February 2024 is almost over and I haven’t managed to release a podcast episode with a guest since October 2023, nearly four months ago. The best I could do was a quick podcast on how busy we are, which I recorded in December out of a sense of guilt and…
Tag: Texas
I am honored to be joining the faculty at Texas A&M University for the 2023-24 academic year as a full-time lecturer. The COVID-19 pandemic had, in theory, marked the end of my teaching career. However, friends and colleagues persisted in sending me academic job listings. One friend, in particular, persuaded…
Podcast 0089, Season 5, Episode 20; 28 June 2022 Why I Need a Yard: Roses, Trees, and More I’ve posted before that Susan and I prefer the exurbs (not even suburbs) over city life. Even before the pandemic era, we were not a couple you’d find dining out or socializing.…
Overnight Wednesday my left eye’s cornea suffered a tear or abrasion. It was a surprise. An extremely painful surprise. Unfortunately, I am familiar with the pain. In 2008 and 2009, I suffered several corneal tears in Minnesota’s cold, dry weather. It’s a pain you do not forget. For the last…
Another late night of trying to balance the homeschooling summer routine, my projects, and some volunteer work. It’s after 1 a.m. and I’ve been working on the 2021-22 school plans for the girls, organizing long-overdue blog updates, watching movies for AutFest Texas 2021, and hoping that I might some night…
Susan and I have made three major moves to reset our lives, taking us from California to Minnesota to Pennsylvania… and, finally, to Texas. We moved to Texas expecting that I’d teach high school technology and business courses. The girls would have a fresh start at a new school. Best…
I hate walking through our house. It causes me pain, literal pain, and severe anxiety. This is no way to live. In the past, when I was overwhelmed by the chaos, I could leave. I could stop seeing the boxes around the house or apartment. Not right now. Not during…
I am writing this from our guest suite just before 8:30 p.m. on Monday, February 15, 2021. [Note: Updates at end, February 20, 2021, 1:30 p.m.] When we moved to Central Texas, a primary reason was because my body cannot tolerate extreme cold. Of course, it has snowed both winters…
People like to control their spaces. We like to make our bedrooms “ours” as children. As college students, we decorate our dorm rooms or first apartments for our comfort and to signal our personalities and preferences to others. Cultures consider spaces important, too. Feng Shui or geomancy are cultural beliefs…
Podcast 044; Season 4, Episode 8; October 20, 2020 We’ve lived in four states. Now, in Central Texas, we’re home. Central California was the fire and brimstone Hell. Minneapolis was the frozen Nordic Hell. Pittsburgh? The drivers are from Hell. Here outside Austin, we’re enjoying good weather… and not driving. No Snow,…