Rapid City, SD Sept. 2009

Destin 2009 Photos

Silly Brits!

I’m watching “Lovejoy”(season 5 Swings and Roundabouts) an old BBC TV series from the 90’s. One of the characters (Beth Taylor) is shooing a rifle at a carnival RIGHT handed and hitting everything she aims at. The problem is she has her right eye close and is sighting with her LEFT eye. For those who shoot, you must realize this is quite a feat! As a kid I could only close my right eye so I had to learn to be the dead shot that I am left handed. It’s the only thing I can do left handed.

No wonder our brothers and sisters on the other side of the pond always need our help when the shooting starts :-)

Tampa FL - July 2009

The Henry Ford Museum

Walked around The Henry Ford Museum today. These are the random photos I took

Evening in downtown Detroit

I spent the evening in downtown Detroit walking between the boardwalk, the General Motors headquarters and Greektown where I had dinner in a wonderful Greek restaurant called Pegasus Tavern.

As I walked along the Detroit river I was reminded again just how dysfunctional downtown St Louis is. How can we not come up with something to match this!

Parking Lots

Last night while walking the dogs in Des Peres park I came across a group sitting on folding chairs in the middle of the parking lot rather than on the vary abundant grassy space in the park. I just have to think, "That would be a stupid way to die, getting hit by a car while lounging around on the parking lot of the city park".

Star Trek Movie

My thoughts on the new Star Trek Movie: The movie Was great! Go see it now! As a Star Trek fan, I disappointed with two things. First, I felt like it ended feeling like George Lucas's second go around with the Star Wars movies. Second (**spoiler**), ending with the parallel universe and so that everything thats been written is now irrelevant was disappointing, though if i were JJ Abram and wanted to make more ST movies I would have done he same thing in order to remove the restrictions your story's would have. After thinking on it way to much, I didn't like the Spock, Uhura thing either.

Sprayed the lawn with weed killer

The Chateau on the Lake

April 28 through the 30th one of the departments we support sponsored a conference in Branson at The Chateau on the Lake to witch I was required (got) to go. None of it really pertained to IT but it was a nice get away.

The Chateau on the Lake is a beautiful hotel sitting on top of a hill all by itself overlooking Table Rock Lake. My first impression was WOW, this place is incredible. It has a long deck that overlooks the lake witch turned out to be a great place to gather in the evening, watch the sun set and drink tequilas while snaking on jalapenos, white cheddar, chocolate covered popcorn form Harry and Dave’s (amazingly it’s a lot better than it sounds). There were several gathering places though out with seating that was made both for looks and for comfort. There was a constant sound of moving water and chirping birds form the nature themed waterfalls and live birds. The Chateau is a wonderful place to kick back an relax
Now for my complaints!

• The rooms didn’t have a refrigerators or microwaves. 
  
• The room had a 50 inch HDTV but only received an analog signal. Analog looks terrible on high def TV’s. If you have an analog signal your best to show it on an analog device.
  
• They charged for the wi-fi. Normally I wouldn’t have cared but I couldn’t get a 3G connection on my cell phone wireless card.
  
• There were no paper or disposable cups in the room, they were all glass. After watching the news reports on how some housekeeping cleans dishes in hotel rooms I refuse to drink out of real glass or ceramic mugs.
  
• When I opened the window in my room I got this really loud roaring sound of some kind of equipment, probably air conditioners (room 309) 
  

Most of our free time was spent jumping from restaurant to restaurant. Our first night went down to the landing and ate at a little Mexican placed called “Cantina Laredo”. We ate out on the deck on what couldn’t have been a nicer evening. The Guacamole was prepared fresh at the table as well as our desert which created a flame ball as it was prepared. Every thing was great.

The hotels cheapest breakfast was $14 so we made a trip to wall mart to pick up some fruit and breakfast bars for breakfast to save us from the gouging.

 
Lunch the next day was at Danna’s Bar-B-Que and Burger. Stupid me, I had the fried catfish sandwich. My lunch was so-so. Everyone else loved their hamburgers and bbq.

For dinner that night we ate at “Shogun Japanese Steak and Sushi”. This is one of those places where everyone sits around a griddle and the food is prepared as entertainment in front of the diners.

Breakfast the next morning was at McFarland's per my friend Kelly’s recommendation. I had the best skillet breakfast I’ve ever had. If you go, be sure to get their gravy.

On the drive home we stopped at Missouri Hick BBQ in Sullivan. As always I got a half slab of ribs. Everyone should have the joy once in their lives of eating ribs from Missouri Hick.

Yard work

May 2, 2009 - Fertilized the lawn with "Scotts Lawn Pro Super Turf Builder."

Shock and Awe

"Shock and awe" has a new meaning... The Cardinal are to be in the Superbowl!!

Though they aren't actually physically there yet there is still enough of my faith in their ability to mess things up that I think there is a possibility that they wont be in it.

Look out for some sort of national disaster that will cause the NFL to cancel the game (it will brobably be caused by Bill Bidwill)

Smithsonia American Art Museum & National Portrait Museum

More photos from the Smithsonia American Art Museum & National Portrait Museum