Technology Lapse

So many times recently, I have walked through an airport wondering what we all did without our cell phones and laptops. A high percentage of passengers passing through airport terminals are either talking, texting, reading emails, or surfing on their cell phones. And once they’re seated at the gate, out come the laptops for some full-blown web-surfing. The way we communicate and obtain information has changed dramatically in the past decade or so. There used to be banks of pay phones at the airport, often with lines of people waiting for their turn to make a call. Now, airports have turned those payphone booths and phone kiosks into mini computer stations, complete with plenty of electrical outlets for charging various devices. Without all this technology, some of us would be lost.

We have pretty reliable cable and internet service at the house, but as I write this, we have been without both for about 3 hours. I have to admit, it’s a pretty strange feeling to know that I can’t just jump online to send a quick email or to Google something. It has made me realize how much I depend on this technology to move through my day. Now don’t misunderstand. There are things to be done around here that don’t require technology. In fact there are some decidedly non-technology oriented tasks waiting for me in my yard right now. But when it comes to gathering information, communicating, entertainment, or even work, we live in a pretty technology dependent culture.

Fortunately, my cell phone is still up and running. That means I can do some things online if I want to. Not quite as conveniently, but I’m not cut off completely. And my computer is still up and running for things that don’t require online access. But I’m sitting here trying to imagine what it would feel like if all of my technology was lapsed right now. Tasks would get done, for sure. I would still have a meal on the table. But I have to admit, that the day would feel very different from the norm.

We adults are not the only ones intrigued by technology. On my recent visit to Washington, my grandsons (Jackson especially) were all excited to find me waiting for them each morning with my laptop. They wanted to “go to Google” or “YouTube” to look for “Cars” videos. They love the Pixar cars and also a series of videos called Auto B Good. Jackson got to typing stuff himself, and I realized how much technology is just second nature to these new little ones coming up. I have it in my head that some day when the boys are older, they’ll come to me and say, “Hey Geep…remember when we used to use those laptop things when we were little?” Who knows what advances will take place in the next 10-15 years. We won’t even recognize today’s gadgets!

And speaking of recognizing technology, here is one of life’s little mysteries. Why in the world, when you go to the toy department, do they still sell toy rotary phones?

Second Chances

I think it must be a common experience to want a second chance…a “do over”, if you will. Years ago when I did a little golfing, we called it a “mulligan”. When your drive off the tee was less than acceptable (even embarrassing), you got to do it over…once for a round of 18 holes. How many times in other situations have you wished for a mulligan?

I just had a situation recently where I got a “do over”, and I am very grateful. I had just gone on a wild goose chase over a potential Craigslist purchase. The seller had grossly misrepresented the condition of the item I had hoped to purchase, which I discovered only after driving clear across town in the rain, during the late afternoon traffic. I was irritated, both at the seller who had been given multiple opportunities to be forthright, and at myself for having made such a rookie Craigslist mistake. I was also getting irritated with several other drivers who had made poor driving decisions which not only slowed me down, but created a dangerous situation for those of us driving nearby.

On the way home, it seemed like I was hitting every single traffic light just as it was changing from amber to red. And most were at large intersections, where the light cycles are about 3 minutes long. With each delay, I was getting more irritated over having made the trip at all. As I approached the next light with good hopes of making it through, the light changed on me at the last minute. Had no one been in front of me, I would have sailed through on the amber. However, the car in front of me (wisely!) chose to stop. As soon as I saw the brake lights, my first thought was, “I’ve missed enough lights, so maybe YOU’RE not making this light, but I AM!” I (unwisely!) decided to move into the right lane, pass him on the right, and make it through the amber light. (Can you see where this is going?) Yep…there was another car in the right lane (in my blind spot) with the same idea. He sped up to make the light. Believe me when I say it was a close one!

But…I got my mulligan! I was able to swerve back into my own lane, and apply the brakes in time to stop at the light without ramming into the guy I had intended to pass. There was fishtailing. A fair amount of rubber was left on the road. And I’m sure that my heart was not the only one racing. The result of my hasty decision could have been disastrous. I believe the Lord protected me from my own foolishness that day, and a couple of lessons were quickly learned. First, don’t be so quick to get irritated at others when they make a foolish driving decision. Second, slow down when you realize that emotions are causing you to drive with less caution than you normally would.

My “do-over” was a valuable learning experience. We don’t always get them. Whether it’s driving, or at work, or with relationships, we can’t ever count on a mulligan. Good enough reason to do it right the first time!

Dealership Shout-Out

I'm typically not a big fan of car dealership service departments. The repairs are often more expensive, and I often feel like I'm being up-sold. However, I had a good enough experience today that I thought it deserved a shout-out.

My 2001 Honda Accord needed some recall work. Something about a potential problem with the driver's airbag inflator using so much pressure, that some metal part could explode, sending metal fragments into the driver, should the airbag ever deploy. It sounded sufficiently scary, so as instructed, I called my local dealer to arrange for the free repair.

I called Leith Honda two days ago. They were very pleasant on the phone. I was asked to fax the recall notice, they would order the part, then they would call me when it arrived so I could set an appointment for the work. Yesterday I got the call, and we arranged for an 8AM appointment for this morning. All very professional.

Upon arrival at Leith Honda, I simply pulled up under a portico, and was met by a pleasant and professional check-in agent who quickly got some necessary information from me, told me the repair would take about an hour, and then pointed me to the customer service waiting room. I never had to step out into the bad weather, which was much appreciated.

In the waiting room, instead of the obligatory "Mr. Coffee" pot with burned coffee brewed several hours before, I had access to a professional "one cup at a time" coffee machine that actually made a decent cup of coffee. (Not being a fan of styrofoam cups, if I ever have reason to return, I'll bring my own cup.) There was also a supply of chilled bottled water, along with a basket of granola bars and other snacks.

Perhaps the biggest perk of all (which I had confirmed ahead of time) was the availability of free wi-fi. I was able to log in to my home PC using GoToMyPC right from the waiting room and accomplish the morning tasks that would have had to wait, had I been in most other auto service waiting rooms.

The service was complete in just under an hour. The agent who led me to the check-out counter was very pleasant, and the checkout staff person was efficient and professional. Best of all, the repair cost me nothing other than 50 minutes of round-trip driving time.

I usually dread having to take care of auto service. Calling, scheduling, waiting...it's always such an inconvenience. Thanks, Leith Honda, for making this one of the most convenient and pleasant auto service experiences I've had.

School Clothes

Growing up in the Philadelphia area during the 1960’s, we were always on a traditional school calendar. The schedule where you went back to school the day after Labor Day. We always dreaded that last Monday night, because even though it was a holiday, it was also a school night…the first one of the year. Our school bedtimes kicked in, and the next day the freedom of summer would be over.

There was always one bright spot at the beginning of the year. The weekend before school started, we would go shopping for new school clothes. (This was back when we had school clothes and play clothes.) I still remember what it felt like to put on a brand new pair of pants, a stiff new shirt (button down with a collar was required in those days), and a new pair of shoes. Once the tags were unpinned (remember the straight-pin price tickets?), our new clothes were ready to go. They smelled new, and when we were allowed to choose the latest style, we felt like we looked really sharp on that first day back in class with our schoolmates.

Another highlight of the new school year came the evening after our first day of class. We came home armed with that year’s requirements for school supplies. What fun we had picking out a new 3-ring binder, subject dividers, book covers, pencils and erasers, rulers, notebook paper, and pencil cases. When we got back from the store, we got to organize everything and get our textbooks covered, all prepared for another year of hard studying.

Well, some things never change. Even though many schools in our area have moved to a year round schedule to accommodate a growing school population, and even though I’ve been out of school for many years, my mind still functions on a traditional schedule. After all, I had 13 years of public school, 4 years of college followed by 10 years as a public school teacher, and finally all those years raising 2 children through public school and college (all on a traditional schedule). Old habits are hard to break. As the August calendar page gives way to September, I still get that “fall” beginning-of-the-school-year feeling. And I get the urge for new “school clothes”. (OK, now it’s “work clothes”).

Because I travel so much for work, I have a set of clothes that is always ready for the suitcase. I never wear these clothes at home. Once laundered, they get folded and stacked on a shelf in my closet. When it’s time to pack, it’s a simple matter of selecting the appropriate number of slacks and shirts, and along with the underwear and socks, into the suitcase they go. My travel shoes, belt, sneakers, and my toiletries never even leave the suitcase. I even have separate gym clothes for travel.

Every September, having worn the same clothes on business trips for an entire year, I find that things are starting to look a bit worn, and sometimes I tire of wearing the same things over and over. So when that old “new school year” feeling kicks in, off to the store I go! I’m not a big shopper, but this is one time during the year that I check out the goods at a lot of stores, picking out new pants, shirts, and shoes to wear for the next year. Makes me feel like a kid again! And boy, do I feel sharp my first few times out wearing the new stuff!

Every other year in September, I get to satisfy my “new school supplies” urge by replacing my suitcase. I’ve found that no matter how high the quality, after two years of packing and unpacking, not to mention hundreds of trips through baggage claim, most any suitcase is going to break down enough as to require replacement. Again, I’m like a kid in a candy store. I check out the newest crop of luggage at all the stores, and after I make my selection, I take my new bag home and spend an hour or two figuring out the best way to organize all my travel stuff. It really reminds me of the old days getting my new school supplies organized for the new school year.

Like I said, some things never change! Once a kid, always a kid when that traditional school calendar says summer’s over and a brand new school year is about to begin!

Still Amazed After All These Years

I've written quite a bit in the past about the perils of business travel...particularly air travel. It's certainly not glamorous, and it's often exhausting. That said, I have to confess. When you strip away all the hassles, air travel still blows me away.

Think about it. Board a plane in Atlanta. Drink a couple of cups of coffee and eat a snack, do a little reading, watch a couple of episodes of West Wing, maybe get a little work-related stuff done, and then you get off the plane in Seattle. When you look at a map, it really hits home how amazing this really is. No matter what inconveniences or frustrations go along with it, waking up in one city and having dinner in another one that's clear across the country is still pretty darn amazing.

That's 3 Bags, Sir

I really can't figure out the airlines. Gate agents make a big announcement before boarding about how travelers are only allowed to carry on two bags. One regular bag, such as a roll-aboard suitcase, and one personal item, such as a purse or computer bag. Yet, I regularly see those same gate agents turn a blind eye when passengers board with bags hanging all over their bodies...and clearly more than three!

Many experienced airline travelers disagree with my decision to check my bag. They would much rather carry their bag on board, thereby avoiding the often long wait at baggagee claim at their destination. I, on the other hand, am willing to lengthen my check-in time and to wait at baggage claim in return for other benefits. By not carrying on luggage, I do not have to worry that all of the overhead bin space will be gone by the time I board. And because most of my flights involve a connection, I like being hands-free at the connecting airport. My one carry-on is a backpack so that both of my hands are free while walking from one gate to the next. One to hold my Starbucks, the other to be checking email on my Blackberry. Finally, I prefer not to have to put a second bag under the seat in front of me, so that I can more freely stretch out my legs during longer flights. So...everyone determines which advantages are most important, and then acts accordingly.

My beef is with people who want the best of both worlds, and don't care who they inconvenience. On a recent flight, the guy seated next to me in first class arrived late. By the time he arrived....with three carry-ons...the overhead bin space was nearly gone. He proceeded to rearrange other passengers' belongings, and then shoved his larger bag up against another bag, without regard to whether he might be damaging someone else's stuff. He then became frustrated when he couldn't find space for his second large bag, so he enlisted the help of the flight attendant. In my opinion, the flight attendant should have called him out on having three bags, and required him to gate check the third one. Instead, she started checking each of the full overhead bins to see if some additional rearranging could be done. In the end, she spotted my backpack. Keep in mind that I have already agreed to the prior mentioned inconveniences of checking my bag, in order to achieve the benefits that are important to me. Now the flight attendant requests that I place my backpack under the seat in front of me so that my seatmate can use that space in the overhead bin for his illegal third bag. As you can imagine, I was not a happy camper.

So IS the limit really TWO carry-ons? If it IS, then please enforce it. If it ISN'T, then please stop saying that it is.

I'll Take the Compliment AND the Discount

Attending church recently with family in Blaine, WA. Son-in-law Jared leading worship. Fellow band member sees me sitting next to my daughter Rachel in row 2. Band member: “Is that Rachel’s brother sitting down there with Rachel?” Jared: “No…that’s her dad!” Me (later, upon hearing the story): happy to take the compliment. Rachel: Maybe not amused??

After church. Local restaurant. Everyone hungry for something different . Brunch to the rescue. Senior discount ($3 off) mentioned in menu. Me: “How old do you have to be to qualify for the senior discount?” Waitress: “It’s available to anyone age 55 and older, sir.” Me: Thrilled to be getting a senior discount for the first time. Me (two seconds later): depressed that I just qualified for my first senior discount.

Later the same day. Picking up a few things at the grocery store. Rachel and I in checkout line with her boys. Cashier (talking to my grandson): "Have your daddy lift you up so I can show you something." Me: “Well, actually I’m his grandfather.” Cashier: "Grandfather?? Whoa! Lookin’ good, Grandpa!" Me: Beaming, and feeling totally OK about qualifying earlier for that senior discount. Rachel: Maybe not amused??

Five Simple Rules

Sometimes life gets a little complex. I think that’s what vacations are all about. It’s not only a change of scenery we’re after, but also a chance to simplify our daily routine for even just a short time. That’s why some people who plan busy vacations with a lot of planned activities often return home feeling like they need a vacation from their vacation. Sometimes I wonder if our normal lives could be a little simpler.

How about if we just had a few rules to live by, and if we followed them, our lives would be a bit less stressful? The thought came to me while watching a video my daughter recently posted to her blog. You see, her 2 ½ year old twin boys are giving her a run for her money these days when it’s time to go to bed. Nap time has turned to play time, and by the time they eventually settle down to sleep, the day’s schedule is all messed up. The video she posted is of the two boys and their dad reviewing "Five Simple Rules" for bedtime. If you’ve had young children, particularly twins, you can probably relate to these rules, and have perhaps reviewed them with your own children.

Rule #1: No talking. Takes me back 50 years when I had to share a bed with my brother. When dad yelled up at us to be quiet, we both consistently blamed the other. Then the whispering began. And the giggling.

Rule #2: Heads down. Reminds me of elementary school when a few kids misbehaved and the teacher made us all put our heads down. We always peeked around the classroom!

Rule #3: Stay in your own crib. You need no imagination to picture in your mind why this rule is necessary. The surprise to me was just how quickly they can make the switch!

Rule #4: Don’t touch the curtain. This is a room darkening curtain, closed at naptime to create the right "mood". Not usually being IN the mood, the boys regularly open that curtain so they can see outside.

Rule #5: Go to sleep. I see the intent here, but this one is a little like telling a snowman not to melt when the sun comes out. A nice thought, but it somehow falls into the category of wishful thinking.

Now this is a grandfather speaking, but I think the video is the cutest thing ever. Especially when you see the looks on the boys’ faces as they repeat the rules that are meant to govern their lives for the next hour or two. They try to look sincere, but I suspect they think the whole thing is just part of "fun time with dad".

In spite of that, I really like the idea of putting things in nice, succinct, repeatable phrases. And sometimes I think we’d all do a lot better if we had just a few rules to live by, that if regularly reviewed and diligently followed, might make our lives simpler, yet with more impact concerning the things that are important. What the boys haven’t figured out yet is that if they would (or could) obey those simple rules, they would have loads of time to enjoy playing outside of the confines of their cribs…AFTER they wake up. And perhaps we haven’t learned that either. Our lives rush by, often in a swirl of stress, because we haven’t stopped to review the things that are most important. Instead, we let life’s pressures dictate our mood and often our actions, and we end up missing out on things because we were too busy to enjoy them.

I would never presume to present a list of “the” five simple rules. Likely we’d each have some different items on our lists. I can, however, say that I’ve begun to formulate in my own mind what my list might include. And I can certainly challenge you to do the same. After you’ve thought about it some, perhaps you should sleep on it. But remember…no talking! Don’t touch the curtain. And whatever you do…stay in your own crib!

Heritage

Small extended family. Mother an only child. Father with two siblings, one who never married. Five children in our family, and five cousins born to my one and only aunt. Only visited them once a year. This is how I would have described my own family, had you asked just a few months ago. Both of my parents are gone, Mom for 40 years now, and Dad for nearly 11. My aunt passed away earlier this year; my uncle several years back. No one left to ask about my heritage. I just figured that’s the way it would always be. Until this past January.

Due to a chance communication online between someone who turned out to be one of my mother’s second cousins in California, and one of my brother’s in-laws in New Hampshire, I now know a great deal more than I ever expected about my mother’s side of the family. I have since made two business trips to California, and a family trip to Nebraska, all providing opportunities to meet relatives I did not know existed, and to explore my "roots". It seems that I have a rich spiritual heritage, , a background steeped in the pioneer spirit, as well as some living relatives who are delightful people.

I can now go back five generations to my great great great grandmother, who was born in 1810 in Germany. After bearing four children and being widowed twice, she moved to America at the age of 54. After a year in Wisconsin, she purchased a homestead (160 acres) on the prairie land of Stanton County, Nebraska where her oldest daughter (my great great grandmother) had located with her husband. Before long, all four of her children were homesteading in the same area, where 18 cousins grew up together during the mid to late 1800’s. The four families had a deep faith in God, so it was no surprise to learn that together they started the first church in the town of Stanton. Though not an active church today, the original building still stands, and I recently had the privilege of visiting there.

Three of the original families have remained in rural Nebraska. However, the Boelters (from whom I am descended) eventually moved to southern California around 1890, which was where my mother was born nearly 40 years later. By all accounts, the Boelter home was characterized by regular prayer and family devotions. Two of their sons, including my great grandfather, were called into full time ministry as teenagers while attending the small church in Stanton. Both attended college and seminary in Illinois prior to starting lifelong careers as ministers in the Evangelical United Brethren church, which at the time was a conservative and evangelistic denomination. While his brother eventually moved to California and served in churches there, my great grandfather served his entire career as minister in a number of churches throughout Nebraska. His parents, his siblings and their families, and all of his children and grandchildren had all moved to California, yet as much as he and my great grandmother likely longed to be with their family, he stayed true to his calling to preach in Nebraska. Now that is a rich heritage!

While I’m excited to have met some relatives and learned about many ancestors, I’m also disappointed that I didn’t know about them sooner. Several are quite elderly now. Some have passed away, and if I had only known they were there, I could have met them before they died. Several relatives live less than five miles from where my work often takes me In Orange County. Some of my mom’s aunts and uncles are buried one block from the hotel I always stay in…and I never knew it!

I have now been privileged to visit the grave site of my grandmother (who I never knew), along with those of many who went before her. For some reason, that helps me feel connected to them in some way. I don’t know when I’ll be able to put more time into it, but I am now quite motivated to learn about the other branches of my family, and to discover what other heritage is mine. I’m also motivated to begin writing things down about my own life, so that perhaps my great great grandchildren someday might know a little more about their own heritage.

Honoring the Fallen

I had an unusual experience yesterday while flying from Raleigh to Dallas. After all of the passengers had boarded and were in their seats, the pilot announced that it was our honor that day to be transporting the remains of a fallen soldier home to a final resting place. I had noticed while waiting to board, that some sort of honor guard had just done something out near our plane. They had escorted the casket to its position in the cargo hold of the jet. The pilot requested that we remain seated upon arrival at our gate in Dallas until the military honor guard flying with us could exit in order to escort the body to its next destination.

I did not know this young man, who had lost his life in Iraq. However, I was reminded how grateful I am to be living in a country where young men and women are willing to give their very lives to protect the freedoms that I enjoy, and often take for granted. It was my honor to show respect to the fallen soldier, as well as to the military honor guard who had the responsibility of making sure this young man's body made it back safely to his family and his final resting place.

The Allure of the Oldies

There is a Blackberry app store available now, which allows me to shop for applications that I can download and use right on my phone. I suspect this is RIM's answer to Apple's iPhone app store. (RIM is Research in Motion, the company behind Blackberrys.) I've had some fun shopping around, especially since I've been able to find a bunch of free downloads that have expanded the versatility of my Blackberry Bold on the cheap. Rather than list my faves, I thought I'd focus on just one that I have particularly enjoyed. It allows me to play 100's of radio stations...both local and from around the country. As long as I have a cell phone signal, I can access a wide variety of radio formats.

From 1964 through 1975, I was in junior high, high school, and college. It was during those years that I listened faithfully to a couple of local Top 40 radio stations, first on a clock radio by my bed, then on a small transistor radio I got for Christmas 1964. (Eventually I earned enough money as a paperboy to buy some of this music on vinyl 45's and play selected songs on my record player.) As I look back on those years, many of the events I remember are punctuated by the music I was listening to at the time. For instance, if I hear a few bars of "Wooly Bully" (Sam the Sam and the Pharoahs, 1965) or "Wild Thing" (The Troggs, 1965), 44 years just melt away, and I am in the wrestling room of Woodland Ave. Jr. High School, where we were permitted to dance to popular music during lunch period. There were two local radio stations in Philadelphia back then that built their audiences by playing the popular rock 'n roll music of the day. WFIL and WIBG (Wibbage) routinely pitted the Beatles music against that of the Beach Boys, asking their teen listeners to call in and vote for their favorite. Once I graduated from college and begain teaching in 1975, for some reason I stopped listening to popular music, and pretty much left the radio off until several years later when I was more interested in classical music, NPR, and eventually talk radio. Songs from those transistor radio years represent the true oldies era, in my book.

One of the stations available on my Blackberry now is out of Minnesota somewhere, and it plays those true oldies 24/7. Music from the late 50's, the 60's, and the early years of the 70's. It couldn't be more perfect. I've listened to other radio stations that claim to have an oldies format, but their definition of oldies is much broader than mine. After all, songs from the late 70's and 80's can certainly be considered "oldies" now in 2009. They're just not MY oldies. And now I've found a station that caters to the very years I was listening to popular music. And believe me, there is quite an allure. Once I turn it on, I find it hard to turn it off. Each song that comes on seems to pull me back in time where I can remember people, places, and events that I often haven't thought of for decades. Over 40 years after receiving that first transistor radio with the single earplug headphone, I slip my Blackberry into my pocket, pop in the stereo earbuds, and head out to do yardwork. But I'm not really in my yard, and I'm not really weeding or pruning or planting stuff. I'm really back in my junior high school dancing to "Lightning Strikes" (Lou Christie, 1966).

86,400

Is that number at all familiar to you? It actually has an important meaning to every one of us.

The first thing I was aware of when I emerged from a sound sleep one recent morning, was a very subtle and rhythmic sound. As I attempted to clear my head from the remnants of my early morning dreams, I eventually realized that the sound penetrating my consciousness was the battery driven clock on the wall of our master bath. One tick after the other. Never slowing. Never stopping. A relentless reminder of the passing of time.

That particular morning, I chose to lay in bed for awhile before facing the day. The ticking of the clock, which I normally don't even hear, would not fade. It almost seemed to get louder. So I started thinking about the time that was passing. Sixty seconds for every minute, and 3,600 ticks for every hour. It didn't take long to work the math in my head and realize that the clock would end up ticking 86,400 times in the next 24 hours. Yep! 86,400 is the number of seconds we have available to us every day.

After laying there for awhile longer, I decided not to figure up the number of seconds that I had just wasted by not getting up right away. There was just no point in calculating how much time I would now no longer have to accomplish other things during the day. However, since then I have been strangely aware of clocks ticking.

In my office, I have another battery operated clock. Normally I glance at it throughout the day, but I really don't hear it. Until later that same day. In fact, I sat and looked at it for a short time. The second hand made its relentless trip around the dial several times. If I looked very carefully, I could just see the almost imperceptible movement of the minute hand. The pace of the hour hand, of course, is too slow to be perceived by the human eye. Nevertheless, I was once again confronted with the unstoppable passage of time, and the realization that we all have the same number of seconds to be used in whatever way we choose. We can waste those seconds, or use them wisely.

Do you know anyone who always seems to accomplish so much more than you do with 86,400 seconds? I sure do. There is one guy I know, who is actually in the same business I'm in, and I simply can't believe the things he fits in. Besides running his business, he is in an over 55 softball league, and travels the country playing tournaments. He singlehandedly maintains and landscapes his beautiful yard, he routinely builds things in his wood shop, he vacations with his wife, and he's an active involved grandfather. He also does some community volunteer work, and hosts a two hour call in radio show every Saturday morning. I'm just not sure how he does it all.

I am not intimidated any longer by such a show of resourcefulness, but I am challenged. I'm grateful for the reminder provided now by every ticking clock, to put my 86,400 seconds to more productive use every single day. The ones that are wasted will no longer be available (wouldn't it be nice to have "rollover seconds"?). The ones that are put to productive use will often yield benefits far into the future.

Yeah...those are the ones I want. The productive ones. Let me order up a few million of those. In the meantime, have a great 86,400 seconds.

Food Mood

Not infrequently, I find myself craving certain foods. I'm not always sure why, but I definitely recognize times when I really want a particular thing to eat. I call these food moods.

Weather is one of those things that seems to put me in the mood for certain foods. I have experienced what seems like an unprecedented number of cold rainy days this year. Just as the weather seems to clear here at home, I head off to some other place where the weather is just turning for the worst. Not surprisingly, cold or dreary weather puts me in the mood for a pot of homemade soup...the kind that simmers on the back burner all day long. A client recently invited me for lunch, and although it was a sunny day, it was cold outside, and the soup was incredible. Just yesterday, it was cold and rainy outside, and Paulette made a pot of soup for supper that really hit the spot. And the "all day" simmering made the house smell so inviting.

On a recent dreary day, the aroma of freshly baked bread seemed like just the ticket. I pulled out the bread machine that I used to use weekly a number of years ago. Being more aware of "carb overload" these past few years, I have tried to steer clear from so much bread. However, within four hours, I had a loaf of oatmeal white bread all ready to go. Followed by a loaf of 7-grain honey wheat bread. Let me tell you, nothing goes with a pot of homemade soup quite like a piece of warm, freshly baked bread.

What about those warmer sunny days? A different food mood. I tend to like a fresh salad to go along with grilled food. Along with whatever meat I grill (usually chicken or pork chops), I really like to grill up red, orange, and yellow peppers, along with onions, mushrooms, and sometimes some squash or zuchini. The sizzle...the smoke... the smell...all conspire to make my mouth water. Eating this kind of food out on the deck makes it all the more appealing. Definitely more of a summer food mood.

Sometimes one food puts me in the mood for another. I'm not a big soft drink fan, but when I eat pizza, I just have to have a coke to go with it. Eggs put me in the mood for cinnamon toast. You get the idea. Other times, for no apparent reason, a favorite food just pops into my mind, and I can't wait to eat it. Guacamole. Peal and eat shrimp. Mac and cheese (Paulette's homemade...not the Kraft kind). Pepper jelly and cream cheese on crackers. And of all things...meatloaf! I have lots of favorites, and when I recognize the aroma of something that's cooking in the kitchen, I immediately feel a food mood coming on!

I'm thinking food moods might be universal or transferable. Hmmm...I know how we can test this. Let me know if you have food moods, and if so, what you make (and how!) when a particular food mood hits you. I'll be happy to test out your ideas.

It's raining outside. Time to go heat up some of that soup. And there's a hunk of dark pumpernickel bread downstairs with my name on it.

Ditched!

Just a brief rant here. I've been active on CraigsList again this month, and I have encountered some very poor CraigsList etiquette. I was ditched twice today when attempting to sell a particular item.

One guy asked lots of questions, and was very interested, negotiated a discount, and told me that he would be at my place to pick the item up no later than 3:30PM. It's 9:45PM now...he still hasn't arrived. No phone call or email...and I get only voicemail when I attempt to contact him.

When he ditched me, I called a woman who had emailed saying she was a "serious buyer" and told her the item was still available. She told me she wanted to pick it up on the way home, and she would be here around 6PM. She finally did call at 7:25PM with some explanation. She told me she was at a gas station about 15 minutes from my house, and she was on her way. Again...9:45PM, and she has yet to arrive. Again...no email or phone call, and voicemail when I call her.

Do these people have mothers? And did their mothers teach them anything?

Being a "no show" is very poor CraigsList etiquette. At the very least, a phone call or email is in order. If you change your mind, fine! That's how CraigsList works. You're not obligated until cash and goods change hands. But please...have the common decency to inform someone with whom you've made a verbal deal that you have changed your mind.

End of rant.

Coffee - One Cup at a Time

When I'm on the road, I make frequent stops at Starbucks. Typically just for a cup of black coffee, though occasionally I treat myself to a hot Chai. Mostly just the coffee. And sometimes it's Caribou. For Christmas, I was fortunate to receive a gift card to both places. I like the coffee shop atmosphere, and I do like my coffee...black.

When I'm at home, I have been brewing a 4 cup carafe and sipping it all morning from my travel mug. And I'm much less discriminating about what I'm drinking. I collect packet coffee from my hotel stays. Sometimes it's gourmet...sometimes it's just plain awful. But at home, it's just so easy to grab a packet and not have to mess with coffee and filters. I often don't even care if I grab a regular or a decaf packet. I also have purchased coffee beans, so sometimes I grind and brew, but it is an extra effort that I don't always make.

I'm not grabbing hotel coffee packets these days. For Christmas I treated myself (with gift money) to a Keurig Elite One Cup Coffee System. These are the one-cup-at-a-time brewers that use the little K-cups. The coffee comes pre-packaged in small vacuum sealed plastic cups, which you simply pop into the provided slot on the machine. Close the lever, push a button to indicate what size cup you want (mine has 2 choices), and in a minute or less, you have a steaming hot cup of coffee. You simply keep the water reservoir filled with water, and it's good for about 6 or 7 cups. It really couldn't be easier, and it puts out a pretty good tasting cup of coffee.

The downside is that the little K-cups can be pretty expensive. Not compared to a trip to Starbucks, mind you, but pricey compared to scooping your own coffee into a coffee maker (or using free hotel coffee packets). There is quite a variety of coffee and tea available in K-cups, both by type and by brand. However, depending on where and in what quantity you purchase them, K-cups range in price from 40 to 50 cents each. That's too much for my at home morning cup of joe. Not to mention that it limits me to the choices available, when I would rather be able to use my favorite grind.

Fortunately, there are a couple of nice solutions to these problems. First, you can buy a little pseudo K-cup that can be filled with your own coffee. I haven't tried one, but I have heard that some of the "Keurig one-cup convenience" is lost on having to clean the used grinds out of this permanent K-cup replacement after each cup is brewed. The second solution solves that problem.

There are certain coffee makers that use little round "pods" of coffee Essentially a little round enclosed filter with coffee inside. Someone came up with a way to use these with the Keurig machines. You can purchase a "pod-holster", which looks like a little K-cup, and you can stuff a coffee pod into the holster, pop the holster into the K-cup slot on the Keurig machine, and in no time you're drinking your morning brew. This is only part of the solution, though, because just like K-cups, the little coffee pods can be expensive as well, and the variety is limited. Unless you make the pods yourself.

Enter the electric "pod-maker"! You purchase pod filters, and you put one in the pod maker, fill it with your favorite coffee, and flip the filter lid over the coffee. Close the lid of the pod-maker for 3-4 seconds, and voila! You now have a sealed tight coffee pod, filled with your own favorite coffee, ready to be stuffed into the holster. Into the Keurig it goes...and out comes your coffee. I know it sounds complicated, until you realize that you simply make a bunch of pods at a time and store them. I made 20 of them today in less than 15 minutes, and I was just learning. My speed will increase with experience. Now when I want a single cup of coffee, I grab a pod, stuff it into the holster (5 seconds), and I'm ready to go.

With the new Keurig sitting right on my desk, a piping hot cup of coffee is only 60 seconds away. I think I better make some decaf pods.

Items May Have Shifted

In over 22 years of business air travel, I can count on one hand the number of times I did not check a bag. I've been cajoled...even reprimanded by traveling companions who prefer to have their bags with them at all times. Their objection to checking bags, of course, is two-fold. First, they don't want to risk arriving at their destination, only to find that their luggage did not. Second...and I think this is the main reason, they do not want to have to wait for their bag to arrive at baggage claim. I understand both of these reasons, and I am particularly familiar with the often long wait in baggage claim. Neither reason, however, is sufficient to overcome my rationale for checking a bag.

Most of my flights from Raleigh include a connection, typically in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas, or Chicago, and occasionally in St. Louis, Detroit, or Salt Lake City. Often, the connection time is just long enough for me to walk from the arrival gate to the departure gate, with a short restroom stop on the way. However, I am frequently forced to layover in a connection airport for a couple of hours or more. During these times, I do not want to be lugging a suitcase behind me. I prefer to keep my hands free so that I can eat something while walking, or perhaps grab something at Starbucks and still have one hand free to be checking my email. A number of years ago I even began using a laptop backpack as my carry-on so that I could remain hands-free in the airport. However, as important as this is to me, the primary reason for checking my bag can be summed up in two words: Overhead Bins!

Airlines have lately been sending mixed messages. While they attempt to limit carry-ons by imposing size limits, most of the major carriers actually encourage carry-ons by charging to check a bag. Sometimes the first bag is free, sometimes not. But beyond the first bag, you usually have to pay...often from $15 to $25 (fortunately I have sufficient frequent flyer status that I am exempt from these charges). By imposing this fee, airlines have sent a message to the flying public: it's cheaper to carry your bag with you. And I've never once seen any airline employee forbid someone to carry something on the plane that exceeded the stated size limit. As a result, passengers are now carrying on everything except the kitchen sink. Because I don't need the stress of wondering if there will be space for my suitcase in the overhead bins, I choose to check my bag.

It is both comical and annoying to watch people put their stuff in the overhead bins. I am annoyed when someone simply throws everything up there with little or no attention paid to using the space efficiently. Coats, small laptop bags that could easily fit under the seat in front of them, suitcases...all tossed up as if the bin was their own personal storage space. I'm also annoyed when someone boards late with a load of "stuff" and then proceeds to rearrange everyone else's belongings (without asking...and usually blocking the aisle) in order to jam his own things in. And no regard whatever is given to what items in someone else's bags might be getting damaged in the attempt. Also on the annoying list: people who are seated near the rear of the plane who throw their bag into the first empty bin space they find, often near the front of the plane, leaving the people who sit in those forward seats (who are typically forced to board near the end of the boarding process) nowhere to put their own belongings.

On the comical side, I often find it amusing to watch someone attempt to put something in the overhead bin that will clearly not fit. They think that if they push and shove and turn the thing enough times, it will eventually go in. Well you know what? A basketball won't fit into a ring box...no matter how hard you try to make it work, it's just not gonna happen! Same thing with these bins. They can actually accommodate suitcases larger than the allowable size, but there is a limit. Watching people attempt to overcome the laws of physics sometimes provides a bit of comic relief. And of course, there is a solution to all of this...it's called checking a bag!

45 Years

I can't let this day end without commenting on the fact that 45 years ago today, President John Kennedy was assassinated. Even all these years later, I can still feel some of the emotion from that day.

I was a fifth grader at Scenic Hills Elementary back in Springfield, PA. Mr. Oravek was my first male teacher, and I really liked the class. On Friday November 22, 1963, he was leading our class in a discussion of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. During that discussion, he received a call on the intercom from the school secretary, alerting him to what had just happened in Dallas. Our president had been assassinated. He was dead. We were speechless.

School dismissal was a very quiet affair that day. I don't remember much about the 4 block walk home, but I do remember turning on the television the minute I got in the house. I remained glued to the set for the remainder of the weekend. I remember attending Sunday School on Sunday morning, and upon returning home, I switched the TV back on, just in time to watch Jack Ruby kill Lee Harvey Oswald right on live TV. If memory serves me, the funeral was on Monday, and we must have had the day off from school, because I remember every bit of it. The caison carrying the coffin, Jacqueline Kennedy's brave face sheilded by a black veil, John-John saluting his father's casket.

It seems like only yesterday somehow, yet so long ago. Less than two months later, the Beatles would make their US television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show (which I also remember watching), and the 60's were taking shape as the decade of unrest, protest, revolution, and free love. So many things happened in the years that followed, but none that grabbed the nation quite so completely as the day that shot rang out across the grassy knoll in Dallas.

His Ways

Some of you will disagree with my politics, but after the election I couldn't stop wondering how the result could possibly be good for America. While I sincerely believe our President-elect has the skills to lead, I have concerns about fiscal issues, defense and foreign policy issues, and most definitely social issues. I was bewildered that a man with quite a liberal viewpoint in each of these areas, and with an opportunity to influence the Supreme Court for many years to come, could possibly be the best choice for our country. I grappled with the fact that in my head I knew that God controls Kings and Kingdoms, and that His will would be accomplished. I just couldn't see how.

The good news...God is teaching me to trust.

Recently in my quiet time, I was reading in Numbers 21. To summarize the portion I read, it is part of the narrative that describes the period when Moses was leading Israel through the wilderness, prior to entering the promised land. A tactical change was made to their plans, and the Lord led them on a more circuitous route. I guess they had had just about enough, because they at once began to complain and rail against God and Moses. And for good measure, they threw in complaints about the lack of water and the "miserable food" (guess they didn't see manna as a blessing!). As a result, God sent poisonous snakes among them. The were biting the Israelites, causing a number of them to die. This apparently brought them to their senses, because they came to Moses, admitted their sin, and begged him to pray to the Lord and ask Him to take the snakes away. So Moses prayed.

Now here's my solution if I had been God: I've made my point, Israel has learned its lesson, so now I'll just take the snakes away. Simple. End of problem.

God didn't do that. He told Moses to make a snake and put it up on a pole. He was to tell the Israelites that whoever got bitten by a real snake could look up at the fake snake, and that would keep them from dying. OK, now that's just plain weird on several levels. First, God doesn't really go for the whole "graven image" thing. Yet He told Moses to make a snake, which Moses made out of bronze. It just seems that looking up at the bronze snake is somehow ascribing some power to it, when God has all the power. As I was reading, it just didn't seem to jive with what I would have expected God to do. I thought He'd just vaporize the snakes. I'm telling you, I really struggled with this. As I continued to dig into the passage and started reading some commentaries, God intervened.

Yes, God could have easily made the snakes disappear. But He knew that the real problem wasn't the snakes. It was the lack of trust in God by the Israelites that had to be dealt with. If God had simply removed the snakes, Israel would have been happy, and I'm sure they would have worshipped and praised God over it. But their praise would have been for something God did, and not for who He was. The trust problem would have remained, and probably before very long would have reared its head again. God's solution to the snake problem required that any Israelite who got a snake bite had to look up...the look of faith. As strange as it must have sounded to them that if they looked up at the bronze snake they would live, they HAD to trust God that this would work, or they would die from the snakebite. Not only was He answering Moses' prayer to get rid of the snake problem, but He was accomplishing His will by re-teaching Isreal to place its unswerving trust in Him.

Believe me, it is still hard for me to understand why God allowed our recent election results. But through this passage, God revealed to me that my disappointment and discouragement were nothing more than a lack of faith in Him to accomplish His will. I have to say that it is very hard for me to see, with my sin-hindered eyes, how God's will is to be accomplished in our country. The election result seems a very strange way for God to further His kingdom on earth. But now I can believe with some conviction (and a dose of humility), that God's ways are not my ways, and He will advance His purposes in His own ways and in His perfect time.

I have been set free to honor and pray for our new leaders, as God desires.

Critter Update

So the humane answer to my squirrel problem was supposed to be "fox urine". I purchased a product online composed largely of this "magic ingredient" (which smells pretty much like skunk!), only to find that my tree rat squirrels are quite content to sit in a pile of it while munching on my hibiscus. The primary predator of squirrels is the fox, and yet there appears to be no fear. I'm seriously thinking about firearms!

And now a new pest has arrived. Admittedly much cuter than a squirrel, but costing me a bunch of cash. This time it's a rabbit. I know...I know. A cute little bunny. Yeah, well...YOU try to convince the little bugger not to eat my freshly planted pansies.

For the first time since we moved to this house 4 1/2 years ago, I got the winter pansies planted by the end of October. I knew I was going to be out of town for awhile, so I worked hard to get them all planted sooner rather than later. My goal was to give them enough time to get very well established before the cold weather slows them down, so that in the Spring, they would really take off. Ah...the best laid plans!

Upon our return from 10 days on the west coast, I discovered that more than a dozen of my plants ($4 a pop at Lowes) had been munched down to the nubbies. Still alive, but without a bloom in sight, and seriously lacking leaves. I fear there is not enough left to sustain life in the cold. I think they will need to be replaced. Not happy about having to lay out more coin.

Honestly, I can't prove that a rabbit is the culprit. I've yet to see the dastardly act performed live. These snuggly little predators are apparently a bit more crafty (or private) than my brazen tree rats. I went online to research what might be eating my plants. I found a video that told me all I needed to know. I'll let you watch it here and decide for yourself if I came to the right conclusion about what has been dining on my winter greens!

Clean Up

This is just a random rant...because I can't help myself.

Why is it that restaurant employees insist on sweeping and/or mopping the floor around you while you're eating? This has happened with some frequency lately, and it always makes me not want to eat my food. It happened not long ago at Panera Bread in Brier Creek. Last night it happened while Paulette and I were attempting to enjoy a cup of coffee and a scone at a local Starbucks in Bellevue, WA.

As we sat down, I noticed an employee in the back with a broom in her hand. Sure enough, before long she was out in the store sweeping away. All I could think is that dust and dirt were flying in the air and landing on my food. A less than appetizing thought. I didn't say anything to Paulette, because I didn't want to be a whiner, but I was irritated inside. Next thing you know, the employee brought out the bucket and the mop. You know the one I mean...the big bucket with the wringer on it, and the big stringy wet mop, just dripping with yuck from the last dozen moppings. She mopped so close to us that the mop came within a couple of inches of my shoe. She seemed oblivious to the customers around her. I'm surprised she didn't try to mop under our table. At one point, when she wasn't paying attention, her mop handle nearly clobbered one of the customers, and when she realized it and turned to avoid said clobbering, the mop handle came perilously close to smashing into one of the windows. It was almost comically hazardous! Next thing you know, another employee comes around from behind the counter out into the store, and completely slips on the wet floor and falls flat on her back...literally! She wasn't hurt, fortunately, and they all had a good laugh. It was only then that they started warning customers as they came in that the floor was wet. That floor was a lawsuit waiting to happen. By this point, even Paulette had reached her limit and suggested we leave. With careful steps, we made our exit.

Now I know why this happens. It was less than an hour before closing, and the yourng people who usually work those hours are interested in one thing...getting out at closing time. If you can get some of your chores done during store hours, that's less you have to do after the store closes. I know that. But it is still no excuse for inconveniencing, and in some cases endangering, your customers while they're in the store.

Please, store managers, insist that the clean-up chores in the customer areas of your establishments be done only after the store has closed!

P.S. Get a Swiffer! We all know those disgusting string mops are only smearing last week's grunge onto this week's floors.