1. And … I’m back! My hard drive failed and it took a while to replace, but now I’m back in business, and since the machine was still under warranty, there was no charge for the repairs. Whew! But, replacing the hard drive meant that I was basically given back a brand new computer. Even though I didn’t have much stuff saved on it, one forgets how time consuming it is to reinstall software and get the system settings back to where they should be. That took forever. The next project, which is far worse, is attacking my email inbox and getting that cleaned up. Gulp. I should be back to near-daily posts and will try to record a podcast on Saturday.
2. I used to favor Captain Morgan spiced rum in my Coke, but have lately converted to classic Bacardi. A Bacardi and Coke on ice with a lime is one of the most outstanding thirst-quenchers and refreshers on the planet. Not to mention a delicious treat.
3. Thanks to one and all for inquiries as to my temperature status. Yes, The Van is nice and toasty. Although, I had bought an electric hot water bottle to keep the ol’ toes warm, but it burst into flames last week. It was very exciting. I hadn’t had that much fun since that time the raccoon got stuck in the copier.
4. It occurred to me at Mass earlier this week that since God is in no way constrained by space or TIME, we can and should pray for people we have not yet met. Unless you are a very elderly person, or you are very close to dying, it is almost a certainty that there are people out in the world somewhere that you will meet in the future and are going to be your friends. Also, you may have children someday, or people you are related to will have children, who you have obviously not met yet. Pray for them now. God knows who they are. One byproduct of war and dislocation is the bringing together of people and the formation of relationships. Men who have seen combat never forget their “buddies”. Many marriages and families have been the result of wars or diasporas. This dynamic has already happened to me as I have met all manner of people in the Riverdweller community since I hit the road last year. I often used to wonder about people I had yet to meet; who they were, where they were, what they were doing. I can’t say that it explicitly occurred to me to pray for them, but I did think about them. I wish I had explicitly prayed for them, because I could have, as God has always known exactly who they are. So, I have now started to pray for my friends whom I have yet to meet, and recommend that you do the same. Love transcends all dimensions, including the 4th dimension – time.
5. There is an entire genre on YouTube of songs being played on a record turntable, and it is addictive. This one is “I Only Have Eyes For You” by the Flamingos being played on a super high-end Bang & Olufson turntable with a killer amp and speakers. The song is great, but the clickety-clack of the turntable is sublime. Sigh. Put me, now and forever, on TEAM VINYL.