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Showing posts from February 26, 2012

100 and Done! (Countries that is...)

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We are back! This last trip brought the total countries visited to 100! It is a crazy milestone. It is difficult, time-consuming and can be (IS) expensive. After I got back from Antarctica in 2007, I started thinking about it. After 2010 I was thinking about it more (as I moved from NY to Georgia) and in 2014 it had become a real goal. Between Angie and I we have been to 109 Countries. We are tied at 100 countries each. We have 9 countries different in our lists. For example, I have been to San Marino. She has not. She has been to Israel. I have not, yet. There has been some fun competition in this area. That's why we had to establish rules. 1.) Must be listed (as a country) with the US State Department 2.) Being in an airport doesn't count. You have to get through immigration somehow and not in a DMZ or a no-mans-land 3.) A passport stamp is not required. I have been to Canada, Paraguay, and Uruguay without getting my passport stamped. There are friendly borders in many places...

Dachau Concentration Camp Visit

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I had the opportunity to visit the Dachau concentration camp near Munich Germany a couple weeks back over the weekend. I found the visit to be enlightening and moving. It was a solemn experience thinking about the mindset of 70 years ago and the nature of war. The thing I did not expect was that I could faintly smell rotten flesh in the crematorium -gas chamber area. Some stink never comes out I guess. "Brausebad" is "showers" where people were apparently gased with Zyklon B gas instead of geting hosed down as they thought they would be. I will be in Atlanta for the next 6 weeks (I think).
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I knew I might out-do myself on this most recent trip. It has been a busy-busy trip and complicated. Thankfully, I really did not have any significant travel or meeting disruptions. I am currently in NY and headed back to ATL tonight. I have been away from Atlanta for 17 days. Although, I liked the bed in one of the hotels in Italy, I am looking forward to my favorite bed in Duluth. I am staying at Douglas and Becky's in Lisle NY. It has been pleasant. We have moved a lot off the farm into storage. It is good to see horses on the farm. There is nothing sadder than a farm without animals. The truck front right wheel bearing is about to totally fail. I have just a couple more trips to make today. I will need a little luck, but the contingencies are coming clear. Knock on wood, I can complete my mission with it today. Ian is shown wearing a carnavale mask from Venice Italy playing with his turtle flute from rural Argentina. Friday I had a productive meeting in Detroit with a ...