Archive | Travel

Holiday Inn

I wish it were possible to know the number of Holiday Inns where I have stayed and the number of nights I have stayed in them. When my parents and I traveled across the “lower 48″ states in the United States, our hotel of choice was Holiday Inn. Often, we planned our itinerary around the […]

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It has been interesting to see the world adjust to a pandemic with microscopic particles scaring us all.  Not that we are staying at hotels frequently like we did pre-pandemic, but for business and family reasons, we have, I have, traveled a little in the pandemic times.  All hotel chains are making adjustments and taking […]

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Don’t greet guests in pajamas

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 13, 2021

Category: Common Courtesy, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Mental Health, Psychology, Travel

Many years ago, I learned a valuable life lesson from my friend, the late Dr. Linda Foley. Linda lived in Jacksonville, David’s hometown and the city where his parents lived, such that we rarely stayed in her home overnight. She repeatedly invited us to stay with her and her partner, Roger, and finally David and […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 13, 2021

Category: Common Courtesy, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Mental Health, Psychology, Travel

I never know what topic Melissa will come up with next, but she doesn’t know where I’ll be going next either.  Linda was the epitome of class in many ways.  Pre-dinner “snacks” was cocktail hour, for example, with unique serving dishes and glassware.  I guess I don’t have to worry about showing up in a […]

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Always Take First Watch

Always take the first watch. I received this sage advice many years ago, from a friend who spent most of his life in the United States Navy. The rationale is that one will be less tired during the first watch than in later shifts. First watch, of course, is usually the daytime hours, such as […]

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Always take first watch, unless Melissa beats you to it!  After that, I’m not sure which is better, 2nd or 3rd watch.  It might depend on whether it is night or day, and whether sleep is possible.  Though I wasn’t onboard for the hurricane avoidance drive, I remember it well.  I had the outsider’s view, […]

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Chris

Hooray for Chris! Chris is Chris Cochran, my dear friend since 1967. I still remember the day Chris and I met, in my back yard, by my trampoline, in the summer of 1967. Thank you, Roger, for introducing us! Chris was my neighbor for a few, all too short, years. One of our first bonding […]

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I’ve met many of Melissa’s friends over the decades we’ve been together, but I think Chris was one of the first ones I’ve met.  We got off to a good start when we me.  Though he and Melissa had known each other for many years, he seemed very familiar to me.  Lots of shared interests […]

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International Beatles Week

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 15, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Mental Health, Travel, Work-Life

Some dreams come true. For almost my entire life (since my wonderful dad bought me my first album by The Beatles in 1963), I have been a huge fan of The Beatles. As a bona fide Beatles fan, I have all of their original albums, enough t-shirts to wear for a month or so, considerable […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 15, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Mental Health, Travel, Work-Life

Ironically, I’m writing my part of this post on the anniversary of John Lennon’s tragically premature death 40 years ago.  In the remembrances of him today, I heard a news item that quoted him telling Howard Cosell that, if he was only to be remembered for one song, Imagine was a pretty good one to […]

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Putting Technology to Use

I was prompted to write this, and the prior post, because of Magnus’ recent move. The move necessitated discarding many tools which have been useful during our careers in trial consulting. When we started Magnus in late 1993, Melissa began to receive invitations to speak to groups of lawyers, insurance adjusters, and law school students. […]

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Thanks, in large part, to David, Magnus has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to using the most up to date technology.  I have been making presentations to large audiences for my entire career.  In the old days, when I was Director of Marketing Research at a large urban hospital, an A/V […]

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Try new food

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 24, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, RoadWarrior, Travel, Trial Consulting

I’m not sure why, but many people are unwilling to try foods they have never tasted before. Several years ago, David and I took some friends to a deli, which, to us, is not very exotic, given that we live in South Florida (and I grew up eating at Wolfie’s a sorely missed Miami Beach […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 24, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, RoadWarrior, Travel, Trial Consulting

Apropos of Melissa’s post, she and I just tried a new (to us) cuisine yesterday – Turkish.  With kebabs and wraps, of lamb, beef, and more, it reminds me of Greek or Lebanese food, – but don’t ever tell the Turks, Greeks, or Lebanese that!  It was a wonderful experience  and I’m sure it will […]

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Gaffer’s Tape

Perhaps it seems a bit silly to write about something as low tech as tape, but here I go. Gaffer’s tape is a special tape that looks somewhat like duct tape. And, yes, it is “duct” tape, not “duck tape; it originated as a product to use for HVAC duct work. Duct tape is the […]

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I am a huge fan of gaffer’s tape.  It protects Magnus’ mock jurors, clients, employees, and me from tripping over all of the wires and cords that would, absent it, cause a tripping hazard.  I like the fact that it sticks on the heavy industrial carpet found in most hotel and research facility conference rooms.  […]

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Bob

There are lots of people named Bob. And, there are lots of others who are named Bobby, Robert, Robbie, or Rob. But, when I say “Bob” without mentioning a last name or when I say “my Bob,” there can never be any doubt about to whom I am referring. My Bob is Dr. Robert K. […]

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When Melissa says “I got a text message from Bob” I automatically ask “which Bob?”  We have several Bobs in our lives – all making our lives better.  I first met Bob well after Melissa and Bob finished their Ph.D. program, when Bob was teaching in Louisiana.  We had a memorable visit to his campus […]

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Serendipities

Once in a blue moon, things work out better than I had ever hoped they would. I will refer to these events as serendipities. My dear sister-in-law, Jeanette, and I were recipients of a serendipitous surprise last year when we were celebrating her birthday at a lovely beachfront restaurant. In the middle of our fantastic […]

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I’ve been reading a series of books by Michael Reisig, titled Road to Key West.  They are “light reading” about treasure hunting, set in the Florida Keys and in Central and South America; nothing heavy, just fun.  Anyway, there is a recurring line in the books “Sometimes the Gods, they get bored and they throw […]

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