Coasting...

The view for part of my daily commute.

I'm taking a break from my NATO series. Sometimes a series can be taxing for the reader (no, not another NATO post) and sometimes taxing for the writer (have I told that story before, better go look). Variety is indeed, the spice of life. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

So, I've been working these odd hours, roughly noon to nine in the evening as after five is the best time to get access to the equipment we need. The day shift guys are doing things of a higher priority and it is, after all, their equipment. It's no use trying to get everyone in there at the same time as sometimes what we want to do screws up their testing. So we improvise, we adapt, we overcome. (With apologies to Gunny Highway.)

I suggested the classic second shift (swings we called it back in the day) starting at 1500 and running to midnight, but some of the team are still young and have lives. I'm old and decrepit, it's just me, The Missus Herself, and the two cats. So I can pretty much work any shift. The cats and the wife really don't mind. As long as I keep getting paid, we're all happy.

Anyhoo. Over the last couple of months the state has been performing some much needed maintenance on the Mount Hope Bridge which runs between Bristol (where I live) and Portsmouth (where I work). So from time to time traffic is one way and we motorists have a few moments to contemplate life and take pictures (like that one above).

Here's the bridge as seen in Google Earth (a thing I love to play with, in case you're interested) -

Bristol at the top, Portsmouth at the bottom. Google Earth

During the summer it's a joy to live in this area (even with the bridge work), for the most part it ain't that shabby in the winter either. Sure, it gets a little cold from time to time and we see some snow now and again. But it's relatively mild compared to what I grew up with in Vermont, experienced in Korea, Colorado, and Nebraska. Not bad at all, all things considered.

Yes, the politics in this state are a bit further left than I care for but the screaming hotbed of progressivism is more towards Providence, which I avoid like the plague. For that matter, most of that crap is only seen on the news and in the papers (those which still exist). It's not something one sees day to day. We avoid politics at work, though there are a fair number of conservatives where I work, defense industry, go figure, so many of us are of like mind, so to speak.

Speaking of Google Earth, when I loaded it up earlier, I was presented with this -

Google Earth

Obviously I didn't have to wait quite that long for it to load. (ICSFTH)

So life goes on, I have my health, two of the grands are in town and The Nuke and her beau (along with the grand-dogs) will be in town for the Fourth. Things are good.

One thing I should mention about Little Rhody, there are a crap ton of decent restaurants in the area and they are open year round (southern coastal Maine has a lot too, but many of them close in the winter). Places where you can get this -

I do like a good porter and Aidan's is a superb Irish pub. The beer menu and that sign on the back wall tell the story pretty well. Okay, the food is good too, the bangers and mash, the fish and chips, I'd match them against any other place. No, really. You haven't really lived until you've had their 14 ounce sirloin with Irish whiskey gravy. It tastes as good as it sounds!

So, enjoy your Sunday, I shall be relaxing and enjoying life.

Not a bad view to have when you're stuck in traffic!

Yup, life is good down by the pond...