Road Trip Home: Family Take One!

We have finished Max's Dream and are now back in Cincinnati. The Dream ended as we packed up our apartment and headed out. So this blog is now in transition and over the next few posts will evolve into our life in Cincinnati. In addition, we've changed the name and the picture to reflect these changes, but the blog link will remain the same.

Part of the reason for us leaving San Francisco was that P&G, who was paying my rent, changed their strategy and decided to move out of pharmaceuticals focusing on consumer healthcare (Vicks, Metamucil, Pepto Bismol, and more). Consequently, there wasn't much use for me to be looking for new opportunities for P&G in the pharmaceutical business. So Procter pulled me home.

So this new blog takes up where Max's Dream left off. We will start with our trip home to Cincinnati with stops in Las Vegas to see Brandy, the Grand Canyon, and Tulsa to see Granddad Frank & Fay, and Brother Bill & Ellen, and Niece Tracy and grand nephew and niece, Kyle and Becca.


With the change in focus at P&G, a downsizing is also in order and Mother Procter decided to try to downsize by offering separation packages to a great number of it's pharmaceutical employees, me included. It was an attractive package and worth consideration. The bottom line is that I did apply for a job at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, but I didn't fit their needs, so I turned down P&G's package and will be employed there at least for the near future. The interview process at Children's forced me to leave Max in San Francisco on December 4 as the movers were loading our stuff into the truck so I could do the interview with Children's in Cincinnati on December 5. So I flew to Cincinnati and Max made sure everything got put in the truck and then drove the Civic the first 300 miles of the trip to Bakersfield, Ca. where she met up with Marianne, Reeder and Hayes. But that's her story to tell, and I'll chime back in with the next blog at the next stop in Las Vegas at Brandy's house.

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE ROOM SERVICE! OH HOW I DO LOVE ROOM SERVICE! And I do believe Reeder is loving it too!

Marianne and the babes drove up from San Clemente to meet me at Bakerfield- And we "stayed in"- stayed in a GIANT family suite and ordered ROOM SERVICE and the In Room Movie. Now that's really living!


It looks like they ordered enough for six or seven! Maybe a couple of those were for the dogs.

Now in case you are wondering- this is my idea of a good time- not Don's! And had he been along you can be sure that there would have been NO ROOM SERVICE. But Don wasn't along. So I did exactly as I pleased- and speed dialed to the kitchen- and we had dinner- And breakfast. She's right. I don't do room service, ever. I have never found it enjoyable to get food that is delivered less than hot, sit on an uncomfortable chair at a desk to eat, not have any recourse is something isn't right or they forgot something, like the salad dressing for my salad, have to pay an up charge of 20% just to get it to the room and then another 20% on top of that as a tip for the person that brings it 40 minutes to an hour after I ordered it. Just exactly what is the good part about that?

Now I'm not sure if Hayes was appropriately impressed- But there was plenty of space to show off his increasing mobility...


And there were great big comfy beds with plenty of room for everyone...


And Reeder showed me her somersault- not crooked a bit!

And then we went to Toys R Us to pick out toys for Christmas. As you might imagine Reeder was a great help. (And I hear that her Dad is LOVING all the little food pieces we got for her kitchen at home- why I think there was over 100 plastic parts!) Good Grief! We bought all of that? That looks more like the truck the Marines use when they collect toys for tots!

And then lunch at a Mexican Restaurant (I am missing all the great Mexican Restaurants already).

And is there a cuter mug!?!