Skip to main content

Posts

Change of Scenery

Friends, Routine can lull us into viewing life as predictable, even boring. There’s comfort in thinking things will always be the same. The changes that happen every instant are often too small to register and yet even the most mundane day is different than every day that came before it. Of course, change can also happen abruptly. This week I met my second grandchild, gave my condolences to an uncle David for his wife’s passing and made my way to Ecuador. Big, noticeable changes remind us nothing is ever the same. Looking out the airplane window as I contemplated these thoughts, I managed to catch a spectacular glimpse of mount Cotopaxi’s crater. Which leads me to the corollary: the small changes deserve attention too. Had I not been mindful at that moment, I would have missed my ten second window of opportunity to grab my phone, wrestle with the focus to get the very scratched airplane window out of the way and take the snap. So don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Who kn...
Post a Comment
Read more
Recent posts

Season's Questions

Friends, Leftovers and decorations. These traditional post-Thanksgiving activities can lead me to question life choices. They also elicit the big questions. Questions like: Can that synthetic wreath, looking like a ringwraith, survive another season? Is it the tryptophan, my gluttonous eating or just old age sneaking up and making me drowsy? Are the outdoor decorations worth the frostbite? When is it OK to throw away the cranberry sauce? How did I end-up with so many donut-themed ornaments? Whether you’re asking yourself these or other important questions, I hope this season of hope brings you and your loved ones joy. Happy Friday!
Post a Comment
Read more

Thank you for your friendship!

Friends, Gratitude begins with attitude — unless you’re being literal, in which case it ends with attitude and starts with “gr”. If you view existence as a gift, it’s easy to give thanks for everything that comes with it. Eyes to see the beautiful sunrise. Health to enjoy the fresh morning air. An open heart to appreciate the folks who surround you. Blessings everywhere. But trade that mindset for entitlement, and gratefulness goes out the door — after all, I deserve all these things and more. On this second day of Thanksgiving, I choose to see the world through the eyes of a child and take nothing for granted. As I bite into my sweet morning donut, I sip my hot coffee and think of you. Thank you for your friendship — and for putting up with all the random ideas I choose to share every Friday. I appreciate you (even though we may not have the opportunity to interact on a regular basis). Happy Friday!
Post a Comment
Read more

Five Donut Day

Friends, The world’s largest twine ball lives in Darwin, MN. I’ve never taken the detour but do wonder what drove Frances Johnson to spend 29 years of his life gathering and wrapping 8.7 tons of cord into a 40" sphere. Did he set out to establish a record, or did he just not know when to stop? The first few inches of circumference must have taken a few days. That last inch probably took years. In a way, I can relate. Last night I added the 100,000th person to my family tree. I hate to admit it but there may be an irrational behavioral trait I share with the twine rolling man in MN. My tree is certainly nowhere near the largest, but with five zeroes resembling half a dozen donuts – minus the one that I ate, of course – it felt appropriate to celebrate this milestone with you. Happy Friday!
Post a Comment
Read more

Higher self-esteem: an unintended AI side effect.

Friends, Collaborate with AI long enough and you’re bound to start feeling infallible. The positive reinforcement with every response can be quite the ego boost – “good call", "you're exactly right", "great instinct”. Eventually one can’t help getting suspicious. If the option I chose is truly "the right call", why did the AI bother giving me that choice in the first place? Had I chosen option B, would it have said "that's a stupid idea, but, whatever, it's your article, so what do I care?” Or would I have received yet more sycophantic praise? I guess we’ll never know – a downside of being so darn smart! Speaking of great ideas, I’m gonna go grab a donut to start my day on the right note. I’m sure Claude, Chat and Gemini would all agree. You can almost hear AI saying "great shot, that basketball is ready to pop the net"  . Happy Friday!
Post a Comment
Read more

A donut by any other name would taste as sweet

Friends, What’s in a name? Well, if that name happens to be Juan González, chances are you’ll get escorted to a cozy Interpol back room whenever you try to enter or leave Perú. Yup! It appears I have an evil namesake on the watch list. Of course, treacherous homonyms lurk in all walks of life, not just airport watchlists. These seemingly benign words are out there wreaking havoc and creating confusion – often to comedic effect. A sign with the word “income” or a breakfast buffet with a dish labelled “mold bread” bely dictionary translations where the wrong homonym was used (“entrance” and “pan bread” respectively). Then there’s the grammar fiends. Accept for Sam lose wards, language isn’t stationery. I realize the preceding sentence may have upset some of you, so having made my point I will head out to Donutsville to go get me some fried pastries.​ Happy Friday!
Post a Comment
Read more

Happy Halloween!

Friends, As days get shorter in the northern hemisphere, the splinter of mortality creeps up on the collective subconscious. Whether you call it Oiche Samhna, All Hallows Eve, or Día de Los Muertos, today’s celebration reminds us of one of the two certainties in life. Taxes. Why are my hard-earned dollars being used to build haunted houses? (e.g., Alligator Alcatraz). Feels like a cruel trick. That said, I’m off to fetch a treat (i.e., my obligatory Friday donut). Clandestine photos taken by yours truly at the Catacumbas de San Francisco in Lima, Perú, where the bones of some 25,000 souls are laid to "rest".
Post a Comment
Read more