Posts
2005-07-28
Alex and I just returned from a quick trip to Gettysburg this weekend - it was the third time for me, and the first time for him. We met up with a friend of mine from San Diego, his daughters, and his parents at the battlefield for the bus tour and a tour of the museum and the cemetery and then went back to his parent’s house over near Breezewood, Pennsylvania to spend the night. Alex conducted a small seminar with Dan’s daughters Ellyn and Claire in the intricacies of catching the elusive northern firefly (amazing what they don’t have in San Diego - in a small way it seems to make up for that year around 72 degree weather!). Everyone had a good time, but my son can be a bit….er, overwhelming at times - but we got through the weekend and he was fairly good for being eight years old and a de facto only child.
2005-06-21
Here’s a brief excerpt from the essay “Some Mistakes of Moses” by Robert Ingersoll. It’s a sad but true fact that it seems that this passage is as relevant today as it was when he wrote it over 100 years ago. Some recent events - the Mohammed Teddy Bear incident, the NY Subway beatings, the Pope’s recent encyclical, and the hullabaloo surrounding The Golden Compass - prompted me to pull this up and re-read it. I have a number of thoughts on this passage, but on reflection it seems best just to let it stand for itself.
2005-06-21
I always knew that my Grandfather Schmidt served on a ship during WWII, but it was only in the past decade or so that I realized it wasn’t a Navy ship that he served on, but rather an Army ship. Recently we’ve been spending most of the time when we are together talking about his experiences during the war on the ships USACS Joseph Henry and USAMP Gen. Absalom Baird. Both of these ships were Army mineplanters, which were also equipped to lay cable. In the case of the Henry the majority of her work was cable laying in the Atlantic.
2004-07-31
It’s been five years since Sean passed away. The initial pain has faded a bit since then, but the sadness is still there and to some extent always will be. While riding the other day I was thinking of Sean, and wanted to share my thoughts. I met Sean my first day of high school - we lived fairly close to each other, so we rode on the bus together for the 40 minute ride out to Walsh. I still remember that day - Sean with a goofy grin on his face (to be honest, Sean had that grin most of the time) introducing himself to me. I don’t remember who brought it up, but within a few minutes we were talking (and probably arguing) about music. Little did I know at the time that I had just met one of my best friends.
2004-07-31
It’s been over two years since the day when I found out that Sean had died. Two years since a week that was, at times, one of the worst and best weeks of my life. Worst because I, along with all of Sean’s family and friends, had lost a great friend. Best because of all the love shown by all those who were touched by Sean’s life. Last week, I received an unexpected package from Sean’s parents - a CD of Classic Rock songs arranged for acoustic guitar by Sean’s guitar teacher, James Kalal. Inside was a note from his parents that read, in part:
10/10