Summer Breeze

In Sacramento, at least, there's one small bit of redemption from the hostile and unrelenting summer heat: the Delta Breeze. It blows in from the southwest and washes over the sun-soaked land, making this season a little bearable. I can almost forget my desire to live in an area with a more temperate climate. Almost. But that is still some years away, and won't really happen until a variety of aspects in my life return to alignment.

The cool evenings here make for enjoyable evening walking weather. And so I take advantage of the neighborhood I'm in and it's many biking and jogging paths. And the timing was in sync to enjoy the end of another day, as designated and punctuated by the passing of the sun down below our line of sight.

The sunset. What a marvelously simple thing to watch, as the sky paints a line of color along the entire horizon, slowly shifting from blue to orange, then pink to violet, and on to deep purple as is slowly dissipates into blackness. What a wonderful painter our little planet is!

And then the stars pop out one by one, saying, "Hello! Look at me! Here I am!" It's amazing that this little planet in the middle of nowhere is suddenly in the middle of everywhere, and simply by the act of turning around.

And, I think, it's important for us to turn and look around too. To notice the things around us and appreciate their existence. After all, you never know what (or who, for that matter) you might be missing if you don't look around once in awhile. Such are the hazards of getting stuck in a never-changing routine in life. Be careful! But take some risks, and don't be afraid to live.

Or at least, enjoy the cool summer breeze across your face anyway. It will likely be hot again tomorrow.

Thinking, Not Out Loud

Have you ever felt like you're standing on the edge of a precipice, immersed in thought and on the brink of beginning to understand some great cosmological constant? I feel like that sometimes. Like some great human understanding is just tantalizingly out of reach. Of course it's possible this may be just some great internal delusion. But it's as if, for just an instant, your brain has awoken from some long dormant state and is demanding attention from your soul.

And then in a flash, it's gone.

I have long been pondering the underlying root condition of successful personal relationships. Why? Good lord I have no idea. It sounds like a dreadful waste of time. But no, that's not really true. It's on my mind more and more these days, as I forge onward into my status as a "single" person.

In life, relationships come and go. I'm sure I've written this before, but the reality is that all relationships can have only two possible endings: a breakup or death. There's no other way for it to conclude. (At this point, firm believers in an afterlife must be beside themselves and wanting to assert that relationships can and do continue past this life. That they can, in fact, last "forever"). Isn't that depressing? Neither one of those conclusions is particularly positive. It does not bode well for us humans, as we struggle so hard throughout our lives to maintain these relationships. To what end? Death or a breakup.

Anyways.

As I'm now (again) in between relationships, I again am pondering: what is it that makes successful relationships, well, successful? All sorts of cliche answers come to mind. Communication. Respect. Common values. And so on. And sure, these are all important points to maintaining a successful relationship. But I'm looking for something deeper. Something under the surface which can, dare I say, predetermine a relationship's capacity for success.

I think it lies in the brain.

No, really. What if what we really need is simply someone who exists on the same intellectual plane as we do. I say "simply" but it's really anything but. Perhaps, at our core, we need someone who can think like we do, and can inspire us to continue using our brain. We need to be...intellectually stimulated. No amount of communication or counseling or respect or whatever can save us, if our brain has shut down due to boredom.

Of course, everyone has a different level at which their brain becomes bored. We're all unique like that. Perhaps in the future, brain mapping will supplant fingerprinting in the identification process.

Am I crazy? Maybe, maybe. Maybe I'm just tired. Maybe I'm onto something. Really, I'm just thinking. But not out loud. That might get me committed. Or something.

Sailing Home

Here we are in the middle of the ocean, slowly inching our way home. It's 5:45am on the morning of our last day aboard the beautiful Grand Princess. She's a beautiful ship, though aging now at just over 20 years old.

It's been a good trip. Connor has been the best he's ever been at sea, though still often rambunctious and loud. But he's eagerly gone to the kids club (after crying every time last year). And he's eaten more than he's ever eaten onboard. Though he mostly sticks to a routine. breakfast of pancakes, Rice Crispies, and a banana. Lunch of pizza. Dinner of alphabet soup and French fries and chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Repeat.

I did not see a whole lot of wildlife this trip, save for bald eagles which were everywhere in Sitka. And a lot of my time was spent corralling the wild Connor. But I did get to most of the naturalist's talks onboard, and explored the towns quite a bit. Did an easy hike I've never done in Skagway and explored the amazing totem park in Sitka before watching two rehabilitated eagles get released back to the wild.

All in all I'd say it was a successful trip.

One more day - and it's the 4th of July no less - before we return to San Francisco and back to the realities of life. But for now, just watching the ship sailing into the deep blue horizon. And having some drinks...well, maybe a little closer to noon...