We recently traveled to Canada to spend a winter week at our condo. The trip was primarily to check out our place and to attend an informal Condo Council meeting. We had two surprises. First, the weather was far warmer, sunnier, and drier than expected. We took several walks outside and did not need …
Can I buy a vowel?
I have a confession to make; I am a poor speller. This trait has been with me since I began reading. My mother, an English teacher, knew this fact and helped me practice my spelling words. I memorized the assigned weekly spelling words and did well on the tests, then promptly forgot how to spell …
Jimmy
In 1976, I graduated from high school and departed my small south Texas town for Colorado where I attended university. During my high school years, I witnessed the end of the tragic Vietnam war, the Watergate scandal that resulted in the resignation of President Nixon, and rising inflation that …
All I Want for Christmas
We drove southeast to Houston to attend a Houston Symphony performance of the Very Merry Pops. Family members have season tickets and they invited us to join them. We used to regularly attend the Christmas Pops when we lived in Houston, and it is an excellent way to get into the Christmas spirit. …
Church Traditions
This past Sunday was the second Sunday of Advent when Christians light the candle of peace. Sadly, our world is not at peace. Just this past week, after more than a decade of civil war, the Syrian Assad regime was ousted by a rebel army. Their neighbor, Israel, is at war with Hamas, a militant group …
Country Roads
For almost two weeks that stretched from late October into November, my wife and I drove through the heartlands of America. We packed our SUV full of household items for delivery to family members along our route. The trip was scheduled before winter weather arrived. Although we journeyed during the …
Elon
In my last blog, I wrote that wealth is relative. However, when it comes to the super wealthy —the billionaires — I believe that most will agree that these few individuals are wealthy and they are spotlighted in the media, whether they like it or not. Money attracts attention. Family and friends …
Wealth
Wealth is relative. When I was in high school, I worked in a grocery store and mowed lawns to earn income. Most of my high school friends did not work, so based on my earnings, I was wealthier than my friends. Yet, by outward appearances, I was not wealthy. Most of my friends drove more expensive …
Office Romances
I worked for a small domestic energy company early in my career and managed reservoir engineering. Three employees worked for me: two female administrators and one reservoir technician. Once a week, we had a team meeting in my office. The group worked well together, and we discussed our team goals …
Office Life
In the early 2000s, I worked on a project team that integrated US energy trading, based in Houston, into global energy trading, based in London. One of my tasks was to redesign the US trading office so that US energy trading worked together in one building. It was decided to relocate US hydrocarbon …