The half way point in the year...

You must not for one instant give up the effort to build new lives for yourselves. Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway to life. This is not an easy struggle. Indeed, it may be the most difficult task in the world, for opening the door to your own life is, in the end, more difficult than opening the doors to the mysteries of the universe.
-- Daisaku Ikeda

It's a Monday

How to start your day...in Wickenburg...

Temperature gauge on my car cranks to super hot... $237.15 later plus a few Dunkin Donuts...and oh yeah over 104 degrees EQUALS a really odd day.

On a side note...I wasn't suppose to be on the road like I thought I was suppose to and neither was my mom.

A happy moment

USA advancing on in the World Cup 2010!









It's amazing how, without watching the game, a wonderful moment occurred. While walking into the office I all of a sudden heard GOOAAALLLLLLL!...then quiet...GOOAAALLLLLLL! I then checked with my students who let me know that we had just scored with 30 seconds left.

With everything going on here...that made me smile.

Really?!?

So the fire was started by an abandoned campfire. I have heard of some creative ideas from people on what they would like to do to those individuals. They have ranged from starting a fire in their backyard and watching them scramble to stoning to them paying for it. I am not for prison since we have to pay for them. So how about they restore forests and such for 4 months every year for the next 25 years?

At the same time I read about what people across the nation think. I am taken aback and appalled that this fire and the other fires are due to God's retribution to SB1070. I mean really, are people that narrow minded and arrogant? Really?!? I guess so. Since I am not going to stoop to their level, I am just going to shake my head and cry.

Today I am sad...sad about our forest and sad about the human race.

Mountain on Fire

Fire on Shultz Pass! As of 5:00PM today, over 550 acres. Parts of NE Flagstaff evacuated. Second fire within the city limits in two days. The pictures above are for the Shultz fire taken around 1PM today. Helicopters, water tankers and fire crews are working hard.

Wind + Fire ≠ a good idea.

Seriously.

Update (6:45PM Today): Now more than 3000 acres!

Update (9:00AM 6/21): Now more than 5000 acres!

Update (6/30): In the end...15,075 acres. Here are the stats

Hey Dad!

Happy Father's Day!

Love, Me.

The lesson

When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
-- Dalai Lama

To dream...

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.
-- Edgar Allan Poe

One of those strange days...

You have to love a Tuesday that comes across as a Monday because Monday was a holiday. Yeah...

But there are other strange things about "Mondays" for me. One thing I do is scan the obituary section for the last week. Not because of some morbid fascination but because it is something I started doing over 30 years ago. As I scanned today, a day later, a last name caught my eye. I didn't know the person but I knew their son. While reading their obituary, I saw that their son I knew had passed away a little over a year ago. Some how I missed that one. Searching for and reading his obituary brought back memories of what a great person he was, how he made people smile and how he was great to work with. Not knowing and finding out today is OK because I needed help to bring a smile to my heart.

So really....things are good and as usual, strange.