The call of the birder

• April 7, 2012

Mom loved travel. She loved meeting people in her travels. I’m much more shy than her, she’d be openly stepping forward, saying hello, talking about shared interests and being her gregarious self. I really liked Costa Rica and the people I travelled with were all incredible. I feel a little strange since my daughter and I tended to sit by ourselves more than I would have chosen in retrospect. One of my best social moments of the trip was when we were riding up the escalator in Houston about to go through screening and some of the kids from our tour spotted us and waved goodbye furiously. Read More

Sentimental Journey

• April 4, 2012

Goona take a sentimental journey Goona set my heart at ease. Goona make a sentimental journey To renew old memories. Doris Day, eh? I honestly didn’t know that. I actually hear my mom singing it in my mind. In some respects, Mom and I are very opposite people. She loved travel, I’d much rather stay at home. I love science and technology, she tolerated as little as was required to get what she wanted done. Read More

Government at Cross Purposes?

• April 4, 2012

While on vacation in Costa Rica, our tour guide was quite candid while talking about government in his country. There were many things I found myself admiring as he spoke. I was also shocked with some of the problems he described they were having. If my understanding is correct (all errors my own), they have a court that’s akin to our Supreme Court. When legislation is passed, affected people lodge complaints which are heard by this court. Read More

I can see that....

• March 10, 2012

Okay, it’s time for the exciting part. We’ve talked about the packing, the shots, the odds and sods along the way. Now I get to show off the cool stuff. Every once in a while I get asked about which telescope I’d recommend for a budding astronomer. Generally people know that I love looking at the sky, I’m a geek, and therefore I have a lot of knowledge of the tools of the trade. Read More

Renewal in another place.

• March 2, 2012

I’m really burnt out. I can feel the restlessness. The lack of clarity and concentration. The short temper and intolerance for other people’s stupidity. I’m really, really burnt out. Yeah, you’ve sent me an email lately and I haven’t responded. I’ve got somewhere around 600 emails piled up right now, about half of which I actually WANT to read and maybe a third I want to scan through. Of the half I want to read, I’ve probably got about a third of those I want to reply to. Read More