Well, I was on the way home the other day, driving south along 495 at the mixing bowl when I got pulled over by one of Virginia's finest for...drum roll please...changing lanes not once, not twice, not three time, but four whole times WITHOUT SIGNALING. Oh the horror! I can't believe they didn't throw me in the hoosgow and throw away the keys.
Jeez. Anyway, it will cost me almost a $100 to clear the books. Crap! I hate it when that happens! But I got to thinking about it and in the end the joke is on the jerk who so politely gave me a ticket for changing lanes not once, not twice,...oh sorry I'm still a little P.O.ed - can you tell?
So the joke is on the state trooper. You see, I will pay that ticket with my next unemployment check. And the trooper's taxes go to support that little helping hand - so in a way, the good trooper is literally paying for the ticket he issued. Ain't life grand?!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Took the Dogs for a Walk
Took the dogs for a walk today. We have three Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and if we don't exercise them every day they become a real hand full. One of my favorite places to take the dogs is on the base at Quantico. There is a back road that goes for a couple of miles back to the Breckenridge Reservoir dam. The dam has a spectacular 5 or 6 story spillway that feeds three large ponds, each separated by a small damn. These three ponds then empty into a creek that meanders back and forth across the road. The road is lined by tall trees and is usually shaded at all times of the day except high noon. The road is gated right now because they are laying a water main from the reservoir to some newly constructed buildings.
The stream is pretty special because it is stocked every year with trout. The trout don't get very big, but it's such a beautiful little stream that I really enjoy working it.
So anyway, today I took the dogs down there for a walk. Usually we take them swimming and have them retrieve plastic dummy's. They absolutely love this and it's great exercise. But today I figure I'll just walk up the road and let them explore. It's a really nice morning, temps in the upper 70s and not too humid. The peace and quiet and occasional light breeze are really refreshing. The dogs work the road and stream, the male marking the territory all the way - where does all that urine come from!? The females casting back and forth across the road. At each point where the stream crosses the road the dogs splash merrily into the water looking for sticks to play with. Occasionally I'll throw a rock into the deep water so they'll get to swim a little.
We go about a mile up the road and stop at one of the stream crossings where I can sit for a spell before we head back. While we're sitting there a novel idea niggles it's way into my mind. I'm look at the water as it flows across some flat rocks. The water splits and spills over the rocks in many different directions and the thought that crosses my mind is, "What if time is like water."
Weird huh? But what sparked the thought was one of Morgan Freeman's episodes of "Into the Wormhole." This is one of the bennies of not working and your wife being away visiting family - you can watch this kind of stuff. So anyway on this episode, entitled I think, 'Does Time Really Exist?', one of the ideas explored was whether or not time had two dimensions instead of the one we normally think of.
So now I'm watching water going every which way and thinking, "What if time has volume, just like water. What if time is like a current of water that has eddy's and whirlpools and backwaters? Now I'm not the guy that can do the math, but the idea is intriguing. What if we are all like fish that live in the huge current of time and we aren't aware of other dimensions of time because we rarely get close to the edges of the current where the whirlpools and eddies are. So time to us seems to be one dimensional - all going in one direction - past to present to future.
But many of us have experienced an intense event when time seems to slow down and we are aware of absolutely every detail. Some people label time in these events as time dilation. So there are places in the current where there are slow points. And what about whirlpools. Wouldn't that kind of be like dejavu when we feel like we've experienced some thing before?
And athletes talk about a particular state of mind when they are absolutely zeroed in on the technique of their sport as being "in the zone" or "in the flow" - interesting choice of words, no?
So what if time has volume just like water - wonder what that does to the math? If time has volume them E=mc2 has more than one dimension and our universe must be much different than we think it is. Or not.
Like I said, I'm not smart enough to crunch the numbers, but conceptually, the idea of time having volume is a neat idea. Made for a very pleasant sit by the creek before trekking back to the car.
The stream is pretty special because it is stocked every year with trout. The trout don't get very big, but it's such a beautiful little stream that I really enjoy working it.
So anyway, today I took the dogs down there for a walk. Usually we take them swimming and have them retrieve plastic dummy's. They absolutely love this and it's great exercise. But today I figure I'll just walk up the road and let them explore. It's a really nice morning, temps in the upper 70s and not too humid. The peace and quiet and occasional light breeze are really refreshing. The dogs work the road and stream, the male marking the territory all the way - where does all that urine come from!? The females casting back and forth across the road. At each point where the stream crosses the road the dogs splash merrily into the water looking for sticks to play with. Occasionally I'll throw a rock into the deep water so they'll get to swim a little.
We go about a mile up the road and stop at one of the stream crossings where I can sit for a spell before we head back. While we're sitting there a novel idea niggles it's way into my mind. I'm look at the water as it flows across some flat rocks. The water splits and spills over the rocks in many different directions and the thought that crosses my mind is, "What if time is like water."
Weird huh? But what sparked the thought was one of Morgan Freeman's episodes of "Into the Wormhole." This is one of the bennies of not working and your wife being away visiting family - you can watch this kind of stuff. So anyway on this episode, entitled I think, 'Does Time Really Exist?', one of the ideas explored was whether or not time had two dimensions instead of the one we normally think of.
So now I'm watching water going every which way and thinking, "What if time has volume, just like water. What if time is like a current of water that has eddy's and whirlpools and backwaters? Now I'm not the guy that can do the math, but the idea is intriguing. What if we are all like fish that live in the huge current of time and we aren't aware of other dimensions of time because we rarely get close to the edges of the current where the whirlpools and eddies are. So time to us seems to be one dimensional - all going in one direction - past to present to future.
But many of us have experienced an intense event when time seems to slow down and we are aware of absolutely every detail. Some people label time in these events as time dilation. So there are places in the current where there are slow points. And what about whirlpools. Wouldn't that kind of be like dejavu when we feel like we've experienced some thing before?
And athletes talk about a particular state of mind when they are absolutely zeroed in on the technique of their sport as being "in the zone" or "in the flow" - interesting choice of words, no?
So what if time has volume just like water - wonder what that does to the math? If time has volume them E=mc2 has more than one dimension and our universe must be much different than we think it is. Or not.
Like I said, I'm not smart enough to crunch the numbers, but conceptually, the idea of time having volume is a neat idea. Made for a very pleasant sit by the creek before trekking back to the car.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Hmmm...
For years I have dinked around with the idea of writing several books. I actually have one written and have several more banging around in my head. I've been doing a little here and there to move toward the goal of publishing, but always a full time job and commute provided a convenient excuse for putting off the effort to move forward in a meaningful way.
I wonder if getting laid off is God's way of saying, "OK dumby get off your duff and write! You've whined long enough about not having enough time, now show Me what you've got!"
Hmmm.....guess I should get off my duff...
I wonder if getting laid off is God's way of saying, "OK dumby get off your duff and write! You've whined long enough about not having enough time, now show Me what you've got!"
Hmmm.....guess I should get off my duff...
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Selling the Honda
When my wife picked me up at the used car dealer where I sold the Honda her first question was, "Are you OK?"
It was a wonderful question for two reasons. First and foremost it was a moving demonstration of her concern for my mental and emotional well being. Second, because I had been thinking about it while waiting for her I was able to tell her honestly that I was just fine.
And I was and am. I really liked that Honda. It was as tricked out as a 2008 Accord could be. Navigation system, bluetooth, voice command, SiriusXM, line in hook up for an mp3 player, dual climate control. Great car - it was like getting into the cockpit of a small jet. Great instrumentation, lighting at night was superb. Great little car.
And it was easy to part with. That surprised me a little. But I didn't feel any regret. Selling it was just something that had to be done quickly and efficiently - we simply couldn't afford the payment anymore. So I sold it, easy. Very pragmatic decision. Made me feel good that I was able to act without regret. Useless emotion when it comes to a car anyway.
It was a wonderful question for two reasons. First and foremost it was a moving demonstration of her concern for my mental and emotional well being. Second, because I had been thinking about it while waiting for her I was able to tell her honestly that I was just fine.
And I was and am. I really liked that Honda. It was as tricked out as a 2008 Accord could be. Navigation system, bluetooth, voice command, SiriusXM, line in hook up for an mp3 player, dual climate control. Great car - it was like getting into the cockpit of a small jet. Great instrumentation, lighting at night was superb. Great little car.
And it was easy to part with. That surprised me a little. But I didn't feel any regret. Selling it was just something that had to be done quickly and efficiently - we simply couldn't afford the payment anymore. So I sold it, easy. Very pragmatic decision. Made me feel good that I was able to act without regret. Useless emotion when it comes to a car anyway.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Not Really a Surprise, But Still a Shock
Knowing it was coming didn't make it any easier to accept. For several weeks my boss had been intimating that the powers that be in the company were making overhead cuts that would eventually put me out of work.
I really appreciated the advance notice. I shared the news with my bride of 36 years so there would be no surprise there. I also immediately started putting my paper on the street. Still, when the phone call came that my boss wanted to see me in person, it sorta took my breath away. The wolves were finally at the door.
But that is an over-dramatization. My wife and I are much more fortunate than many who find themselves in the same boat. We were able to pay off all our bills except for the house and a car payment while I was in Afghanistan for 15 months. So the huge cut in pay - close to 70% - will be very painful, it's not catastrophic. We don't think we'll have to give up our house - yet. I did sell my Honda Accord coupe - the tricked out one that I bought myself as a reward for 15 months in a combat zone. But I was able to pay off the loan and actually got some money back - so that was good. I have also put my boat on the market. Hope we can sell that soon - but I was smart enough to buy insurance to cover the payments for 6 months in case I got laid off - so that takes some pressure off.
Wanna buy a boat? Check it out!
http://bit.ly/njRCeU
So anyway, I'm on the street and banging around looking for a place to land. Still too young to retire, but too old to be really competitive! Jeez...
I really appreciated the advance notice. I shared the news with my bride of 36 years so there would be no surprise there. I also immediately started putting my paper on the street. Still, when the phone call came that my boss wanted to see me in person, it sorta took my breath away. The wolves were finally at the door.
But that is an over-dramatization. My wife and I are much more fortunate than many who find themselves in the same boat. We were able to pay off all our bills except for the house and a car payment while I was in Afghanistan for 15 months. So the huge cut in pay - close to 70% - will be very painful, it's not catastrophic. We don't think we'll have to give up our house - yet. I did sell my Honda Accord coupe - the tricked out one that I bought myself as a reward for 15 months in a combat zone. But I was able to pay off the loan and actually got some money back - so that was good. I have also put my boat on the market. Hope we can sell that soon - but I was smart enough to buy insurance to cover the payments for 6 months in case I got laid off - so that takes some pressure off.
Wanna buy a boat? Check it out!
http://bit.ly/njRCeU
So anyway, I'm on the street and banging around looking for a place to land. Still too young to retire, but too old to be really competitive! Jeez...
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