Original anecdotes, commentary, rumination, and occasional pontification.
FEBRUARY 7, 2022 – During my two-month sojourn in NZ and Australia, I’d encountered many Europeans who’d ventured there via India. Time—and illness—on the Subcontinent seemed to be a rite of passage. No traveler had not experienced gastrointestinal problems, and everyone emphasized that no matter how much you heard or read about India, nothing could …
FEBRUARY 6, 2022 – As hours rolled by, I stared in wonder out the picture window of my compartment. Often, I imagined peering out the window of a spacecraft circling Mars just above the surface: the arid infinity outside was mesmerizing in its “other worldliness.” At a refueling stop in Cook (now a ghost town; …
FEBRUARY 5, 2022 – “Today,” I wrote, “is Easter Sunday, the 50th day of my ‘Trans Global Expedition.’” I then updated my family—the second time since leaving home. Smartphones—texts and email—were still a generation away. Aboard the Indian-Pacific I printed a 62-page letter on small pages (removed along sidelong perforations) from a pocket notebook. The …
FEBRUARY 4, 2022 – Even back then Sydney, capital of New South Wales, was the big, splashy city of “Down Under.” I spent several days there, impressed by its busy harbor, cosmopolitan feel, world-class modern architecture—including the harbor-front Opera House (and a recital inside)—and expansive botanical garden. But naturally, I was drawn to . . …
FEBRUARY 3, 2022 – From the sea, I turned to Kuranda in the rainforest along Queensland’s northeastern “fringe.” Other travelers had recommended Kuranda as a “Bohemian outpost in Eden,” and the pathway was well established. Joined by Karen and now my romantic interest, Debbie, we hiked to the heights of towering waterfalls and admired the …
FEBRUARY 2, 2022 – Having lived much of life at 45-degrees latitude, I noticed that at 17-degrees our sun is a different star. Its zenith is nearly overhead and motivates an early start before one’s energy becomes non-renewable. By 8:00 I was in queue with other “pilgrims” where tour boats lined up to catch and …
FEBRUARY 1, 2022 – Like most visitors in those days, I traveled “the eastern fringe”—the coastline between Sydney in the southeast and Port Douglas in the northeast, well above the Tropic of Capricorn. The big attraction was the Great Barrier Reef, yet much else influenced my itinerary—from Kuranda, a Garden of Eden deep in the …
JANUARY 31, 2022 – Heavy hearted, I boarded the Qantas 747 to Brisbane. Ahead lay unmeasured time filled with untold adventures, but I couldn’t imagine how they’d compete with the experiences behind me. For a month I’d been ensconced in Treasure Island[s], and it was hard to let go. Yet, this was the rhythm of …
JANUARY 30, 2022 – When people outside NZ think of that paradise, they consider flora, fauna, and geography. But of all the countries I’ve visited, none exudes the civility of NZ. This assessment overlooks historical injustices toward the Maori and the anomaly of the 2019 mosque attack, but NZ’s well-established, civilized reputation is otherwise fully …
JANUARY 29, 2022 – In those days, to venture down “The Most Beautiful Walk in the World,” a reservation was required—along with rain gear and sturdy hiking boots. Average annual rainfall in that region pushes 300 inches. Since most of the Milford Track follows a canyon floor, the trek can be a muddy slog from …
JANUARY 28, 2022 – I’d latched onto four facts about “Down Under,” two appearing in old National Geographic magazines: 1. “The most beautiful walk in the world” was at the south end of NZ’s South Island; and 2. The longest straight railway in the world (297 mi/478 km) stretched across Australia’s Nullarbor Plain. Well known …
JANUARY 27, 2022 – Blogger’s note: our younger son, Byron, asked me to post about my trip around the world–starting 41 years ago. Through the prism of my current circumstances, his suggestion inspires re-examination in fresh light. I’ll endeavor to make installments compelling without lapsing into “travelogue” mode. Photo credit: my grandmother, whose family friend, “Hoxie” …
JANUARY 26, 2022 – Every child, it seems, is put on the earth to bring grief, sorrow, heartbreak and yes . . . love and sweet joy to the child’s parents. Lately, I’ve been thinking about this combination of feelings for which I’m responsible. My parents have resided outside the instant realm for a while …
JANUARY 25, 2022 – Yesterday my good doctor announced that treatments of my disease are having the desired effect. This was good news against the other reality he revealed: last week’s CT scan showed that many of my of bones are like “Swiss Cheese” but will repair themselves over the next few months. The “Swiss …
JANUARY 11, 2022 – Today I begin a marathon for which I haven’t trained because I hadn’t anticipated that I’d be forced to run it. Only vicariously do I know its route and perils, its challenges and topography. “Back in the day,” as it is said, I ran actual marathons. They were made for a …
DECEMBER 26, 2021 – Yesterday, my wife and I “celebrated” Christmas alone, with limited, indirect contact with the outside world. After a delectable mid-afternoon dinner of ham, scalloped potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and rolls with butter and honey, I continued my “sift and sort” operation focused on lots of ancient paperwork; all part of the bigger …
DECEMBER 22, 2021 – It became a family Christmas legend—me eating ornaments and landing in the hospital. No one could later remember the year. I figure it was 1956. First, I was old enough to have sufficient reference points to remember salient details of the story. Second, I wasn’t old enough to have known better …
DECEMBER 21, 2021 – I wish that I’d been more attentive, more “in tune,” as it were, with the humanitarian genius with whom I was breaking bread and sharing stories. I’m not much sure of the details, except that Yo-Yo Ma was in town performing with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and given my sister/brother-in-law’s …
DECEMBER 17, 2021 – As I lie low with The Blasted Cough, and no holiday visitors are expected at our hearth this year, we’re not buying a cut-from-the earth Christmas tree. What’s ironic is that by my latest count, we have 17 “pretend” Christmas trees on display—not including the flat, felt tree (which our granddaughter …
NOVEMBER 10, 2021 – Yesterday I sent a mail-in ballot for three seats on a corporate board. In my pre-evolution years I threw such ballots in the trash (the times having pre-dated recycling as well as evolution). Now “evolved,” I voted against myself . . . Four candidates are running for three seats. The incumbents …
OCTOBER 31, 2021 – I grew up in the “Halloween Capital of the World” (Anoka, MN). My wife, who didn’t grow up with world domination (Byron, IL), is skeptical. “A place doesn’t become a world capital of anything,” she asserts, “simply by saying so.” But we Anokans backed words with action. In the 1920s local …
OCTOBER 27, 2021 – On paper, as it were, I should be a decent Scrabble player. I like words and etymology; I like to read and write. But in my family, when it comes to playing the game, I’ll never be more than an amateur—this despite my use of the word “qat,” my familiarity with …
OCTOBER 22, 2021 – Yesterday evening while walking in the moonlight, I heard the distant echo of an amplified announcer calling a game at the local high school. The words were muffled, so I couldn’t tell if the event was a soccer match or a football game. At one stage, however, I heard, “puts the …
OCTOBER 21, 2021 – Once upon a time I was in third grade—at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 16 – 28, 1962). On the day before Kennedy and Khrushchev stepped back from the ledge, I kept my fingers crossed from the 8:00 a.m. radio news until the sun went down. During that …
OCTOBER 18, 2021 – Our town’s hardware store of choice was Joe Chutich’s Western Auto on Main. That’s where Dad bought stuff and where he rented a TV for the Olympics, presidential nominating conventions, and the moon landing. Joe was nice but serious. His kids were nice and smart. One’s now a Minnesota Supreme Court …