Belgian Talk Show
A Belgian talk show host can't hold on as he interviews a couple. The man had his testicles removed by mistake during an operation and the host is asking his wife whether it has changed their sex life - the husband then chimes in......
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
Wyoming
Wyoming is a big state with not too many people. Just about half a million residents live in a state that is very large and open. It is a state with post card vistas everywhere you turn. I was only there a short time but I took my camera and was able to get a few good pictures that I'll always remember. These were taken from various points on Casper Mountain, a 3000 foot terrain that runs from west to east just south of the city. Even though there was little snow in downtown Casper there was plenty on the mountain and some years there are feet of snow when the valley has literally none.
Enjoy these pictures.
View from part way up the mountain looking north and east.
Looking west from the top of Casper Mountain.
Mule deer are quite common on the mountain and rather tame. This guy was actually eating apples from the hand of a passer-by. A little PhotoShop magic and I moved him back up the hill to a more natural looking habitat.
Enjoy these pictures.
View from part way up the mountain looking north and east.
Looking west from the top of Casper Mountain.
Mule deer are quite common on the mountain and rather tame. This guy was actually eating apples from the hand of a passer-by. A little PhotoShop magic and I moved him back up the hill to a more natural looking habitat.
Way out west Part II--Getting Home!!
My last post was from the Salt Lake City airport several hours before my flight was to leave for Chicago. Being strategically located near the baggage claim I had the opportunity to see many people arrive and meet family and friends for the holidays. It was also a pretty decent way to remain awake. All totalled I probably got 90 minutes of sleep between midnight and 4 am when the Delta ticket counter opened. Well, I was in line at 4 am but they really got rolling about 4:30.
A quick check in put me in a good mood but the TSA folks wanted to check out all their neat sniffing devices so they made me a special search candidate using the special red bins for my stuff. I also had my complete carry on stuff opened and swiped for traces of what I'm not quite sure. But they were all so fun I didn't mind and soon I'd be on a plane for home.
The time passed pretty quickly. I had Starbucks coffee and a little later something from Burger King. Promptly at 7:45 they started boarding our plane. I had an exit row seat aisle seat so that meant more room and easy to get in and out. The plane pushed back on time and we headed for our position on the runway. Just as we arrived the captain informed us that weather at O'Hare was causing a slight delay so we'd have to sit for a few minutes until a "window" opened up. OK, I can live with that.
About 20 minutes later he told us that the window never really opened and that we were going to sit there until we found out more. At that point flight attendants broke out free juice and snacks. I had a feeling we were in for the long haul. I was right. We were delayed by over two hours but finally we had clearance for take off. I could feel us getting closer.
I passed the time listening to music and talking to a lovely couple from Lander, Wyoming who was originally from Chicago. They retired in Lander and loved it. But Chicago was their holiday desination to see friends and family.
As we neared O'Hare you could tell the weather was pretty intense. Lots of clouds. Lots of clouds. We we descending for awhile and then you could feel the plane do a big turn. Apparently a lot of planes were trying to land and we got to do the "big circle" around Chicago to wait for the OK to land. One big rotation and we were headed in. Did I mention there were lots of clouds?
I have no idea how we came onto the tarmack at O'Hare because you could not see the ground until maybe 100 feet before landing. Thank God for the technology that lets airplanes see when the pilots cannot. We landed smooth and safe and had only a short time to the gate. People cheered. The flight attendant mistakenly welcomed us to Denver...then realized her mistake and we all laughed.
My bag was among the first down the beltway and within minutes I had my bus ticked for Crystal Lake. The bus arrived on time and we were headed out to I-90 and points northwest. All was well. Or so we thought!
About ten minutes down the road there was loud noise and suddenly the bus started to vibrate and shake heavily. It only took a second to realize we'd blown a tire. The driver got us off the highway and went out to look. He radioed headquarters who told us that a spare bus was on its way from O'Hare. A nice Illinois State Trooper stopped by to make sure we were all OK. We were.
After about a 30 minute wait we were back on the road again and headed home. We made it a little later than planned due to the flat and some unusually heavy traffic. But around 6 pm we pulled into the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn and Jourdan was there waiting for me. I'd phoned ahead to order a Pinemoor Pizza that was ready when I arrived. We chowed down immediately when we got home. It was the first real food I'd had since lunchtime on Wednesday at the Flying J in Rawlings.
Home never felt so good. I was tired and soon headed up to bed. I slept until 7 am and literally did not move all night long.
My first trip to Wyoming is one I'll remember for a long time. Many good experiences in spite of the travel difficulties. But in all, I am home for Chrismas. Just where I want to be.
A quick check in put me in a good mood but the TSA folks wanted to check out all their neat sniffing devices so they made me a special search candidate using the special red bins for my stuff. I also had my complete carry on stuff opened and swiped for traces of what I'm not quite sure. But they were all so fun I didn't mind and soon I'd be on a plane for home.
The time passed pretty quickly. I had Starbucks coffee and a little later something from Burger King. Promptly at 7:45 they started boarding our plane. I had an exit row seat aisle seat so that meant more room and easy to get in and out. The plane pushed back on time and we headed for our position on the runway. Just as we arrived the captain informed us that weather at O'Hare was causing a slight delay so we'd have to sit for a few minutes until a "window" opened up. OK, I can live with that.
About 20 minutes later he told us that the window never really opened and that we were going to sit there until we found out more. At that point flight attendants broke out free juice and snacks. I had a feeling we were in for the long haul. I was right. We were delayed by over two hours but finally we had clearance for take off. I could feel us getting closer.
I passed the time listening to music and talking to a lovely couple from Lander, Wyoming who was originally from Chicago. They retired in Lander and loved it. But Chicago was their holiday desination to see friends and family.
As we neared O'Hare you could tell the weather was pretty intense. Lots of clouds. Lots of clouds. We we descending for awhile and then you could feel the plane do a big turn. Apparently a lot of planes were trying to land and we got to do the "big circle" around Chicago to wait for the OK to land. One big rotation and we were headed in. Did I mention there were lots of clouds?
I have no idea how we came onto the tarmack at O'Hare because you could not see the ground until maybe 100 feet before landing. Thank God for the technology that lets airplanes see when the pilots cannot. We landed smooth and safe and had only a short time to the gate. People cheered. The flight attendant mistakenly welcomed us to Denver...then realized her mistake and we all laughed.
My bag was among the first down the beltway and within minutes I had my bus ticked for Crystal Lake. The bus arrived on time and we were headed out to I-90 and points northwest. All was well. Or so we thought!
About ten minutes down the road there was loud noise and suddenly the bus started to vibrate and shake heavily. It only took a second to realize we'd blown a tire. The driver got us off the highway and went out to look. He radioed headquarters who told us that a spare bus was on its way from O'Hare. A nice Illinois State Trooper stopped by to make sure we were all OK. We were.
After about a 30 minute wait we were back on the road again and headed home. We made it a little later than planned due to the flat and some unusually heavy traffic. But around 6 pm we pulled into the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn and Jourdan was there waiting for me. I'd phoned ahead to order a Pinemoor Pizza that was ready when I arrived. We chowed down immediately when we got home. It was the first real food I'd had since lunchtime on Wednesday at the Flying J in Rawlings.
Home never felt so good. I was tired and soon headed up to bed. I slept until 7 am and literally did not move all night long.
My first trip to Wyoming is one I'll remember for a long time. Many good experiences in spite of the travel difficulties. But in all, I am home for Chrismas. Just where I want to be.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Way out west!!
On Sunday afternoon I left the Windy City for a job interview in Casper, Wyoming. There is a great hospital there that serves the healthcare needs of the state that was actually interested in my potential to assist them in marketing and public relations activities. Sunday in Chicago was unseasonably warm and pleasant.
Flying United seemed like a good idea. Strong carrier in Chicago with lots of connections in Denver and on to Casper. But things started to unravel before boarding the plane for DIA. A long line formed to get boarding passes prior to departure but no one from United came by to assist. Finally, minutes before the scheduled departure time a volunteer showed up and boarding passes were issued but the delay caused the flight to leave later than planned. Even though the crew tried to make up the time my flight from Chicago landed about the time my plane for Casper was taking off. No problem according to the flight crew on the plane. Casper passengers were being rebooked for the next flight.
But upon arrival I discovered that there was only one more flight to Casper (Natrona County International Airport) and that flight was booked solid. But I waited hoping for a miracle to fly out. By 8:30 the last miracle departed without me.
Ever resourceful I opted for a car rental with the thought of driving as far as I could that night in order to be in Casper by 8 am on Monday. But I needed my bag which was checked curbside at O'Hare. Several nice United people promised I'd get it within an hour or two. But by 11:30 someone finally had the courtesy to admit that my bag would not come and that I should expect it to fly to Casper in the morning....without me!
So I left Denver via car and drove north as far as I could in somewhat snowy conditions. By the time I got to Cheyenne (2:30 am MST) the roads were getting bad and I was really tired so I found a room at the Inn, Comfort Inn to be exact where I got four hours of sleep before heading out again to get to Casper.
Roads were snowy and icy for a good part of the next 175 miles. My cell phone was dying, I was hungry and I still didn't have my suitcase. By 11:30 am I rolled into Casper and retreived my bag at NCIA and headed over to the Holiday Inn for a hot shower, shave, and clean clothes. Then off to the hospital for interviews.
All went well that afternoon and the next morning as I met with some great people and really learned more about the hospital and its role in meeting the healthcare needs of Wyoming. Tuesday afternoon I spent time with a local realtor who gave me a grand tour of the area including the opportunity to meet a small herd of mule deer face to face (watch for pictures soon).
Wednesday morning it was time to go. I got up early and toured a bit more of the city. By 9:30 am I got a call telling me that the big snow storm had closed the Denver airport. No flights in or out. Not a good message for guy wanting to head out. Casper has 3 carriers serving the commuity flying to Denver, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Unfortunately all flights from there were either cancelled due to weather or full. The word was maybe Friday.
Then I met Steve. A nice guy from Tulsa also trying to get home. He had found that if we could somehow get to Salt Lake City we could fly out on Thursday. And SLC was only a 6 hour drive by car. So we opted to split car rental and head south and west, hoping to avoid any of the bad weather plaguing SE Wyoming and most of Colorado. On the way to finalizing details we met another weary traveler, Tim, who was trying to get home to Texas. The three of us headed out around 11:15 for Utah.
Other than one stop for lunch at the Flying J around Rawlings, we drove straight through at a speedy pace and were at the Salt Lake Airport by 5:30 pm. The other guys opted for rooms at the Hampton Inn and I decided to wait it out in the airport until my flight left at 8 am the next day. Unfortunately I discovered I could not check in until 4 am on Thursday so my access to the better side of airport living (beyond security) was limited. I took up residence next to baggage carousel #8 at SLIA and here I sit at 11:22 pm MST on Wednesday night.
Less than 5 hours to check in and only a few more until my flight leaves. I've been reading, doing puzzles, and being online thanks to wifi here in the airport. I'm pretty tired and not able to sleep very well in a noisey, well-lighted facility but it won't be long and I'll be on my way back to sweet home Chicago.
Flying United seemed like a good idea. Strong carrier in Chicago with lots of connections in Denver and on to Casper. But things started to unravel before boarding the plane for DIA. A long line formed to get boarding passes prior to departure but no one from United came by to assist. Finally, minutes before the scheduled departure time a volunteer showed up and boarding passes were issued but the delay caused the flight to leave later than planned. Even though the crew tried to make up the time my flight from Chicago landed about the time my plane for Casper was taking off. No problem according to the flight crew on the plane. Casper passengers were being rebooked for the next flight.
But upon arrival I discovered that there was only one more flight to Casper (Natrona County International Airport) and that flight was booked solid. But I waited hoping for a miracle to fly out. By 8:30 the last miracle departed without me.
Ever resourceful I opted for a car rental with the thought of driving as far as I could that night in order to be in Casper by 8 am on Monday. But I needed my bag which was checked curbside at O'Hare. Several nice United people promised I'd get it within an hour or two. But by 11:30 someone finally had the courtesy to admit that my bag would not come and that I should expect it to fly to Casper in the morning....without me!
So I left Denver via car and drove north as far as I could in somewhat snowy conditions. By the time I got to Cheyenne (2:30 am MST) the roads were getting bad and I was really tired so I found a room at the Inn, Comfort Inn to be exact where I got four hours of sleep before heading out again to get to Casper.
Roads were snowy and icy for a good part of the next 175 miles. My cell phone was dying, I was hungry and I still didn't have my suitcase. By 11:30 am I rolled into Casper and retreived my bag at NCIA and headed over to the Holiday Inn for a hot shower, shave, and clean clothes. Then off to the hospital for interviews.
All went well that afternoon and the next morning as I met with some great people and really learned more about the hospital and its role in meeting the healthcare needs of Wyoming. Tuesday afternoon I spent time with a local realtor who gave me a grand tour of the area including the opportunity to meet a small herd of mule deer face to face (watch for pictures soon).
Wednesday morning it was time to go. I got up early and toured a bit more of the city. By 9:30 am I got a call telling me that the big snow storm had closed the Denver airport. No flights in or out. Not a good message for guy wanting to head out. Casper has 3 carriers serving the commuity flying to Denver, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Unfortunately all flights from there were either cancelled due to weather or full. The word was maybe Friday.
Then I met Steve. A nice guy from Tulsa also trying to get home. He had found that if we could somehow get to Salt Lake City we could fly out on Thursday. And SLC was only a 6 hour drive by car. So we opted to split car rental and head south and west, hoping to avoid any of the bad weather plaguing SE Wyoming and most of Colorado. On the way to finalizing details we met another weary traveler, Tim, who was trying to get home to Texas. The three of us headed out around 11:15 for Utah.
Other than one stop for lunch at the Flying J around Rawlings, we drove straight through at a speedy pace and were at the Salt Lake Airport by 5:30 pm. The other guys opted for rooms at the Hampton Inn and I decided to wait it out in the airport until my flight left at 8 am the next day. Unfortunately I discovered I could not check in until 4 am on Thursday so my access to the better side of airport living (beyond security) was limited. I took up residence next to baggage carousel #8 at SLIA and here I sit at 11:22 pm MST on Wednesday night.
Less than 5 hours to check in and only a few more until my flight leaves. I've been reading, doing puzzles, and being online thanks to wifi here in the airport. I'm pretty tired and not able to sleep very well in a noisey, well-lighted facility but it won't be long and I'll be on my way back to sweet home Chicago.
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