This week, I took two small but important steps to make this expedition I’m planning something more than words on a page. The first is a matter of simple necessity. I fished my passport out of the drawer where it’s been gathering dust, and it is now on its way to the State Department for renewal. So I can cross one item off of my to-do list.

The second is, to me, more exciting. I signed up for sailing classes with the Marin Sailing School. This is an incredible organization with a nonprofit arm that teaches basix and advanced sailing skills to people who are blind and visually impaired. I’m trying to convince them to let me bring a camera along when I take my first class on August 30. If I’m very lucky, this will dovetail with an effort to get part of the expedition sponsored by GoPro, a company that makes an incredible little camera that mounts to a helment, a handlebar or anything else you can think of to capture high definition footage of outdoor activities. I’ll write a lot more later about how I’m hoping to grab on to and retain any wisp of the photography skills I’ve learned over the years, and this may be at least part of a solution. The sailing instruction is something I see as vital when Continue reading “The Heavy Frog” →

I would imagine the best part about working for the Gap would be that you never have to spend any time wondering if your life would be more fulfilling at some other Gap. The almost frightening uniformity must also have the power of a mild sedative. I just can’t imagine someone working at the Gap in, say, White Plains fantasizing about the shirt folding boards and the long sleeved tees at the Gap in Shaker Heights.

Most people, though, do fall prey to the lure of the “grass is greener” siren song at one point or another. I worked in a field that was particularly susceptible to this mindset, at least on the lower rungs of the career ladder. This was partly because television news is not built to encourage lifers. It’s commonly accepted that if you want a raise, you don’t ask for one.   You go to another station at a higher market level. If you’re a reporter and you want to be an anchor, you usually move downmarket to get the experience and upmarket once you have it. The worst way to succeed is to stay in one place, This creates an environment that encourages the belief that success… Continue reading “Prologue to the Travelogue” →

I will marry the woman who has the same love of “man walks into a bar” jokes that I do.  It’s possible I may need to switch out the word “love” for “tolerate” when it comes to this particular dealbreaker. I have, after all, been single for quite a long time.

Anyhoo… to business.

Another hike this weekend, this time a five miler along the Bay Ridge Trail. Our little trio – Loren brought Audra along for the fun this time – hiked through the early morning fog of a San Francisco Saturday.  I’m starting to get the hang of following the sound of the trekking pole ahead of me, and of course, hiking with a professional writer is great when communication is key… Continue reading “A Horse Walks Into a Bar…” →