Outside Austin city limits

I'm headed over to the UT Center for Space Research (next to MCC) this morning to give a presentation to NASA-JSC, UT and Baker-Hughes folks. Then on to Washington, DC this afternoon... still haven't finished my slides for Thursday, but I'll do them on the plane.

Yesterday I had a lovely afternoon with Nancy, and Greek food for lunch (it had been years, cuisine-wise... ;). Minneapolis was relatively balmy for January, almost above freezing ;-). But both airplanes yesterday were delayed due to mechanical problems.

Doesn't surprise me ;^)

According to an article in the D-section of today's USA Today, squirrels have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any animal.

(from Houston airport)

Home-like

Yesterday, in Minneapolis, I reflected that it felt home-like... not quite *home*, but comfortable, oriented and familiar, supportive. Then I wondered what places felt the same to me... and why. Places where I've lived... or where I've visited often, if there are friends there. Knowing my way around, being able to recognize some local landmarks, having local favorite restaurants or shops... these all contribute. Having a partner there contributes greatly.

For me, Atlanta is much different than when I grew up there, but my blood relatives are there and there are still enough landmarks for it to feel home-like. Boston still feels kind of home-like, but that's slowly fading. Edmonton now has a warm familiarity for me after 6 years of summer stopovers and having a cluster of friends there. Minneapolis has 5 years of visits and Nancy... I find myself even adopting Minnesotan-isms speaking when I'm there now. That's *interesting*... ;-). And St. Petersburg, FL is familiar and has Pat's mother there.

It isn't just frequent visits, though... there has to be some compatibility, some sense of support of the culture. I've lived for weeks in Houston, and visited many times, but it still doesn't feel home-like, it's a largely alien culture to me. Edmonton feels closer to home, figuratively, than Houston.

On the other hand, tonight I arrived in northern Virginia at Dulles Airport, drove down route 28, and it felt comfortable. When I saw geekchick's complex's gates tonight, I smiled and felt strangely at home again. patgreene and I used to live in McLean, a few miles east, and we loved it there. And someone dear to me lives here :-), as well as having friends further afield.

On the different-but-related issue of hospitality... I was impressed this evening by my hotel, the Ritz-Carlton in Tyson's Corner. Rooms here don't come with in-room coffeemakers... I always have to call housekeeping and request one. This time... when I checked in, I recognized the clerk, who said "welcome back!" without even looking at my file. A coffeemaker was already in the room, with cream and china, the bed was turned down and there was a small chocolate-raspberry cake on the desk. Impressive... a bit scary that a hotel knows me that well.