Category Archives: Random

Culture, Holidays, Lifestyle, Random, Travel

One Day in St. Andrews, Scotland

In addition to being the birthplace of golf and the sport’s equivalent of Mecca, St. Andrews, Scotland, is an entirely charming town that begs to be photographed.

My first stop was St. Andrews Links, where both the lawns of the Old and New courses pop in vibrant green against the wind-swept beach, called the West Sands.

A very short stroll from the Links, the beach was my next stop. The West Sands are familiar from the film “Chariots of Fire”. With summer twilight lasting for hours, this two-plus mile long beach captured my imagination.

Looking back toward town from the beach, the rows of charming Victorian, neo-gothic and Norman houses built of ancient stone beckon.

As I toured around the delightful neighborhoods in St. Andrews, I met a group of men wearing traditional kilts. They had just come from a Scottish country dancing festival and were heading to a nearby pub for a well-earned pint.

Holidays, Lifestyle, Random, Travel

How to Find the Best Seat on the Airplane

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You’ve spent a wad of hard-earned cash on an airplane ticket. Now where to sit? Don’t leave it to the airline to decide because chances are you’ll end up in the middle of a row that doesn’t recline. There are several resources to to use that can help you land the best seat available.

There are two free web sites to visit for seat maps: seatguru.com and seatexpert.com. Seatguru’s graphical interface is slightly easier on the eyes, but both offer seat maps of individual aircrafts operated by most airlines. They show graphical layouts of the cabins and pros and cons for various seats on the plane as reported by passengers.

  • Tip #1: You’ll need to know which type of plane the airline will be using on your flight. You can generally find this information in your reservation.

To see seat maps on specific flights that show which seats are occupied or not, try expertflyer.com. This site is not free (they charge a $4.99/month subscription fee), but you can access the information the first time by using their 5-day free trial. Armed with one of the free seat maps, you can also call the airline directly.

  • Tip #2: Remember FEBO (Front Even Back Odd) — This is how several major carriers, including American Airlines, take meal orders in premium class based on flight number. For Even flight numbers, meal order is taken from the Front, and for Odd flight numbers, meal order is taken from the Back. Pick your seat accordingly if you want to ensure your meal choice.
Health, humor, Lifestyle, Random

My Dog Scoots

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My dog scoots his butt across the floor.  I called the vet to find out why.  Turns out it’s called “expressing the anal glands”.  To stop him, the veterinary technician is going to clean out my dog’s butt.

How much does it cost to have someone stick their finger in my dog’s butt?  $18.75.

Downright reasonable.