Day 154 – The Day Spent In the Trailer

No, not a trailer like a trailer park :) the cutin trailer.  Today was nothing but paperwork and Chimichangas – and Reeses mini cups :) ha ha ha ha

We worked so hard yesterday and today getting these locations ready to be put into service on Monday, it makes me very happy.  I think it will go so smooth :)

I was out like a light yesterday, read I think a page of the book.  I woke up in a panic at midnight though thinking it was morning 😉  Guess you know it was good sleep.  I am very snotty today and am very happy I am not flying home.  That would be miserable, but I am not certain a 5 hour drive will be much better.

I think we are going to wrap up here pretty soon and then I am going to crash again and see if I can feel a bit better for tomorrow.

Instead, I am driving home tonight -BYE!!!!!

The Doghouse - can you guess why?
The Doghouse – can you guess why?

Just some rail and stuff :)
Just some rail and stuff :)

Day 153 – The Day I Worked Like a Railroader!

Oh my goodness today was a long day working on the railroad.  We were supposed to spend a day in the cutover trailer doing paperwork and ended up needing to visit 6 locations to gather information before we could do the paperwork.  Now we are sitting in the trailer and we just finished building that!!!!!!

I am pooped – it is hot outside, I got rained on, and walking on the ballast (the rocks) is HARD with little feet!!

I am back at the hotel now.  I went and got some food, nothing special, but more importantly I went to CVS and got some cough medicine.  I am about to clean up and take lots of drugs that will make me sleepy (I hope).

Got a couple good pics today so here they are and have a great night!!

Train :)
Train :)
The inside of a relay.
The inside of a relay.
New and old signals.
New and old signals.

View of the track.
View of the track.

Day 152 – The Day I Drove FOREVER!!

Today I have 2 meetings, one at 08:00 and the other at 14:00 and then I leave to drive to Fairburn, Georgia – basically Atlanta.  I am not really looking forward to it…

The first meeting went well and now I need to pack and put the rest of my laundry away.  I think that Nickel knows I am going somewhere because my suitcase is out.  He is hanging a little close by this morning :)

Alright, second meeting also went well, thought no one was going to join for a little bit but then like 40 people joined so that is good turnout.  I am about to walk out the door, gotta say goodbye to the folks and the puppies :(

And 5 hours later I am in the hotel.  Goodness!!  Ran into just a little bit of rain but no real traffic so really it was smooth sailing, driving rather :)  The lady gave me a room like with no other room around, which turns out to be pretty good because I am coughing like crazy.  I hope I am not getting what mom had, but this stinks.  I ate lunch really late on the drive so I am just gonna take these meds and get to bed!

I did not take a single picture today – what a bummer :(

Night all :)

Day 146 – The Day That Ended at the REDI

This morning we had a bit of a drive to Calhoun, Georgia. Out meeting was in a historic depot that has been repurposed into a county meeting hall. It was nice and there was lots of space for sure. The good / bad thing about being at old depots is that for the most part trains still run very close to them so it was, only at times, noisy :)

I stayed behind with the IT guys because we couldn’t get one guy working smoothly so by the time we did finish it was lunch time. We ate with them at a local Mexican place and it was pretty good. After that started the long drive back to Atlanta to the REDI Center. We needed to stop there to chat with a couple people and do some things.

We left there and dropped another co-worker off to get a rental car and then they took me to – wait for it – PANDA EXPRESS!!!!!! I was so happy, but to be honest, the food was not as good as the one at home, but still good :)

Update: I lost my connection to the website last night so I am unsure what else I had to say :)  Oh, I think I had an update on mom there, here we go :)

Mom Update: Mom was not released from the hospital yesterday and that is OK because she wasn’t feeling well still, I should say she was OK with it.

Alright, here are some pictures, enjoy :)

The meeting spot.
The meeting spot.
The meeting spot.
The meeting spot.
The REDI
The REDI.
A display in the REDI.
A display in the REDI.

Day 145 – The Day That I Knew Where to Go!!

This morning we had some Waffle House!!! True Alabama style :) I am sitting at the first location waiting for the folks to get here so we can start. I think there was some confusion about when we needed the material – I should say when the people I am with need their stuff, I am just here to help with the program.

We have a bit of a drive this afternoon and I will catch back up then :)

Alright, made it to the next place, and I have actually been here before!!  I know all these folks :)  We are in Birmingham, Alabama.  We leave here and are staying the night in Atlanta and then have a bit of a drive tomorrow.  I think we will eat good tonight so I am looking forward to that!

We had lunch with a couple of the folks from that office and made the much longer than expected trip to Atlanta.  My co-worker was going to a gym class right away so I decided to just grab some food from the hotel.  Big mistake :(  But really it was more my fault.  I got a roast beef sandwich and forgot to say no horseradish so it was disgusting!!  The fries were good :)

Now I am going to get to bed!

Hotel checkin - interesting decor.
Hotel checkin – interesting decor.
Lobby of the hotel.
Lobby of the hotel.
View down Commerce St.
View down Commerce St.
Where we had dinner - Wintzells Oyster House.
Where we had dinner – Wintzells Oyster House.
Inside of Wintzells Oyster House.
Inside of Wintzells Oyster House.
Just closer detail
Just closer detail
Closer detail.
Closer detail.
This was a dry goods warehouse, but now a law firm.  Downtown Montgomery
This was a dry goods warehouse, but now a law firm. Downtown Montgomery

Atlanta Division – 05/2016 Photo Gallery

 



Day 144 – The Day We Parked on I-65

This morning our work location was very close to where we stayed so that was nice, but there was like nothing to grab some food that early. I had a banana and a Mt. Dew – healthy I know :)

The IT group did their thing great and I was making us stay trying to help a couple of the guys. But we got out of there and drove for a bit before we got food. I think Denise was about to agree to eat at a gas station she was so hungry.

After we got back on the road there was some construction she was warned about from the guys and she was asking if we should go around or risk it. I said go around, but “Bobby Taylor” said to give it a try… About an hour later we were finally out of the parking lot of construction. He said, you win some and you lose some :)

We are staying at this amazing hotel here in Montgomery. I have a great room on the 9th floor. We are going to take a little walk to grab some dinner here in a bit. Everyone was saying there are tons of good places, plus they have been here before. Alright, more to come later :)

Just got back from dinner, went to an oyster bar, YUCK! But I had fried shrimp and a brownie :) We just walked down the street a little bit so that was nice. Lots of little things right around the hotel. Will post pictures from that tomorrow, too tired to do it tonight :) Bye!!

IMG_3107
Railroad bridge in Mobile, AL.
IMG_3109
The nice room.
IMG_3108
The view from the nice room.

Day 143 – The Day I Went to Mobile

I am getting my laundry all done for my trip this evening. I am watching my puppies be so sweet, they are going to make me miss them more!

My mom is not feeling well again. I am going to blame it on these meal replacement drinks she has been trying to drink because they were already expired and the company wouldn’t take them back. I told her not to do it and others did too, but she said, it tastes fine. Ummmmmmmmmm. I do hope she feels better very soon. I don’t like leaving like this, but there will be a couple people around while I am gone and if I need to come home, I will.

I am going to leave here around 16:00, Carlos is coming to take me and Paul is going to pick me up so I don’t have to leave my car at the airport. That reminds me I need to put up my sunshade before I leave.

So, I am writing this on Monday because yesterday evening got a little something. When I left yesterday mom was not feeling great, but she didn’t say anything like cancel your trip. I thought she was a little bit better than she was apparently. When I get to Atlanta I call my sister and she is very concerned about her and wants to take her to the ER. I tell her to call Paul and see if he can come over and stay the night with her because I thought he would be able to take off work on Monday if needed.

When I got to Mobile I called Paul and he said that she did go to the hospital and got admitted thinking that she had pneumonia. I didn’t get to the hotel until like 23:00 so it was pretty late. Luckily this trip we are staying pretty close to airports that I can likely get home in a hurry if I need to. I don’t like being away like this.

I think he is gonna miss me :)
I think he is gonna miss me :)
JAX, like a second home :)
JAX, like a second home :)
Mobile Airport - pretty cool.
Mobile Airport – pretty cool.

Day 140 – The Long Way Home

Today we drove home from Charleston and the ride was very good!! Had a lot of good conversation and ate a good lunch!

Home earlier than I expected so that is very nice and now I was catching up on some work stuff and of course playing with the puppies :)

Well, played with the puppies a couple times, but now it is pouring and the very last time I was out something stung me. Not sure what, hopefully it was just a plant or something and not a bug.

Tomorrow we have a meeting with the insurance person and then getting ready to go out on the road again :)

Alright, gonna watch some TV and unwind – I think the puppies might be a little sleepy!! Goodnight all!!!

The USS Yorktown
The USS Yorktown

Day 139 – The Day of the Suite

Today was another travel day. I am heading to Charleston for an important meeting tomorrow for work. I am meeting a couple people I work for there and I am pretty excited for it. I’m at the Atlanta airport I am feeling very strange. I think I am having a slight issue with my medicine where I feel a little bit light headed or something like that. Anyway, can’t wait to get there.

So I finally make it to Charleston and I almost didn’t! I am sitting in the ATL at the gate and didn’t realize there was a change in the gates. Luckily it was just the next one down, but I was the last person on that plane. That would have sucked!!! Now when I get to here, I was supposed to be before my coworkers but no, my flight was later. OK, fine. Then I had to wait about 45 minutes for my stinking bag, a bag I should have just carried on. UGH!!!!

The rental we got was some kind of upgrade and it was a Navigator. It is NICE!!!! We get to the hotel and my coworker is on the same floor as me, but my room was first and it was a suite! When I went down for dinner I asked the lady how I got that room and she said it was an upgrade because the hotel was full! SCORE!!!!

It is a nice room, jet tub, shower, living room, nice big bed – too bad I am only here tonight! And with that – goodnight!

Bridge on the way to the hotel.
Bridge on the way to the hotel.