Trip Log 1.2

Star Date 3/7/16

Monday 

This is how we do conference calls on the road. Notice my fun colored pencils for my Bible study and the postcards for the kids and grandkids!

I worked with my headphones on while Rachel and Ron talked with engineering and marketing back in Texas. I wore headphones because their conversations are really boring! Plus, if I’d listened, I wouldn’t understand anything they discussed anyway. It’s not because their discussions are top secret and they’re afraid I’d spill the beans to the enemy. In case you were wondering.

After they left to see customers, I went to the hotel workout room. My goal on this trip is to spend some time exercising each day. Yesterday we walked around the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Today I did some stretches, push-ups, crunches, and walked on the treadmill. Plus, I took the stairs each time I went down to the lobby. I only took the stairs up once. But every little bit helps, right?

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Star Date 3/8/16

Tuesday 

Today was an unusual day: seven customer visits in one day! Ron said it’s a record!

He also said he needed me to help load and unload equipment to assure we could make all the appointments on time. Unfortunately, I’m not much help with the heavy lifting, but the rep sure was! We made it to all seven appointments, and the engineers and contractors were very interested in the products.

In the morning, I walked around downtown Buffalo. I took pictures for my photography class.

I strolled along the waterfront while Ron and the rep visited an engineering group late in the day. I stopped to talk to a young Marine who had parked his bike to pay his respects at the military memorials. I told him I’m a Marine mom. He told me he’s still struggling a bit since getting out, but trying to do the right things like spending time with other combat vets, using the G.I. Bill to finish college, getting counseling, and cycling with vets who also use that as therapy. He sounded like another Marine I know. I enjoyed talking with him.

Tonight I will pray both of them. And for all those who serve our nation.

 

Military memorial at the waterfront in Buffalo, New York

 

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Star Date 3/9/16

Wednesday 

I spent the morning in a hotel in Syracuse while Ron met with customers. I took the stairs down and UP twice! Third floor! I spent some time working on my Photography 101 assignment, did some Joshua homework, and prayed for the families of some men I overheard in the hotel restaurant.

After lunch Ron and I stopped in Vestal, New York, to ride our bikes. It was a beautiful seventy-five degrees but very windy, so we didn’t ride very far, only twelve miles. But it was a fun ride.

 

Rail Trail in Vestal, NY

 

We drove to Secausus, New Jersey, and got there fairly late. Too late to do anything but crawl into bed. Along the way we stopped in a small town so Ron could print documents, sign them, and Fed Ex them to somebody important. I have no idea who, what, where, or why.  I don’t suppose I would make a very good reporter.

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Star Date 3/10/16

Thursday 

Secaucus, NJ. If I climbed on the roof, I could see NYC from our hotel! But I didn’t climb on the roof. And I didn’t see New York City.

I did climb down and up four flights of stairs three times today – once each for breakfast & dinner and once to help Ron with something in the trailer. Other than that, I stayed in the room. I did not exercise.

Mr. Migraine came back for a visit, so I’ve been taking it easy today, mostly resting in a dark room. Sad, since I’m just an Uber ride away from the city that never sleeps.

Ron took an Uber ride. First he worked on emails, presentations, and other boring business stuff at the desk in our room from before breakfast through mid-afternoon. I’m not sure what all he does on the phone and computer, but he does it nonstop. Every once in a while, he does a little happy dance. It must mean he got an order or a rep did what he asked. Maybe I’ll record it and figure out how to upload it to YouTube for the world to see.

After he’d done his happy dance a few times, he took Uber into Midtown to meet with customers and is staying to have dinner. They are celebrating a big year in 2015 and securing a really big order recently. It’s an order they wouldn’t have gotten without me, but Ron forgets that part and didn’t take me to the celebration. I keep reminding him of that time on Long Island when I convinced a school facilities manager that Magic Aire Unit Ventilators were the best in the industry. But here I sit with my Lean Cuisine dinner while he is dining on steak in NYC.

(I am woman hear me whine!)

Ok, so the truth is that I played a very tiny role in getting the order. And he thanked me for helping. So I have no reason to whine at all. None. Nada. Zip. Zero.

The real reason I didn’t go tonight is that it’s a working dinner and no other spouses were invited. It is just the top people from the rep firm and Ron talking unit ventilators and air handlers.

Sometimes it’s not appropriate for me to join him for business dinners. I’m okay with that. I glad for the times I am able to join him. I try to be gracious and represent the company well. On the road, I sometimes get to eat nice meals in nice restaurants with nice people. Other times, I microwave something from the hotel gift shop. 

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Star Date 3/11/16 

Friday 

Wake up call was at 5:00 a.m.

We had to be in Philadelphia for meetings at 8:30 and still had to pack and hook up the trailer.

Plus, the early bird gets the coffee mug:

 

New Jersey You Are Here Mug

 

Two great meetings with engineers on Friday ended a very successful week!

During one meeting I took a long walk to shoot some pictures for my photography class. I walked a little over a mile. Yeah me! Even with a headache I got a bit of walking in. I exercised every day this week, except yesterday when I felt so bad.

Here is Ron showing the equipment near Philadelphia.

Ron explaining the features of a self-contained unit ventilator to an engineering group in Pennsylvania.

 

It’s my job to take pictures of at least a few of the demos each trip. Ron likes to have proof to show his investors that he really does work on these trips. (As an accountant, I think the proof is in the financial statements. But I’m just the wife. What do I know?)

After lunch we drove about sixty miles to Egg Harbor Township near the Jersey Shore, where we will stay this weekend. Ron had lots of phone calls and emails to take care of once we checked into our room. An early Thai dinner was followed by his well-deserved appointment at Massage Envy.
Thirteen customer visits across three states plus one bike ride and one You Are Here mug. Not a bad week. Not bad at all. 

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Star Date 3/12/16

IT’S THE WEEKEND!

Ron slept past sunrise in the Rockies!

No we are not in the Rockies; we are in New Jersey. I was trying to be cute.

I’m glad he got to rest this morning. Last weekend he drove more than fourteen hundred miles to get Buffalo, NY, then spent Sunday morning working on the trailer and paperwork before we got to play in Canada for a few hours.

This weekend we don’t have to drive anywhere! Im excited that we get to stay in the same hotel three nights in a row! Ron still has, as he puts it, a boat load of work to do. We don’t have a boat, but at least we get to sleep in the same place for a while.

A big breakfast at IHOP was followed by running errands and little shopping. Nothing exciting, but we picked up a few necessities.

By the way, did you know that in New Jersey you go right to turn left? They have these loops to help with traffic flow. You loop right to go left. Yep, I was totally confused, but it’s true!

img_1063
Sign for left turn in New Jersey

 

You can see the loop in this picture.

 

When you come out of the loop, you must go straight, so you have now completed your left turn, by looping right.

 

I wish I could tell you all about our bike ride along the Jersey Shore!

Unfortunately, I am still fighting a migraine with dizziness and nausea. Yuck! If any of you have experienced these, you understand that riding a bicycle while suffering a migraine is not a great idea.

Ron worked all afternoon while I slept in a dark room.

We had an early supper. Ron did laundry then worked some more more while I went to bed early. I wasn’t a lot of fun or a lot of help today.

I’m glad he loves me for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, in Texas and in Jersery. 

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Star Date 3/13/16

We had breakfast at the hotel then attended Faith Presbyterian Church. It was a sweet service and we met kind people.

Afterwards, Ron dropped me at an Urgent Care center across from the hotel. The headache was worse today. The doctor gave me steroids and new meds that he thinks will help with my pain! Glory!

I’m going to nap while Ron works. A recurring theme this weekend.

I wish I’d felt better and we could have ridden bikes and played all weekend, instead Ron got lots of work finished while I rested. So maybe it worked out for the best. I appreciate how kind he’s been to me. He loves me well.

It’s been a rainy weekend at the Jersey Shore. I hope we can come back some time when both my health and the weather are better!

Tomorrow we head to D.C. where I get to have lunch with a fun friend! But that story will be in next week’s Trip Log. Stay tuned for more adventures from the Magie Aire Road Show!

 

One lasr picture of Ron showing equipment. This was in Buffalo.


cycling, exercise, humor, joy, New Jersey, New York, Starbucks You Are Here Collection, travel, YAH Mug


KathleenBDuncan

I write about my life, my journey, my family, and my faith. I am wife to one, mom to seven with one in heaven, and grandmother to many. I am also full-time caregiver to my stepmom E who suffers from dementia due to Alzheimer’s. In my spare time I like to read, travel, crochet, bike, and play with our black pug Molly.

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