In February, I wrote a blog about Trump and racism. At the end I said, “I have written several blogs about racism here in America. I have to say, they don’t seem to do much good.” Afterwards, my friend, Andrea Codd, sent me wonderful words of encouragement I would like to share. They are a lesson for all of us.
Continue reading “Keep Speaking Out”
What do visits with family, drinking beer with 2,000 friends, and seeing Orangutans, Pygmy Elephants, and Komodo Dragons have in common? They are all part of our next vacation! Cath and I are flying halfway around the world to visit New Zealand, Singapore, Borneo, and Indonesia.
Continue reading “Travelin’ “
My friend Evan and I were checking out a trail for our running group, The DC Hash House Harriers (DCH3). As we followed the route, it became clear Evan and I have different definitions of what constitutes a hill. We decided to do a joint blog about hills, each writing half without input from the other. This is the result.
Continue reading “What Defines a Hill”
On March 9th of last week, Adam Ray would have turned 40. Adam was the son of my West Point classmate Jim and his wife Donna. He was killed by an IED in Afghanistan on February 9th, 2010, one month shy of his 24th birthday. The administration’s cavalier attitude about the current war with Iran is raising old ghosts from past conflicts.
Continue reading “Adam”
In the summer of ‘82 while stationed in Germany, we drove to what was then Yugoslavia* for a vacation. Along the way, we stopped for lunch in Venice. That is what you do when you are young and in love. Not for the night. Not for a couple of days. Just lunch, because, why the hell not?
Continue reading “A 1980s Selfie in Venice”
During my Firstie (senior) year at West Point, there was a required Philosophy course. I am not sure what my expectations were going into the class, but there were ideas that stuck with me my entire life, including a discussion on God’s existence, or a lack thereof.
Continue reading “Philosophy Class”
This Saturday, Cath and I will be in Richmond, Virginia with friends attending the gubernatorial inauguration of Abigail Spanberger. We are excited and are looking forward to the event. As a bonus, she will be our first female governor.
Continue reading “The Inauguration”
Home for the holidays and returning home for the holidays are not the same thing. This year, we are not staying home for Christmas. Instead, we are returning home to where we grew up in Illinois to see family and friends. The DRIVE in winter can be a challenge, but we have done it so many times over the nearly 40 years we he have lived in Virginia, that our car is on autopilot.
Continue reading “Home for the Holidays”
Cath and I have been watching two or three episodes of the old TV show “Cheers” each evening. Cathy recalled it was the same way we watched it in the late ‘80s. We were stationed in Germany and our friend Howard was a lifeline to America. He sent us VHS tapes every couple of months with recorded TV shows and movies. We were binge watching before they invented the term.
Continue reading “Howard and Binge Watching”
Cath and I are among the diminishing number of people who send out Christmas/Holiday cards. In our busy digital world, fewer people send them, and among the younger generations, it is almost nonexistent. That is just life today. Me? I still enjoy the annual “old fashioned” event of exchanging Holiday cards.
Continue reading “Holiday Cards”
Live Life Exuberantly 