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Category: Miscellaneous

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Thanksgiving and Remembrances

Posted on November 28, 2013November 28, 2013 By Tom 2 Comments on Thanksgiving and Remembrances
Entertainment, Family, Miscellaneous

Furman vs Wofford-003

Lots has happened over the last couple of weeks. I haven’t been timely in keeping up with the blog, and now Thanksgiving is upon us. I’ll try to play a bit of catch-up here.

First, remembrances…

Last week the world marked the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. There were lots of specials on various news outlets. There were all of the per-requisite conspiracy theories, but I found most of these to be quite interesting.

Many remember where they were when they received the news. I was only two years old at the time, about to turn three. I don’t remember anything. The first person I remember as president was Lyndon Johnson. I definitely remember Nixon’s first election as president.

Also premiering 50 years ago was Doctor Who. In fact, it debuted the day of the assassination. The producers insisted that the first episode be broadcast twice, since no one was watching the first time. William Hartnell’s Doctor in “An Unearthly Child” was quite different from modern interpretations of the character. BBC had an excellent dramatization of the production of those early episodes. The next night was the actual episode to commemorate the anniversary – “The Day of the Doctor”. The episode was broadcast without commercials, and was absolutely fantastic. It hit all of the right notes for the Whovian fandom, and was immensely satisfying.

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Furman Class of 1983 30th Reunion

Posted on November 12, 2013 By Tom No Comments on Furman Class of 1983 30th Reunion
Local, Miscellaneous

Welcome Alumni

This past weekend was Homecoming at Furman University. More importantly, though, it was my graduating class’s 30th reunion. Hard to believe that it’s been that long. The weekend was spent reconnecting with classmates and old friends.

In past years I’ve tried to take off Friday so that I can spend the day up at Furman. Of course, that wasn’t a problem this time. I met Jim Davis and his wife Jenny, and we took a quick tour of the newly remodeled student center. Of course, we had to have lunch in The Paddock. Jim was able to have his first [legal] beer on campus.

Jim with His First Legal Beer on Campus

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Crazy Week

Posted on October 11, 2013 By Tom No Comments on Crazy Week
Miscellaneous

It’s been one of those weeks where things have been happening too fast to document. Most of these are major, cool things, but I just can’t get to all of them. Here’s a quick rundown… Monday – Chorale Rehearsal Tuesday – film on a ghost town in Greenville County shown at the Landrum Library Wednesday … Read More “Crazy Week” »

Playing Blog Catch Up

Posted on August 26, 2013 By Tom No Comments on Playing Blog Catch Up
Miscellaneous

There. I think I finally caught up on all the blogging and photos from the Washington DC road trip. I had gotten so far behind that I didn’t want to do anything cool until I got caught up. Now that that’s done, I think I can get on with life 🙂 It’s been a bit … Read More “Playing Blog Catch Up” »

Life Faster than the Documentation Thereof

Posted on August 12, 2013May 16, 2014 By Tom No Comments on Life Faster than the Documentation Thereof
Miscellaneous

It happened again. Video projects, course work, new camera gear to review, family promotions, paddling trips on the Edisto, Perseid Meteors, Segway tours, and mountain driving – life seems to be happening faster than I can tag it with a blog post. Add to that sporadic Internet access over the next several days, and it … Read More “Life Faster than the Documentation Thereof” »

Goodbye Audrey, Hello Mini

Posted on July 28, 2013May 16, 2014 By Tom No Comments on Goodbye Audrey, Hello Mini
Miscellaneous

The unusually wet summer has not been kind to our convertible. Twelve inches of rain in one week wreaks havoc on an un-garaged vehicle that already had leaky seals. When we got back from Florida the car was drenched, and all of the electrical systems were fried. It was finally time to look at a … Read More “Goodbye Audrey, Hello Mini” »

Retirement One Month In

Posted on July 18, 2013July 25, 2013 By Tom 1 Comment on Retirement One Month In
Miscellaneous
Indian River Paddling
Kayaking on the Indian River

It’s been a little over a month since I retired, so I thought it would be a good time for a bit of omphaloskepsis.  I’m still coming to terms with the situation, and the concept still seems weird as all get out, but the reality hasn’t hit.  It’s more like my summers used to be when I was a teacher, so it hasn’t felt that different.  It’s been more like an extended vacation.  Since it’s now post-July 4th the Back-to-School sales have already started.  I’m slowly relinquishing the anxiety attacks that used to hit when I saw those, wondering if we were going to get everything done over the summer in time.  It had gotten so bad that just driving by a school – any school – induced panic.

I think it will really hit home first when I get my first retirement check next week, then when everyone is actually heading back to school, and I’m not.  I did get a formal letter from the Department of Education just this morning with a certificate marginally suitable for framing.

Untitled

Speaking of anxiety attacks, I’ve been having nightmares about my former job.  These usually take several forms.  For some reason I have to go back to the office to do something and I find that the new guy has done something absurd like pulling out all of the network cabling.  Or, people from the district show up at my home, somehow not letting me escape.  Then there are variations.  Glynda told me that nightmares like this followed her retirement for months.  Oh joy.

I actually did get a call about a file from the office.  It was one they couldn’t find (although I had clearly shown them where it was before I left.)  When I tried to log into my district Google Docs to retrieve it for them, my password had either been changed or the account deleted.  Oh well.  I guess they are completely out of luck, and I’m off the hook.  It’s not unexpected, but it seems a bit…abrupt.  So, if you’re a friend from the district reading this, don’t try sending anything to my school e-mail account – I won’t get it.

Apart from those things about which I’ve blogged previously, here’s what else has been happening…

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A Week’s Busy Activity

Posted on June 27, 2013July 25, 2013 By Tom No Comments on A Week’s Busy Activity
Miscellaneous, Paddling, Photography, Rambling

Supermoon (6 of 7)

I’ve gotten behind on my blogging. It seems that living life is taking more time that the documentation thereof. It’s an ironic consequence of having available time. When I do sit down to write, I tend to fall asleep. So, here goes a bit of catch-up…

Saturday Evening – Super Moon

Saturday’s full moon was a “super moon”. That’s a relatively recent term, meant to generate more interest in astronomy. A super moon occurs when the moon reaches perigee at full moon. Since it’s at its closest point to Earth, it is supposed to appear larger. Of course, this only works if the moon can be placed in context, near the horizon. The lensing effect of the atmosphere automatically makes the moon appear larger.

The trick is to find a good place to take a photo with a clear view of the horizon. I decided to try Bald Rock. I’d had success up there with sunrise shots, why not a moon rise?

I got to the location well before sunset. There were a few other around, but it wasn’t crowded. As I set up my camera and gear a woman nearby asked if I was there for the super moon. I said that I was. Another photographer set up nearby. Soon, others were joining us on the rock.

Supermoon (8 of 8)

The sun was setting behind us, so there wasn’t a good shot of the actual sunset. I did take a few photos of the Piedmont through the evening light.

Read More “A Week’s Busy Activity” »

Governor’s School Reunion

Posted on June 19, 2013July 25, 2013 By Tom 2 Comments on Governor’s School Reunion
Miscellaneous, Travel

Governor's Scholars from 1978

For our first post-retirement getaway, Laura and I decided to head to Charleston for a reunion of my class from the Governor’s School from 1978. The reunion was to be that Saturday, but we decided to make it a four-day weekend in the Holy City so we could get in as much as possible.

35 years seems like an incredibly long time ago. I was a junior in high school, and the Governor’s School was my first real escape from home. At the time it was a six-week program during the summer at the College of Charleston. My area of concentration was geology, but I also did quite a bit with music, performing at the Dock Street Theater at one point. I also had opportunities to to do things I’d never otherwise be able to do at home, such as crewing an Olympic-class sailboat around the Charleston Harbor.

To say that Governor’s School was a life-changing experience would be an understatement. It was the first real view I had of life beyond the limited confines of Laurens County. People in my community had preconceived notions about me, and if I tried anything beyond what was expected, ridicule was the order of the day. At GS I opened up, and was willing to give just about anything a shot. Nobody there cared about preconceived notions.

Governor's School Geology Class
Ersatz Mafiosi

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A Tale of Two Mugs

Posted on June 14, 2013July 25, 2013 By Tom 1 Comment on A Tale of Two Mugs
Miscellaneous

I’ll admit it. I’m a creature of habit. Ritual governs a large part of my daily activities. These rituals range from choice of clothing colors to the order of my morning routines. Often the ritual is a statement of what I believe. One of my most firmly established rituals involves my choice of coffee mug. … Read More “A Tale of Two Mugs” »

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