A Trip to Boston

Boston is a city that I haven't been able to explore enough of in my 34 plus years. It is a city rich with history and a passionate sports audience. Rachel and I had 2008 planning to get done in Cambridge this past week, so it gave me some time to take in some of the gems of the city.

I was able to finally see a Celtics game at the new Garden. I was surprised that the venue seemed so outdated already. I am familiar with places like Staples Center and America West (Suns) facilities - they both blow the Garden away. The food was marginal. There didn't appear to be any 'non-fried' options for food. The stadium itself also seemed a bit archaic....I didn't feel like I was on top of the action like I do in those other arenas.

I also had the chance to eat at what is thought to be the oldest running restaurant in all of the United States - The Union Oyster House. It was established in 1826 and it also claimed to be where the first toothpick was invented. The clam chowder was incredible and the restaurant itself was charming.

I am not sure when I will get back to Boston again, but hopefully it will be soon (need to check out the Red Sox next time I am in town)

(The photos represent my seats at the Celtics/NJ game (Game 7 of season for Celtics) and a photo I took of the sign that greets the customers at the oldest restaurant in the US.)

Slave to the Traffic Light

When Kerri and I first moved to CA, my first job at Weber Shandwick/Rogers & Cowan required me to drive 2 hours each way to work 5 days a week. That was approximately 20 hours a week for 50 weeks a year over two years. Almost 2,000 hours wasted sitting in traffic on the way to and from work. Thank god for SIRIUS Satellite Radio back in those days. 7 years and 4 kids later...I now realize I was a complete fool.

A report came out today that showed that, on average, Americans waste more than 38 hours a year stuck in traffic. I guess if they would have surveyed me back in the day I could have skewed those nubmers even higher. What in the hell was I thinking?

Here is the story: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/18/traffic.congestion.ap/index.html

And here is the version I prefer, from Phish...Slave to the Traffice Light - Part One and Part Two:

Off to Europe

I'm heading to Europe for a very quick trip beginning 7/30....here are two pics I took when I was there in June...the top photo overlooking the Thames River and downtown Paris from Yvana and Tom Stevens' family property in France...the photo below was taken from my hotel window in London overlooking what I thought was THE London Bridge...turned out to be 'London Tower Bridge'....cool nevertheless.

One of the perks of my job has been the ability to visit new parts of the world. Growing up, we didn't do much traveling as a family beyond the occasional trip to Florida or Michigan. Touring around the midwest and East coast back in the day to follow my favorite music was really my first introduction to 'traveling' (95 Phish tour the best tour I did). Traveling abroad is only something I started doing 3 years ago. Although touring Europe and hopefully someday Asia, 'exciting' life on the road can quickly turn into 'loneliness' and 18 hour work days.

Is traveling for work a perk? Or, is it something that turns into a burden when it comes to home and family? To think of being away from my family for more than 1, sometimes 2 weeks - in another country - on the other side of the planet - 8 or 9 hours ahead - away from my kids - away from my bed - away from my wife.......or to be in my wife's shoes - have her husband more than 5500 miles away - being alone at home with four kids - to wake up at 6 a.m. and immediately start thinking about when it is nap time - to be communicating/socializing with no one over four years old the majority of the day.....I am not sure traveling for work is a perk. But, it is the sacrifice that many of us make to hopefully better life in the future.