Signs of the Times
I tried to get my buddy Brendan Leonard to write about this, but now that he’s being routinely quoted in the New York Times, he’s too busy. It’s not easy being an engineer (or being married to one, as Francie will attest). You…
Leaving a Legacy
Four years ago next week, my mom Claire Louise Bateman passed away. At 86, she was reasonably heathy and active, always busy in her extensive gardens in the summer, shoveling her own snow in the winter. The sole complication in her life…
take more. do less?
Hello Friends! My name is Anastasia Allison, and I’m the founder of a gear company called Kula Cloth — and I’m honored to have the opportunity to write a note to all of you today. Many years ago, a company called Gossamer…
The Person We See
Today is our anniversary… not our real anniversary, but our monthly observance that we call Anniversary Date Night, or ADN for short. I’ve written on various relationship hacks I’ve developed over the years, in Tips from an Old Married Guy, based on…
‘Best by’ Date
We just returned from a meandering road trip in Wally, and I’m getting ready for a backpacking trip in Emigrant Wilderness, north of Yosemite. As part of that trip preparation, I was getting food together. I know from long experience that for me, 1.4…
Am I the Only One Who Can Do This?
I spent the last two weeks in Iceland, walking and eating and talking with a diverse group of very successful people. The creator of the trip, and the common connection to all of us, was John Mackey. He loves to get his…
A Life That Matters
I turned 66 this week. Birthdays don’t normally cause any particular reflection… I’ve had a lot of them at this point, and I’ve got reflection built into my life, so birthdays aren’t a trigger for that. But this year, there was…
The Science of Uncertainty
My dad, though a man of few words, has given me some great advice over the years. One such pieces of advice was “You always end up getting paid what you’re worth. If you want to be paid more, figure out how…
Retirement Thinking
This week I happened to have discussions, in some cases extensive, with several friends about retirement. These were friends who were staring at retirement, and were nervous about it. As I’ve been ‘retired’ from civil engineering since November 2017, and have what…
Secret Club: Luv Ya Bye
Our lives are enriched by our passions. As we become interested in something, we learn more about it. If it’s a practice, as we do it, we become more skilled. It’s fun to share these with others, and sometimes they also become intrigued. I…