I know I've been flying too much when...

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 06:36:37 GMT

I'm more comfortable sleeping sitting up than lying down.
I know what all of the various dings signify on the flight now. (ok to use electronics, buckle up, etc.)
My travel pillow has wear marks on it.
I can sleep through turbulence.
I'm picking my seat assignments now based on proximity to the bathroom.
I can pick up my suitcase and tell it's over the 50 lb weight limit.
I can pack for a 2 week trip in less than 30 minutes.
I"ve stopped unpacking my tolietry bag.

After being on a cross-country flight all day and having had to do this quite a bit lately, I've got a whole new level of respect for the road warriors out there.

I've been flying US Air and Northwest lately. I think I still like US Air better. US Air will read the connection information to all connecting flights on the final approach as a courtesy. Northwest was more about "buckle up and sit up straight people, we're landing". So instead of heading for your connection, you have to find a flight info board first.

I wish someone made a mobile version of flight info board. I've got a 30 minute layover in Memphis coming up on NWA and I won't have time to waste looking for a info board to figure out where to go.

I've been spoiled by warm, sunny weather this week. The Carolinas were beautiful this past week with highs in the 80s and clear skies. When I got into SeaTac, we actually had SUNSHINE!!!! Until about 3pm when it started raining again, for the 11th day in a row. After being in 80s, the mid 40s seems pretty doggone cold. The mountains here have been getting a ton of snow.

When I fly in, I usually can see Mt. Ranier pretty clearly. Today, it was wearing a shroud of clouds and every bit of land around it was covered in snow. (See bad pictures)

One perk of the flight today was the aerial tour of the city. Since it had cleared out for a time, you could actually see the ground well today. It also helped I was sitting on the correct side of the plane to enjoy the view. Today's landing pattern was a U shaped pattern coming up north over Bellevue, turning over Lake Washington and then down to SeaTac over downtown Seattle. It was a beautiful sight with all of the leaves changing.

Oh yeah, saw a bicyclist get hit by a car today.

Sun, 23 Oct 2005 06:11:26 GMT

As I'm looking on the map as to where I drove today... On the way back from the museum, I got majorly lost. The joys of learning a new city.

Anyway, I drove north and hit the Alaskan Viaduct. When I got off of it, I wound up in Ballard. After making a couple of circles, I started following the I-5 signs and was soon sitting in football traffic in Wallingford.

While creeping eastbound on NE 45st right by Corliss and while I was on the phone with my wife, I saw a navy blue New Beetle cross the road a few cars up and hit a bicyclist. It was trying to cross our street and we were backed up bumper to bumper. I figure someone up a couple of cars let them through. However, when they crossed, this guy on a bike was crossing the street and boom. I don't think either of them saw the other.

I didn't think the car had been going that fast as the bicyclist got up after rolling off the car. THowever, the front windshield on the Beetle was shattered and the front wheel of the bike was toast. Both bike rider and car driver looked pretty shook up.

Evil Doctor PorkChop: Travel

I know I've been flying too much when...

Oh yeah, saw a bicyclist get hit by a car today.