UMTravels

Wow. What happened to Saturday, Sunday, and Monday? No posts. That hasn’t happened in a while. So here the the recap. Saturday — Josh came over to assist with the beer project. Funny that this was the shirt that I was wearing — left over from my days at Microsoft. Got one run done. [219.6] […]

Well, buy the end of the evening, the second case of beer was gone through. That leaves the stack in the garage at thirty cases. Does this mean that I”m going to be working on this project for a month? Details for the trip to London on the 11th are starting to firm up: Leave […]

It was the items on the news (either network or NPR) that caught my attention…. 25% less passport applications than this time last year. So, overseas travel is in the toilet. While I was listening/watching that news I was opening my mail. 25% off on Cruise West cruises for 2009, plus a $200 per person […]

Another rainy day in Seattle. I should have stayed in Berkeley where the sun was shining. My patience is wearing thin with this damn weather. Some work, some play today — picked up equipment from Jimmy to work on all that bad beer in the garage, now I have to pick up some more pieces […]

Well — I should have booked Moscow — it’s only $9 more than London was. I can’t believe for $520 round-trip you can get from Seattle to Moscow. And with the double EQM (Elite Qualifying Miles) at more than the London trip, I wouldn’t need my short hop flight to make United Premier. Of course, […]

Slept in this morning until 9… but it was sunny when I got up. The plan was to leave by 10 to have a leisurely drive back to the city. Here is a shot from the trip back to the city… The rolling hills of Calaverus County. But here is a shot from the sunset […]

Woke up at 10am, crapped, went back to bed until noon. I’m not the spring chicken I used to be. More like a stewing rooster. After a lovely lunch of scrambled eggs (no leftovers other than cake from last night!) I was on the road a little before two. By four fifteen I was at […]

What started out as a calm morning… with Raf and his girlfriend showing up to paint, at noon turned a little crazy. As I’m trying  to pack to leave at one, a knock comes on the door from the neighbor — over spray on their cars. Shit. At least Raf was there to deal with […]

Well, before going to the accountant to do taxes, I booked the trip to London. It’s easier that way. Spend money, then find out the tax bill for the year. What I realized last night is that the 12,000 plus miles I’ll get for that trip will give me enough for a domestic first-class ticket. […]

So, my assumption was that this would be the last year that I would have Premier Status on United Airlines having moved most of my flying to Alaska Airlines. And then, today, a note in my in-box… double elite qualifying miles for all flights booked between now and June 15th. I am mulling going to […]

I’m not sure where Wednesday went… Raf got an amazing full day in of painting (8am-4pm) so the front and back each have one coat, the sides have two coat, and the whole thing needs another coat before we can start on the trim. That would be the “royal” we — meaning Raf, not me. […]

Yikes! Friday I meet with my accountant. That means it’s time for that once-a-year filing of all the paperwork that has just been stacking up on the floor by the desk. It also means sorting through all the Visa bills, the utility bills (for the percentage of home office deductions), donations, all that mandated IRS stuff. […]

I realize that yesterday’s post was all about the seating, an not how to score that illusive frequent flier award — the business or first class seat. The answer? Pay the $25 fee for a real human on the other end of the phone — even if they are in Bangalore. For the $25 you […]

My 53rd birthday isn’t until late September (the 28th), but on this St. Pattie’s Day Weekend (though the actual day is Tuesday), I’ve booked two weeks in Ireland for my birthday. So, the title post refers to the flight plan for the trip. Seattle to Chicago to London to Dublin — two weeks +/- on […]

Apparently I have an inflated sense of my past. I have no FBI file, or, at least I didn’t before I requested my FOIPA (Freedom of Information Privacy Act) files. Curiosity satisfied. What does Uncle Markie read, periodical wise (doesn’t count on-line, just what shows up in the mailbox and the front yard): Wall Street […]

Here is where we stand at the end of the week on the paint job: Now, imagine that with a dark green trim. Imagine it done. Imagine all the flowers coming up in front of the winter. Imagine summer. Dinner at Curt’s tonight with my brother, Dave from upstairs, Curt, myself. Cornbread muffins turned out […]

Booked Denver this morning before the marketing meeting. Still need a rental car — and I want it for under $200 the the week, with all the fees. Wish me luck. NEWS FLASH! Be careful what you ask for. I just forwarded my itinerary off to Dan and his father — and joked to his […]

Where did the day go… it wasn’t work. That only took an hour and a half. Errands? Not that many. Working on the house. A little, but mostly it was what Raf was doing — me, I just nailed up some useless phone and cable lines that were taken down when the eaves went on […]

Out of the condo by 10:30 — might be a record. It might be time to make a bag labeled “WorldMark” with all the spices, oil, wireless router, outlet strip, all the stuff that I need for having lots of friends with laptops on one connection. $33.40 for two liters (two, one liter bottles) of […]

A lazy day in the morning — breakfast was a hash made from last night’s pork roast and potatoes — Wonderful added a nuked egg to his. BamBam showed up about noon and off we went to explore Kitsilano, Yaletown, and Gas Town for possible office locations. Seems I want to travel to all the […]