Author Archives: Sparky
One day more
Yes, it is a song from Les Miserables and it seems appropriate. In the musical it marks the eve of the revolution, the solidification of a budding romance and the resolution of the years of conflict between Javert and Valjean. Big events and, for some, their last day on earth. For us it marks the … Continue reading
Excruciating waiting
My company still has not given me an answer on my request to work remotely this winter. I think it is a 50/50 proposition, so I have been spending some time thinking about Plan B. Just retiring is one option, but it would be financially painful. Finding another job would be feasible but difficult. Putting … Continue reading
A year of Patience
It was one year ago today that I began my 3-month leave-of-absence from work. We had, of course, been spending a lot of time in Patience before then, but had a home to live in until the start of September, 2012. Jett was full-time from that day, but I lived for a week as a … Continue reading
QTE post-mortem
The QTE was our first attempt at traveling long distances while I continued to work. The strategy was to travel only on weekends and for me to find a good internet connection during the week. So how did that work out for us? I think if I had to choose one adjective to describe the … Continue reading
QTE Hop 6: Lorton, VA, to Littleton, MA
2 day, 534 miles via I-95, I-495, US 29, I-70, I-695 (near Baltimore), I-83, US 30, US 222, I-78, US 22, PA 33, US 209, I-84, I-90, I-290 (near Worcester), I-495 (near Boston) amd MA 2A. This was a grueling weekend, primarily due to the fatigue from the previous weeks, the complicated route to our … Continue reading
QTE Hop 5: Georgetown, KY, to Lorton, VA
2 days, 569 miles via I-75, I-64, I-77, I-79. I-68 and, near DC, I-270, I-495 and I-95. Day 1: Georgetown, KY, to Sutton, WV The only things that made this day difficult were the terrain – very hilly – and the rain – intermittent with occasional downpours. I was also pretty weary after the work … Continue reading
GTE Hop 4: Branson, MO, to Georgetown, KY
2 days, 633 miles, mostly via I-44. I-64. I-57 and I-75 Day 1: Branson, MO, to Benton, IL This was the longest day of the GTE – 359 miles, almost 6 hours of driving. With a refueling stop lunch break and a nasty construction delay in Illinois, we were on the road for over 7.5 … Continue reading
Branson, MO
How to describe Branson? Las Vegas for the geriatric? Times Square on downers? A town whose existence can’t be explained? It is a small town far removed from any major metropolis (Springfield, not exactly a metropolis, is an hour away), with no major roads and no major scenic attractions which nevertheless has attracted a very … Continue reading
QTE Hop 3: Oklahoma City, OK, to Branson, MO
1 day, 300 miles via I-44, US 412 and US 65. This was a 1-day hop that compensated for the previous 3-day hop. Both I-44 from Oklahoma City to Tulsa and US 412 from Tulsa into Arkansas were very hilly – lots of up-and-downs, the result being very poor mileage. Most of the route was … Continue reading
R.I.P. Cha-Cha
Cha-Cha was born on the streets of San Juan in August, 2000, and for the first 4 months his grasp on life was tenuous. He was in a dog pound and was probably just a few days from execution when he was rescued by SATO who flew him north to the Sterling Animal Shelter in … Continue reading »