They call it a dry "heat"

My mother called that "roasting." The thermometer in the rental car displayed 115 as it greeted me at 1647 as I left one meeting and headed to another. The official temperature in PHX may not have been that same number, but I am pretty sure it was close. It was hot. As I gingerly held the steering wheel, I chastised myself for not remembering to cover it with a hand towel from the hotel. Rush hour traffic wasn't too bad, I was early and my drive was only a few miles. I logged back into the network as my coworkers drifted out of the office and headed home. I had to review a few documents, look at some customer account information (which I prefer not to do from the hotel, even with VPN security), and send some emails. Now, I am sitting at the bar of the hotel restaurant, sipping a glass of the McCallan and waiting on my tuna steak to be kissed by the grill and brought to me. There are some benefits to business travel.

Yeah, working late!

Banker's hours. That's what people often speak of when referencing cushy white collar work. I am sure that this is true for some bankers. For me, though, it is 0134 Sunday morning, And I am at work, babysitting systems and waiting for the mainframe to come back online so validations of converted data can continue.

I am also hopping a flight for a business trip to the desert Southwest in a few hours. Wheels up time is slated for 0625. I should be at the hotel by 1200 local time, and then I will log back into the computer and get back to work. And it will be hot. I know that a good part of the US of A is sweltering this summer, but I am not looking forward to being there, especially when the rest of the county may be getting a respite from the heat.

I should be home in ten days or so, "Lord willing and the creek don't rise." Until then, I hope you are finding ways to enjoy your summer.

Another 4th of July

Another 4th of July has come and past. I went to see Mom O' Jud who lives about 90 miles away. Little One was with me, and away we went.

A lot of the extended Hoosier family was in town. Apparently some 3rd or 4th cousin who has been in college here in town where I live is getting married. I wasn't aware she was studying here, and I wouldn't have known her if she served me coffee at the Waffle Hut.

It was nice to see them, though, in a surreal way. While they are family, often they seem like acquaintances, some even like strangers. But we chatted, ate, and generally let the time slip by as we watched the next generation play on the floor.

I excused myself in the early evening and headed home. I made it back just before the local fireworks were to start and the gawkers were jamming up traffic as I tried to make my way back to Casa del Jud. When I arrived home, I settled in with the iPad and looked up sailboats on the web. Not a bad way to spend a mid-week off day I suppose.