Turner Travel Blog

Ballinger hunting

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:03:00 +0000

Had a blast in West Texas

-- Posted from my iPhone

Destin, Florida 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:07:00 +0000

We are having a blast and are too busy to be typing on a laptop all day. So I may not write another post for a few days. We rented a small cabana about 200 yards from the white sands of Destin. It rain most of the morning Sunday but cleared off for a beautiful day.
Here was our schedule Sunday (We will doing the exact the next five days) Crab Fishing, buying seafood, sitting on the beach, building sand castles, walking on the shores, cooking in the back yard, reading, sight seeing, and snorkeling.

We have found that or favorite activities at the beach include: digging giant holes in the sand, beach washers, wave riding, and watching people get sun burned.

New York Day Five

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:14:00 +0000

Special note: There is a main terminal at NY LaGuardia airport called "Terminal B." Within Terminal B there is a wing called "D."

If your taxi driver tries to drop you off at Terminal D (Delta's terminal) and you are flying American Airlines, don't believe him. It is a LONG walk/ride back to the correct terminal D.

Also, when you do take that long bus ride, get off at Terminal C because the driver does not stop at before mentioned terminal D.

I'm just saying!

New York Day Four

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:27:00 +0000

A fabulous day today. The weather was amazing, sunny, small breeze, and 80 degrees. After sleeping in a little, we decided to walk to Central Park with just a few shopping stops along the way.
The park was amazing and the amount of people using it was mind blowing too. I did not know how huge these piece of land was. Even with the tens of thousands of people there, there was plenty of room for everyone.
I did come to realize... I am not used to walking so much. The 8-10 miles I put on my body almost killed me late that evening. I was ready to see my bed at the end of the day.

New York Day Three

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:32:00 +0000

A fun day at training today. Went by very fast. They did not supply lunch today, so we walked to a street vendor and ordered hotdogs and water. $5.

It was sunny and 70 degrees, so we walked to Madison Square Garden and people watched for about an hour. There was a taxi line near us, so we saw thousands of people walk, stroll, run, and sit by us. Lots of stories, lots of faces.
The afternoon class was very hands on and we all passed our final exam with flying colors. So after a quick walk back to our hotel to drop off paperwork and bags, we headed to the subway and then to Brooklyn. There was a pizza place we wanted to try. A hole-in-the-wall but it has a line out the door. It was GREAT!
We decided to walk back to NY via the Brooklyn Bridge. It had an awesome view of the city and the weather was perfect.
After touring Ground Zero, we caught an outdoor film festival next to the harbor and then caught a subway home. I'm headed to bed!

New York Day Two

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:16:00 +0000

Great day today in the Big Apple. Our Convio training classroom is only about 2 blocks from our crib. Mike slept on the floor last night. We have 3 guys and two beds. So man rules require one of us sleep in the car or floor. It was surprisingly quiet last night. I never work up once.
Of course, as soon as we hit the front door, music, smells, noise, and the business hits you in the face. This city has a vibe and energy like no other place.
After a productive day learning about computer software, we headed back to Rockefeller Center to shop the NBC store. Then Mike met up with an old friend and Chris and I headed to ChinaTown via a taxi. We ate at a little hole-in-the wall place recommended by a guy we met. It was tiny and crowded... with a small line in the door.
We also hit Little Italy too. After a subway ride back to the hotel, we are now looking for a local establishment playing the Mavs game. It is on NBATV and not on our hotel cable.

New York Day One

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:28:00 +0000

Left Dallas this am with Mike and Chris and headed off to the Big Apple. We have been growing beards for a few weeks preparing for our big trip. We are here to study a new CMS for our organization's web software. The trip had been planned for months and was needed so we could wrap up a project we are in the middle of.

Landed and headed off to see the sights of the big city. Took about a 3 or 4 mile walk and saw a lot tonight. Madison Square Garden, Broadway, 34th street, Macy's, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Empire State Building, and lots of people. The sights and sounds of the city are "exactly" what I imagined. Lots of energy and lots to see. Truly an amazing place!

I am looking forward to the morning and our class. Should be fun to learn something new.

Nashville Day Four

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:14:00 +0000

Started off mighty early today. I took medicine and went to bed around 8pm last night. I have been wide awake since around 3am.

I gathered some stuff in the dark, dressed quietly, and headed out of the room around 3:30am. I've been in a nearby lobby for the past few hours watching a DVD on my laptop, watching the night crew clean the stairs and carpet, and thinking about NRB.
I really enjoyed NRB last year. This year, I haven't caught the spirit. I am not sure if is due to the fact that IFL has a good game plan for 2009 and I am not hearing anything that is challenging me to think further down the road. Or could it be that no one has a great idea what the future holds for Christian media?

I can't help from thinking about a few major points. Even though there is such thing as best practice and human nature, Christian giving comes from a different place than charts, graphs, data, and trends can document. And will the model built for Christian Radio/TV ministries morph to the Internet? Is the Internet just another leg on the stool or a whole new chair?

It is fun meeting people, hearing ideas, spotting trends, and learning the industry, but I am wanting to see clearly down the road. I guess I'm frustrated I can't do that right now.

So, I guess I will work on learning to walk with bisters on both heels and learning to talk with a sore throat. And just keep at the gameplan we have already established for the next year. Its sound.

Nashville Day Three

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 21:23:00 +0000

The morning started off great.. had a small breakfast buffett with Wayne and Bill at an artificial riverside cafe. Had theological discussions about the messages from the night before and philosophical discussions about ministries in general.

Bill and I attended a worship service. It was nice and had great music too.
I then headed to a cafe and asked for hot water and salt. I gargled for a few minutes to try and relieve this pain in the back of my throat. I'm not exactly sure but I am thinking a 10-12lb frog with sandpaper on its back, crawled into my throat last night and is break dancing in and around my sinuses. When I try to swallow, he puts his arms and legs against the walls of the opening and tries to block anything from passing, then kicks me a few times. I feel OK, but my throat is killing me.... did I say killing? Good, I meant it!

After the gargle, I went to a 2 hour lunch/meeting to discuss Convio, meet other ministries, and the Convio team. Great time, wish I felt better so I could interacted more and with a clear head.

I am now in bed for no other reason but to protect myself from talking to people... Did I mention I am in pain?

I wish I knew how to get medicine here. I need some sinus medicine BAD. Maybe a Z-pak! Are there bootleggers for this sort of thing?

Nashville Day Two

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:25:00 +0000

Woke up and worked out. I was out of breath before I even made it to the gym. This place is huge. I did get in a few miles at the treadmill and the stationary bike.

I then made a horrible discovery. 260 lbs will not fit into a 240 lbs black suit. I'm not sure if this suit will make it back into the closet in one piece. I feel like a teenager in a chicken suit holding a "Eat at Joe's" sign. I'm not naked but I feel out of place and know people are watching and shaking their heads in disbelief. :)
Today is the big day. www.insight.org won Best Ministry Website of the Year and we receive an award and have a photo op later today. More to come. (I have to go sign up for a Yoga class).

We received our NRB award. We had our picture taken with the president of NRB and we had a few famous people in the room with us.

After the photo op and a quick bite to eat, we headed to the General Opening session of NRB and sat on the third row. A great 2 hours. A Christian band, Salvador, played. Billy Graham's daughter, Anne, spoke, then Alistair Begg.

I am coming down with something. My throat is killing me. I also made a horrible mistake. I bought new shoes before I came and now have two giant blisters on my heels. I may "seriously" have to wear tennis shoes with my suits for the next 3 days. Otherwise, I will need to rent a wheel chair. I will see what kind of looks I can get from people when I mix suspenders with K-Swiss.

Nashville Day One

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:18:00 +0000

Back at NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) in Nashville Tennessee. We are at the Gaylord, right next to the Grand Ole Opry. This year was not as bad as "day one" last year. We didn't have to fight through delayed flights, icy weather, getting lost leaving the airport, and long lines at check-in.

It was smooth sailing from the time Bill picked me up in the driveway till tonight's viewing on our 30 anniversary DVD in our IFL suite.

Blue skies and 65 degree weather greeted us as we unloaded our bags and checked in. After unpacking, most of us went to the suite to help setup the furniture and electronics. Somehow I seem to always get the backseat in any vehicle I get in. I don't mind but as I get older and heavier, my body doesn't enjoy the positions I torque into.
Then an evening at a steakhouse capped off the night nicely. We enjoyed a nice evening of good food and told each other eccentricities about ourselves. I think I had the worst, but I am not surprised. The prime rib was one of the best I have ever eaten and I think I gained 4 lbs by just looking at the dessert. I need to thank Cynthia again.

The IFL Day One Crew

My Blog Spot

I am headed to bed and hope I wake up. I have a Canadian coming into the room after 10pm. Not sure what they do after dark. But I hope it doesn't involve watching hockey, calling moose, or singing their national anthem. Good night.

California Trip Day Seven

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:39:00 +0000

Thanksgiving Day at the Pearsons. I think we left the house only once to drop of some food for the homeless and run to the grocery store. The rest of the day we watched football, ate, talked with friends, ate, played Rock Band, ate, played Taboo, watched ESPN, ate, and took naps. It was a good day. Tanya had a well prepared day for everyone.

Our friends Leaf and Tina came by too

We had some great ham and turkey. Ron had the honor of cutting it.

Go Cowboys and Texas

Let's Eat!

California Trip Day Six

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:28:00 +0000

The Turner's and Pearson's ventured to Disneyland in Anaheim California today. It was pouring rain when we left La Canada but as we drove south, the clouds broke and we never saw or felt rain again. After arriving, we waited briefly for our friend Bob Dobilina to come out and give us some free Disneyland tickets. He is the head of the entrance/security (I think) and this is his second time to save us money at the theme park.
We put a whoopin on the two theme parks, Disneyland and California Venture. We got to ride about 90% of the rides we wanted and even road Pirates & water rapids twice. The kids held up really well. Zander was extremely nervous before most of the rides and then he ended up loving them all. I think he just needs to process the rides by watching them operate first. Rides inside buildings or mountains gave him a hard time.
My daughter, Addison, must have taken a brave pill. There was no ride off limits for her. She road a ride I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. She had a great time (and is still asleep this AM). Here is a video of our crew on the Matterhorn roller coaster. Notice the Scary Snowman.

We left around midnight to drive back north. Disneyland is a well oiled machine. Its clean, friendly staff, well run, organized, logical, very impressive. Its well worth the visit.

After a WET water ride

California Trip Day Five

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:13:00 +0000

Slow day in La Canada and the Pearson/Myer house. Zander, Gabe, and I went to a few hair cut places in the area. After poor Gabe got his hair butchered, Zander and I decided to venture over to another shop to get our ears lowered. Z likes his cut and so does his mommy.
After a few naps and a couple of backyard tetherball games we decided to travel to CityWalk at Universal Studios to watch the 3D movie "Bolt." My families bill was $61.00. Thats right. Not a misprint. The movie was great.

We went out to discover rain and decided a quick sit down at a mexican restaurant might be just the thing. However it was still raining when we got outside. So we made a quick dash down the walk, took some pictures, and headed back home.

California Trip Day Four

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:13:00 +0000

Busy day in Southern California. It started with a light breakfast and some laying around the house. The everyone (except mom) loaded up in two cars and drove to Pasadena to a Japanese resturant for some exciting cooking and conversation.
We then found "Flip Video Cameras" for $49 at Blockbuster. They are normally $149. We were so happy because we had been looking all over for them and willing to pay much more.
The girls and their mom's went to supper at the American Girl store at the Grove in Hollywood. I decided to take Gabe and watch a movie and hang out. We had a blast. We got to see Santa and take some pictures. Gabe informed him that he needed a new dog to replace C.J. Interestingly enough, Santa really did know where Gunter, Texas is and knew we received a lot of rain a while back.
We hung around the living room and watched Reagan entertain us with some shows and crazy talk! It looks like rain may effect our next few days. DisneyLand may be postponed. :(

California Trip Day Three

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:43:00 +0000

Just woke up at 5:30am LA time and tried to keep kids quiet for a few hours. We just had a great breakfast that Tippy made...
and are waiting for the Cowboy game. Its starts at 10am here. Crazy. Update: TO rocks. He is still good!

The kids are playing in the backyard. The weather is just great.

The afternoon plans are: nearby playground, LA friends dropping by to visit, maybe catch 3D movie Bolt, and series premier of 24! Just a day of hanging around and letting the body heal from 2 days in the car. Kids are having a blast playing in the yard and wii.

Just returned from the park. Mandy and I took the 5 kids about a mile up a hill. (I dang near needed an ice pick to venture my way up to the park. I think my fat heart hit 145 bpm) We played a great balancing game on a crooked beam. We rock! Zander schooled me in small rim "around the world" while I took him to the woodshed in big boy "around the world."
Dad and I are waiting to see if Jack Bower saves the world tonight!

California Trip Day Two

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:35:00 +0000

Not a lot to say here. We were in the car 90% of the day. Got to LA about 8:50pm Texas time.
We tried to stop at cool rest areas and get State Sign pictures. Arizona did not play very nice.
The sunset was beautiful while driving through Palm Springs. It was a nice drive once we entered into central California. We were ready to get out of the car and even more ready to see Aunt Tippy and the kids. Tanya did a great job preparing for the 1 week whirlwind. Can't wait for our crazy week to get started.

California Trip Day One

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:21:00 +0000

Left North Texas midday Friday (after watching Gabe's Thanksgiving program at CCA) and headed towards El Paso on I-10.
I drove most of the way with dad picking up the slack for a few hours. The iPhone has turned out to be a life saver. The GPS Map apps is awesome and the "near me" app told us about upcoming gas stations, places to eat, and hotels. The iPhone saved us $80 by allowing us to shop and drive 30 miles outside of El Paso.

The kids travelled great and watched movies in the car and listened to iPods. Mom wore her mask to keep lights from her eyes.
We stayed at a Red Roof inn next to a topless bar. Nice. I should have question things when the lady wanted to know if we needed our rooms by the hour or night.

Austin Day 1-4

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:32:00 +0000

Made the annual Convio trip to Austin. Convio Summit 2008. This year I went with Chris Baggett from Insight. Our trip to and from Austin down I-35 was great. The conference gave us opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people from many different non-profits. It is a wide range of people respresenting many causes. From save the whales, ban guns, pro choice, end tidal waves, free James Brown, and down with freedom. Even though IFL is technically a non-profit, I must constantly filter everything we hear (strategies and trends) knowing that we are a ministry and do not have traditional NP operations and goals.

Chris and I went to a few nice meals and watched the latest James Bond movie, the Convio/Austin tradition. Since I am on the Convio CAB, I was invited to go on a dinner cruise on Lake Austin right by downtown. It was a nice night full of nice scenery and good conversation.

My main memories of this trip include: Getting to know Chris better, Nice dinner conversations, CAB discussions, and Convio APIs.

2008 Convio CAB Group

Turner Trip Blog Details

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Thanks for checking out our family travel blog. It's a lot easier to update family and friends via a blog then to send out 20-30 emails each day of the trip. Read our daily synopsis and be sure to look at the videos and pictures linked below. I try to update them almost daily during our travels. Daily Pictures (Web Album) and Youtube Videos

London Day Nine

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:17:00 +0000

Finally, the rains came. The cool weather and heavy drizzle caused us to sleep in a little today. We finally decided to brave the weather and were so glad we did. The clouds never broke but the rain stopped and the winds died down.

We took the train into Victoria Station and walked to Buckingham Palace. The next four hours we filled with picture taking and being in awe of the massive structures before us.
We stopped back by Scott's house to say bye to their kids. We played Wii and I got my rear kicked in Bowling and boxing. We did OK on a trivia game... although we did not know the UK or many sports answers. We are packing for home right now.

London Day Eight

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:52:00 +0000

Long day around London today. Walked a lot and took almost 400 pictures. We ate at a Spanish restaurant and then saw the play Wicked at the West End. It is 1am and we are headed to bed.
We saw a lot of Hip Londoners in the Knotting Hill area. It seems to the the Melrose of London. 20 and 30 somethings dressing up in their hip outfits (Black of course) and shopping, sipping tea, and looking important.

Notes on fitting in on a London Subway:

1) Wear something black. Its like a giant funeral around here.
2) Listen to your i-pod. It doesn't matter if it on, but keep the earpieces in to avoid conversations with Americans.
3) Read a paper. There is a discarded tabloid on almost every seat.
4) Keep quiet. Only American tourist are loud. Not the British
5) When appropriate... cuss. The F-Bomb is no stranger to the British tongue.
I really like this city. It is full of old and new world nicely blended. The building are phenomenal, the people are beautiful, and the weather has been great. (I know that is is not normal) The whole experience has been epic. I feel we dove into the city life and into the country charm of England. From slow train rides in the country to the Underground subways within the city, we have seen a lot.

London Day Seven

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:12:00 +0000

Bill woke up with a sever limp in his left leg. I have no idea how his day went yet because he and Liza went a different direction than Mandy and I.

We headed to the trains and went all around the south of London. Down to the coast, over to the east, up towards London and back to our hotel about 30 minutes after dark. Its been a long day but full of interesting scenery.

We learned everything we needed to know about trains, schedules, tickets, pay-as-you-go bathrooms, seating etiquette, and "minding the gap."

The coast was cold and windy in some towns yet pleasant and warmer in others. We were able to find most all the gifts we needed in the towns we visited today.
Most everyone is very friendly. If not, it is because they are "properly" keeping to themselves.

Mandy and I had fish and chips at a pub in Leatherhead. I hit my head twice on the same cross beam near the bar. Dang my short British ancestors.

The weather has just been great this whole trip. It rained for a few hours one day... other than that, its been sunny and fair. We couldn't ask for better fall weather. Cool and little breezy and sometimes damp.... but that is typical London.

London Day Six

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:11:00 +0000

Woke up and had another great breakfast and walked to the train. The station is about 1.5 miles from our hotel down a nice windy street littered with nice houses, an old church, a few pubs, and large trees.

The station has a train come by every few minutes and most them take us where we need to go. Once Bill and I arrived in Leatherhead, we walked about a mile to the office via the a path besides a river. It is beautiful and very peaceful.
We had a meeting with the whole staff and then had some one-on-one time with employees. It was a very productive day.
The walk back home seemed a lot longer than the walk to work. All four of us went back to the same pub near the hotel for dinner and called it an early night.

Pubs are a very interesting place here. They are next to churches and part of everyone's lives. Even good Christian women would be seen in a pub... eating and socializing. It does not have the stigma of a bar in the states. The ones we have visted are hundreds of years old. I have enjoyed them very much.

London Day Five

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:21:00 +0000

An early morning eating a English breakfast (eggs, beans, ham, and hash browns) in the hotels dinner. Low ceilings, fireplaces, and quaint table settings made for a unique experience. Productive day at work with some long white-boarding sessions.

We met the chairman of the IFL UK board for lunch and I had grilled sole. Great conversation.

Mandy walked to town and began shopping and changing currency to the Pound. She and Liza took a train to another village to find some jean (pants mean Underwear here). They were brave. I was proud of them.

Mandy, Bill, Liza, and I walked to the local pub and had a truly British dinner: starters, drinks, dessert, and hot tea.

The weather was great today. A little chilly but very crisp and sunny. Who knows what tomorrow may bring?