Fun and Games Dept

Even though we’ve been in Pensacola Beach since Monday, the both of us having been working regular hours and Earl has been hobnobbing with coworkers after hours. Tonight was our first and only dinner date night in Pensacola Beach.

We opted to eat at Hemingway’s, one of the many beach restaurants here in Pensacola Beach. It was a very good, but not awesome experience. I wrote a review on TripAdvisor. I will probably link to it when it becomes a public review.

Earl and I took the opportunity of visiting western Florida to add state number 43 out of 50 to our “visited states list” today. Our rule for counting a state is that we must drive in that state for longer than 30 minutes, so today after work we made the relatively short trip along US 98 from Pensacola, Florida to Mobile, Alabama.

The drive along the gulf coast via US 98 is delightful; we passed through several small towns before ending up in suburban Mobile. Traffic was light, everything was green and the drive was pleasant.

We decided we wanted to get back “home” to Pensacola Beach for dinner, so when we got to Interstate 10, we hopped on and headed east. As a road geek and almost civil engineer, I’m always eager to see how each state treats their interstate highways. Alabama does well with Interstate 10. It felt “comfortable” to me.

We briefly toyed with the idea of adding Mississippi to the list as well, since it’s only 30 miles to the west of Mobile, but we decided to wait until we visit Memphis, Tenn. and then we’ll spend a good chunk of time in Mississippi and add it properly to the list.

There’s probably quite a few families in my immediate vicinity that are disappointed with the weather this afternoon.

Though we are in a vacation destination this week, Earl and I are working regular hours today and tomorrow. Earl is here in Pensacola Beach, Florida for conference meetings for work and since I basically can work from anywhere, I spent most of the day working on my work MacBook Pro via VPN. I had a most productive day at work today; I find the change in scenery to be very inspiring. I wrote some good code today and knocked out a few projects that I have been trying to get done.

Mother Nature shared a couple of beautiful thunderstorms with us today. I was able to watch the wind completely change in direction in less than five minutes. As a private pilot, it was a good reminder as to why we don’t fly our airplanes in this type of weather. As a storm chaser, it was awesome. A close-by lightning strike wiped out the hotel Internet connectivity for a few moments. Luckily, I travel with backups (more about my traveling technology in an upcoming post.)

Earl is out to dinner with his colleagues this evening; I was planning on walking the Boardwalk on the Bay side of the island, but it’s currently raining a little too hard to derive any enjoyment from that activity. I don’t really mind the weather right now because I’m wicked relaxed and feeling quite content. 

And contentment is good.

I’m writing this blog entry while sitting on a deck overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Earl is in Pensacola Beach, Florida for a work conference for the week and I tagged along with him. This opportunity is another reason why I love my job; I am able to work as a “digital nomad” and basically do my job from anywhere. I write code, I talk on conference calls and I enjoy life from anywhere, all in one big swoop.

After getting settled into our room shortly before 4:00 Central and working a couple of hours this afternoon, I went for a walk along the beach and familiarized myself with the area I’ll be calling home for the next few days.

It was a very pleasant experience.

This is the dining room of our second home. It is this second home at Saratoga Springs at Walt Disney World that helps me stay grounded. It is this second home that fuels me to soar. 

We will be back soon. 

I’m sitting here in the quiet terminal of FWA. Though I was just here on Sunday night, I’m feeling like I’m getting a good idea of the daily goings on here at the airport; it’s quiet. Very quiet. There are only eight gates. The staff is friendly. TSA has but one line. The line moves quickly.

The Fort Wayne Air Museum here at the airport has some interesting artifacts from the last century of flight. I took my time perusing the exhibits. I smiled as some of the instruments on display are tagged as being from the 40s but they look identical to the instruments I use whenever I fly one of the Piper Cherokees.  Sometimes the tried and true is best.

My three days of work here in Fort Wayne were successful. I feel like I accomplished something and I was happy to meet others that will be working on a common project with me. It’s always good to put a face with a bunch of letters in an IM at work. I find working in other company offices to be quite energizing. Normally working in an office is distracting to me, but a change of pace is always good.

I’m now settled in front of the big windows here at FWA awaiting my flight. We should be boarding in 30 or 45 minutes. I’m looking forward to relaxing during this flight.



I spent the day is an office writing code with other programmers I had never met before. It’s what I do for my career, and while it was an interesting experience, it didn’t give me the opportunity to enjoy much of the spring like weather here in Fort Wayne, Indiana today. 

Luckily I took some time between supper and working in my hotel room to enjoy a gorgeous sunset, as seen from Interstate 469. 

I enjoy the flat landscape of this area. The local folks seem laid back.

People don’t know what they’re missing when they fly over this part of the country. 











I am sitting in Syracuse Airport awaiting my flight that will get me to Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was less than two weeks ago that I found out that work needed me to fly to our Fort Wayne office for some meetings. The timing of this trip is a little off, as Earl, Jamie and I are headed to Walt Disney World on Thursday morning. I land at Syracuse Wednesday evening at 11:00 p.m., head home, and then Earl and I leave for Orlando from Syracuse Airport on Thursday morning at 11:00 a.m. If I miss my connection in Atlanta on the way home from Fort Wayne, I’m just going to camp out there and meet Earl there to get to Orlando. There’s always a plan B.

Syracuse Airport is desperately trying to ramp up its facilities. They’ve added a couple of shops, a new “AleHouse” (though I question why a modern airport would want a bar called “Middle Ages AleHouse”) and Johnny Rockets will be opening soon.

I just ate a heat and serve Grilled Chicken Panini that was acceptable. The calories weren’t horrible and the staff was very friendly. I’m feeling good.

I wish I was flying the airplane today, but being a passenger is still aviation awesomeness. Any seat on an airplane is a great seat.

Last week this field was nothing but a field of white. While there is still at least a foot of snow on the ground, it’s good to see that melting is in progress. 

I talk about the weather a lot. I guess I’m excited that I made it through another winter. Barry Manilow may have made it through the rain, but I made it through the snow. 





I was reminded of the joys of commuting in the winter today. Actually, it wasn’t that bad. I thought the clouds made for a pretty yet ominous appearing photo. Mother Nature blew some snow around for effect.