Segueing Backwards

I struggled in the studio on Thursday, operating on not enough sleep having worked the all-night shift the night before. I couldn't seem to find my rhythm. I'd already thrown in the towel when Tammy suggested I take the remaining 30 minutes of our 3-hour slot and try again. I'm so thankful for her encouragement. Tired and not thinking clearly, somewhat shaky from not enough to eat, I somehow managed to blow a vase shape I'd never before attempted—a 3 gather vase with shoulders. I hope to have a photo of it next week to post here. I'm excited to go back and try again.

I was out on a longish walk the other morning (12 miles). With my Kindle in hand, I occupied my mind reading the book, Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I had no particular route in mind and after 90 minutes I found myself in my old neighborhood. I closed the cover of my Kindle, silenced my music and tried to recall the last time I'd walked these streets 20 years earlier with Snickers leading the way. I stood in front of my old home and felt a twinge of sadness at how rundown it's become. It will be 20 years ago tomorrow that I closed on our current home. By far the longest I've ever lived in one place. I hope to do another 20 years right where I am.

Short video

I was a veteran long before it was cool to be one. I don't know that I ever had anyone thank me for my service until a few years ago when our senior pastor at Hosanna recognized all of the veterans in the congregation one morning by having us stand. It was actually a touching experience. For that moment, standing there with what seemed to be too few others, I had a real sense of pride. But truth be told I didn't join the military to protect my country or out of some patriotic leanings. I did it because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life and it seemed like a responsible alternative to the factory or gas station jobs I was working. I had no interest in college, having barely survived high school.

I'm segueing into something here.

I've been writing my blog going on 9 years and in that time I've written a handful of posts that stand out for me. Typically they have to do with me reminiscing about my past and decisions I made that resulted in profound changes in my life. Thoughts of what prompted me to join the Navy reminded me of this series of writings I did a couple years ago; a series of entries that stand out for me.

(follow the link at the end of each post to take you to the next)

1975 Revisited

Wishes for a safe and memorable Memorial Day tomorrow, everybody.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

David Crowder Concert, NWA188 and Photo Review

Image
I got up from laying down after the all-night shift Thursday morning and figured I'd better get a ride in while I could because the forecast wasn't looking so good. The temp was just above 40 with a northeast wind steady at 15 mph under overcast skies. 40 degrees is very reasonable cycling weather but the key is to be somewhat chilled when you start out. Being warm and toasty at the beginning leads to being sweaty, cold and clammy before the ride is over. While putting air in my tires before leaving I could tell that I needed a lighter top layer. I'm glad I made the switch. I loved the ride  ( Strava link ) and would like to have gone further but David Crowder was playing at our church and I didn't want to be late getting in line for some good seats as it was general admission. I considered a quick detour by Hosanna on the way home to get a pic of their tour bus but I figured I should really act my age. The concert was worth every penny and better than any of the o...
Read more

Riding, Retirement and a Home Revisited

Image
I skipped out of work a couple hours early today to take advantage of some mild weather. I took the pups for a walk then headed west on my bike putting my heart, lungs, and quads through some paces. It felt so nice to be out there. I'd have stayed out longer but I had to be back to take Rachel to dance class for 5:00. It's possible that today will be the last time I'll have to take her to class if she passes her road test this Thursday. I'd like to have taken some time to hose down my bike. It's full of road salt and that can't be a good thing. Every large vehicle that went past me had a cloud of salt dust trailing in its wake and settling on me. I'll spend some time cleaning it tomorrow and have it ready for a ride on Wednesday after work. Speaking of work—I've been kicking around the idea of bidding on a staff job. Believe me, it's not something I want to do. It's about self-preservation. I want to work another five years to get Rachel thr...
Read more

My Bicycle Ride to Babbitt

Image
Wow, what a trip. In planning for this ride, I figured I’d have only two weekends this summer when our schedules could come together to give it a go. The first of those two times came and went two weeks ago when a steady north wind kept me grounded. There’s no way I could have gone the distance into the wind, and what I was really hoping for was a stiff southwesterly breeze, but that wasn’t in the cards either. After looking at the wind forecast on Wednesday, I told Tammy that it looked as though we were looking at another no-go. I’d been watching the forecast the previous 5 days, and they consistently said to expect a light wind from the southeast. It wouldn’t be a headwind but wouldn’t be much help either. I came home from work on Thursday morning and looked at the forecast again, but it hadn’t changed. I got a couple hours of sleep, then woke up to work in the yard. Then, I decided I wouldn’t let the lack of a tailwind keep me from going…just so long as it wasn’t a headwind. I tol...
Read more