fla_sunshine
Jan. 23rd, 2010
07:49 pm - Home again
Arisia was fun and the train trips both ways were long as expected. Monday afternoon we moved from the con hotel to a hotel closer South Station which provided us a nice suite upgrade on the top floor. I walked to South Station that afternoon and succeeded in checking Judy's wheelchair and a rollerboard of dirty laundry back home to Kissimmee ahead of us. Tuesday morning's major excitement was a hotel fire alarm which stranded us on the 22nd floor for almost an hour, so we had to rush breakfast to catch a taxi to South Station for our 9:35 AM train to Now York (changing there for Kissimmee). The alarm turned out to be caused by low water pressure from a broken water pipe on a floor being renovated.
Leaving New York's Penn Station Tuesday afternoon our train had an engine failure necessitating a couple of unscheduled engine swaps in New Jersey putting us over 2 hours behind schedule. We were as much as 3 hours late a some points during the journey, and arrived in Kissimmee Wednesday afternoon just over 2 hours late.
Friday, we went to Home Depot to order custom vertical blinds for the sliding glass doors to the porch after determining that the standard ones really weren't a good choice for us. We should have them in less than a month. This is only about two and a half years after we had planned to have something installed over the sliding glass doors.
Now we should be home at least until mid-February when we take a train to Boston for Boskone... well except for the Saturday night in Tampa for our Florida State Fair weekend in early February.
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exhaustedJan. 12th, 2010
04:37 pm - Busy, Busy, Busy
The busier I get, the less LJ writing I seem to get done. I think I need calm quiet time to actually be willing to sit down and write anything. So for those of you who had wondered what had happened in my life, here's the abridged version:
Thanksgiving day, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
jcbemis, terriwells, and I traveled to Orlando International Airport to fly to LAX for Loscon. Judy and I traveled together on an American Airlines nonstop while Terri connected on United and arrived a couple of hours later. During Loscon, Judy took an opportunity to spend a day traveling to the San Diego area to look at horses.
After Loscon Terri had to fly back home and get back to work while Judy and I flew to Las Vegas for three nights in a "resort suite" in the Encore. On the flight from LAX to LAS on USAirways, we got perhaps the final benefit from our USAirways Silver Preferred status by being upgraded to First Class for the short journey. Also in Las Vegas, I began to notice that I had acquired a sinus infection while at Loscon, so I wasn't feeling particularly well for the rest of the trip.
We left Las Vegas on Southwest Airlines headed for Austin, TX and SMOFcon. SMOFcon was fun as usual but unseasonably COLD. By Monday we were very happy to be flying (on JetBlue this time) back to Orlando.
The following weekend we hosted another of our gaming nights (Settlers of Catan, Munchkin, Power Grid, and even Scrabble).
One of Terri's boyfriends was visiting for the Christmas week, so Christmas day we roped him into Settler's, Munchkin and a dinner with steaks cooked on our grill. Terri supplied the baked yeast bread and applesauce spice cake using a sourdough starter she had been experimenting with.
Judy, Terri, and I spent New Year's Eve together and Terri slept over at our house rather than risk the 10 minute walk back to her place with all those partiers out and about in our neighborhood. :-)
This past weekend, I drove Judy and Terri up to Atlanta for GAFilk. We left Thursday night after Terri got off work and drove as far as Valdosta, GA (that way we slept through the cold front passage rather than having to drive through it the next day). We also stayed a GAFilk for the Dead Dog filk Sunday night and drove back home Monday.
Today, Judy and I are getting ready to leave tommorrow for our train trip to Boaton for Arisia. Judy's wheelchair is already on today's train as checked luggage and should be waiting for her when we get there Thursday evening.
Nov. 16th, 2009
02:41 pm - Shuttle Launch
We just watched another Shuttle Launch from our back porch. I like our view. :)
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cheerfulNov. 7th, 2009
11:53 am - Painfully Honest Commercial
Copied from our local Homeowner's Association email:
"Commercials have one purpose – to sell you things. So they play up the positives and downplay the negatives. But what if a commercial was actually honest? I mean painfully honest. This one is. And I think it works.
Cullman Liquidation sells used mobile homes in Alabama . Owner Robert Lee is one tough dude. And his commercial reflects that by design. It was written and directed by the comedy duo Rhett and Link. The commercial is great. And the behind-the-scene footage is just as good."
http://videos.komando.com/2009/11/03/pa
Oct. 4th, 2009
Oct. 1st, 2009
12:29 pm - A Month of Magical Dining
September was Orlando Magical Dining Month, an otherwise slow restaurant month where a number of the best restaurants in the area offer a special fixed price 3 course dining menu with a small donation ($1) to charity for each person who orders. The prices are set at either $30 or $20 (depending on the restaurant) and is a relative bargain compared to the "regular" menu prices.
Le Coq Au Vin - Orange Avenue Area, French Cuisine was the first (and possibly the best) restaurant that jcbemis and I visited. We were joined by terriwells and two of our favorite gaming friends from the Tampa area. The restaurant was quaint and comfortably non-casual (i.e. "business casual" or better was de riguer) and the sign out front as we arrived said "Bonjour Y'all". I ordered the Tarte a L'Oignon appetizer, the signature Poulet "Coq Au Vin" entree, and the Creme Brulee desert and all were excellent as were most other peoples' fare reportedly. We also shared a too expensive bottle of french red wine.
Emeril's Tchoup Chop - Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando®, Asian Polynesian Cuisine was the next restaurant Judy and I visited. The food was also excellent, but since the restaurant seems to speciallize in seafood, I was not surprised that Judy's Crusted Atlantic Salmon entree was better than my Mongolian Grilled Pork Tenderloin entree. To accompany this meal we ordered (at extra cost) a flight of three wines to accompany each course. The first of these was actually a fruit infused sake that was surprisingly delicious.
Pisces Rising - Mount Dora, Seafood was next and Terri joined Judy and me one more time. Unfortunately, when we arrived it was raining and this dampened our spirits (and clothes) and detracted from the great view overlooking Lake Dora. This restaurant also specialized in seafood so it was no surprise that the Caribbean Crab Cake appetizer was wonderful and Judy's Bouillabaise far outshone my Cuban Roast Pork. We split a pleasant and inexpensive Washington State Gewurztraminer with the meal, and there was still some rain as we were leaving.
Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café - Sanford, German Cuisine was a lunch stop as Judy and I were traveling to visit folks in Orange City for an afternoon of playing "Wizard". The Magical Dining Menu ($20 for this restaurant) was not offered for lunch, but the standard lunch menu was very reasonably priced and the food was very good. After our appetizer, entree, and Octoberfest Beer, we didn't leave room for desert anyway. Terri tried this restaurant another evening and reported her Magical Dining experience was equally good.
Urban Flats - Winter Park - American Cuisine was also a lunchtime excursion on the way to a museum visit for Museum Day. Judy and I were happy enough with the food to go back some other time if we were in the neighborhood, but probably wouldn't go out of our way for it. We didn't even look at the Magical Dining Menu for this establishment and stopping here was a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Chez Vincent - Winter Park, French Cuisine was our final stop. Judy and I stopped for dinner after the museum visit and some time in downtown Winter Park at a wine bar and a chocolate shop. The food here seemed serviceable French cuisine, but in our opinion Coq Au Vin was better. The main attraction of Chez Vincent's Magical Dining Menu for Judy was the escargot appetizer, and she reports it was indeed very good. I will say that the restaurant was recovering from a massive (about 50 person) wedding party that overstayed their reservation, and we arrived early for ours, so they might not have been prepared to put their best foot forward for us.
Next on our agenda: Epcot Food and Wine Festival
Sep. 1st, 2009
12:31 pm - Yesterday we went to Disney Movie Studios
...but my feet are mostly okay today. OTOH Disney Movie Studios is a much smaller park than EPCOT and we didn't stay as long. jcbemis and I were visiting this park with friends (one of whom was celebrating her birthday). We had a fun time, including a new attraction that was similar to the Magic Kingdom's "Buzz Lightyear" and much more fun. We might have stayed longer, but jcbemis's scooter ran out of battery power about 4 PM, so we said goodbye to our friends and headed for the park exit. Before we went home, jcbemis and I had a lovely dinner at a newly opened Greek restaurant at Disney's Boardwalk. jcbemis thinks it was the most authentic Greek food since she visited Greece with the sole understandable exception of substituting locally available seafood in the fish stew.
cheerfulAug. 30th, 2009
11:56 am - Fun day with friends at EPCOT yesterday
...and today I'm resting my feet. We tried the Kim Possible spy adventure game in the World Showcase and it was much fun - not just for kids after all. The four of us had a late lunch at Germany's Biergarten Restaurant and terriwells and I had a light dinner with a good view in Japan before heading homeward.
Today jcbemis and I are planning to head out for a movie and dinner - trying to decide between "Julie and Julia" and "Taking Woodstock".
soreAug. 26th, 2009
03:09 pm - Meme from terriaminute
49 Questions for Grownups
Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids?! 'Have you ever kissed someone? Missed someone? Told someone you loved them? Drank alcohol? Bah!
So instead, here: 49 questions for the people who are a little older!
What bill do you hate paying the most?
The "reclaimed" water bill for lawn watering. And no, the water is not yet reclaimed but supposedly will be someday.
Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Well it was actually lunch at the edge of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with jcbemis and terriwells.
What do you really want to be doing right now?
Answering this question - otherwise, why would I be doing it. :-)
How many colleges did you attend?
One as an Undergraduate and one as a Grad student (also attended two NSF summer programs as a High School Student and took a Calculus course at one the summer before I entered college as an undergraduate). So...five?
Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
I have a stockpile of accumulated t-shirts that I'm working on wearing out before I buy any new shirts. I picked one that matched my navy blue slacks.
What are your thoughts on gas prices?
They are what they are.
First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
Ah, it's time for terriwells to get moving.
Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Time to stop cuddling and get some sleep.
Do you miss being a child?
No.
What errand/chore do you despise?
Cleaning.
Get up early or sleep in?
Sleep in.
Have you found real love yet?
Yes.
favorite lunch meat:
Canadian Bacon.
What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
I don't get any one thing EVERY time.
Beach or lake?
Beach
Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
The ritual is not outdated, but the associated legal system is.
Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?
Never watched either.
What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Maybe Bill Gates, but I wouldn't actually have fun at dinner with a famous person if I felt pressure to hold up my side of the conversation.
Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
No, but I have damaged another car in an accident (the driver's side mirror gouged the other vehicle's paint).
Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
No.
Ring tone?
I only have a cell phone because jcbemis insisted. I've never changed its ring tone.
Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
New Zealand. (Okay, the bathroom of a farmhouse in New Zealand. I've never really brushed my teeth anywhere that there was no sink or no running potable water.)
Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
I've been many awesome places in California. But I've not yet been to Lassen Volcanic National Park,
Do you go to church?
No. Used to as a child.
At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
New relationship, not that I'm planning to give up any old ones. I'm retired, so a new career would have to be even more interesting than the leisure time activities I have now.
How old are you?
59
Do you have a go to person?
Yes.
Are you where you want to be in life?
I'm actually where I want to be, but I'd like to have gotten there younger.
Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?
Mr. Peabody, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Roadrunner
What about you do you think has changed the most?
I have managed to become less shy.
Looking back at high school were they the best years of your life?
No. Even college was definitely better even if I was no longer the smartest (or the shiest) one in the class.
Are there times you still feel like a kid?
Yes.
Did you ever own troll dolls?
No
Did you have a pager?
I do not now, nor have I ever worn a pager.
Where was the hang out spot when you were a teenager?
I have no clue.
Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?
Yes.
Who do you think impacted your life the most?
My father who always push/encouraged his children to get a good education and finish college when he wasn't able to (due to things like the Depression, getting his knee injured while on a football scholarship, etc.). My brother who set a high achievement bar before me when my turn came for school, college, and career.
Was there a teacher or authority figure that stood out for you?
Yes, but not all in good ways.
--Okay. Your turn!
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contemplativeAug. 14th, 2009
08:11 am - Back from Worldcon
...and semi-recovered. Laundry is all caught up, and the house is stocked with groceries again.
We are looking forward to attending a wine tasting with friends tonight after we return a wheelchair to jcbemis's mom today.
chipperAug. 6th, 2009
04:21 pm - We are at Worldcon
I finally turned on my cell phone to discover that I have voice mail. Unfortunately, when I dial my voice mail, the Canadian phone system tells me I have dialed an invalid number. I hope any important messages will be sent by email, as I am unlikely to be using my phone until I return to the US.
It turns out that I'm not actually working for the convention this year, but so far today, I've helped out in set up for the FANAC
exhibit and helped out for a couple of hours at the Worldcon Site Selection voting table.
Aug. 4th, 2009
10:28 pm - Approaching Worldcon
jcbemis and I left Orlando today and after a mostly uneventful connection in Philadelphia, arrived at the Montreal airport. We are staying in a nearby Fairfield Inn tonight before heading downtown to the Intercontinental tomorrow morning.
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tiredJul. 24th, 2009
09:22 am - The life of social butterflies
After jcbemis and I got back from our Midwestcon/Westercon trip on a Thursday we were exhausted. We had been invited to a pool party in the Tampa area on Saturday, but jcbemis opted to stay home. terriwells went with me and we had a fun time, but left early. A couple of our gaming friends from the Tampa area who were also at the pool party followed us home for a "games day" at our house that Sunday which we kicked off Saturday night with a round of Flux, then after terriwells headed home to sleep, the rest of us played A Touch of Evil before crashing. The next day we all played an assortment of board games including another round of A Touch of Evil before winding up with Munchkin before our Tampa friends had to head home.
The next Sunday, jcbemis and I headed over to the Tampa area to visit her mom and to return the wheelchair that we had borrowed for the Midwestcon/Westercon trip. Then we called the same friends that we had gamed with the previous weekend and aranged to crash the dinner they were having with the rest of their local gaming group at the best Chinese restaurant I have yet found in Central Florida. Then after hanging out with them and some more friends at a local coffee house for a couple of hours, we drove home.
This weekend we are again hosting a "games day" at our house with the same cast of characters, but it may last all weekend this time. At least this time, we've had some time to get the house in a bit better shape for company.
08:41 am - Overdue trip report - Las Vegas, Canyons, and Westercon
When I last posted, jcbemis and I were in Cinncinati about to attend Midwestcon. We did that, then flew out to Las Vegas where we were joined by terriwells for several days of sightseeing in Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Grand Canyon National Park (both North Rim and South Rim). Then we drove down to Tempe, AZ for Westercon before returning to Las Vegas via Hoover Dam before flying home.
The good: Everyone seemed to enjoy the trip and no one killed anyone. We all got some great pictures. jcbemis and I got to see some friends we haven't seen in awhile. There was a good assortment of restaurants within easy walking distance from the hotel (even in the 100 degree plus heat). We had a Mahjong game in hotel lobby while con was winding down before going out to dinner. Tempe had an impressive 4th of July fireworks display easily visable from our hotel pool deck (and some party rooms). We went to a Mexican restaurant in Mesa, AZ that was recommended to us by former locals who are now friends of ours living in the Tampa area and really enjoyed it. We had an impromptu dinner with tikvah in Boca Raton, FL on our way back home.
The bad: I just missed having lunch with my brother while driving through Southern Utah (he was there flying gliders). A Greek restaurant in Tempe that was highly recommended to us turned out to be closed for summer vacation. Our comped hotel rooms in Las Vegas only had exercise equipment in the expensive "day spa" and access to them was limited to hours that the spa was open. Our rental car developed a broken tail light cover which will cost a bit to get fixed, but I've saved enough on declining the optional insurance over the years that those savings should pay for it several times over.
contentJun. 25th, 2009
11:32 am - On the road again
Last week jcbemis and I flew Southwest airlines from Orlando to Providence and then drove our rental car to Wales, MA for a very pleasant couple of nights visiting gerisullivan at "Toad Woods" prior to Concertino, this year's Northeast Filk Convention, in Worchester, MA. From "Toad Woods" we travelled to the gravesite in Longmeadow, MA where jcbemis's father's ashes were interred this spring. It was a rainy day, so we didn't spend much time in Longmeadow, so we had a few hours to kill. We decided on the spur of the moment to drive into CT for an unscheduled visit with elaine_brennan before driving back to "Toad Woods" to take gerisullivan out to dinner as a "thank you" for letting us visit. As we were about to leave, Priscilla Olson dropped by to visit gerisullivan and do some shopping, so we got to say "Hi" to her as well.
Concertino was fun but I felt as if I spent way too little time with way too many people, and we left early and a bit abruptly to make our way back the Providence airport for our flight home, so I missed a chance to say my goodbyes to some folks I wanted to.
We were only home for a day and a half, mostly for washing clothes and repacking, then took the train south to Hollywood for an overnight stay before our flight to Cincinnati for Midwestcon. I'm in a hotel near the Cincinnati airport as I type this and will be checking out and renting a car to drive to the Midwestcon hotel this afternoon.
Sunday evening after Midwestcon, we will be flying to Las Vegas where we will be meeting terriwells (who is flying in from Orlando the same evening) for our driving tour of the canyons on the way to Westercon in Phoenix.
Jun. 16th, 2009
10:32 am - "The Race for a New Game Machine"
Some folks may remember a 1981 Pulitzer Prize Winning bestseller "Soul of a New Machine" which related the saga of a team of Data General computer designers working on a new minicomputer.
"The Race for a New Game Machine" pays explicit homage to that book in telling the story of engineers at IBM who designed the chips that were the brains of both the XBOX 360 and the Sony Playstation 3. This time I had a role to play in this story, and that role was my last major assignment before I retired from IBM.
This book might not be quite up to the quality of writing (not to mention copyediting) that was found in "Soul of a New Machine", but once you get beyond the rather silly and overblown introduction, you will find a view of the development world inside IBM that matches my memory in specific detail, mood of the times, and rivalries among various development organizations. My 2nd line manager Steve Curtis (and for a while he was also my acting 1st line manager) gets at least a couple of mentions by name so far, and my department in Research Triangle Park also merits a couple of references for the role we played. I am really excited to have stumbled across this book while killing time in Books-a-Million, and I just had to take it home with me.
I may have more to say when I finish reading the whole book - I sort of ego-scanned it first skipping some chapters along the way.
Jun. 7th, 2009
08:57 pm - House - The Final Chapter
Yesterday in South Florida with the hired help of a couple of out of work friends terriwells and I disassembled a desk and a waterbed frame. Then we all loaded a rental truck with all of terriwells's remaining furniture and I drove it up to the new house. Today the truck was unloaded into Terri's new place in Central Florida with other friends helping on this end. Tomorrow after I pick up some plywood for a new waterbed platform, I can turn in the rental truck (I have until Tuesday morning if I need it).
Maybe after that I'll have more interesting things to post, like details of our upcoming trips to Concertino (Worchester, MA), Midwestcon (Cincinnati, OH), and Westercon (where we fly into Las Vegas a week early and tour canyons on the way to Phoenix - Zion, Brice, and Grand (North and South Rims)).
Time to rest now.
exhaustedMay. 28th, 2009
03:57 pm - House - The Continuing Saga
This weekend terriwells and I are driving to South Florida to drain her waterbed and bring two more carloads of stuff back.
The first full weekend in June, we are scheduled to pickup a rental truck Saturday morning to move the furniture (and any final remaining items) up. We have the truck until Tuesday morning, so jcbemis and I may also use it to pickup a grill that we've been planning to buy.
The weekend after that, terriwells plans to make one final trip back to South Florida to ensure that the apartment is ready for the move-out walk-thru on Monday, June 15, the date that she has agreed to vacate.
After all of that, terriwells gets to finish unpacking while jcbemis and I head off for three SF conventions in a row (Concertino, Midwestcon, and Westercon) with terriwells joining us for the third one.
Note: Edited because lj user tags didn't translate properly when crossposting from DW to LJ.
May. 15th, 2009
12:36 pm - More new house progress
The internet was turned on as scheduled.
The treadmill took SIGNIFICANTLY more effort and brute force to assemble properly than the salesman claimed (or than it should have if the parts had been manufactured to tighter tolerances), but appears to be all assembled now. We haven't actually tried it out pending getting a surge protector for it. I bought that today, but terriwells is going back to South Florida after work today to do more packing over the weekend, so the actual tryout will have to wait until Monday.
The refridgerator also has not been purchased yet, but that will probably happen Monday for delivery Tuesday or Wednesday.
May. 13th, 2009
02:37 pm - Okay, I'm on Dreamwidth too
Strictly as a defensive strategy, I've decided to sign up for Dreamwidth and start posting there (with automatic crossposts to LiveJournal), so except for this post, no one on LJ should notice any difference.
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