Shannon Genovese

a.k.a. Tinkerbell

a.k.a. Noner

For some reason I went through a phase where I liked to change the sounds of vowels from long to short and short to long.  So, for awhile, my sister to me was Shanone (pronounced SHAY - NONE).  Eventually that nickname begat a nickname and when I get a phone call from her today, I usually answer "Noner!"  Her official Disney name, however, is Tinkerbell.  Tinkerbell was the fairy with the hot temper that was always flitting about in Peter Pan.  Watch the movie again and, if you know anything about my sister, I think you'll agree we made a good choice.  

Patrick Genovese

a.k.a. Prince Charming

a.k.a. Wacko

When we were growing up, our younger cousins had a hard time saying "Patrick", so they shortened it to "Packo".  Somewhere along the line that turned into "Packo Wacko".  Being the king of acronyms and liking to shorten things, I eventually dropped the Packo.  I still call him Wacko most of the time, but if we're going to get formal or break out the Motorola's, Prince Charming it is.  

Laurie Genovese

a.k.a. Miss Daisy

a.k.a. Daisy

Ever since I learned to drive, my mom has abdicated the privilege to me whenever we go anywhere together. Even if she's dropping me off at the airport, I'll drive there and drop myself off, then she takes the car.  She's also made a bit of a name for herself in the family because whenever she sits in the front passenger seat on a drive, she'll invariably attempt to bring the car to a stop with the imaginary brake pedal in front of her.  Over the years my siblings and I have tried to coach her on how to be a better passenger, after all, her anxiety is unfounded since none of us has ever crashed with her in the car!  Our efforts are evident when, in an effort not to be a distracting "back seat driver", she'll silently tense up her entire body, attempt to slam her foot through the floor, and nonchalantly grab onto the "oh shit" handles as if a giant vacuum cleaner were trying to suck her out of the car.  

If more than two people are riding in the car, we usually put mom in the back seat. Sometimes if it's just the two of us, I'll still put mom in the back seat.  That's why we call her Miss Daisy.  And because Daisy Duck is a Disney character, we aren't even breaking the rules. 

Raymond Genovese

a.k.a. Ray

a.k.a. Cozy Bear

a.k.a. Worst Copilot EVER

Back in the day--which of course was a Wednesday--I was at the Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino in Laughlin, Nevada with my parents and siblings. I had recently purchased some Motorola Talkabout two way radios and this trip to Lake Mohave was to be their first trial. I rode the elevator downstairs to get everyone their morning coffee and pastries. A few floors from the lobby, with an elevator full of people standing around me in my pajamas, a voice crackled over the radio in my hand: "Brer Rabbit this is Cozy Bear come on back".

Where the hell my dad pulled out Brer Rabbit and Cozy Bear is probably best left a mystery. The Cozy Bear part stuck though, and at that moment a Genovese family tradition was born. Since then, anyone who travels with us when we have an occasion to break out the radios (i.e., the lake, Disneyland, etc.) is bestowed a nickname fitting of their personality. The rules state it needs to be a Disney nickname, but there are a few exceptions, the Cozy Bear being one of them.

By the way, Brer Rabbit didn't stick with me.  At some point during that fateful trip, I adopted the name Robin Hood.

Vicki

a.k.a. Daniel
a.k.a. Danny Boy

Vicki is the successor to Kathy, our Garmin C330 that retired last year prior to the England trip. A versatile and reliable addition to the TRS family, Vicki was named after the robot on the television show Small Wonder (although the spelling is different since the acronym does not apply). Vicki is equipped with Bluetooth, an FM transmitter, an MP3 player, a photo viewer, text to speech, and maps of North America and Europe. She can also alter her voice to sound like her colleagues from around the world. Her favorite impersonation is her British counterpart, Daniel. I never leave home without her. Or him.

Hal Genovese

a.k.a. Halloween Genovese
a.k.a. Halapeno
a.k.a. Mr. Peno

Perhaps one of the most well known Road Scholars, Mr. Peno is certainly the most well traveled. I first met Hal when Jen brought him home from Barnes & Noble. It was after Halloween and since he was clad in an orange Jack-O-Lantern costume, he was on sale. It turns out the costume is permanent, so he's often seen wearing his blue "Daddy's Little All Star" onesie, which provides a more all-season Cosmopolitan look.

Hal is a consummate tourist and in addition to a multitude of domestic destinations, he has traveled abroad to England, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Turkey, Germany, and Austria. TRS is proud to consider him an official Road Scholar and I wouldn't be surprised to see a few books with his name on them sitting on the shelves of his Alma Mater someday soon.

Meghan Gamble

a.k.a. Nurse Meghan

a.k.a. Thelma

a.k.a. My High School Prom Date

It was tough deciding on just one picture for Meghan's TRS profile that embodies all of who she is.I could have used our prom picture, the one where I left my sunglasses on, at her request.  Or I could have used the one where she and cohort "Louise" came to visit me at Cal Poly, sporting purple nail polish and showing off the ability to tie a cherry with their tongues.  Or there's the most prevalent picture of Meghan I have, with her mouth wide open in an expression that says "that is SO not true!" Or how about the one of Meghan in Switzerland, wearing pajamas and glasses and painting her nails while a fellow CDE counselor lay beside her, passed out drunk?  Meghan is definitely one of our more...robust...Road Scholars.  She is also the world's greatest procrastinator, which is why I think this one sums her up nicely.  I took it while we vacationed together in Venice after our summer at TASIS.  While you can see Meghan calmly taking it all in, what you can't see is what she's supposed to be doing.  I can promise you it isn't what she's doing at the moment...ever.  TRS is tickled to count her among the ranks, the only Road Scholar with more stamps in her passport than me.

What Happens In Texas Was Lucky To Get Here In The First Place

Ever since we moved to Texas, we've noticed a bit of a lag in receiving mail from the United States Postal Service. It's most noticeable with greeting cards. An event will pass and a family member will call to ask us if we got the card. We'll say "no" and then about a week later the card will show up.

This lagging mail phenomenon (LMP) was most apparent earlier this year when my grandfather sent me a check. Actually, he ended up sending three checks. I have yet to receive two of them. Then, in May I went on a business trip to Macon, Georgia. Preparing for the trip, I noticed my corporate credit card was about to expire. I called the credit card company to find out when I would be receiving my new card: "Oh that would have gone out in March". They ended up canceling the card and issuing a new one.

We finally got that credit card that was sent in March. It came Friday. This is what happens to mail in Texas.



Here's the letter printed on the outside of the plastic bag they sent us our mail in. I've added my comments in parentheses.

Dear Postal Customer:

The enclosed was found loose in the mails or has been damaged in handling in the Postal Service (no kidding).

We realize your mail is important to you and you have every to expect it to be delivered intact and in good condition (I would certainly hope so!). The Postal Service makes every effort to properly handle the mail entrusted to it. However, occasional loss or damage may occur (ya think?).

Our organization handles over 177 billion pieces of mail annually, (and sometimes fire happens) and depends on mechanical systems to process this large volume. Loss and/or damage can occur if envelopes are not sealed, mail is insecurely enveloped, or envelopes contain bulky enclosures (did they just blame this on me?).

The Postal Service is committed to the improvement of our processing methods to minimize occurrences such as the enclosed (so do they carry fire extinguishers on their trucks now?). We appreciate your concern over the handling of your mail (concern? this isn't concerning, it's outrageous!) and sincerely regret the inconvenience you have experienced.

Sincerely,


MANAGER DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS
San Antonio Processing & Distribution Center