UMTravels

A slow start to the day, and not much really in the way of things needing to get done today. Just a little shopping for groceries after an afternoon visit to see Pat. But really, the day is about the stunning dinner… Caesar-like salad Warm flat bread carrots glazed with butter, Chinese five spice and […]

Today was errand day… 3 Thrift Stores 1 Salvage Yard BevMo for wine an Diet Coke Trader Joes for six bottles of booze (yes, I’ll be checking my luggage on the way home) So, what was my haul from the thrift stores? One brown trimline rotary dial and one white touch-tone wall phone that needs […]

I love mid-day flights. Begin about to get up at the usual time and still be able to pack your bags. Got out of the house around 10:30 with a bag full of frozen pork and shrimp, and a resealable jug for Onyx. By 11:30 I was at the airport and checking into the Board […]

Got Tokyo Dave to the airport for his early flight to San Francisco. Came home and went back to bed. Woke up and found his toiletry kit sitting on the toilet tank — guess I will be taking that to the Bay Area with me tomorrow as well as a bunch of frozen meat. Wood […]

Out of the house at 9am this morning to pick up Tokyo Dave at SeaTac. He is coming for an overnight stop on his way from Tokyo to San Francisco to see me, and renew his US driver’s license. A little grocery shopping followed “license department waiting hell”, and late in the afternoon of hanging […]

Got some more work done on the trap door project… But still more to do: Putty some cracks Hinge or just another aluminum strip Varathane Change the spacer by 1/8″ to make it totally flush with the rest of the floor Also – still ruminating on whether I can turn the space under the trap […]

Odd to wake up and decide to start a new project for the day. The project? Replace the trapdoor in the hallway with one closer in shade and color to the oak flooring that is next to it rather than the bamboo from the kitchen. And this is how far I got by the end […]

It’s amazing how quickly I get back into the routine: Get up Make coffee Pee Check email Take a dump Abuse the Internet Make breakfast Continue the day Last night I posted two Craigslist Ads… the trailer (listed for $275 – up from $150 after doing some research), and the receiver hitch lift ($125, up […]

After days on the road, I just can’t take the crowds. Here is what I’m blowing off this afternoon and evening. Glenn Cooper’s wake, which was originally going to be his farewell, but he died too soon. Too many people from when I was 20. The 10-year Dindon’s Pinot Noir tasting. Good food, but 50+ […]

I got out of the motel a few minutes after nine… the sun was sort of out, but wicked cold. No top down. Next stop, Superior, MT for gas – managed to get the plus version of unleaded for $2.99, way to go Montana, so far the cheapest gas this trip ($3.50 for premium in […]

Wake-up call came in on schedule at 7am. In theory I could make it to Deer Lodge by 1:30 and still leave at 9am, but you know me – better early than late. Got to Deer Lodge at noon – only to find the motel front desk closed until 2, now THAT’S weird. Back up […]

Blog, meet Steve, Steve meet blog (once I print this and send it to him). Here is the video of the prison firefighters from Montana — and Steve has a couple of soundbites: So, and now onto the day. Old Faithful Inn Got out of the condo a little before noon – the heavy rain […]

So, last night, I posted a status on FaceBook: Mark Stephen Souder is wondering what I’m going to do now that I had to resign my day job in Congress because I’m: a) Heterosexual b) Married c) Right Wingnut Christian Republican (and some of my friends are former Republicans, now Independents, and Christian) d) Cheating […]

A little slug like this morning… by the time I got out of the house it was a little after 9am. Doesn’t look good for getting to West Yellowstone by check-in time, especially with the longer route through Craters of the Moon National Monument. So – add extra time for the monument, add extra time […]

It was nice to sleep in this morning… 9:30! I’m starting to feel as if my body is catching up on its disrupted sleep cycles of the last couple of weeks. This morning found me getting the last remaining confirmations about the rest of the trip. When I looked at the printed version of my […]

Was up at 7:15 and on the road shit, showered and shaved (and fed) at 8:30ish. I should have brought the video camera along for some of the scenery on the trip. The joys of having a convertible when the weather cooperates – and it cooperated all but the last 15 minutes or so of […]

Nice to be able to sleep in. Nicer that someone else made coffee and brought it to me. Thanks, Curt. Today is all about figuring out what things I need to pack into the Jag for tomorrow’s road trip. The cooler is washed, and the freezer gone through for possible meals for the four nights […]

Go to sleep in Canada, wake up in Seattle, go to bed in Olympia. What a day. Didn’t even get my nap in with trying to get down to Olympia to put the Osso Buca (that Curt made) in the oven at four. Felt like I spent today running around with my head cut off. […]

The day started way too damn early. Had to be on a train at 7:40am which means to get a decent seat (we didn’t) it’s almost an hour before that. Totally full train, but at least the tickets were free because of my Amtrak points – still have enough for a couple more round-trips on […]

Woke up in Olympia this morning with a sore neck.. different beds, different pillows. Well, not all that different, I do that bed once a month or so. Morning at the house organizing before heading off the take the cat in for a physical (Jag needs an oil change). In at noon, out at three. […]