Albany Trip - Day 5

Because of my early bedtime last night, I woke up this morning at 0400, feeling quite rested.  Since it was so early, though, I decided to go back to sleep and, when my alarm rang at 0600, it was VERY hard to get out of bed.  Somehow, though, I began teleworking immediately.  At 0745, I went to breakfast in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express (Latham) and then went back to work immediately after that.  For once, I actually had Friday meetings.  Even better, though, I was able to complete the final document sign offs from our Installation Trip.  By 1045, I had reached the 4.5 hour mark of hours for the day and checked out of the hotel.  As I loaded up my car, I was pleased to find that I had another sunny day and that temps were in the low 30s.  This made me feel good about the impending drive towards the Upper Valley and I immediately drove (via NY-7) across the Hudson River to Troy.  Even though it was closed (for renovations ?), I stopped to visit the Kate Mullany National Historic Site.  It was very difficult to access due to traffic patterns, one way streets and snow drifts blocking parking spots.  In the end, though, I found the building and nearby park and took a photo of the site.  Apparently, Kate Mullany was an early (late Nineteenth Century) labor pioneer - the web had some good information on her but it's not clear when the location will be officially open again.  Satisfied that I'd seen all I could, I continued east on NY-7.  There was SO much traffic and I despaired of getting out of Troy.  Along the way, though, I passed some less expensive (than in Latham) fuel - I filled up the gas tank at a Valero at 1130.  From there, the traffic thinned out and I eventually found myself entering Vermont and getting on VT-7, which took me to VT-279 and US-7.  I passed through Bennington at 1200 - by then, it was sunny and temps were in the mid 20s.  I'll admit that the sight of familiar Green Mountain peaks brought a warm feeling to my heart...  During this phase of the drive, I only saw New Jersey plates on the road - each one of those cars tailgated me and passed on double yellow lines.  It wasn't until I finally reached Manchester and turned on to VT-30 that the plates changed to New Hampshire and Vermont.  I did have to follow a lot of them towards the northeast... I got on VT-11 soon after that and followed it all the way to the town of Chester (arrived there at 1300).  Along the way, I climbed over the Appalachian Trail ridge of the Greens but then came down into the Connecticut River Valley to 35 F temps.  I followed VT-103 to I-91 and, after driving north for a while (light traffic, fortunately), reached I-89.  I crossed the Connecticut River at 1350 and was soon exiting the Interstate (very familiar feelings) in Lebanon.  In the end, the drive went very well and I was able to check into the Quality Inn on NH-120 at 1355.  This meant that I was online, from my room, when a Company telcon began.  Once that was over (1430), I did a bit more telework to complete my work week.  Just before 1500, I left my hotel and drove to the Greensboro Ridge Natural Area, where I hiked for an hour (two miles) in the snow.  This outdoor workout was a go-to activity for me when I lived in Hanover and I was able to log an hour of Volunteering for the Hanover Conservancy (train maintainer) simultaneously (and with their blessing).  Feeling very good about my change to resume some familiar tasks in support of local organizations, I returned to my car just before 1600 and drove to Jesse's Steakhouse.  Typically, the group I met there on Thursdays (when I lived in Hanover) would not have been there on a Friday - however, they heard I would be in town and I was able to join them (Ed and Bruce) for a "do over" Happy Hour.  The beer prices had risen to $4 but the ambiance was still just the way I remembered it.  We had a great time visiting and the party was even better when Jade (bartender) arrived for her shift.  Along the way, we made plans for my next visit (during warmer weather).  It was with a great deal of reluctance when we finished our time together (1815).  As I left Jesse's, my heart was warmed that everyone seemed genuinely happy to see me - I'll need to come back again soon!  When I reached my hotel again (1830), I caught up on a bit more telework and then went to the hotel Fitness Center.  The gym was very limited so I didn't get to bike - however, I did walk just under two miles (in 35 minutes) on the treadmill.  Afterwards, I watched movies and had an unexpected call with Eileen.  Time seemed to go by very quickly and I had to force myself to go to bed at 2300.  It's great to be back in the Upper Valley!

Albany Trip - Day 4

As I'd suspected, the overnight project (Technology Refreshment) at the Albany Airport wasn't completed until nearly 0600.  This was longer than everyone wanted but, fortunately, the end result was that we completed all checklists and tasks, as intended, and the facility was able to take over the new system just when they wanted to have it.  Along the way, I got to watch equipment being installed in the maintenance area, in the radar room and in the tower itself.  While we were up in the cab (at around 0300), I believe I could see where Carolyn lived.  Otherwise, the entire area was nearly a picture - I was reminded of my many years in black & white Navy aircraft simulators.  There were some moments of concern (delays in file downloads, inoperative speakers, etc.) but everyone stayed on mission.  Towards the end, the system was functioning correctly (yaaaay) but I had to wait to sign some documentation as the Oversight Representative.  No matter, though - by then, I'd poured myself a cup of black coffee and the rare caffeine was working its magic...  In the end, we finished our project at 0600 and I carefully drove back to the Holiday Inn Express (Latham).  By this point, temps were in the low 20s.  After arriving at 0615, I was able to join the breakfast buffet (in progress, despite the published start time of 0630) and I got some good food before returning to my room.  Before trying to sleep, I spent some time catching up on admin - I ultimately went to sleep at 0700.  Sadly, this wasn't a restful sleep at all.  If I'm generous on the definition, I managed to get about four hours of rest before I decided to get out of bed.  In reality, though, it was only about two to three hours of dozing.  After making the call to wake up, I caught up on reading, made plans for the upcoming weekend and sorted out items to return to my car.  At noon, I started (resumed ?) teleworking in an attempt to complete the last two hours of my work day.  By this point, the Site Implementation Lead had determined that there was no need for the entire group of Installers to return later in the day - as a result, I stayed at the hotel.  At 1345, I went to the gym and  did 4.6 miles on the stationary (recumbent) bike (20 minutes), 2+ miles on the treadmill (40 minutes) and 0.5 miles of swimming laps (30 minutes).  These activities really made a difference in my lethargy and I felt much more awake.  My workout was done at 1515 and I returned to telework a bit more (until 1630).  By this point, I had started to have some regret about staying inside buildings all day because it was sunny outside (temps in the 30s).  Oh well - work does come first...  At 1645, I departed from my hotel and drove to El Charro Mexican Grill (near the Airport).  After I arrived (just before 1700), my sister Carolyn joined me and we had a nice visit together.  Most of the conversation was about family news and her recent trip  to Nashville and Memphis.  This wasn't our first trip to the restaurant and we were again rewarded with some delicious food.  At 1910, we said goodbye and I returned to my hotel - by this point, I was REALLY starting to feel tired.  Forcing myself to stay awake, I spent the rest of the evening watching movies, finally heading to bed at 2200.  By that point, there had been no calls from Albany Airport about problems with the new equipment so I'm feeling really good about our work this week!

Albany Trip - Day 3

Even though I wanted to sleep well into the morning (and hadn't even set an alarm), I still work up at 0700.  Unfortunately, I couldn't go back to sleep, even though I tried to tire myself with reading.  Giving up, I worked on puzzles and Duolingo exercises before heading down to breakfast in the Lobby of Holiday Inn Express (Latham) at 0840.  Wide awake by then, I joined meetings online between 0900 and 1100 (2 hours).  Beyond that time, I took a break from work.  Meanwhile, outside, it was snowing lightly (temps in low 30s).  My next task for the day was to get as much active time as I could.  To that end, I began a workout at the Fitness Center that included: 2 miles on treadmill (40 minutes), 4.6 miles on the stationary (recumbent) bike (20 minutes) and 0.5 miles of laps in the pool (30 minutes).  It felt great to have gotten so much exercise for once!  Even though I was finished just after 1230, I skipped lunch and, instead, returned to room to take a 60 minute nap.  Awake again, I resumed teleworking and stayed online (prepping for evening work) from 1430 to 1800 (3.5 hours).  By this point in my strange day, I was annoyed to find that it was raining outside - I sure hope this doesn't mean more ice!  Fortunately, when I went to my car at one point (around dinner time), I found the temps to be very reasonable (30s).  Hoping to avoid a long drive around the traffic-snarled area, I decided to get dinner at the Hotel Restaurant (formerly known as "On Tap").  I sat at the bar there and had a great meal (Chicken Parm and mixed veggies) while watching "Big Trouble in Little China" on the bar TV (campy).  I was done eating at 1845 and then went walking around in the halls to complete my 10K step goal for the day (somehow, all the working out didn't tip the pedometer scales)...  In my room again, I did some Thanksgiving Planning and then watched some videos online until it was time for me to leave the hotel at 2215.  From the Holiday Inn Express, I drove back to Albany Airport (arrived at 2230) and met up with the other members of the Installation Team.  The place was almost deserted (just the way we like it) but we needed this quiet because we had to go through a LOT of tedious checklists to ensure everything was in order and that the new equipment could meet the needs of the facility.  To be honest, there was a lot of "hurry up and wait" but then things started to get hot/busy.  My job was mostly to observe but I was asked (several times) for "Executive Decisions" - fortunately, I was able to make these without much concern and the Installation effort stayed on track.  Throughout the evening, I kept eying the pot of coffee in the break room and wondered if this would be one of the rare nights in my life where I'd need some.  As we rolled through Midnight (I logged the last 2.5 miles of my day), our checklists showed we were less than half way through the overall process so it was sure to be a long night...

Albany Trip - Day 2

Woohoo - it's time for some in-person, on-site work!  With the excitement building, I was awake by 0545 and had started teleworking at 0600.  I took a short break for breakfast in the Lobby of the Holiday Inn Express (Latham) at 0715 before returning to my telework.  When I knocked off at 0800, I'd already worked one hour for my job.  After that (0815), I got ready to depart for nearby Albany Airport where all the magic will happen this week.  Outside, it was 15 F and partly sunny - not that it mattered, because I'd be inside all day...  Starting at 0830, I met up with the rest of our Installation Team (most had traveled from their home bases in the Mid-Atlantic Region) and we introduced ourselves to the local facility staff.  For most of the morning, our team was validating inventory and preparing for the Main Event (tomorrow night), when we plan to remove the old (2010 timeframe) computer equipment and replace it with new (2023 timeframe) stuff.  This was actually my first time in this kind of role since 2013 so everything felt unfamiliar and interesting.  My colleagues were very patient and also appreciated the extra set of eyes. While walking around inside the buildings at the Airport, I logged almost a full mile!  We kept at our job until about 1430 (six more hours of work).  Feeling prepared for the next day, our team made plans to convene the following afternoon and returned to our hotels.  I arrived at the Holiday Inn Express by 1445 and bought a "cup of noodles" for my (late) lunch from the desk clerk.  After that, I resumed teleworking in my room and completed my work day by 1600.  There was a little time after that for me to catch up on personal stuff (organizing, blogging, reading) before it was time for me to make my way to Troy for my dinner with Scott V.  I came outside of the hotel to find my car covered with a light layer of snow (not in the forecast).  After that (1640), I drove (via NY-7) to Troy and arrived at Dinosaur Bar-B-Q (on the Waterfront) at 1655.  Scott arrived about five minutes later and we sat down and had a delicious dinner (I had meatloaf with two sides and a local beer).  During our meal, we had a great conversation about Scott's life in Troy (since he graduated from RPI) and my Nomad Life.  It was a nice visit!  At 1830, I departed and then had a rather scary drive (via NY-7) back to Latham.  While I'd been eating, the light snow had turned to ice (temps in the high 20s) and there was freezing rain falling all around.  I must say that I was VERY relieved to make it to the hotel...  In my warm and cozy room again, I took care of blog and eBird entries and was tempted to lay down.  Instead, though, I went to the Fitness Center to workout again.  To complete my 10K step goal. I first walked on the treadmill for two miles (40 minutes) and then rode a stationary (recumbent) bike for 4.4 miles (20 minutes).  With my fitness goals completed, I headed back to my room and figured I had some time to watch movies.  Once again, I got carried away and didn't go to bed until after midnight (0015).  Since I'll be working "Mid Shift" tomorrow, I'm hoping I don't regret this decision...

Albany Trip - Day 1

After nearly seven years of work on my project, today is the first day of my oversight role in the field!  Normally, I'm relegated to paperwork and meetings but, instead, this phase of my career will involve hands-on, quality assurance involvement in the deployment of new equipment.  I'm very excited.  Despite my best efforts to make today easier, however, I still had to drive to Albany before I could begin.  Probably for this reason, I was up at 0530 (before alarm) and had started teleworking at 0600.  No breakfast was offered at the hotel (Red Roof Inn, Erie) so I didn't take any breaks except to do minimal packing and and loading of my car (parked right in front of the door).  As a result, I was able to telework until 0915 (3 hours of my work day completed before departing the hotel.  Fortunately, my drive also counts as work for the day!  I stopped for breakfast at McDonalds (located right next door to the hotel) and took the food on the road with me.  Outside, the weather mostly pleasant (sunny) but very cold (1 F).  The hotel had been located right next to the Interstate so I was on I-90 again very quickly and headed east soon afterwards.  Sadly, my Subaru's TPMS was annoyed with colder temps...  After less than 30 minutes, I switched to I-86 and crossed into New York State (0940).  I reached the town of Findley Lake at 0945 and then encountered some construction as I made my way towards the bridge that crosses Chautauqua Lake.  Shortly after reaching the east side of that body of water, I passed through Jamestown (1000) and entered the Seneca Reservation.  At some point near here, I also found myself within the boundary of Allegany State Park.  Almost every road sign was bilingual, with equivalents to English in the Seneca Language.  In a couple of places, I noticed that the term "ohi-yo" was used in place of the Allegany and realized that it must be the source name for the "Ohio Country!  At 1030, I arrived in Salamanca and got gas at a Native American station.  It seemed to be warming up (at least higher than single digits) by the time I got back on I-86.  Next, I passed through Angelica (1120) and then the terrain started to climb.  As I crossed the ridge on I-86 west of Almond (elevation just over 2K feet), the temps dipped to 10 F - brrr...  I reached Hornellsville at 1135 and marveled at the large number of windmills on the hills in this area; for some reason, though, there was no wind.  I was in Corning at 1215 and Barton at 1245 - this area had lots of cops - and finally arrived in Binghamton by 1325.  Temps had settled at 20 F and I briefly thought about getting some steps nearby (Finger Lakes Trail = NCT nearby).  However, I had a meeting scheduled at 1330 and needed to stay on task for my drive...  Along the way, I skipped lunch.  At 1300, I joined a work meeting on my laptop from the parking lot of the Cracker Barrel (just west of I-81) in Binghamton.  Fortunately, I was able to connect with my iPhone as a HotSpot and was able to participate in a productive discussion.  With that meeting finished (1430), I resumed my drive, using surface streets to pass through town until I reached I-88.  From there, I passed through Afton (1500) and Sidney (1510) as I dodged more cops.  Wen I reached Oneonta (1525), I didn't stop - this is usually a good rest/gas/food place but I was all set today.  The rest of my drive on I-88 included Richmondville (1550) and Duanesburg (1610).  At the latter town, I got off the Interstate and used US-20 (no tolls) to reach Albany at 1640.  Next, I used I-87, NY-7, US-9 and NY-9D to reach the Holiday Inn Express (my lodging for the week) in Latham, NY at 1645.  Luckily, I was able to quickly check into my room and resumed teleworking until 1800.  After work, I joined a KofC Council Meeting and spent time with them for the next 45 minutes.  As that meeting ended, I ordered dinner at a nearby Panera and drove to pick it up at 1855.  On the way, I heard a (new) funny noise from car (muffler?) - dang...  After getting my food and eating inside the restaurant (1910), I walked around the aisles of a nearby Home Depot.  Fortunately, there were almost no customers and it was very warm.  Along the way, I met the Manager (nice lady) and we ended up talking to her for a while - she had lots of ideas for my (non-existent) home projects but I didn't stop her.  By the time I finally finished my walk, I managed to reach two miles worth of steps for the day.  With my "exercise" completed (2000), I drove back to my hotel and quickly changed into workout gear.  After locating the Fitness Center, I spent 40 minutes (2020 to 2100) on the recumbent bike and logged 8.8 miles.  I would have liked to do more (and, maybe, even swim) but there were lots of kids (some kind of big school group) roaming around everywhere I went.  Instead, I headed back to my room and spent the rest of the evening catching up on blogging, Duolingo, etc. before finally heading off to bed at 2300.  It was a whirlwind day of telework and driving but I'm in position for my Big Day tomorrow!

Nomad Life - Day 167

Despite my late bedtime, I still woke up at 0600 this morning.  I took advantage of the extra time by reading, working on Duolingo exercises and completing puzzles on my phone.  At 0730, I went to breakfast in the Lobby of Red Roof Inn (Clyde).  Back in my room about 20 minutes later, I spent time working on my blog and eBird records.  There was also some time for me to research lodging options for later in the day.  Next, I started packing up my car - I was able to check out of my room by 1015.  The temps were 14 F but it seemed MUCH colder.  Before I could leave the parking lot, I had to clear a lot of ice in my wheel wells.  When I was able to depart Clyde, I backtracked (via US-20) to Fremont and went to Mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church (1030).  The inside of the building was very pretty and it was warm - however, I had the misfortune of sitting immediately in front of a woman who sang and prayed about as loudly as anyone - it was distracting!  When the service was over (1115), I drove (about a mile) to Spiegel Grove, which was the home of President Rutherford B. Hayes (they also had a Museum and Library there too).  Because it wasn't yet open to the public, I started walking around the property (1125).  The estate was pretty big and had lots of trails - I later read that former President used to have a goal of six miles of walking every day.  Despite the cold, I still encountered lots of people with dogs.  After about 30 minutes on the trails, I went inside the (now open) building and got a ticket for the Presidential Museum (1200).  Actually, I could have toured the home but skipped that due to time constraints.  Instead, I toured the exhibits, which were very good.  I learned more about the 19th President and the hotly contested Election of 1876, which was decided by only 1 Electoral Vote after months of wrangling.  I believe I saw everything they had on display but I never saw a single mention of why Hayes left office after only one term - a docent told me that he'd indicated he thought he'd accomplished all his goals and didn't need to be reelected...  I departed from Freemont at 1305 - by then, it was a chilly 20 F.  These temps didn't seem to agree with my Subaru, unfortunately, because I'd started to get the "TPMS" failure light on my dash again - fortunately, it's intermittent and the tire pressures seem good.  To continued my drive towards the East Coast, I got back on US-20, which was a nice four lane highway - unfortunately, I had really bad luck with the few traffic signals I encountered and spent the next 30 minutes stopping and starting with no traffic around me.  I passed through Monroeville at 1335 and changed to OH-18 about 10 minutes later.  After that, it was Clarksfield (1400), Penfield (1415), Litchfield (1420) before I exited the highway on to side streets that took me to the town of Medina by 1430.  After that, I used OH-3, CR-37, I-271 and OH -303 to reached the town of Peninsula.  My goal, all along, had been to check out Cuyahoga National Park - I arrived at the park Visitor Center at Boston Mill by 1500.  The park property was located very close to some busy ski areas (Boston Mills Resort and Brandywine Resort) and I watched lots of people having a blast on the slopes.  Even with temps in the teens and 20s, I managed to log some time outdoors and I had fun exploring the little (reconstructed) "village" at Boston Mill Station, a stop along the Ohio & Erie Canal Tow Path and Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.  In addition to logging some more distance on the Buckeye Trail (it crossed the Park), I also walked on the Ohio & Erie Canal Tow Path.  During this stop, I also talked with the staff in the Visitor Center and helped them with a survey.  Next, I drove north on OH-9 until I reached the village of Brecksville (part of Cuyahoga County!) at 1545.  From there, I continued to the east and south until I reached Brandywine Falls five minutes later.  Once I was parked at the lot there, I carefully navigated slippery stairways and got some spectacular views of the completely frozen Brandywine Falls.  This stop was even better than the last one had been - I logged a second mile of walking for the day (reaching two since I woke up).  It's always good when I can make progress on my step goals while also making good time in my drive...  Finished with the sightseeing, I departed the National Park at 1615 and took back roads (towards the northeast) until I reached OH-91.  This part of the drive was intended to take me through the town of Twinsburg and I arrived there at 1630.  During my visit, I explored the town square, the Middle School & nearby Chamberlain Park, which is apparently the scene of the Annual Twins Day Festival (each August).  In our family, this place has been famous for years; my girls and I were thinking this was a town completely devoted to Twins but it turned out to be a rather normal Midwestern Village.  I'll admit that I felt a bit cheated but, at least, I learned about the (twin) founders, Moses and Aaron Wilcox before I gave up my search.  Instead, I stopped at the local Dairy Queen to eat a late lunch / early dinner (1700).  Even though I ate in the restaurant, I was on the road again less than 20 minutes later.  It didn't seem intuitive, but Google Maps suggested I take I-480 to the west so I could intercept I-271 again.  I didn't argue and was soon headed north.  The progression of towns and routes from this point included: Mayfield (1735), I-90, Mentor (1745), Madison (1800) and the Pennsylvania Border (1830).  Meanwhile, the temps dropped to 5 F and I began to get tired.  I stopped briefly at a rest area and made a hotel reservation.  Otherwise, I passed the time by listening to Super Bowl LX on SiriusXM.  At 1900, I arrived at my hotel, the Red Roof Inn near the Interstate in Erie, PA.  Once I'd checked into my room, I turned on the TV (rare for me to ever do when I'm traveling) and watched Super Bowl.  Because of this choice, I stayed up until about 2300 and then had lots of trouble getting to sleep because of the loud neighbors.  Hopefully, I'll still get some quality sleep because I need to be in Albany tomorrow night!

Nomad Life - Day 166

For some reason, the sleeping conditions overnight were so good that I wasn't awake until 0800!  That may be the best amount of uninterrupted rest I've gotten since beginning the Nomad Life.   With the late start, though, I had to hurry to make sure I got breakfast in Lobby of Baymont (South Bend), catch up on traveling admin and pack up the car in time to get my drive started as soon as possible.  Somehow, I was able to depart South Bend at 1045 - I definitely felt rushed, though...  Outside, it was 25 F and overcast but I was hoping for better conditions to the east.  Because I was avoiding the Indiana Toll Road, I initially used city streets to depart the city.  Later, I got on IN-23, which used to be a road I often used to get around the area.  After a while, I crossed into Michigan (MI-62) and then transitioned to Redfield Street.  At around this time, I started to encounter pretty steady snow flurries and the road conditions were poor (unplowed areas).  By 1115, I passed through Mason Township and soon got on MI-205, which took me to US-12 - I followed this route for several hours afterwards.  As I'd hoped, the sun came out at around this time, although the temps stabilized in the high teens.  More towns I encountered during this phase of the drive: Mottville (1125), Bronson (1155), Quincy (1220) and Janesville (1240).  At the latter point, I transitioned to the Deal Parkway and started looking for the North Country Trail, which crossed through Hillsdale County near this point.  I found it when turned on to Industrial Parkway and continued following it even after I reached MI-99.  This section (2.8 miles) was coincident with the highway until it joined some bike trails in Hillsdale.  Knowing this, I stopped briefly to fill up my gas tank at the local Meijer (1250).  After that, I continued following the NCT in my car until I found the trailhead at Wicker Place.  Noticing a steep, paved trail that joined city sidewalks there, I took a break from trail hunting and made my way to the nearby campus of Hillsdale College.  I've supported them financially ever since my friend, Don T (a professor there), passed away in 2018.  They have good online courses (Adult Continuing Education) and send out a stimulating newsletters each month.  In any case, there wasn't much to the place - they had some amazing examples of Midwestern Architecture and statues of the Founding Fathers but, for a school almost as old as Notre Dame, I was a bit underwhelmed.  One point of hope, though, was evidence for large building projects nearby.  I'll keep an eye on the institution...  From the campus, I resumed my search for the NCT, finding it again at the corner of West Street and Monroe Street.  I thought maybe I could count some of the trail here while driving but then noticed that the route intersected the start of the Baw Beese (Rail) Trail.  I did park and walk around in the area for a little while here and got some good photos as the weather conditions continued to improve (1315).  Hoping to find some more drivable sections, I got back on MI-99 and headed east.  The rail trail paralleled my route for a while, although it was nearly inaccessible as it passed through marshes and lakes to the north.  Eventually, I was able to access it by driving down roads that were perpendicular to the State Highway and later found a trailhead (near the Baptist Church on Beecher Street in Osseo) where the Baw Beese ended.  From that point, I started driving another NCT section from there.  The trail continued to the south for 1.5 hours until it crossed MI-34 - there was a trailhead just east of the Otto Drain where the NCT went south into the woods and I gave up trying to follow it.  Instead, I drove east to the town of Pittsford (arrived at 1410) and started searching for the place where the NCT came back out of the woods.  I located this spot on Pittsford Road, just north of Losey Road.  From there, I started counting the miles on my odometer again.  However, this time the trail followed a series of snowy dirt roads across the prairie.  I'll admit to some trepidation about reaching a dead end or drift I couldn't navigate but I was impressed by the signage in this area; several times, I stopped to get photos of blue blazes and signs that indicated I was going the correct way.  Before long, I reached Squawfield Road, a place I'd noted on the map when I was last in the area (MAY 2025).  Soon after that, I located the last road (Tuttle) that would take me to the place where I last followed the NCT in Michigan.  My project concluded when I reached 10.2 miles on the odometer at Territorial Road (1445).  Overall, I logged 14.5 new NCT miles in Michigan today (a negligible amount was on foot) and learned a lot more about its routing through the State.  Noting the late time of day, I gave up on the NCT for a little while and started following roads that paralleled the MI/OH border.  By 1455, I entered Lenawee County 1455 - turned south on Meyerholtz Highway, which turned into OH-23 when I arrived in Fulton County, Ohio (1500).  I didn't realize it at the time, but I stayed in that county for more than an hour after that point.  A bit later, I got on US-20 and headed east.  I continued until I reached the town of Oakshade and then took OH-108.  My driving target was Wauseon, a place where I knew I'd again find the North Country Trail.  Once I was near the Wabash Cannonball Trail and knew I could resume my trail search, I stopped for late lunch at Arby's and ate in the restaurant (1530).  With my meal completed, I drove a short distance and found the turnaround spot from my last visit (MAY 2025).  After reaching the NCT/WCT trailhead on CR-13 (1545), I followed CR-F, which paralleled the bike trail.  To continue my pursuit of trailheads and drivable NCT section, I had to use CR-5 and CR-EF for a while.  At one point(1605), I was able to do some hiking on the NCT/WCT near the Fraker Mill (Covered) Bridge.  I found it interesting that the trail was mostly plowed and wished I had more time to log some actual distance on foot.  However, my eastward progression required me to resume my drive...  After that, I was off and on CR-F and CR-EF for several miles.  Just after I saw signs that indicated I was entering Lucas County (1620), I finally discovered that the NCT disconnected from the Wabash Cannonball (North Fork) on Waterville-Swanton Road in Oak Openings Preserve Metropark.  To find it again, I used a map I located during a stop at the park and, with some creative divining, I located a trailhead on the corner of OH-64 and Berridge Road.  From there, I drove 0.8 miles until I located the Wabash Cannonball Trail South Fork.  Strangely, the NCT then headed east on this rail trail - towards the town of Whitehouse.  I took some more back roads to find this place and arrived there at 1655.  Unlike some of the other stops this afternoon, I didn't even stop and continued driving on back roads and OH-64 until I reached the next trailhead, which was where the WCT (South Fork) crossed Flinzel Street in Whitehouse.  From there, the NCT required a road walk (or drive, in my case) and I followed the route (all OH-64) until I reached the parking area for the Farnsworth Roche de Bout Shelter, located on the banks of the Maumee River.  By then, I'd logged 4.3 new miles of NCT for the section and reached 5.1 miles of NCT in Ohio today.  When I consulted my trail log later in the evening, I found I'd just passed 100 miles for the entire trail (out of 4730).  I did feel pretty good about my efforts at the time!  Starting at 1705, I walked on Maumee River Tow Path and encountered lots of birds.  Sadly, I also (unintentionally) got to watch hunters killing geese - they shot them right out of the sky while they were walking around on the frozen river surface!  Feeling a bit shaken about observing that event, I departed the park at 1730.  Using OH-64 and OH-65, I made my way to US-20 (entered Wood County at 1735) and passed through Hessville at 1755.  With the sun setting and temps dropping rapidly, I decided it might be a good idea to make lodging arrangements.  To this end, I stopped on the side of road (just before the US-20 Bypass Split for the town of Fremont) and made a reservation online.  Next, I drove on the Bypass (this allowed for really good speeds and avoided downtown Fremont).  At 1845, I arrived at my hotel, the Red Roof Inn in Clyde.  At the desk, I found that I had a room but the clerk was unable to confirm whether I'd paid already.  Hopefully, there won't be too much of a problem down the line.  During this encountered, the clerk reactivated my dormant Red Roof Inn loyalty account (it did have Nicky's name but my email address).  After getting to my room, I worked on getting organized and then headed to the gym for a workout.  Ultimately, I completed 8 miles of biking (40 minutes) and tried out the elliptical.  With only two miles worth of steps completed for the day, I walked around in the hotel to achieve my 10K goal.  I also planned to go swimming but, when I was changing in my room (2100), Kerith called.  We ended up talking for nearly two hours!  Afterwards, I gave up the idea of any more workouts so, instead, got to reading.  Perhaps I might have gone to bed but there were some VERY loud people in the hallway until well past midnight.  Because of them, I couldn't sleep, even after I turned out the light (2330).  Ultimately, I probably wasn't asleep until at least 0030.  What a day - lots of driving and interesting NCT encounters!  Hope I can be as productive/efficient tomorrow...  North Country Trail Today = 19.6 miles / Grand Total NCT = 100.3 miles

Nomad Life - Day 165

Last day in South Bend - I'll admit that I'm going to miss this place when I leave...  I was awake at 0530 (before alarm ) and started teleworking.  When I looked out the window, I immediately noticed the nearly six inches of snow that covered my car - Winter has found me!  Another thing I noticed, though, was that the sun had came out for me so I could have another great day.  I took a break for breakfast in the Lobby of the Baymont (South Bend) at 0730 and then went back to work (more meetings) in my room.  At 1100, I took another break to clean up my car and later made "lunch" (snacks) in my room.  Otherwise, I worked without interruption until 1500.  Once my computer was off, I left the hotel and started looking for a place to ski.  By then, though, the temps had risen into the mid 30s and made for "mushy" conditions.  Deciding not to waste time trying to force fun in the snow, I drove around town in search of old residences I'd had when I lived in the area back in the last 1980s and early 1990s.  First, I drove to Philippa Street, in the southwestern part of South Bend, and located the house where I lived during my Senior year.  It looked a bit different (new siding, fence, etc.) but I could see the kernel of familiarity.  It was difficult to navigate because there was lots of snow on the side streets.  Throughout this phase of my explorations, I had flashes of Deja Vu but couldn't be exactly sure about the impetus.  After all, 35 years is a long time...  Next, I drove to Mishawaka and located the apartment complex (Hickory Village) where I'd lived during my Junior year.  Somehow, I felt my way through the maze of streets in the expansive complex until I (believe I) found the exact apartment unit.  As before, there was Deja Vu around most corners.  Nearby, I found a familiar post office, church and school.  Driving west from there, I found they had redesigned the IN-23 crossing.  From this area, I explored more of Mishawaka and searched for some other old haunts - in the end, though, there was lots of driving but I never found exactly what I was looking for.  Meanwhile, it was overcast outside and the snow drifts made for very wet roads.  At 1445, I returned to the Dorr Road Parking Lot and, after I found a clear parking spot, spent the next 90 minutes walking around on the Notre Dame Campus.  Highlights included: Rockne Center, new dorms on South Quad, the KofC building, Cushing, O'Shaughnessy (inside, I met a nice lady named Mrs. Walton), classrooms, Hesburgh Library, Siegfried Hall, St. Olaf's Ice Chapel on North Quad, Main Building.  What a trip down memory lane!  I wanted to go inside Sacred Heart but they were having Mass.  Instead, I visited the Log Chapel and Old College - there was even time for some birding.  Before departing. I looked around a bit more on the South Quad and even walked around the south side of the South Dining Hall where I found lots of new dorms and construction.  At that point, it started to get very cold and windy.  Surprising, though, I passed lots of kids without warm clothes - the worst offenders of common sense were some girls in thin dresses that I saw that seemed to be taking wedding photos near the Main Building.  Ah, but I was once one of these fools...  Along the way, I also overheard lots of young people talking about things that were important to them (sports, relationships, etc.) and it reminded me again about how much I used to be like them.  I briefly considered getting food on campus but decided against it.  Instead, I headed back to my car at 1815 and drove back to the hotel.  Later, I made dinner in my room and, because I felt tired and lazy, didn't take care of important items that were pending in my inbox.  Instead, I watched movies until 2230 and then went to bed.  It was a great week to be on the Notre Dame Campus - very glad I chose to stop here during my Nomad Life Journey!

Nomad Life - Day 164

This morning, I was up at 0545 (before alarm) and started teleworking immediately.  At 0745, I took a break and had breakfast in the Lobby of the Baymont Hotel (South  Bend).  After that, it was back to work (meetings) until 1300.  I'd made arrangements to have a discussion with Eli F (from the Giving Team at Notre Dame) for lunch and we'd agreed to meet at the Ho Ping House, which was just across the parking lot from my hotel.  They had some good (and filling!) lunch specials and we had a good conversation.  I returned to my room at 1400 and continued working for another hour.  It was snowing lightly (overcast, with temps in the 20s) when I left my hotel (1500) and I drove carefully (four miles) north so I could return to the Madeline Bertrand County Park in Niles, MI for some skiing.  When I arrived (1515), I paid for my time on their cross country ski trails and eagerly got on the circuit.  For the next 90 minutes, I was able to make multiple laps of the trail network and log three miles.  Along the way, I got some nice views of the St. Joseph River and encountered plenty of birds.  I met a man named Patrick and we had an interesting discussion about how Bendix (local engineering company) had transitioned to Honeywell; Patrick also wanted to talk about Notre Dame Football.  There were only a few other folks around but I ended up talking to one about my Appalachian Trail sticker and another wanted to tell me about other ski trails nearby.  Almost everyone I met was from Indiana.  At one point, I had a great time with the great conditions in the tracks - following another skier made for a great glaze!  Afterwards (1650), I departed towards the south and explored St. Patrick's County Park (on the Indiana side of the border).  By 1715, I'd reached my hotel again and the snow (which had continued lightly all afternoon) had stopped.  During this time, I received several voicemails from Prince William Surgery Center, which seemed scary because they originated close to where my daughters and friends live.  I ended up figuring out that the Center people were calling my Google Voice number and, eventually, all of my daughters checked in and even told me that they (and even Nicky) were OK.  Whew!  Before departing the hotel for a Notre Dame versus Virginia Tech Women's Basketball Game, I spent some more time teleworking (mostly extra follow up for next week's work trip in New York State).  At 1845, I departed the Baymont and attempted to drive to the Purcell Pavilion (on the ND Campus).  This didn't turn out to be very easy, unfortunately, and I ran into trouble with Google Maps directions that weren't in line with Campus Security. When I tried follow the latter's guidance and use Twickingham to reach the parking lot, I got stuck in a big traffic jam, with no way to turn right, and (eventually) a traffic accident.  Through it all, it appeared that the local Police and Campus Security people weren't concerned about the difficulties (they certainly didn't help...).  When I finally got on Angela Road and found a way into a parking lot near the Football Stadium, I found it packed with cars.  And, like I've seen in all the parking lots in the area, very little plowing had been done.  Somehow, I found a spot and walked to Gate 10 of the JACC.  When I tried to go inside, I was told I'd need to buy a ticket at another gate.  Meanwhile, more and more people were arriving and most of them had already bought tickets online.  After deciding that this game probably wasn't worth the time, effort or cost, I returned to my car and decided to head back to my hotel (1905).  Suddenly, though, I noticed that there was activity inside of the nearby Legends of Notre Dame Club.  When I was a student, this was the Senior Bar and I only ever went there a few times.  With all the changes on Campus, I never considered that it might still be open...  Tentatively, I re-parked my car and walked inside and found that I was able to sit at the bar.  There was even a basketball game on the TV but the staff were unable to get the Irish v Hokies game on there.  During my time in the Club, I talked to the young bartender (Maddie, a local, probably the age of my daughters) who was working behind the bar.  She recommended some local beers (I tried them all) and then made me one of the Irish Old Fashioned with some honey and special orange bitters.  The drink was very good!  Along the way, I heard stories about special packages during Football Weekends and life on the Notre Dame Campus.  Before departing, I ordered a dessert ("Death by Chocolate Cake").  The bar actually closed at 2000 but I was welcomed to stay until at least 30 minutes beyond that.  By then, the only other patrons were employees of ND.  When I got in my car, I made my way back towards my hotel, following Google Maps.  At one point, though, the app took me past the Bookstore and I didn't try to deviate.  Instead, I followed the directions straight past the guard shack and only realized there was someone inside I saw his face.  By then, though, I didn't stop and, instead, made my way across Campus to the exit at the Door Parking Lot.  I'll admit that I felt a bit like a criminal (student mentality never dies at your Alma Mater, I guess)...  After that, though, it was easy to get to my hotel again (via Business US-31).  I was in my room by 2045 and had barely enough time to watch movies.  Actually, staying awake for those was ill-advised but I did it anyway...  Bed time was at 2300.  Another great day in Northern Indiana!

Nomad Life - Day 163

This morning, I woke up at 0515 (before alarm) and spent time reading, doing puzzles and working on Duolingo exercises.  At 0600, I started teleworking, with only a short break for breakfast (0745).  Once I was back in my room again, I went back to teleworking and continued online until just after noon.  I took another break for lunch (which I made in my room) and then worked until 1530.  Leaving my hotel as soon as I could, I got on Business US-31 (later, IN-933 and MI-51) and drove north.  Once I was in Niles, I began looking for the Madeline Bertrand County Park, which I'd heard had some cross country ski trails, and finally arrived there at 1550.  Next, it took me about 10 minutes to get my ski equipment out of the car top carrier.  Feeling hopeful, I donned my boots and my (old) Salomon skis and was ready to start some fun on the trails at 1605.  Unfortunately, the man selling passes at the entrance to the trail system told me "we lock the gates promptly at 1700".  At that point, with less than 50 minutes, I realized it wasn't worth the cost ($8) for such a short adventure.  Reluctantly, I left the park drove to a nearby field I'd earlier seen (it turned out to be the property of an Evangelical Free Church) and parked in the plowed lot there (1620).  I'm sure almost everyone who saw me during the next hour probably laughed but I managed to get nearly two miles of skiing in that location.  Fortunately, there were already some snowmobile tracks that made this easier - when I tried to break some new trail, I found it very difficult because of the heavy eight inches of snow.  Next (1720), I drove north (suing unplowed back streets) from the "ski field" towards downtown Niles.  I was searching for a Brewery that had signs posted everywhere but it turned out to be a significant distance away and I had trouble getting on US-12 (which I'd need to use to reach it).  Instead, I gave up and drove to the nearby Iron Shoe Distillery, where I was able to sample a flight of delicious drinks (bourbon, rye, single malt, whisky barrel aged rum, limoncello and "orangecello").  Along the way, I ordered some dinner ("the special", which was a good chicken sandwich and fries).  It was a pleasant ambiance - lots of '80s music.  I finally departed at 1845 and, from downtown Niles, I drove (more unplowed surface streets) back to MI-51 and went in search of a Walmart which was holding a new ink cartridge for me (unfortunately, the one I just bought last week leaked out all over the place). I finally arrived there and picked up my ink cartridge at 1905.  Before departing, I tried to recycle bottles and cans but had no luck because the machines couldn't ID them.  Also, there were some ominous warning signs on the machines about not bringing recyclables from other states.  Once I gave up on this project, I decided to try to get the rest of my daily step goal by walking around inside the Walmart building.  Between 1915 and 1955, I logged 1.8 miles (reached 10K steps).  Leaving the store, I carefully made my way out of the parking lot - I couldn't find a traffic light to access MI-51 until I had already gotten on that road...  From Niles, I made my way south and back into Indiana - I arrived at my hotel just after 2010.  The rest of the evening was consumed with eBird, Duolingo, reading and movies and I finally went to sleep at 2230.  Very glad to have gotten some time on skis today!