A Trip in Atlanta...literally

Moana and I flew down to Atlanta last night for a quick visit with one of our client companies. Our main contact met us this morning at our hotel to walk over to our breakfast meeting. As we're walking down Peachtree, Moana is reflecting on how nice it is to be able to walk without worrying about slipping on ice. Just as I'm about to comment on how much of a klutz I am...


BOOM


Down I go. If it weren't for my bag, it would have been a face plant, and if it hadn't been for gloves, surely I would have gashed both hands. As it turns out, the sidewalk had a big divot that I completely overlooked. Yeah...that's it...


Our client was horrified. Moana almost died laughing. My knees were sore and dignity bruised.

Miami trip: day 5

Our last morning in sunny Fort Lauderdale. We headed south around 9am to Miami airport, and became somewhat concerned when the GPS led us through several miles of really down-troddened neighborhoods. Trailer houses, check cashing facilities, strip joints, lots of homeless. We stopped briefly for gas, and even though he was only three feet away, Tom had me lock the car doors as soon as he stepped out. Makes you grateful for what you have...

Uneventful, yet long flight home connecting in Dulles again. We laughed at the onslaught of inaugural tourist-traps inside the airport. The capital is gearing up for January's main event!

Tom's already talking about planning a return trip to Florida this spring -- oh for a money tree!

Miami trip: day 4

Today was the second highlight of our trip: New England Patriots at the Miami Dolphins. Two friends from Boston flew down to Tampa yesterday to stay with another friend and his wife (he's formerly of Boston), then drove down to meet the six of us to go to the game. We joined up with the two boat captains (also Patriots fans) with their friends (all Dolphins fans) for a great tailgate. Hubie struggled without his usual stash of every-supply-under-the-sun, and there were lots of jokes about how next time we'll be shipping down a box.

Patriots fans travel well -- perhaps not quite to the same level as Red Sox fans who seem to travel in droves across the country -- but definitely to Miami. When we came down for the game two years ago, it seemed like 75% Patriots fans. This time, we were probably just over 50%, as Miami has improved dramatically this season, but suffice to say we were in good company. Likely because there are so many transplants (see our Tampa friend and our two boat captains as case in point).

Unlike some cities, Miami fans are also good sports and very friendly. No harassment out in the lots or in the stadium. Some good-natured ribbing when the Patriots fell behind during the first half -- it didn't last long when Miami fell apart in the second half.

The girls sitting behind us (more former Boston folks!) took a fantastic picture of me and Tom. Yes, I'm wearing a pink jersey -- the kind I make fun of at every game. But I can defend my apparel -- we were all the way to Logan when I realized I forgot to pack a Patriots jersey. When we connected with our friends that evening, Hubie's wife Meghan immediately offered one of her two jerseys, Moss or Welker. I picked Welker, only to see seconds later the shirt was pink. Needless to say, our friends at the game who have heard me make fun of the women-wearing-pink-or-blue-sports-apparel-phenomenon gave me a lot of grief!

Miami trip: day 3

Today was our recovery day, with no set agenda. Tom and I enjoyed a lazy breakfast at the hotel, then headed down to the pool for drinks. Two of our friends staying at another hotel joined us. Kind of a crummy pool day -- a little bit overcast and fairly windy. We eventually made our way inside and found seats at the bar. To our surprise, next to us were three men who will be officiating Sunday's Patriots-Dolphins game!

Miami trip: day 2

It should be a sin to get up at 4am while on vacation, but sure enough, there we were. Up at 4am, left our hotel at 5am, pit-stop for bagels, met the rest of the crew at the second hotel at 5:30am, and leaving the dock at 6am. Did I mention I'm not a morning person?

However, you are rewarded with views like this...

We sailed for about 20-30 minutes and stopped for an hour or so to "make bait," collecting about a hundred or so small fish to use as live bait. I have to admit -- I chose to skip this process and instead nap inside, so I can't speak to the experience, but Tom thought it was fun to catch five or six fish at a time!

We then sailed about five miles off the coast and began the real fishing for dolphin fish (aka, mahi mahi) and sailfish. Tom and I had fished for dolphin back in May, so reeling in the first two or three was old hat.

The sailfish, however, was an entirely different story. Much larger, a lot more fight to them, and it's catch-and-release. I actually gave up on my first sailfish and handed the rod and reel over to Tom's friend, Hubie, to finish the job. Then I was feeling really sorry for my lack of upper body strength when I reeled in a puny, rather sorry looking fish that had to been about 15 lbs. Tom had a huge battle on his hands with a very feisty fish and nearly fell off the boat when a wave knocked us around at the same time the fish was giving him a run for his money. He successfully reeled in the fish, but had a nasty egg on the top of his knee for good measure.

I had the last word with the sailfish, however, reeling in the final fish of the day. Adam and the mate brought the fish aboard for a very quick photo op, then gently returned it to the sea. Unfortunately, that photo was taken with another couple's camera, so I'm still waiting for the evidence, but check out our photos online.

Miami trip: day 1

After a long night trying to get caught up/ahead of my work, Tom and I left for Florida. The good news is that we used frequent flier miles to pay for our flight. The bad news is that we were boxed into connecting flights through Dulles and thus ended up traveling most of the day.

We finally arrived in the late afternoon in Miami and spent a good 40 minutes wandering around the airport trying to find the proper path to the car rental companies. I guess we should have read the fine print -- they're off-airport. Even better, the streets surrounding their neighborhood were under significant construction, and within minutes we knew we would never find our way back through the detours. That made a last-minute decision to pay $12/day for a GPS system easy...and it paid for itself within the first 15 minutes getting us out of a rather crummy neighborhood and on our way to our hotel in Ft. Lauderdale.

Low key evening spent driving from our Marriott (thank you again, frequent stay miles!) to have dinner at our friends' digs at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. I think I created a new world record for successfully losing $20 in a slot machine in about 70 seconds. Gambling has never been my forte. Early night tonight -- big day fishing tomorrrow!

A weekend up in Portland

For our anniversary this weekend, we headed up to Portland, Maine with Dave and Kelli. With gas prices what they are, Tom quickly discovered in the planning process that taking the Downeaster train was the way to go: $45 round trip per person, only a few minutes longer than driving. Sure beats $70/tank for our 4Runner!

We arrived in Portland on Friday and had lunch at a great seafood restaurant on the waterfront -- the kind that is tucked in next to the big touristy seafood restaurant and is the one where the locals seem to go. We checked into the Portland Harbor Hotel mid-afternoon, then headed out in the evening to see the Portland Sea Dogs take on the Harrisburg Senators. Minor league games are the best -- up-and-coming stars (Beckett, Buckholtz, and Ellsbury all played here, and even Ortiz spent some time here a few weeks ago on rehab), cheap prices for great seats, and quality entertainment by the various mascots (Slugger the SeaDog and the TrashMonsters...sounds like a Sesame Street Band).

Saturday we had brunch at the hotel, then headed down to the harbor for a tour of the lighthouses in Portland Harbor. The fog was pea-soup thick in some areas, bright and sunny in others. We saw equal amounts (few!) of lighthouses and seals, and were entertained throughout the ride by a very peculiar couple who were....several sandwiches shy of a picnic?

Back in Portland, we poked around and shopped for a bit (I made my annual stop at Lovell Designs), making our way across town to a restaurant that Tom had been talking about for months: DuckFat. And yes, never fear, he was right on the money. Who wouldn't like french fries cooked in duckfat and delicious paninis? We found a very neat culinary bookstore just around the corner from it -- the selection was incredible, but we couldn't help poking around and thinking how we might get a better deal online. Must be so difficult in this day to be an independent bookseller.

Saturday night, we went for round 2 of Tom's incredible culinary tour and had dinner at Cinque Terre, which was awesome. The boys befriended a wonderful gentleman at the bar who surprised us later on by sending a bottle of champagne up to our dinner table. Food was great, wine was great...I was full and buzzed by the end! Dancing followed at a local club, but I can't say I remember much there!

Sunday morning we lazed around, then headed across town to a restaurant recommended by one of Tom's managers, Caiolas. More awesome food and a real off-the-beaten path find! Tom, in fact, is still talking about his burger. We decided to walk back to the hotel and burn off some of the calories we "collected" throughout the weekend. Beautiful afternoon, followed by a very quiet (zzzzzzzzz.......) ride back on the train.

Love the city of Portland -- great restaurants, very walkable, some good shopping (can be a little hit or miss, depending on whether you pick the right shops). This is the second time we've spent a weekend there and will definitely go back.

Tom's annual fishing extravaganza

This weekend, Tom and the boys participated in their annual fishing tournament down in Orleans. From what we heard from where us girls were lazing on the beach, the fish weren't biting until nearly the end of the day. All in all, they didn't do too badly -- after all, a bad day fishing is far better than a good day in the office!

Their catch.........

Windy City

I'm back in Chicago to meet with my primary client. Got in a little early and wasn't able to meet with one colleague as hoped, so I had a chance to walk up and down the Magnificent Mile a bit. Sales tax is very high here, so yes Tom, it was only window shopping! Had a full afternoon (into the evening) of excellent meetings, then back to the hotel to change.

Tom was busy on Chowhoud lining up a good restaurant for dinner, and he didn't fail to deliver: Bistro 110. I got back to the hotel in time to realize that shows keep their EDT time slot and that Lost was already an hour in. I was a little confused, but watched the final hour -- awesome! No spoilers here...

Unfortunately, I think I'm getting sick all over again. Grrrr....as soon as I walked back to the hotel, I started sneezing and the head congestion came back with a vengeance. You've got to be kidding me! I just hope I get out of here tomorrow so I can recoup a little before my cousin's wedding on Saturday -- there's a line of severe weather heading toward Chicago, and it looks ugly. Wish me luck!

Vacation: Day 5

Sigh.....do we really have to go home? We spend a lazy morning hanging out, then finally bolt at checkout time. We originally planned to stop for lunch on the way up to Ft Lauderdale, but Tom's worried we'll have problems returning the car, given all the swapping and what not. To our (pleasant!) surprise, not only is a piece of cake to return the car, but Hertz has given us four days free. In the end, we pay $100 for a Mustang rental and $0 for gas. Probably the only inexpensive part of our trip!

Now we need a vacation to recover from our vacation.... Hubie and Tom are already scheming to return to Florida in November with a few other couples to do some more fishing and go to the Patriots-Dolphins game!

Vacation: Day 4

We're all hungover, so the Mother's Day brunch originally planned was nixed in favor of Burger King. Let's just say that we think we have discovered that one thing that Tom will never be able to eat again post-gallbladder removal: greasy fast food. Ugh -- pass the Tums...

Had a great dinner, however, at a local Brazilian BBQ restaurant. Incredible salad bar, endless slabs of meat brought to the table. Not for the faint of heart! I finally got my key lime pie for dessert!

Vacation: Day 3

Today was the Big Fishing Day -- we spent the day out in the ocean fishing for Dolphin. No, not
Flipper, but rather Mahi Mahi.

Really cool fish! In the water, they are blue, but once you hook them and they start to fight, they turn green. Not the smartest fish, either -- all you need is for one to fall for the hook, then they all follow like lambs to a slaughter. Of the three schools we fished, we caught all but one fish.

Tom caught a barracuda, which was brought up but then cut loose -- apparently they're not tasty. It was a slow fishing day -- catching the 18 we did was impressive.

At the end of the day, the guys from the boat filleted the fish, and we brought it to a local restaurant where you can have your catch grilled. Awesome -- the Cape needs to do something like this!

Vacation: Day 2

We got up this morning to find that our Mustang had a flat tire. Kid you not -- only we could drive from airport to hotel and get a flat! I spent the morning on the phone with Hertz -- they sent AAA only to discover no spare. When everything was said and done, a guy running a Hertz office in the Keys got the manager of a Miami office to send a replacement Mustang down on a flatbed to swap for ours. In his words: take your phone, go to the pool and relax, and we'll call you in three hours when we get there and just swap the keys. Jeffrey and Jackie -- you're wonderful!

So we hit the pool for the morning, then worked our way over to the tiki bar, then met the Hertz guy. Swapped the keys, back to the bar for lunch.

In the evening, Tom and Hubie headed out to do some tarpon fishing. Tom caught one, but unfortunately the rest of the crew didn't know how to work the video on our digital camera, so all we have is this action shot of him reeling it in.

Vacation: Day 1

We met up with Tom's friend, Hubie, and his family at Logan and flew into Ft Lauderdale. When we booked the trip, Tom took all my Hertz points and upgraded us to a Mustang Shelby convertible. Sweet! It was a pain, however, getting it out -- apparently for this level of rental, you have to go over it with a fine tooth comb with the location manager and make sure everything is perfect. And then, they gave it to us with a half tank of gas. No matter -- instead of waiting yet another hour to get that rectified, they agreed to let us return it half-filled.

Got down to Key West and immediately hit the pool and tiki bar. Didn't take long to get our inaugural sunburns, even in the late afternoon!