Charlottesville May 30, 2026 Everyone’s Talkin’ because they can’t believe that voice is coming out if a white woman from Boston. And that Derrick Trucks can play guitar like that. Such a soulful version. Notice the two drummers? James Brown started that. Asked why the Allman Brothers had two drummers, Greg Allman said if it’s good enough for James Btown it’s good enough for us. Derrick Trucks is (I believe this is right) the nephew of an original Allman Brothers member.

Charlottesville May 30, 2026 At least once before I had to rely on geographical coordinates to locate a "no-longer-there" Paris; that was the Paris that had been in Malheur County, Oregon. Just having the coordinates is only half the game; the other is having Google Maps and inputting the coordinates so that it can tell me that I am there. Gemni tells me I don't need cell service for this to work which is good because I am pretty sure there is no cell service in the area of

Charlottesville Going To Paris HQ May 30, 2026 The Top of the World Highway is a 79 mile highway, beginning at a junction with the Taylor Highway near the unincorporated community of Jack Wade, Alaska travelling east to its terminus at the ferry terminal in West Dawson, Yukon, on the western banks of the Yukon River. The highway has been in existence since at least 1955 and is only open during the summer months. The entire portion of the highway in Yukon is also known as Yuko

Charlottesville May 29, 2026 More Kleenex!! Hard to believe I’ve been on this adventure for over eight years, starting with the night (March 31, 2018) that Lucian and I (and our friends Matt and Blake) heard Buffett sing this song at JPJ. He went to Paris looking for answers To questions that bothered him so He was impressive, young and aggressive Saving the world on his own But the warm summer breezes The French wines and cheeses Put his ambition at bay Summers and winters

Charlottesville May 29, 2026 We try to trick ourselves into thinking it’s about other things — doing good, chasing success, etc. — but it’s always about a girl. Here’s the “missing” fourth verse:

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