Layover adventures

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Ok this one is dorky, my mom the artist asked me to look for certain paints she can’t get in MN anymore (turns out cadmium is toxic) so on a long BOS layover I went out to an art store in Cambridge and found what she wanted. Also had a very satisfactory bagel and cup of coffee on the way back. Absolutely love Boston.
 
(turns out cadmium is toxic)

So, here is my problem with this. Yes, things can be toxic, and sometimes it's the product, and sometimes its the process. But regardless, you can't apply a black and white policy because sometimes the only replacement blows (if there is one at all), and it's process is worse.

There was a VERY ugly rumor running around that the foam protection shedding issue on the the Shuttle was caused by a mandate from the EPA to switch chemistries. If it is indeed true, then you draw a direct line correlation to bad things happening. Sometimes a stinky process is the ONLY way to make something that works they way it should, whether it's foam, paint, medication or otherwise, and sometimes the alternative (if there is one), collectively, is much worse or makes the product unusable for its intended purpose.

Yes, you should understand the process, and yes, stinky stuff should be identified and corralled to the extent possible, but to make omelets, you break eggs, and you burn some trees to move up the tech tree.
 
So, here is my problem with this. Yes, things can be toxic, and sometimes it's the product, and sometimes its the process. But regardless, you can't apply a black and white policy because sometimes the only replacement blows (if there is one at all), and it's process is worse.

There was a VERY ugly rumor running around that the foam protection shedding issue on the the Shuttle was caused by a mandate from the EPA to switch chemistries. If it is indeed true, then you draw a direct line correlation to bad things happening. Sometimes a stinky process is the ONLY way to make something that works they way it should, whether it's foam, paint, medication or otherwise, and sometimes the alternative (if there is one), collectively, is much worse or makes the product unusable for its intended purpose.

Yes, you should understand the process, and yes, stinky stuff should be identified and corralled to the extent possible, but to make omelets, you break eggs, and you burn some trees to move up the tech tree.
Every case should be evaluated on its own merits. We managed to make a lot of progress on ozone deterioration without collapsing the western industrial base. On the one hand if a slightly dotty septuagenarian artist who’s already survived breast cancer wants to take that risk for the sake of more brilliant red, it’s not really anyone’s business. On the other, there’s probably a case to be made for keeping the washing up out of the water cycle.
 
Anyone know any good places to eat at the Houston airport? I ate at the airport Marriott and it was OK but I’m hopeful there is some super cool restaurant in one of those exciting international jet set airline terminals. Not the one my regional uses.
 
Tuesday: long SAN layover. Got (not Tex) Mexican food for lunch, then took the bus to Balboa Park where I played a round of frisbee golf with a friendly local, then walked over to the natural history museum (I get in free with a museum membership I have).

Wednesday, in MCO I found out from my captain that our short stay hotel has a 9 hole frisbee golf course about a 5 minute walk away so I played it. Only good thing about an MCO layover.

Should have taken some more pictures, all I got was someone else’s lost and found frisbee and a crappy picture of a lizard hiding behind a sign.

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Next time you're in SAN and feel like getting some steps in, try this place. I think it's cash only. Been a few years since I've been there. Long walk but worth it. Bonus you swing kind of by two breweries along the walk depending on the route you take and there is another if you cross under the interstate.

 
When I had 19hours in PDX, I rented a car and drove down the Columbia River Gorge and made it all the way out to Multnomah Falls. realized I needed to quit stopping at every waterfall otherwise I wouldn’t make it back in time for show time.
If you get another one of those, let me know and I will give you more recommendations.
 
Anyone know any good places to eat at the Houston airport? I ate at the airport Marriott and it was OK but I’m hopeful there is some super cool restaurant in one of those exciting international jet set airline terminals. Not the one my regional uses.

I would take an Uber to Chuy's for some Tex-Mex.
 
Anyone know any good places to eat at the Houston airport? I ate at the airport Marriott and it was OK but I’m hopeful there is some super cool restaurant in one of those exciting international jet set airline terminals. Not the one my regional uses.
There is a surprisingly good ramen place in Terminal C I think - Little Purse, I think it’s called? Or something like that. It’s near a Starbucks in the airport. I was pleased with it.
 
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I went over to INTREPID the other day. I would consider MIDWAY the superior carrier aviation museum by far, but it was still fun, and going aboard both a Regulus submarine and Concorde was grand. My tour of the submarine was compressed because a very pushy very loud family (seriously, they could be heard in Polyarny and in Pearl) were right behind me, but the boat was fascinating to see.

And I got good Concorde pictures too.

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And a thing.
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11 hr layover. I also got the airport ID mixed up since I was so tired: IAH. Just hoping that in all those terminals there would be something nice.
There is nothing nice inside the IAH airport.

About the only place tolerable is the employee cafeteria somewhere in the end of the E concourse with the Papadeaux’s restaurant in the overhead.

Just need a crew badge to go down there. No code for the elevator. Just a place to get away from the general public crowd if your airline doesn’t have a crew room there if you’ve got several hours to appreciate the IAH airport.
 
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