November 1. The start of another new month, and the day after Halloween. Speaking of Halloween, I bought a bunch of candy and gum for the little goblins, who never came by. In the three years I have lived here, we haven't had a single trick-or-treater come to the door. I think it may be because our street has a large number of older folks who live here. So consequently, the coworkers of myself and those of the lovely spouse are the beneficiaries of the treats I purchased.
Fall Back
This Sunday morning is the return to standard time here in the United States, so the mornings will be a bit brighter, while the sun will set earlier. But this year, the change will be a bit odd for me. On Saturday, I lose two hours on a flight to Pittsburgh, then the very next day, get one of them back as the time shift hits at 2 AM local time.
Time changes aside, I am looking forward to this trip for a number of reasons. One is to see my wife's parents. Her dad has extremely limited mobility, which means he can't leave the house anymore, so I hope that our visit will be an encouragement to him. Also, I am glad to be going because of the scenery. While we are flying to Pittsburgh, we will have a nice drive through the Pennsylvania and West Virginia scenery. I also plan to get over to Western Maryland again during this trip to visit my friends there.
One of the simple things I enjoy in West Virginia are pepperoni rolls. These are a simple food, often taken to work by coal miners and railroad workers. They are simply pepperoni stuffed inside a yeast roll, but boy are they yummy. Cold or warmed in the microwave, they are a regional treat. In concept, they are very similar to sausage kolaches, a Czech creation popular around Houston; but instead of sausage, you have the pepperoni. I have not ever seen these anywhere but parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
I also plan to see if I can get over to Valley Falls State Park and to the Tygart Lake area for some pictures. If I do, I'll share those photos here.
Speaking of West Virginia, my last post about the state bringing back its old slogan deserves one more statement. ANY of the three candidates beats the current one; "West Virginia. Open for Business." What? Open for business, Closed on Sunday? That slogan belongs on the door of a retail store, not on welcome signs to a state.
Work Gone Wild
Another reason I am happy about this trip is just being off work for a few days. These are the first days off since I was in Houston last May, so getting away will be nice. The coming months are sure to be stressful, since out of my group of three plus my boss, two of my coworkers have resigned. Their positions are not being backfilled, so guess who gets all their projects? That's right! It's going to be nuts, but at least I have a job. That's better than the alternative!
What About Politics
I haven't been writing much about politics lately, as it is just so infuriating. I am trying to keep my blood pressure down, so I am ignoring political rants lately. Just don't feel up to beating my head into the wall. One thing I will say is that I hope that enough members of Congress have the cojones to keep Bush in check with all his sabre rattling directed toward Iran. Someone please impeach this crazy man before he destroys us all. Ok Randy, peaceful thoughts!!
Road Geekery
Even though I am flying on my trip, i also have some mileage to traverse in a rental car. So I am going to keep my eyes open for some interesting sights along the roadways. You can take a road geek and put him in a plane, but you know he can't wait to get that rental car at the airport and get on the road.
