Just 2 Percent

A Grape Escape

Early this morning, Michelle and I cashed in on our wedding present the Lopez gave us two years ago. We planned to go last year but Michelle was pregnant (and was a scaredy cat, but she did great up there). It was a hot air balloon ride over the Temecula wineries. We had to meet at the Wilson Creek Winery at 5:30 AM. Once there we checked in, waited for others to arrive and then drove to the launch site (just a big parking lot at another winery. At the launch site, an operator filled a small balloon with helium and let it go. Later I found out we was measuring airspeed and visibility.

Michelle and I helped Bill and Mike the operators getting the ballloon ready for takeoff. We held the balloon open while a giant fan filled the balloon with air. It was pretty neat looking inside as it began to fill. Although I didn't think they were empty inside, there are a lot of ropes and a central pully system inside the balloon that helps it keep it shape. Once the balloon was about 3/4 full, Bill turned on the burners. After a few thrusts of 20 foot flames, the balloon began to rise. It was quite beautiful.

We shared the basket with two other couples and Bill the operator. There were about 6 or 7 other ballons with us. Starting out from Rancho California Rd., we mainly headed in a southwest direction. Something I didn't know was that although you can't really steer a balloon, by altering altitude you can pick up different air streams and roughly control your direction.

The ride lasted little over an hour. Along the way we grazed an orchard, flew over some amazing houses, saw lots of rabbits, and scared the shit out of some horses. We landed on a neighborhood street around 7:30 in the morning. Several people in their pajamas came out to watch and take pictures. Nobody seemed to mind too much. Once we landed and broke the balloon down, Bill gave a toast and we drank champagne.

So, why no pictures of our first time in a hot air balloon to go along with this blog? We'll at 4:30 AM, when you ask, "Babe, where is the camera?" and the reply is, "It's in my purse" really means, "I don't know where it is, I'm busy making Gabe a bottle". So, unfortunately no pictures this time. I highly recommend the ride. If you're planning to go, let me know, I'd love to go again.

Thanks Pam, Robert, and Zach for the great wedding gift.

Washington DC CLC Metrics Conference

Just got back from attending the first annual CLC Metrics conference in Washington DC. Was able to get away on the last day to do some site seeing. This is a picture of soldiers partially sandblasted into a granite wall at the Korean War memorial. Check out more pictures in the right hand column. I didn't take very many and they aren't too original. Although I thought the one with the white circle (a rain drop) next to the soldiers was kind of cool.

The conference was great. I attended a predictive modeling workshop on the first day. Usually I am suspect of workshops as I don't feel I get my money's worth (even if work is paying for it). This time was different. Although the first half was too basic, in the second part I learned about using Markov models to display movement and to help with workforce planning. The most memorable Keynote Speakers were Jeff Bodreaux and Mark Huselid (HR Scorecard guy). They had a lot of good things to say.

Probably the coolest thing I did on the trip was to go out for a walk on the last night. I was trying to get to downtown and ended up going the wrong way. I went through a pretty ritzy neighborhood, walked down a trail all the while it was lightly raining and there was a fast moving creek nearby where I could see and hear the water rushing by. I ended up on Massachusetts which I found out later is Embassy Row. I walked by the embassies of Venezuela, Korea, Ivory Coast, and a shitload of others that I can't remember now. I didn't see anyone in them. They definately different in how elaborate they looked. Some were quite modest while others were more grandiose.

Overall, I enjoyed the trip very much. Looking out at the Capitol lit up under the night sky was beautiful. Definately would like to go back next year.

San Francisco for Michelle's Birthday

Having been gone for an entire week away from Michelle and Gabriel I decided to take them along with me to San Francisco where I had to do some pilot testing the following Monday. We stayed at the Hotel Milano for $149.00 a night. The hotel is located on Market and 5th adjacent to the Nordstrom shopping center.

Getting in around 7 PM we took a taxi for $50.00, checked-in, and then ate dinner at the Nordstrom cafe. On Saturday, Gabriel fell back asleep until 3 PM so we didn't have a lot of time for sight seeing. We took a cab to the Fillmore street shops and we spent a few hours checking out the shops. Saturday night I went and got Blondie's pizza and their garden salad which was very good.

Sunday, we got up and took a cab to Fisherman's Warf. It was the best time I've ever had there. We walked around the shops, and then to the park below Ghiradelli square. I took Michelle to a nice restaurant on the water for lunch where we order both of the lunch specials with consisted of soup, salad, two entrees, and two desserts. We had an awesome view and Gabriel slept most of the time so we actually enjoyed our food. After lunch, we went back to the park and people watched from the stands (check out some pictures in the San Fran photo album).

My favorite part of the trip though was just hanging out with Michelle and Gabe in the hotel room. We shut out the world for a while and spent some quality time together (we also watched a few biker buid-offs).

The Big Apple

Returned last week from conducting focus groups at some of our New York branch offices. I traveled with a coworker of mine, Ben and we stayed at the Amsterdam Court hotel. Who says you can't stay in Manhattan for $109.00 a night. The hotel was located right in the middle of the theatre district. A little touristy, but very close to the subway and plenty of deli's to grab a bite to eat. Here is a list of the top things I remember about my trip:

1. Jet Blue kicks ass. I fell asleep watching I Heart Huckabees on my own television. The blue potato chips are good too.
2. JFK could use a facelift, but has a good eatery with a notable pizza joint and sushi bar (foodservers especially noted).
3. Amsterdam Court Hotel (located next to a sleazy strip club--which neither Ben nor I visited) is small, it's hallways smell bad, but the room was clean and the bed comfortable.
4. Damn shower didn't work and had to take baths for three days (fat guy in a little tub, it's preposterous).
5. Rockafeller Center (including ice skating rink) overated. Much smaller than how it looks on television.
6. MTV building very cool. In fact that whole area was neat. Was there for a Jennifer Lopez street signing (didn't see her though, but took pictures of the paparazzi).
7. Great food! Best I've had in a city. Toni's and Nikko's were among the best I visited.
8. Empire State builiding and the Statue of Liberty: A lot smaller than expected especially the latter. Then again, what do you expect from the French?
9. Towne of Sleepy Hollow - Never seen a town sign that was incorporated in early 1600s. Adjacent town had a kickass coffee shop where Ben and I summarized the previous days notes, listened to Jack Johnson, and watched the owner roast his own coffee beans.
10. Doing power slides in the icy parking lots in the rental car on our way to the various branches while Ben was punching me in the arm.
11. Getting my ass kicked in ping pong losing to Ben 5 to 0 at the hotel in Rochester.

I posted some pictures of my trip in the New York photo album. Make sure to check them out.

Portland, OR 1,100 miles or bust

We've been back for a couple of weeks, but I'm still thinking about the Oregon trip. Two motorhomes, two trailers, 6 Harley Davidsons, a 1930 Model A, and a crapful of road snacks and we were on our way. I drove Jim's motorhome (measuring an impressive 63 feet in total length) all the way to Corvallis (about 1,000 miles). I was all over the place for the first 995, but then started to get the hang of it. Check out some new pics under FAMILY of the trip. Now, in honor of my friend Jamie (http://www.jmadigan.net), here is a list of the 11 things I remember about my trip to Portland, Oregon: 1) Sleeping in a Jack-in-the-Box parking lot the first night; 2) Watching a boxer named Brutus hump Ryan and Zack at the Yreka Harley Davidson store (now I want a boxer); 3) Catching some really huge fish with Robert and Zack in the Klamath River (by huge I mean small); 4) An awesome ride Kim, Robert and I did in Corvallis to the beach (didn't make it, but we did have a really good breakfast); 5) Another awesome ride with Jim and Craig to and around Mount Hood and then alongside the Columbia River Gorge (probably the best ride I've ever been on); 6) Yet another bitchin' ride with Michelle from Portland, through the whole state of Oregon, through Grants Pass and into the California Redwoods (360 miles total); 7) The TREES OF MYSTERY and Babe the Blue Ox's huge blue balls; 8) My encounter with a Sasquatch (I have a picture and a Tshirt as proof); and 9) Sleeping on the side of the road somewhere outside of Los Banos (the bathroom for you gringos); 10) Not getting to actually go in the city of Portland; and 11) Not getting to go to Crater Lake (what the fuck?) I must go back and see both of these places.