Harder Than It Looks

Sometimes things we think should be easy turn out to be quite difficult. At my age, this is a lesson I should be familiar with, yet I often forget it and end up where I ended up this weekend. My son and I were replacing the rotors and brake pads on his 2004 Ford F-150.…

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We Want A Shrubbery

In the 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur and his band are blocked by the dreaded Knights Who Say “Ni!” in an enchanted forest. “We want a shrubbery,” demands the giant Knight, adding, “One that looks nice…and not too expensive.” King Arthur delivers a “shrubbery” after a short (hilarious) quest, but the…

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My Prerogative

“Man is not, by nature, deserving of all that he wants. When we think that we are automatically entitled to something, that is when we start walking all over others to get it.” Criss Jami My greatest concern as I watch the events of this last election cycle unfold is not who is in the…

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Of, By, and For

On July 4, 1776, thirteen American colonies declared themselves to be the United States of America and claimed freedom from the tyranny of the British Crown. It was a dangerous and bold move. They went on to say that they “hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are…

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Get Fresh Flow

The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times . . . The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Mihály Csíkszentmihályi If you identified the title of this musing as a lyric…

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Red Flag

Sunday, September 6, something happened at the Italian Grand Prix that has not happened in an F1 race in eight years. Under the sun at Monza, the podium (first three places) did not include Mercedes, Ferrari, or Red Bull drivers. Third place was a driver who had only been on the podium once before (in…

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Walking With Bears

I just spent a week in Glacier National Park, Montana. It is a rugged and beautiful land with towering mountain peaks thrusting from pine covered glacial valleys that follow crystal clear streams to pristine mountain lakes. The weather was perfect, getting pleasantly cold at night while the days were warm in the valleys and chilly…

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Form Follows Function

The Eiffel Tower climbs 1,063 ft into the Parisian sky. The base is 410 ft on each side. When the tower was built, Eiffel was accused of creating something artistic with no regard to the principles of engineering. He replied in a newspaper interview on 14 February 1887: “Is it not true that the very…

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A Warning Light

When we left Colorado to come home early Sunday morning, the check engine light was on in my car. The car was running fine, fluids and pressures were good, and in general it was not at all apparent that anything was wrong. My car came with a service where I can push a button and…

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Mice And Men

But Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew, And leave us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy!  I broke my elbow this weekend. It’s an embarrassing story that involves a skateboard, a slick garage floor, and me having no business being on a skateboard.…

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