Category Archives: Life

Good Morning World! I’m Baaaack!

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Good Morning World!

What a beautiful morning. The sun is shining, temps are moderate, the air is fresh. It’s just a perfect spring morning and it’s Sunday. No work! (maybe) I’ve got some updates and housekeeping items to share today. There is more change on the breeze than the scent of flowers and grass.

What Is Going on with aroundustyroads?

Aroundustyroads.com is my baby blog. I wrote my first post on September 8, 2010. I was based on Blogspot at that time. A couple of years later I migrated to WordPress. That was a pretty smooth transition but I was still new and didn’t have a lot of content. What I had can be found by clicking on the archive link in the side panel.

7 Years Later

Its been 7 years and I hope my blogging skills have grown with experience. What hasn’t changed is the look and feel of aroundustyroads.com. Lately I’ve been hearing more and more about successful bloggers, even meeting one, and I realized that I, we, needed to make some changes if I want to move to the next level. These successful bloggers have been at it 2-5 years. I’ve been doing this for 7 years and being left in the dust! What’s up with that!?

 

The  Changes in the Works

The first thing I did was move again. Like moving from Blogspot to WordPress, I moved to Bluehost to give me more adaptability. For non geeks, that’s like moving your cell service from Verizon to Sprint or from a 2 bedroom ranch to a 6 bedroom colonial. It was more painful this time so I need your help. If you are not getting email alerts, please let me know. If anything else is not working for you like it did before. Let me know that too. Enter it in the comments so we can work on getting it fixed.

New Look

While the dust settles on the move, I’m looking into upgrading our look. Take a look at one blog I found and like: http://brittanyfromboston.com/. Or this very successful blog http://joshuaberman.net/ . I just have to learn how to make these changes.

Drum roll Please….

INTRODUCING

A new companion blog. downdustylanes.com  No it is not replacing aroundustyroads. I can’t give up my baby but in trying to find out how to change our look, I got a new website built for me. It’s gorgeous. I haven’t started using it yet but will make my first post there in May. It will help me learn my way around a more advanced website.

One Last Change

Because of the current work load at my job. I am going to reduce my posting schedule for a couple of months. I am going to try to post 3 times per week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. When things slow down at work  I’ll kick it back up.

Tell me what you think of all this. as the saying goes, inquiring minds what to know.

 

 

 

 

Its been a Long Week

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TGIF!

Sorry I’ve been missing posts. I’ve been worn out from work. My goal is to get back on track on Sunday. Saturday I hope (weather permitting) to explore a “waterfall trail” in New Hampshire. With all this rain they should be really full.But it won’t give me any time to write. Plus I have some news I’m really excited to share but you need some background before I do. So see you again on Sunday!


Thanks for your patience.

Its all about the Work

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This is almost a real time conversation! There have been many, many changes at work over the past year. One thing they did was move some of the more basic clerical work from my position creating an unlicensed position to take care of that piece of my job. I wasn’t sorry to see it go. It was a dull, boring , repetitive task.

When they took this away they said it would allow a better distribution of the work load so that we wouldn’t be working around the clock any more.

Nice idea in theory but then a little department call “Analytics” got involved. Every month they sent reports saying people in my position were not working to capacity. They came up with ridiculous targets. Well, I hit their ridiculous goal and looks like now that the momentum is rolling I am going to far exceed the maximum they set.

My job is like a pipe line. While you are filling it up your numbers are too low but once you hit your numbers you’ve opened the flood gates and can’t shut it off. Last week was the week after Easter so these number crunchers predicted it would be slow. It was not. The result is that I had to choose between work and a personal life. That was not supposed to happen under their reorganization. Don’t get me wrong. Its a good job, pays well and allows me to have the life style I want, It just gets very intense this time of year,

What does that mean for my blog? Basically I’m writing this boring post at 6:30 am so you can be in the loop about what is going on. I don’t know if I can maintain my daily blogging schedule. I’m certainly going to try.

Today is very gray and cloudy. Not the kind of day that inspires adventures but I’m going to try to get out and about anyway. Looks like we’re going to have a good whale watch season this year too. Cape Cod is buzzing with all kinds of whales already and it’s still early in the season. Captain John’s Whale Watching counted over 20 humpbacks on a recent trip! So there’s lots of activities in the personal pipeline too. I can only ask that you bear with me on this tough patch.

Are any bloggers that follow me interested in doing a guest blog? If so shoot me an email at aroundustyroads@comcast.net. I’ll be happy to return the favor when my work life returns to normal.

Dusty Roads Travel Blogger

 

You know Its Spring in Boston When

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How do you know its Spring in Boston?

Spring in Boston means different things to different people. To some it’s opening day at Fenway Park.  When the boys of summer come back north it must be spring, even if it snows. For others it’s the Boston Marathon, a 120 year tradition. For me we have to have the warm sunny days. And that’s just what we had on Marathon weekend.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p1007424062/h88341988#h88341988

It’s Spring so what did I see?

Taking the red line from Braintree, MA to the Park Street station in the heart of Boston is an adventure in itself. When I boarded the “T” the man seated across from me had his shoes off  and was stretched out over 3 seats. After a couple of stops he moved over to my side, still barefoot. Then he began calling out the stations. That amused him for one or two stops. After that he began trying to light things on fire with a disposable lighter. I kept a close eye on him until he finally left the train. My stop came next…Park Street.

Protesters, Police and the State House

As soon as I came up from the underground I spotted the protesters. These aren’t organized  protests but the end of the world type protesters. They always seem a little crazy to me. Today there were 3 protesters and a self appointed minister, each taking  a turn sharing their messages.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p1007424062/h88341988#h8833e229

As I took in this spectacle a mob of bicyclists came flying around the corner. All decked out in their police  gear. I thought they would spread out through the Public Garden but no, they continued peddling down the path in a mass of blue and yellow.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p1007424062/h88341988#h8833e231

Leaving the chaos that is Park Street behind I trekked up the hill to the State House with it’s golden dome gleaming in the sun. The various sight seeing trolleys continuously stopping to drop off and pick up tourists. A costumed narrator explained the black regiment to any and all who would listen.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p1007424062/h88341988#h8833e233

On a Carousel, Fintstones and Dinos, and no lines or waiting

As I strolled on through the common I passed the Boston Carousel which was doing a splendid business.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p1007424062/h88341988#h8833e522

I paused when I heard a whistle blowing , then the pounding of feet and there came a dinosaur chasing men dressed as Fred  Flintstone and women as Betty and Wilma.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p1007424062/h88341988#h8833e82c

Must be a Bedrock Road race.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p1007424062/h88341988#h8833e59f

But I got the biggest laugh when I spotted what was surrounding the playing field near the Boston Common Garage.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p1007424062/h88341988#h88334551

Row after row of Port-a -potties. There’s be no lines and no waiting here! Ahhh Spring in the city! What could be better?

 

How I met a Full Time Traveler

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How I met a Full Time Traveler

Last week I took a few hours off  from work to take a class at the Boston Center for Adult Education. http://www.bcae.org/Located on Arlington Street near the Arlington T stop on the Green Line.  I took a class there a few years ago and it was an excellent experience even if I haven’t used the skill set I was working on. Now I was back again to meet the Boston Blogger, Brittany from Boston http://brittanyfromboston.com/; a full time traveler and blogger.

Who is Brittany from Boston?

Brittany is a full time traveler whose home base is Boston. Her blog is full of the places she’s been and hints for things to do and see. She first came to my attention when she was interviewed by a TV news station. She is young. I mean seriously young, I won’t reveal her age even if I knew it but I’d say under 30.

Boston Swan Boat, Public Garden

Like  I said, Brittany travels full time and I want to know how she does it. Not how in the sense of booking her trips but how can she afford it with no income? Did she win the lottery or something? Was she independently wealthy?  Inquiring minds want to know!

According to the news report she quit working 2 years ago to begin her international adventure. I immediately signed up for her blog and bought her E book. Its free to sign up for the blog but the E book is $9.99. If everyone who discovers her blog buys her book she could be making a tidy sum there.

The Budget Travel Class

The class wasn’t about Brittany so much as it was about how to keep travel expenses under control. I know quite a few tricks but I don’t always use them so I wanted to see if I could get any new ones as well as meet Brittany in person. So here I was  on a Thursday afternoon heading into the BCAE in Boston.

The class was small which allowed for a lot of personal interaction with Brittany. Her tips ran from the obvious…like traveling on a “shoulder” season to the more unusual like “couch surfing”.  She told of staying in Hostels all over the world, some for as little as $5.00/per day. On one adventure she work on a yacht to pay her way.   She shared photos from her journeys and stories of her trips and some misadventures. Of course, like a good TV show, everything worked out fine. She was standing in front of us all in one piece.

Conclusion

I can’t tell you her specific tips because  then I’d be stealing her lesson plan. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed her class and enjoyed meeting this extraordinary young lady. Times sure have changed since I was her age! (For the better)

Grand Canyon

Let’s all keep traveling!