New Shoes in the Rain

As I write this, my wife is in Colorado for the weekend with our daughter and her kids, so I'm temporarily a solo act....and it feels a little strange. To be sure, I travel extensively for my work, and that's almost always alone, at least at night and while the travel itself occurs.  So I'm used to the alone time, but not at home.  That's what feels so odd. Quick itinerary...I took my wife to the Cincinnati airport early Friday morning for her outbound flight.  We kissed goodbye at around 7:30 or so and I went down the road to a coffee shop with Wi-Fi so that I could work while waiting to make sure her flight departed as planned (also to escape the excessive parking garage fees, as I paid $3.00 to be in the garage about forty minutes.  Clearly, many of us are in the wrong business!).  So I've been on my own since that time. Friday night my son and I spent and enjoyable if frustrating evening to, at and from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati to see our...

Recently my wife and I came to agreement about a new form of exercise that we could both undertake and do together.  We both are walkers, but due to foot and shin problems I can't comfortably walk on sidewalks (too hard) and my wife prefers to walk outdoors, so we were stuck.  Then at some point we hit on the idea of getting bicycles.  So, at the ripe old age of 49, off I went, with my wife along, to a local bicycle dealer to learn the finer points of riding at a, well, mature stage of life. First thing the helpful salesperson said was, "You need a comfort bike."  Can't disagree with that.  We also talked about how and where we'd use the bikes, features, what's changed since my last ten-speed about thirty years ago, and construction (since I'm overweight I was concerned about the durability of a standard bike),.  He then showed us a line of bikes by a company called Trek, which he later explained is one of Lance Armstrong's sponsors (and apparently L...

Thought the above title would be a good conversation starter for today.  To wit: I just answered my home phone (I work at home but use a different phone for business, so I know that when the home telephone line rings, it's not a business call).  Said "hello" two or three times and then finally the call engaged on the other end.  Dead giveaway--it's some sort of call center.  A man with a very thick but indeterminate accent asked to speak with me, then identified himself as "Jim."  "Jim" was calling from the "verification center" claiming that an error had been made in my checking account, and, after reciting my correct name and address, he then asked me for the account and routing numbers for my bank account.  I know, I know, and I knew it then, too, so I couldn't resist the opportunity to tweak this guy a bit.  I told him that if he'd be good enough to provide me with his phone number I 'd be happy to call him back once I s...

Recently a new series (if you can call it that) appeared on the Travel Channel, called "America's Worst Driver."  It's actually a series of competitions in various major cities (so far I can recall San Francisco, Boston and Chicago, and this week's episode was to feature Miami, but we haven't watched yet) wherein people actually nominate friends, relatives or other loved ones as someone who legitimately contends to be that city's worst driver.  There's every possibility that the whole thing is contrived, and what's worse, the "competition" that takes place consists of tasks that GOOD drivers would find difficult or more. Anyway, I mention this because my work status changed and I'm doing more traveling by car than plane these days, which takes me back to how things were until about 2005.  But as adept and almost anesthetized as I became about air travel (still am, since I can't control any of it, it's just as well), there...

OK, I couldn't resist the subject line, given that today is, well, you know..... But today's supposed to be the day that the long, breathlessly awaited Apple iPad becomes available for regular people to see, touch, play with, gawk at, etc.  My lovely wife and I will be visiting Cincinnati tomorrow for a mini-getaway prior to visiting family for the Easter weekend, and one of the stops I have planned for us is a visit to the Apple Store to hopefully see this creation.  I've just read a few of the reviews and they're a little mixed about the product.  But I truly enjoy seeing reader comments about how Apple fans are 'sheep' and will buy anything that this company cranks out.  Not true, I would respond, as I have had a cellphone for many years but do NOT own an iPhone.  Anyway, looking forward to seeing this device, whether this weekend or shortly thereafter. College basketball's Final Four is this weekend and I'm really not that interested, what with K...