back on a Monday. That would make for a bonus Vegas day and a brief trip to 70 degrees.
Time to finish packing and try to get some sleep.
Oh, 13 days with no soda.
The Photo(s)
Friday, January 17, 2014
Day 17
The Focus, the wood pile, the dance and the back ache...
The Day
More of the same at work today. Went to the office for a half day with a primary goal of selling our Focus to a coworker. The deal finalized today. Will miss that car, it was a good car that was dependable and fun to drive (it could turn on a dime).
Worked the rest of the day from home as we had a wood pile delivered today. Wanted to get the delivery in before going away next week as we are now out of seasoned wood. This way they have wood to use while I am away (to cut down on the propane use).
The wood arrived and was dumped on the lawn. I had to pile it myself but fortunately Chris and Kayla helped. It was a lot of wood and I was feeling it by the time we were finished. At least that should cover us for the rest of the winter. That should net us a gain of a couple hundred dollars with what it takes off the propane bills. Next step is hopefully getting converted to natural gas.
Chris and Ray went out tonight and Kayla had a dance at school so I had a couple hours of quiet time to relax. This also gave my back time to tighten up. Definitely feeling it now. Luckily it feels muscular at this point so that can be worked through. No disc issues, which is the biggest concern as that could mean no Vegas trip and I am looking forward to getting to 70 degree weather for a couple days.
Picked Kayla up from the dance, she had a good time with her friends. She looks exhausted from helping out with the wood pile and then the dance.
We relaxed a bit and watched Monk before she headed off to get some sleep. We have an early Wings game tomorrow (noon) and may go up early to take the train into Philly and then walk the Gallery after the game before we head home. It all depends on how my back feels when I wake up.
Relaxing now, playing a board game tournament online (card game called Dragonheart). Looks like I get a first round bye as the other player is a no show. :-)
I think a few minutes in the hot tub might be in order tonight.
The Photos
The Day
More of the same at work today. Went to the office for a half day with a primary goal of selling our Focus to a coworker. The deal finalized today. Will miss that car, it was a good car that was dependable and fun to drive (it could turn on a dime).
Worked the rest of the day from home as we had a wood pile delivered today. Wanted to get the delivery in before going away next week as we are now out of seasoned wood. This way they have wood to use while I am away (to cut down on the propane use).
The wood arrived and was dumped on the lawn. I had to pile it myself but fortunately Chris and Kayla helped. It was a lot of wood and I was feeling it by the time we were finished. At least that should cover us for the rest of the winter. That should net us a gain of a couple hundred dollars with what it takes off the propane bills. Next step is hopefully getting converted to natural gas.
Chris and Ray went out tonight and Kayla had a dance at school so I had a couple hours of quiet time to relax. This also gave my back time to tighten up. Definitely feeling it now. Luckily it feels muscular at this point so that can be worked through. No disc issues, which is the biggest concern as that could mean no Vegas trip and I am looking forward to getting to 70 degree weather for a couple days.
Picked Kayla up from the dance, she had a good time with her friends. She looks exhausted from helping out with the wood pile and then the dance.
We relaxed a bit and watched Monk before she headed off to get some sleep. We have an early Wings game tomorrow (noon) and may go up early to take the train into Philly and then walk the Gallery after the game before we head home. It all depends on how my back feels when I wake up.
Relaxing now, playing a board game tournament online (card game called Dragonheart). Looks like I get a first round bye as the other player is a no show. :-)
I think a few minutes in the hot tub might be in order tonight.
The Photos
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Day 16
Girl Scout cookies, work, work, work and more work...
The Day
The day started out with a near over-sleep. Didn't have the alarm set but woke up in a "what time is it?" panic only to see that it was only a couple minutes after when the alarm would go off anyway.
The day continues with work as I prepare for a meeting that I will be having at midnight tonight and for my Vegas trip next week. A little confusion as we changed our scheduled trip from Vegas to Reno to an earlier time at someone's insistence that "we can't wait that long" only to find out almost right after getting the notice of the ticket purchases that they won't get there until later than our initial plan.
We could have achieved exactly what I was aiming for which is one full day on Monday of final prep, a meeting to review and then Tuesday to finalize any changes that came up on Monday. Instead the blowhard has to speak up and throw a wrench into a well laid plan.
Can't wait until I return from the trip though I am looking forward to Sunday. I made sure that I arrive early on Sunday so I can relax before having to go to the office on Monday, so it doesn't end up like my last trip to Vegas (flight left Philly at 6 AM EST, right from the airport to the office until going on 8 PM PST, then working in the business center of the hotel until 4 AM PST, before getting 2 hours of sleep and back to the office at 7).
If they would let me plan these things everyone would not only be more productive because they wouldn't be exhausted but we would have a well defined plan for what we want to accomplish with the clients.
The presentation next week will be a different one for me as it will be 95% pure demo so I won't be talking to points and features. Back when I was in school and hated talking in front of the class I never would have guessed that I would be doing presentations later in life and actually getting quite positive feedback about them. Who knew?
Also today was the day that Chris picked up the cases of girl scout cookies as Rachel will be selling them for the next month. So if anyone want any, leave a comment. :-)
After work was pretty much come home, eat and lay down. Was feeling a bit off with odd pains in my chest so I laid down for a bit. Still having some but not quite as bad as earlier. Since I have been to the hospital and ER for these kind of things before and every time ends up with the same result.... no result... I have decided that unless they seem REALLY bad I will try to ride them out. Granted that is opposite of what I have been told to do because of Marfan Syndrome but then again it seems that I have been having ghost pains that may be related to that so it becomes Russian Roulette at times.
Day 11 of no soda!!!
The Photo
On the way out of work tonight...
Girl Scout cookie time...
The Day
The day started out with a near over-sleep. Didn't have the alarm set but woke up in a "what time is it?" panic only to see that it was only a couple minutes after when the alarm would go off anyway.
The day continues with work as I prepare for a meeting that I will be having at midnight tonight and for my Vegas trip next week. A little confusion as we changed our scheduled trip from Vegas to Reno to an earlier time at someone's insistence that "we can't wait that long" only to find out almost right after getting the notice of the ticket purchases that they won't get there until later than our initial plan.
We could have achieved exactly what I was aiming for which is one full day on Monday of final prep, a meeting to review and then Tuesday to finalize any changes that came up on Monday. Instead the blowhard has to speak up and throw a wrench into a well laid plan.
Can't wait until I return from the trip though I am looking forward to Sunday. I made sure that I arrive early on Sunday so I can relax before having to go to the office on Monday, so it doesn't end up like my last trip to Vegas (flight left Philly at 6 AM EST, right from the airport to the office until going on 8 PM PST, then working in the business center of the hotel until 4 AM PST, before getting 2 hours of sleep and back to the office at 7).
If they would let me plan these things everyone would not only be more productive because they wouldn't be exhausted but we would have a well defined plan for what we want to accomplish with the clients.
The presentation next week will be a different one for me as it will be 95% pure demo so I won't be talking to points and features. Back when I was in school and hated talking in front of the class I never would have guessed that I would be doing presentations later in life and actually getting quite positive feedback about them. Who knew?
Also today was the day that Chris picked up the cases of girl scout cookies as Rachel will be selling them for the next month. So if anyone want any, leave a comment. :-)
After work was pretty much come home, eat and lay down. Was feeling a bit off with odd pains in my chest so I laid down for a bit. Still having some but not quite as bad as earlier. Since I have been to the hospital and ER for these kind of things before and every time ends up with the same result.... no result... I have decided that unless they seem REALLY bad I will try to ride them out. Granted that is opposite of what I have been told to do because of Marfan Syndrome but then again it seems that I have been having ghost pains that may be related to that so it becomes Russian Roulette at times.
Day 11 of no soda!!!
The Photo
On the way out of work tonight...
Girl Scout cookie time...
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