My Learning Edge

Today I caught up on a little blog light reading. Before I knew it, I was suddenly motivated to uncover or rediscover or kindle anew my learning edge.
The Communicatrix is just starting her trial, based on hypnotherapy, to not eat the flan. Juxtaposed around this, she has posited that we all have learning edges, which [...]

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Fresh Fruit and Mayors

It’s a sure sign that summer is in the upper midwest when fruit stands overflow with rippened peaches, strawberries, plums and watermelon.  Oh, and grapes can be had for 99 cents per pound. That’s a bargain considering the $3 or more per pound we pay in the off season (October – April).
So summer is here [...]

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Summer Reunion

Last weekend I attended my family reunion in bustling West Frankfort, Ill. More than 60 relatives showed up at the big event, held once every two years. As it happened, this was the first reunion since my divorce, so there were the occasional awkward silences and moments when a cousin unknowingly asked where “she” [...]

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Folds & Mayer

It’s summer and with it comes the real concert season in Minnesota.  It’s tough to beat an outdoor concert of almost any kind.  Heck, I’d go sit on the grass after work and listen to a clarinet sextet as long as the weather is good. There’s just something about being outdoors and enjoying music that [...]

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Wordplay – Vesuvian

I’m all about building vocabulary. It’s something I stress with my kids regularly – in addition to just pure enunciation when they speak. There will be no mumbly mouths under my roof!
The word “vesuvian” caught my attention today. In modern day terms, vesuvian refers to a slow-burning match used for lighting cigars.  Kind of like [...]

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The Andy Griffith Show (whistling ensues)

As a kid, the “Andy Griffith Show” was my all-time favorite program on television. Better than “Gunsmoke” or “The Rifleman,” better than “Rawhide” and much much better than “Happy Days.” The Fonz was okay, but he had nothing over Sheriff Taylor’s wide smile and ability to run Mayberry without a gun.
On most days during my [...]

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Eight (8) Random Facts About Me

I prefer cats more than dogs. I can cope with other peoples’ dogs. Just don’t think for a second I’d ever adopt a dog as my own. What’s worse than dog breath and freshly wet dog smell?
I’ve lived in the Midwest my entire life. Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota: the trifecta of the central U.S.  Nebraska wins [...]

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My First Tri

It’s in the books.
On Sunday, June 3, I took to the water, the saddle and the running shoes, completing my first-ever sprint distance triathlon. What a sense of accomplishment! What a realization that putting in the time and effort to prepare for something can pay off in a multitude of ways. Most importantly, I finished [...]

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12 Hours and Counting

This is it. In 12 hours I’ll be lining up to participate in a Sprint Triathlon. First, a quarter-mile swim; then a 13-mile bike ride; and last, a 3.2 mile run.
The forecast is not looking the best for Sunday morning. Chance of thunderstorms and a high of 71 degrees, which means at [...]

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