Fun and Games Dept

Few scents make me happier than the scent of lilac. I don’t know if it’s because I associate the scent of lilac with the arrival of spring in these parts or if they invoke memories of happy times when I was a kid (Grandma City had a wide variety of lilac bushes in her lawn), but I was delighted to see that our lilac bush is getting ready to produce some lilacs for the season. I was concerned that the freeze a couple of nights ago was going to kill off any chance that we would see lilacs this year, but the tree has grown heartier of the years and the little buds look like they’ll be full blown lilac flowers soon.

I’m looking forward to enjoying the fragrance that I associate with happiness.

I have been wanting to try these “Grilled Hot Dogs” from Burger King since their announcement. I gave into the temptation this afternoon.

As a fast food connoisseur I must admit that I am quite impressed. I recommend them!

My view this evening.

It’s nice to be in a place where spring actually looks like spring. When I left home for the airport this morning, it was looking like this.

Now, I enjoy a good winter storm like every Upstate New York native does, but I prefer them to be during the winter months.

As I get older I could easily see my becoming an Upstate South Carolina lad.

As a software engineer by trade with a keen interest in civil engineering, I am always fascinated by the seemingly well-oiled logistics that run behind the scenes at Walt Disney World Resorts and Parks. I’ve been fascinated with the way things run at the House of the Mouse since my first visit in 1997. I’ve tried to find some historical information on how things worked before the Digital Age, but other than references to “E” tickets and the like, there’s not a lot of information on the web.

For those that have not visited the parks and resorts in Orlando, I’ll give you a really brief overview of how it works. When you’re a resort guest (staying at a resort on the property), you wear a “MagicBand” around your wrist. The MagicBand lets you do everything. It’s your key to your room. It’s your admissions ticket to the park. It’s tied to your charge account so that all purchases are paid using your MagicBand. It’s scanned by photographers scattered around the parks taking portraits. And it’s your FastPass+, allowing you to take advantage of the “line hopping” service offered by WDW.

I had the opportunity to see a computer screen as I walked into the Pirates of Caribbean attraction using FastPass+; if the cast member was attentive, he would have been able to say “Welcome back, J.P.” as the screen had my name and the fact that I was a return guest to the attraction. From what I have read online, there are RFID readers scattered throughout the park tracking guests’ movements, so that Disney can move staff appropriately and/or use the data to tweak the magical experience that Disney is trying to offer.

Having this one access point around my wrist is wicked cool. Yeah, there’s a Big Brother concern to it, but anyone that thinks they’re going to be able to wander around such a popular tourist destination without being part of a constant surveillance program is naive. Cameras are everywhere in today’s world. Folks have been able to take a photo of our cat sitting in the driveway of our house long before Google Maps was around. People can take a photo of you from space at their whim, so if giving my touristy habits to Disney through technology is going to make my vacation more enjoyable, I’m all for it.

Not surprisingly, there’s not a huge amount of information available as to the systems that power all of this data integration and interaction, but from my casual observation it looks like a lot of it is running on Linux with Microsoft Windows on the front end in some spots. The point of sale systems are running on NCR terminals but it looks like the same software they were running on the older IBM systems in the early 2000s. The backends are most likely running on a Linux system tied to a giant database.

Disney also offers apps for both iOS and Android devices. These apps show all the photos that are taken by Disney’s photographers and the photos that are snapped on the attractions. They also show what “FastPass+” tickets you have waiting, your dining and other reservations and allow you to do many other things. Wifi blankets all areas of the parks and resorts, so you’re not using your data plan minutes to access any of this information.

Disney has embraced technology and I think the logistics behind it all are well thought out and fascinating.

When technology is used the proper way, the experience for everyone involved can be absolutely magical.

I am enjoying our view tonight.

Earl and I just finished a flight from Syracuse to LaGuardia. The flight was on Delta, the official airline of our family. Since Syracuse is insignificant in the commercial airline world, we get the express version of Delta whenever we are connecting to a hub. Today’s flight was on a CRJ200. It seats 50 people.

Before takeoff, the lone flight attendant advised that we needed to redistribute some of the weight in the front of the cabin. She needed three volunteers from the first four rows to sit in the back just for takeoff, then we could move back to our seats.

As a good citizen trying to set an example for all, I obliged. I moved to the very last row and sat next to a woman who was quite nervous. She asked why we moved and I told her we needed to meet weight and balance requirements of the airplane for takeoff. I used my pilot voice and everything. I told her I’d be there for just a minute and would be moving back to my seat after takeoff.

It’s been a while since I’ve purposely sat in the very back on a commercial airliner. It was kind of fun, though I missed being up front with Earl. When you’re traveling with your spouse, it’s always good sit with them.

All in all I didn’t mind being ballast for a few moments. I enjoyed walking back through the cabin when the flight attendant gave the all clear signal. People might have whispered about me for a nanosecond. I like the attention. I wore my AOPA cap so they would know that I was involved with aviation.

I’m cocky like that.

Someday I’ll take all of this flight footage I have and start making videos of my flights to share. It’s been much too long since I’ve done this.

In the meanwhile, here’s a shot from the GoPro4 mounted in the cockpit. This is Earl and I turning final for runway 28 at KART Watertown International Airport. I enjoy flying into this airport as it’s in my old stomping grounds.

I don’t like zombies. I don’t like television shows about zombies. I don’t like movies about zombies. I even turn off any Scooby-Doo episodes that have a zombie. Those meddling kids.

After the time change this weekend I feel like a zombie. Not even a dancing “Thriller” zombie. I spoke with some other folks that feel the same way about Daylight Saving Time. I’m going to have a drink with the others trapped in constant jet lag until the end of DST in November.

Nostrovia.

I am currently at the local casino. Earl and I are trying our luck this evening and he is having better luck than I am. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just the way it is.
 
 There are a lot of drunk people here. Many are dressed in green and screeching about St. Patrick’s Day, which isn’t until the 17th but the celebratory parade in town took place today and people have been falling down drunk since 10 am or so. As a man with a lot of Irish blood in my veins (as well as the appropriate complexion, hair color and temperament), I kind of get offended by all these people running around coloring anything and everything green, getting stupid drunk and screaming that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. It bothers me. I quipped to Earl that people would be offended if I got drunk and screamed “everyone is black on MLK Jr’s birthday!” I might have mentioned something about black face too but I don’t want to come across as overly insensitive.
 
 Honestly, I want to drink one beer this evening. A Guinness. Nothing more, nothing less. All the “Irish” folks are drinking chilled piss such as Michelob Ultra or Corona, because nothing scream about the old sod like a bottle of Corona.
 
 Perhaps when I find Guinness in this place I’ll be less disagreeable.
 
 

Earl and I decided to celebrate yesterday’s impending spring weather with a ride through the eastern part of The Empire State.

We started by following Historic US Route 20, which follows the original routing of the route through this area. Many portions were bypassed with a four-lane version of the road. I like following the original route because it passes through many small towns that were bypassed when they built the four-lane version of the road. The Village of Cherry Valley is one of these towns.

One of our goals for this ride was to enjoy a diner or two that we hadn’t been to before, and we found such a place at Gibby’s Diner in Delanson. We were served huge portions of great food and the staff was very friendly. We’d definitely go back there.

We made our way around the Capital District and found ourselves on the Taconic State Parkway headed south. I love driving the Taconic for the same reason that I like driving on the old version of US Route 20, it’s an older road with not as much traffic and it doesn’t have the hustle and bustle of the neighboring Thruway. One of the older service areas in the median has been opened up as a “Taste NY” tourism stop, featuring all locally made products. We picked up some pickles and other goodies.

On our way home we stopped in Middletown at a restaurant called Soho, which was a good experience. We were looking for another local place to eat but the one or two we had spotted closed early on Saturday nights, so that’s why we found this place outside of the Crystal Run Mall. The ride home was uneventful but enjoyable. It was just past 12:30 a.m. when pulled into the driveway. All in all a wonderful, relaxing day.