A Better Life

This is a cautionary tale of taking steps but not following through and seeing someone else reap the benefits. So, a little history is in order. While separated from my wife on a slow boat to divorce (2 year separation) I started setting up blogs to document the lessons I was learning going through the divorce process. I bought several domain names over several months. One of those domains was to indulge my interest in herb gardening and cooking with herbs. I had even written an article about taking an interest and turning it into a website. As time went on, my writing increased and I kept thinking I was going to do something about this herb website but alas that day never came. I agreed to go to counseling which resulted in a massive loss in confidence and so all writing ceased for months. Today I was going through the domains and websites I had had and realized that one of my domains had been lost, sold and the person who bought had made the dream I had a reality. They had a...

At this time, we seem to be bombarded by stimuli from all directions. Media expanded to the internet then smartphones put his in direct connection with information all of the time. Our email is no longer, when we get home but instantaneous through out the day and night. Given this onslaught of information what are we to do with it? The majority of people are now more informed than in any age before but how has this served us. Are we a better society because of it? Have there been more advances in medicine, science and the arts because of our new found exposure to constant information? It would not seem so given the evidence that abounds. No, being connected seems to be hindering more than helping. We still do not have a cure for cancer or even the common cold but hold on steadfastly to our internet connections as if they are somehow our life line. Maybe we have become jaded and taken the fact that a newspaper isn’t so much a news source for us any more. Radio and television ...

Trees are an amazing example of growth utilizing many ingredients to produce a terrific result. You have sunshine, water, compost (decaying leaves, cut grass, etc.) and you can go from a seedling to a great big fruit producing, shade source of a tree in a few years. What does this have to do with relationships? Because relationships do not grow on their own, they have to be nurtured, fed and pruned to accomplish a great big fruit producing, shade source of a relationship than just keeps growing and growing if properly tended. This is not just about boy girl relationships but any relationship where two or more disparate entities come together to build a lasting, durable productive whole. A business relationship can be built in this way provided all parties are contributing and committed to the sustainability of this situation. It can also apply to co-workers, families and yes even relationships of the romantic variety. Just as trees must weather storms and winters, so must our re...

So this weekend was planned with some trepidation. It seemed simple enough. I was going to visit my parents at their home in my home town. I would be taking my mother grocery shopping and then I was to plow up a good bit of their yard (their house sits on about an acre of land). So no problem right? Not so much. First of all I took off work Friday so I would plenty of time to do what I needed to do and make it back home Saturday night to see my girlfriend who is amazingly understanding about me having to visit my parents. So, just to get things going I leave early on Thursday because it is always hectic getting everything around for a longer stay with my parents. Should I take just the laptop, laptop and 24" monitor or ditch the laptop and take my Mac Pro which is heavy, bulky but so much more fun than my PC laptop (Windows 7 is not my favorite by any means). So, being tired from the craziness of work and after work activities I just grabbed the laptop, some clothes, a couple of b...

Waking up every morning brings a whole new opportunity for experience both good and not so good. Sometimes a simple email can make or break a day but it usually takes more than any one single event. It is the culmination of a whole bunch of events coming together to make the perfect day or perfect storm as the case may be. So, what does a perfect day look like, well usually it starts with a dream I wake up from which was life affirming or otherwise positive. My drive to work would have been surprisingly smooth, there would be no messages left on voice mail and everything at work will be business as usual. Now, a perfect storm is quite different. I will have probably received an email reminding me of some money I must pay. When I get to work I will have a voice mail from my ex-wife telling some particular story to get more money or one of the debtors for which she is responsible demanding payment, the drive in to work would have been peppered with one delay or another (usually several) ...

Once again Apple, Inc. has blessed us with an upgrade to the software that drives our bright shiny Macintoshes. The computer that sets us apart from the drones and their Microsoft ladened devices. Oh what a special group we are. Limited viruses, great software and a legacy of “Think Different”. Everything is wonderful until we upgrade our software and some key piece of hardware or software refuses to work as before. In my case it was my MBox Pro from Avid . This amazing audio interface has worked flawlessly since I bought it that is until I upgraded to Lion when it became available. Nothing ruins a day more than for something to quit working. Working with my Mac Pro in the past has been a joy. I looked forward to each new revision of the OS X software (I have been using it since the first public beta). So, was this release a fluke or can we all look forward to other incompatibilities in our future? Hopefully Apple will work closely with 3rd party vendors so these nightmares ...

There are times when it is good to be anonymous, a blank face among the masses. Sometimes you just don’t want people to know who you are, where you are or even how you are. You just want to be left alone. Case in point, you go through a horrendous divorce. The ex will not stop bothering you so what do you do? First, I recommend as it was recommended to me, get a post office box to retrieve your mail. These can be had relatively cheaply. It buys you two main things, one it gives you the opportunity to let them and everyone else know how to reach you and two, it gives you the opportunity to live a million miles away from the location you share with everyone else. In my particular situation, it was imperative that my home location be regarded as a well kept secret. When someone says I need to send you something you give them the post office box which can be located many, many miles away from home base. Your home stays tranquil without the bother of the drop in and you have provided them a...