Checking In

A catch-all, catch-up post

There are 1,132 posts filed in Checking In (this is page 86 of 114).

Watching The Detectives

Elvis plays Koka Booth Amphitheatre next month with the N.C. Symphony. I am so there.

Watching The Detectives
Elvis Costello

Nice girls not one with a defect
cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
Red dogs under illegal legs
She looks so good that he gets down and begs

She is watching the detectives
“ooh, he’s so cute!”
She is watching the detectives
when they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
but he can’t be wounded ’cause he’s got no heart
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Boom and Bust

I should’ve known not to get my hopes up. The storm fizzled about the time it passed Durham. We got lots of thunder and a few drops but nothing substantial.

Anyone got a hurricane they’re not using?

Orcas Island’s Revenge

Remember how I said that the start of our Orcas Island vacation began with my breakfast getting airborne before we did? Well, that little bug behaved itself while we were actually on vacation but it apparently never left. Kelly had quite a restless night, spending more time upright than horizontal. I had a not-so-fun day. Fortunately for me I think my issues may be over. I hope Kelly’s are, too.

When it’s 100+ degrees outside is not the time to be dehydrated. Be well, y’all.

Nice Sail Today

We made it out to Lake Gaston again today for a few hours on the water. We visited with the Naylors briefly before getting the boat in the water. This time I felt in no rush to prepare things and as a result things went far more smoothly.

The winds were forecast for 9 MPH but were a little slow to develop. Skies looked a bit threatening, too, though I knew there was no chance for rain and that the clouds present were not towering. We sailed west for a few miles before turning upwind. By the time we passed the Naylor’s lakehouse again the sky was almost clear and the winds provided the best sailing of the day. The last 30 minutes in the sun provided me with an unexpected sunburn after a day full of clouds.

The family seemed to adapt more to the boat, too. The kids were a bit reluctant to go early on, but Hallie had fun being mostly in the cabin and Travis spent most of his time topside with Kelly. Both seemed reluctant to go home.

We all had fun, though our visit with the Naylors was far too short. We’re looking forward to seeing them again.

The Bear Is Awakening

ExxonMobil and its shareholders aren’t the only beneficiaries of today’s high oil prices. It seems Russia is starting to flex its military muscle again with its forays to the North Pole, dropping (unexploding) bombs on neighboring Georgia, and overflying our military bases with its Tu-95 bombers – the first since the end of the Cold War.

I tell ya, if the world wasn’t a safer place than it was seven years ago, I’d be a little concerned.

Home!

It’s 1:40 AM and we’re home now. Plane left Chicago an hour late but at least it left. Good thing I already had this morning off for a doctor’s appointment (which got cancelled when it looked like I wouldn’t make it).

See y’all tomorrow.

Home Tonight

Well, against all odds we managed to find four open seats from Seattle to Chicago Midway. We found out there were three open all the way to Raleigh about 15 minutes before our Seattle departure and we were making plans to have me fly separately through Las Vegas. Instead a fourth seat popped up five minutes before takeoff so I joined Kelly and the kids for the trip to Chicago.

We’re about an hour away from leaving Chicago now and should get home before midnight, God willing and the creek don’t rise. The kids have been real troupers, as has Kelly. Heck, even I’ve been a good boy. As long as we get home tonight nothing else really matters.

Vacation Extended!

We got our vacation extended! That’s right, we got some extra vacation this morning when we missed our flight out of Seattle by mere minutes. If we’re lucky, we can catch space on a flight through Chicago. If not, we’ll spend another night here in Seattle.

The Doubletree’s airport shuttle doomed us, as it arrived much later than expected to pick us up. By the time it arrived, half the hotel was waiting to board it. What should have been a ten minute ride, tops, across the street took 20-25 minutes.

Keep smiling, I keep telling myself. Keep smiling.

Some Vacation Photos Uploaded

I’ve been using the hotel’s internet to upload a few pics from our vacation. They will be slow to load until a process runs that will create thumbnails for them.

You can have a gander at the August photos here. The full set will have to wait until we return. Enjoy!

Seattle For The Night

We’re in Seattle for the evening, having gotten here smoothly all things considered. We got up at the crack of dawn (heck, even before then – I got some great pictures!), packed things up, and had exited the rental home at 6 AM on the dot. We dropped off the key at the real estate agent and then made a beeline for the queues at the ferry landing. There were three lanes full for Anacortes by 6:20 but we were number 4 in lane four. We spent our spare time visiting the coffee counter at Orcas Hotel.
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