Dropped into the Desert, Part II

Well, I survived the speech and the city of Las Vegas, although I'd never recommend anyone travel there alone.  The presentation actually went really well, considering it was my first public talk since joining DOE.  I was nervous at first since this was a group of electric utility co-ops and the only part of geothermal they were interested in was heat pumps, but they were a laid back group and I was able to make some new friends while I was there.  I also learned a lot about heat pumps and the electric utility industry, and was surprised to discover that the two go together really well.  A great deal of government money is currently available to do both large and small projects with geothermal heat pumps (GHPs), and co-ops are ideal for trying out new technology/ideas, innovative financing models, and large scale demonstration projects.  The 30% tax credit makes them essentially on par with other HVAC devices, plus they are more efficient, run at a a more consistent temperature (i.e., more comfort) and save literally tons of greenhouse gases.   With the right policy incentives the efficiency and greenhouse gas aspects are what could finally push GHPs over the edge towards greater market penetration.   There are a lot of barriers to overcome (e.g, high first cost, few qualified installers, lack of knowledge from policy makers and the general public) but I think things could really change this time.   For example, if the Climate/Energy Bill passes and we have a national Renewable Portfolio Standard where saving energy counts, heat pumps will play a major role.  Moreover, GHPs could also be major contributors towards reducing peak electricity and gas loads (meaning lower power prices).   I’ll stop with the work talk, but unfortunately I don’t have much to report in terms of fun in Sin City.  I was feeling an illness coming on and with all the traveling I have to do over the next 2 weeks I really didn’t want to overdo it, so I slept a LOT.  

This week it's back to Nevada to Reno for a conference paper review, with exactly one day of  un-traveling between visits.   The upside is that it looks like we'll finish early tomorrow and I'm thinking this could mean a trip to Lake Tahoe for the day.  Tomorrow's forecast says 83 degrees and partly cloudy and it's only 30 miles away... how can I resist??  

A few weeks ago we celebrated Jennie and Nikki's upcoming weddings in typical fashion with a girls night out in State College.  I think it's safe to say it was great to be back and we all had a blast.  I haven't posted pictures in awhile so I'll post some here of all the pretty girls. 

Dropped into the Desert

I walk into work on a normal Monday morning and before I can even turn on my computer, my boss signals for me to come into his office.  “Are you able to go to Las Vegas today and give a speech on geothermal heat pumps tomorrow morning?” he asks. “Sure,” is all I reply, with not the slightest idea what I am getting into.  I have enough time to download the slides, send a few quick emails, and check the weather in Nevada (97 degrees and sunny!) and six hours later I’m on a plane.  I’ll be back Thursday with enough time to go to work on Friday to catch up before my next flight out to Nevada on Sunday – Reno this time, and then off to Denver for a few days before heading back to PA for Memorial Day weekend.   Whew!  Getting up early tomorrow to give that speech... not even enough time to be nervous.  Wish me luck!

Sunny Sunday

Today was the most relaxing day I have had in a very long time.  On a perfect sunny 70 degree day, I really had nothing that I had to do.  For the past few weeks I've spent my Sundays in the car driving back to DC, so this was a welcome change.  After sleeping in I walked lazily over to Eastern Market for my weekly stop at the vegetable stand.  My inner voice kept telling me to make my lists and start "doing things" until I realized how neurotic this was and cut myself a break.  I found a chair at the coffee shop while a band played music on the corner, I wrote in my journal and started my book club book, "Brother, I'm dying".  The rest of my day consisted of catching up on the phone with my sister and my parents, heading to the park with LA and laying on a blanket in the sun, grilling chicken for a salad outside on the deck, and playing with baby Byrom.  Rested, relaxed, and only slightly sunburned, I am ready for bed.  Not a bad way to get ready for the week :) 

Adding some graphics

I haven't taken or posted many pictures lately so here are some from Inauguration weekend. 

I'll also include some here from Missy's superbowl party, just for decoration :) 

Playtime in California

Here I am, back in San Francisco for a weekend of personal time before a geothermal conference at Stanford on Monday.   I'm staying at the same hostel that Dawn and I stayed in last March because it's so affordable and in such a great location, right near Union Square.  My own room, own bathroom, free wi-fi, free coffee and oatmeal in the morning, friendly people - what more could I ask for? I love spending time in this city.  It's nice to be back to familiar territory and hardly even need a map.  

I was afraid the rain would get me down but since I arrived yesterday afternoon everything cleared up.  Did you know that the sun always shines when I come to San Francisco?  If you take me camping you are guaranteed to have a near-tornado experience with lightning and maybe even some hail, but if you take me to San Fran the forecast is for sun :)  

So far everyone has been SO nice, which is a relief because I am traveling alone.  My friend from work was supposed to join me, but he ate some bad peanuts in a trail mix and is stuck back in DC with salmonella eating bananas :(   I was slightly distressed about this as I left the airport, but it feels good to move to my own beat.  This weekend is a lot less busy and scheduled than my erstwhile trips - since I've done most of the touristy things already I'm just planning to enjoy myself.  I went down to the Embarcadero to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, walked to Pier 39, hiked up to Coit Tower (never did this before!), strolled through the little Italian cafes in North Beach, and cut through Chinatown on my way back. This weekend they are celebrating the Chinese New Year, so the whole place was packed.  I was feeling a little claustrophobic so I didn't hang around too long, but stopped for sushi on my way back.  This is the second time I've had sushi since arriving yesterday and it might be the only thing I eat while I am here this weekend!  I've hardly had any these past few months so I'm going to get my fill while I can.  I haven't really felt like taking pictures but I'll post a few here from my walk just for some visual effects.  

the amusing highlights of my workday

George Bush decided that for security's sake, everyone needs a standardized personal identification card, so I am called in from work to get mine set up.  I was not made aware that I'd be taking a picture and was not having a good hair day.  Worser yet, I wasn't allowed to smile!  I looked at the photographer incredulously and she says, "well you can smile... but you can't show your teeth".  Seriously?  Apparently smiling changes the attributes of your face and showing the whites of your teeth changes the whites of your eyes... who knew?  I can't remember the last time I didn't smile for a picture, and I'd like to think that I smile enough that this looks more like 'me'.  For some reason this whole scenario was hilarious to me and I kept laughing, making it almost impossible to get a picture.  I'm sure I ended up with some kind of scrunched up, silly, half-scowl and half-grimace face on my Official Standard US Identification Card but at least we know why.  

Later on, an official correspondence letter lands on my desk, handed down from my boss.  We get these all the time, where people write in or email the Department of Energy and we have to write a response.  The reply is printed on fancy D.O.E letterhead, copied, documented, and filed away before it is mailed.  I normally don't mind writing them but this particular letter is from a senior in high school in NYC taking a public policy class.  He has chosen to write to the Secretary of Energy to ask four rather difficult questions about the Secretary's position on renewable and alternative energy in the United States.  Because he mentions geothermal energy once or twice in his questions this letter gets passed to my office and passed from my boss to me.  Keep in mind that to be Secretary of Energy you have to be chosen and appointed by the president.  I'm a little in shock as I start to craft a response, and do my best to write something as politically correct as possible!  Don't be alarmed, I did consult with several people in my office and got my manager's blessing before sending it off.  And hopefully the Secretary of Energy checks it over too.  Oh what a funny day. 

Joy to the Weekend

Hmmm, no posts in awhile so I figured I'd check in. Today is a cool but sunny Saturday, which mean I should (?) be out and about exploring the city.  Instead I've been quite content hanging out at the house and being productive around here.  My housemates LA and D are traveling, so I've had the whole place to myself since Wednesday.  I was looking forward to solo time and a little peace and quiet, but when I came home the other night it felt surprisingly... empty.  I lived alone for years (in a basement, no less!) in State College, but I guess I've gotten used to coming home to friendly faces.  I've really come to enjoy weeknights cooking dinner and sitting around the living room and unwinding with my new friends.  I was feeling a little bummed until Jesse popped in with Sky and the baby, a welcome surprise for a weeknight.  

Things have slowed down a lot around here since the Inauguration.  Did I tell you that I got to go?  I meant to post a recap of those few days and never got around to it, so maybe I'll do that later tonight.  Socially things may have quieted down but it's been crazy at work.   Everyone is running around (literally) trying to respond to urgent requests from the Transition Team for this stimulus package ordeal.  I'm not sure if you heard, but the House has 400 million dollars specifically for geothermal, which all comes from our office.  Our little office, which now manages only 20 million.   It's a little hard to grasp (I'm still not used to talking about money in millions) and we are literally scared of what this means.  If this indeed passes, what it means is that we have to a) put a LOT of thought into how to spend this wisely, b) spend it FAST, which is more difficult to do than it sounds, and c) justify everything we do, how many jobs it creates, etc.  It's exciting to be involved in the process and I'm learning a lot.  It amazes me how quickly certain things can change in government while other simple things can take FOREVER.  

Last night I went to see Thievory Corporation at the 9:30 Club, a place I've been meaning to check out for awhile.  They played a great show, which inspires me to see more live music here in DC. 

I'm traveling back to the west coast on Friday, so today I'm doing tasks to put my life together - aka, laundry, dishes, sorting mail, grocery shopping.  For me this is always extremely therapeutic.  I'm trying to figure out what to make for Missy's superbowl party tomorrow.  There will be plenty of I.C. Light and pierogies, so I'm thinking about sharing some of the hot peppers and making banana bars.  They aren't exactly Pittsburgh-esque but I'm thinking I can doctor them up with a little yellow food coloring in the cream cheese icing :) I am excited to watch the game with some Steelers fans.  I'm off to the store now...  Steelers here we go!

Here We Go

Inauguration weekend is finally here.  Everyone who lives here in DC has been scared to death to see what will happen when 1-3 million people come to town.  Last night didn't seem too crowded, but it was soo cold out;  I expect most everyone to be here by tomorrow morning for Sunday afternoon's free concert at the Lincoln Memorial featuring Beyonce, Bruce Springstein, and Garth Brooks (to name a few...).  

I'll be sleeping in my own bed instead of my car since we never ended up renting out our apartment.  I posted an ad once on Craigslist after the New Year but didn't receive any inquires.  I was a little surprised until I read this article in the Washington Post and discovered that lots of people in the city have the same experience.  The demand for housing here in DC essentially crashed about a week after the election, probably due to all the warnings about how bad it was going to be when people got here.  In my opinion not renting our place is a win-win situation.  With what some are calling 'crush level crowds', packed metros, and temperatures barely at 30, it will be great to be able to walk a few blocks back to our place for our own bathroom and a warm couch in front of the TV.  Reporters say that anyone who wants to see the ceremony should probably be on their way at about sunrise.  Since the bars are open until 5 AM this week, maybe that plan will work out perfectly.  

So yes, I'm fortunate to be a D.C. resident during this important event, but I'm not sure how crazy I'll feel to venture deep into the madness.  I'll do my best to take and post some photos of what I do experience.

il a ete un bon week-end!

It was a good weekend!  Nothing spectacular, but in case anyone is interested in hearing how yours truly passes a 'normal' weekend in D.C. here we go...

Friday was my day off.  It felt great having a short 4-day week after the long holiday period.  We're given the option to work a 9-80 schedule, meaning nine hour days and one day off every other week.  Given that everyone in the office is on 9-80 and I would probably work a 9-hour day regardless, this is a great perk to my job.  

Despite the fact that it was my day off, I still had to go to a meeting for coffee at 8:30 with my boss and the head of a big organization in DC that we work with.  The meeting was at Starbucks in Capitol Hill so I didn't mind the motivation to get myself up early and make the most of my day.  I was hit with feelings of nostalgia as I packed my bag in the morning, ready to head to the coffee shop.  Snacks... laptop... gym clothes... current book I'm reading... check! It was just like grad school!  It was only five months ago that I would set out the same way - no particular agenda, just a long and varied to-do list and hopes to get most of it done.  I can't say I was all that productive, but I was pretty good for a Friday off.  

Friday night was incredibly fun as we ended up back at the Ghana Cafe in Adams Morgan.  The Ghana Cafe is a small bar/danceclub that plays west african and american hiphop music (alternatively... every 20 minutes or so) in the upstairs bar.  The walls are covered in mirrors just as they are (apparently) in Africa.  Everyone is friendly and dances the entire time and it's just a lot of fun.  After dancing pretty much nonstop from 10 until 2 I literally almost couldn't walk.  It's a good thing we took the cab ride home!

Saturday was supposed to be cool and wet so my plans were to hibernate pretty much all day, which was fine until I realized we could venture down to the gym to use the sauna and steam room.  I really like everything about the gym I joined but I absolutely LOVE the steam room.  I've used hot dry saunas before but never these that surround you in warm wonderful mist.  It's perfect after a tough workout but just as perfect on any random day you want to feel like taking a trip to the spa ;)  Then on Saturday night I made a ham and bean soup in the crock-pot and we all hung out at the house and played our favorite games: Apples to Apples and Catchphrase.  I still can't beat my roommates yet at A-to-A but at least I'm catching onto their humor enough to keep up. 

Sunday was... long.  We got up early to say goodbye to LA's friend and ate an awesome breakfast that she cooked for us.  LA wanted to try something different with spaghetti squash and I had no ideas so we ended up using them to make fritters, which were more like pancakes but so delicious.  For his birthday, Dennis got a growler of dark beer by Dogfish Head but it went bad and he needed a way to use it, so I suggested cooking with it and remembered a recipe for Emeril's chili that calls for dark beer and dark chocolate.  Who could argue with ingredients like that?  I've had this chili before but never made it myself, so this became my project for the day and it turned out great!  I used a combo of turkey and ground beef... the beer makes it slightly sweet and you can taste just a hint of the chocolate... so I think it's a keeper.  Let me know if you want the recipe.    We finished off the weekened with an awesome win by the Steelers and that's about it.  Ive got my house into Season 2 of Dexter, which I've seen before but it's fun been fun to watch with friends, although I find myself thinking of blood and duct tape just a little too often and in a whole different way.  Hmm, could this be the cause of my nightmares?!

I dream of... tornadoes?

I'm a pretty heavy sleeper and rarely remember my dreams, but I do have one reoccurring dream element that's been popping up for several years - tornadoes.  The story line always involves me stuck somewhere, usually in a car or a house, surrounded by tornadoes.  Sometimes there's only one, but I often see multiple funnel clouds dangling from the sky.  I never die in these dreams, and rarely do I remember actually getting swept up in them, but usually I'm very, very close. In these dreams I'm terrified, hiding or dodging them, but I'm never physically running away.  

I realize this is a pretty obvious dream symbol: emotional turmoil. Dreams of air represent thought and the thought process, whereas water is more emotional.  I've had a water storm dream only once, but I think the tornado is specific to me and my life based on my historical fear of tornadoes...

  

This all started on a camping trip with my friend and her parents.  This was probably almost 18 years ago, but I remember driving down the road to the campground and getting a very bad feeling in my gut as I noticed dark, charcoal blue clouds way out in the distance.  I was assured it was nothing, but sure enough, five hours later, we're trapped in the camper.   It's rocking back and forth and hail is pounding on the window.  We lose power after we hear the tornado warnings come through the TV.  I am young and with strangers.  My friend's dad is outside, cooking corn on a wet fire, a bowl over his head for protection.  He gave us strict instructions that if he came inside and said GO, we were supposed to run out for the ditch.  Needless to say, I did survive this catastrophe and there was never actually any tornado, but I think I was scarred for life. 

I love the thrill and beauty of big storms, thunder, lightning... just as long as these natural forces come without the threat of a tornado.  As a child, the first thing I'd do after school ever day was come home and turn on the Weather Channel (just in case...) but I'm a little better as an adult.  If I am driving on a highway, out on the water or outside somewhere and dark heavy clouds roll in, I usually have some sort of mild panic attack - at least until I plan my safety strategy (e.g., ditch, running for a stranger's house to use their basement) or call someone to check the weather and assure me conditions are not primed for a tornado within 50 miles.  

So yes, it's probably no surprise I dream of tornados.  Although I do still find it fascinating, and usually try and look for meaning in these dreams.  There's nothing serious going on now that anyone reading this would need to be concerned about, I just thought I'd share a little piece of what goes on in my head when I'm fast asleep ;)   

Ten years since we've partied like it was 1999

Happy New Year 2009!  Pete and Jill hosted a fabulous party last night and the pomegranate martinis I brought were a hit ;)  In case you're interested, the recipe: 2 parts vodka (I highly recommend Kettle One), 1 part orange contreau, lots of ice, 2 parts pomegranate juice, lime - shake and serve.  Today I'm cooking my first pork and sour kraut for everyone and then watching Penn State and the Rose Bowl.  This will be my first personal experience with a crock pot so wish me luck (and send me your recipes!).  But before that, I am cleaning everything... laundry... taking a trip to the gym (mainly for the sauna...) then taking a nap!  

We've had at least ten people in the house at all times since I got back from my Christmas trip home.  It's been pretty hectic around here, but in a good way.  Jesse's parents flew in from Oregon so they've spent a lot of time at the house with Jesse, Sky, and baby Byrom (who is getting bigger EVERY day - it's amazing).  We've also had some of LA's peace corp friends here.  It hasn't exactly made it easy for me to get up and go to work this week but it's a small price to pay for the good company.  Evening activities mainly consist of playing catchphrase, drinking wine, and eating fantastic food.  The other night Jesse's parents bought a huge ham and served homemade scalloped potatoes and I made a green bean casserole.  Last night he made two crockpots full of delicious chili, enhanced by the Reed's soon-to-be-famous hot peppers.  It was the perfect thing to have around with people coming in and out of the house all day.  

It's great to have parents in the house.  In addition to eating well, we are also enjoying improvements to the house.  Jesse's dad fixed a drawer, helped keep the front door closed, and then went around and insulated all of the windows in our place, which should make a huge difference in our gas bills!  You can see the plastic bubbling out constantly which makes me realize what a draft we had coming in every day.  We may not get much snow but it's cold and windy here in DC! 

playing catch-up

hello to anyone who still might be reading my blog!  yes, it's been awhile.  we've had internet troubles again at the house, but these are finally fixed and so i'd like to get back into blogging.  as a start... it's been a hectic few weeks and there's a little too much to catch up on, but here are some highlights as to what's been keeping me busy:

- a surprise trip to see spring in gettysburg, and visits from dawn, sarah, and warren.  all of these visits were wonderful and i am so thankful for these (and other) special people in my life. 

- nighttime tour of mount vernon (george washington's estate), sunday runs on the mall, and a trip to the museum of natural history.  (if you go there, be sure to check out the nature photography display, it's quite good)

- movie nights, house dinners (i cook, they eat), and late night dance parties at our place.  i really enjoy our house -  we've been taking advantage of the space and also exploring the neighborhood a little more.  there are some great restaurants right down the street allowing me to recently discover an appreciation for belgian beer and cuban cuisine :) 

in the new year i'm looking forward to:

- a trip home for christmas and NYE in DC

- experiencing the city during the inauguration.  not sure that i will get tickets, but i AM keeping my fingers crossed to go to the renewable energy inaugural ball ;) 

- running a half marathon with Lee-Ann in the spring

- a second trip to San Fran for a geothermal conference - hopefully with more free time

- book club with the girls

- checking out more of what D.C. has to offer.  next on my list is the IMAX theatre, ice skating at the mall before the winter ends, visiting the buildings museum, the newseum, and some photography exhibits. 

- becoming involved with some volunteer activities

and, if i have it my way, i'd also like to:

- travel to northern france to see their geothermal demonstration site (this was promised to me a few months back, but we'll see if it materializes)

- visit my brother during his study abroad in england

- visit shelly in texas

- do a work rotation in colorado?

it's an optimistic list but it fits my mood at the moment. more posts and pictures are coming soon. i hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! merry christmas!!

the education of a co-ed household - (the LBD)

It's a typical Sunday morning.  Jesse, Lee-Ann, and me are all sitting around in the living room discussing our holiday plans for the week.  Lee-Ann starts talking about a taffeta dress she may wear for New Years Eve. Jesse is clueless about taffeta, but curious.  LA brings in the dress for show, displaying the taffeta fabric.  Then she comments about her little black dress (the LBD).

Jesse: What's a little black dress?

LA: You know, the little black dress.  Every girl has a little black dress.

Jesse: Oh.. Nicole, do you have a little black dress? 

Me: Yes, of course I do. 

*thoughtful pause*

Jesse: So, if a girl wears a little black dress out with me on a date, that's a good sign that she likes me, right?

Me: Hmm, well no, not exactly.  Actually she's probably just wearing it for her, to make her feel good about herself. 

LA: Agreed.  Now, if you've been dating a girl for awhile and she wears her LBD knowing that you like it, that's a very good sign. 

Jesse: Oh... right.... 

Jesse: So... then you wear it for special occasions?

Me: No, that's the point of the little black dress.  You can wear it for any occasion. 

LA:  Like a party, a wedding, a funeral, or even to work.  Yes, it's all in how you accessorize.  

Jesse: Right... got it. 

Back in Cali

So for work I get to spend a week in my favorite place to visit in the U.S. - northern California.  Every time I go there I get to experience new aspects of the San Francisco bay area, all of which have been fantastic.  This was the fourth time I've been there in the past three years and yet every trip has been so different.  This time being there was interesting because it caused me to think a lot about each of those trips and where I was in my life at that time compared to where I am now.  That usually happens when I travel and that's one of the reasons I like to get out of my usual routine and environment. I can think a lot. 

This time I get to see the world's largest geothermal field, the Geysers, and some of the sites for our field demonstration projects.  We started our trip this afternoon with a trip to Sausalito to visit Altarock, one of the newest and most sophisticated geothermal companies around.  Their office was gorgeous and the dinner we had that night at a local italian place was amazing.  Walking along the sidewalk you can look over the water and see the lights of San Francisco.  It's no surprise that people pay big $$$ to live there!  Unfortunately, the hotel we stayed at was not so posh... an old-fashioned charm, at best :) Fortunately we were only there one night.

Actually, we were at practically every hotel only one night which meant I was unpacking and packing up every morning.  

The field visits to the Geyers was amazing.  We got a tour from Joe, the resident geologist at Calpine.  He first gave us a presentation in the office which almost put himself to sleep.  Clearly this was not his interest.  However, as soon as he took us out into the field you could see his energy rise.  The more questions we asked the more excited and lively he became.  What was supposed to be a two hour tour turned into a seven hour excursion all around the area.  We climbed up hills and dug through rocks learning the local geology.  We saw and old cinnabar (mercury) mine and even found a few rocks to take home.  We also got to see some of the surface manifestations of a geothermal site - the fumaroles.  Fumaroles are basically just hot steam jets coming up to the surface.  I couldn't think of a more beautiful site to put geothermal power plants, and I can't believe how much we learned!  Check out the pictures here if you want to see what we saw out on the mountains.  

You will notice in the pictures that I have changed the color of my hair!  I have been thinking about making this change for awhile and finally just decided to do it.  It's only hair.  I have received mixed emotions about this decision, some love it and some just can't get used to it.  I'm not sure if I will keep it myself, but it has faded even from last week and who knows?  Sometimes I miss being blonde but I might like to settle on something a little more natural.  Any thoughts?

Terminal Ramblings

In light of the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I just want to express how thankful I am to be at the Pittsburgh airport. I have been to, from, in, and out of so many airports these past few months.  Although I don't mind flying or even hanging out in terminals reading a book every once in awhile, there are obviously better ways for me to spend my time.  

I am sitting in the airport silly amused over little things.  I am amazed at how easy the signs were to get here, and more in shock with why other airpots don't follow suit.  Despite the fact that it is the Sunday after THanksgiving, I breezed through security and had a lovely woman help me locate my ticket number during check-in.  And can you believe they have FREE wireless internet throughout the airport? And plugs, plenty of accessible plugs to recharge your electronic devices.  I've tried to find these outlets at other airports only to discover that they are strategically placed in locations that charge you several dollars to power up.  And finally, right by my gate is a post office.  I'd been carrying several cards and bills that needed to be taken care of and was able to quickly get these out of the way with the help of an extremely social and pleasant post office woman.  I feel guilty for not knowing her name. 

All of these tiny little pleasantries make me happy to be flying today and I don't even mind not getting a snack on the plane.  I know this charge irritates a lot of travelers, which is why I don't understand why the airlines don't just sneak in an extra dollar or two in the ticket cost to cover a snack?  No one would notice a dollar difference in their 400 dollar plane ticket, but they sure do notice when they have to fork it over on the plane for some stale cookies. 

My silly blog on the positives of an airport (keep in mind I got up at 4:30 AM) is evidence that these nice things add up and can really make people feel good.  In the age of convenience people really do not want to be inconvenienced, and this is probably a lesson that applies way beyond the airline industry. 

In the area of renewable energy, I think this means that people simply do not want to be bothered with the details as to how they are able to run their business or talk on the phone, they just want it to be easy and they'd like it to be green.  And they just want someone to make it happen or tell them how to do it, in plain english.  Just like the airport signs, they know where they want to go and they don't se why it has to be so darn hard to be shown how to get their.  

That's all for now - I think my flight is departing on time!