I couldn’t help but notice just how crazy people are in the Los Angeles area. They’re like sharks! Rudeness abounded. Drivers honked horns constantly. Cars cut in waiting lines of traffic. Driving anywhere was an exercise in patience.

At the datacenter I was visiting, I walked across the lobby just as a woman was entering. “Excuse me,” I said as I stepped in front of her. I turned around to hear her grumbling loudly to herself “Go ahead! Walk in front of me and don’t even say ‘excuse me.'” She stormed off, leaving me shaking my head.

Wow, I thought. What is it about this place that makes people continually pissed off?

We were looking for a place to park at lunchtime at a crowded shopping center. A car in front of us was stopped to let a car back out of its parking space. A car opposite us, which had clearly gotten there first, was patiently waiting to take that spot. As we watched, the car in front of us quickly pulled into the waiting car’s spot, leaving the waiting driver livid. There were no manners anywhere!

There were exceptions, of course. My buddy Matt and wife Daniella were exceedingly generous, feeding me and putting me up for the night. They live in Palm Desert, though, where there’s more room to spread out. Also Steve, my business contact, was very cool. Decades spent in Southern California hadn’t jaded him. I suppose the surfing he does every day keeps things in perspective.

In spite of my long plane ride back, I was quite happy to be back on my home soil. Going away really makes you appreciate what you have.

As for Los Angeles, you can keep it, thank you.

I got back from my week-long trip late Friday. Been spending the weekend remembering how to be a husband and daddy. Blogging has taken a back seat as a result.

Went to a dinner party that my friends and I occasionally throw. I don’t think I’ve had that kind of fun in a long, long time. It was a great way to recharge my batteries. My parents did the kid-sitting for us. It was nice to see them, too.

Yesterday was the anniversary of my grandmother’s death. She had been on my mind yesterday (and many days before, to be truthful). She’s still missed, that’s for sure. At the end of this week, we travel to Delaware for the service for Kelly’s grandmother, who died several days ago.

We had a fun afternoon spent playing Christmas music together. Kelly broke out her flute, I played guitar and piano (though not simultaneously), Hallie played harmonica and Travis sang. It was a blast! We hope to make a regular thing of it.

Time to update a few more blogs, then off to bed to face yet another week of work.

I’m wrapping up day three on the road. Spent the first two in Mississippi (or traveling there). It was a successful trip business-wise, and I appreciated being around Southerners again. I forget how different Raleigh is from more Southern cities and towns, but it definitely shows on a visit. Being that I’m a Southerner, I’m not used to feeling like the only Yankee in the room, but that’s how some of these places make me feel sometimes. I catch myself slipping into a drawl after a little while, too. I’m a bit of a chameleon when it comes to accents.

Mississippi was colder than a gravedigger in January this morning, with an icy, 26 degree drive to the airport before dawn. This was after I stayed up to midnight finishing a work project, which followed four hours of the day spent just driving to customer sites. Not to mention the work actually done at the customer sites. It’s been a challenging week already, and now I’m spending the rest of the week in California.

My day began at 4:30 AM. I ate breakfast at the airport at 5:30 before a 6:45 flight to Phoenix (by way of Houston). Then I spent three hours in the Phoenix airport waiting for my connecting flight to Orange County. I raced through heavy traffic to get to my hotel, where I promptly conducted a one-hour demo on the phone. Busy, busy, busy! I’m running from one thing to another!

I might have pulled my remaining hair out during a three hour layover at any other airport, but the new Southwest terminal inPhoenix Sky Harbor airport is beautiful. Tall windows and soaring ceilings complement the view of the desert. The color schemes and designs reflect the southwestern culture. (Unfortunatly, the airport’s beauty isn’t shared by its ugly-ass website.) It was even quiet in the airport! I couldn’t figure out why until I realized there were no TVs blasting the annoying CNN-Airport channel. Every airport should pull the plug on that irritating channel!

I’ve got lots to do before my return flight leaves Friday. Look for more captivating posts soon!

Uh, yeah. Right.

I’m on the road this week for bidness: Mi’sippi for the first half and Cali for the second. Got off the plane for the layover in Chicago and was met with winter: it was 25 degrees there. Mississippi has 45 degrees and a wind that slices through my fleece jacket. By Friday I’ll be enjoying sun and 70 degrees in Southern California.

The family had a hard time saying goodbye today, and so did I. The last thing I saw was Kelly and Hallie waving goodbye from the front porch. Travis would have been there, too, had he not been still anchored to his booster seat at the table. I used to travel quite a bit at the last job. I actually enjoyed it from time to time. At this point in my life, though, it has lost its appeal. There’s just too much to look forward to when I get home from work every day.

I’m reading Compromised by Terry Reed now. After I got the book from the library, I procrastinated in reading it. Part of me considered it old news. Part of me didn’t want to feed my conspiratorial bent any more than I already do. Still, I needed reading material for my travels so I packed it. Now I can’t put it down! I’ve long suspected Clinton is a Company man, and this book bears that out. How else could you explain his now chummy relationship with George H.W. Bush, who is a Company man himself?

The book also provides some insight into what is going on at Aero Contractors, too.

Off to bed now, as the real fun begins early tomorrow.