As my first year at my new job comes to a close, the seniors at the high school where I work are very happy, thrilled to get on with their lives. However, their last day of class falls on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and I’m having trouble getting in the spirit. I’m not a combat vet, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see faces. I sat down to write about them, to honor them in some small fashion……
Today, I was honored to participate in a Local Authors’ event in my new hometown of Yorba Linda, California. The great folks at the Yorba Linda Public Library do this event every year. The criteria included being recently published and living in Yorba Linda. Since I met half of those, they allowed me to participate. I was so very happy to be a part of it, and wanted to shout out to some of the great local authors with whom…..
Having done this “Senior Naval Science Instructor” gig for almost five years now, I can definitely say a few things with certainty. First, I have one of the coolest jobs in the world, and I am blessed AND lucky to do it. and Second, NOT EVERYONE SHOULD GO TO COLLEGE. Now, before you start lining up to beat with measuring sticks, note that I did not say, “Not everyone needs more education after high school.” That would be ludicrous. We…..
Haven’t written in a while. I could try to make up an excuse, but why bother? Sometimes I’m busy, sometimes I’m lazy, and sometimes I’m asleep. First, some political comments. Yes, our President is on certain, maybe even most, occasions a “bonehead” (technical term). He handles some situations badly, and some not at all, and I personally think that most of the world is laughing at us. The debacle around immigration and control of same is spiraling to ever higher…..
Greetings all. Been a while. Have two things for you as we get ready for the holiday season. First up, a rant about my move across country, and the inability of people to perform the job for which they are being paid. And then, in honor of the holiday season, my not famous but still (reportedly) amusing holiday story from my first (and so far only) book. Most of the people who keep in touch with me know that…..
Started to write the below the week before we moved. Then we moved, so things kind of fell apart and its completion was delayed by all the wonderful disasters that go with moving. Finally got around to finishing it up… __________________ As we prepare to move, my wife and I are taking the opportunity to do something we didn’t do the last time we moved—PURGE. The last time we moved, it was short notice, in a rush, we were frustrated,…..
“Happy Memorial Day!” No, it isn’t. On Memorial Day, most of us look forward to a longer weekend, the opening of the local pool, and maybe a cookout. All of those things are good, and there is nothing wrong with looking forward to them. But we can’t let that eclipse the meaning of the weekend, because for at least the ten percent of the population who have ever served in the military, the day has a much more somber meeting……
Sometimes I blog about important social issues. Sometimes I just publish something I have been working on for my next book, which is scheduled to come out sometime between next week and before I die. This below is more of the latter. It’s not that there aren’t any important social issues deserving of my time; it’s more that I work with high school students all day and by the time I get home my brain is mostly old tires and…..
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I wrote this piece two days after the recent school shooting in Florida, but couldn’t post because my web host was having security issues (AGAIN). In the time between when I finished it and when I could post it, we had a threat against the school where I work that was caught by students on social media, who reacted appropriately and contacted law enforcement authorities, who investigated and intervened. “Stuff’s gettin’ real, y’all.” ***************** Another school shooting. “’Murica.”…..
Good grief, but it hurt. Yes, I try to keep myself in good shape to keep up with the cadets. And yes, I am working towards my black belt, so it’s obvious that fitness is pretty important to me. So imagine how low I felt this past week when my lower back hurt so bad I literally at times could not get off the floor unassisted. Pretty humbling, pretty frustrating. It was a testament to my ongoing battle with Father…..
