The Thursday Ramble: Being Thankful 43

Today is Thanksgiving Day, in the United States, our annual holiday to pause and be grateful for all that we have.  An excellent time to pause and reflect on the year, to take stock. 

Today I am Thankful for:

1. Another great year with my sweet bear,
2. A year of adventures, 
3. Checking a couple of items off the bucket list,
4. Family, 
5. Friends, 
6. The blogging community, those who comment, those who post, and those who read and remain under the radar, thank you.
7. Returning to travel,
8. Great work colleagues who made the year great and easy, 
9. The opportunities that my work has offered,
10. Reasonably good health, 
11. My community, we are getting to know more neighbors and realizing what a neat place we live,
12. Financial security, 
13. The local farmers market, there are reasons that market has been in continuous operation for 270 years in a country that is less than 250 years old,
14. Living in a country where I can comment on how dysfunctional congress is, without fear,
15. For the education I have, 
16. For the record number of books I have read this year, and all of the authors who labored away to write them,
17. For the opportunity to write, to share my thoughts and ideas
18. For sunny summer days, 
19. For living in a place that has reliable safe drinking water, and modern sanitation, 
20. For long walks, with a camera at hand, 
21. For our fluffy and feathered friends. 

 

My World of Wonders, aka the Wednesday Ws November 22 edition 44

Where have I been? The office, the gym, the farmers market, a little grocery shopping to get ready for Thanksgiving, an arts and crafts fair, Warby Parker to order new glasses.  

What am I up to?  I have six days off for the holiday weekend, I added an extra couple of days. 

What am I reading?  I finished a historical biography of Patrick Henry, and started a gay-novel.  Book 60 for the year. 

What have I been watching?  My friends on YouTube - at least they feel like friends, Goldrush - we enjoy watching that for some reason.  

Who am I  meeting? Karl and Inga Time Warp Iceland are in the City for a few days, and I am meeting them for a drink on Friday.  

What is happening at the office? I cancelled Tuesday, there was no reason for me to be in the office. Appointment of my successor.  Preparation for my last two webinars is complete.  I have an ethics article I want to write between now and the end of the year. 

How is the weather? Unstable, frosty one morning, and warm the next day.  Rain and sunshine.  Probably 20 percent of the leaves are still on the trees, a late fall.  

Who deserves a slap this week? No one, peace and love. 

Who deserves an atta-boy this week? Human Resources has me the paperwork that I need way ahead of time, to sort out continued health insurance after my work coverage ends.  

When does the final wind down start? December 22nd, mostly paid time off between then and January 5th. 

What am I thankful for?  A good life, good friends, good family, 

What made me laugh this week? SpaceX had a rocket explode or as they described it experienced "a rapid unscheduled disassembly." Yes and I am gravity challenged. 

What made me smile?  I took Tuesday off, mid-afternoon I was nodding a bit, and let me self drift off for a nap. When I awoke, I realized that in another 44 days, I can do that whenever I want. 

Travel Tuesday: Chicago 45

I love Chicago, it is a tall city, that is filled with life.  The CTA Blue line rattles from O'Hare into the heart of the city. If the winters were milder, I would love to live there.  I was so glad to go back, I had not been there since BC (before Covid.) There were new buildings, old buildings that have been given new lives.  And the weather was mild, even warm, making for great long walks. 

 

Moody Monday: Not my Circus, Not my Monkeys 46

 There is a Polish Proverb, 

Not My Circus,

Not My Monkeys

My regular readers know that I am 46 days away from handing the responsibility at work over to the next generation. More and more each day, I am thinking, and saying, I don't know, it is your opportunity in January, do what you want to do, edit the webpage your way, plan the training, the article, apply for the funding, do it your way. In my brain I am thinking, not my circus, not my monkeys.    

I have long taken on the weight of the world when it comes to the office.  I can remember sending a memo to a boss one time that read, "I am angry, and that is a good thing, because it means I still care." It is important to believe in the work you are doing. I remember leaving the first real job I had.  I had been there 7-years, and the last year the company was sold, changes were made, I was floundering, and when the boss asked why I was leaving and "I lost the faith" came tumbling out of my brain.  And it was true, I didn't care anymore.  It was time to move on.  On this job, I still care deeply, it is time to leave while I feel that way. 

I sincerely hope that the person who replaces me, makes changes.  I am going to encourage her to speak up about my mistakes, and change things.  I have made changes, while saying "just because we always did it that way, does not mean we need to continue doing it that way." I think some of the changes I have made leave things better, but I have not met all of the challenges and likely additional changes need to be made to get there. I need to learn to relax, to chill, to let other take the lead, shoulder the responsibility.

I am looking for some volunteer opportunities, as my boss described it to a directors meeting, "what David means, is if he commits to doing something, he will stick with it and get it done." 

The Sunday Five: Cruising 47

Now I know for some of my regular readers "cruising" has a special meaning, answer based on the meaning that rings true for you.  

1: When, if ever, was the last time you went cruising? 

2: What is you favorite cruising spot? 

3: Do you prefer a room with a view, or not? 

4: What is the longest cruise you have been on? 

5: Are you planning to go cruising anytime soon? 

My Answers:

1: When, if ever, was the last time you went cruising? November 2008, the photo above was taken in Nassau, in the Bahamas.  

2: What is you favorite cruising spot? Alaska was amazing. 

3: Do you prefer a room with a view, or not? I want a balcony the next time. 

4: What is the longest cruise you have been on? 7 days 

5: Are you planning to go cruising anytime soon? Late spring, a long one, to new places. 

Please share the your answers in the comments. 

Saturday Morning Post: Too Big? 48

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The United States is the land of big cars, and even bigger trucks.  In the late 1970's through the 1980's we embraced smaller cars, I went from full size Oldsmobiles, to a VW four door hatchback and from 20 miles to a gallon of gas, to 50 miles to a gallon of diesel.  And slowly cars got larger, and trucks led the way.  Size matters, but when is big, too big? 

About 20 years ago, International took a semi-tractor platform, and built a four-door pick-up truck on it.  It is the size of a large over the road truck, built to look like a full size American pick-up truck.  I remember when it debuted.  It was on the news, and in the papers. It looked ridiculous, the marketing was it was the truck for someone who really wanted something larger, and for whom money was not object.  I wondered what happened to it. 

Last month in a secondary museum behind the Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Museum in Indiana, I found the answer.  Only one was ever built, it never went into production.  The full scale prototype was donated quietly to the museum when the project was scrapped.  

It was a ridiculous idea.  I am glad it was never put into production.  Sometimes big, is simply too big.  

Funky or Fabulous Friday, Kaiser Darrin 49

Only built in 1954, only 435 and half a dozen prototypes were ever assembled, the Kaiser Darrin was an answer to the MG, and Jaguar's that came into the market after WWII.  It has a fiberglass body, and the cars party trick, the doors slide forward into the body work (fenders or wings if you can't tell an automobile from and airplane.)  

I had seen photos of them.  I had seen one or two on television.  When I was growing up on the farm, there were rumors of one tucked away in a nearby barn,  that everyone wanted to buy, and the farmer didn't want to sell.  

In Indiana last month, I saw one on the wheels for the first time. It is small, the front is kind of dated, the sliding doors are the thing that make me want to say, YES.  

There a few listed for sale in the USA, a basket case out of a barn for $40,000 that probably needs $100,000 in work to make it drivable, half a dozen between $100,000 and $160,000 - you can drive a Ferrari for that kind of money, but the doors won't slide forward into the fenders.