James Pearl Thinks Blogging is Dead

January 14: Upstream

I didn't have a great day today.

D was off to a NICA training so I had a lot of wiggle room in what I was able to do. Started the day at Cromwell with Bear, where I walked everything and was annoyed at all the little things that we'll need to tweak. Then I went home and got on the bike for 2:15 (@200w) while watching the Sopranos. Before, between, and after these events I made a cup of coffee. And contrary to my opening statement, my coffee was really on-point today. I will take that away, I made 3 fantastic cups of coffee on this day. And while the rest of this day was fine, it was somewhat of a struggle to get it all going, all day.

After the ride I had lunch & showered, then D came home and we dropped Simon at soccer, went to Costco, then came home. I spent a bit of time reorganizing the laundry room and a closet under the stairs and managed to fit twice the crap under there. By all accounts, the day was perfectly fine. But again, I felt like I was rowing upstream all day today. Not a strong steam, mind you. But up it, nonetheless.

You ever have one of those days? Like all sorts of little things annoyed you all day? At some point in the day, I believe I was laying on the couch, I identified this was the case which is probably half the battle. Then you just deal with it as best you can. I continued to lay on the couch and finished The Privateer, which is the 3rd book in the Alpha Protocol series. I'll read the 4th one but I think he lost the mojo of the first one.

Then D made an awesome dinner.

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January 15: Ramen with Joy

Today was a bit of an abnormal start to what is going to be a slightly abnormal week for me/us. First of all, I was off work. While this is abnormal, it's also great. I had to be a taxi driver for Simon this morning but after lunch I hit up Cromwell and got in an hour ride plus I cut out 3 trees that had fallen recently. While that in & of itself is not a standard Monday, being able to have a meal with Joy is even extra abnormal. I know the kids love to use the word extra these days in ways that we old timers don't. It wasn't extra like that. It was extra in a good way.

I don't recall the last time we saw these guys. I use the word "we" and the expression "these guys" to refer to the couples here. In this case, D was off to book club and Steve was in NC, maybe at a book club too, I don't know. In any event, it's been a while. So it was good to catch up on life. In a way, I think we're able to just sit down and pick up where we were the last time we spoke. I always think that's a sign of a good friendship. It's like you really didn't miss a beat, and sort of just have conversations like you had the last time you were having a meal together. As if you just saw each other the day before.

While we don't see these guys as much as we used to, it's more than never. Joy will be back next month so we'll try to do it again. And the summer trip is coming together this week. So we'll have that to look forward to. I suppose 1 of these days we'll journey down there again, but that's probably beyond the 6 month horizon. So it's hard to see what the crystal ball says in that regard.

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January 16: Hamilton

A day late, but not a dollar short. If only these excursions cost $1.

Abnormal week continued on day 2 with a trip into the city to see Hamilton. After however many years of hearing how great it is, we finally decided to check it out ourselves. Technically, this was D's birthday present from her parents from last year. So in reality, the show itself didn't even cost that $1. Well, not to us. Before the show we found a tiny little Thai restaurant called Valla Table which was incredibly good. We got in around 6:00 and the show was at 7:00. So we had to ask them to run this experience at 2x speed. We were out of there by 6:35. Fabulous meal & service.

As for Hamilton, I shall put this in a way the bike riding community will grok. Way back when, before I had been to KT, everyone said it was amazing, truly amazing, and we had to go there. Expectations were through the roof so when we first went there, the whole experience was setup to be disappointing. Sort of like when you are told some book or movie is incredible, and you read/watch only to find it didn't meet expectations. Anyway, the first time we rode KT it blew us away. No amount of high expectation setting prepared us for how amazing the trail system was in 2014 when we first rode it.

Hamilton was kinda like that. No matter how great you think it's going to be, it was all of that and more. It is not often you see a nearly 3 hour show and say, "I could go back and watch it again tomorrow." Absolutely fabulous. The casting & talent from top to bottom here was incredible. Hamilton, Burr, and Madison were all great. But the guy who played Lafayette/Jefferson was excellent. And the comedic relief of the King of England was exceptional. From start to finish, this was an incredible show. If all of US/World History had been taught this way, I would have paid much more attention.

So that was our Tuesday night.

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January 17: Mary Tyler Moore

I took this picture almost exactly 5 years ago, on January 15th, 2019. I'm a Mary Tyler Moore fan, and when I went there in the frigid January of 2019 I made sure to get a picture of this. Going to Minnesota in January is a questionable idea, which is why you could say I did a questionable thing today in booking a trip to go back and see Mary this Sunday. Today was supposed to be an ordinary day in an abnormal week. But alas, I ended up having to agree to go to Minnesota. In January. As the kids would say, that was extra. And this time, I'll give them the meaning of the word.

I like to travel but I was rooting against this one. Unfortunately, the client wants us there so much they agreed to pay for the travel and give us an unlimited budget overage for the month. To that end, I'm going to have a horse & carriage drive to & from the airport. I have also rented a palanquin and 4 strong men to carry me around the city while I'm there next week, not unlike Cleopatra.

Sigh. I'm sure it'll be fine. Maybe I'll tour an igloo factory one of the days.

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You’re the second person I know that went to Minnesota this month. I was there in January a few years ago. It’s not bad as long as you stay in the tunnels.
 
January 18: Sushi Night

The week of abnormal things (WoAT) continues with a sushi dinner for Simon's birthday. Those of you following along at home may remember his birthday was in December, so we're a little late on that. Given the holidays, this is how it often works out. Whenever it's anyone's birthday they get to choose their meal, and we finally got a night where we could all go and eat that meal. Simon chose Nagoya in Berkeley Heights. We've been here a few times before. It's good.

Other than that, it was a fairly ordinary day. There was a small window where I thought we might already be bagging the Igloo Trip, but it turns out the client put it in writing that we can go 96 hours over on the SOW. For those of you who know the bill rates on this stuff, you know that's enough cake to make it worth the visit. In the end the trip is still on and I spent some time researching igloo coffee roasters in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, since Covid, the downtown has really thinned out and there's fewer people there than ever. Hopefully the 1 coffee shop I found last time still exists.

Now we're just sitting around the fire writing blog posts and enjoying the evening.

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January 19: Normalcy

Today was not abnormal.

The only thing abnormal about today was the fact I worked. Those of you reading along will know that I often blow off work and ride or do TM on Fridays. With this past Monday off and next Mon-Wed dedicated to just 1 client, I needed to get some stuff done before the weekend. Not only was it a day I worked, I worked until 4:00. That translates to being on the phone almost 7 straight hours. We got a lot done, but I'm tired of talking.

Then we did dinner and played a game in front of the fire.

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January 20: Blue

Back to abnormality we go! Looking ahead, I supposed almost every day is going to be abnormal for the rest of the month with the exception of next Thursday. Perhaps this is what I do to keep myself sane? Not that it matters. Just try to enjoy it.

Today we decided to go to Blue Mountain for a mid/late day ski session. We hit the snow around 3:00 and based on a tip we stayed on the farthest lift from the main area as much as we could. While there were plenty of people, we didn't need to wait too much. The slopes were littered with land mines and I can say now that I have progressed so incredibly far since the last time I was here. The snow was ok, though plenty of ice underneath. I don't think it gets much better than this in the Poconos. They are blowing huge amounts of snow and if it stayed cold, it would get better and better. But next week it'll be 40-50 degrees for 3 days so this hillside will convert into a glacier. Great for the longevity of the ski season. But it'll be an ice pack in 10 days from now.

This is the 5th time we've skied this season so we're probably only 1/3 of the way through. That tracks, since it started just a month ago and we have 2 more months to go. So far it's been fine. Nothing amazing but not terrible either.

We cut the day short because Zac's cold turned into a much worse cold while we were there. In combination with him crashing pretty hard, we decided to call it a shorter day than planned. With the Ikon pass, however, it's all good. You can ski as much or as little as you like, and it doesn't cost you any more or less.

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January 21: Minneapolis

Against my better judgement I let myself be convinced it was a good idea to go to Minnesota in January. We could belabor that all day but I want to bring up the most astounding abnormality that will happen to me this year, let along this week.

My flight arrived 50 minutes EARLY today.

I don't really know how this is possible, especially when flying west. We left the gate early, then took off exactly when we were scheduled. I mean, we actually left the ground at the scheduled time. Usually the departure time is when they close the cabin door and start slowly rolling backwards. Today, we were in the air at that moment. Then exactly 2.5 hours later we landed. And unlike EWR, we didn't have to wait for a gate to clear. We rolled right up and walked off the plane 10 minutes later.

I got to my hotel, checked in, and was in my room 10 minutes before I was scheduled to land. You want to talk about an abnormal week? This takes the cake.

In any event, I made this sandwich for lunch. I put all the credit there.

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January 22: The Vietcong Skyways

Today I explored the Vietcong Skyways of Minneapolis. This is a serious of interconnected above ground tunnels that allow individuals to travel from point to point across city blocks without going outside. It totally makes sense. There are a few things of note here.

First - nobody makes eye contact with you. There seems to be this inherent fear that anyone can knife you at any moment for looking at you sideways. It was kinda creepy that every single person in these tunnels drives forward staring at the ground. Not looking at their phones. Staring down avoiding eye contact.

Second - you can get totally locked out of every tunnel, but still be in the middle of them. Ask me how I know. After work, 4 of us managed to do this and we had to text the client to come let us back into the building to go out their front door. Turns out that some hallways allow you into them, but then all the doors to get out are locked. I am sure the fire inspector would love this if the found it.

My work day was over 9 hours long. Imagine leading a workshop for 9 hours. That was my day. Perhaps tomorrow I will be the one staring at the ground on my way to get coffee.

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Norm said:
My work day was over 9 hours long. Imagine leading a workshop for 9 hours. That was my day. Perhaps tomorrow I will be the one staring at the ground on my way to get coffee.
Click to expand...

My "favorite" part of these days is that no one on the client side (except for maybe the project manager) is eager to participate. So it turns into 9 hours of pulling teeth, and by the end of it you're questioning the meaning of life.

The travel win was like a pre-paid reward!
 
January 23: Puzzles

Any time you go away on a work trip like this, you often end up with a lot of time to yourself. I generally consider hotel rooms depressing in a way. I recently thought about bringing a puzzle with me when I go on trips, and this time I actually stuffed an old one D had previously done in my luggage Sunday when I packed. It's 500 pieces, with lots of easy things in the picture to work with. It is Whistler, Canada.

I found this a really easy way to relax both in the morning and at night. In the morning I would drink my coffee and do it. And at night I would wind down a bit and do a little more. Tonight I finished, which is all well & good since I have to pack up tomorrow to leave. We're not flying out until the evening but I have to pack up the room in the morning and drag my luggage with me.

Along with bringing your own coffee, I recommend an easy puzzle to help pass the time in a relaxing way.

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January 24: Magnets

Every trip we go on, we try to buy a magnet. We’ve done this for years. After a while you start to forget. Or if it’s a place you’ve been, maybe you skip. Or sometimes, there’s just not much worth buying. I had a little time to kill today so I picked up this guy. I like it.

I also look for coffee cups. But it really needs to be something I like. I rarely bring back a coffee mug. If it’s a bike or ski trip, we look for stickers to put on the box. That didn’t qualify here.

Coffee shops will get me to grab one if I really like it. I found another shop today that made an amazing cup. Possibly the best I’ve ever had. But I didn’t even think of looking for one. Those go on my laptop.

We got 1 magnet out of this trip. I’m currently in the back of the Uber. When I get home I’ll drop this one on the fridge.

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January 25: Bear Sitting

Just got back from dropping off the big guy at the dog sitter. He'll be there for the next few days while we ski in Banff. He always seems mixed about going there. On one hand, he whines when we get close which is his way of saying he's excited. On the other, he knows we're going away so he's always a bit hesitant to get out of the car when we get there. Once we're there, he forgets about me and is immediately obsessed with the cats. Apparently he is fabulously curious but also afraid of them. He's a big softie.

I really didn't do much of note today. After logging 40 hours in the first 3 days of the week I tossed in almost another 10 today. I had to go back and scrape this picture from the camera roll because I did absolutely nothing of note other than work and get ready to leave tomorrow. I haven't been home 24 hours and I've already checked into the next flight and we're starting to pack. Mentally I'm not ready; I'm still tired from the last trip. Thankfully we don't fly out until 4:00, so I have a little breathing room before I'm ordering up the Uber again.

In checking in, I had to put our passport numbers in. I have to admit that I may have totally forgotten to take them had they not asked. Part of me wonders if this is why they do it. I'm fairly sure I would have just left the house tomorrow without them. Now at least they're sitting on the table with the collection of things we don't want to forget. The ski equipment, passports, and coffee. Other than that we really don't need much.

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Cassinonorth said:
Apparently it's a thing they secretly do lol. You may have been on a record setter.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I know in reality they pad the times so much that they can't really be late anymore. While In Minneapolis the scheduled landing time in Newark was 10:02. At the gate it said on the sign, expected arrival was 9:20. So you're talking a 40 minute buffer just on the tail end. How much do they buffer the front?
 
Norm said:
Yeah. I know in reality they pad the times so much that they can't really be late anymore. While In Minneapolis the scheduled landing time in Newark was 10:02. At the gate it said on the sign, expected arrival was 9:20. So you're talking a 40 minute buffer just on the tail end. How much do they buffer the front?
Click to expand...

Now that you mention it I hadn't flown to Florida in 15 years and I remember it used to be a 2-2.5 hour flight. I was so confused to see 2:45-3.

www.cntraveler.com

Flights Are Arriving Earlier Than Ever Before—or Are They?

Airlines are ‘padding’ their flight times by 11 minutes on average—we asked the experts why this is happening
www.cntraveler.com www.cntraveler.com
 
January 26: Calgary

Just landed in Calgary and we’re driving to Banff now. This is my 3rd flight this week, and the longest at almost 5 hours gate to gate. But again, we landed 30 minutes “early” this round. I’ll take it.

This is one of those trips I really wasn’t excited about simply because this week has been so bonkers that I haven’t had time to think about it. I was still reviewing SOWs at the Air Canada gate. But now that I’m here it’s much more real and exciting. Now I can finally look forward to it.

And so, here we are!

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