Gentle Readers:

I've had this blog staked out for a few years without doing much more than following a few friends through it.

It now appears that there is sufficient grist for writing down some thoughts in the vainglorious belief that someone will read them and be amused... the more likely scenario will be, of course, only be any self realizations I manage to wring out of my brain as I write.

Judging by my soon to be completed 5oth trip around the celestial orb, I should be well in the midst of my mid-life crisis. I don't think this is happening, but signs may point otherwise.

I've buried myself in projects and new (and some old, but renewed!) undertakings. Some are transient, some are long term, but all are a more than a little eccentric.

I've started flying again... I last flew in September 1984 right before I began my last semester of undergraduate confinement at UNO (about a year before I got out of the Air Force). It was finish school or finish flying... I think I choose the right path there!

I'm training for my first triathalon. The cycling was going so well, I wanted something more challenging, so I signed up to swim-bike-run a small one in June. I'm only running a mile and a half or so for starters. My times are still a bit high (10:30 miles), but I hope to bring that down.

I'm dreaming of a long cross country bike trip. I would love to cycle all the way across the country. I'm not sure how I'll ever manage to swing that, but I think I could make it even now. Google Map's bike directions cause me to dream even more. I think I'll bike to visit my sister in Bryn Mawr sometime this summer (about 150 miles each way through the wilds of New Jersey).

I'm taking a Mandarin Chinese class at the Adult School! I took a couple short lessons at Livermore, but didn't have the time nor the drive to finish. It's weird to be back in school with homework and all that. The characters take a lot of practice, but it's beginning to come together. I can only say short stupid things like: "wo3 shi4 mei2 guo3 ren3." No plans to travel to China, but perhaps I can taunt the good Dr Xu and Dr Tu at foosball!

My last big project is getting my CNC machine up and running. It's been sitting on ice for a couple of years. I bought it with the last of my Stanford Professorship money since there is no possible justification for buying it with normal funds (and taking food from the mouths of my children!). I had some problems with the motors that I finally resolved. Now, the shaft couplings are not operating well. Sigh! Soon, however, I'll have all the pieces I need and I can start building wooden clocks and geared devices of mayhem!