This will have to be quick post as I leave for a meeting in about 30 minutes and still have to change into Dave “The Businessman” before I leave. 
I’ve spent the past four days in Seattle and I love it! What’s not to love? I think I can handle the cloudy days just because there are so many other things here that make me smile. Airplanes and mountains and crab boats…oh my! Though I have been out here on business, I have managed to cross off some sights I wanted to see in between discussing aircraft parts and plastic pellets. I saw Mt. Rainier for the first time and was completely in awe of its beauty. I’ve done the Boeing Factory Tour at the Future of Flight Museum in Everett and seen the 787 in person. I’ve tried Calamari for the first time in my life…and really loved it. And I saw the crab boat “Wizard” from DSC’s series “Deadliest Catch. The list goes on and on but I really don’t have the time to elaborate right now. I’ll do that when I return home. The bottom line is I have loved Seattle. I have a crush on Seattle. Everyone told me I wouldn’t want to leave…and they were pretty much right. Stacy and I will be planning a vacation out here soon and I will miss the sweet smell of Left Coast air mixed with a hint of Jet A until I return. Till next time…here’s a picture of Rainier to keep you entertained…
I spent some time in Mexico at the beginning of April for a trade show and had the chance to do some sight seeing while I was there. Some of the highlights of the trip included: live mariachi bands (yes, plural, I think there was a band at every restaurant we went to), a Storm Trooper sighting, a trip to the heart of Mexico City where I had the opportunity to tour of the Metropolitan Cathedral, Imperial Palace and the Templo Mayor, a few crazy cab rides, some interesting new foods, the whole American Airlines ordeal, oh, and I did work while I was there too…
This was my first time to Mexico City and, luckily enough, the trade show started at 1pm each day and my co-workers were adventurous souls. After going to Germany last Fall I came to have a new appreciation for “old” cities, the architecture, the history and the way that people take pride in the beauty of the history of the city. A great example is Templo Mayor, the Aztec temple, was discovered when they were digging for a subway – absolutely incredible! Even more interesting is that the Spaniards had used the stone from the temple to build the Metropolitan Cathedral AND that they built the cathedral over part of the temple. How’s that for a religious superiority complex? Well, I think the Aztecs had the last laugh seeing as parts of the cathedral are sinking into the ground. I posted some pictures on our photo site of the leaning/sinking buildings.
On to the food….I’ve found that when I travel the “host” (typically one of our Sales Engineers) of the area I am visiting always offers up some of the local delicacies for us, the visitors, to try. I’ve had my share of squid, octopus (suction cups and all) and raw pork – I think the saying “When in Rome…” is my credo while on the road. So, in Mexico I added to my list of unusual foods cactus, which was quite good, and ant eggs. Yes, ant eggs. The conversation at the table went something like this:
“So, what is this?”
“Meat.”
“What kind of meat?”
“Meat. Just try it”
Timidly, I pick up the tortilla with the mystery meat inside and take a bite. Tastes like