F3 Charybdis

            “We’re caught in a class 4 Dark Matter Eddy,” Ann yelled back at Flynn.

            “It wasn’t on the charts?” Flynn lurched into his station and pulled his harness on.

            “Time. To. Deal. With. That. Later,” she bit off each word, fighting with the helm.

Travel Tip 4

            Another reason why I’m fond of the carry-on only packing is the travel that must be done when I arrive. On a trip to NYC, I did carry-on only, but it was the full carry-on and a personal item, my backpack. Moving through the subway and then walking through the streets with this luggage was doable, but hardly ideal. I can’t imagine trying to move through a dense metropolis while toting large check-in bags behind me.

            I’ve since ditched dual carry-on and moved to a single backpack as my only luggage. I can fit nearly a week’s worth of clothing inside and still have room for my gadgets and other goods. I can hop off the plane, onto the subway, and blend in perfectly with the urban environment.

            Who needs roll around luggage?

Travel Tip 3

            The task of packing and unpacking is problematic. I’ve found, most of the time, that I can pack things tightly leaving home, but it’s more difficult to get things just so for the return trip. Also, unpacking becomes difficult and time consuming, something you don’t want to do after a long flight, car ride, whatever. For this I recommend a combination of the Eagle Creek Pack-it folders and Shelves-to-go. The latter makes it easy to pack and unpack in a moment’s notice, while the former gives the ability to compress and wrap up the shelving bundle to save even more space.

F3 Dark Days

            People filed in for the department meeting, the usual assortment of long faces combined with tired, though those looks changed to looks of bemusement and head shakes as Alex walked in. He look on the shabby side, his clothing wrinkled and his fake beard was long and scraggly, looking as if one of the members of ZZTop had been in a fight.

Travel Tip 2

            With all the restrictions on flying, now, I’ve been doing my best to make my packing more compact. My thoughts on this are simple. If I have only a carry-on I always know where it is. Also, I don’t have to worry about checked bag fees and waiting on the luggage carousel. With this idea comes one fact that is unavoidable: in order to limit the amount of luggage, do laundry. I’m fine with this. Many hotels have laundry facilities for guests to use, and if not, use the hotel sink, some hot water, and a little shampoo. The little time it takes for this chore pays off in the long-run with not needing to pack large bags of clothing.

Back to the Grind

            The fall semester begins. A time of hope and disappointment, a time of triumph and sorrow. No matter which direction the semester goes for the students or for me, one thing is certain: it is a time of work. And not just a little work, it’s a grind. Slog through and churn out the work. Most of it is unpleasant, too. Hopefully I’ve found a way to make it a little easier.

            Hopefully.

F3 Lack of Automation

            Peter Flynn rubbed at his eyes as he stared at the pressure readout on the gauge in front of him. The numbers kept slowly climbing to the red zone. Flynn turned the valve, causing a great woosh in the nearby pipes. He waited until the numbers fell down through the yellow and into the low end of the green before restoring the valve to its original position.

Recovery

            After every vacation, there needs to be a period of recovery. It’s paradoxical when that which recharges us mentally, spiritually, and emotionally will drain us physically. The act of traveling itself takes its toll, but clearly the other restorative abilities of travel make it all worthwhile. At least when done right.

Vacation Over

            I have returned from my travails. It’s time to go reflect on what I’ve experienced, catalogue photos and experiences, and slowly come to accept the realization that my free days are coming to an end.

F3 That Life

            I first saw them when I had tailed a girl whose parents thought she was a vampire to the park. After convincing them she was just sneaking out to meet a boy, I came back to watch the couple on the park bench.

Travel Tip 1

            I’ve been doing more and more flying, and while there are tons of amazing blogs about travel tips out there, I’m going to suggest something small that has brought me a lot of comfort. Before you fly, especially on a long flight, put on a brand new pair of socks. Nothing beats the feeling of a brand new pair of cushy socks around your feet. They’ll make the flight just a little bit more enjoyable.

DC Bound

            My stint in Boston is up, and I’m headed to DC to join my brother. It’s gonna be awesome to be in the Capital with another history nerd.

F3 Phil

            I looked at the offerings and wasn’t impressed. Like most places, they rolled out the expensive stuff in an effort to impress me. But expensive isn’t the same as good. I needed a hat to last, and the expensive, exotic felts and ribbons wouldn’t do that. They clerks kept searching through their stock as I disregarded hat after hat without even trying it on. I even pointed out the reasons as they approached: brim too narrow, crown too high, wrong color, poor lining, bad leather in the band.