Fainted and Tampa

I was in Tampa last week and naturally, we talk each evening.  First thing Jack says to me Thursday night is “I passed out today”.  And naturally, 20 questions spill out.  What?  Where?  Are you all right? Were you just walking and keeled over?  Are you hurt? Did you stand up too fast? Finally, Jack was able to get a word in edgewise.  He was at home, it happened mid afternoon, it was when standing up from after having been seated/reclined for awhile, and he landed on carpet without hitting the end table.  He remembers standing up, feeling dizzy, the feeling of falling, and then the dog licking his face.  He doesn’t think he blacked out for more than a few seconds, basically the time it took to fall.  Sore right side leg and arm was the extent of any injury.  Oh, and I think he said slight headache.

He hasn’t felt dizzy since then, and he does have a doctor appointment in a couple of weeks so he’ll let the doc know plus watch for dizziness between now and then.   

Thank goodness we do have terrific next door neighbors.  I am going to give them a key so that if I’m not home and paramedics are needed they would be able to get in without waiting for me to get home or busting a window.

Tampa trip was a meet ‘n greet.  I met my soon to be new boss and a colleague from Minneapolis.  We all have the same work ethic; do it right the first time.  We have already been working on the transition.  Who knew upper management just might know what they were doing with this re-org.   

They were having terrific weather – mid 80’s with low humidity.  It was so nice we were even able to have dinner outdoors one night. 

Flights were uneventful except for the last 20 minutes of the Tampa to Detroit leg.  A screaming child - not a baby - a 3 or 4 year old who did not want the seatbelt on.  A top of the lungs, high pitched, non-stopper.  I was a good half dozen rows away and could barely survive.  Can’t imagine what it was like to be real close.  Oy Vey.

BBC Top Gear - Skoda

I'm becoming addicted to BBC’s Top Gear.  The show is three guys who test drive cars - mainly very expensive and very fast cars.  Celebrities racing a reasonably priced Focus around their track.  Turning cars into boats and campers.  Racing each other around the world.  Lots of humor and banter. 

Lately, they have featured more mid priced vehicles.  Most recently the Skoda Roomster.  Jeremy Clarkson, the main host of the show, spoke highly of the Roomster, “It’s a Golf underneath but with extra space and a genuine big-car feel.“  Year or so ago they tested the Skoda Yedi.  It looks very similar to the Roomster.   And after driving the Fabia, “Oh to have been a fly on the wall when the bloke behind the VW Polo was asked to explain why Skoda’s version is better.”

Skoda is manufactured in the Czech Republic in partnership with VW, thus the comparisons to VW’s.  Jack’s son and family live there and they drive a Otavia Skoda.  They recently ordered a new one…for less than they paid for their five or six year old one…with more options on the new one!  What a deal!  Marek (grandson) will be touring the factory later in April. 

                      Octovia                                                                         Roomster

    

Wednesday in Grand Rapids

We had scheduled the dog for a teeth cleaning and eye shots for his Keratitis (a cloudy film that starts off to the far side of the eye and eventually would cover it) to take place on Wednesday.  This meant we had to drop him off in Grand Rapids at 8:30 and pick him up at 4:45.

After dropped the dog off, we had breakfast.  By that time the malls were open.

My nephew gets married in May, so I wanted to look for off white dress pants to go with an existing top that I have.  This would be a great time to do some shopping as I would have a better selection of stores and even better yet, Jack couldn’t say he was tired and ready to go home after only an hour or so.  Can’t beat that!  I ended up going a totally different route, new top and sage dress pants.

We arranged to meet with friends, Russ and Diane, for lunch at 1:30.  Russ used to work for Jack back in our Greenville, Michigan days…some 25 years ago.   By the time we got done eating and chatting, it was after 3pm. 

Our next destination was to see the newly remodeled Gerald R. Ford Int’l Airport.  They now have a huge parking ramp as opposed to only surface parking.  The greatest part was that they brought back the middle area where you can sit and watch planes take off and land.  This makes it especially nice place to wait to pick someone up or if you are dropping someone off that is flying out.  You are able to go up to this area and sit with them before they have to go through security to board their flight.  There are a couple of shops, a small restaurant, and a pub.

By the time we left there, we had just enough time to take a drive over to Sunset Lane where we used to live.  There are a couple of new homes on the street.  Then it was off to the vet to pick up the pooch and head for home. 

A very pleasant day.