big_red_truck's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member big_red_truck on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/big_red_truck en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:10:01 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com Visiting the Northeast Car Museum — Utica, New York, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258846097/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258846097/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258846097/tpod.html Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:10:01 -0500 The Sweet Life...Here's to 2009!!
Utica, New York, United States

Jacqui's parent's just moved (again) and bought a house in Utica. So since we actually had a free weekend at home, we decided to go and visit them and see the new house. The house itself is really cool. It was built in the 1970's by an interior designer and an architect. So it's not a normal house in the least. Lots of really cool touches like turtle door handles, bird closet pulls and a grasshopper front door knocker. And its got 5 different porches....and a bridge from one half of the house to the other on the third floor. Unfortunately I forgot my camera....so no pics for now.And on Saturday we wanted to take Jacqui's dad out to the car museum in Norwich. It's the Northeast Car Museum off of Rt 12. I was very surprised by the number of cars and the quality of the cars in the museum. Apparently Mr. George Staley rebuilt most of the cars in the museum and his brother worked on the antique tractors. It is definitely worth the price of admission. There are a lot of cars in there that you'd be hard pressed to find in the famous car museums around the country. And they even had more cars than the Prince of Monaco!!
]]> We got an offer!!! — Glens Falls, New York, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258937896/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258937896/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258937896/tpod.html Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:00:50 -0500 The Sweet Life...Here's to 2009!!
Glens Falls, New York, United States

We finally got an offer in on the house!! We had two showings this weekend and one of them put in an offer! We counteroffered today. Now we'll see if they accept! And if so, we'll be on our way to selling the house! And this person already has sold their house and is planning to close on Tuesday. So we don't even have a contingent offer on him selling his house. Man oh man oh man I hope that this works!
]]> Me...stand still?? Never!! — Sao Paulo, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258688623/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258688623/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258688623/tpod.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:25:57 -0500 The Sweet Life...Here's to 2009!!
Sao Paulo, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

So first thing this morning, my coworker and I drive from the hotel to the Londrina airport...about 30min away. Quick flight to Congonhas, hour taxi ride to the first shop. Spent a couple of hours with in the meeting, went to lunch, then went and saw their other machine shop. Then we had to go across Sao Paulo and traffic was horrible. We spent another hour and half in a taxi. I slept for a little bit, and the highlight of the drive was getting to see the race 18-wheeler trucks heading out to a race. Then it was a good hour and a half tour of the second shop. Then we took another taxi to a third shop. This one didn't happen to exist anymore though... So then it was finally off to Guarulhos airport...
]]> Ride Sally Ride!!! RIDE! — Curitiba, State of Parana, Brazil http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258240138/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258240138/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258240138/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:21:55 -0500 The Sweet Life...Here's to 2009!!
Curitiba, State of Parana, Brazil

Arrived in Curitiba today so I can have meetings with a potential supplier on Sunday. Depending on how that goes, I'll either need to go and have another meeting in Sao Paulo on Monday, or go somewhere else in Brasil to meet with another supplier. Either way, looks like I won't be getting home until Tues or Wed now.On a good note, I got to go back to Mustang Sally's for dinner tonite. It is the best burger joint that Jacqui and I have been to in Brasil. Today I had the Jack Daniel's Burger (made with ground Sirloin) and the polenta fritas covered in cheese and BBQ sauce :) It never fails, no matter what we've ordered from there, it has been excellent. The first time I wrote about it was here. I would have taken some pictures of me eating the ginormous burger, but my hands were too covered in tasty burger juices...And if you look closely at the pictures, this is about how much luggage I need to go to site for a week. One duffel bag for the work equipment and safety gear. One small roller-board for work clothes and street clothes. And one backpack for laptop, hard drives, and other electronics. If I'm going for more than more than a week, whether its 2 weeks or 2 months, I only need a little bit more. I'm not gonna write too much else tonite....I'd like to get some sleep. We'll see where I go next or if I stay here for another few days. Then I may get to go back to China (Yanzhou) this coming week.***UPDATE***Since Louise asked, here's a link to a pic of their Rt. 66 Burger And here's some pics of the restaurant itself
]]> Nice Hotel in Londrina — Londrina, State of Parana, Brazil http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258423883/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258423883/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258423883/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:14:20 -0500 The Sweet Life...Here's to 2009!!
Londrina, State of Parana, Brazil

Didn't get to see too much of the city as we didn't get in until 21:00 and we're leaving tomorrow for the airport at 7:00. The hotel is nice though....make sure to ask for the Avipam discount if you show up without booking an internet rate. Its also right next to a shopping mall (huge) if you've forgotten anything at all on your trip. The dinners are extremely tasty here if a little expensive. I had the Risotto of Pineapple with File Mignon....that's right....be jealous....
]]> Ginormous Conical Cathedral — Maringa, State of Parana, Brazil http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258423083/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258423083/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258423083/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:07:21 -0500 The Sweet Life...Here's to 2009!!
Maringa, State of Parana, Brazil

Flew in to Maringa after spending half the day in the office in Curitiba trying to figure out who can manufacture the parts we need. Went to go see the shop and ends up that they DON'T have the ability to make the part....argghh...that's another day and a flight and a car rental worth of money wasted.Though, it was really cool to get to see the conical cathedral of Maringa. This sucker is over 100m tall!!! And the inside is hollow all the way to the top too!!....And look at that stained glass work...so many little pieces. It's like they stole all the stained glass from the other cathedrals in the region and couldn't figure out how to put it back together again...
]]> Chevy Car Show and Cruise-in near Curitiba — Lapa, Paraná, Brazil http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258421740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258421740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1258421740/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:46:46 -0500 The Sweet Life...Here's to 2009!!
Lapa, Paraná, Brazil

I had meetings today in Lapa to vet a supplier. That's not exciting for ya'll, but this might be...on the way out to Lapa, we kept getting passed by a bunch of old Chevy's, then they'd all be stopped on the side of the road and we'd pass them again. I know from experience that this is how an organized cruise generally works. Lots of driving fast, then lots of time on the side of the road shooting the $h!t and taking pictures. Then I saw a car show for old chevy's in the town of Lapa when we were having lunch, and sure enough, it was the same cars that we'd been leap-frogging on the highway!Once we actually got stopped, I could see what the cars were. I had been confused when my coworkes were saying (what I thought was) "Impala"...and I'm thinking, nooooo that looks nothing like an Impala. But its actually called an Opala (pronounced oo-POWL-ah). And there were Diplomatas, Commodoras, Caravans, and even a couple of old V8-powered Ford Mavericks, a Ford Galaxie 500, and an Aero Willy's. Enjoy the pics
]]> Para-sailing in Paradise — Porto Seguro, State of Bahia, Brazil http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/oct2007-forever/1192487580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/oct2007-forever/1192487580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/oct2007-forever/1192487580/tpod.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:35:06 -0500 My job involves working around the world. A lot and to many different places. Life is a trip and this will detail mine. Well, at least the part of it occurring in 2008.
Porto Seguro, State of Bahia, Brazil

I had the weekend off and spent all Sat and Sun on the beach in front of the ToaToa, which just happens to be across the street from the hotel we're staying at, the Hotel Brisa da Praia(Translated as The Beach Breeze Hotel). I've always wanted to go para-sailing. Sunday, one of my coworkers came out to the beach with me. So I had someone who could watch my backpack and take pictures for me(you can't go para-sailing w/o pictures). I talked to the guy trying to get people to ride the banana boat or go para-sailing. He wanted $100Reals. I talked him down to $85Reals, the equivalent of about $50USD. So he grabs me a lifejacket and sends me swimming out to the boat. I hop on the boat and the guy driving grabs me a harness. But this harness is made for smaller Brazilian bodies. I can't hardly fit the leg straps around my calves, let alone my thighs (Note: My 31" thighs are bigger than most Brazilian's waists and they're muscle, not fat, so they don't move around to fit into small openings). So I manage to get it pulled up far enough so they can fasten the waist strap around me and then up I go on the platform. They tell you to sit down into the harness and let the parachute pull you up. They had to give it a little extra gas to get me off the platform and then I was flying!! It was a great feeling. I even figured out how to control the parachute to fly left and right by pulling the rear parachute straps. At one point I swung out too far and started pulling the back of the boat sideways and the 3 guys on the boat started yelling at me. I was up there for about 15 or 20 minutes. When they were winching me back in, they slowed down to try to dip me in the water. But if you pull back hard on both rear straps, you lift back up. They never did get to dip my feet in the water! Afterwords, I sat on the beach outside the ToaToa and sipped Caiparihnas. We ate lunch there and I had a tasty musserela and presunto grilled sandwich. And some locals kept coming by with grilled cheese on a stick. I don't know what it's called in Portuguese but it was extremely good.
]]> Back on US soil — Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1257050533/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1257050533/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1257050533/tpod.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:49:45 -0500 The Sweet Life...Here's to 2009!!
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Flying back on Southwest today. We actually got a direct flight from Fort Lauderdale to Albany. Never would've expected that. I forgot how muggy it was in south Florida
]]> I May In Fact Be Crazy... — Rome, Lazio, Italy http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1255581454/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1255581454/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/big_red_truck/3/1255581454/tpod.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:27:36 -0500 The Sweet Life...Here's to 2009!!
Rome, Lazio, Italy

I had a day in Rome, Italy (birthplace of the first roads and the first bad drivers on those roads) and I thought it'd be a good idea to rent a scooter and ride in Rome traffic all day… I was hit by one car (very lightly) and I did dump the scooter in a slick, greasy tunnel when I got cut off, but I LIVED!! I got to experience firsthand the thrill of driving in Rome…just the same way the Italians do. I’m talking I was cutting through traffic, riding on the sidewalk, jumping curbs, and just basically following the other scooter and motorcycle riders as they worked their way through traffic. (hey, when in Rome…) And to anyone that is worried, I’m just fine. I got a small bruise on my leg from where the one car backed into me as I was threading through traffic. And a small scrape on my wrist from laying the scooter over. To give you an idea how slippery it was in the tunnel, when I laid the scooter over, I slid for a little ways and it didn’t even tear my jacket or my khakis I was wearing. But it did get my khakis really greasy. And I must’ve bounced just a little bit because as soon as I hit the ground, I was on my way back up, looked around, grabbed the scooter and I was gone again! I didn’t even hold up traffic. And there was only the tiniest scratch on the scooter so that when I turned it back in to the rental company, they didn’t even notice!For only having one day in Rome, it was pretty ideal to have the scooter. I could ride around and see at least the outside of most all the monuments to take pictures. And I could get through traffic much easier so I didn’t have to worry about jams or parking. I even made it over to Vatican City but the line to get into the cathedral was too long so I just hung out in the square for a while, people watching and enjoying the view…Earlier in the day I had gone and visited the Coliseum. I paid extra for a guided tour that wasn’t really worth the money. There were people outside the entrance and the guided tour was supposed to be for the Coliseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. I got the tour of the Coliseum, but the next tour of the Palatine Hill wasn’t until 12:30…and we finished the Coliseum tour at 10am! I wasn’t going to waste 2 hours just waiting around for the tour so I headed over and walked around myself, then headed off to go rent my scooter!
]]>