Liz and I recently observed our 19th anniversary. It’s hard to believe she’s put up with me that long, but she continues happy in her delusions. Why should I undeceive her? What a wonderful woman! I’m more in love with her now than I was back then, and I would never have believed you if you told me then it was possible.
Plans
What to hope or work towards? My wants seem prone to fail, But making plans without them, Is just toil to no avail.
Mmmm… Bacon
We eat a lot of bacon. About the only foodstuff that has more general ability for making food taste better is butter (the real stuff… there hasn’t been a stick of margarine in our house in years), and we eat a lot of that too. Bacon makes eggs infinitely more appealing when you’ve already eaten half a dozen in the last day or two. Bacon added to paté makes liver almost tasty. Popcorn popped in bacon grease with a little sea salt is amazing. Wrap a date in bacon and bake it, and you have an amazing appetizer. Then there’s … Read the rest
An Unusual Project
What do you get when a formally trained engineer/scientist and a classically trained pianist/liberal arts genius work together? Sounds like a lead up to some kind of joke, right? Or maybe you’re thinking this is some reference to my kids. Neither are right. While my kids would be a logical and technically correct answer, that isn’t the one I’m looking for. When it comes down to it, this reference is about a project in the early stages of development. You see, Liz and I are about to embark on a project that, if successful, will answer this question in the … Read the rest
Buzzword Bingo
Established by the vision board, To trim the fat and make us lean, Empowerment across the staff, Sharpen swords and keep them clean, Integrate and harmonize, Seamless through the Enterprise, Leverage strengths and globalize, Responsive teams that synergize, Framed in modularity, With built-in scalability, Lulls me to tranquility, Of somnolent serenity.
Out of Gas
By this point in my role as a parent, I thought I’d told all the tellable stories to my kids. In fact, they know them so well that they tend to try to tell them for me when we meet someone new. However, I was surprised yesterday to discover one that Sydney, at least, hadn’t heard. We were talking with some family friends and the subject of Sydney locking her keys in the car when she went to fill up the tank came up. Naturally, that spurred a memory and a resulting story that I assumed my family had already … Read the rest
Wanting
I wanted once a thousand things, That seem never to be mine. My preference doesn't merit much, To fate I am resigned. My course in life seems rigid set, To shores I'd wouldn't see. Blown away from hopes and dreams, Created just by me. So drifting fast in currents swift, I'm tempted to give in. And dream no more or cherish wants, But follow with the wind.
Camping with a CPAP
When I was a kid, money was almost always tight. With a large family to feed, there was rarely anything left for the kind of extravagant activities many people associate with a vacation. As an alternative, we would go camping. The highlight of most Summers was generally a trip up into the mountains to escape the heat and get away from the everyday grind. Many of my favorite memories from this formative period in my life revolve around Alpine lakes and trails in North East Utah.
Unfortunately, work called me away from the Mountain West many years ago, and many … Read the rest
Gypsy
Wandering widely with no fixed home, Roots too shallow to hold through storms, Suck sustinance without them. Drift with the tide or run with the wind, Scatter remnants and pollinate in passing, Leaving a footprint or impression but no more. The approach of comfort heralds change, Pushed to stretch and shift again, Never quite able to really rest. Pause for a while with what can be carried, Settle in and carve a place called home, A refuge from storms while it lasts.
Malice Toward None
Rancor and tumult – spices too strongly used Rancid and putrid but liberally applied Flavor discourse and inflame Destroying the middle Division and anger brandished with flair Garnering headlines and attention Pandering to basest of instincts Enriching the masters This giant of men though humanly flawed Had hope for a more perfect future He spoke of reconciliation He would not approve We squander the promise he fought for Many men's blood spilled for unity We ignore their heartfelt pleas We polarize and divide Reconsider the dangerous course we have set Speak with softness and listen much more Seek to understand… Read the rest