Rooms with (and without) a View . . .

I was in New York for the ASJA Conference last weeked. A great experience. But I had two different views of the city from various rooms. One came thanks to a friend of mine who recommended a hostel on the Upper West Side that is undoubtedly one of the cheapest private rooms in the city, charging $50 per night. Proof that you get what you pay for. Here's the view from that room:


The other came compliments of Bill Dyszel, who hosts a party for ASJA members at his penthouse in Manhattan on Saturday night:

A Sunday Drive in Virginia

April 15, 2007
3:23 p.m.
Photo taken through the window of my rental car as I was driving on the Highlands Parkway (Hwy. 58) crossing Mount Rogers Recreation Area in western Virginia.

On a tour of The Crooked Road, a rustic highway that crosses a number of great bluegrass destinations, I ran smack dab into a nasty nor'easter that dumped three inches of fresh snow on the road. Cars were spun out and abandoned on the road, and my rented Dodge 300 barely made it over the 3,600-foot passes. Just goes to show that a Sunday drive can quickly turn into an adventure!

P.S. Yeah, I still had one hand on the wheel and had the vehicle (mostly) under control at all times. Kids, don't try this at home . . .

St. Paul, Minnesota on April 11 at 9:12 a.m.

Shot this image out of my office door this morning. Selling Minnesotans on the importance of reducing greenhouse gases isn't going to be easy today . . .