The Family de Leon

I’m not a huge history buff, but I seem to remember that when Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon first set foot on the land that would eventually become Florida, his daughters ran off the ship behind him and immediately began arguing.

Notes from the road

The story of our family traveling across several states is not the story of 6 people on a fall break trip, but that of 6 bladders on a fall break trip. #parenting #travel

It MIGHT help…

On a nearly regular basis, one or the other of our kids tell us they “don’t feel well.” And without fail, they never want to hear our advice of what will make them feel better. I’m trying to imagine if I tried to pull this nonsense. #parenting #medicine

Travel Diary Alaska// Fishers of Fish, Part 1

There was a chance – just a CHANCE – that the thing currently disturbing my bobber was some sort of prehistoric mud-dweller, one who had lain at the bottom on Old Man So-and-So’s pond since the dark ages, and was just now summoned from the murky depths to investigate the curiosity that was my small nightcrawler, still struggling upon my tiny hook.

Travel Diary Alaska// People and Places

As someone with a history with Filipino people, it’s interesting that they are so prevalent here, some 5000 miles from their homeland.

Travel Diary Alaska// DAY 1

If my two travel mates and I were to lay down head to foot on the belt and rode it around, there would not be a moment when you wouldn’t see a man lying on a rotating belt.

Travel Diary Alaska// DAY 0 – Flights

The purpose of this trip is to listen to God and observe nature and build cabins and fish in ice cold streams of water. Four things that I'm not particularly good at.

From the Archives – A Call for Precision in Journalism

Perhaps it’s the scientist in me, or maybe it’s the fact that I work with people who speak English as a second language, but this phrase is annoying and demonstrates how lazy we have become with communication.

Tough (but fair)

Recently, I used Google to search for “alternatives to Google”. What a weird thing. It’s a bit like going into Walmart, walking up to an associate and saying, “Can you tell me where the nearestTarget is? And can you give me a ride there? This place gives me the creeps.”

“I’m thinking you don’t belong here”

Captchas, those annoying “prove you’re not a robot” tests that many websites require to show you belong there, are something that have no analogue in the pre-digital age, or at least none that I can think of. I don’t ever recall trying to enter, say, my gym back in the 90’s and having someone (likely … Continue reading “I’m thinking you don’t belong here” →

Truth in Advertising

In the brochures, kayaking with your family looks like an absolute blast. People are laughing and loving life, exploring nature via some of the world's most beautiful waterways. In reality, it's just an hour of me frantically moving my arms while the 8-year-old sitting behind me occasionally says "I'll help" approximately 5 seconds before we … Continue reading Truth in Advertising →

A Conversation About Fences

“I don’t know how you drink that stuff,” his companion replied, his own cup releasing the gentle steam of his drink of choice, a recently-topped off black coffee. “Smells like a funeral home, even from here.”