Little Girl had a dance recital today. She is in ballet and tap, so she appeared in two numbers. Her favorite role was in the ballet group - they danced to a song about chocolate chip cookies out of reach on a shelf. She was picked to exit the stage last, which means she got to run back and grab the cookies at the end of the number. She was so excited! She is so beautiful when she dances and you can tell that she truly loves dancing.
Mission: Management Training in Atlanta
Number of human interactions: 16
State(s) visited: NC, SC and GA
City visited: Buford, GA
Interesting fact about this city: It has a huge mall and a Firestone (the Matrix got it's first oil change at the ripe old age of 3 weeks!)
Halpert says: There was a Moe's next to the Firestone - does it get any better than this??
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080531
Plane, train or automobile: Matrix!!! This car is great for traveling - sips gas, rides well, carries stuff and it has an iPod jack - no more changing CDs or seeking good radio stations!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080524
Plane, train or automobile: None
Mission: Function as a Subject Matter Expert for the eLearning system we are implementing.
Number of human interactions: Many
State(s) visited: None
City visited: Roanoke
Interesting fact about this city: See earlier post
Halpert says: It's nice to have a week at home after that LOOOOOONG Texas trip.
Mission: Function as a Subject Matter Expert for the eLearning system we are implementing.
Number of human interactions: Many
State(s) visited: None
City visited: Roanoke
Interesting fact about this city: See earlier post
Halpert says: It's nice to have a week at home after that LOOOOOONG Texas trip.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Eight states, seven nights, seven beds... one woman.
Plane, train or automobile: The maiden voyage for the Matrix was a doozy. We had a death in the family, and we were off to Texas. Here is the timeline for the trip:
Tuesday 05/13 - Travel Man is teaching a management workshop in Columbus, OH. The BoysenBerry alerts me to a message from Mrs. Travel Man at lunch time that her aunt has passed (we were expecting this after a 10 month battle with cancer). Travel Man arranges for a substitute to conduct the workshop for the next two days. He and I meet in Charleston, WV for dinner and head in opposite directions. Arrive home at 11pm and help Mrs. Travel Man pack and get ready for the trip. Bed = my home. Miles = 300.
Wednesday 05/14 - Travel Family (there are two Travel Kids... more on them later) drives to Jackson, MS. Arrive at the hotel @ 10 p.m. Bed = Sleep Inn, Jackson, MS. Miles = 750.
City visited: See list above!
Interesting fact about this city: Too many to mention!
Halpert says: I spent more time in the Matrix in a week than I did in a month in the Exploder.
Tuesday 05/13 - Travel Man is teaching a management workshop in Columbus, OH. The BoysenBerry alerts me to a message from Mrs. Travel Man at lunch time that her aunt has passed (we were expecting this after a 10 month battle with cancer). Travel Man arranges for a substitute to conduct the workshop for the next two days. He and I meet in Charleston, WV for dinner and head in opposite directions. Arrive home at 11pm and help Mrs. Travel Man pack and get ready for the trip. Bed = my home. Miles = 300.
Wednesday 05/14 - Travel Family (there are two Travel Kids... more on them later) drives to Jackson, MS. Arrive at the hotel @ 10 p.m. Bed = Sleep Inn, Jackson, MS. Miles = 750.
Thursday 05/15 - We roll into Bryan, TX at 5 p.m. We check in, change clothes and get to the viewing just in time for the 6:30 Rosary. Eat dinner with family and back to the hotel @ 10:30 p.m. Bed = Quality Inn, College Station, TX. Miles = 450
Friday 05/16 - Visit family at uncle's house. Bigger Travel Kid is roughed up by the family dog, which means we have to go look for a new outfit for her since her skirt bore the brunt of the attack (and a small wound on her leg... "merely a flesh wound!") Funeral Mass @ 2:00, burial at 3:30, reception at church at 4:30 and then on the road. We arrive in Shreveport, LA about 11:00 p.m. Bed = Comfort Suites, Shreveport, LA. Miles = 250 (with a start time of 6 p.m.)Saturday 05/17 - This is a long day. We have to drop the kids off in Edisto Island, SC for their annual Grandma and PaPa vacation, we head east. We end our day in Madison, GA. at about 11:00 p.m. Bed = Comfort Inn, Madison, GA. Miles = 650.
Sunday 05/18 - Off to Mass in a mission parish by Lake Oconee, and then to Edisto Island, SC. My in-laws are owners with Wyndham Resorts and reserved a gorgeous 4 bedroom unit a few blocks from the beach. We met up with them about 6 p.m. Bed = Edisto Island, SC. Miles = 250.
Monday 05/19 - Back home for Mrs. Travel Man and me. Brief stop in Charlotte, NC for my wife's business and home for dinner. Bed = my own!! Miles = 410.
All told, we put about 2800 miles on the Matrix during the trip (not counting the mileage to get back home on Tuesday) with an average fuel economy of about 34 miles per gallon. I cashed in LOTS of hotel points (one benefit of being Travel Man) and supported my wife and family in a time of mourning (isn't that what being a super hero is all about?) Travel Kids (girls ages 9 and 6) were great - no complaints, no messes. They watched movies, read books, colored, played the alphabet game and even got into a cow counting contest (first one to 1,000 wins!)
State(s) visited: TN, GA, AL, MS, LA, TX, SC, NC.City visited: See list above!
Interesting fact about this city: Too many to mention!
Halpert says: I spent more time in the Matrix in a week than I did in a month in the Exploder.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080510
Plane, train or automobile: The final trip for the trusty Exploder - the new Matrix is here! This is almost exactly what my car looks like:
I don't have the cool nav system (I got to select the colors, other than that we get the base version + power package + cruise control).
Mission: Managment Training for select store managers in one of our Regions. The Division Manager for the area attended as well and was so impressed with the workshop and the participant's reactions that he scheduled two more workshop immediately and plans to schedule several more later in the year. I also visited a store with 3 new management team members to cover our in store training program. We have a commercial specialist at this store that generates a lot of business and I spent part of my time watching/interviewing him. He works at about 100 mph, with gusts to 150! He never lost track of where his drivers were or where they be going. He yelled "Focus, focus, focus!!!" if the phone lines had overwhelmed him for a few minutes, but he always recovered and didn't miss a beat the hour and a half I spent with him.
Number of human interactions: 15 - 9 in class and 6 at the store.
State(s) visited: North Carolina
City visited: Durham, NC
Interesting fact about this city: Home to Duke University, the Durham Bulls and very close to the Flying Burrito. Unfortunately, the Flying Burrito was closed when I got there, so I found a Moe's to satisfy my burrito craving.
Halpert says: How come I never get an Alpo burrito??
I don't have the cool nav system (I got to select the colors, other than that we get the base version + power package + cruise control).
Mission: Managment Training for select store managers in one of our Regions. The Division Manager for the area attended as well and was so impressed with the workshop and the participant's reactions that he scheduled two more workshop immediately and plans to schedule several more later in the year. I also visited a store with 3 new management team members to cover our in store training program. We have a commercial specialist at this store that generates a lot of business and I spent part of my time watching/interviewing him. He works at about 100 mph, with gusts to 150! He never lost track of where his drivers were or where they be going. He yelled "Focus, focus, focus!!!" if the phone lines had overwhelmed him for a few minutes, but he always recovered and didn't miss a beat the hour and a half I spent with him.
Number of human interactions: 15 - 9 in class and 6 at the store.
State(s) visited: North Carolina
City visited: Durham, NC
Interesting fact about this city: Home to Duke University, the Durham Bulls and very close to the Flying Burrito. Unfortunately, the Flying Burrito was closed when I got there, so I found a Moe's to satisfy my burrito craving.
Halpert says: How come I never get an Alpo burrito??
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080426
Plane, train or automobile: Yes, all of them! Okay, I didn't go on a train, but I did fly for the second time this year and had a lovely Toyotoa RAV4 as a rental car.
Mission: Management training in two divisions.
Number of human interactions: 33. Both Division Managers were present, and I had one of our field trainers attend as part of his development plan.
State(s) visited: MI, PA, NY
City visited: Detroit Airport, Erie PA and Buffalo NY. My last post was all about Niagara Falls and the DTW airport, so I won't bore both of my readers with those details again. Erie has a 6 month old Moes, so guess where I went for dinner. Our field trainer went as well, and he said it was a good burrito. Good burrito?!?!? He got to pick all the fillings, the chips are made on site and he picked his own drink! Maybe he chose poorly...
New Indy movie coming out, so I figured I would rekindle that swashbuckling spirit!
Interesting fact about this city: I stayed at a hotel that connected to the Splash Lagoon Water Park. I was, unfortunately, on the same side of the property as all the families with soggy, screaming children. When my girls are soggy and screaming, I like it - other people's kids... No.
Halpert says: No Dogs Allowed???? What kind of family fun park is that?
Mission: Management training in two divisions.
Number of human interactions: 33. Both Division Managers were present, and I had one of our field trainers attend as part of his development plan.
State(s) visited: MI, PA, NY
City visited: Detroit Airport, Erie PA and Buffalo NY. My last post was all about Niagara Falls and the DTW airport, so I won't bore both of my readers with those details again. Erie has a 6 month old Moes, so guess where I went for dinner. Our field trainer went as well, and he said it was a good burrito. Good burrito?!?!? He got to pick all the fillings, the chips are made on site and he picked his own drink! Maybe he chose poorly...
New Indy movie coming out, so I figured I would rekindle that swashbuckling spirit!
Interesting fact about this city: I stayed at a hotel that connected to the Splash Lagoon Water Park. I was, unfortunately, on the same side of the property as all the families with soggy, screaming children. When my girls are soggy and screaming, I like it - other people's kids... No.
Halpert says: No Dogs Allowed???? What kind of family fun park is that?
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080503
Plane, train or automobile: The trusty Explorer.
Mission: ASE Prep Workshop. We support ASE Parts Specialist Certification for our Team Members and with the test coming up on May 8th, a lot of our Teams have prep workshops so that we can increase our passing rate and put more knowledgeable Team Members face to face with our customers every day. It was fun, and a nice break from the classes I normally teach.
More importantly, my lovely wife celebrated her birthday this week. I'll just take a moment to tell you that I thank God every day for her. I have been truly blessed to have such an intelligent, caring, loving, beautiful, funny, sensous, fun-loving woman in my life. Happy Birthday, sweetie!!
Number of human interactions: 23. Two Division Managers present and our eLearning Manager.
State(s) visited: Just Virginia
City visited: UCLA (Upper Corner of Lower Abingdon). Abingdon, VA
Interesting fact about this city: Not much, really.
Halpert says: I didn't even bother to get out of the car... except to have some birthday cake.
Mission: ASE Prep Workshop. We support ASE Parts Specialist Certification for our Team Members and with the test coming up on May 8th, a lot of our Teams have prep workshops so that we can increase our passing rate and put more knowledgeable Team Members face to face with our customers every day. It was fun, and a nice break from the classes I normally teach.
More importantly, my lovely wife celebrated her birthday this week. I'll just take a moment to tell you that I thank God every day for her. I have been truly blessed to have such an intelligent, caring, loving, beautiful, funny, sensous, fun-loving woman in my life. Happy Birthday, sweetie!!
Number of human interactions: 23. Two Division Managers present and our eLearning Manager.
State(s) visited: Just Virginia
City visited: UCLA (Upper Corner of Lower Abingdon). Abingdon, VA
Interesting fact about this city: Not much, really.
Halpert says: I didn't even bother to get out of the car... except to have some birthday cake.
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