Charlottesville May 28, 2026 Well, I have broken "the dam" and started to look into what I have ahead of me on Sunday when I fly to Alaska. I start with a 20 minute flight from Charlottesville to Dulles that leaves here around 2 PM. The Anchorage flight leaves Dulles at approximately 540 PM and is on a 737 Max 8 with 166 seats. The flight takes almost 7 hours and 45 minutes; I'm sure glad I used miles to purchase a first class seat. The route appears to be the blue curve o

Charlottesville May 28, 2026 I've been having that classic problem of waking at 2 AM and not being able to get back to sleep. A friend suggested I read this article and try cognitive shuffling. I tried it tonight and it helped a bit. I'm going to keep at it and see if I can build my cognitive shuffling muscle. Article by Angela Haupt When you can’t fall asleep because you’re too stressed, counting sheep might not be enough. Instead, experts suggest a simple mental trick th

Charlottesville May 28, 2026 For the past few days, I have had Zac Brown's Colder Weather on a recurring loop (is that redundant? It's 4 AM -- my mind isn't awake yet.). It is such an incredibly power song about longing and love. The use of the metaphor "colder weather" is genius. Often when I have seen the band in person they intertwine a verse from the Eagles' Take It To The Limit which I admit pushes me over the edge of controlling my emotions. As I was reading about t

Taken by Alissa May 26, 2026 Atlanta

Charlottesville May 27, 2026 Sunday I leave on my Alaska wanderabout. I will fly from Charlottesville to Dulles and then nonstop (hopefully!) to Anchorage. After a few days in Anchorage, I have a ticket on a train through Denali to Fairbanks. From Fairbanks, I will drive to Chicken where I have a cabin for two nights; it will serve as my home base for my trip into Canada to visit the no-longer-there Paris, Yukon and Dawson City which is known as "the Paris of the North."

Charlottesville May 27, 2026 The "Colbert Questionert" (a playful spin on "questionnaire") is a signature segment introduced on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2021. The recurring bit consists of 15 rapid-fire, whimsical, yet probing questions designed to cover the full spectrum of human experience—from existential thoughts on death to mundane topics like sandwiches. The Origins & Evolution The Inspiration: The concept partly stemmed from a memorable 2019 interview Col

Folly Field Beach May 15, 2026 It’s been a really good stay. Just a day short of two weeks — enough time to sink into a comfortable routine. Yikes! Two words I’ve been running away from — comfort and routine! I’m going to rationalize that it is ok to experience a “comfortable routine” every now and then. Lots of sun, lots of First Tee driving range, sunrises and sunsets. Too many Parker’s bacon, egg and cheese croissants. Just the right amount of visits to Hudson’s (fou

This morning I received an email with the following text. I was a good reminder after a week at the beach where I fell into a useful ("useless"?) routine? There is a kind of stuck that looks normal from the outside. Same routine. Same habits. Same excuses. Same "I'll do it later." Nothing dramatic is happening. That is part of the problem. Comfort can make life feel safe for a while. Then it starts making life smaller. My new video is about that line. The point where peace t

Hudson’s Seafood Restaurant Hilton Head May 4, 2026. 530 PM The above clip came from an email I received today. It reminded me of the important difference between being busy and being productive. My working at DOE was not rewarding. It was a job to pay the bills. It is where I first heard the expression “the illusion of progress.” We could get very busy at DOE but nothing ever got done. We fooled ourselves into thinking we were being productive while all we were was acti

Hilton Head May 3, 2026 "Dirty Myrtle" is a nickname for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, that originated from its reputation as a rowdy, high-crime, and party-focused destination, particularly during the 1980s and 90s. The term, often seen as insulting by locals, also refers to polluted ocean water from runoff and a generally unpolished, "redneck riviera" image. Key reasons for the "Dirty Myrtle" nickname include: Rowdy Atmosphere: Historically known for wild spring break parti

Hilton Head May 3, 2026 https://scliving.coop/sc-life/sc-life-features/unusual-sc-place-names-unlock-passwords-to-the-past/ A few years ago, I took an 800-plus-mile road trip around South Carolina to learn about the origins of 10 of the state’s most intriguingly named communities: Round O, North, Plum Branch, Ninety Six, Due West, Possum Kingdom, Cross Anchor, Prosperity, Coward and Ketchuptown. Colorful town names, I knew, would lead me down colorful backroads to colorful pl

Hilton Head May 3, 2026 Iamout of the rhythm of writing my blog posts. This one will be out of sequence, but I wanted to capture my thoughts about the second leg of my drive from Charlottesville to Hilton Head. Friday I drove the fast route to Florence by taking I64 to Richmond and then joining the masses driving I95 south. My detour into Wilson, NC was very worthwhile but the drive on 95 was as expected -- not much to see at 75 MPH. When I got in my car yesterday morning i

Hilton Head May 3, 2026 9 AM

Comfort Inn (15,000 points) Florence, South Carolina May 2, 2026 Yesterday I began my two-day journey to Hilton Head where I will spend the next two weeks. Pre summer beach trip. According to Google Maps, the fastest way there is to take I64 to Richmond and then join the crowd driving I95 south. I thought about taking “blue highways” but decided the extra time was not worth it — this time! It’s my second road trip in my new Toyota 4Runner. I love Hi Ho Silver and we’ve be

Resilience is built when life doesn’t go your way. I have learned a lot about resilience since August 25, 2016. Up to that time and for sometime after, I didn't understand resilience. I did not comprehend that resilience is "the ability to adapt well to adversity, trauma, or significant stress, allowing individuals to "bounce back" or grow from difficult experiences." I didn't "adapt" or "bounce back" from difficult experiences. I didn't change and ask what I could do dif

Who are you when no one's watching? I came across this question when reading an article about relationships. (Again, like my last post, not that any of the article was relevant to me -- smiley face). Living alone, I am well aware that I have developed habits and default behaviors (are those two concepts different?) that are suited for my circumstances. For example, I don't need to share my time, and I can do chores when I want to. I wonder sometimes whether that makes me u

Another article on my Google News feed. I thought I would share it even though it has absolutely no relevance to moi. (Smiley face). Key points We are genetically predisposed to all things living, just as the Buddha had a penchant for the lotus. Embracing the awe of nature can remedy and lower the heat of the stew brewing inside our heads. Even tending an indoor garden can boost our mental health. There is always a lotus flower in stories about the Buddha. This flower, the

I came across this article in My Google News feed: Say what?! It’s true. Exploring new places and trying new things can improve your mental well-being, strengthen your brain, and help you feel more fulfilled in everyday life. RVing fits that criteria! It can build brain strength. Who knew? Breaking routine Science shows that stepping outside your routine is one of the healthiest things you can do. According to Psychology Today, doing something new “wakes up” the brain. It pro

Atlanta April 17, 2026 Crayfish, crawfish, and crawdad are regional, colloquial names for the same freshwater, lobster-like crustacean (order Decapoda). "Crawfish" is dominant in the Gulf South, "crayfish" is common in the North/scientific contexts, and "crawdad" is used in the Midwest/West. They are generally interchangeable, differing only by location. Key Regional and Usage Differences: Crawfish: Preferred in Louisiana, Texas, and Southern regions; often used when referrin