Vertical or Horizontal? Perhaps a look at numbers might reveal something

Hello from the Campus Starbucks, Familiarity can be a double-edged sword, most certainly, but sitting back in Starbucks at the Andruss Library is a good thing. The rearrangement of the traffic flow as well as the tables makes getting some work done much more arduous, but thank goodness for a charged phone. The memories ofContinue reading “Vertical or Horizontal? Perhaps a look at numbers might reveal something”

ABD and Buslife

Hello from the soggy Cumberland Plateau, The last 36 hours or so have been a struggle to get anything done as it has rained off and on since Sunday and now pretty much non-stop for the last day and a half. I had hoped to be on my way back north by yesterday. Now IContinue reading “ABD and Buslife”

Understanding the Consequences

Hello from the bus, It’s early morning, and I am sleeping on an air mattress in a sleeping bag (well, not actually sleeping because I’ve started this blog). It is September 11th, a consequential day in American history. It is also a day, where as a gun-owning culture, we are confronted with the shooting ofContinue reading “Understanding the Consequences”

Which Direction am I going?

Hello from the Cumberland Plateau and Spencer, TN, I arrived here on Saturday night, almost a week ago, having traveled from the Quad Cities, with a stop in Fenton, Missouri, and then back through the tip Illinois and north to south through the corner of Kentucky. For the most part, the drive was good andContinue reading “Which Direction am I going?”

Truly Unexpected or Simply Avoided

Hello from the Beetle, I am waiting to meet someone, preparing to share breakfast and listen to their stories about being in a new place for their summer. Four amazing young people have traveled from Quito and Cuenca in Ecuador to spend a summer learning new skills in the restaurant, and in some ways theyContinue reading “Truly Unexpected or Simply Avoided”

The Pathology of Hostility

Hello from an afternoon break, I regularly find myself questioning how did we get here. How did we become so polarized the idea of working together is a pipe-dream, so divided that our response to disinformation or even an insurrection has become commonplace or we see such incidents of things from stalking to swatting asContinue reading “The Pathology of Hostility”

More than a Number

Hello from my living room, It is quiet and peaceful; I returned from a wonderful family Christmas, back in Iowa for the holiday for the first time in a decade. Currently, the music is off; the fireplace is burning softly; and I closed my eyes for a brief minute or two. At the moment, afterContinue reading “More than a Number”

Thankfulness in a Solitary Manner

Hello from the study on the Acre, It is about 1:30 or so on a Thanksgiving afternoon here in Pennsylvania. It is not like other Thanksgivings I have experienced, at least for the most part. Then again, it is not the first time I have spent one alone. That is simply how life works whenContinue reading “Thankfulness in a Solitary Manner”

Procrastination: A Mental or Emotional Block?

Hello from my office in the house, I am going to head to the university shortly, mask in hand, and lock myself way in my office. There are multiple reasons for that, but suffice it to say my technology at home and I are fighting. Technology is winning, which is usually the case. It isContinue reading “Procrastination: A Mental or Emotional Block?”

Don’t Stop Believin’

Hello from the study at home, I am always amazed by the response of people, the way people interact, communicate, or even reflect on their own selves (and this is about me as much as anyone else). Sometimes I believe my propensity for reflection is the well-known, need-to-be-cautious, and proverbial double-edged sword. It offers theContinue reading “Don’t Stop Believin’”