1. A senior on a budget (SOB) can travel well, but you need a plan.  Try using public transportation when possible, or pubic transport, like the Bolt Bus / Megabus / Vamoose from DC to NYC.  They are the Greyhound and Trailways for this generation.

2. Hostels, like the Chelsea International Hostel are at most half the price of Hilton Hotels and just as good.

3. An all you can eat buffet is way classier than raiding your nephew's refrigerator.

1. T
2. L
3. T.

1. If you're going to be an SOB (Senior on a Budget) and you want to travel the world, "Destination on $5 a Day" is probably not a realistic possibility.  I may start writing about my travels.

2. "Arranged marriages" do slightly better than "romantic choice marriages."

3. A Prague Lunch (sandwich made at the hotel breakfast buffet) was invented by me in 2001.


T, T, L.

note 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frommer's

note 2: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1363176/Why-arranged-marriage-likely-develop-lasting-love.html

note 3: almost, but no: http://czechoutchannel.blogspot.com/2007/05/crocodille-turkey-club-sandwich.html

Bill

Well, blogging you say? I'm back. 2T1L

1. I've been away, sorting out some personal stuff.

2. I'm going to blog regularly from now on.

3. My video blog has over 1000 entries at http://www.youtube.com/wildbill1911a1

back soon

T, L, T.

Video never lies

1) I'm on this quest ... a challenge really... to run every day for 100 days. I'm at day 50 now, and I feel like this was a good idea. Mostly.

2) If someone sold you a Jaguar for $1000 that didn't run, but just needed 'some work' or was described as a 'project car' ... that would be a good deal!

3) I didn't know the Red Elvises had other band member besides the keyboarist. Turns out they are kick ass rokenrol revolution from siberia. Except the drummer, who is from Minnesota.



1- T - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fXzgXjNerU
2 - F - http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/891161747.html (unless you have one and need a parts car)
3 - T - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxc3Nrmf5zc

Remembering seven years ago

Today, the Navy reserve work did not go as planned.

I flew in yesterday to San Diego. I checked in to the Bachelor Officer's Quarters (BOQ) and got a good night's sleep. I woke up at 5:30 and turned on CNN. Nothing much. By 6 AM, there was a fire in North Tower of the World Trade Center. Minutes later, all hell broke loose as the live coverage showed the second plane hit the second tower.

I called my contact at the base where I was supposed to report. He said I should not report for a bit, "Call back in two hours."

I got ready to go, I dialed in to my civilian employer's network, established "Instant message" links to my friends. No reports of friends hurt.

At about 9 AM, I got the call to come in.

I brought Starbucks coffee for the team. On the way across the foot bridge to the base, I called another contact and said I may just be able to hand the coffee over to her. The guards didn't want me to come in. They told me no one gets in except "the Admiral's staff and department heads'. My contact said "he qualifies", and they let me in. All the civilians were sent home. It was like a ghost town.

The site was at Threat Condition (ThreatCon) "Delta". Delta is the highest level of threat. "Normal" is normal peacetime status. "Alpha" is heightened threat... we went directly from "normal" to "Delta" ThreatCon.

In peacetime, we are normally at Defense Condition (DEFCON) "Four". Today, we went to DEFCON "Three".

I heard that we we dispatching a string of AEGIS Guided Missle Cruisers to the east coast.... to protect the cities. Each AEGIS cruiser, armed with 100+ long range air defense missiles can provide a 'quite large bubble' of air defense for cities (Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Washington and perhaps further south).

Two Aircraft Carriers are on patrol, one off Washington, one off NYC. Each with nearly 100 aircraft to provide air defense.
At noon, we got a briefing from the Command Duty Officer. She had been on duty since yesterday, and did not know when she might go home. A Marine Corps Captain was on duty for the day, but they decided to double up.

My team got to go for lunch. Three of us left the complex and went to a deli. I bought 6 sandwiches, a six-pack of diet pepsi, and some bags of chips. I got a $10 roll of quarters (not knowing how long some folks would be eating out of vending machines). When we got back I took sandwiches to those who did not get to go out. The two Command Duty Officers, the crisis center watch officers and one petty officer at the reserve military personnel office were glad to get something to eat.

We were back from lunch at 1:30 PM and went to a briefing.

At 2PM, we met at the Crisis Center. Perhaps 20-25 officers and 3 enlisted. The plan is to set up a process to brief our Admiral, who was in the building) at 3 PM, then at 9 AM. We were asked to be very understanding and not to 'pull rank' if someone in a junior rank who was in charge asked us to do things. We were all asked if we knew what ThreatCon Delta meant... no one knew 'exactly' ... and we decided that was normal. None of us had been through that before. We just decided to use common sense, no to do stupid stuff, not to joke around.

An officer asked the reservists "who has to go back when their active duty assignment is up [in two weeks]?". Everyone volunteered to stay if needed, some said they would have to check.

We need to contact all teams to find out if any of travelers were on the planes or in the buildings [no reports of injuries]. Teams at sea were contacted, and teams scheduled to go to work next week were contacted.

We did a full recall of all our reservists. Results are known, but not to me. People are 'on alert' if they needed to go.
The admiral's brief went well at 3 PM. He was primarily concerned with the people, making sure the military and civilian staff were well taken care of. A liberal 'administrative leave' policy was implemented. I can't talk about more than that.
After that, I went to my temporary office to plan the work I originally came to do.

I left the offices at about 4:30, went to the BOQ and changed to civilian clothes. I have to park about 1/4 mile away from my room, due to security. I took my uniforms to the cleaners to get them cleaned for Wednesday. I have three uniform shirts and two trousers. I planned to get one more shirt and two trousers. Now, the uniform shops are closed, behind the gates of bases 'locked down'.

I had a brief dinner in Old Towne and returned to the BOQ. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.

Dogs like me, nothings going to change my world, lost and found

1) Dogs like me because I'm a good and decent person, and they sense that.

2) Nothing is going to change my world.

3) There are wonderful things at the lost and found, some of which were thought to be irretrievably lost.




True (It has nothing to do with the bacon in my pocket); Lie (everything is changing, some things slowly, some things not); True (and when the owner get it back, they are happier than they thought they could be)

miracle of modern air travel, karma, and random thoughts.

1. I had the opportunity to spend 13 hours traveling by air from Wash DC (out to Dulles) to Charleston SC via two airlines and one cancelled flight and two connecting flights. All things considered, I'm pleased at the end of the trip that my luggage made the trip, too.

2. It turns out, being nice to people helps.

3. "Random" is the new word. As in (overheard recently): "you're so random" and "OMG I met this random guy, and he was so, um, like, random."


truth, lie, truth