Here we are in November. Thanksgiving just gone and the Christmas season in full effect. Had a bit of travel over the month. My now annual board gaming retreat with friends took us to a lake house in East Texas for a long weekend. My brother and dad don't live too far from there, I decided to extend my trip and visit them, too. Last year, we were all gifted a Christmas themed game construction kit. The goal to create a game we'd all play during our weekend. Those made it out to the table alon…
Since I only seem to be posting every month rather than every week, I'm going to change the title of these accordingly. I was at my bi-annual work gathering in Philadelphia. Getting together with my co-workers is always the best, but I also love just walking around the city and seeing stuff like this that I wouldn't be able to see anywhere in Arizona. The day after I got back home from my trip, there was a solar eclipse that Sedona was in good view of. We didn't get a full-on ring of fire, but…
Since moving to Sedona, AZ last year, we've had more friends and relatives visit us than in the entire seventeen years we lived in Frisco, TX. We entertained from friends from Pennsylvania over Labor Day and look forward to more over the coming year. Hikes off the beaten path COVID and Instagram caused tourism to inflate in Sedona. People looking for awesome selfies to prove they were here and made it to places others have popularized. That's great. What's not so great are those who come an…
While I worked a few days in there, the past two weeks were mostly vacation time visiting my in-laws. They live up in northeastern Pennsylvania, where it was nice and cool. A big relief from the hot temperatures most of the country has been experiencing. Before shooting up there, though, we had a little time in Philadelphia. My wife was visiting with a friend, so I took the opportunity to visit the Museum of the American Revolution. I learned a lot of details about the revolution I wasn't awa…
My wife and I usually head out on a hike here in Sedona once or twice a week at least. Last weekend, we did something we'd never done before and joined a group of people to climb to the very top of Bell Rock. You can generally get pretty high up there on your own. But the very top is a much more difficult endeavor unless you're a skilled rock climber. Luckily, we had a guide who leads small groups to the top and were able to make it. Absolutely stunning views, but not a journey I'd make on my…