Wow! It has been a while since I posted! I went to the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show (Held in Las Vegas). I am very thankful my employer paid my salary while I was at the show. When I learn about new technology, they do as well. There was pre-conference stuff I attended on Saturday and Sunday, along with the show on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (I actually wasn't on the show floor Wednesday... I listened in on the webcasts as I was on my way to Salt Lake City to avoid driving in the impending snowstorm). Webcast and podcast listening on the Treo 680 is surprisingly simple. And I-15 has about 90% connectivity from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. I will talk about it another time.
CES itself was wonderfully exciting this year. What is the big buzz for this show? UMPC's (Ultra Mobile Personal Computers), accessories for EVERYTHING, Microsoft Vista, and Bluetooth (although you could consider them accessories - they deserve a category all their own). I wanted to stay longer, but couldn't risk the weather. And I was glad I left Wednesday...
I got to Salt Lake City on Wednesday night. The trip was nice. I-15 is a wonderful drive! On Thursday, we got 6 inches of snow at Diana's apartment (I measured it just for chuckles). It snowed and snowed and snowed. I've been there during snowfalls before. This was a lot, even for SLC. There were over 500 accidents on the roads during this snowstorm. I-70 was closed for a while south of Salt Lake City. We still went out and got some things done, but we were REAL careful and didn't venture too far. I love my Jeep... no slip and slide. I am permanently sold on 4WD. ALL of my vehicles will have 4WD in the future.
The cold afterward was another thing. It was so cold out there, it took our breath away when we went outside. The low was around 0 to -2 (yes, NEGATIVE 2) degrees, and the high was 15 while I was there. We stayed inside a lot. Good thing. Jonny had a cold that turned into an ear infection. Poor guy was so miserable on Saturday. We took him to the E.R., who put him on antibiotics and agreed with me on using a decongestant and cough suppressant for his symptoms. Within 24 hours, he was a renewed child! I had to leave at this time, and didn't want to!
I did take Diana out on Saturday night for her birthday (even though her birthday was on Sunday). She wanted to go to Red Robin, so we went there. Neither of us had been there before... they have great burgers! And bottomless fries (not good when you are on Weight Watchers, but neither of us ordered more than what was on our plates). I managed to tell the waitress that it was Diana's birthday without Diana seeing me do it... hehe... they delivered a GIGANTIC piece of ice cream pie for her birthday, free of charge! It was fun! Happy 19th birthday, hon!
We also got her some furniture for her living room. When she moved into this apartment, she didn't take any furniture except Jonny's crib and changing table, and a mattress for her. She found a couch, chair, and ottoman for $40 on Craigslist.org (Great site!), which was in great condition! So, that was my present to her (her request). It is a cute set, and Jonny loves them as well. You should have seen how we got it from South Jordan to Diana's apartment! It was COLD, and the back of the Jeep was open, with the couch sticking out about 2 feet, and the chair on top of the Jeep on the rack. Jon got the ottoman home in his trunk, with Jonny in his car. Use your imagination for the picture... Not a bad set for $40, huh?
My trip back home was uneventful, which is a surprising departure for winter travel. The roads were clear (Some of you might recall my last trip took 15.5 hours... this one... 9). It was bitterly cold, with a high temp of 28 degrees, and a low of 3 while I was travelling. The northern Nevada desert was covered with snow most of the trip. There were a few clouds, but it was so cold, they wouldn't snow.
I know most people think "Desert? There's nothing in the desert but, well, desert." They can't farther from the truth. The desert is a delightfully beautiful place, but can be inhospitable and unforgiving. Always travel with an emergency kit of food, water, blankets, and a first aid kit. Especially in the desert, regardless of time of year.
Even sick, he's cute!
Labels: Family, Misc Rants, Tech
