Monday, February 27, 2012
Final Entry
I've decided to move my blog to my home page, http://www.karoleks.com using the Word Press support provided by my ISP. Please stop on by, see what I'm thinking about, and let me know what you're thinking about. I'll leave this site up for a while before deleting it...to give anyone who may check in here time to find my new home.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Hanging On
Well, first some perspective on my neighborhood. My niece and nephews think I live "out in the boonies". It doesn't seem remote at all compared to some of the places I've visited. Yet it is a world away from city life as many know it. Each weekday morning I drop my son off at school by 7am and head to work. I could easily hop on the Interstate, first US16 then I94 for the ten mile trip to my office. Most mornings, however, I choose the rural roads. I find the slower pace and the great scenery - I drive through two small towns, past Pewaukee lake beach, fields, woods and wetlands, and the road undulates over and around the terminal remnants of the last glacier to pass through - to be a great way to get to work in a relaxed mood. Its not that I dislike commuting on the interstate with a few thousand of my closest commuting friends, its just that I like the scenic drive more.
So, the commute is part of my neighborhood. And, the pace of the commute gives me plenty of time to notice things in the neighborhood. Like the tree. Every neighborhood has a tree that hangs on to its leaves, in splendid color, long past when all the other trees have let go. Sometimes, I wonder if it is the same tree each year. Unfortunately I'm getting to the point where things like that don't really stick in my memory. Other times I wonder why. Haven't all of the trees been exposed to the same wind, rain, cold and shorter days? What makes that one hold on so tight? Is the tree hanging on to the leaves or are the leaves clinging to the tree?
I recently had the opportunity to change roles at work, and with the new role came a new office. Being energy conservation minded, I was careful to sort and toss things that didn't need to move before moving them to avoid handling them multiple times - pack, move, unpack. I have to admit I was amazed at the number of things; reports, files, CDs, conference binders, etc. that I had no desire to move. Why then, had I hung on to them in my old office? Surely they weren't clinging to me.
As we look at the neighborhoods of our lives, most of us can probably find some things that we're hanging on to. Maybe it is a box in the basement that has never been unpacked following the move from our last house 11 years ago. Maybe it is those record albums that I might get transferred to CDs someday. Maybe its an eating habit that isn't as healthy as it should be. Maybe its a recreational or entertainment activity that wastes precious time which could be spent in more positive ways. Perhaps you're battling an addictive behavior, or stuck in an abusive relationship. Sometimes letting go is hard, even when we know its the right thing to do.
Is now the time to stop hanging on?
Friday, October 1, 2010
Outlive Your Life
For the past month, the morning show hosts of the radio station I listen to most while commuting have had a daily segment with Max Lucado. They've been discussing his book, "Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference". This is not a review of the book, there are plenty of those on Amazon.com (http://goo.gl/A6tr). This is, rather, a reflection on a few gifts I have received - things which will long outlive the giver.
Last weekend, I rode a portion of the Elroy-Sparta bike trail (http://goo.gl/dliX)with some of the Scouts from BSA Troop 24 in Hartland, WI. They're in better shape and rode many more miles than I, but we had a great time doing it. Purchased by the State of Wisconsin in 1966 for $12,000, The Elroy-Sparta was the first conversion of an abandoned railway to a recreational trail in the nation. I've visited this trail, with beautiful scenery, cool damp tunnels, and friendly faces, many times, with family, friends and scouts. Likewise I have enjoyed the Sugar River trail, the Glacier Drumlin trail, the Bugline trail and the Lake Country trail closeer to home and the Paul Bunyan trail in MN. Why? Because my Dad introduced the family to these trails many years ago as a relatively inexpensive way to see cool places while getting a little exercise and enjoying nature!
This morning, my wife referenced a copy of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine, pointing out some fabulous photos of "The Ledge" and how we should put it on our bucket list. I knew in an instant the reference must be about the Niagra Escarpment. As I read the article, I smiled as I recalled the portions of the ledge I've already visited - Cave Point and Eagle Cave in Door County; Ledge Park in Dodge County; Lime Kiln Park in Cedarburg and countless rock outcroppings in the Kettle Moraine overlooking scenic vistas along twisty roads and hilly trails. How did I know of these things? Of course, my Dad introduced and reintroduced me to them years ago and I have done the same for my children and my friends.
Tonight, my brother will take his sons and other scouts from their troop to Devils Lake. Along the way they'll probably cross the Wisconsin River via the ferry at Merrimac. While the foot bridges haven't yet been rebuilt from the 2008 flood damage, they might hike into Parfrey's Glen nearby. They may have started conditioning earlier this year with a hike along the Root River trail, as I have dozens of times. How do I know of these things? Yes, Dad's influence again.
Camping. Hiking. Biking. Canoeing. Scouts. Ping-pong. Church. Family. Friends. Driving down random roads and finding wonders like Kitchi t kippi springs (http://goo.gl/f741) and always having a camera to capture some of the memories to rekindle the magic when it begins to fade and blur with time. These are but a few of the many things my Dad has done to outlive his life and help enrich the lives of others.
Thanks Dad, for making a difference! I hope and pray that I will be able to outlive my life in ways you are outliving yours!
Last weekend, I rode a portion of the Elroy-Sparta bike trail (http://goo.gl/dliX)with some of the Scouts from BSA Troop 24 in Hartland, WI. They're in better shape and rode many more miles than I, but we had a great time doing it. Purchased by the State of Wisconsin in 1966 for $12,000, The Elroy-Sparta was the first conversion of an abandoned railway to a recreational trail in the nation. I've visited this trail, with beautiful scenery, cool damp tunnels, and friendly faces, many times, with family, friends and scouts. Likewise I have enjoyed the Sugar River trail, the Glacier Drumlin trail, the Bugline trail and the Lake Country trail closeer to home and the Paul Bunyan trail in MN. Why? Because my Dad introduced the family to these trails many years ago as a relatively inexpensive way to see cool places while getting a little exercise and enjoying nature!
This morning, my wife referenced a copy of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine, pointing out some fabulous photos of "The Ledge" and how we should put it on our bucket list. I knew in an instant the reference must be about the Niagra Escarpment. As I read the article, I smiled as I recalled the portions of the ledge I've already visited - Cave Point and Eagle Cave in Door County; Ledge Park in Dodge County; Lime Kiln Park in Cedarburg and countless rock outcroppings in the Kettle Moraine overlooking scenic vistas along twisty roads and hilly trails. How did I know of these things? Of course, my Dad introduced and reintroduced me to them years ago and I have done the same for my children and my friends.
Tonight, my brother will take his sons and other scouts from their troop to Devils Lake. Along the way they'll probably cross the Wisconsin River via the ferry at Merrimac. While the foot bridges haven't yet been rebuilt from the 2008 flood damage, they might hike into Parfrey's Glen nearby. They may have started conditioning earlier this year with a hike along the Root River trail, as I have dozens of times. How do I know of these things? Yes, Dad's influence again.
Camping. Hiking. Biking. Canoeing. Scouts. Ping-pong. Church. Family. Friends. Driving down random roads and finding wonders like Kitchi t kippi springs (http://goo.gl/f741) and always having a camera to capture some of the memories to rekindle the magic when it begins to fade and blur with time. These are but a few of the many things my Dad has done to outlive his life and help enrich the lives of others.
Thanks Dad, for making a difference! I hope and pray that I will be able to outlive my life in ways you are outliving yours!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Memorial Day-The Reason For The Season
We all may celebrate Memorial Day in different ways, thankful for a long weekend which includes a paid weekday away from our normal work routine. No matter what your traditions, please consider taking some time to ponder "The Reason For The Season", an opportunity to remember the sacrifices made by those who have served in the military and their families. Some ideas for things to do this weekend, in addition to, or instead of, picnics and parties, include:
- Go to a parade or cemetery service in your community.
- If you see a current soldier or a veteran in uniform, look them in the eye and thank them.
- Watch a related movie (e.g., Saving Pvt Ryan, We Were Soldiers, Band of Brothers, The War Tapes, etc.) and discuss it with someone
- Display the American Flag and a POW/MIA flag if you have one
- Spend some time in quiet reflection on all of the freedoms we enjoy and the tremendous sacrifices made to defend them
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
What's Wrong With Us?
Last week there was an op-ed piece in the New York Times entitled "What's Wrong With Us"? It was the author's thesis that we're not paying enough attention to some of the basics in life, taking too many things for granted. (You can read the original here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/opinion/16herbert.html)
Some of my peers responded in agreement on a discussion forum, adding some color to the commentary. Mike Toecker observed: "What's wrong is that there is an entire generation of Americans who were born and live without the knowledge and experience of the massive infrastructure works and disasters of the past 100 years. To them, it just works, it always works, and when it doesn't they are incredibly surprised. It's the greatest triumph of engineering that we construct monumental infrastructure that can outlast our children, but it also makes our children woefully ignorant of the consequences of ignoring that same infrastructure."
Jake Brodsky elaborated further: "This is the curse of infrastructure. People are simply unaware of what it takes to make their daily life possible. The notion of clean water, inexpensive energy, abundant food and transportation at a whim, impressed my grandparents, but doesn't even get noticed today."
"One thing we should consider is whether we should attempt to scale up or down. Personally, I like to scale downward. A person who lives on city water doesn't usually think about the water coming out of the tap. But a person living on farm with a well does. People who heat their houses with oil have a pretty good idea how much is available in the tank. People who live at the end of long rural driveways know all too well what it takes to keep a road passable. Those who farm their own food know exactly where it comes from and what it takes to grow it. And those who live off the grid know exactly how much electricity is available and in use at their house."
"These things are not easily known in large cities. We tend to hide these supporting details and push them out of the way to make room for homes that have no visible means of support. People don't like to see the plumbing, the electrical lines, the heating ducts and so forth inside their house. They hide all this stuff --out of sight and outof mind."
"This is one reason why I think the smart grid effort is going to take a lot longer to happen than most people think. The issue is one of training people to think this way, teaching them to manage a resource and teaching them to consider alternatives to the on-demand view of daily life. It's not that I don't want the smart grid effort to work. I do. I simply doubt that a public that has grown up with simple light switches for three generations is going to suddenly consider how much energy that chandelier uses, or how much natural gas it takes to heat the water for their shower."
I ponder these opinions, one inspired by a politician who, at least in the context of the linked op-ed piece, makes sense to me (not many politicians make sense to me) and two from colleagues I have learned to respect through our online discourse, from my own unique perspective. I was born in, and spent my early life in the city. At school age, my family moved to the suburbs. My college life, and the first 14 years of married life following was spent in the city. And the past 10 years I have lived way out in the burbs...on the edge of rural. (OK, you got it...I'm 50 :)
Our water comes from a private well. It is pretty deep and flows strong, clear and cold. However, communities nearby are having serious problems with both water quality and quantity, from both public and private wells. The health of the Great Lakes is discussed in the news at least weekly, and sometimes daily, in the local and regional media. Yet I sure enjoyed my 10 minute shower this morning!
Our electricity and gas come from a company who appears to do a lot of things right. Yet could we be even better? We keep looking at solar panels. We have a nice large SW facing garage roof that would be a great place to mount a rack of them. I haven't had a professional in to do the math but it is my gut feel that we could be close to grid-neuteral and maybe even a net generator, if we used the space well. Will the neighborhood association allow it? Should they even have a say in it? Without running the math in detail, it looks like the ROI breakeven point is about 10 years. I'm having a hard time convincing myself I can be that patient. Still looking at the panels.
Our primary vehicles are both over 5 years old and my Goldwing is over 25 years old. We're saving for replacements. What will we wind up with? A truck/SUV that can haul scouts, gear and equipment trailers on campouts or a mileage and space friendly Smart car? I lust for a new Goldwing with ABS, GPS navigation and heated seat/grips. But do I need one? There's less than 50,000 miles on the odometer of my Wing. And I choose the car (20mpg) over the Wing (35-40mpg) on more cold or rainy mornings as I age.
How about you...how are you part of the problem? The solution? What things do you take for granted? What can you change? How will you approach change?
Some of my peers responded in agreement on a discussion forum, adding some color to the commentary. Mike Toecker observed: "What's wrong is that there is an entire generation of Americans who were born and live without the knowledge and experience of the massive infrastructure works and disasters of the past 100 years. To them, it just works, it always works, and when it doesn't they are incredibly surprised. It's the greatest triumph of engineering that we construct monumental infrastructure that can outlast our children, but it also makes our children woefully ignorant of the consequences of ignoring that same infrastructure."
Jake Brodsky elaborated further: "This is the curse of infrastructure. People are simply unaware of what it takes to make their daily life possible. The notion of clean water, inexpensive energy, abundant food and transportation at a whim, impressed my grandparents, but doesn't even get noticed today."
"One thing we should consider is whether we should attempt to scale up or down. Personally, I like to scale downward. A person who lives on city water doesn't usually think about the water coming out of the tap. But a person living on farm with a well does. People who heat their houses with oil have a pretty good idea how much is available in the tank. People who live at the end of long rural driveways know all too well what it takes to keep a road passable. Those who farm their own food know exactly where it comes from and what it takes to grow it. And those who live off the grid know exactly how much electricity is available and in use at their house."
"These things are not easily known in large cities. We tend to hide these supporting details and push them out of the way to make room for homes that have no visible means of support. People don't like to see the plumbing, the electrical lines, the heating ducts and so forth inside their house. They hide all this stuff --out of sight and outof mind."
"This is one reason why I think the smart grid effort is going to take a lot longer to happen than most people think. The issue is one of training people to think this way, teaching them to manage a resource and teaching them to consider alternatives to the on-demand view of daily life. It's not that I don't want the smart grid effort to work. I do. I simply doubt that a public that has grown up with simple light switches for three generations is going to suddenly consider how much energy that chandelier uses, or how much natural gas it takes to heat the water for their shower."
I ponder these opinions, one inspired by a politician who, at least in the context of the linked op-ed piece, makes sense to me (not many politicians make sense to me) and two from colleagues I have learned to respect through our online discourse, from my own unique perspective. I was born in, and spent my early life in the city. At school age, my family moved to the suburbs. My college life, and the first 14 years of married life following was spent in the city. And the past 10 years I have lived way out in the burbs...on the edge of rural. (OK, you got it...I'm 50 :)
Our water comes from a private well. It is pretty deep and flows strong, clear and cold. However, communities nearby are having serious problems with both water quality and quantity, from both public and private wells. The health of the Great Lakes is discussed in the news at least weekly, and sometimes daily, in the local and regional media. Yet I sure enjoyed my 10 minute shower this morning!
Our electricity and gas come from a company who appears to do a lot of things right. Yet could we be even better? We keep looking at solar panels. We have a nice large SW facing garage roof that would be a great place to mount a rack of them. I haven't had a professional in to do the math but it is my gut feel that we could be close to grid-neuteral and maybe even a net generator, if we used the space well. Will the neighborhood association allow it? Should they even have a say in it? Without running the math in detail, it looks like the ROI breakeven point is about 10 years. I'm having a hard time convincing myself I can be that patient. Still looking at the panels.
Our primary vehicles are both over 5 years old and my Goldwing is over 25 years old. We're saving for replacements. What will we wind up with? A truck/SUV that can haul scouts, gear and equipment trailers on campouts or a mileage and space friendly Smart car? I lust for a new Goldwing with ABS, GPS navigation and heated seat/grips. But do I need one? There's less than 50,000 miles on the odometer of my Wing. And I choose the car (20mpg) over the Wing (35-40mpg) on more cold or rainy mornings as I age.
How about you...how are you part of the problem? The solution? What things do you take for granted? What can you change? How will you approach change?
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Life's Not Fair...
How many times did you hear that phrase as a kid? Awww, that's not fair! Well, life's not fair, you'll have to get over it. Ever catch yourself saying it? Sure you do... If you know me you may know that I've been planning a trip to Peru with my wife and 20+ folks from our church. We will depart Friday 12/26, take a limo/bus to Chicago, fly to Miami then after a layover take the red-eye to Lima, Peru. Another layover to freshen up a bit and a local flight from Lima to Piura where we'll be picked up by volunteers with pick up trucks and taken to Santisimo Sacramento, our "sister parish" and return to the frigid midwest a week later.
You're right, this isn't going to be your ordinary winter vacation. It will be warm and should be sunny. Piura is a desert area, with daytime highs around 95F and overnight lows around 70F. With the current Milwaukee temperatures, Piura weather sounds rather wonderful. So, what will we do in a desert? Anything the pastor needs us to do. Feed the hungry. Clothe the poor. Distribute supplies, gifts, visit an orphanage, help build new thatched roofs for some of the "houses", meet the families we support, go to church, visit, pray.
If you've seen me recently, you may have noticed I'm walking with more of a limp than usual. Early this month, I had two days of flu-like symptoms that turned out to be the onset of a nasty infection - cellulitis - in my left leg. I've been on a program of injected and oral antibiotics to kill the infection, a diuretic (sp?) to help reduce the swelling, culturel to combat one of the side effects of the antibiotics and a steady diet of Alleve to help with the pain, itching and swelling.
Last Thursday I saw the doctor again and there was good news "I think we've killed the infection" and bad news "like a war, after you've killed the enemy, there's a lot of cleanup and rebuilding to do". My leg has a number of open sores that need to heal and the real bad news is that I can't go to Peru due to fears that the sores will get infected with no decent treatment options available.
Did I mention we've been planning this trip for a year? Paid for it months ago? This was my Birthday and Christmas present to Teresa, and her Birthday and Christmas present to me. Now I'll be staying home. That's not fair!
Well Steve, life's not fair, deal with it. Fortunately American Airlines will let us change my ticket to our 14 year old son. Lan Peru is not so accommodating. They'll let me use my Lima - Piura - Lima ticket some other time in the next six months and we had to buy a ticket for Matt. Ouch.
Matt was really looking forward to staying with some friends from his Scout troop. We think he's really looking forward to Peru now. I asked him if he'd take my camera to take pictures for me. Wow...
Obviously God has some reason that Matt has to get to Peru or that I have to stay here. I wonder what's in the plan? I wonder if we'll recognize it when we see it? Will it be fair?
You're right, this isn't going to be your ordinary winter vacation. It will be warm and should be sunny. Piura is a desert area, with daytime highs around 95F and overnight lows around 70F. With the current Milwaukee temperatures, Piura weather sounds rather wonderful. So, what will we do in a desert? Anything the pastor needs us to do. Feed the hungry. Clothe the poor. Distribute supplies, gifts, visit an orphanage, help build new thatched roofs for some of the "houses", meet the families we support, go to church, visit, pray.
If you've seen me recently, you may have noticed I'm walking with more of a limp than usual. Early this month, I had two days of flu-like symptoms that turned out to be the onset of a nasty infection - cellulitis - in my left leg. I've been on a program of injected and oral antibiotics to kill the infection, a diuretic (sp?) to help reduce the swelling, culturel to combat one of the side effects of the antibiotics and a steady diet of Alleve to help with the pain, itching and swelling.
Last Thursday I saw the doctor again and there was good news "I think we've killed the infection" and bad news "like a war, after you've killed the enemy, there's a lot of cleanup and rebuilding to do". My leg has a number of open sores that need to heal and the real bad news is that I can't go to Peru due to fears that the sores will get infected with no decent treatment options available.
Did I mention we've been planning this trip for a year? Paid for it months ago? This was my Birthday and Christmas present to Teresa, and her Birthday and Christmas present to me. Now I'll be staying home. That's not fair!
Well Steve, life's not fair, deal with it. Fortunately American Airlines will let us change my ticket to our 14 year old son. Lan Peru is not so accommodating. They'll let me use my Lima - Piura - Lima ticket some other time in the next six months and we had to buy a ticket for Matt. Ouch.
Matt was really looking forward to staying with some friends from his Scout troop. We think he's really looking forward to Peru now. I asked him if he'd take my camera to take pictures for me. Wow...
Obviously God has some reason that Matt has to get to Peru or that I have to stay here. I wonder what's in the plan? I wonder if we'll recognize it when we see it? Will it be fair?
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