Flying into the Great Storm!

So my Mom was really worried that I was heading to the Midwest during the BIGGEST Storm of the year. But when I look at Minnesota weather, it doesn't look any worse then it was a few weeks back - really cold. After all, isn't that how Minnesota rolls - really cold in the winter. I noticed a commercial lately that they are testing Acura vehicles in MN because of the harsh winters. They say if your winter is colder, then you need to move.

I ended up getting a little warmer clothing to wear back there this week. Remember a few weeks ago when my friend Scott chuckled at the coat I was wearing to South Dakota? Well, hint taken. I now have a base-layer, a mid-layer, and a down outer layer. Also picked up some glove liners for under my heavy gloves, a neck gaiter, a Green Bay colored handmade beanie cap with ears, and all the other warm stuff you can think of.

Hoping the weather will not be too brutal. I am 90% over the pneumonia, I think. I will be driving the roads of MN while there, maybe 300-400 miles, so I will have to get some pictures to share of what the roads look like, if you can see them.

Back to airports - I am flying out of SMF today because it was hundreds of dollars cheaper to drive 2 hours to a larger airport, this time. Normally I can get pretty good rates out of RDD, but this time it wasn't so. I also get to take advantage of First Class today, thanks to a frequent traveler friend - read a few posts back. Scott had a left over upgrade he decided to give to me since it expired in January. Thanks Scott!!! So SMF to DEN to MSP today. Foggy at SMF, but only a 15 minute delay. Snowing in DEN and probably snowing in MSP by the time I get there tonight.

Looking forward to meeting with clients the next several days. Next week I will be back to FSD, but my flight just happens to take me via SAN, why? I have no idea, but I'll take it since it gets me an extra leg toward my 1k status.

Let's hope the skies are friendly today!

Rob

cold just got colder...

Well greetings there weary travelers. Cold just got colder in South Dakota. I ended my trip there with pneumonia last Saturday morning after 5 days of succumbing to the cold. I arrived in South Dakota ready to conquer the cold, instead it took control of my body.

I had a very good time with coworkers during my time there, but always just felt a little cold, never quite warm enough. I spent very little time in airports on my trip back - or at least what I remember. I took some Nyquil at FSD, and slept takeoff to touchdown to DEN. I had a small bowl of soup in DEN, then slept from there to SFO. SFO to RDD was more of the same - sleep. And since I have been home - sleep.

So I met with the Doc Monday morning, had a fever of 102, my resting heart rate was 93, and half of my right lung was full. Bad news. Well, back to the Doc on Thursday, temperature normal, RHR back to around 53 and my lungs still have a bunch of junk in them. So I guess it takes a while to get rid of the fluid in the lungs. Doc says I can't really do much exercise for probably a month or so. Not easy to hear that being an endurance athlete. All the muscle memory I have will be gone in a month, I suppose I will just have to start over.

My next trip will take me back to the great frozen tundra of Northern Minnesota. I just hope within a few weeks I will be healthy enough that the cold won't get to me this time. I will definitely be dressing more warmly this go round. I hope to have better news about my travels the next time we talk. Until then, see you in the air...

traveling friends with more miles then me...

Well, I guess Tuesday is commuter day at RDD. Saw 3 regular travelers, one that is a friend from church, we'll just say his name is Scott to protect the innocent. Scott shared with me that he traveled over 200k miles last year, needless to say, I did not get into the 9b or 9c seat on my commuter flight today. 9b&c is like First Class on the EMB120. It is an exit row, and normally open unless 1k flyers are on the flight - they know and have access to book those seats. So Scott and another friend (we'll call her Annie) were in 9b&c. With only a slight delay out of RDD for a malfunctioning fuel indicator, we landed at SFO with plenty of time to spare to move over to our next flight - Scott just happened to be traveling East today as well.

An uneventful flight to DEN, over the beautiful snow-covered Rockies. Scott offered to have me be a guest in the Red Carpet Club - free internet, coffee, and snacks while I wait for my flight to FSD. While Scott heads off to STL, I have a few minutes to get some emails out and type a short note to you - my loyal followers. I also need to make some phone calls, what a great place to work. Maybe I can talk my boss into letting me get a membership here at the RCC on the company (hmm).

South Dakota is supposed to be pretty cold this week. I think it should be around 0 degrees when I land - and then hoover between 10 and -10 for the week. Should have brought some cramp-ons to walk around in the ice.

Until next time... safe travels....

airport downtime

Well - Greetings and Happy New Year 2011!

It has been a while since my last message to you - my loyal followers, that is because I have been grounded for the last few weeks. While working from home, I have also had the chance to enjoy a little bit of home life, and be here for Mrs. Smith's surgery on 12/27. She is doing very well - but it is a long recovery process to regrow those muscles.

While home, I was able to make a fun trip snowshoeing with my son.

We actually snowshoed for the first time, together, in a blizzard. What a rush, and fairly easy to do.

We had a great Christmas, fairly low-key, but fun times with family. As a family - we got a canoe - up cycled from a friends neighbor's backyard that I spied in a back yard while their fence was being rebuilt. Can't wait to see if it is seaworthy? or should I say lake worthy?

Little bit of snow on New Year's Day covering the boat on the back patio.
I really don't plan on taking it in the sea - or even any large rivers. We spent more on the PFDs then on the canoe itself. It is a pre-1977 Michi-craft aluminum 4-person 15'x3' canoe. I looked it up on the Internet, and this company is still in business, and their canoes have a lifetime warranty on their boats. I hope we get to make allot of memories in the canoe this year. The name is Uncle Milty's, but I suggested the kids rename it. Austin then informed me that it is "bad luck" to rename a boat. After the Titanic sank, all of the other boats in that fleet changed their names, and they all sank within a few years. I guess there is some superstition around all that. So maybe it will be Uncle Milty's forever - we shall see.

My next post will most likely be the week of Jan 11th - since I am bound for South Dakota for a Sales Meeting and Company Party. I expect it will be cold - so I am growing a beard. Maybe I should bring the snowshoes? I would really like to learn how to dogsled while I am up there, we shall see.

I wanted to let you know that I didn't give up on blogging, just didn't have any travel stories to share with you. Until my next airport stop...   Mr. Smith signing out.