Beginning Late, Ending Early

Yesterday was a long day at the office. Longer than usual and actually not at the office. It was a travel day that began early in the morning as my alarm began annoying me (and my wife) at 4:30am. While I had planned on leaving at 5:00am I was, not surprisingly, 30 minutes late getting into the car and onto the empty highway.

The drive to the airport was much faster than I expected and when I pulled into the short term parking garage near at the terminal I was greeted with a pleasant surprise. Despite the sign telling all who got off at that particular level that the lot was full, I managed to find an open spot at the end of the aisle which allowed me to walk straight into the building with minimal effort. After printing out my boarding pass on the ground floor I retraced most of my steps and got in the long security line.

I was still running a little late by this point but had plenty of time to make it to the gate for the flight. Somehow, by the time I got to the other side of the TSA checkpoint, I was back on schedule as they singled me out for the expedited screening. From there I met up with my colleagues at the gate, boarded the plane, and almost immediately closed my eyes and fell asleep. By the time I woke up we were in Atlanta pulling up to the gate ahead of schedule.

The brief meeting with our client went well and by the time we completed our agenda for the day, we were even further ahead of schedule. So much so that while we chatted and got to know everyone a little better I was able to look out the window and take the picture above of Olympic Park. By the time our car arrived the lead we had on the day evaporated (thanks unreliable car service) and we were off to the airport for our return trip home.

By the time we got back to the airport I couldn’t help but think “while it was nice getting to Atlanta a little early, it would be great to get home early.” With scattered showers forecast in both Atlanta and Philadelphia and a TSA line that seemed to disappear beyond the horizon, it wasn’t looking good. Through security and near our gate, we took advantage of the 30 minutes before boarding was scheduled to begin and grabbed a quick bite to eat.

By the time we got to the gate we were expecting them to nearly be ready to start boarding. What we found was the plane just pulling up and passengers beginning to disembark. It wasn’t looking good but, somehow, the airline managed to get all the passengers off, clean, and board all passengers fast enough that we pushed back 5 minutes early.

On the return flight I was lucky enough to trade with my colleague for a window seat which both helped me to catch up on a little more sleep but also watch as the scattered clouds…

…got thicker…

…but almost disappear as we made our approach.

Somehow we landed early and I was back in my car as the sky was just beginning to change from day to dusk.

While I didn’t get home early enough to see my son before he went to sleep (I let him know what was going on the night before) I was home in time to watch the last glowing vestiges of the day burn bright on the horizon before night fell. It is good to be home.

Avoiding Work, Relaxing, And A Summer Storm

Soaked streets, a down tree, and a light that is actually still working.

Well, this is the final short week of a month long string and, as is common place when I don’t have a specific event to attend or place to go, I had no idea what to do with myself. I got out of bed only slightly later than I normally would on a Thursday morning and while the weather started off sunny and humid the forecast showed some troublesome signs in the afternoon. If I stayed in the apartment I would do nothing but work and knowing that the day was going to be cut a little short with the weather moving up the coast, I had no other choice than to get in the car and drive.

Even with all the travel that I have already done this year, it is a different experience being behind the wheel without having to be somewhere at a specific time or having an event or place that you have to go. It is the ever-present cliché of the freedom of the road that allows me to relax, get lost, explore, and maybe find a few places that I have never been, see a few things that I had never seen, and discover some new destinations for a future weekend trip. And throughout the wandering and weaving between towns and the coasting down the highway, I didn’t check my mail at all… exactly the way I wanted to spend the morning.

By the time I stopped the car to get out and stretch much of the morning had already passed and lunch time was knocking at my empty stomach. With the stiffness having evaporated from my joints, it was time to head back and figure out where I was going to meet my wife for a mid-day meal. We finally settled on meeting in King of Prussia with a couple of hours afterward to spend together before we, once again, went our separate ways… my wife had to get to her grad class and I had to continue my attempt to relaxing during this rare day off.

By this time I had glanced at my work email but, with only a few minor things to address, it was not a hindrance to my time away from the office. While the limited time at the range could have gone better (I need more consistent practice), it was nice to just stand around and chat about anything and everything that didn’t involve work. With night riding across the sky on the back of dark clouds, I pointed the car toward home, drove through the squalls of a sudden summer storm, and picked up dinner for my wife and me to enjoy together after a full day and probably one of my more successful non-working days.

On The Road Again… Returning Home From Erie

I woke up early Saturday morning still enveloped by the mass of comforters on the hotel bed. With a few things still having to be taken care of on the computer, it didn’t take long for me to make my way to the coffee maker before beginning my morning routine. I had been invited to breakfast the night before so there was little time to waste… it was going to be a bit of a mad rush to get myself together.

Once I got myself squared away, I packed everything up, and got out of the room (not before taking a final photo out the window at my view.

With everything back in the car, I walked over to check out before enjoying a quick nosh. There wasn’t much conversation as the Masonic herd (or is it gaggle? Flock? I don’t know) was already making their way to the Convention Center next door. A few bites later and I joined a small group heading over.

The meeting concluded by noon and we all made our way to lunch in the next conference room over. After an additional hour of discussion and fellowship we all went our separate ways with the Grand Lodge officers heading off to meetings and the rest of us heading either back to the hotel or beginning our journey back home. I made my way back to the parking garage and couldn’t help but to take a picture of the excellent view that my car was able to enjoy during the stay.

For the first time I made my way through the middle of the city and slowly glanced at the stores and people lining the main street. The drive home was pretty uneventful with cool weather and clear skies the entire way across the Commonwealth. While I wasn’t able to take any photos during my drive through the city, I did manage to get a few lucky shots while I was coasting down the highway.

The first section of highway was straight and pretty boring but I could tell that the clouds were going to be an interesting travel companion.

As the time flew by (mostly while I was on the phone) the elevation increased…

…and the clouds became even more intriguing.

Soon I was high in the mountains…

…weaving in and out of curves…

…and cutting into the mountains.

Not long after that excellent stretch of road, I stopped for a few minutes at the next rest stop. All of the rest stops that I encountered during my travel where in pretty good shape, clean, and the grounds were well maintained.

By the time I left the rest stop the sun was beginning to fall behind the range beside me. The longest day of the year was a great one for traveling and provided the perfect ending to my weekend trip to Erie and my time exploring the commonwealth.

One final push and my trip came to an end. It was long, tiring, and left me a little stiff from driving but it was a great weekend trip that I would do again in a second. In fact, I am already planning the trip next year with my wife. Now that I know what to expect, I plan on attending all of these meetings in the future.