James Christ

Laughter is no enemy to learning.

Walt Disney

In college a couple drinking buddies loved Jimmy Buffett. Could never understand why.

A few years later, at the University of Idaho, i had a bartending job.

The radio only played country music because Moscow, Idaho didn’t have a Rock station.

The owner had two cassette tapes. Can’t recall what the second one was, but the first one was “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”.

Before i became a Country music fan, Buffett’s tape was the go-to playlist. Constantly, it seems in retrospect. Etched in my soul i guess.

Fell in love with the vibe.

Buffett’s songs reminded me of Florida, palm trees, the ocean, and sunshine.

Next thing you know, i’m in a Washington State University (WSU) (Go Cougs) record shop and went to the album bin that started with B and found a couple Jimmy Buffett albums.

Don’t recall which album was my first, but i quickly wore it out, playing it constantly and being mesmerized by Buffett’s style.

Before you know it, i owned everything he released. In 1983 that was 10 albums.

Note: We lived on WSU’s campus in an all-women dorm. Cheryl was a Residense Hall Director and lived on-site. It’s where we lived a year before and a year after we married. Eight miles across the state line, i attended University of Idaho and worked at a novel hot-tub rental business with a beer and wine bar.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

Oasis of quiet, spiritually

Hikers in the mountains
Steve and Stacy have Go-Pros that automatically capture photos at whatever interval they set. Just a bit more context than the last photo.

You cannot see or think optimally if you are not quiet and still.

dad

Slow down to speed up.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

Spiritual couch potato

mountains
From Pollock’s summit. In person it’s the closest i’ve come to feeling like “breath-taking” is the perfect description.
mountains
Looking left from previous photo.
mountains
Looking farther left from previous photo.
mountains
Capturing Logan Pass peaks and Heavens Peak.
mountains
The bulge is Mt Gould. Literally in the center, before Gould, is Bishops Cap. That’s where we are headed.

Adventure is out there.

Pixar’s UP

Being in the season of life when your odds are unusually higher to encounter health challenges simply because of age…

Not a fan.

Because it’s new, and naïvely unexpected, it feels a little scary.

Not scary like i can’t handle it.

Scary like i can handle it, but i don’t want to, ever.

Kinda like some of the trails i’ve hiked and realize the risks should be more earnestly considered.

So i’m looking around at life’s sixth-decade landscape and becoming increasingly aware this is uncharted territory.

The thought of possibly losing sight in one eye is scary.

But i may be thinking about an issue that seems scary simply because i am a novice.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

Graceful mindset

13-second video: Hurricane Idalia didn’t suspend Orlando business operations.

i am legally blind in one eye.

dad

Legally blind definition.

Dr. Kumar said things are going according to plan. There is still a decent amount of blood.

The extra blood prompted Dr. Kumar to do an ultrasound to rule out any open wounds.

The great news is the retina is attached and the three retina tear laser repairs are still intact.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

Iconic Continental Divide image

unique mountain ridge formation
As the camera pans out, you begin to see how uniquely this one rock feature is an anomaly.

i will never forget the Universe’s generosity in allowing me to lose vision at home, not in Glacier.

dad

What a difference 36 hours makes.

Insignificant in a 60-plus year lifetime.

Critical in potentially saving a life, or at a minimum, not making things worse.

What if going blind would have happened in our Glacier Lodge room?

What if going blind would have happened on a trail?

What if going blind would have happened on a deep-in, remote trail and i was hiking alone?

Insanely grateful for it to happen 36 hours after returning home.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.