Way back in 1960, my last year on USS Sirago SS-485, there was a young man name Jim Piehl. He was an engineman striker, which means he was trained as an engineman but was unrated. Jim was a good worker. More than good. He was an outstanding worker and his mates liked him a lot. … More Remembering Jim Piehl
ABLUTION: His own Word-of-the-Day. As he performed, he thought of his age and his seeming gain on life’s attendant ignorance that living long brings. Words that came to him naturally went unusable. He did not know their meaning. As life passed, he took time, exponentially, to learn. Today’s word is “ablution”. He just performed it … More It Refines
The first session of the workshop in prison is designed for introductions. We make up a name for ourselves that contains our first name preceded by an adjective that is spelled with the first letter the same as our first name. I am Gentle George. We go around and take turns repeating all the names … More Unfamiliar
Originally posted on Winter in Quito:
Que le vaya bien is a common farewell phrase that loosely translated means, “Hope everything goes well.” On March 14th, my last day working at Fundación Minadores de Sueños, these words were frequently spoken as I exchanged goodbyes with the children and staff members. Traditionally, when a volunteer finishes…
Originally posted on Winter in Quito:
March 4th and 5th was a national holiday in Ecuador—Carnaval. This holiday is apparently celebrated worldwide although only regionally in the United States, primarily in New Orleans, where it is called Mardi Gras. In Ecuador, it marks the beginning of Lent and also honors the indigenous Kichwa holiday of…
I have a ton of projects to take care of. Since the age of 13 or 14. The list began then and has never diminished in length shorter than 40 or 50 items. I think this is the real meaning of life. To get comfortable with ‘sloth’. I’m almost there. For the past hour and … More Avoidance Behavior
SAILOR, REST YOUR OAR Lost Harbor by Leslie Nelson Jennings There is a port of no return, where ships May ride at anchor for a little space And then, some starless night, the cable slips, Leaving an eddy at the mooring place . . . Gulls, veer no longer. Sailor, rest your oar. No tangled … More “Sailor, rest your oar”
I was heading south toward Spring City, Tennessee on I-81. What a night it had been. High winds and blinding rain on back in Virginia running alongside the Blue Ridge Mountains. Dark, windy, rainy and scary too. More than scary really. Hair-raising, daunting, fearsome, alarming sound good too. I was unblinking-tired. There was no way … More A Memorable Evening
Originally posted on barralopolis:
This is the complete picture of my cover picture at ONL191. Me trying to get some air in Anza Borrego desert some time March 2018. Well, it has been a while. Almost 4 years! Guess it has been busy. I am back because of the Open Networked Learning course: ONL191. How…
I have a major day arriving soon. A major day. Not the major day, just a major day. My 80th birthday is February 19th. I am entering my ninth decade. I’m not sure how to feel or think about this. I am having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I am going to … More 80
Playing Fair and Being Kind 