4 – November – 2006 – Renton Community Update

A month ago I wrapped up my work on my latest management assignment, and transitioned from a position that was the most travel intensive I’ve ever held. Ironically, all this business travel came at a time when I was also making numerous vacation trips with the family (visiting Katie in Orlando, taking Andy on a senior trip to Europe, going with Cathy to see our exchange students in Tokyo, etc.), so the airports all fade together at this point.

All told, I made four trips to Japan, three to Taiwan, one to South Korea, one to Singapore, four to Germany, one to Austria, one to Sweden, and one to France. I also visited New York City, New Orleans, Mobile, Atlanta, Orlando, and Las Vegas. This does not include the transfer stops and layovers at Denmark, England, Neatherlands, and Tokyo so many times that Narita feels like a second home to me.

Some highlights were showing Tokyo to Cathy, and Paris to my son Andy. Cathy and I also had fun taking in shows on Broadway and in Las Vegas, and experiencing the last pre-Katrina New Orleans Mardi Gras (including The Preservation Hall Jazz Band). Also, catching up with our exchange students in Japan numerous times really makes them seem like family, and they were always such gracious hosts and tour guides. At one point our student Kishiyo joined me on my return trip to Seattle, to visit with our family again.

Other cool memories were staying in the Imperial Hotel where Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimagio honeymooned, and in Taipei adjacent to Taipei 101, the tallest builidng in the world. I missed Brad Pitt by a day at the Repongi Hyatt in Tokyo , but my collegues who arrived a day earlier caught up with him in the business lounge, as he was promoting the opening of Helen of Troy. I also got upgraded to a super fancy $4000 per night suite (or should I say ‘sweet’) in Taipei -one Nicholas Cage had just stayed in- after they ran out of stadard Business-class rooms.

I managed to vist all the world’s Disney Theme parks in one year, in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris, and Tokyo. (before they opened the new one in Hong Kong.)

Here are some of my favorite photos from these journeys..