Catch up
Well, I took a day off yesterday (Friday) and got a little rest. I played golf in the morning and then took a little trip into Lake Jackson (about 20 minutes from home) to buy Spider-man 2 on DVD. I had missed the DVD release on Tuesday because I was in D.C.
Washington D.C. was everything you'd imagine it to be. I guess -- to be honest, I didn't get to see much of it. Mediation went a little long and we didn't get to play "tourist" at all. Which is too bad, because that town is just crammed full of things I'd lvoe to investigate. I was looking forward to seeing the Vietnam memorial wall, but time didn't permit. Maybe next time.
I did get to drive by a couple of monuments, anyway. You see the Washington Monument on TV and in the movies all the time, but it's really something else to see it in person. Even though I didn't get to tour it, it was still incredible to just be in such close proximity to it. It's real. It's an actual, real thing. I think that in the back of my mind I always thought of it like I think of the Starship Enterprise... made for TV.
Todd and I had to leave for the airport around 1p.m., though. Our flight wasn't until 5:30p.m., but Todd was convinced it would take us that long to get form D.C. to Baltimore, 35 miles away. I assured him that it had only taken us about 45 minutes to get to the hotel when we had landed on Tuesday. He said something about traffic and I decided there's no sense arguing with someone who has already made up their mind. So we left at 1p.m. and made it to the airport by 2p.m.
And wouldn't you know it, it's a good thing we did. When we checked in we were told that there were seats available on an earlier flight and that it wasn't going to be anywhere near full. So Todd and I happily traded in the 5:30p.m tickets for the much more agreeable "get us home earlier" 3:30p.m. variety. We landed in Houston around 6:30 our time and I was home in my own bed by 9p.m. Quite a step up from the prediction of midnight I'd made when Todd had told me our flight time that morning.
I really wish I could talk about the mediation and the case and the documentary. That's the real interesting stuff. But alas, legal contracts bind me. But I have to say that this was a tremendous experience. I think I can safely say that I got to meet Ken Feineberg, who was mediating our case (in case you're unfamiliar with him, here's a link to a photo of him online http://www.jfklibrary.org/images/nl_2003fall_03_02.jpg). Feineberg is the mediator who handled the 9/11 cases as well as the Agent Orange affair. He's actually quite famous in legal and political circles. And it was fascinating to see him work. He's very sharp and knows the law inside and out. And, even more important, seems to be very friendly.
That was the week, for the most part. Today I went for a spin on my new bicycle. Let me sum up that experience for you...
Ouch.
I'm glad that I'm finally doing things that might help me shed a few pounds, but does it have to hurt so much?
Well, it's good for me, right. I'll keep it up. And one day maybe I'll be back to my former slim and trim self!
Washington D.C. was everything you'd imagine it to be. I guess -- to be honest, I didn't get to see much of it. Mediation went a little long and we didn't get to play "tourist" at all. Which is too bad, because that town is just crammed full of things I'd lvoe to investigate. I was looking forward to seeing the Vietnam memorial wall, but time didn't permit. Maybe next time.
I did get to drive by a couple of monuments, anyway. You see the Washington Monument on TV and in the movies all the time, but it's really something else to see it in person. Even though I didn't get to tour it, it was still incredible to just be in such close proximity to it. It's real. It's an actual, real thing. I think that in the back of my mind I always thought of it like I think of the Starship Enterprise... made for TV.
Todd and I had to leave for the airport around 1p.m., though. Our flight wasn't until 5:30p.m., but Todd was convinced it would take us that long to get form D.C. to Baltimore, 35 miles away. I assured him that it had only taken us about 45 minutes to get to the hotel when we had landed on Tuesday. He said something about traffic and I decided there's no sense arguing with someone who has already made up their mind. So we left at 1p.m. and made it to the airport by 2p.m.
And wouldn't you know it, it's a good thing we did. When we checked in we were told that there were seats available on an earlier flight and that it wasn't going to be anywhere near full. So Todd and I happily traded in the 5:30p.m tickets for the much more agreeable "get us home earlier" 3:30p.m. variety. We landed in Houston around 6:30 our time and I was home in my own bed by 9p.m. Quite a step up from the prediction of midnight I'd made when Todd had told me our flight time that morning.
I really wish I could talk about the mediation and the case and the documentary. That's the real interesting stuff. But alas, legal contracts bind me. But I have to say that this was a tremendous experience. I think I can safely say that I got to meet Ken Feineberg, who was mediating our case (in case you're unfamiliar with him, here's a link to a photo of him online http://www.jfklibrary.org/images/nl_2003fall_03_02.jpg). Feineberg is the mediator who handled the 9/11 cases as well as the Agent Orange affair. He's actually quite famous in legal and political circles. And it was fascinating to see him work. He's very sharp and knows the law inside and out. And, even more important, seems to be very friendly.
That was the week, for the most part. Today I went for a spin on my new bicycle. Let me sum up that experience for you...
Ouch.
I'm glad that I'm finally doing things that might help me shed a few pounds, but does it have to hurt so much?
Well, it's good for me, right. I'll keep it up. And one day maybe I'll be back to my former slim and trim self!