Spring Update

Well I’ve gotten my taxes done and I am back to helping with SASHTO 2007. I went to Atlanta this weekend to see the Pre-SASHTO 2008 Party Band. They are named “Odd Man Out” because four members are engineers in the Atlanta area and one is not. They really sounded good and I think they will be a perfect end to the conference. How good are they? The Commodores, Percy Sledge and the Thrasher Brothers are opening for them!
One other note before I close, The Door prize gallery is really coming together. We currently have 191 prizes totaling $18, 820. These are all made by ALDOT employees and their friends. It’s amazing to see the talent we have. Also spread the word – I have gotten a few prizes from Alabama businesses and the consulting & contracting community but need more. This will be an event at SASHTO this year never equaled before!
I love to Blog. There is always a story to tell!

New Year Update

Well the holidays are finally over. I hope each and every one of you have welcomed in the new year on a positive note. It’s time for us to begin making final decisions for activities during SASHTO. My observation is that Alabama is doing a great job in the planning process. They are on the verge of contracting with some big name speakers and entertainment for the Opening and Closing sessions. Alabama is doing the Closing Session a little different this year. The highlight of the Closing Session will be a one-hour tribute showcasing Alabama’s musical history with some prominent and well-known entertainers. After the Closing Session, a dance band will play well into the night for those who want to hang around. Please visit my photo gallery. I have documented some of my planning trips, and you can see photos from some of the initiatives that I am endorsing as the “official SASHTO Monkey.” For example, safety is one of my initiatives and you will see several pictures of me operating vehicles and power tools where safety is foremost. Being as famous as I am, I get to meet a lot of celebrities. You can also see them in my photo gallery. Lastly, I am glad to be in Alabama this year for SASHTO 2007. It is especially exciting to be about a mile from the Montgomery Zoo. Sometimes I visit the monkey island at lunch to play with my friends. We like to harass the visitors. One of our favorite games is to snatch ice cream out of the children’s hands and throw it at their parents. I have had several calls from David Lee of the Florida Department of Transportation. I am delighted he is going to be my next keeper. I won’t give away the site of SASHTO 2008, but I understand some of my relatives will be near and we can go ape all day long and nobody will notice. What a way to come back down to earth from SASHTO 2007.

My First Blog

Few monkeys live the life of luxury that I have enjoyed since unwittingly becoming the official monkey of SASHTO. There I was, seven years ago, stuck in that toy store in New Orleans when this nice lady picked me from among all the other monkeys. It was my lucky day. I have traveled the lovely Southeastern United States, met some really nice people and been treated like a celebrity. And I always have an inside track on everything associated with the annual SASHTO conference. So far, I’ve lived in Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Puerto Rico and Georgia. This year, I’m living in Alabama with my new daddy, Lamar “Bubba” Woodham. I was a little worried when I found out I had to spend a year in Alabama with a guy named “Bubba,” but it hasn’t been bad so far. Except for when I got kidnapped from his office. Whew, that was scary. And then it took Bubba a week to come up with the ransom. When the kidnapper returned me, I was left bound and gagged hanging upside down by my tail in Bubba’s office. But Bubba is taking better care of me now. He takes me to all the SASHTO planning meetings, and I spend my days in his office and watch him work (that’s what he calls it). He has even taught me how to use the power tools in his woodworking shop, and they sewed my hand back on so well that you can’t even tell I sawed it off on the table saw. Take it from me, the woodworking shop is no place for monkey business. The 2007 SASHTO conference is shaping up and is going to be the best yet. From the Opening Reception at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center to the Closing Session with big-time entertainment, prepare yourself for a fun-filled and rewarding conference. The technical sessions will be exciting and informative, and the professional development sessions will be invigorating. Read my blog often for the latest inside information. Just don’t tell Bubba I’m letting you in on the plans.