Postcards from the Desk

My boss refuses to yield to my repeated requests for a 4-hour workweek.

I, like Timothy Ferriss, wish to indulge my true passion and travel the world but I’ve had no success cajoling and wheedling, explaining how I can work remotely; that through the magic of Skype, I can be virtually present while actually slurping down a bowl of pho guya truyen in Hanoi. He deftly deflects each of my attempts, reminding me that my tax dollar-funded position as chief fiscal officer requires my physical presence in the office. To date, I’ve simply managed to get him to agree to let me work more hours in exchange for additional days off. Somehow, I don’t think that’s what Mr. Ferriss had in mind.

Rejoice, Air Travelers! Sanity’s Restored!

Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg

Consider me a fan of airport security. I gladly remove my shoes, belt, jewelry, and loose change and happily place my 3 oz. liquids in a clear quart-sized plastic bag.  My underwire bra always triggers the metal detector. The female attendant and I exchange a little small talk, there’s a pat down and maybe a cigarette afterwards. I kind of look forward to it now. The point is that security professionals developed these procedures in response to potential threats and I’m willing to be slightly inconvenienced and sacrifice a tiny slice of my individual liberty to comply because I believe it increases my safety while traveling.

Going Once

“Country auction tomorrow night.  Interested?”  The text was a simple invitation from my sister-in-law Lynn.  Interested?  She had me at country.

Kud-ZUUU!! Gesundheit.

Doomsday preppers have readied themselves for many end-of-days scenarios:  zombie apocalypse, alien apocalypse, viral apocalypse.  A recent trip to Georgia revealed the true danger lurking in our midst and led me to wonder how many survivalists have set aside a cache of vegetation killer?

This year you can barely see the sign. Next year? Good luck finding the children.

Need to Know When the Roller Derby Bout Begins?

Don’t get me wrong.  I firmly believe in the power of travel guidebooks. Fodor’s. Frommer’s. Lonely Planet. Rick Steves. (If you’ve begun to wonder whether I have an absurd obsession with Mr. Steves, I’ll ‘fess up now.  Yes. I do. And I’m not ashamed to admit it.) These books provide essential information for travelers, the “nuts and bolts”: maps, hotels, and attractions.  However, they are sometimes out-of-date, particularly if you’re using a library edition of an old guidebook to plan a trip.  It’s just the nature of the research, write, publish cycle.

Celebrate!

appy 4th of July!!