Yes, we’ve officially ‘sprung forward’ and the days are getting longer! Today is March 21rst and it’s officially Spring-time here in Florida at least. I just looked at the news however, and the Northeast is expecting the biggest storm of the season this week! That’s one of the reasons I moved to Florida 20 years ago to get away from all the snow and ice mess.
Anyway, haven’t posted in a while since we got back from Singapore for Chinese New Year.
Last week I had a quick trip to Maryland for work, and while it was cold 30’s – 40’s F, at least there was no snow. I even made the ‘Top 50’ at the Hyatt Place Hotel at BWI Airport! 
At checkin the agent told me I was in the ‘Top 50’ and had no idea what she was talking about; turns out I was in the ‘Top 50’ of that hotel’s frequent guests! While I didn’t think I stayed there that much, I did get a complimentary snack – hey that’s something I wasn’t expecting.
My flight home from Baltimore was mid-day on Thursday, so I had plenty of time to visit the observation deck at BWI Airport. I hadn’t been there in years, though it looks more or less the same, although they did add a small bar and restaurant which is open in the evening. 
I love the view from up there; it’s a short elevator ride or walk up a couple flights of stairs, and there are various aircraft/airport displays on exhibit; best of all it’s free! 
There is a Boeing 737 that has been disassembled, and you can view the cockpit and flight attendant station, the first class seats mock-up – showing just how much space is actually underneath your sitting area; i.e. for cargo, the aircraft wings, and even an actual engine from a Boeing 747 jumbo jet.
There is also a huge mural of the approach to BWI Airport on one wall, while the opposite wall has floor to ceiling windows showing the aircrafts at the gate and planes taking off and landing in the distance. 
The observation deck at BWI is really a fun and informative place to spend some time waiting for your flight, and it was very quiet when I went around noon. It is before security, so do allow enough time before your flight to make it to your gate though.
Back at home in Florida, on the job front, the company I work for has finally been acquired by another major company. It’s been in the works for a year, and has finally been completed; now we shall see how this pans out. For now there’s lots of decisions on the benefits packages, most importantly the many health care options. As fate and timing would have it, I’ve had a series of tests my cardiologist has had me do, and it’s right during this merger, so my health insurance is on the verge of two different health plans, which temporarily means deductibles out of both plans until they get merged together; hence high out of pocket for me. A CT scan yesterday was $1350, but it’s a small price to pay for diagnosing potential issues. These tests were mostly evaluation-type tests, but as I’m 55 it’s definitely the right thing to do. My stress test came back normal, so hopefully the others will too.
The last couple weekends we’ve met with out of town guests visiting Orlando, so we stayed over to meet them for dinner at the Orlando Hyatt one weekend, 
and the Hilton Lake Buena Vista Palace last weekend. 
I’ll finish up this post for now as it’s getting late, while the next post will be from Disney World during the Flower and Garden Festival. Bye for now, and to my friends and family up north – stay warm!