In Phoenix

Our vacation began in earnest this morning as we took Southwest Flight 1017 from Raleigh to Phoenix. Our longest leg of the trip is behind us now.

The plane was completely full, so we shared our two rows with other passengers (though they were friendly). The kids enjoyed looking out the window and were great travelers, as always. A unexpected tailwind put us in 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

We’ve got about a half-hour before our next leg begins boarding. Then its three hours up to Seattle, where we’ll pick up our rental car and head even farther north to Anacortes for the night.

By the way, I’m posting this using the Phoenix airport’s complimentary wireless internet. If only all airports made their WiFi free!

On the Warpath with AT&T

Bellsouth (now AT&T) has crossed a line with me. They have mistakenly attached my name and social security number to an account to which I have no connection: an account which is now apparently overdue. At no time did I ever provide my social security number to them in reference to this account. I believe (and AT&T denies) that someone at AT&T looked up my residential account information and fraudulently placed my social security number on the overdue account.

I am currently seeking legal recourse against AT&T, starting with a complaint to the North Carolina Public Utilities Commission Public Staff. If AT&T won’t take my word for it (and they apparently will not), its time to gather up a posse.

in Rant | 125 Words

5Min – Video How-tos for Just About Anything!

I’ve always thought that the video craze that Youtube and others started would be great for teaching people things. You know, stuff that might not be flashy enough for regular TV. Looks like I found just such a resource this morning in 5min.

5min bills itself as a “life videopedia,” offering Flash videos showing you how to do almost anything. From guitar lessons to skiing to fixing your computer, you can find it on 5min.

I wish I’d thought of it done it myself!

Where to Buy Computer Books?

I walked into my nearby, multi-storied, big-chain bookstore looking for computer and technology books. To my surprise, their section was put behind the escalators and left a lot to be desired.

So, where do y’all buy your computer books? Is their a local bookstore (or chain) you recommend? I know I can get just about anything online. I’m looking for a place I can browse.

Overnighting It

In case my last post didn’t covey it, I became $250 wealthier when I offered to give up my seat on my flight home tonight. I would just now be getting into Raleigh, so I figured I might as well take the money and show up in the morning.
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Cheap Thoughts: Oversold Roadways

Wouldn’t it be great if the next time you were stuck in a highway traffic jam, the highway patrol came out and announced:

“We’re sorry, ladies and gentlemen. We’re overbooked: we just have too many travelers on our road today. We’re now looking for volunteers to give up their space and travel first thing in the morning. You’ll get a $200 trip voucher and a complimentary stay in a local hotel.”

Yeah, that’d be great.

Our San Juan Islands Vacation Looms

We’re just a few days away from beginning our vacation to the San Juan Islands. I can’t believe its almost here. I’ve always loved the Pacific Northwest, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to introduce our kids to it.

It will also be the first flying vacation the kids have taken since our trip to Italy two years ago. Now that Hallie’s 5 and Travis is almost 3, it will be interesting to see how they enjoy the travel.

Kelly and I don’t splurge on a lot of things, but we do love to travel. I can think of few things more educational for our kids than visiting someplace new.

Heading Home Today

Today (this morning, actually) is my last day in Annapolis. I’m spending most of the day in Baltimore working with a customer. My flight leaves BWI this evening, though if things go smoothly I may be home earlier than that.

I had a good time wandering around downtown by myself yesterday evening. The cool, dry weather had been replaced by mugginess, but I walked from the office to a local bar/restaurant in spite of it. I took my laptop along, thinking I’d do some writing there but instead enjoyed people-watching too much to haul it out. A Fordham’s Tavern Ale and a shrimp-and-steak dinner later, I was headed back to my hotel room to spend the rest of the evening finishing a book.

It’s been a nice visit. Annapolis is a charming city. Still, I can’t wait to be home again!

Revenge Of The Cable TV Monopoly?

Hours after I posted my glee about the apparent defeat of the Local Government Fair Competition Act (HB 1587), my home’s cable modem goes kaput. Hmmmmm. Now, where did I put my tinfoil hat?

Interestingly, still not a word about this in the local high-profile press, as far as I know.

Update: At the moment I posted this, Ryan Teague Beckwith at the N&O mentioned it in the paper’s politics blog, so that’s some mention, anyway.

Update 2, 9AM: My cable modem is online again. Looks like a routine firmware update might have taken place last night, giving the modem a new IP address and making it temporarily invisible from the outside world. It had been months since that had happened, so I was due. No conspiracy here, move along. 🙂