So I'm going to do my best and try to be as active as I can here on the blog. The last year hasn't been so good with staying up on my entries and I've even noticed that my main link to the page wasn't working (sorry folks!). If only I had logged on more frequently, I would have noticed that. Hopefully no one has issues with getting here. And just a note, this blog will be moving to blog.expatnomad.com here shortly.
My return to blogging has been predicated by the recent events that Republicans have been bitching about. I'm not mad at them but I'm a little pissed at the lack of patience they are having at this point in time. My parents are off at "tea-parties" and friends of mine are posting crap on Facebook about how this time will be known as the "Obama Misery". Frankly, I'm just a bit annoyed with all of it for a couple of reasons.
First - give the guy a frackin' chance to do his job. Nobody went after either one of the Bush boys when they had only been in office for six months, they understood that it was a time to grow and learn about how to be the President. Heck, Bush Jr didn't do crap until he was forced into action post 9/11. Obama has been in office for half of a year and Republicans are jumping down his throat saying that he is going to destroy the economy and wreak the health care program of the country. My take on those thoughts - give the guy a chance to do the job that he was elected for!
Second - over half the country voted for Obama (66M to 58M votes) and McCain/Palin lost, get over it. Protests were starting to be formed by Republican pundits almost as soon as he took office. Does the phrase "sore losers" come to mind? My parents listen to Rush Limbaugh and he was on his pulpit from the day after the election about how bad Obama was going to be. Some people are never going to be happy and that fat man is one who would only be happy if we ran the country as a fascist regime.
Third - during the campaigning, both parties claimed to be for change and now is the time that the change is going into effect. Obama is moving towards invigorating the economy by trying to inject some stimulus, just like Bush Jr did. Would McCain have just sat on his thumbs and done nothing? I doubt it; he was a proponent of change as well. If he just let things go and the economy didn't rebound, would they be the first to rally against him? Republicans are complaining about how Social Security & Medicare/aid costs are rising and Obama is going to drive the country into bankruptcy with his ideas. Excuse me but haven't analysts been telling us since the 2nd Reagan Administration that the program was going to go broke because of all the baby-boomers retiring? That was 20 years ago folks and no one, Republican or Democrat, has come up with a solution for it (aside from making the buggers work until they die). Obama won the election and is now trying to deal with the fiscal problem of paying for a program that was known to be a bust since the 80's. What would McCain do? He's currently in the Senate and no new legislation is in place to be voted upon to correct the problem - why hasn't he done that? If he was such an advocate for change, where is the help for the solution? Nowhere, people just want someone to blame.
I'm not a Democrat (although my Republican friends think so) and I'm not a Republican (although my Democratic friends think so), I'm actually right in the middle of the two sides. I agree with certain issues on both sides and what that means is that I'm willing to see both sides of the political spectrum and not shut out the other. I do occasionally watch Fox News and occasionally watch CNN to see how both sides of the media portray events. I understand that to be polarized towards one side or the other means you are closing off your mind to someone else's opinion and being disrespectful. When people are too centered on themselves, they fail to understand the greater picture and what we as a country can and must do. We are a union of two countries at the moment, fiercely divided on political lines. Right now the minority is pissed as hell that they lost the election and is doing everything they can to tell the world just how mad they are (and honestly, the rest of the world doesn't care, they're just glad to have Bush out of office). They're not even giving Obama a chance to do anything without putting up a huge fight, a sign of a poor loser. What I think they should do is this - show just how good they are without the bitterness. And here's how.
Republicans have long said that the goal of government is to govern as little as possible and let the people work it out - a good point to follow. In fact, hasn't Obama adopted this policy in some way by telling Americans not to wait for Washington to make their lives better but to do it on their own? How many times has the Commander-in-Chief come out and say 'don't wait for the government to solve your problems, make it happen yourself'? This message wasn't intended just for Democrats and their Green Agenda, it was put out there for the whole country to go out and be the instrument of change. Stop waiting for the government to tell you what to do, just go do it and be the example. Ride your bike to work because you know its good for reducing our dependence on foreign oil - don't wait for a stimulus package to be put into place for bicycle commuters, take that responsibility. Become more physically active so you are in better health because you know its good for lowering long-term health care costs - don't wait for a bill to go to Congress that will pay for your obese ass to get treatment, take that responsibility. Take an active role in your children's education because you know that parents are supposed to be integral in teaching the next generation how to act - don't hope that a law called "No Child Left Behind" will solve the educational issues our country has, take that responsibility. In other words, be a Republican and get big government out of your life and take a personal responsibility for your life and your actions - just like the Democratic leader told you to.
Stop the bashing of Democratic and Republican ideas and do the right thing - be a responsible citizen first and see what problems disappear. You might be surprised what the sides have common instead of what they differ on. I learned something a LONG time ago that serves me well to this day and maybe others should try it as well. 3 things to help you in life - 1. Ask questions 2. Keep an open mind 3. Trust your fellow man. I'd like to add a fourth, take responsibility for your life. Maybe if we all tried to be a little more open to ideas we'd not be as divided as we are. So give it a shot, try to not play the 'blame game' and see what good you can do on an individual basis. I think you'll be surprised. :-)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
dance train revolution
I know its been forever since I posted and while I have the greatest intentions to put something up, there just isn't the time today (or most days for that matter). So with the promise that I'll get something up soon (aside from this video), here's something I found on Yahoo! that was filmed in the Antwerp train station in Belgium. Funny, this never happened when I was there...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
FINISHED!!!
Here's a copy of a picture that Pipes took when I finished the Austin 3M Half Marathon. Read the entry entitled 13.1 (below) for the story.
13.1
I first started running because I was dared by a certain Romanian P.E. teacher to do a 10K in Lima. There were a lot of teachers from school signed up (mostly women) and the challenge was set down to complete the task. So I ran my first 10K back in November 2007 and in doing so, proved to myself that I could indeed be a runner and all those years of not doing it because of a knee injury were a thing of the past. It was after I completed that 10K that the thought of doing something a little farther entered my mind and after a bit of research, I found a half marathon in Austin, TX to satisfy my curiosity.
The plans were in my head for the better part of 8 months although the training regimen was not. When I first moved to ABQ, the altitude was a butt-kicker and I was off the wagon for a while. As the months went on and the day of the race drew closer, I started to feel a sense of dread. I left for Austin last Thursday night with my longest run to date being 7 miles in the thin air of the Sandia Mountains. Lucky for me, Austin is a lot lower in elevation and the thicker air would help my run. So on Sunday, January 25th, I tied my shoes up snug and walked on to the race course, not really sure what I had gotten myself into but with the determination to complete the 13.1 miles (22K) no matter what. The front of my shirt accurately reflected what was going through my mind. It read - "This seemed like a good idea 3 months ago."
The morning was cold, 38 F (3 C) to start the race and my friends and I were bundled for the race. Waiting at the start area was surreal at times, I knew I was there but didn't know what to expect. In some ways, it was like waiting for a plane to leave and take you to another country - you have no idea what to expect as you venture forward. So we traded bad jokes and guarded smiles as not one of the three of us felt prepared. The starting gun snapped us all into the reality of the situation and from there, we just took it one step at a time.
Our first few miles were easy. My friends from Lima and I took it at an easy pace, being sure to not over do it in the first few miles of the race. I was happy to be with them; they were something familiar in a very unfamiliar environment. The small talk we traded was enough to keep us going but we all knew that there was a decently sized challenge ahead of us. Eventually the chatter died down as the miles progressed; partly due to fitness, partly due to mental uneasiness. I ran with my two friends for the first 5 miles but then I felt like I had it in me to go faster and left them behind (we would meet at the finish hours later). I picked up the pace and started running how I felt comfortable and with 8 miles to go, I ventured out on my own to see what I could do.
My normal running pace for distance is somewhere around 10:30/mile but that had only been tested when I was running less than 7 miles. I was pleased to feel my feet finding a comfortable rhythm at my normal pace and I ran the next several miles at that tempo. Silly me, I stopped for water at mile 8 and felt that comfort disappear. My body finally realized that I had run farther than I ever had before and told my legs that same idea - you've not trained for this and you're going to pay for your stupidity. I walked for a bit, reassuring my legs that with a little rest, they could indeed go the rest of the distance and shortly thereafter, I started back to pounding the pavement toward the finish line.
My legs were numb and if ever there was an upside to that, it meant that I couldn't feel what I was inflicting upon my calves during the run. My head started to clear of thoughts and I just concentrated on the rhythm of my feet. Zen and the Punishment of Road Racing is going to be the title of my first book, I think. But I pushed on and my legs responded. "Just keep running, don't stop." I said over and over in my head. The power of gentle persuasion...
Mile 12 was a wonderful sign to see and I wish I could say that I enjoyed the last 1.1 miles of my journey. Truth be told, mile 12 was the most difficult of the race and I swear the part of the U of Texas campus we ran through was uphill (even though that part was in a valley). The lactic acid in my legs and arms gave me a painful reminder of what I was doing and I am very grateful to 2 young ladies from the UT cycling team who cheered me on that last half of a mile to the finish with their simple words - "You're looking strong and you're not going to quit now, right?!" Damn straight girls, damn straight.
I came around a curve and saw two policemen blockading the road. "You're almost there, can you see the finish line?" Yes officer, I can and thank you for those wonderful words. At that moment the throbbing of my feet went away, the burning of the lactic acid subsided, and a warm, soothing feeling filled me from top to bottom - a sense of accomplishment. With the finish line in sight, I knew I had to finish strong. The people along the side of the road egging me on, "Push it hard to the finish, you're looking great!"; it elevated me to run harder and faster. I crossed the finish line in my best sprint, smiling as the announcer called out my name and my girlfriend took a picture. It wasn't the greatest of times (2 hours 38 minutes) but that didn't matter, it was the simple fact of accomplishment that made it special for me.
The numbness in my legs soon subsided and my calves and quads have been reminding me ever since of what I did on Sunday. I waited at the finish line for my friends who crossed a bit later but it wasn't until Pipes and I retraced the race course later that night in our rental car that it really hit me with what I had done. 13.1 miles is not a huge distance but it is a satisfying one and that's all that matters to me.
The plans were in my head for the better part of 8 months although the training regimen was not. When I first moved to ABQ, the altitude was a butt-kicker and I was off the wagon for a while. As the months went on and the day of the race drew closer, I started to feel a sense of dread. I left for Austin last Thursday night with my longest run to date being 7 miles in the thin air of the Sandia Mountains. Lucky for me, Austin is a lot lower in elevation and the thicker air would help my run. So on Sunday, January 25th, I tied my shoes up snug and walked on to the race course, not really sure what I had gotten myself into but with the determination to complete the 13.1 miles (22K) no matter what. The front of my shirt accurately reflected what was going through my mind. It read - "This seemed like a good idea 3 months ago."
The morning was cold, 38 F (3 C) to start the race and my friends and I were bundled for the race. Waiting at the start area was surreal at times, I knew I was there but didn't know what to expect. In some ways, it was like waiting for a plane to leave and take you to another country - you have no idea what to expect as you venture forward. So we traded bad jokes and guarded smiles as not one of the three of us felt prepared. The starting gun snapped us all into the reality of the situation and from there, we just took it one step at a time.
Our first few miles were easy. My friends from Lima and I took it at an easy pace, being sure to not over do it in the first few miles of the race. I was happy to be with them; they were something familiar in a very unfamiliar environment. The small talk we traded was enough to keep us going but we all knew that there was a decently sized challenge ahead of us. Eventually the chatter died down as the miles progressed; partly due to fitness, partly due to mental uneasiness. I ran with my two friends for the first 5 miles but then I felt like I had it in me to go faster and left them behind (we would meet at the finish hours later). I picked up the pace and started running how I felt comfortable and with 8 miles to go, I ventured out on my own to see what I could do.
My normal running pace for distance is somewhere around 10:30/mile but that had only been tested when I was running less than 7 miles. I was pleased to feel my feet finding a comfortable rhythm at my normal pace and I ran the next several miles at that tempo. Silly me, I stopped for water at mile 8 and felt that comfort disappear. My body finally realized that I had run farther than I ever had before and told my legs that same idea - you've not trained for this and you're going to pay for your stupidity. I walked for a bit, reassuring my legs that with a little rest, they could indeed go the rest of the distance and shortly thereafter, I started back to pounding the pavement toward the finish line.
My legs were numb and if ever there was an upside to that, it meant that I couldn't feel what I was inflicting upon my calves during the run. My head started to clear of thoughts and I just concentrated on the rhythm of my feet. Zen and the Punishment of Road Racing is going to be the title of my first book, I think. But I pushed on and my legs responded. "Just keep running, don't stop." I said over and over in my head. The power of gentle persuasion...
Mile 12 was a wonderful sign to see and I wish I could say that I enjoyed the last 1.1 miles of my journey. Truth be told, mile 12 was the most difficult of the race and I swear the part of the U of Texas campus we ran through was uphill (even though that part was in a valley). The lactic acid in my legs and arms gave me a painful reminder of what I was doing and I am very grateful to 2 young ladies from the UT cycling team who cheered me on that last half of a mile to the finish with their simple words - "You're looking strong and you're not going to quit now, right?!" Damn straight girls, damn straight.
I came around a curve and saw two policemen blockading the road. "You're almost there, can you see the finish line?" Yes officer, I can and thank you for those wonderful words. At that moment the throbbing of my feet went away, the burning of the lactic acid subsided, and a warm, soothing feeling filled me from top to bottom - a sense of accomplishment. With the finish line in sight, I knew I had to finish strong. The people along the side of the road egging me on, "Push it hard to the finish, you're looking great!"; it elevated me to run harder and faster. I crossed the finish line in my best sprint, smiling as the announcer called out my name and my girlfriend took a picture. It wasn't the greatest of times (2 hours 38 minutes) but that didn't matter, it was the simple fact of accomplishment that made it special for me.
The numbness in my legs soon subsided and my calves and quads have been reminding me ever since of what I did on Sunday. I waited at the finish line for my friends who crossed a bit later but it wasn't until Pipes and I retraced the race course later that night in our rental car that it really hit me with what I had done. 13.1 miles is not a huge distance but it is a satisfying one and that's all that matters to me.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
a new hope
Like millions of Americans and millions more around the world, I tuned in today for the Inauguration of President Obama. I started off on NBC and was watching coverage there but soon got fed up with the constant babbling by the commentator and switched over to FOX. I was happy to watch coverage and appreciated the fact that Shepard Smith didn't talk all the time and frequently said, "Let's listen in and hear what's going on." Thanks Shep - sometimes its good just to live in the moment and not clutter it up with mindless background information on Nancy Pelosi...
This election was a strange event for me. Unlike many of my friends who knew exactly whom they wanted to vote for from the beginning, I took my time and it wasn't until 40 hours before the election that I figured out who I wanted to vote for. I didn't want to "drink the Obama kool-aid" just because he was a black man and I didn't want to vote for McCain just because he was a P.O.W. who has a hot wife. I took my time and weighed the pros and cons of each, eventually making my decision that I wanted the change that Obama promised and I wanted the possibility of a new, strong leader in the White House.
So today, Obama took the reigns from Dubya and I watched my TV as hundreds of millions of others did on this planet. The swearing in was fun - especially with both Chief Justice John Roberts and Barak Obama flubbing the oath - giving the situation a bit of levity. But what I really wanted to hear was President Obama's speech. I listened and was filled with hope as he said many things that I agreed with and I appreciated his ideas for how to make our country a better place. The "speech analyst" on FOX didn't think that his words said anything spectacular. I totally disagree - they spoke to the country and to the world about what America can do to be better.
I loved that Barak told us that it would be hard and difficult to make America a better place. The government isn't here to make our lives better; if you want a better life, do it for yourself. Don't look to the government for the 'easy life', do some hard work and follow in the footsteps that this country was founded upon. America is still seen as the place where anyone can be anything they want to be. Just ask the former bodybuilder who now runs the world's 4th largest economy in California.
The part of his speech that tickled me the most was his call for Americans to have a greater sense of responsibility. For far too long we, as a country, have relied on others to be our oversight and with morals constantly being shirked for the quick buck, we find ourselves in the situation we are in. Responsibility is something I try endlessly to get my students to understand and hopefully this new president will get a lot of other Americans to realize that we are all responsible for who we are as a country. Americans have seen been witness to plenty of our leaders not take responsibility for their actions; from Tricky Dick's "I am not a crook" to Slick Willy's "I did not have sexual relations", our role models have not exactly been worth following. I hope that Barak Obama's ideal of being responsible catches on - it certainly would set a great example, especially since America is the 'light on a hill' that many hold in high regard.
After the speech I came away with a sense of hope. I understand his message - its not going to be easy or quick but we all can make the United States a better place, if we all do our part in society. Unemployment may go up, the stock market down, war fronts move side to side. Old enemies may be new friends and new enemies may come from places we don't expect but we must remain true to our founding ideals. Nothing good ever came easy and make America a better place is going to be very hard but if everyone pitches in, we can all make this country what we want it to be.
And yes, I cried during the speech as I was filled with joy. Someone said that which I thought and didn't pull punches when he did so. He wasn't playing to a partisan crowd or trying to say the politically correct thing. For once, a politician came forth and laid out the truth for us to hear and I wasn't afraid. I know what my role ahead is and I am drinking the kool-aid that Obama is preaching. Now if only I can get another 300 million Americans to do the same... ;-)
This election was a strange event for me. Unlike many of my friends who knew exactly whom they wanted to vote for from the beginning, I took my time and it wasn't until 40 hours before the election that I figured out who I wanted to vote for. I didn't want to "drink the Obama kool-aid" just because he was a black man and I didn't want to vote for McCain just because he was a P.O.W. who has a hot wife. I took my time and weighed the pros and cons of each, eventually making my decision that I wanted the change that Obama promised and I wanted the possibility of a new, strong leader in the White House.
So today, Obama took the reigns from Dubya and I watched my TV as hundreds of millions of others did on this planet. The swearing in was fun - especially with both Chief Justice John Roberts and Barak Obama flubbing the oath - giving the situation a bit of levity. But what I really wanted to hear was President Obama's speech. I listened and was filled with hope as he said many things that I agreed with and I appreciated his ideas for how to make our country a better place. The "speech analyst" on FOX didn't think that his words said anything spectacular. I totally disagree - they spoke to the country and to the world about what America can do to be better.
I loved that Barak told us that it would be hard and difficult to make America a better place. The government isn't here to make our lives better; if you want a better life, do it for yourself. Don't look to the government for the 'easy life', do some hard work and follow in the footsteps that this country was founded upon. America is still seen as the place where anyone can be anything they want to be. Just ask the former bodybuilder who now runs the world's 4th largest economy in California.
The part of his speech that tickled me the most was his call for Americans to have a greater sense of responsibility. For far too long we, as a country, have relied on others to be our oversight and with morals constantly being shirked for the quick buck, we find ourselves in the situation we are in. Responsibility is something I try endlessly to get my students to understand and hopefully this new president will get a lot of other Americans to realize that we are all responsible for who we are as a country. Americans have seen been witness to plenty of our leaders not take responsibility for their actions; from Tricky Dick's "I am not a crook" to Slick Willy's "I did not have sexual relations", our role models have not exactly been worth following. I hope that Barak Obama's ideal of being responsible catches on - it certainly would set a great example, especially since America is the 'light on a hill' that many hold in high regard.
After the speech I came away with a sense of hope. I understand his message - its not going to be easy or quick but we all can make the United States a better place, if we all do our part in society. Unemployment may go up, the stock market down, war fronts move side to side. Old enemies may be new friends and new enemies may come from places we don't expect but we must remain true to our founding ideals. Nothing good ever came easy and make America a better place is going to be very hard but if everyone pitches in, we can all make this country what we want it to be.
And yes, I cried during the speech as I was filled with joy. Someone said that which I thought and didn't pull punches when he did so. He wasn't playing to a partisan crowd or trying to say the politically correct thing. For once, a politician came forth and laid out the truth for us to hear and I wasn't afraid. I know what my role ahead is and I am drinking the kool-aid that Obama is preaching. Now if only I can get another 300 million Americans to do the same... ;-)
Sunday, December 28, 2008
looking back
Its that time of year, the time when the calendar changes from December to January and the numbers on the year go up by one. The TV networks usually do something like recap what has happened over the year and I tend to do the same thing, reflecting on a year that has been and what really stood out over the last 12 months of my life.
I started the year in Cuzco, Peru with a nice headache - and not from drinking. I was on vacation with friends from FDR and the altitude of the city was doing more damage to my brain than any drinking did but I was better off than another person whom I was traveling with - he would have to get the assistance of a doctor to get over it. I went to Machu Picchu with Rik and Laurie (and her son Connor), friends of mine from school. About a week later, I joined up with another group of teachers from FDR and hiked through the Colca Canyon - as much as we could anyways. Five days of adventure later, we split up and my friend Tim and I headed out on an epic adventure down South America. After almost two months of traveling and having gotten close to the southern tip of the continent, I headed home and prepared for my last semester of teaching abroad.
I knew from the end of the first semester in Lima that FDR wasn't the school for me and March was the beginning of the end of my tenure there. I struggled at times to endure the second semester but had some fun along the way, making a trip to Huancayo with three lovely ladies (and good friends), and doing my best to stay focused on getting everything done that I could while still enjoying Peru. I may not have enjoyed the school but I did enjoy the country. Like many places I have visited or lived in, there are pluses and minuses with each and Peru was a good place to be in a lot of ways. But my time there was limited due to my displeasure with my job so in June I packed up my bags and ventured my way to New Mexico.
Albuquerque is not what I had envisioned, the city was different than I had expected but in a good way. I got here and decided to crash with my parents for a bit until something else came along. I thought that with my teaching expertise and ability to do just about anything that someone put in front of me, that getting a job in the States would be an easy prospect and I was in for a rude awakening. I came back to the country just in time for an economic crisis and the job market I was hoping to tap was a bit on the thin side. Some tough times ensued and I must admit that August and September were not good months as unemployment was not the most enjoyable of times for me mentally. Time off is good but the idea of not being a viable and/or usable commodity doesn't feel good for anyone's ego and I definitely fell into that category. Slightly discouraged but still optimistic, I trudged on. A glimmer of hope came from a surprising venue and a sand volleyball team led to an interesting turn of events.
I signed up for a co-ed sand volleyball team where I knew no one but I wanted to meet people in and around Albuquerque (ABQ). One of the people on the team was a teacher at a local private school and she got me in to substituting there. *The school will remain anonymous until I get a job there.* The school reminds me of the attitude that I enjoyed in Holland when working at AISR and I found that I really wanted to work there full time next year (09-10). The science department chair took a liking to me and subbing there has been a good way to get my foot in the door, hopefully it will pan out to something more in the following months.
The substituting also led to the fact that I needed a new pair of shoes and so I ventured into REI one afternoon to get me something more suited for the classroom. While walking in, I saw a sign that seasonal help was needed and so I applied. Sure enough, I got the job as a cashier and started working there around Halloween and have been enjoying the position ever since. Retail is never a ton of fun during the holidays but I gotta admit that working at REI is a whole lot better than if I was at Wal-Mart or something like that. And now with the holiday season over, I find myself being carried over as a regular part-time employee - a good thing indeed. So with employment being taken care of (sorta), I also had time this year to focus on something else - someone to start a family with.
Previous posts on here have told about my dating exploits and the problems that I have had with it. After some awkward dates, short-time relationships, and frustration with learning how to date again in the US, it looks like something has panned out. A young lady (11 years my junior) recently made her way into my life and while the romance is new (since Thanksgiving), I would like to report that all is well and progressing nicely. We share a lot in common and I would expect that readers here will here more about Pipes as we continue our relationship and I continue to blog here.
For me, 2008 was filled with a lot of news. I lost two members of my family (maternal grandmother in Feb and paternal aunt in Dec), I traveled most of the western coast of South America, I returned to my native country after 5 years abroad, and I learned what it was like to be an American once again. There have been a lot of ups and downs over the last 12 months but I am grateful for all that I experienced and cannot believe how wonderful my life is. My thanks to my family and friends for all their support and kind wishes with my return home. And here's to looking forward to 2009 and all that it may hold for me. What news will come out next? Tune in and find out...
I started the year in Cuzco, Peru with a nice headache - and not from drinking. I was on vacation with friends from FDR and the altitude of the city was doing more damage to my brain than any drinking did but I was better off than another person whom I was traveling with - he would have to get the assistance of a doctor to get over it. I went to Machu Picchu with Rik and Laurie (and her son Connor), friends of mine from school. About a week later, I joined up with another group of teachers from FDR and hiked through the Colca Canyon - as much as we could anyways. Five days of adventure later, we split up and my friend Tim and I headed out on an epic adventure down South America. After almost two months of traveling and having gotten close to the southern tip of the continent, I headed home and prepared for my last semester of teaching abroad.
I knew from the end of the first semester in Lima that FDR wasn't the school for me and March was the beginning of the end of my tenure there. I struggled at times to endure the second semester but had some fun along the way, making a trip to Huancayo with three lovely ladies (and good friends), and doing my best to stay focused on getting everything done that I could while still enjoying Peru. I may not have enjoyed the school but I did enjoy the country. Like many places I have visited or lived in, there are pluses and minuses with each and Peru was a good place to be in a lot of ways. But my time there was limited due to my displeasure with my job so in June I packed up my bags and ventured my way to New Mexico.
Albuquerque is not what I had envisioned, the city was different than I had expected but in a good way. I got here and decided to crash with my parents for a bit until something else came along. I thought that with my teaching expertise and ability to do just about anything that someone put in front of me, that getting a job in the States would be an easy prospect and I was in for a rude awakening. I came back to the country just in time for an economic crisis and the job market I was hoping to tap was a bit on the thin side. Some tough times ensued and I must admit that August and September were not good months as unemployment was not the most enjoyable of times for me mentally. Time off is good but the idea of not being a viable and/or usable commodity doesn't feel good for anyone's ego and I definitely fell into that category. Slightly discouraged but still optimistic, I trudged on. A glimmer of hope came from a surprising venue and a sand volleyball team led to an interesting turn of events.
I signed up for a co-ed sand volleyball team where I knew no one but I wanted to meet people in and around Albuquerque (ABQ). One of the people on the team was a teacher at a local private school and she got me in to substituting there. *The school will remain anonymous until I get a job there.* The school reminds me of the attitude that I enjoyed in Holland when working at AISR and I found that I really wanted to work there full time next year (09-10). The science department chair took a liking to me and subbing there has been a good way to get my foot in the door, hopefully it will pan out to something more in the following months.
The substituting also led to the fact that I needed a new pair of shoes and so I ventured into REI one afternoon to get me something more suited for the classroom. While walking in, I saw a sign that seasonal help was needed and so I applied. Sure enough, I got the job as a cashier and started working there around Halloween and have been enjoying the position ever since. Retail is never a ton of fun during the holidays but I gotta admit that working at REI is a whole lot better than if I was at Wal-Mart or something like that. And now with the holiday season over, I find myself being carried over as a regular part-time employee - a good thing indeed. So with employment being taken care of (sorta), I also had time this year to focus on something else - someone to start a family with.
Previous posts on here have told about my dating exploits and the problems that I have had with it. After some awkward dates, short-time relationships, and frustration with learning how to date again in the US, it looks like something has panned out. A young lady (11 years my junior) recently made her way into my life and while the romance is new (since Thanksgiving), I would like to report that all is well and progressing nicely. We share a lot in common and I would expect that readers here will here more about Pipes as we continue our relationship and I continue to blog here.
For me, 2008 was filled with a lot of news. I lost two members of my family (maternal grandmother in Feb and paternal aunt in Dec), I traveled most of the western coast of South America, I returned to my native country after 5 years abroad, and I learned what it was like to be an American once again. There have been a lot of ups and downs over the last 12 months but I am grateful for all that I experienced and cannot believe how wonderful my life is. My thanks to my family and friends for all their support and kind wishes with my return home. And here's to looking forward to 2009 and all that it may hold for me. What news will come out next? Tune in and find out...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
veterans day
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - the time to remember those who served their country and possibly gave their life to defend what they hold most sacred in their heart. I salute those who came before and after me and especially those who currently serving.
As a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, I am honored to have people remembering what I did for those years I was on active duty. But my sacrifice was small, not anywhere near as great as those who didn't return. My thoughts are with those who made the greatest sacrifice on the altar of freedom and those who are currently standing on the wall to defend us.
Thank you one and all for keeping America free from all enemies, foreign and domestic. No matter what branch of service and no matter what you do, thank you for keeping our country safe.
As a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, I am honored to have people remembering what I did for those years I was on active duty. But my sacrifice was small, not anywhere near as great as those who didn't return. My thoughts are with those who made the greatest sacrifice on the altar of freedom and those who are currently standing on the wall to defend us.
Thank you one and all for keeping America free from all enemies, foreign and domestic. No matter what branch of service and no matter what you do, thank you for keeping our country safe.
Friday, November 07, 2008
scrum-deli-icious
Don't these cupcakes look amazing? I'm getting hungry just looking at them. I gotta go get some sugar in me now...
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
losing my religion
No, I'm not going to comment on the famous R.E.M. song or how it was written or anything like that. If you want that, go to the wikipedia page for it and read for it yourself. Instead, I'm taking a note from my dear friend Mozzy who has given me yet another wonderful idea to blog about.
The discussion that he started had to do with souls and whether or not animals have them. The original discussion was started with his mother and he did a fine job of recapping it for me in an email and it got me to thinking. My religion as of late has been ALL over the place, from agnostic to atheist and nothing in between but perhaps this view that Mozzy has will help me to define my spirituality. So after thinking about what he had to say, I've thrown off the previous notions of religion that I've had and decided to go with something that makes a lot more sense to me.
In his discussion with his mother, Mozzy brought up the idea of Star Wars and 'the force'. His idea was that all living things give off energy vibrations and those can be sensed by the universe. People who have ESP or paranormal senses may be able to pick up on the vibrations of previously living people that the rest of us are unable to tune into - kinda like how dogs can sense higher pitches of sound than humans. I found a connection between the two in my mind. This connectivity really struck a chord with me and after thinking about this for the better part of almost 2 weeks, I've come up with something that I can grasp in terms of spirituality.
As a Physics teacher, I see how the universe is described through the beauty of its simplicity. Newton's laws of motion, Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism, Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle - they are all simple in theory and explanation. Much like Ockham's Razor, which is often paraphrased as "all other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best", the description of everyday events by Physics are beautifully simplistic.
Current theories that are emerging from the field of Physics includes the idea of a unifying theory that will attempt to explain the way universe acts completely. Einstein searched for this, a grand unification theory, that would tie together the cosmos and the atom, his theory of general relativity with the realm of quantum mechanics. Don't worry if you don't know why those two don't work together, just know that they don't at this moment in time. Theoretical physicists have been working on a unifying theory, called string theory. It was when Mozzy said "vibrations" and "energy" in his discussion with his mother that my new spirituality became apparent.
String theory is the idea that the smallest particle of matter is actually not matter but a vibrating string of energy. Take the atom and break it down into smaller parts and you get protons, neutrons, and electrons. Break those down and you get quarks. Keep dividing subatomic particles enough and string theory predicts that you wouldn't have matter at all, rather a vibrating string of energy. Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle (you all know it as E=mc2) fits perfectly into this idea (at least in my head it does) and how everything is interconnected.
For those of you whom have seen a movie called The Secret, you will note that the ideology put forth in the movie suggests that there is a natural harmonic to the universe and positive thoughts will yield positive results in life. While I don't subscribe to that specific philosophy, it does relate to the concept of interconnectedness of everything and has some aspects that I agree with. The book/movie talks about the 'law of attraction' where good thoughts attract good events/outcomes where negative ones will attract the same. While this sounds a bit hokey and many feel it falls into the realm of cult status, it does start to blend in scientific ideas with the parts of the universe we do not understand (the supernatural). Bare with me, let me try to explain.
If our body and mind is composed of energy, as E=mc2 demonstrates, and the energy we are composed of vibrating strings, then we each have a natural vibration - called a harmonic. Scientists over the years have also been great musicians as they believed that the universe was just a grand symphony, only out of our auditory range. Just like musical notes don't always work together well (dischord), people do not always get along. Is this due to the idea that their energies are disharmonious? Do people not have soulmates but rather have harmonious energies? If a person alters their mental energy by thinking different thoughts, do they possess the ability to change the energy that physically surrounds them? The Secret argues for this, I'm a bit more skeptical than that.
In a spiritual sense, this all ties together for me in cosmology - the study of the cosmos, not makeup application (that's cosmetology). There is a debate about the fate of the universe and the three possibilities are open, closed, and flat. Two of the three don't make sense to me (open and flat) but closed does. A closed universe suggests that the gravity of the universe will eventually pull everything back to one single point (a singularity) and the Big Crunch will possibly lead to another Big Bang. I like this idea. It says that the universe is like a giant balloon that is continually expanding and contracting, creating a universe over and over again in this process. It tells me that the entire cosmos is connected and comes down to a single moment of creation from destruction, life from death, the cycle of the Phoenix repeating forever. There is no God for everything is the creator and the created. Everything is interconnected. In essence, energy is divine and if we are all composed of energy, we are all divine.
Organized religion has bothered me in its pretense for years. Too many things are done in the name of an Almighty. Tithes are paid to build a church stripping money from people through guilt, a jihad is started to purge the land of infidels because of fear of difference, genocide is considered acceptable to attain a master race of genetic purity to reach a perfection. To me, organized religion is nothing more than people with charisma writing rules for people who don't think before they act. Why else would stoning by written into the Bible or jihad to non-Muslims in the Koran? People use fear to maintain an organized society and breaking the rules means punishment must be passed down. I think the basic premise of religion had it right - respect all life in all ways. And then man got his hands on it and found it a useful tool to control people to do what they wanted, altering meanings and using their charisma to convince the controlled that they were divine and beyond reproach. Organized religion is nothing more than a power play where people are instructed on how to live their lives because others deem it so. I've got plenty more I would like to say about that but that's for another post...
So it all comes down to this. Every creature, object, atom, whatever you want to look at, is the same at the basic level. The universe is energy and we are made of that energy. If a human has a soul, then so does a dog, a tree, your cell phone, a planet, and the Sombrero Galaxy. From the Big Bang, the cosmos was created and everything is a part of that creation, no matter how big or small, how warm or cold, how apparently life-filled or lifeless. You are connected to every person, bug, windshield, asteroid, drop of water, and star - whether you think you are or not. In cosmology it sometimes is overwhelming to think of how big the cosmos is and what is all out there, it can make you feel completely insignificant in the big picture. But that's not the way I see it anymore; I am a a part of this universe that is unique and will never be experienced again - the universe better enjoy me while I'm here just as I will enjoy it. And just maybe I'll see you all again the next time this universe is created once again. Hope to see ya on the flip side. :-)
The discussion that he started had to do with souls and whether or not animals have them. The original discussion was started with his mother and he did a fine job of recapping it for me in an email and it got me to thinking. My religion as of late has been ALL over the place, from agnostic to atheist and nothing in between but perhaps this view that Mozzy has will help me to define my spirituality. So after thinking about what he had to say, I've thrown off the previous notions of religion that I've had and decided to go with something that makes a lot more sense to me.
In his discussion with his mother, Mozzy brought up the idea of Star Wars and 'the force'. His idea was that all living things give off energy vibrations and those can be sensed by the universe. People who have ESP or paranormal senses may be able to pick up on the vibrations of previously living people that the rest of us are unable to tune into - kinda like how dogs can sense higher pitches of sound than humans. I found a connection between the two in my mind. This connectivity really struck a chord with me and after thinking about this for the better part of almost 2 weeks, I've come up with something that I can grasp in terms of spirituality.
As a Physics teacher, I see how the universe is described through the beauty of its simplicity. Newton's laws of motion, Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism, Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle - they are all simple in theory and explanation. Much like Ockham's Razor, which is often paraphrased as "all other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best", the description of everyday events by Physics are beautifully simplistic.
Current theories that are emerging from the field of Physics includes the idea of a unifying theory that will attempt to explain the way universe acts completely. Einstein searched for this, a grand unification theory, that would tie together the cosmos and the atom, his theory of general relativity with the realm of quantum mechanics. Don't worry if you don't know why those two don't work together, just know that they don't at this moment in time. Theoretical physicists have been working on a unifying theory, called string theory. It was when Mozzy said "vibrations" and "energy" in his discussion with his mother that my new spirituality became apparent.
String theory is the idea that the smallest particle of matter is actually not matter but a vibrating string of energy. Take the atom and break it down into smaller parts and you get protons, neutrons, and electrons. Break those down and you get quarks. Keep dividing subatomic particles enough and string theory predicts that you wouldn't have matter at all, rather a vibrating string of energy. Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle (you all know it as E=mc2) fits perfectly into this idea (at least in my head it does) and how everything is interconnected.
For those of you whom have seen a movie called The Secret, you will note that the ideology put forth in the movie suggests that there is a natural harmonic to the universe and positive thoughts will yield positive results in life. While I don't subscribe to that specific philosophy, it does relate to the concept of interconnectedness of everything and has some aspects that I agree with. The book/movie talks about the 'law of attraction' where good thoughts attract good events/outcomes where negative ones will attract the same. While this sounds a bit hokey and many feel it falls into the realm of cult status, it does start to blend in scientific ideas with the parts of the universe we do not understand (the supernatural). Bare with me, let me try to explain.
If our body and mind is composed of energy, as E=mc2 demonstrates, and the energy we are composed of vibrating strings, then we each have a natural vibration - called a harmonic. Scientists over the years have also been great musicians as they believed that the universe was just a grand symphony, only out of our auditory range. Just like musical notes don't always work together well (dischord), people do not always get along. Is this due to the idea that their energies are disharmonious? Do people not have soulmates but rather have harmonious energies? If a person alters their mental energy by thinking different thoughts, do they possess the ability to change the energy that physically surrounds them? The Secret argues for this, I'm a bit more skeptical than that.
In a spiritual sense, this all ties together for me in cosmology - the study of the cosmos, not makeup application (that's cosmetology). There is a debate about the fate of the universe and the three possibilities are open, closed, and flat. Two of the three don't make sense to me (open and flat) but closed does. A closed universe suggests that the gravity of the universe will eventually pull everything back to one single point (a singularity) and the Big Crunch will possibly lead to another Big Bang. I like this idea. It says that the universe is like a giant balloon that is continually expanding and contracting, creating a universe over and over again in this process. It tells me that the entire cosmos is connected and comes down to a single moment of creation from destruction, life from death, the cycle of the Phoenix repeating forever. There is no God for everything is the creator and the created. Everything is interconnected. In essence, energy is divine and if we are all composed of energy, we are all divine.
Organized religion has bothered me in its pretense for years. Too many things are done in the name of an Almighty. Tithes are paid to build a church stripping money from people through guilt, a jihad is started to purge the land of infidels because of fear of difference, genocide is considered acceptable to attain a master race of genetic purity to reach a perfection. To me, organized religion is nothing more than people with charisma writing rules for people who don't think before they act. Why else would stoning by written into the Bible or jihad to non-Muslims in the Koran? People use fear to maintain an organized society and breaking the rules means punishment must be passed down. I think the basic premise of religion had it right - respect all life in all ways. And then man got his hands on it and found it a useful tool to control people to do what they wanted, altering meanings and using their charisma to convince the controlled that they were divine and beyond reproach. Organized religion is nothing more than a power play where people are instructed on how to live their lives because others deem it so. I've got plenty more I would like to say about that but that's for another post...
So it all comes down to this. Every creature, object, atom, whatever you want to look at, is the same at the basic level. The universe is energy and we are made of that energy. If a human has a soul, then so does a dog, a tree, your cell phone, a planet, and the Sombrero Galaxy. From the Big Bang, the cosmos was created and everything is a part of that creation, no matter how big or small, how warm or cold, how apparently life-filled or lifeless. You are connected to every person, bug, windshield, asteroid, drop of water, and star - whether you think you are or not. In cosmology it sometimes is overwhelming to think of how big the cosmos is and what is all out there, it can make you feel completely insignificant in the big picture. But that's not the way I see it anymore; I am a a part of this universe that is unique and will never be experienced again - the universe better enjoy me while I'm here just as I will enjoy it. And just maybe I'll see you all again the next time this universe is created once again. Hope to see ya on the flip side. :-)
Sunday, November 02, 2008
something from my past
I was cruising around on flickr and came across this interesting shot of the Kubuswooning (Cube Houses) in Rotterdam. Cool place to take a tour of, if you get the chance but then again, not many people take tours of Rotterdam!
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