It’s been a long week. On Tuesday, I made a rainy five hour drive to Pittsburgh, so that I could bring my son home from Carnegie Mellon later in the week. In Pittsburgh, I hopped a Southwest Airlines flight to Philadelphia to work on a database project. A colleague and I hammered out a rather complex data structure for a system we’re building, and on Thursday night, it was back on Southwest to Pittsburgh.
By the way, I can’t recommend the $10 beers nor the curt bartenders in the Philadelphia airport.
What does any of this have to do with snow?
The return trip from Pittsburgh of 300 miles, which normally takes 5 hours, took 9 hours. You see, dear reader, we drove into the jaws of the largest snowstorm in Ohio this year. Our driving speed was reduced to a maximum of 40 miles per hour, frequently moving at the rapid pace of 20 mph. In Zanesville, Ohio we spent over an hour in bumper to bumper traffic because I-70 was closed and we were routed onto National Road, US 40. The Ohio Highway Patrol reported over 610 accidents in that time period, we spotted at least 5 jack-knifed trucks, and cars spun out everywhere. Ironically one such truck was seen off the road right near the famous Hell is Real sign on Interstate 71 south of Columbus.
I drove the entire trip, given that my son just doesn’t have the experience yet in those dangerous conditions. We took frequent pit stops, mainly so that I might unwind from the stress of navigating skating rink quality, sweaty palm, hands tightly gripping the steering wheel, icy highways.
As I look out my window from the warmth of my favorite living room easy chair, I see snow. White everywhere. A snow covered yard and a snow filled sky. They say a blizzard is coming.
When I think of firsts in things, things that happen in the Cincinnati region don’t often come to mind. But according to the Cincinnati Business Courier, this town has something to crow about.
Cincinnati ranked first (in the nation) with an average air fare of $562.23 for the second quarter, up 6.7 percent from $526.94 in second-quarter 2006. That was way ahead of second-place Anchorage, Alaska, with an average fare of $487.68.
Compare this to the lowest airfare flying out of Lihue, Kauai, in Hawaii at an average of $138.66. Also note that airfares in general dropped 4.5% compared with last year, while those at CVG rose 6.7%.
Congratulations are in order to the Kenton County Airport Board for this achievement, as well as for being such a watchdog for the public interest. Of course, having sold most of the gates to Delta Airlines, it comes as no surprise that fares are constantly so high here in this Delta hub.
Many local travelers find it more reasonable to fly out of Dayton (39th), even though it’s about an hour drive away. There was a time I’d even drive as far as Columbus (71st most expensive) to save significant bucks, only to find myself connecting right back home in Cincinnati. If I planned ahead, and didn’t check any bags on my return flight, I simply “forgot” to board the Columbus flight and got a ride to my home, twenty minutes away.
Hey Cincinnati! Don’t it make you proud to be first at something?
One of the articles that gets the most view on this blog is called Hell is Real, which doesn’t reflect my religious values as much as it does show some rather interesting roadway viewing near my hometown of Cincinnati.
I suspect that what folks are searching for are pictures of Touchdown Jesus, pictured below:
You can find that statue, also known as Butter Jesus, just north of Cincinnati, near Exit 29 on the east side of the freeway.
But Touchdown Jesus can also be found in a more appropriate location than near the side of the freeway. How about the a mural on the library outside the football stadium at Notre Dame?
I would be remiss if I didn’t include a YouTube video by comedian Heywood Banks about that same Big Butter Jesus.
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Oopss! Wrong medium.
What I meant to say was: “to provide better customer service on this topic, here are a couple other links.”
Used to be that people just locked the door of the store after posting a sign “Gone Fishing.” So without making any of the typical excuses, I’ve been on vacation, or “on holiday” as much of the rest of the world calls it. Much better phrase, I think.
On holiday. Celebrating a break from the everyday stress. Escaping.
I plan more posts soon. Tales of our travels. Quiet escapes.
In that interesting but often sensational blog, The Consumerist, there is a recent post about a $5 September 11 Security Fee that is charged to airline passengers in the US.
To get the facts straight, according to the US Department of Transportation, the fee is $2.50 for each “enplanement from a US airport to help pay for the Federal government’s costs of providing aviation security services.”
My questions.
Do you feel more secure in an airport or on a plane as a result of these fees?
Do you think our airlines are more secure since September 11?
Do you believe our country is more secure now?
My answers.
No
Not really
Absolutely not. Our country is more at risk as a result of our “war on terror”.
Bush and his buddies have done much to make our country less safe through their arrogance and dishonesty in dealings with other nations. Instead of making peace and friendship, he and his ilk have used threats of violence, not unlike the American street gangs, to get people to bend to their will. Only when our government starts making peace and building bridges will our country truly be safe.
Imagine yourself at the Kentucky Derby on the First Saturday in May, which happens to be May 5, 2007. You hold four tickets to a two-story high roller box with over 50 LCD screens at Churchill Downs on Derby Day. In your hand is one of four $1,000 mint juleps exclusively created by the good folks at Churchill Downs for this year’s Kentucky Derby. And as you smugly sip the smooth and sweet beverage, you know that you are drinking one of only 133 thousand-dollar mint juleps made that day. Such satisfaction that only the American dollar can buy.
This part is cool, however, and oh, so tempting. As a part of the package you get to hang out with the Kentucky Derby contenders and walk over to the paddock from the backside with the horses and their connections.
Add accomodations at a “premier hotel” in downtown Louisville for three nights, along with a limo ride to the track on Derby Day and you get something going on.
Sound good? Got a spare $89,000 in chump change? And a Sam’s Club membership? If so, click here to go to the Sam’s Club web site to purchase this “once in a lifetime Ultimate Kentucky Derby Package“.
Oh, and while you’re waiting for the race to start, would you mind putting down a couple bucks on Great Hunter to win for me?
A couple days ago, while surfing through WordPress blog listings, I came across this rather interesting blog called The Salton Sea is a Strange Place. In addition to the article, this blogger has posted a good many rather interesting photos about The Salton Sea.
Several years ago, I attended a conference in Palm Desert, California. I took a few extra days after the meeting to play and on the return drive to San Diego went by this amazing place called the Salton Sea.
Right there in the middle of the desert is this large saline lake, actually the largest lake in California. The environment in the region is rather interesting because of the chemistry of the lake, but more interesting are the abandoned ruins of towns and resorts that were once there. Apparently during the 1930s and 1940s, this area was intended to be a desert resort area, but now not much is left except empty motels, night clubs, cars, and other remnants of humanity.
It’s quiet there, and the surface of the water is a “off” color. Few people are around and the entire area excudes a strange feeling. The Salton Sea is worth the trip if you happen to be in that part of the desert.
Cindy Pierson Dulay is a noted horse racing photographer and journalist and well known around racing. Recently, she was on a tour of several of the beautiful horse farms outside Lexington, Kentucky. On her web site, Horse-Races.Net, she posted photos of the stallions she viewed. With each photo is a note about each of these stately animals including their accomplishments on the track and stud fee.
As I looked through the photos, I noted how many of these horses had only recently been retired, some after only racing for their three year-old season. After looking at the fees for their “services” however, it is easy to see where the real money is in horse racing.
I’m not at a wireless beach, but I am using the free wi-fi at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. In 50 minutes, I leave the warm breezes and blue skies of the Florida Gulf Coast for the gray Ohio winter. (By the way, SRQ is a great airport; easy in and out, 3 minutes through security, uncrowded gates, and free wi-fi.)
What a relaxing week it has been. I got the opportunity to spend New Year’s with my best friend John. He is so fortunate to have a house in Englewood, Florida and so generous in allowing me to use it at my leisure. Within hours of my arrival I was able to lighten the load and let the breeze and sun wash away my stress and the wear and tear of a long and busy year.
I had a week of little responsibility other than taking care of John’s house and a lot of time to myself. For once in a long time I did nothing. Not that there is all that much to do in Charlotte County, Florida anyhow. The county is rural with lots of parks, beaches and beautiful country. The towns are small, with little traffic and limited development. Just the place to visit to get away from it all.
But I must leave and head home to my family and my work. I bring home a more relaxed self, lots of smiles, and some memories of quiet times. Tomorrow it’s back to work.
Before I depart, one last memory, captured in the following photos of a golden sunset on my last night in Florida.
Winter is in full swing in the northern hemisphere, although where I come from in Ohio, we’ve yet to see much snow. Regardless, it’s time to think about packing your bags and heading to warmer climates where you can catch some rays and work on your tan. And most of us anymore don’t forget to pack our laptops along with our swim trunks and sunglasses when we head to the sun.
As a public service to those heading for the surf and sand, I post the following link to a Wired Magazine article “Where to Catch Some WiFi Waves.” Included are some major beaches in the US, including one clothing optional location where you can be topless, bottomless, and wireless.
Of course, this begs the question: Why?
Beyond the potential harm of water and sand to the laptop computer, I go to the beach to get away from all things computer. I enjoy the warm breeze in my face, long walks in the sand and waves, and reading a novel to escape the day to day rigor of the technology world. Other than for music, for which I can use my iPod, that is one place I really don’t want to be wireless.
OK. To be completely forthcoming and honest, I must reveal that this article is being written from Englewood, Florida, where I came to “get away from it all” while visiting a friend. I did bring my laptop and yes, I do have a WiFi connection thanks to the generosity of my neighbor, who allows me to share hers. I solemnly promise however, that I will never ever take this laptop to the beach.
I work as software consultant based in Cincinnati, Ohio, building custom information
systems for education and businesses. My company, Watzman
Associates, Inc. has been in business for over 20 years.
Using FileMaker Pro as my development platform, I build database solutions that work for those using them. The hard work is done "under the hood", what my customers get are tools to improve their schools and businesses.
