This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on October 3, 2004 8:22 PM.
The previous post in this blog was So long, Ruckley.
The next post in this blog is Outside in.
Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.
Just returned to Portlandia from a long weekend in Atlanta. I traveled to that warm, sunny city to give a speech to a large group of lawyers and accountants about tax law. The audience was warm and appreciative, even though most of them had been sitting around listening to speakers for the better part of a mind-numbing week.
My wife and kids came along for the ride, and we had a great time once the official doings were over. We stayed at a great hotel -- the Grand Hyatt up in the toney Buckhead part of town. We took a fun day trip yesterday out to a place called Stone Mountain, where there's an amusement park of sorts at the foot of a large loaf of granite that sticks up about 500 feet or so above the tops of the Georgia pines. An offbeat spot, to be sure, but just right for a little family fun. They've even got an aerial tram that rides up the side of the mountain, past the large relief sculpture of the three Confederate generals that's been blasted into the granite wall. Up top? A snack bar and a great view of the smoggy landscape. Back down below, we got in a long playground session, visited the pumpkin patch, caught the pie eating contest, petted the farm animals, and skirted the edges of a large, loud chili cook-off. All in a day's work out at Stone Mountain.
As I rode up in the tram, I couldn't help but think of the skylift that Portland's taxpayers are about to build for the oh-so-important physicians. I hope the thing gets overrun with tourists, and the white coats have to wait 15 minutes to get a ride. Next thing you know, it will be closed, or made prohibitively expensive, to the public who paid for it.
Anyhow, for a few days we were a million miles from the foibles of those who live under the volcano. The fried chicken was excellent, the people were friendly (by and large), and the weather was highly cooperative.
The one blue note, and it was a big one, was another trip on Delta Airlines. I've blogged about these folks before, and they're not getting any better. Their new slogan appears to be, "We're insolvent, and it shows!" Somewhat dirty planes, no towels in the lavatory, no envelope to put your boarding passes in, and at their Atlanta headquarters airport, torn-up gates and long, long security delays. You pay for your food on Delta now ($8 for a sandwich), and you wind up busing your own garbage to the back of the plane while the flight attendants close the curtains and work on their resumes.
Most of the airlines charge for food now. This is a good thing, as the quality has improved (marginally), and I don't want to pay for airline food as part of the price of a flight anyway.
United also will bug you about upgrading to "better legroom" in the middle of the plane, which to me just reeks of sleaze.
Just a matter of time before they have a standing-room section on board. Why pay for a seat if you don't really want one? Worship the Free Market -- it's our equivalent of Radical Islam.
I just returned from a trip to Memphis, and I flew American. Same scenario. No paper towels in the bathroom, no toilet seat covers, etc. Now I can understand letting a few "niceties" fall by the wayside, but something is wrong when I have to dry my hands on my jeans after using the toilet!
Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio 2011
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
The Occasional Book
Hope Larson - A Wrinkle in Time, the Graphic Novel
Rudyard Kipling - Kim
Peter Ames Carlin - Bruce
Fran Cannon Slayton - When the Whistle Blows
Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 29
At this date last year: 66
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (8)
Tell us how you really feel about Delta
(^_^)
Posted by Scott-in-Japan | October 3, 2004 8:26 PM
i flew on United a couple of years ago. We got sack lunches. Paid $3 for a can of Heineken. I feel your pain, bro.
Posted by pril | October 3, 2004 8:37 PM
Most of the airlines charge for food now. This is a good thing, as the quality has improved (marginally), and I don't want to pay for airline food as part of the price of a flight anyway.
United also will bug you about upgrading to "better legroom" in the middle of the plane, which to me just reeks of sleaze.
Posted by name | October 3, 2004 8:46 PM
Just a matter of time before they have a standing-room section on board. Why pay for a seat if you don't really want one? Worship the Free Market -- it's our equivalent of Radical Islam.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 3, 2004 8:50 PM
"Standing room only flight" If that flight was signifcantly less, I'd certainly pay for it.
I agree that airline services has dropped, but for the most part, so have the fares. And this is fine with me.
Don't like United, fly another airline. Don't like the lousy legroom and deteriorated interior, fly first class.
You get what you pay for.
Posted by Justin | October 4, 2004 8:34 AM
I agree about United, it is HORRID. I'd walk before I flew with them agian. =^..^=
~K!
Posted by Kismet | October 4, 2004 9:17 AM
I just returned from a trip to Memphis, and I flew American. Same scenario. No paper towels in the bathroom, no toilet seat covers, etc. Now I can understand letting a few "niceties" fall by the wayside, but something is wrong when I have to dry my hands on my jeans after using the toilet!
Posted by Lily | October 5, 2004 12:16 PM
Go Jetblue!
Posted by pdxkona | October 5, 2004 3:08 PM