Washington, DC (USA)

[worked a full day at the office - nice and quiet - around 1600L, as I was leaving, I rand into Sean - we decided to go to happy hour at Bar Louie in Chinatown - spent about two hours there - home on the Metro later (forgot my folio - fortunately, the restaurant had it...)]

Washington, DC (USA)

[Mollie went in with me to work today - we drove (1000) and parked in our company garage - spent several hours in the office, catching up on items that I otherwise never get to finish - around 1600L, we walked to the Metro and took the Red Line to Woodley Park - walked to the National Zoo and got there in time to enjoy many of the animal exhibits before it got really dark - then, we got to see the Zoo Lights again (always a treat) - went inside the Visitor Center this time and saw a Christmas train display, gingerbread zoos and oragami art - left the zoo (for my office) around 1800 and made it home by 1930L]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[drove into city - worked all day (big presentation) - left work around 1600L and drove over to the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington to see Erin and Brenna run at the indoor track meet (started at 1730L) - met Nicky and Mollie and watched several events - Erin got slightly injured - Brenna did well in her relay - Mollie and I had Chick-fil-A for dinner and departed around 2000L and made good time to our house]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[had several important meetings today but wrapped up around 1600L - Jim R. and others recommended I go with them to a Christmas Party in Pentagon City (near Fashion Centre Mall) - it turned out to a be nice event - hosted by Controllers who "geo-bachelor" in the area - great food, company and libations - stayed later than I planned (2130L), but had no problem getting back to the nearby Metro station (always convenient!) and got home safely]

Washington, DC (USA)

[worked a full day (interrupted, thankfully, by a working lunch with our customers at a building on 3rd Street with an awesome view of the city - about a 270 degree view with no obstructions) - after finishing the day, I headed over to Bar Louie near the Verizon Center - there, I met up with friends who departed the company during the last year - we enjoyed happy hour for awhile - (dodging rainstorm) - with an apparent train delay at Gallery Place, I used Green Line to get back to L'Enfant - found a Yellow Line (lucky) right after I got off there - home quickly after that]

Alexandria, VA (USA)

[today was a busy day! - in the morning, Mollie and I drove over to the Episcopal High School to watch Brenna run in her first indoor High School Track Meet (Erin is injured) - had a hard time finding a place to park and almost missed Brenna's event (but we didn't) - stayed for some entertaining relay races, including Brenna's team (they did great) - Mollie and I departed soon after to do some shopping - we visited the Landmark Mall (near our house, but we had never been inside) - I've been looking for a business overcoat for several months and we found a good one at Macy's there - did a series of other errands in Springfield and Kingstowne - ended up eating a late lunch at Red Hot and Blue (BBQ) near Fort Belvoir (mmmm...) - got home around 1400L (still beat Nicky and girls back from the meet) - did some work around the house for a few hours before getting ready for the company Holiday Party - it started to pour - Nicky and I headed over to the Lorton office at 1800L and met up with several of my co-workers and higher management there - we had a good time for about three to four hours before departing for home]

Washington, DC (USA)

[busy day of meetings at work - simultaneously, my former safety team was meeting in a different location (nearby) - after finishing up my day, I met them at our regular watering hole and we spent a few hours at happy hour - some of the group were interested in Chinese food, so we headed up to Gallery Place and looked for a noodle house I've been to before - found it (Chinatown Express - see APR 2007) - great dinner and conversation for a few more hours - home on Metro with not problems]

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 5

[when we figured out that most everyone would be leaving today, we decided to get a jump on the drive home too - we got to see many of our family members as they were heading to the airport - packed up the car - Nicky and the Twins had a big debate about whether we should wait until later in the day - thank goodness we got going around 1030L - took I-16 back to I-95 and headed north into South Carolina - stopped for gas in Yemassee (1130L) - lots of traffic until we reached I-26 (football game?) - was able to use cruise control for awhile - we did stop for lunch in Florence (Arby's) around 1330L - after seeing a ton of signs for South of the Border (in Dillon, SC), we stopped to buys souvenirs and get good pictures of our buddy, Pedro - on the road again soon after - weather still good and traffic OK (had a flew close calls of "accordion slow downs", but survived) - after making it across all of North Carolina, we stopped for gas again in Emporia, Virginia (1800L) - Nicky and kids picked up our dinner (Blimpies and Long John Silvers) while I filled up the tank - it was dark by this point - no problems driving right through Richmond - traffic started to back up just south of Fredericksburg (near Stonewall Jackson Shrine) - we got off the Interstate and got some help (and snacks) from a gas station attendant: were able to drive east on back roads until we could access US-17 - took it to US-301 and crossed the Potomac at Dahlgren - switched to MD-5 in Waldorf and made good time to the Beltway - backtracked west to Virginia and made it to the house around 2130L - after helping empty the car, Erin and Brenna even had time to catch the tail end of a party down the street with their friends - I went to bed...]

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 4

[woke up relatively early again - went down to the Big Room and tried to find out where everyone was going - as usual, the crowd had all kinds of different goals for the day (shopping, football, sightseeing, relaxing) - while Mollie, Kathy and Katie Belle were off at the Juliette Lowe (founder of Girl Scouts) home, Andy and I decided to visit Tybee Island (I think I've seen a picture of me at the place, circa 1970...) - we drove east towards the Ocean on US-80 and found a town much like Cape Cod or the Eastern Shore (though it was much warmer here) - backtracked to the Lighthouse (1200L) and took a tour of the grounds (including a walk up the 178 steps to the catwalk) - there was also an interesting museum of the history of the area, too (with the story of the time when each flag flew overhead: Spain, France, Pirate, Great Britain, US, CSA) - after enjoying our time there, we drove north to Fort Pulaski and walked around the grounds of the National Monument - it was an interesting place with an interesting background (big lesson: never give up seemingly useless land to your enemy that he can later use to shoot high tech weapons at you - or you will have to surrender) - we ate lunch at Wendy's on the way back to our hotel - also stopped to pick of additional groceries at Kroger - by this point, Chuck and Tim had already found a great place to watch the college football games - we joined them around 1500L at JJ Bonerz and had a great time there for several hours (until 2000L) - eventually, we headed back to the Big Room and caught up with the family for a few more hours before bed - many of the group planned to leave early on Saturday, so we had to say lots of goodbye's - sad]

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 3

[woke up later - got texts from the rest of the group because many of them were swimming in the hotel pool (loud!) - Thanksgiving Dinner was much earlier this year (had to be ready to leave around noon) - we had two 15 passenger vans to get everyone around this week (even with only 21 people here, it is still amazing how much planning is required to move the group!) - our meal was on the top floor of the Mansion at Forsythe Park (700 Drayton Restaurant) - we enjoyed an outstanding meal of salad greens, turkey and fixin's, wine and delicious dessert while moving around the room to sit with different relatives - one funny part of the meal was when we heard that the hotel kitchen used to be the embalming room of a funeral home (the whole house was used in the mortuary trade for a few years!) - we made our way back to the hotel and watched football for several hours before dinner time (really, more of a snack) - around 1930, we all used the vans to go to a special musical show (called "A Christmas Tradition") at the Savannah Theatre - it was very well done and kept us entertained for a few hours - we made it back to the hotel by 2230 and hung out in the room visiting for a few more hours...]

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 2

[woke up early - took care of some work emails - found that only Mollie was ready to go out and explore - didn't see anyone at the Big Room, so we walked out into town - our hotel (Marriott Riverfront) was located at the eastern end of the waterfront - it was chilly and windy, actually (but, at least, it wasn't 0 degrees C, like home...) - we found some interesting monuments and walked on the cobblestone streets through pretty parks/squares - checked out the Juliette Gordon Lowe home (closed until Friday) and then started to look for a good place to sit down for brunch - we found a good one (Cobblestone Cafe) - the food was delicious: French Toast with peach cobbler topping (peaches, cream and pecans) - Mollie had good grits, too - explored the marina and water front along River Street, including the Waving Girl - we headed back to the room and I took a nap for a few hours (splitting headache) - when I woke up, I headed down to the restaurant bar and found Chuck - hung out for a bit before heading back to the Big Room - Bonnie asked me and David to go pick up drinks at snacks - we located a Kroger nearby (apparently built inside the brick shell of an old factory, like many of the buildings around here) - got some good stuff and then drove over to a nearby package store to pick up even more popular items - the supplies were well received - got dressed for dinner (Mollie and I were invited to go to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse!) - we walked a short distance to the restaurant and met up with David & Ellen, Andy and Chuck - what a great meal and lots of interesting conversation (didn't want to leave) - Mollie tried all kinds of new foods (stuffed mushrooms, brussel sprouts, etc.) and was a center of attention as the youngest (and least sober) at the table - almost all of us walked back to the hotel afterwards (still brisk) - hung out in the Big Room for several more hours before calling it a night!]

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 1

[went to work early, attended my regular Tuesday meetings and was able to make it out of the City by around 1230L - Nicky had gotten the kids out of school and the car was almost all packed - we finished loading up and, with a full gas tank, began driving (1320L) south towards our family Thanksgiving reunion in Savannah, Georgia - it was rainy all day - thought we would be OK when I got in the HOV lane and were making good time (while the rest of the lanes were jammed) - but the non-carpoolers had the last laugh when a poorly conceived ending of the lanes (two became one, left side entrance with no merge zone) caused us to have to stop completely for more than 20 minutes - by the time we passed Quantico, it was very depressing to realize had been on the Interstate for nearly two hours and traveled only about 50 miles... - but it picked up very nicely after that - though the rain was steady, Nicky's "RainEx" made the drops bead up and fly off the window, almost with no wiper required! - we started to pick up pace after using I-295 to get around Richmond and getting past Rocky Mount - stopped for dinner (Bojangles - I think the place was a first) around 1800L and, since the ride had been so hard, we sat down in the restaurant, chatting with the poor souls who were headed north into the storm - back on the road, almost no traffic - gas (Kangaroo Express!) near Hope Mills, North Carolina (1930L) - wanted to stop at South of the Border (all lit up!) but we needed to get to our destination at a reasonable hour... - no troubles through South Carolina - got off the interstate before crossing into Georgia (US-17) - it eventually turned into a back road, but we found a huge bridge that crossed into the Peach State (and Savannah) around 2200L - got checked in and unpacked the car quickly - figured out where the "Big Room" was and stopped by, finding Kathy and Megan there - chatted for about an hour before heading to bed]

Warrenton, VA (USA)

[took care of a dental visit and then drove out to Warrenton to visit our staff there - spent the afternoon working with them and then headed back towards I-66 for dinner (Eggspectations) - returned to our customer site for another five hours, observing hardware installations - interesting stuff - left around 2330 and got home after midnight]

Chantilly, VA (USA)

[company training in Chantilly at HQ today - up really early to beat the traffic, a few hours of project work before the class started - lunch with Kim - finished up around 1700 - traffic on the way home bad again, but only took about an hour this time]

Chantilly, VA (USA)

[company training at HQ today - up really early - went to vote at 0600 (much easier than last year - quick - almost no line) - drove to Chantilly and got a few hours of project work done before the class started - finished up around 1700 - traffic on the way home was horrible all the way - so frustrating...]

Beltsville, MD (USA)

[Brother Jim asked me to come by again to provide some technical support on his new computer - I drove up to Beltsville around noon and we had lunch with the rest of the Brothers who live at La Salle House - spent several hours remapping files for him - we also watched some of the Redskins game before I headed back home - there was some fussing later in the evening, so I drove out for a few hours, exploring Falls Church and some areas of Fairfax - picked up a late dinner and then went back to Alexandria]

Great Falls, VA (USA)

[took care of errands near the house in the early afternoon (with Mollie) - got changed and headed over to Great Falls to hear Kim play (arrived early, but it was nice to wind down before Mass started) - met up with her and David afterwards (had dinner at Peking Delight) - drove home around 2100]

Washington, DC (USA)

[worked late today and was going to go home - Sabrina and Ian asked me to go with them to happy hour at Zengo (how could I say no?) - lots of old friends (and new ones there) - had fun for a few hours and then headed home to do some trick or treating with the girls - but the weather was bad - not many visitors this year...]

Oxen Hill, MD (USA)

[went to work as normal - took the shuttle from L'Enfant to the ATCA Conference at National Harbor for a few hours - met up with a lot of people I've met over the last few years - saw a lot of good technology - easy trip back to the city - finished up the day at normal time]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[took the day off today to attend the memorial service for my cousin Michael - was able to fit into my uniform (yay!) - drove to Fort Myer around noon and met up with Pat, Aileen, Courtney and Aimee - met some of the other family members - the priest came from ND before his stint at the National Cemetery - the ceremony was very impressive - unlike my last funeral at Arlington (see OCT 1997), I drove in the procession (all the way across the cemetery, through the public area, to the "Columbarium" - another great ceremony put on by the Navy band (etc.) - said my goodbyes and headed home around 1500]

Washington, DC (USA)

[after work, Chris and Sean said they wanted to go for happy hour across town - we went to Poste Brasserie and spent several hours sitting outside in the nice weather - good food and drinks for several hours - after Chris and Kelly left, Sean and I walked several blocks to the Northwest (towards Farragut West) to visit a place he likes, but they were closed - walked back to the Archives Metro Station - after some delays, finally made it home]

Washington, DC (USA)

[what a day! - I had heard about the Million Vet March event, scheduled for this weekend to open the "closed" World War II Memorial (which is open air all year long but suddenly needs big fences around it, due to the Government Shutdown) and decided to go - got up early and drove into the city to arrive in time for the event (0900) - by then, the crowd had already formed - it was misty but the folks were in good spirits - they had already broken down the barricades and were saying prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance - flags were everywhere - a few politicians came by (Sarah Palin, Mike Lee, etc.), but mostly, it was just vets - I was going to leave the area, but then several 18 wheeler trucks arrived on the scene, along with bikers - the Park Police, Secret Service and other police agencies got annoyed with the relatively small, but boisterous crowds and tried to block roads around the area - this made the crowd get more annoyed - I followed the throngs as they confronted larger and larger groups of cops - eventually, everyone headed back to the Memorial - I walked with some people towards the Lincoln Memorial, which had been "reopened" by another group - it was feeling good to be a rebel, as I walked around the Memorial and watched a new group of "essential" government workers descend on the site - generally, they left the growing crowds along - by that point, emboldened by the successes of breaking into closed memorials, the entire crowd started walking towards the White House - I kept up with the crowd (which were carrying barricades by this point) - when we arrived, the group stood along the fence of the White House, cheering as each section of the fence was tossed into a pile in view of the President (who, I heard later, was home) - it was then that SWAT teams, horse mounted police, and several other groups of security folks arrived - they attempted to convince the crowd to disperse, but it didn't work - cameras were rolling everywhere - the whole thing was surreal - eventually, the police decided to reclaim the fences and set up a barricade in front of the White House fence - this caused the remaining hard-core demonstrators to start walking towards the Capitol - I left, marveling at the entire affair - on the way back to my car, I stopped to check out the Taste of DC (decided the cost was not worth it) - drove out of the city and headed home - (I was definitely a witness to something really amazing, made the national news)]

Washington, DC (USA)

[the pre-Government Shutdown angst was getting stronger all day - following previous successful conventions of the Apocalypse Happy Hour team, a few of us from our office decided to meet up at Eastern Market for drinks (a mini-"Fiscal New Year" event) and a light dinner - the group wasn't big, but the spirits were raised for a few hours as we relaxed on the rooftop at Pacifico Cantina - the weather was nice (perfect temperatures) - we toasted each volley between the House and Senate, hoping that each one would be the last (to no avail)... - we left with hope for the events of October 1st...]

Towson, MD (USA)

[got up early to enjoy the great weather - left the house a little before 0800 and drove (via I-495, Baltimore Washington Parkway and I-695) to Towson to visit Hampton National Historic Site - arrived around 0900 and took a self-guided walking tour of the 18th Century Georgian plantation - the site is well preserved, with lots of ingenious methods that the colonials used to maintain the modern conveniences (a green house for citrus fruit throughout the year, an underground ice house for ice cubes in August, a creamery house that took advantage of a cooling spring and shady trees, etc.) - there were lots of great interpretive signs throughout the park - to get from one end of the other, I had to cross a busy road-race street (brought back some memories) - met up with a small group at 1000 and enjoyed a house tour provided by a volunteer - for more than an hour, we learned about the history of the Ridgely family, who occupied the property for over 200 years - the reason everything was so well preserved on the property was because it never left their hands before the site was purchased by the government - for all the family's riches, the site is actually heavy handed on the guilt - most of the signs and much of the tour expressed how many people slaved (literally) to make the Ridgely family wealthy - I was not turned off by the effort to paint the excess as ill-gotten, but it appears that the site is much less worried about offending anyone about the subject because the owners were not officially Founding Fathers - perhaps this could be compared to what a tour of Bernie Madoff's (vice Steve Jobs') home would be in 200 years... - after the tour, I paid my respects at the impressive family cemetery (including crypt) - gas tank almost completely empty and iPhone saved me (irony) with a gas station location - got back on I-695 and drove back to BW Parkway (noticed several signs left by friendly Maryland DOT workers that said "to get to Baltimore Washington Parkway, use I-95" - wonder if the tourists know which one is free...) - stopped for a sit-down lunch (Wendy's) before getting back on the Parkway - saw backed up traffic going the other way (early bird again...) - got off in Greenbelt to check out the Park there (another NPS site) - it is a nice green place with campsites and hiking trails - saw lots of deer (no fear) - it was getting a little overcast, so I got back on the Parkway and headed towards DC - switched to US-50 and drove south towards I-295 - finally located RFK Stadium... - wary of traffic cameras - crossed the Potomac and got off at Telegraph Road - home by 1400 - glad to have the chance to experience another great slice of Americana!]

Alexandria, VA (USA)

[took care of yardwork today until it got dark - decided to get some exercise tonight, so I headed over to the Yellow Line (1945) and took the Metro to King Street Station - walked the entire length of King Street (in both directions) on a pleasant evening - enjoyed about 30 minutes on the waterfront, watching old riverboats docking and walking along the boardwalk, dirt trail - not crowded at all (except near Murphy's) - got a drink at Las Tapas - headed back to the Metro station - timed it almost perfectly and I was back at my car by 2200 - home soon after]

Warrenton, VA (USA)

[finally had a chance to catch up with one of my customers at an off-site where we have several employees - I got intel that I needed to be at his office by 0700 if I wanted to meet with him, so I left the house around 0545 - used I-495, I-66 and US-29 (much faster than later in the morning) - made great time - caught up with Ed by 0700 and was successful in achieving my goal of getting feedback on our staff by 0800 - took care of office duties for about three hours before heading out for lunch near the corner of I-15 and I-66 (Kabul Kebab - good gyro) - left for Alexandria around 1300 and finished the day from my home office]

Albany, NY (USA)

[woke up at 0600 and had breakfast at the hotel - got on the road around 0645 and made good time through the city on I-90 - found out that the toll road was free for people who got off on I-88 (nice!) - enjoyed a peaceful, scenic drive on the north side of the Catskills - mountains, foliage, very few cars - a bit misty - first time on this road, would definitely use it again! - got on I-81 in Binghamton (kind of a maze with some backtracking) - stopped at the Pennsylvania Welcome Center for a break and then continued south on I-81 - more traffic today, some construction delays - otherwise, pretty easy drive - did see some cops today but very few for the entire trip - got gas one more time (and lunch at Wendy's) near Jonestown (1115) - near Harrisburg, used I-83 and PA-581 to get to US-15 - that road was OK (after some jams on the way through Mechanicsburg - progressively faster with less and less traffic - very familiar drive after crossing Maryland border - got home around 1345 - good time! - took a nap to get back on "normal" time]

Albany, NY (USA)

[woke up at 0500 and took care of some last minute packing - wanted to beat the rain, so left the house around 0600 - drove out of town via I-495 and I-270 - continued on I-70 until I reached I-81 and then turned back to the northeast - made good time into Pennsylvania before I had to stop to fill up my tank (Shippensburg - 0745) - continued with very little traffic - some construction, but otherwise good speed - as I approached the I-84 intersection, I gave Clarence a call to see if he could meet up - he said he was available, so I took I-84 into New York and switched to I-87 near Newburgh - worst traffic of the day - met him at the New Paltz exit and we had lunch at the nearby College Diner - followed him via a back way to his house near Esopus - visited with him and Wilma for about an hour before heading back on the road - took NY-32 north into Kingston and took some gambles to locate NY-9W (was successful) - driving north through pretty towns at the base of the Catskills for a while - near Saugerties, tried to get out of a line of traffic and used NY-32 again until I intersected NY-23 - back on NY-9W again all the way into Albany (with a stop for gas just south of town) - as I intersected with US-9, I encountered a city street fair and had to solve a puzzle of one-way streets to get back on track - eventually (1600) located the Comedy Works near I-90 in downtown Albany - everyone was already there (Dad, Beth, Katie & family, Carolyn & friends) - we had snacks and drinks for a few hours, celebrating the launch of Carolyn's new magazine - the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce cut a ribbon for her - we cleaned up around 1800 and then went into the lounge for dinner and a comedy show - the food was good and we met some of Carolyn's friends - the comedians were funny at first but as each new one made it to the stage, the content got progressively raunchy - thank goodness the event ended at 2100, because I imagine that someone far worse would have stepped up to the mic if it went later... - despite the short time we were able to spend together, I took my leave of Carolyn so I could get sleep for the ride home - drove Katie to the hotel on the east side of the Hudson River (East Greenbush) - said goodnight to her and her family before getting to bed (very tired!)]

Thurmont, MD (USA)

[visit with Mollie to the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo in Thurmont - on the way home, attempted to visit Great Falls but it was too busy - we just continued back to the house]

Beltsville, MD (USA)

[drove to see Brother Jim (helped with computer) in Beltsville - spent some time visiting - drove home and got ready for Randy's 65th Birthday Party - used I-395, (behind Pentagon), GW Parkway, Spout Run Parkway to Arlington - had a great time (friends from all his former jobs) - stayed late - home via same route - traffic jam on I-395 and tricky exit on to I-495]

Front Royal, VA (USA)

[we drove out to Shenandoah National Park to finish Mollie's Junior Ranger Patch (see SEP 2012) - made it there around 1200 and were able to reconstruct her book (she lost it) before we joined Ranger Larry for a 1.5 mile hike along the Appalachian Trail - very nice views and history, camaraderie with others in the group - explored around a bit more before leaving - stopped for Arby's "linner" on the way out of Front Royal - good drive home with no issues]

Chantilly, VA (USA)

[worked Downtown, then drove out to Chantilly via I-395, GW Parkway, Spout Run Parkway to I-66 (LOTS of traffic) - product demo - then home (slow, accidents)]

Thurmont, MD (USA)

[got a late start, but drove up to Catoctin Mountain National Park - tried to find a place to park, no luck - tried nearby Cunningham Falls State Park, even worse - back to the National Park, found place to park and Mollie did Junior Ranger - capped off by three mile hike to the falls - hot! - explored nearby (visited Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo to plan a future visit & visited Pryors Orchards for peaches, cider and jam) - ate dinner at Cozy Restaurant in Thurmont (where Presidents and media folks eat when Camp David is used) - looked around their museum - drove home (lots of traffic)]

Washington, DC (USA)

[after work, we said farewell again (still fun again!) to Tim, our co-worker - met up with everyone at Poste]

Washington, DC (USA)

[after work - met up with happy hour group at Bar Louie to say goodbye to Tim (a co-worker who found a new job) - it was sad to see him go, but we sent him out in style...]

Washington, DC (USA)

[had a chance to get together with a group of guys I've met in the city during the last few years - two of them hired me at my job but moved on to other opportunities - the Nats were playing an afternoon game today (against the Giants), so got out of the office around 1500 - trouble with the Metro, but eventually made it to the Center Field entrance, where everyone was waiting - got a free hat today (now I finally have one for the Nats) - game started at 1605 - we had great seats along the first base line (near where Randy's daughter was acting ball-girl) - it was prime "foul ball" alley, but we didn't get any (although we witnessed some scary hits of fans nearby - sun was in our eyes and we couldn't see the incoming...) - we also had great seats for the Presidents' Race (Abe won easily) - Lee's kids (and their grandparents) were sitting a few rows back - teeny-bopper girls behind us kept getting on the Jumbo-Tron - meanwhile, lots of good conversation and adult beverages while the sun slowly set behind the third base seats - weather was great - stayed until two outs in the Ninth and tried to beat the rush to the Metro (ended up missing a two out, two run home run where the Giants took the lead for the first time in the game - poor Nats couldn't recover...) - first loss in all of the games I have been to since 2011... - it took almost two hours to get home, with the wacky Metro schedule and lots of people trying to get home - still worth any trouble, though!]

Warrenton, VA (USA)

[had to drive out to our customer site today - left around 0645, used Fairfax County Parkway and I-66 to US-29 and made it right around 0800 (with a gas fill up included) - met up with Allison and Ed and took care of meetings for around three hours - my friend Bev was supposed to meet up with me for a tour of the facility but her plans changed at the last minute - with the free time, decided to head back to our company HQ in Chantilly - wrapped up a work TelCon in the parking lot and then had lunch with my boss, Jackie, at the new & improved dining facility - made rounds to see a few folks I don't often get a chance to work with in person - then headed home - used I-66 to Fairfax County Parkway all the way back to Springfield and then did some errands (drycleaning and haircut) - back at home to finish out the work day (phone calls and emails)]

Paris, VA (USA)

[Mollie and Brenna talked to me about going out west of the city to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower this weekend (brought back some memories of a trip I took with the twins in AUG 2007) - we headed out on the road around 1645 - errands on the way - this made us late for Mass at Kim's parish, but we got there (Great Falls) almost in time - it was great to hear her play again and the kids like the shorter than usual service... - we departed around 1830 and headed south on Baron Cameron Avenue - missed turn onto Reston Parkway and ended up driving all the way (via Elden Street) into Herndon - found a Popeye's for dinner - back on the road, we made our way towards US-50 on Centreville Road - it was a pleasant drive along the Lee Jackson Highway - we saw lots of places we haven't visited before (western suburbs with big car dealerships, nice homes, etc.) - highlight was the last few miles before we reached Sky Meadows State Park (passed through small, historic towns like Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville) - we arrived just as the sun went down behind the hills (close to 2000) near Paris, Virginia - Mollie and I had found this park on one of our adventures recently (see MAY 2013) - it was a lot different this time (crowded with lots of people from the city) - there were representatives from the Smithsonian and NASA, describing the Perseids - it took a very long time to get really dark - but we were lucky, since there had been a cloud cover until then - lots of people had obnoxious bright lights that made it hard to adjust to the night sky (eventually, many of them left - due to boredom, I suspect) - the moon was just a sliver and we could see bright stars and planets (along with lots of aircraft) - around 2200, we started to see a few shooting stars - unfortunately, it was not as exciting as we had hoped - still, the three of us had a nice evening (not hot and not too cold, comfortable in our chairs and blankets) - we talked to lots of amateur atronomers with high-priced telescopes - every time there was a meteor, the entire group ooohed and aaaahed - park rangers told us we had to leave at 2230 (sad)... - we drove south on US-17 and made it onto I-66 very quickly (and didn't hit any deer fortunately...) - made good time and arrived at the house by 2330]

Chantilly, VA (USA)

[what a whirlwind day! - I had planned to spend it out at our company headquarters in Chantilly, but things changed quickly and I ended up in the City by the end of the work day - started out early (Fairfax County Parkway to I-66 and VA-28) - arrived in time (0800) to meet up with some folks I am working on a research project with (remotely, up to now) - spent a few hours with them and then joined the new hire course (in progress) - I had intended to meet up with our new employee (Allison) - before the class was done, I had a nice talk with my friend, Kim - at noon, I got a call from Chris that I needed to hurry Allison to the city to take care of some onboarding tasks that hadn't (for some reason) gotten finished - we split up to get our cars to the closest Metro lots to our houses - one thing worked out: timing was perfect (she ended up on the same Yellow Line train as me, with some text coordinatin) - we got our admin exercise done within an hour or so - got her to the office building and introduced her to a few co-workers, strategizing the next few days - by the end of the day, I forgot where I had been... - got home late this evening]

Rockville, MD (USA)

[we finally had time to get together with Pat, Aileen, Courtney and all the kids in Rockville today (we have been planning it for almost a year...) - we drove up to Pat's house around 1730 and spent some time with everyone (including Holly, Finn and Alanna) - Courtney's fiance and his two boys were with us, too - dinner was pizza, root beer floats and a special dessert (Russian?) - afterwards, everyone took turns playing on the Nintendo Wii - lots of laughter - it was great to spend time with everyone - we headed home around 2200 - hope we can do it again soon...]

Warrenton, VA (USA)

[had to work out west of the city today - did some errands locally (and got a ticket while trying to find a place to turn - damn...) - later, drove out (via the Fairfax County Parkway) to I-66 and then got off on US-29 for the drive to our customer-site (where some of the people on my team work) in Warrenton - first time there - met up with Ed and had lunch in town (El Tio) before getting a tour of the facility - took care of work calls on the way home]

Washington, DC (USA)

[went to the Nats-Pirates game after lunch today - walked from my office to the ball park (not too far, as long as you don't pick the wrong street to try to cross I-295/I-395... - made it to the game in the second inning and met up with all my co-workers (and some of our customers) - it was very sunny and hot (paid for this later with a BAD sunburn) - spent some time at the "Red Porch" and "Scoreboard" bars - shady and breezy... - left in the eighth inning (when it looked like the Nats would win easily) - walked back to my office via a shorter route (west/north) on the correct streets and finished up my work day (heard later the Nats blew the lead and then won with a Bryce Harper Walk-off Homer) - not disappointed I left, since the game was in the middle of the day and it was fun to see everyone]

Egg Harbor TWP, NJ (USA)

[got up around 0700 - loaded up the car - had breakfast before departing - drove home via US-40 again - made it across pretty easily and found my way onto DE-1 without much difficulty - work teleconferences for much of the return - no problems on US-301 or US-50 (but the traffic jam going the other way at the Bay Bridge was pretty big...) - made it to the house a little after lunch time - took care of additional work emails and phone calls - wrapped up around 1600 - bittersweet last trip to New Jersey...]

Egg Harbor TWP, NJ (USA)

[it was a little harder to get excited about departing for work this morning... - breakfast at the hotel - arrived on time and we got to work - finished all of our requirements (with Tony Baloney subs to help!) - got done at 1630 today and I left almost immediately to meet up with my friend Mike - we discussed company business until around 1745 - drove back to the hotel and took care of some work emails - met up with Sabrina around 1900 and we went to dinner at Jo Jo's Italian Restaurant - we finished up around 2100 and I got packed for my departure in the morning]

Atlantic City, NJ (USA)

[up early again - breakfast in hotel - departed earlier (0745) with Sabrina and Kristin - while getting setup, there was some conflict among the group members - the day then devolved into a frustrating series of arguments (I was not personally involved, thankfully) - despite this, we accomplished a great deal - had lunch at a nearby Thai Restaurant (good) - finished up a little earlier (1630) and then went to watch volleyball (Bill and Kait were playing) - it was pretty hot - rode back to the hotel with Joseph and had dinner (lasagna) in the lobby - I had seen a sign for a free shuttle to Margaritaville and decided to go (Sabrina came with me) - it was a big bus (probably could hold about 70 people) and it stopped at all the hotels along the Blackhorse Pike - when we arrived at the "Resort" (2000), we found several Jimmy Buffett homage sites: "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" bar, "Landshark Cafe" and the signature bar - we called Bill and he eventually joined us - the drinks were all Buffett-song themed and it was nice to relax with his music - before we knew it, it was already past 2230 - we walked across the Boardwalk to the Landshark Cafe and Bill and Sabrina ordered some food (I got some pretzel sticks) - we didn't leave until almost 0100 - when we got back to the hotel, I was exhausted and fell right to sleep]

Atlantic City, NJ (USA)

[up early - breakfast at hotel - left for work at 0800, leading Kristin (some traffic delayed us) - got started on time - very busy all day - lunch at Chick-fil-A - finished rather late (1700) - immediately after we got done, the entire Panel got together for dinner at Chickie's and Pete's (sports bar) - I had a "Parm" Cheesesteak and "Crabby Fries" - it was fun to hang out with the group one more time... - after dinner (1900), Sabrina convinced Kristin to go with us to the Tropicana - picked up Bill on the way - after we got there, we walked along the Boardwalk for awhile (first time in good weather) - stopped at a few souvenir shops and picked up items for the kids - also got some ice cream - marveled at the entertainment opportunities, but also cringed at the many rules that prevented fun on the beach - back inside the Tropicana, Sabrina and Bill found good craps tables while Kristin and I watched - the entertainment lasted a little longer than our last trip (see JUN 2013) - we headed home around 2300 - went to bed almost immediately]

Egg Harbor TWP, NJ (USA)

[one last trip to New Jersey for work... - left around 0930 (after stop at the ATM) - rainy again - needed gas before crossing the Bay Bridge, but had difficulty finding a station (eventually found one in Bowie) - back on US-50, was startled to find a traffic jam at the toll plaza (???? - it looked like they shut down one direction temporarily) - once that was cleared up, I didn't get delayed again on US-301, US-40 or DE-1 (lots of work phone calls on the way) - lunch at Arby's in Middletown - lots of traffic on I-295 and as I crossed the Delaware River - a little slow on US-40, too (summer, I guess) - arrived in Egg Harbor around 1330L - got my parking pass and met Sabrina and Kristin at the conference room - late start, but we got our meetings done before 1700 - drove to the hotel (first time in the Residence Inn at Fire Road - closer...) - ate dinner at East Bay Crab - took care of work-related emails before going to bed]

Indian Head, MD (USA)

[took the day off from work today - weather was great (sunny, low 30s C, etc.) - drove across the Potomac and took MD-210 to the south - stopped at Fort Washington to see the old fortifications of Washington - great views of the City, Mount Vernon and Mason Neck - walked around a bit there before heading south again - found the little Navy Installation at Indian Head - bought some supplies there and explored the waterfront (fishing only, waterline very low) - left the base and continued south - used MD-225 (stumbled on another military annex) and stopped to visit the Thomas Stone home (he was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence) - very nice place - walked a bit on the grounds - drove east to US-301 and then took MD-227 through the rolling hills and trees until I made it back to MD-210 - got across the Potomac without much trouble (HUGE wreck on the Wilson Bridge going the other way...) - did some grocery shopping and yard work, preparing for Nicky and kids' return]

Gettysburg, PA (USA)

I read about a re-enactment of the Battle of Gettysburg (sponsored by the Blue Gray Alliance, celebrating the 150th Anniversary) this weekend, so I got up early and headed north. I used I-495, I-270 and US-15 to get to Pennsylvania and arrived at the farm where the event would be held (about two miles south of the National Battlefield Park) at around 0900. It was no trouble to find free parking, but the place was extremely regimented (no walking or parking along roads, etc.). In hindsight, I wonder whether I should have paid the $10 to park before I got there - then I could have walked to a better view point... I got on a school bus and it took me to the area where there were vendors and a few people dressed in period clothing. I skipped that and went down the hill through a maze of tightly controlled pathways until I got to the entrance to the viewing area. The price was good ($10) and there were lots of places to stand to see the first re-enactment of the day - a cavalry battle. We were very close to the action and few people were there yet, so it was a great experience. The group was about an hour ahead of schedule, so I was hopeful that this would continue (severe weather seemed imminent). However, there was a 2.5 hour gap in the action. It got progressively hotter and I began to wonder how the thousands of re-enactors in their blue and gray uniforms could possibly stand the conditions (that is one of the great things about being at an event like this). I took a break and used a restroom (back in the vendor area). By the time I got back to a good viewing spot, it was clear that I would not benefit from my early arrival - folks crowded closer and closer (in every available gap) until it was standing room only. I felt bad for the older people who had arrived with their chairs and placed them close to the edge of the battlefield, only to have a younger person (carrying an iPad) crowd into the gap and obscure the view. By the time the re-enactment of Pickett's Charge began, I found myself lucky to be able to see anything at all. They did more than half an hour of artillery barrage, which was close to our position (amazing smoke rings!). After that, thousands of gray coated soldiers began their march across the field - probably more than half a mile of flat ground (barred by a fence). The rebel yells, continuing cannon fire and waving battle flags made for an amazing spectacle (I thought I even heard the closest group to us shouting something like "Long Live the Great State of Mississippi!"). As they crested the small hill in the middle of the field, they had to find a way around the fence - and then they formed lines below the Union position (a stone wall on a hill). By that point, the sound of gunfire was like the sound popcorn makes in the microwave, punctuated by louder explosions and occasional shouts. The wave up the hill of charging soldiers was amazing to watch - but we were pretty far from this action (that was disappointing). Since I couldn't see anything, I walked back to get on the bus - on the way back to my car, I got a better view of the battle, which had turned into a retreat by then. Drove out before the rest of the crowd made it really difficult. All in all, I am glad I went to the event. On the way home, I used the same route (I actually saw a chicken on the side of the road!). I stopped near Frederick to see the Monocacy National Battlefield. It was south of the city and was a little difficult to find (close to I-270 but no exits nearby). I had never heard of the battle before but it was amazing to learn that a huge army of Confederates were on their way to attack undefended Washington and were delayed by a tiny force of Union soldiers at Monocacy - just long enough to allow Grant to send forces to defend the Capital. It was well worth the stop - if only just to learn more about the importance of the Civil War in the formation of our country. Headed home after that, just as rain began to fall...

Washington, DC (USA)

I had a problem with one of my Metro Cards (newly registered on the WMATA website) and figured out that I needed to go to the station to correct it. Unfortunately, it appeared that I couldn't get the problem resolved with the gate agent without using the card to go through the turnstyle - when I did that, it effectively discharged the entire remaining amount... [Note - on July 1, when I went to Metro Center (and made several calls to WMATA), I learned something new about the Metro: in order to charge a card with money that has been electronically added, you need to check your balance at two different places on the line (you don't actually have to use the fare gate). That would have been nice to know...]. At that point, I figured I might as well take the opportunity to ride into the city. My fare was enough to get to King Street, where I got off the train and considered stopping at Theisman's for a drink. But the weather was too nice, so I got back on the train (with my other card) and rode the Blue Line up to Arlington. The sun had just set by the time I got to the surface - lights were already visible on the Lincoln Memorial, so I walked across the bridge and spent some time on that end of the mall - it was a pleasant evening to walk near the Vietnam Memorial (I found the National Academy of Sciences, something I hadn't noticed - big statue of Einstein there...). I made it without much difficulty over to the World War II Memorial, which was nicely lit, and spent some time enjoying the cool breeze and good views of Washington at night. One frustration, though, was the amazing number of fences that blocked access to different areas of the Mall... Walked towards the Washington Monument, now completely covered with scaffolding (still impressive) and took several pictures. Made my way back to L'Enfant Plaza - tired but feeling some endorphins... Had to wait a while for a train and they were single-tracking, meaning I had to change sides of the platform at the last minute. Made my way back to my car and headed home. What a nice evening!

Shirlington, VA (USA)

It was another beautiful day, so Mollie and I decided to check out the Washington and Old Dominion Trail (a bike trail we had seen almost two months ago on our way back from West Virginia). We departed the house around 1400 and made our way to Shirlington (a neighborhood in Arlington), using guidance we got from a good website. The trail is connected to many other local trails (sign posts indicated we could ride it back to the Reagan National Airport via local trails in Arlington and Alexandria). We began at the beginning and rode close to three miles along South Four Mile Run Drive. Soon after we passed the Columbia Pike, the trail changed from suburban to more rural - tall trees lined the trail. A small trail paralleled our course, so we took a short trip down into a canyon to get close to it. The water was cool and there was more shade there. After that, we turned around and headed back to our car. We had a good time and made plans to come back for the next leg of the trail. The day reminded me of several trips with Erin and Brenna on the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia (see 2004 and 2005)... After we stowed the bikes, Mollie and I played tennis at a nearby public court. We did some errands on the way home and arrived in time for dinner.

Arlington, VA (USA)

Ian and Sabrina came by my office around 1045 and asked if I wanted to try one of their favorite burger places in Crystal City: the Good Stuff Eatery. Of course I said yes! Luckily, Ian had driven into the city, so the ride was pretty easy - back across the Potomac on I-395 and onto US-1 (south). We had some trouble parking, but eventually were able to find a place. We walked for a bit on Crystal Drive and found the restaurant. It wasn't busy, but I could see how it might be during the lunch rush. They had all kinds of special burgers, fries, frozen custard (and drinks) to choose from - I went with the special, called the "Lunch Bag" (burger with works and a ton of fries). We had fun getting six kinds of dips for our fries (mustard, mango mayo, ketchup, horseradish, etc.) before heading back to the office to eat (a better than average) lunch.

Somers Point, NJ (USA)

[got up early, had breakfast and then departed for home (0800) - used the Eastern Shore again - rainy all the way - got some cheap gas before leaving New Jersey and then gradually made my way back to the DC area - traffic not too bad, but it was worse than it usually is on Thursdays... - arrived home before noon - took care of work related issues for the rest of the afternoon]

Egg Harbor TWP, NJ (USA)

[a short day for our regular meeting, but I stayed late to assist our new customer with some issues that we haven't had time to resolve before - very productive afternoon - tried to meet up with a friend from my company, but it didn't work out - headed to the hotel around 1700 - had dinner at the hotel (leftover pizza from Tony Baloney's!) - took care of work emails for most of the evening while watching TV - packed up for my early departure in the morning]

Atlantic City, NJ (USA)

[very busy day at work but had Tony Baloney's! - stayed afterwards to watch Bill, Kevin and Kait play volleyball - headed towards the hotel but then heard from Sharon that she wanted to meet up for dinner - we all got back together (Sabrina too) at Charlie's (1900), where we enjoyed margaritas, beer and great chicken wings (all while watching the Blackhawks and Bruins play) - after we had finished dinner, Bill indicated he wanted to go out to the casinos again - I volunteered to drive and we made our way over to the Borgata this time (2130) - the only problem with that place is that the table minimum is $10 (vice $5 at Tropicana) - as a result, no one won any money and we quickly ran out of momentum - I played a couple of penny slot games but didn't win anything - defeated, we departed for the hotel - drive was pretty easy (very few lights on Main Street / Shore Drive) - bed late]

Somers Point, NJ (USA)

[pretty busy schedule at work - lunch at their cafeteria - made it home by 1730 today (despite heavy summer traffic) - checked out the hospitality room and ran into some interesting folks connected to commercial space transportation - spent about an hour with them (one of them knew one of my old flight surgeons) - Sabrina, Bill and I had dinner at the nearby Anchorage Tavern, a place we had visited before - had a great meal and some cheap (but good) beer - watched some sports on TV before calling it a night - didn't even go to bed late...]

Atlantic City, NJ (USA)

[woke up earlier than usual so I could finish up an interview for a new position at work - rode into the city on the Metro (as usual), got the process completed and then high-tailed it back to my car (already packed) so I could get on the road to New Jersey for our monthly meetings for work - got on I-95 by 1000 - used US-50 to the Bay Bridge and then US-301, US-40 and DE-1 to get to I-95/I-295 - crossed the Delaware River and got on US-40 - made great time (several short cuts) despite the nasty weather (rainy!) - also made several work phone calls (love my Jabra Drive hands free device!) - met up with Sabrina and Kait in our usual room and wrapped up two teleconferences before 1630 - drove down to the hotel in Somers Point and checked in - met up with Sabrina for "dinner" in the lobby (meatloaf) but she wanted something better - ate more food at the Crab Trap - she wasn't bored yet and wanted to go up to the Boardwalk - we used Shore Drive (2000) to get into Atlantic City and parked in the garage for the Tropicana - met Bill at the craps tables, where we had some fun for a few more hours - all the while, we were watching a marathon baseball game between the Red Sox and Rays - I didn't lose any money (for once) and was ready to go around 2300 - but Bill reminded me that Happy Hour begins at Ri Ra (Irish Pub) at that time, so I went with him and Sabrina so they could get a $5 burger and take advantage of the drink specials - baseball game was still going strong - I was getting tired, so I took my leave and headed back to the hotel - went to bed very late...]

Washington, DC (USA)

[worked a full day and was invited to join a Happy Hour group at the Cantina Marina on the SW DC Waterfront - unfortunately, got detained by my boss until nearly 1745 - decided to try to meet up with everyone anyway - weather was great - walked down to 4th Street to cross I-395 and then backtracked to 6th Street - neighborhoods were interesting (I had never walked this way) - finally arrived at the bar (1805) and caught everyone leaving - oh well - walked back with a small group to the L'Enfant Metro Station - not a bad walk for exercise (not too hot, either)]

Washington, DC (USA)

[the day started like a normal work day - Carolyn called me around noon and I met her for lunch near my office - I kept her bag while she walked around the Mall and I did some more work before she had to head over to Union Station (around 1430) - we made it with time to spare and then I took advantage of the nice weather to walk back to my office - it actually took less time than the Metro had (due to not having to wait for trains or switch at Gallery Place) - still, it was quite humid and rain appeared to be threatening... - did some more work until 1630, when a large group of us met for a networking event at another office our company has in the city - we took the metro down to the Stadium and had a "Meet & Greet" with our company-mates (1700-1800) - around 30 of us had bought tickets for the Nationals-Orioles games, so we walked to the nearby "Truckeroo" (AKA "Bullpen") for reduced price beers and snacks - the rain began around 1815, fortunately AFTER we had taken shelter in a big tent - however, the constant pouring made our little Happy Hour sort of miserable - finally, I saw a break in the weather at 1915 and made a run for the Stadium itself - it was much nicer inside, since there were a lot of concrete, covered areas - I was glad to have an umbrella and water resistant khakis... - I explored several areas of the park I had never seen and finally located the seating area where everyone was supposed to meet - by this point, the game had been delayed by nearly an hour - but the rain had stopped - picked up some hot dogs and beer (with clever navigation of two shorter lines that specialized in each - instead of the HUGE lines for both together) - found my seat and waited for the game to begin - in the end, there were only 10 people who had braved the weather to see the game start - we saw a rookie pitcher make his debut and witnessed five home runs (three by Nationals) - it actually rained again, but not hard enough to delay the game - I stayed for the Race of the Presidents and one more long ball before taking my leave of the five people who were left (1000) - it took me nearly an hour to get home (Metro changes, delays, parking) - what a day!]

Mason Neck, VA (USA)

[weather wasn't great, but Carolyn wanted to explore the area - couldn't get Erin and Brenna to go with us (too much studying for SOL exams) - left the house around 1000 - drove first to Occoquan and walked around for a bit - very pleasant and not too busy - stopped at nearby KFC to pick up lunch (to go) and then drove down to Mason Neck to have a picnic lunch at one of the local community parks - we could hear the LOUD ciccadas everywhere (strange, since we don't hear them at our house) - continued out to Gunston Hall (home of George Mason) and found we could visit for free (Memorial Day rates!) - I had picked up a cold, so I wasn't feeling my best - Carolyn and Mollie toured the home and we all looked at exhibits outside - the ciccadas were everywhere around the house (wow!), dropping on everyone and climbing on clothes - we drove back to the house around 1500 - I took some medicine and rested while Carolyn took walks with Nicky and the kids - had a nice dinner and all the ladies watched the latest episode of the Bachelorette while I prepped for work...]

Washington, DC (USA)

[Mollie and I went into the city today to meet Carolyn (inbound from NYC on Amtrak) - we took the Metro this time (vice driving, like her last visit - see MAR 2012) - arrived around 1330, with time to spare - it was such a nice day, we headed outside of Union Station and discovered a (new to us) Smithsonian Museum about the history of the Postal Service - it was a great place (not crowded at all) with lots of cool, interactive exhibits - Mollie had fun looking around in the Pony Express area and trying to sort mail, scan packages and spot mail fraud - we got a call from Carolyn that she was a little early, so we headed back to the Amtrak gates, getting there just as she walked through - we rode the Metro back to our car and took her to the house - lots of great visiting]

Great Falls, VA (USA)

[worked from home this morning - around 1400, Nicky and I drove up to Great Falls via I-495 and VA-7 (traffic not bad that early) - did some bank errands before heading over to St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church in Great Falls - attended Kim and David's wedding (started at 1600) - afterwards, went to the reception at the River Bend Country Club (north of Great Falls) - we had a great time - stayed until 2130 - drove back (big detour on Georgetown Pike!) to Alexandria to pick up Mollie - made it home around 2230]

Rockville, MD (USA)

[worked all day in Rockville - LONG ride home (traffic)]

Oxen Hill, MD (USA)

[normal work day in the city - after I got home, we drove over to National Harbor to have dinner with Bonnie, Tim, Elizabeth and Katie (McLoones) - ice cream at Ben & Jerry's afterwards]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[drove over to Kim's in Falls Church to get Georgetown Cupcakes - picked up Confirmation Gifts for the Twins on King Street (Pauline Book Store) - drove home and got ready for a dinner with the family (Katie & kids, Bonnie, Bob & his mom, Tim & Elizabeth) - all went to Confirmation at St. Thomas More Cathedral (presided over by the Bishop of Arlington and two other Bishops) - home late]

Egg Harbor Township, NJ (USA)

[worked until noon - left without much delay - missed lunch, but made good time back (via Eastern Shore again) - gas and early dinner on Kent Island (Maryland) - back home with almost no traffic - lots of work-related calls and some work after dinner (prepping for the next day) - seemed like a quick trip!]

Egg Harbor Township, NJ (USA)

[worked all day - finished around 1700 - happy hour and cheesesteak with Sharon at East Bay Crab House - drove back to hotel and watched some TV before bed]

Galloway, NJ (USA)

[worked all day (lunch at cafe) - afterwards, went back to the hotel to change - around 1800, drove up to Galloway, where everyone was having a party at the Marriott Villas (nice!) - met up with several co-workers, along with others I didn't know - great steak dinner and fun until around 2200 - drove back to hotel and went to bed a little late...]

Egg Harbor Township, NJ (USA)

[got a haircut in the morning - drove to Atlantic City (via Eastern Shore again) - due to construction, detoured through Christiana (might be worth a future visit) - back on track pretty quickly - made it to Egg Harbor before 1400 - meetings all afternoon - skipped dinner - work emails in the room - watched "Game of Thrones"]

Falls Church, VA (USA)

[after work, drove with family to Bob's Discount Furniture to order kids' new bedroom sets - difficulties with traffic and construction - snacks there! - home around 2100]

Charles Town, WV (USA)

[took Mollie to see the Sunday races at Charles Town, West Virginia - used I-495, I-66 and got off on US-17 and drove toward Paris, Virginia. Checked out Sky Meadows State Park and then drove to the intersection of US-17 and US-340 (looked at the [Virginia Botanic Garden]) - made it into West Virginia around 1345 - arrived at the track, just as a race had started - Mollie in her element, watching preparations, seeing jockeys prepping the horses (etc.) - we watched three races (including one with two girl jockeys) - departed around 1600 - used WV-9 on the way home - stopped at the gap overlooking Charles Town to hike about two miles on the Appalachian Trail (and back) - pretty day for hiking! - continued on WV-9 to VA-9 all the way to VA-7 - this time, bypassed Leesburg and then used VA-7 to get to the Fairfax County Parkway - back home around 1800.]

Alexandria, VA (USA)

[got to work at regular time - just after I sat down at my desk, got a report that one of my coworkers was injured outside the building - along with other coworkers, we got her to her car and I drove her out of the City - what a backup on I-395 (glad I was going the other way!) - took her to the ER at INOVA Alexandria (an area of town where I hadn't been before) - after she got treated, I dropped her off at her apartment and walked back to the Metro - stopped for lunch at Fashion Centre (at Pentagon City) and then went back to the office - stayed late to catch up on some hours - nasty weather all day...]

Washington, DC (USA)

[after work, went to the Bottom Line for happy hour with friends from work - later, walked to Golden Brown and Delicious (GBD), near corner of 18th and Connecticut Avenue, for donuts - on the way back, stopped at Shake Shack so Sabrina could get a burger]

Fairfax, VA (USA)

[visit to INOVA Fairfax with Mollie]

Washington, DC (USA)

[happy hour after work at Zengo with friends from work - later, Poste]

Rockville, MD (USA)

[worked all day in Rockville - lunch at Taipai Tokyo]

Mason Neck, VA (USA)

[biking on Mason Neck (trail between State Park and National Wildlife Refuge - 5 miles) with Mollie & Ely - cool temperatures, but nice weather]

Egg Harbor TWP, NJ (USA)

[checked out of the Residence Inn Somers Point at 0740 - worked in Egg Harbor Township until around 1430 (had Tony Baloney's for lunch) - afterwards, left the Atlantic City area and headed west - crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge at 1545 - continued west (Eastern Shore ?) to the DC area (through the snow!)]

Atlantic City, NJ (USA)

[worked all day in Egg Harbor Township - had dinner at Jo Jos and then drove into Atlantic City (Golden Nugget) with Sabrina and Bill - spent the night at the Residence Inn Somers Point]]

Somers Point, NJ (USA)

[worked all day in Egg Harbor Township - dinner at East Bay Crab - spent the night at the Residence Inn Somers Point]

Atlantic City, NJ (USA)

[left the DC area in the morning - paid toll for the WPL Memorial Bridge at 1130 - continued east to Egg Harbor Township in New Jersey - part of the day at the FAA Tech Center - drove to my hotel (at the Residence Inn Somers Point) and checked in at 1810 - later, met up with Bill - drove into Atlantic City and visited the Tropicana again - dinner at Ri Ra - watching basketball - back in Somers Point late]

Fairfax, VA (USA)

[drove with Nicky to Fairfax - after business finished, she dropped me off at the Vienna/Fairfax Metro Station - made it to work around 0930 - worked a long day - took the bus home]

Rockville, MD (USA)

[worked all day in Rockville]

Great Falls, VA (USA)

[took care of taxes (ugggghhhh) for most of the day - in the afternoon, drove up to Great Falls to hear Kim play the organ at Mass - had dinner with her and Jeremy at her favorite Chinese restaurant - home late]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[worked a long day - following some management meetings, had dinner with Mike at California Pizza Kitchen at Pentagon City]

Leesburg, VA (USA)

[what an honor to be included in the IOC! - the switch to the new software was made on schedule (0040) and I spent around an hour and a half observing use of the system I have been working on for more than a year - I talked to a lot of people and learned a ton - if it weren't so late, I would have stayed a little longer - with a wintry mix expected, I left around 0230 and headed home - I was mindful of the time and saw plenty of men in blue - however, I made it without any problem and went to sleep (0330) - woke up (involuntarily) around 0800 - enjoyed some time with the kids for a few hours before the twins left for a church class - Mollie and I accepted the delivery of our new furniture (!) - finished assembling a TV stand I bought a few weeks ago - by 1500, I had a big headache - so I went to sleep for a few hours again...]

Somers Point, NJ (USA)

[started the day around 0600 - took care of work emails and some responsibilties I needed to finish before noon - had breakfast and then departed for home - stopped for gas (off US-40 in New Jersey and only paid $3.49 (as opposed to the nearly $4.00 I saw in Virginia early in the week) - I don't understand the wild swings... - made it across the Delaware Memorial Bridge by 1000 and then used DE-1, US-40 and US-301/US-50 to get back to the Beltway - arrived (with some flurries and cold drizzle) home around noon - spent several few hours taking care of company and program work before catching a few hours of sleep (1730) - I got invited to attend a milestone at the nearby ARTCC) - woke up around 2100 and drove up to Leesburg - this was my second visit to the facility (see MAR 2012) - Bev met me and took me to the pre-brief, where I saw Brian, Rod, Jim and Arun - spent the time between 2300 and midnight talking with people who I have only previously heard on the phone - being there for the mid-shift brought back some memories of Navy flights... - ready for the IOC!]

Egg Harbor, NJ (USA)

[another free breakfast, another long day of meetings - started at 0830 again - we got a lot done, and the bonus of the day was when Sabrina and Kevin drove over to Tony Baloney's to pick up some Ole Cheesesteaks for everyone (mmmm!) - we wrapped up a little early (1645) and I spent just a little longer today finishing up work-related tasks - I had seen a Friendly's nearby and wanted to have dinner there, so Sabrina and I (both Massachusetts kids) had that restaurant's version of a three course meal: bottomless sodas, entree (sandwich) and a sundae (reeses peanut butter & fudge) - the whole thing was like I remembered from years ago (and the price was right) - drove back to my hotel and spent the evening packing for my trip in the morning - bed early again]

Egg Harbor, NJ (USA)

[started the day with free breakfast - saw some folks from our team, who chose the same hotel - drove up to Egg Harbor and barely made our meeting (lots of lights, school buses, etc.) - had a full day of productive meetings (lunch at the cafeteria) - we finished around 1700 and I spent additional time taking care of company emails - Sabrina called and said she didn't know where the group dinner was going to be and needed a ride - I hurried back to the hotel and picked her up, before driving us to Charlie's in Somers Point - I went there before (see SEP 2012), but had never actually had dinner - Ian was there (first time we've all gotten together in New Jersey) - Joseph and Larry wanted to try the famous BBQ wings, so we got an order of 35 (!) - I also tried an order of BBT (buffalo boneless wings) - needless to say, we were not able to finish our food - one of our co-workers a lot of food back to the room! - Sabrina, Ian and Bill went into Atlantic City to find a casino, but I passed - spent the evening catching up on additional company emails and finishing my annual self assessment - watched some TV before getting to bed relatively early]

Somers Point, NJ (USA)

[had another work trip this week (left Tuesday due to Presidents' Day) - took care of some work emails early - departed the house around 1100 and used US-50 (Bay Bridge) and US-301 to get to US-40 (and I-295) - crossed Delaware River around 1400 and drove to Atlantic City via US-40 - all the way, played with my new hands-free (Bluetooth) device (it worked well!) - got my visitor pass and then met Sabrina in the conference room (a little earlier than the sheduled meeting) - took advantage of the free internet to try to update my iPhone - however, something went wrong with the download and my phone reformatted! - fortunately, that wasn't as bad it sounds (I have only used the phone for "fun things" and not "important things") - hardly anything lost - had our meeting with Sharon and then everyone departed to get ready for dinner - I managed to recover my cell phone before I drove down to Somers Point (via Shore Road), where I met Sharon, Bill and Sabrina for dinner - had an interesting appetizer at The Crab Trap called broccoli rabe (with sausage) and then had a good turkey dinner - we finished our meal close to 2200 - drove to the nearby hotel and checked in - spent the rest of the evening updating my computer and fixing some bugs that have occurred since my last trip - went to bed around midnight]

Falls Church, VA (USA)

[Nicky got me an appointment at the dentist (for the first time since I've lived in Virginia) so I could get a cleaning and checkup - Mollie came with me (trooper that she is...) - we took the Beltway to Braddock Road and then drove over to Little River Turnpike in Annandale - we found a gas station there where the price was $4.09 (a HUGE difference from our $3.79) and we wondered what kind of emergency could justify such a price... - the dentist gave me a big list of things I "need to take care of" - amazing how the Navy didn't ever suggest these things but, now that it is my money, I "should really have that done" (we'll see) - it took longer than I wanted it to, but I repaid Mollie with a trip to the Five Guys next door (for her first burger there) - as we were driving to our next adventure, we stumbled across the highly regarded Thomas Jefferson High School (for gifted students) - we tried to follow Nicky's directions to the furniture store ("it's close to our house") but ended up having to double back towards Falls Church (!!!) before we found "Bob's Discount Furniture" - the place, which I have seen many times in TV advertisements, was just what we needed (for years, I have promised the kids and Nicky new furniture - once the "low bidder movers" won't touch our stuff) - Mollie and I found a great kitchen table (to replace the one we bought in 1995) and we also picked out a bedroom set for her - financing was easy (even on the holiday) and we enjoyed ice cream at Bob's Diner (everything was free) - we were able to take home a cute lamp for Mollie (shaped like the Eifel Tower) but had to wait for the rest to be delivered - we walked next door and explored a bicycle shop (saw some good stuff for when it gets warmer) and spent some time in PetCo (Mollie's favorite) - before leaving, we bought some items in BestBuy (things we have needed for some time) and then drove home - whew!]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[saw folks running towards St. Dominick's when I arrived at work this morning (0725) - figured out I could attend Mass for Ash Wednesday right across the street from work (very convenient!) - Erica came down from New Jersey today and I met her for some meetings in the middle of the day - the result of that was that I didn't get as much done as I hoped - after a full day, took the Orange Line out to the Courthouse station (Arlington), where Randy met me with his car (1800) - he drove us to a place called The Quarterdeck (near Fort Myer) and we had drinks and dinner with Lee - it was a great evening, filled with anecdotes and future planning - the weather was pretty miserable, but the restaurant was good - Randy dropped me off at Rosslyn station and I was able to catch a Blue Line train down to Pentagon and (almost immediately) switch to the Yellow Line - made it home around 2200]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[after work, went with several guys from work (in Kevin's car) to Pentagon City - we met up with still more friends at Chevy's Fresh Mex (across the street from the Fashion Centre) - this was the latests in our post work meet-ups (the last was the day before the "end" of the Mayan Calendar in December) - spent several hours at the restaurant, drinking margaritas and eating some good Mexican food - headed home around 2130]

Rockville, MD (USA)

Nicky and I drove up to Rockville to attend a memorial service for my cousin, Michael Coogan. He passed away a few days ago. It had snowed the night before, so we had to clear out the driveway and drive carefully all the way. We arrived just before the service was supposed to start (1000), but then realized we had been duped by the famous iPhone Map app - we ended up at the wrong church (Mary Magdalen Episcopal). After recaging (and looking for other results on the internet), we eventually located the 200-year-old St. Mary's Parish in downtown Rockville. It was a little building on a hill (next to a modern church, built to fit the large congregation of the present-day). The service was very well done, presided over by an Irish priest, who spoke in Gaelic for much of the service. There were a lot of people in attendance. Afterwards, we drove to Pat's house and paid our respects to her and her daughters. We spent a few hours visiting with everyone, meeting many of Michael's friends and relatives, before we drove back to Alexandria.

Leesburg, VA (USA)

I found out a few days ago that I was going to be honored (by my company) with a leadership award. The catch was that it would be presented at the Lansdowne Convention Center (near Leesburg, Virginia). So, I squeezed in as much work downtown as I could and then departed for my car at 1430. Nicky met me outside the Metro Station (1500) and we drove up to Leesburg (via I-495, I-66, VA-28 and VA-7). As we were passing the Dulles Airport, it began to pour! We'd heard about nasty weather coming our way, but it looked like we might not make it to our destination. It was quite fortunate that we left early from Alexandria - traffic was getting bad and that would be made worse by the weather... In the end, we arrived about 45 minutes early. We met the awards ceremony coodinator (Amy) and relaxed for a bit before the award winner cocktail hour (1700). That event was, in itself, a treat - we met all of the principles from the company (VPs, Directors, etc.). Later (1800), we walked down to the main ballroom and had a delicious dinner (steak and scallops) at a table with the other winners. The awards presentation was also great - they tried to make it seem like a major ceremony (with lights, music). Our company isn't very big, so there was a lot of back and forth with the crowd and presenters. This was also the first time the company had such an event, so there were a few unscripted moments. Altogether, the whole thing was well done and I was very honored to receive recognition. Afterwards, several people came by to congratulate me. We departed the Convention Center around 2100 and retraced our steps to the house. It was a little slow going (weather), but we got home around 2200.

Rockville, MD (USA)

[worked all day in Rockville today - meetings]

Beltsville, MD (USA)

[drove over to Beltsville today to visit Brother Jim (1200L) - ate lunch with him and some of the other guys who live at the La Salle House - spent most of the afternoon searching for files that were displaced during a recent upgrade of this system (successful) - also scanned photos and played with Acrobat Professional (form fields) - later in the day, we worked on some genealogy - before I left, got to attend Mass with him - drove home around 1715L - lots of evidence of the upcoming inauguration (warnings to use Metro)]

Absecon, NJ (USA)

[woke up without the alarm this morning (0630L) and looked out the window: snow was sticking to the cars! - quickly exited my room and shoveled down breakfast - when I got to my car, I found the snow was very wet and could be easily cleared - still, I cancelled my plan meet-up with Erica (for some work we planned) and quickly checked out of the Fairfield Inn (0735) - departing Absecon (via Egg Harbor Township), I found slow driving for the first hour, with the flurries and slow traffic on US-40 - however, I still made it across the Delaware River by around 0915L and then drove down over to DE-1 (and US-40) - back on US-301, sun was out in force and the only evidence of snow was an occasional car with some melting residue - got slowed down again as I hit US-50 (traffic, for some reason) - crossed the Chesapeake and realized I couldn't make it home without getting gas - so, against my better judgment, I stopped on the western outskirts of Annapolis and filled up - had some odd encounters inside the station, both involving people asking me for money (it never occurred to me to joke about how someone else should pay for something I want - but at least two strangers thought they should do it at different locations) - after that, I made good time getting home (arrived close to noon) - spent several more hours wrapping up tasks from the company on my work email - when finally finished, I was glad to close the book on this busy week!]

Northfield, NJ (USA)

[up around 0700L this morning - glad the week is almost over, since we have been working like crazy for about nine hours each day - very successful morning (cafeteria lunch) and afternoon to bring a successful conclusion to our workshop - wrapped up around 1630L - I then met up with Bill, Sabrina and Sharon to have dinner at Ventura's (see SEP 2012) - we probably spent about three hours there, eating and having a nice time (reveling in the week being completed) - all week, we had been hearing about snow hitting the DC Metro (and the Jersey Shore) - for that reason, I thought it was prudent to stay in my hotel room at the Fairfield Inn again (packing) - went to bed around 2300L]

Atlantic City, NJ (USA)

[another early morning, although I didn't get up at 0600L... - quick breakfast and then over to the conference room - another long day (with cafeteria lunch) - finished around 1645L - Kevin and Brian had been talking about a sandwich shop in Atlantic City called "Tony Baloney's" and said they would take us to eat there for dinner - Kevin picked us up at our hotel and we drove into town (the place was on Oriental Avenue) - we met Brian there and then selected our sandwiches - they have a "half" (10 inches) and a "whole" (20 inches) - I started small (half) and ordered the Cheesesteak Ole (2010 Winner of the Guy Fieri Cheesesteak Battle) - Sabrina, Kevin and Brian all ordered a variety of fries (1: buffalo seasoned; 2: pizza toppings; 3: baked potato toppings) - we also enjoyed some good (cane sugar) root beer - we had fun and finished around 2100L - when we got back to the Fairfield Inn, Sabrina (still high on her winnings last month) said we should go back to the casinos - however, since we had just left there (and I was already tired), I passed - I've been having trouble with internet at the hotel during the whole trip, so there wasn't much to do - it made it easy to go to sleep early, though...]

Atlantic City, NJ (USA)

[up around 0600 to resolve an issue with work email - took care of that and then went down for a leisurely breakfast in the lobby - lots of Red Cross and FEMA folks staying in the hotel (overheard some interesting day-planning discussions) - Sabrina didn't arrive until our departure time, which concerned me (thought we would be late), but then I made it worse by taking a bad shortcut... - still, we got to the conference room on time (0830L) and got set up for a long day of discussions - busy all day with only a short lunch break (at the cafeteria) - then wrapped up around 1700L - everyone headed over to the East Bay Crab for their Tuesday special (Shrimp Fest!) and Happy Hour - chatted with the entire group until around 2030L - afterwards, Bill said he wanted to go out to the casinos - Sabrina and I went with him (still in our work clothes) - this time, we checked out Harrah's - I didn't gamble, but I looked around the place (very impressive stores, pool, restaurant, etc.) while Bill and Sabrina won lots of money at the craps table - when Bev and Julio showed up later, the whole group experimented with Blackjack and the Dollar Wheel (losing, mostly) - we left around 2300L and drove back to the hotel - some of these "jug handle" turns are pretty annoying... - went to bed as soon as I was back in my room at the Fairfield Inn]

Egg Harbor Township, NJ (USA)

[had another trip to New Jersey for work - took care of some work (including teleconference) before I left home (1030) - used I-495, US-50 and the Bay Bridge (crossed WPL Memorial Bridge at 1125) to get over to the Eastern Shore (foggy again, but not as bad as previous trips) - switched to US-301 and made good time up to the Delaware border, where I stopped for gas - continued north and joined US-40 - got on DE-1 and then I-95/I-295 to the Delaware Memorial Bridge - then back on US-40 - stopped in Mays Landing to conduct another teleconference - drove the rest of the way to Egg Harbor and met up with Sharon and the rest of the team - spent a few hours prepping for the meetings this week - afterwards, Sabrina and I had dinner with Sharon at East Bay Crab (always good, especially for happy hour!) - finished at around 2000 and drove to the hotel, which was located in a different area of "Atlantic City" for us (later, we learned that it was in a place that the locals said was "scary") - fortunately, I personally found the Fairfield Inn (on White Horse Pike near the marsh) to be just fine (good price, too) - checked into my room close to 2030 - watched some TV and then went to bed early]

Fairfax, VA (USA)

[Nicky and I had an appointment over in Fairfax this morning - this was the first time we had seen the County Seat (wow!) - after about an hour taking care of our business, we drove over to the (nearby) Vienna Metro Station (off I-66 on Orange Line) and I went in to work - time and crowds confirmed (again) that I wouldn't want to live that far out to get to work every day... - put in a few (more than I wanted to) hours at the office and then hurried home - despite train and traffic issues, made it in time to go with Mollie to a "Dinner with Dad" event at her school (Mardi Gras theme) - we had a fun time for a few hours]

Rockville, MD (USA)

[long work day in Rockville - afterwards, though, had a chance to have dinner with Pat, Michael, Aileen and Alanna]

Alexandria, VA (USA)

[today, after working my regular ours in the City, I took the bus home (leaving my car at the station) because I didn't know what our plans for watching the ND-Alabama (BCS Championship Game) were - when I got there, it turned out that Nicky and the girls had plans - so I knew it would just be me and Bob - he picked me up around 1900 and we drove over to Old Town - I showed him a shortcut I'd found before and we actually located a parking spot right in front of Theisman's (a hang out I've used a lot since I got here, for several years - ND connection, convenient for Tim's bus, Yellow/Blue Line switch and their $3 happy hour) - Bob actually hadn't been there before and was impressed by the number of TVs they had - the place was packed - probably about 60-40 Alabama (or ND haters) to ND (or Alabama haters) fans - we were wearing our jerseys and sporting ND gear - after the first half of the game, however, we were not happy any more (ND got crushed) and the place emptied out - we left early in the third quarter (2300), a little depressed - but, as all sports fans must remember: there is always next year (maybe...)]

Alexandria, VA (USA)

[Mollie and I spent much of the day shopping at the nearby Base (new clothes for me, electronic items for everyone) - after a visit to Target to spend a gift card, we drove over to the Telegraph Road & South Kings Highway entrance to the (very expansive) Hartley Meadows city park - there was a nice paved trail through the woods there (mostly between Telegraph and US-1) - we saw lots of other hikers and bike riders, despite the chilly weather - Mollie told me she had seen an entrance on the other side, but this was the first time I ventured into the park - we enjoyed the nice weather and looked for birds (we weren't as lucky as our recent trip to Mason Neck...) - we wanted to get all the way to the middle of the property, where there was (supposedly) an observation tower, but the sun was almost down - we hurried back to our car and barely made it before the darkness hit - we will definitely need to go back!]