Hello Covid, my old nemisis

See that faint line under the “T”? That means I have tested positive for COVID-19 again. The first time was over a year ago, with no symptoms. This time, I’ve got it going on, sick all weekend. It looks like I’ll be off work for several days.

I got it from a guy at work, who gave it to another coworker as well. Our seven-person office is down to at least four right now.

I hope we’ll all be fully recovered before the holidays. Until then, I’ll wear this mask around the house to help protect my wife.

Wild Lights at Sedgwick County Zoo

Last night we visited the Sedgwick County Zoo, to see a special traveling exhibit called “Wild Lights”. It’s the second stop in as many years for this traveling exhibit, which apparently has several companies currently touring the United States. A collection of hundreds of luminary sculptures and displays, many of them animated lit the pathways around the zoo, amazing the young, and even not-so-young visitors.

This year’s event featured an aquatic theme with fewer traditional zoo animals than last year, without as much color or animation as we’d seen before. But that may simply be the product of rotating displays at different venues. Many of last year’s Wichita displays showed up this year further south, at the “Safari Lights” event in the Oklahoma City Zoo.

When we arrived shortly after the opening at 6 p.m., the crowd wasn’t too large. That turned out to be only one of the reasons we were glad that we arrived early. The weather was pleasant at first, with a south breeze that blew leaves gently across the paths. We strolled leisurely along, stopping for frequent photographs and even a few “selfies”. However, just before 7 p.m., the wind switched to the north and picked up speed, dropping temperatures by almost 10 degrees in a few minutes. What had been a leisurely stroll, turned into a brisk walk and fewer photo stops for many of the night’s visitors.

All in all, it was an enjoyable experience. My wife and I are supporters and members of the Sedgwick County Zoo, and we were glad to participate in this fundraising event. See some pictures from the exhibit in the gallery below.

A Deep Digital Cleanse

Today, I deactivated (but didn’t yet permanently delete) my Twitter and Facebook profiles. I’m going to try to wean myself off of the two most toxic platforms I’ve used over the last decade or so.

I was going to wait until after the election, but there doesn’t seem to be a point to it. The noise has gotten so loud that all of the fun and entertaining posts from friends are being overwhelmed by political misinformation and angst from the fringe elements that seem to have taken over.

Here is where I’ll be sharing my pictures, funny stories and important updates about my life. I hope you’ll join me for the journey.

Be well.

Hello, World!

After making a decision to stop using Facebook and Twitter which had become too toxic for me, I found that I still wanted a creative outlet for my oddball sense of humor. As a result, I have resurrected this blog which I have posted to sporadically over the past several years.

Here, you’ll find funny stories, personal news about me, photos, videos which I found interesting, but absolutely no strong opinions about anything. There’s enough of that on the rest of the Internet.

If you choose to look at it once in a while when you’re wondering what I’ve been up to, welcome!

A place for my stuff

George Carlin

If you grew up in the 70’s, you might remember the George Carlin comedy bit “A Place For My Stuff“. It’s a tongue-in-cheek commentary on how much “stuff” we accumulate in our lives.

As I grow older, I’m beginning to have less and less desire to acquire “stuff”. Maybe it’s because we just moved from a two story house into a single story ranch style home, and we had to get rid of a LOT of stuff.

I once thought it was a great idea to create a database of all the stuff I had purchased in a year, until I added up the costs, and realized how little of it I actually interacted with or used on a regular basis. I quit updating the database, but somehow managed to keep collecting things. Tools, electronic gadgets, and accessories for my motorcycle hobby (yes, it’s a hobby, and not a lifestyle).

But now, I’ve begun to realize that experiences, rather than possessions, are what have brought me the most satisfaction and happiness. Watching children grow to adulthood. Interacting more with the dogs and cat since the last child is out on his own. Traveling and seeing places I’ve never seen before. These are the things I enjoy most.

Will it be enough? Will it last me long enough? Will I run out of interesting things to do before my body runs out of energy? Only time will tell. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past couple of years during a global Coronavirus pandemic, is that nothing is certain. Make the most of what you love, not of what you have. No matter what you’ve read, it won’t last forever.

A Different Kind of Holiday Lights

This weekend, we visited the Sedgwick County Zoo to see the Wild Lights traveling exhibit. The Zoo, which is not normally open after dark, was lit up with hundreds of zoological decorations, It provided a very beautiful experience, although it was not holiday related. This traveling exhibit, one of many planned to mark the Zoo’s 50th birthday year, requires a special $17 ticket for adults, $15 for children. Plant employee clubs may offer discounts. Wild Lights is open from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday nights, until December 5th. While the ticket price is a little steeper than a movie, the “Wow-Factor” will make this a lasting memory.

This was the first time we’d visited since the construction of the new entrance and visitor’s center. There were apparently several updates to exhibits as well, although it was difficult to tell since the only lighting came from the lighted displays of animals sea creatures and flowers.

The Zoo is laid out in a series of walkways that loop though all of the regular exhibits. Upon entering, most people turn to their right and walk in a counter-clockwise stroll through the grounds. My wife said we’d have a better experience if we walked through clockwise, to avoid the throng of people that entered with us at the opening time of 6 o’clock.

Her Disney Resort experience told her this was the best plan. She was right, until we got about halfway around, and the met the sea of people walking in the other direction. It was nice to have the back half of the exhibit largely to ourselves, but it was also enjoyable to see the children reacting to the larger displays in the middle of the exhibit.

Maybe it’s time to renew our membership to the Zoo. We let it expire when our youngest son entered High School several years ago.I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Where in the world, is your spot?

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live in a different part of the world? A different climate? Different culture? Different geography? Different language?

I have. Especially in the past couple of years, as I approach retirement age. I find the social climate here in Kansas to be far too conservative, and while parts of the landscape are quite beautiful, there is just so much that is uninspiring.

I’ve lived in the Land of Oz for most of my adult life. I’ve been anchored here by employment, and marriage to a lifelong Kansas girl. While she will likely never choose to move out of the state where she was born, I long to travel and experience something different.

Porto, Portugal

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Would you feel comfortable relocating to a country or region where English was not the first language? I imagine that would depend on your ability to speak a foreign language. Sadly, I cannot. I have friends who speak Spanish fluently. Others speak conversational French. They have the ability to immerse themselves far more deeply than I, in a foreign land and its culture. I am sometimes jealous of them when I hear about their travel experiences. I am always disappointed by the fact that I never studied a foreign language in high school. (I’m old enough that it wasn’t required.)

I suppose the upside to this is that many countries use English as a business language, or second language, which could make the transition to a new world easier. Although some countries don’t currently welcome Americans for health or political reasons, that almost certainly won’t last forever. Or will it?

For now, I will have to be content to visit the world virtually, through a computer screen or books. My passport book is empty, and I wonder if I should even consider renewing it?

Working through it

I’ve been working almost every day since Sedgwick County, and then the State of Kansas enacted Stay-At-Home orders. My company is classified as an essential business, providing telecom and networking service in Kansas. My job doesn’t put me in close contact with other people, so I feel relatively safe. And lucky.

So many of my friends have been furloughed, laid off, or fired due to the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 virus. Some of them even own their own businesses, and are suffering on so many levels that I will never understand.

I’ve been able to maintain my source of income, for now, but that won’t last forever. I’m worried that once the “emergency” is over, my company will do whatever it can to recover the higher cost of doing business this year, and I will be laid off, just before retirement.

I hope we can return to a recognizable lifestyle soon, but with caution that will help prevent another wave of infection in the fall. Only time will tell.

Until then, be well, and wash your hands.

My other ride is a Harley.

I bought my third Harley Davidson motorcycle this week, and compared the the half dozen bikes I’ve owned over the last twenty years, I think this one is my favorite.

As I inch closer and closer to retirement age, I’m thinking about doing some solo traveling. I think this bike will be perfect for weekend getaways or longer adventures.

Do you think I’m too old to ride a red Harley?

My job is evolving … again.

As my company continues to shrink its work force, there are changes coming for my job. In almost eighteen years of working for the largest telecommunications company in the world, I have held five different positions, each quite a bit different than the one before.

You may have heard that my company was one of the first to offer bonuses to employees after the president signed the recent tax cut legislation. It’s the same company that also announced hundreds of layoffs in the same time period.

Luckily, I was not one of the unfortunate ones. But my duties are being realigned along with those of several coworkers. I will be working outdoors much more and traveling much less, which I actually prefer. Except in January, February, July and August <grin>.

I will have the opportunity to operate heavy equipment, participate more actively in the procurement process, and interact with contractors my company outsources a great deal of work to.

But I still have a good, honest job. One with a higher than average salary, and a pretty good retirement plan. I’m thankful for that. And thankful that I’ll have a chance to work on my tan before motorcycle season begins again in a couple of months.