Lake Desolation

This is the fourth of fifth year I've tried Salt Lake's world-class Wasatch Crest mountainbike ride from Big Cottonwood Canyon to Millcreek Canyon. It took three of us older married men five hours to cover the 20 mile route, and as always, I found the view of Lake Desolation to well worth the climb.

Overheard in New Orleans

"We can’t stay with my dad. He’s so PO'd that I didn’t call him on Father’s Day."
-young woman on her cell at the airport

"They lost my luggage and I’ll be damned I’ve going to go spend at couple of hundred dollars just so I can go to a cocktail party tonight."
-middle-aged man on his cell at the Riverwalk mall

So what do we learn from this, you ask. I guess there are several things, actually. If you talk loudly on your cell phone while standing an airport drinking fountain maybe you're not going to be as good at using that cell to call this man you don't always get along with and say "Happy Father's Day, daddy. You know I'm not always great at staying in touch, but I do love you. Howya doin today?"

You probably won't hear the guy in shorts at the mall saying, "Yeah, they lost my luggage. I'm not happy about it, but you know it's a great excuse to do some shopping. I'm going to take it as a sign from the universe that it's time for a little upgrade in my business attire."

Related article: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/27/weekinreview/27bels.html
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Free Writing Ain't Free

"Writing isn’t hard. It isn't any harder than ditch digging." -Patrick Dennis

I'm taking a writing class on Wednesday nights. Our instructor, Teresa Jordan, is an acclaimed author and she's whipping us into shape without mercy. She's not just lecturing about writing, or giving us some examples to consider, she expects all of us write right there in class, and then almost immediately read aloud some portion of it.

She understands that this isn't always easy or comfortable. The only rule of free writing is that once you start, don't stop, just keep the pen moving on the page.

And when it's your turn to speak, "Don't apologize, just read the crap," she tells us, quoting one of her writing mentors.

This "free writing" isn't free from stress or pressure, but it does free the mind in the way that exercise frees the body. I might not enjoy every lap I swim, but my almost daily swimming has made the water so much more inviting. Writing's rarely been easy for me, but with this class I'm already less intimidated by the prospect of an empty page.

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Hierarchy of Effective Communications for Educators in the 21st Century

This list contains both research-proven and best-guess items.

1. One-to-one, face-to-face
2. Small group discussion, face-to-face
3. Small group discussion via audio or videoconferencing
4. Speaking before a large group
5. Telephone Conversation
6. Personal E-mail
7. Handwritten, personal note
8. Website or blog the user considers “Must visit daily”
9. Clear, consise voice-mail
10. Group E-mail (subscribed to by the user)
11. Any E-mail that prompts the response: “Now that’s something I needed to know.”
12. Word-processed “personal” letter
13. Online search that yields relevant, credible information
14. Brochure or pamphlet
15. Article in online or printed organizational newsletter
16. News (online, broadcast, print)
17. Advertising (online, broadcast, print)
18. Mass E-mail (not subscribed to by the user)
19. Billboards, bus boards, other signage

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50 Things I'm Grateful For in My 1st 50 Years

My oldest nephew and his wife welcomed their first child into the world yesterday. It just happened to be my 50th birthday, too. What a memorable day. This list comes from some of those memories. It's certainly not all inclusive, but it is in rough chonological order. It jogs my memory and may stir a memory or two for you.

1. dad
2. mom
3. sister
4. grandparents
5. aunts

6. uncles
7. cousins
8. friends
9. phonographs
10. records

11. trains
12. holidays
13. snow
14. television
15. radio

16. books
17. school
18. reading
19. coloring
20. math

21. teachers
22. playgrounds
23. bicycling
24. swimming
25. kickball

26. baseball
27. basketball
28. football
29. cars
30. electronics

31. summer
32. rock and roll
33. classical
34. jazz
35. newspapers

36. debate
37. high school
38. amusements parks
39. scholarships
40. studios

41. wife
42. first son
43. first daughter
44. middle daughter
45. last son

45. last daughter
47. belief
48. trees
49. mountains
50. weather

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Couple of Quotations

I've had a couple of quotations here on my white board at work and thought I'd share them. I like them because they're empowering. The speak to the need of doing something about discontent, about the difficulty but possibility of creation, change, improvement.

"Cautious careful people always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing can never bring about reform." -Susan B. Anthony

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed its the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

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