October Catch-up

I was home last week and no travel again this week! Now that I'm caught up on life, I can get caught up on blogs. After my Baltimore trip, I had two quick days at home that we filled with rides and laundry. I also try to do as much rehab and recovery as possible on my back and hip when I'm not in a plane, train, or automobile. While on the road, I travel with a special bag of goodies to keep my body happy.

My Travel Kit

Monday morning, I boarded a flight to Minneapolis and a real taste of Fall. The winds were howling making the landing worthy of a strong armrest hold. I bundled up for a walk from the hotel but otherwise stayed put, eating four meals at the hotel pub between work meetings. Tuesday evening, I flew to Dallas and back to Summer. Our pilot made life very interesting and precious when he dipped the wings back and forth in a rolling fashion. There was screaming and swearing but no explanation and no bad weather.

Minneapolis Little Library - love finding these on my travels

My colleague and I took a taxi to the conference hotel and immediately saw why the rate was so low. We were staying in a 1980s "Dallas" themed relic. I found out Friday morning (yes, 3 nights at this place) that the hotel had changed ownership and no effort had been put toward renovations. I asked if this happened back in the 80s, but didn't get a response. The 2nd night, my AC died and I had to change rooms. The exercise room was scary, there was no place to walk, we were next to the freeway, I could go on. On the bright side, the conference was a success, I had dinner with a former colleague, and there was a channel dedicated to Dallas reruns.

Hotel Lobby

I found one machine that worked... barely.

Seriously - plus when you turned on the TV, this is the default channel.

Friday morning, I was back at the airport for an early flight and looking forward to getting home and no more planned trips. I breezed thru security and found a Mongolian Grill open at 7a willing to make me a veggie breakfast, then got the dreaded text. Our pilot called in sick and we were delayed 90 minutes. I ate, then found a decent spot near the gate and slept. We eventually made it home with no pilot or weather issues. I haven't had many successful Texas work trips, at least I didn't have to stay another night this time. (Don't Mess with Texas & Ground Stop blogs)

My Travel Kit Bag - watched the sunrise, just waiting for a pilot

We had a fun weekend with a ride, the SLC Real game, and a hike; then dove back into a work week at home. I had catch-up plans every night since I hadn't been home for weeks. After a dentist and eye appointment, plus a night of cycling camp planning, I was finally able to get out Thursday and Friday nights for more hiking.

How I took my Saturday ride after 5 days of travel

SLC Real Game with Nelson

Dallas FC scored, Mother Nature really scored, but SLC Real couldn't score

Sunday Morning Hike at Deer Valley

Fall is here with cold mornings and short dark days, but the temps are still climbing during the day and the ski resorts haven't been able to make snow yet. We are only a month away, so hopefully we see a change this week. We did our part and watched the Warren Miller ski movie this weekend to appease the snow gods. We also went on two rides with only arm and knee warmers, so that might reverse our luck. We've had plenty of moose activity, so hopefully that is also a sign that Winter is just around the corner.

Suns Out, Guns Out at Deer Valley - Ski Season is almost here!

Lots of eating and drinking from our neighborhood moose