Archive for September 2010
Portugal Trip Tidbit #2
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The area of Portugal where we will be is at a latitude approximately equal to Lincoln, Nebraska.
Portuguese Translation:
wicked cool = ímpious cool
way awesome = maneira impressionante
incredibly beautiful = incrivelmente bela
where’s Waldo? = Você sabe onde está Waldo?
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Portugal Trip Tidbit #1
Portugal facts:
Area – comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana
Did you know that?
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
You probably knew that.
Time Difference: UTC 0 (6 hours ahead of Minnesota during Standard Time)
I’m way ahead of most of you now.
Picturesque Interlude #1
During my absence while in Portugal, I have selected some random images to automagically appear to distract you from thinking too much about what an absolutely wonderful time I am having with Cyndie in the paradise where we are staying in Portugal. Is it working?
A Special Day
First of all, let me just say… Happy Birthday, Julian! Of course, in addition to Julian’s birthday, today is Cyndie’s and my 29th wedding anniversary, as well. We are celebrating with the trip to Portugal, where Cyndie gets to enjoy a lot of horse-play, and I will have mountain air and forests of trees. I have no idea how it will be possible to top this next year.
Getting There
By the time this post is published, Cyndie and I should have arrived at our destination in Portugal. We are scheduled to fly into Porto, Portugal and then the plan is to be picked up by our hosts and driven to the Forest Garden Estate where our adventure takes place. The location is approximately in the area of the “B” icon in the image below.
Travel Day!
Honestly, I really am thrilled to the core with anticipation for our adventure in Portugal. But I am not fond of anything to do with packing or deciding what to bring, and most of all, keeping track of where the heck I ended up packing the things I finally decided to include.
I would like to show up at my destination with nothing but a modest sized bag that contains everything I could possibly want or need for any and all weather conditions, and know exactly where to find any little thing I brought along.
My habit is to discover a wonderful pocket somewhere in some bag that works just perfect for something I want to bring along, and then never again be able to remember or find where that place was. That becomes exacerbated by the security routines and airline regulations that force me to pack in specific ways that have nothing to do with the way I want to use items, nor how or where I want them to be when I reach my destination.
I am going to have a wonderful trip, regardless the travel hassles, but every time I go through the packing process, I am reminded why it is I am just as happy staying home when offered options to travel, or not.
As they say in Minnesota, either option is not too bad. Whatever. Bring on the airports!
Supposedly Packing
Sorry, to time to post… Busy packing. Wait, I mean, busy doing laundry so that I can pack. Wait, I meant, going through the mail to get bills paid so that when the laundry is done, I can sort and fold into piles to pack.
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Golden Years
Take a look at the years the University of Minnesota Gophers enjoyed success in the Big Ten conference.
I wonder how much of a reflection that is of the players that coincidentally attend the institution at the same time.
If a player was just average, yet happened to make the team in his Sophomore year back in 1909, he’d be able to enjoy a pretty good college football experience. If a player was exceptionally great, but arrived at the U during the many decades when the Gophers have failed to challenge for a spot at the top of the conference, that greatness doesn’t appear to carry enough sway.
Cyndie and I were generously invited to join her parents for this year’s home opener against the University of South Dakota, but it turned out to be a stinker for the home team. They were out-smarted and out-played by a team from a smaller school in a lower division. Next week the Gophers host the Trojans of the University of Southern California, making us the BIG underdog. I wonder how it feels to be a player on the football team this year.
I don’t think the average player has a lot to look forward to, and if there are any exceptionally great players hiding on the team, I’m going to guess that their greatness won’t be enough to bring a championship to the program.
Manic Minutes
With more things to be done than there are minutes to do them, the days are flying past me in a blur now. The day-job is extra-taxing for me this week, due to a key employee being on vacation. It is one less person for me to rely on –from the all-important role of final inspection– and double the workload I need to accomplish daily.
Meanwhile, Cyndie is on the road through Wednesday. After we both get off work on Thursday, our schedule has us joining a group of the Hays family relatives attending a live theater performance of “How to Speak Minnesotan” to see one of my nephews in the show.
The days feel like they are passing faster than ever. I sure hope they slow down significantly once we reach the days of our trip!
Relative Something 