tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80173662566824467252024-03-12T15:58:03.311-07:00Midlife StartupCraig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-30730508271962679972019-04-20T06:42:00.001-07:002019-04-20T06:42:18.536-07:00Trappings Of TravelIt is hard to believe, but it is less than a week until I will be landing in London, picking up my rental car and heading out on a new adventure to various destinations.<br />
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This trip is really special to me. I have a lot of heritage linking back to the British Isles, including my grandmother who came from Yorkshire, and I will be meeting some of that family while I am there. I am so grateful for the family and friends who will be playing host to this Yank.<br />
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As I get older, I find that the planning and organizing of a trip is half the fun. Well, I won't say it is half, but it is certainly a fun part of the whole adventure. There has been a lot of planning, and I have a pretty full agenda. I won't go into details, because it is my hope that I'll find time in that full agenda to share some thoughts and pictures on this blog, or at the least, some quick notes on Facebook.<br />
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But for now, I fancy a spot of tea.<br />
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Happy Saturday from Silicon Valley.<br />
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<br />Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-50474839558044263482019-03-24T09:07:00.000-07:002019-03-24T09:11:20.498-07:00Muted Shades of SpringIt is my seventh spring in the Bay Area. I have to say, I have not tired of life in the Bay Area yet. Set the cost of living aside, life in here is vibrant. The beautiful diversity of communities, the unique contrast of a more old(ish) world environment in San Francisco to the funky coastal communities near Santa Cruz to the almost too quickly changing face of Silicon Valley.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring 2017, California Coast</td></tr>
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Then there is the weather. For a guy who has lived in many northern climates, the beautiful and consistent weather can become a bit bland. The lack of drama of the fall gives way to the pastel-grey of winter which is more of a doze than a sleep.</div>
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People who come from the north like to say there are no season changes in a place like this, as well as in San Diego, where I lived in the early 1990s. But it's not true, they just aren't as dramatic. When I left San Diego in 1992, I was "missing the seasons" and I very much enjoyed my first fall and winter in Idaho.</div>
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It is different now. Maybe it is that I am nearing 60, rather than just being beyond 30. Indeed I remain happy here, seven years gone. I've come to appreciate the shades of my favorite season, Spring. I like the pockets of Autumn that appear when Summer is gone, and I've learned where to find them, here near my Bay Area home.</div>
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But, as if to give me a little taste of what was, the Northern California winter was colder than usual, wetter than usual, and the sunroof on my car was planted shut for months. In the last couple weeks, as the solstice came, the stream of clouds and rain that graced the area for what seemed months without much rest, relented.</div>
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Yes, the shades of Spring are still muted here. The rich smell of the countryside awakening that I recall from Pennsylvania, Idaho, Maryland and Germany will not be equaled by the Bay Area, but there is a richness about this particular March that will remain with me.<br />
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Happy Sunday from Silicon Valley in Spring.</div>
Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-26149829190801459082019-02-10T14:35:00.000-08:002019-02-10T14:35:44.772-08:00Snows Over Silicon Valley<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFMZYoB5t7AaYynf3REVWkyVFhp0ARbqzzW8Zg_g5ghBMk-jy9C4F6_fR2TWDGxne7U9yAgSyiGRanTViqdFGKXxdf8Rn9NCqvwYS5aAFaLx4fw36ouXmONlqkCMtvIVQH-BhIduEPXAT/s1600/DSC_1663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFMZYoB5t7AaYynf3REVWkyVFhp0ARbqzzW8Zg_g5ghBMk-jy9C4F6_fR2TWDGxne7U9yAgSyiGRanTViqdFGKXxdf8Rn9NCqvwYS5aAFaLx4fw36ouXmONlqkCMtvIVQH-BhIduEPXAT/s400/DSC_1663.jpg" width="400" /></a>It has been a crazy year, weather wise. Here, in Silicon Valley, it has manifested itself in fairly prolific rains, which can be a good problem to have, for an area that has gone dry a number of years recently.<br />
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In a sense, I've been in a dry spell, creatively. Not that I'm not pursuing creative endeavors, far from it. However, my endeavors, of late, have been pretty singular. My cameras have been cooling off, I haven't written poetry lately, and I haven't worked on any short fiction.<br />
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The fact is, I have been focused. I have been so focused on this one project, that I've deprived myself of some of my other creative loves. A novel I have worked on for many years continues to need TLC to be truly complete. Finding where it went wrong, which is really a story longer than the novel itself, has been a journey unto itself. The things I'm learning go deeper than just this one story. There are elements of my vision for story telling that are wrapped up in this, and in a sense, there are elements of who I am, here and now.<br />
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This weekend, I broke away from that novel, and started a short story, and just in the development of a fresh story, I am starting to see the things I'm learning. Remember the movie <i>The Karate Kid</i>, where Daniel does menial tasks and doesn't understand how they relate to karate? Miyagi then show him just how much he has learned.<br />
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Maybe it's a bit like that. Maybe not, but it sounds good.<br />
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Whatever the point, after finishing the rough draft of this new story, I went for a coffee with my son Daniel (not a karate kid, as far as I know) and then came back to the house. On the way, the hills near my house peeked from under rich clouds to show a fresh coat of snow. We do get snow on those hills, but not usually this much.<br />
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I grabbed up my camera, and went to Baylands Park, and shot some photos. Nothing all that special in the narrative of the photos, but a space in time. I spoke to a few people in the park about the remarkable weather, and the beauty of the day. I basked in the sun and cool. I hung out with some geese.<br />
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That novel really does need to be finished. The puzzles within it need to be solved so I can put it to rest, and feel that I did it justice. It inches ever closer.<br />
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But today reminds me that sometimes we need to take a break from the things we use to take a break from our day-to-day lives.<br />
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Did that make sense? It did to me. I think.<br />
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Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy these pictures of a space in time.<br />
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Happy Sunday from Silicon Valley.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-87650667421395940282018-11-11T06:49:00.003-08:002018-11-11T06:52:18.070-08:00Practical Choices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vs-Cv4rRzAj8TL40xgB6pYcXqkpxsjbqq7x8kZLSR6xwO-cqN2zE3qqcCSPabZIG-k7k1eD5xsDLzp_Lx9rS4LTMQKtnCwjHh1ELtYPxdh2ESnwKHTWgOLN5FRo-swecqqI5jMC1dqm4/s1600/Subaru+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="1600" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vs-Cv4rRzAj8TL40xgB6pYcXqkpxsjbqq7x8kZLSR6xwO-cqN2zE3qqcCSPabZIG-k7k1eD5xsDLzp_Lx9rS4LTMQKtnCwjHh1ELtYPxdh2ESnwKHTWgOLN5FRo-swecqqI5jMC1dqm4/s400/Subaru+01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
When we moved to Silicon Valley in 2012, I purchased a ten-year-old Subaru Outback Limited for a really nice price. It was clean, had comparatively low miles, and I liked the way it felt to drive. It had enough storage to be practical, and a little bit of gumption when I pushed the gas down.<br />
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A couple of years ago, the old beast took to leaking oil. The cost to repair it would be high, and it was not necessary to repair it. My mechanic said "keep oil in it and it will be fine," so I bought a big box of oil at Costco, and have been on a vigil, keeping that oil "topped off."<br />
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It was a comfortable car, it was paid for, but I was starting to think about making a change. I decided about a year ago that I would replace the old beast at some point soon. I didn't feel good about taking it on long drives, and that was increasingly becoming a part of my life.<br />
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Because the care is spacious, I wanted to have it until I cleared out my old storage unit. As you may know, less than a month ago, that task was complete, so I "set the clock" for early 2019, after the holiday season, when I would set out to replace it.<br />
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The old Subaru had other plans.<br />
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Last weekend, I went to the house of some friends, zipping over the mountain on Highway 17 between Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz. The old beast was running great both down and back, until about a mile from home, it started to stall. I fought it from the Lawrence Expressway to a nearby parking lot, and called AAA. I told the driver the symptoms, and he opened the hood pulled the oil dipstick. "Looks like a blown head gasket." I'd never seen the outcome of one before, but based on what I knew, and the funky looking liquid where oil once been, indeed this looked to be the case. I had the old beast towed to a trusted local garage, where the diagnosis was confirmed.<br />
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The cost of repair would be more than the car was worth.<br />
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Cars are inanimate objects. Steel and glass and plastic and leather and fabric, pieced together in a factory. But I bond with my cars. In a way, they become an extension of me. I'm a person that loves to drive, and I've spent countless hours on the road. Long haul, short haul, intermediate haul, I love to drive.<br />
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This car was there for me in some tough times, and has seen me through a few big changes.<br />
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The cars I've owned since I left Idaho in 1980 have all been practical choices. The right tool for the right job. Cost vs function vs need vs what's available. The Subaru was an extension of that, but big bonus points, it was fun to drive. It had dual sunroofs, which I loved. But I also had an idea of what I would like to be driving in mind.<br />
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So it was bittersweet, when I cleared out the items that remained in the car. I put the keys in the ignition, and started the car at the garage's parking lot, and limped the old beast out to the road, so that the guy who would haul it away could do his job, then got in my rented car and returned to work.<br />
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to be continued...Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-3537374470430465362018-10-28T07:06:00.002-07:002018-10-28T07:06:47.651-07:00Empty Storage Unit, Full TankJust after the gate closed behind me and I started down the road for my house on a particular Tuesday, I had a slight regret that I hadn't taken a moment to turn around and take a picture when I hauled the last bit of goods from the storage unit my "overflow stuff" had occupied. I'd told myself that I'd take a picture of it, in its rat-droppings-glory just to remember what it looked like empty.<br />
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But I don't need a picture. I know what empty is like.<br />
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After DeDe, my wife of thirty-three years, passed away, I felt an emptiness. That is the first sensation when you lose someone in your life, especially a life partner. 'Til death do us part means one of us is likely to go first, and one of us will have to move on. I knew, shortly after she died, that there was only one way that I could move forward. I didn't know how it would all work out, I didn't know how long it take. No one can know those things when it is the first time to deal with it.<br />
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For me, I was a very different man after being married over half of my life to a woman who I laughed and cried and and made a family and made art and made love and, in short, shared a life, with. I don't believe a person should have to change for a love, but I do believe that having a lover become part of your life changes you. If not, what is the point?<br />
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I became a more complete person with DeDe. She brought out the best in me. She called out flaws, encouraged goodness I didn't know I have. I had an inherent darkness in me that she managed to shine a light on, and show a beauty in it. I was able to accept myself more wholly, and some of that has only truly come to pass since she left this plane. The things in me that changed with her were not from her, but because of her. The difference is, things that because of someone are the things that are indelible. <br />
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After she passed, yes, there was emptiness. It is inevitable. For me, the task of dealing with that emptiness was realizing just how complete I am now. I needed to learn who I was when I was first with her, and to have her become a part of my life. I needed to learn who I am without her, and the storage unit was, strangely enough, the very thing that put this all in perspective.<br />
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The clutter I removed was cleansing for my physical life. And with each box I went through, I processed and I learned, and I realized much more about her, and about myself.<br />
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This morning, as I write, it is dark outside, and I hear the jets taking off from Mineta Airport in San Jose. A big part of who I am now is my love of travel. The world turns on, and with my tank full and my storage unit empty, I move onward.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-11879200306420123412018-10-06T05:13:00.000-07:002018-10-06T05:13:20.751-07:00Stuffed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's as American as apple pie: The storage unit.<br />
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I see storage companies everywhere I go in the US. Don't get me wrong, they have their purpose, but for the most part, these are absolute money pits. How do I know?<br />
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I have one. #375 is my storage unit.<br />
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I left a house in Pennsylvania in 2012, where I had a lot of spare space, and moved into a place with almost none. Even after we got rid of a lot of stuff for the move, we still had too much stuff.<br />
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What we kept went into storage. Storage units, like most everything in Silicon Valley, aren't cheap.<br />
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Though it is a money pit, but there is indeed some stuff in there that I want to keep. Still, when calculating the amount of money dumped into a storage unit versus the potential value of its contents, it is a ridiculously bad investment.<br />
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And yet, these storage compounds are everywhere in Silicon Valley, and they are in small towns too.<br />
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Need to store your overflow stuff in the small desert town of Fernley, Nevada, population 20,000? They've got you covered:<br />
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There is an emotional component to the one I have, and I suspect that is in play for others who rent these things as well. In mine is some of my late wife DeDe's stuff. There's also stuff from my kids' childhood.<br />
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But, in the end, it's just stuff.<br />
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So I have been working at clearing out this storage unit for the past couple of months.<br />
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It is a demanding process, and it can be emotional. I found a little journal DeDe kept at a difficult time in her life. I found an incredible poem she wrote that I'm still processing. I found some surprising art projects she was developing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjm4Txmk6xf5F_4jve6loctwylhGDHewbo9noIkMu5RXEZvDsRYuvzIJ2-IPLphD1VMJzqi85OH_cx5XZEXg11kYlLUKD6_rHdRHJph2q7PAp6b9m_cTBhygk2jF6rTpfXrG6NOZqV8tld/s1600/Storage+Unit+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjm4Txmk6xf5F_4jve6loctwylhGDHewbo9noIkMu5RXEZvDsRYuvzIJ2-IPLphD1VMJzqi85OH_cx5XZEXg11kYlLUKD6_rHdRHJph2q7PAp6b9m_cTBhygk2jF6rTpfXrG6NOZqV8tld/s400/Storage+Unit+02.jpg" width="300" /></a>But what I have found worth keeping is a fraction of what I have found worth getting rid of. I've been giving a lot of what has come out away. There is a cleansing feeling that comes from this.<br />
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There are a handful of things with some monetary value, but I don't have use for, which I will sell. What will remain are a few things that are important enough to take up real estate in the house.<br />
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This is indeed a demanding process, but a worthwhile one. The acquisition of stuff is probably a part of the human condition, but we in the United States have raised it to an art form, and the signs of that dot major thoroughfares today.<br />
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But I'm getting out of the storage unit business. The center of the picture at left is the light at the end of the tunnel. This storage locker was full to capacity. Come November 1, it will empty, should you want to move your excessive stuff in there.<br />
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But I advise against it.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-1992061604934339312018-09-15T05:06:00.000-07:002018-09-15T05:06:25.023-07:00Anglophile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the places where I have always wanted to visit is England. My grandmother on my father's side came from there in the 1920s via Australia and Hawaii. My family remains connected with some of her family there. There are so many places that I would like to visit, and further, I'm blessed with a number of friends living there now.<br />
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So, when I did some research on the cost of flights there, and the prices were quite reasonable, I decided, "no time like the present."<br />
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Okay, so the present might be a few months out, but I do have my tickets. In late April of 2019, I will be flying to England for two weeks. I have no set plans except to spend a few days of the time in London, and visit with family in Yorkshire. Other than that, I'm going to be driving, exploring, and I'm up for visiting any friends there who will put up with me.<br />
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So, friends in England, I will be on your soil from April 27 thru May 11 of 2019. Please reach out to me via email or text or Messenger if you'd like to get together.<br />
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Happy Weekend from Silicon ValleyCraig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-63849430731947248182018-09-08T05:18:00.003-07:002018-09-08T05:20:22.986-07:00Aussie Rules<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hIShP8TERSvMa3fGhqLtwJO6yOliOsUBDYiJjZfEVlBIurgBqBIET9GRbkAO1uUsL5XLZztYxcnv9W5w21ww4K9aINbK1WRiCVQ0-hITEfF0zRdziNP0S4NpVF-ezkLGbVlTvd-glrN0/s1600/Aussie+Rules.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1389" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hIShP8TERSvMa3fGhqLtwJO6yOliOsUBDYiJjZfEVlBIurgBqBIET9GRbkAO1uUsL5XLZztYxcnv9W5w21ww4K9aINbK1WRiCVQ0-hITEfF0zRdziNP0S4NpVF-ezkLGbVlTvd-glrN0/s400/Aussie+Rules.jpg" width="346" /></a>I grew to love Australian Football in the early to mid 1980s. When DeDe and I returned from Germany in August of 1982, I got my first taste of ESPN. Back then, late into the night, they showed sports I'd never seen. Most only were of passing interest, but this fast paced, weird hybrid of Rugby and basketball and Soccer, with its oval field and uniquely aggressive play mesmerized me.<br />
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I especially liked the officials in long white lab coats, standing at the four post goals, pointing out what type of goal was scored.<br />
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Somewhere in the mid to late 80s, they stopped showing Aussie Rules.<br />
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So, when I turned on the TV this morning, I was pleased to find that there is a very competitive match between the West Coast Eagles and Collingwood.<br />
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I'm remembering back to restless nights in a small military motel room, learning this unique sport. Some things in the sport have changed, they always do, but it's fun to watch something that so conjures up those crazy days, the early 80s.<br />
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Happy Weekend from Silicon Valley, mate.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-69794667757181323502018-09-05T05:48:00.000-07:002018-09-05T05:49:18.372-07:00DeDe's SeasonsDeDe Sorensen was born on this day in 1961, and left the physical plane in 2014, a little too soon for my liking. She will always be a light in my life. I stopped being sad about losing her somewhere between July 5, 2014 and now, and now celebrate the 33 years we had together.<br />
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When we were dating, the winter of 1980-81, I wrote her a little poem titled "A Warm Winter's Thought." She treasured it, and told me that was the moment I truly won her heart.<br />
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Today, I celebrate an amazing 52 year life, basking in the memory of DeDe Sorensen with a new offering in the spirit of that first poem.<br />
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DeDe’s Seasons</div>
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©2018 Craig J. Sorensen</div>
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We found each other<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVCleuQpXFRXosmvHaD9ALzmWaE2Yds6JBFM_LSASjv6fghhR55KaL-FPjiJryGkOIUWQyI9ozfftCbtFE1B73uPqZcZ8eLsx4fw9MzaCy151daMJp61KcX2CF68_XVWFtBXJ5zqjWIRo/s1600/DeDe+in+Augsburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="647" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVCleuQpXFRXosmvHaD9ALzmWaE2Yds6JBFM_LSASjv6fghhR55KaL-FPjiJryGkOIUWQyI9ozfftCbtFE1B73uPqZcZ8eLsx4fw9MzaCy151daMJp61KcX2CF68_XVWFtBXJ5zqjWIRo/s400/DeDe+in+Augsburg.jpg" width="267" /></a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In the Winter<br />
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Bound to each other<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The end of Spring<br />
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We said our good-byes<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>At Summers dawn<br />
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But Autumn remained<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Your time to sing<br />
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World pivots and turns<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Seasons march on<br />
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As hands unclasped your<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Spirit’s ascent<br />
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I always feel you<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Inside my heart<br />
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The years we counted<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Were heaven sent<br />
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Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-82060709192165602602018-09-01T05:09:00.001-07:002018-09-01T05:14:39.798-07:00Renewal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZO6oFOJEvjauFDpxObDDosCQvKyygWW2n3mJLG03MQ-pfABhOKZZj0PsXxdNlceTu-tcI-mYnBBHGAZ1M-iOonFksjVqdyNrugXGUxn8iZLiok4AN8PfWzb3wBkU-8RIoojy1lupGRdJS/s1600/Shane+day+5+lemtrada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZO6oFOJEvjauFDpxObDDosCQvKyygWW2n3mJLG03MQ-pfABhOKZZj0PsXxdNlceTu-tcI-mYnBBHGAZ1M-iOonFksjVqdyNrugXGUxn8iZLiok4AN8PfWzb3wBkU-8RIoojy1lupGRdJS/s320/Shane+day+5+lemtrada.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Yesterday, I posted a selfie in honor of my friend, Shane Cox, and the last day of his treatment with Lemtrada for his MS. There was a brief story in that selfie.<br />
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More on that below.<br />
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Shane has battled, and I mean that in the most literal sense, with MS since being diagnosed over nine years ago. He has had countless ups and downs, but in each challenge there is determination.<br />
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Those who know him personally, or from his site, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hammerthewall/?fb_dtsg_ag=Adz8glyhhO9LtD2ra1TUH-5N-LyH4JqRPrzbkOzhFi1ouA%3AAdyRq7eDgJt69GxxBDDx8gMa6pPkqxLbJ2qsI61r01OOiA">Hammer the Wall</a> know this spirit.<br />
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The treatment he is taking is risky, but holds the possibility of a renewal. There could be no other treatment for a man like Shane.<br />
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All or nothing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7l8LfjwlaOTGrTw5T0Yv_uXJ5YvzZbOplw80Pv28OX2CEBaW4-UYDLQnzfRF_2QlwVJ_FBsvpUF0jSNfvra4L-mB_G07aLz6lL8TmnAQo6NpvZvFkzZmHwPdF2hoADptxuN2iYz7OJEx7/s1600/Bare+Lot+Selfie+180831+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7l8LfjwlaOTGrTw5T0Yv_uXJ5YvzZbOplw80Pv28OX2CEBaW4-UYDLQnzfRF_2QlwVJ_FBsvpUF0jSNfvra4L-mB_G07aLz6lL8TmnAQo6NpvZvFkzZmHwPdF2hoADptxuN2iYz7OJEx7/s320/Bare+Lot+Selfie+180831+b.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
For the selfie, I chose to stand across the street from where I live. Until recently there was an old mobile home in the area behind me. It wasn't in very good shape. They tried to sell it for a time, but they couldn't. Ultimately, they had to haul it away. But they left behind a single rose bush. Usually, they pull everything out when the old building is removed. I found the remaining plant a pleasant surprise.<br />
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As I thought of Shane's journey, I thought of this piece of land, laid bare. The single, defiant rose bush, is a conduit between the rocky past and a hopeful future.<br />
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This is where I hope Lemtrada will take Shane. For renewal, something has to make room for it. His immune system has been stripped away. It is my deep hope that what returns will be something worthy of that amazing fighting spirit.<br />
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Not long after Shane's diagnosis, his defiance against the condition began with him buying a Ducati motorcycle. We spent a fabulous day driving up to pick it up in State College, PA, telling stupid jokes that we share to this day. On the way back, perhaps I should have been worried, driving the open highway at some pretty high speeds, a man freshly diagnosed with MS getting to know his new bike as I drove his car. I wasn't worried.<br />
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Over the years, he has continued to take new journeys and amazing challenges. This year, he completed the Boston Marathon in terrible weather conditions. He continually finds new ways to keep strong, and new ways to raise a middle finger to MS.<br />
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That is Shane. I'm honored to be his friend, and I anxiously await what will surely grow on the new, clear site that Lemtrada has made.<br />
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Happy Saturday from Silicon ValleyCraig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-71410709569520143832018-08-18T06:27:00.000-07:002018-08-18T06:30:44.338-07:00Renovations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnqCF64FsbmjrL-KHFvBKRAYhhuvC12MvT_MQ5bUUlZhdpG797gBBhtIGJqR6gbXbGa3AvvFPsqYqFGkkImeLn7146fYErpu_5g9NCfVT0cRb62BZaYakWI3oiY4uhRDGADaI2eBFJ8YQ/s1600/DSC_0041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnqCF64FsbmjrL-KHFvBKRAYhhuvC12MvT_MQ5bUUlZhdpG797gBBhtIGJqR6gbXbGa3AvvFPsqYqFGkkImeLn7146fYErpu_5g9NCfVT0cRb62BZaYakWI3oiY4uhRDGADaI2eBFJ8YQ/s400/DSC_0041.jpg" width="400" /></a>When I went back to Pennsylvania last year, I drove by the house that all of my kids grew into their adult years in. It had been a great house for us, chock full of memories. In the summer of 2012, DeDe and I had signed it over to a couple that had a young family, and they were so excited about having their first house. They left a bottle of champagne on the mantle while the Sorensen crew finished our final stages of moving out. We had such hope that this new family would love the house as much as we did, and that their kids would grow up and fill the house with more memories.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitq3h9DovVMQTaDuITyJ_bTbkkZpXUSqeULBhsAihQSRzDtZPSi-4n2aMW7vo8Zg-aFhLYaYrz7r3wL0A_dPZd1C-PpMgqMW_4mfVShtzJNsroAKuO4C7g1Ss2TVQnKGhsmtjXgkukk2W/s1600/DSC_0037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitq3h9DovVMQTaDuITyJ_bTbkkZpXUSqeULBhsAihQSRzDtZPSi-4n2aMW7vo8Zg-aFhLYaYrz7r3wL0A_dPZd1C-PpMgqMW_4mfVShtzJNsroAKuO4C7g1Ss2TVQnKGhsmtjXgkukk2W/s400/DSC_0037.jpg" width="400" /></a>When I returned in 2017, what I found was far from what we had left behind. The new family had recently abandoned the place. Some windows had been broken and boarded up. The yard showed the signs of being suddenly abandoned. An old vehicle sat strangely canted on the driveway. There were notices taped to the door: repossession by the bank, shut offs by utilities. Of course, none of this changes the memories that the Sorensen family built there, but seeing the place in this state was a strange punch in the gut.<br />
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Yesterday, my son Daniel decided to do a Google search, and found a <a href="https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/528-Baer-Ave-Hanover-PA-17331/60456280_zpid/">Zillow listing</a> for the place. Turns out that someone bought it, and did a classic "flip", just like they show on TV. The house looks great, with a nice yard and the inside dressed up well, with bright but cool neutral colors. Some timely additions and improvements make the house sparkle again. There is a pending offer, so maybe this house will begin a new life after being abandoned so suddenly.<br />
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I suppose this is one of those cases where life is like a house. Things change, they always will, and sometimes they don't go as planned. But we trudge on through life, and turn the corner to face the next challenge.<br />
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Coming to the Bay Area in 2012 was a restart for me and for my family. I had to learn a lot of new things for the new job I took. Some of these things were about my inner self, as much as for my work. Sadly, I lost DeDe to cancer in 2014. But life goes on, and I continue to learn new things about myself. My creative side is flourishing now. I'm writing a novel that draws on the experiences that surrounded that move in 2012, and inspiration abounds.<br />
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Today, there is as sale pending on that old but updated house, and I hope that the buyers will find in this place a great new beginning like we did in 1995. Life is continual cycles, beginnings and endings, breaking down and building up.<br />
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Happy Saturday from Silicon Valley.<br />
<br />Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-64841371376093103572018-07-29T08:17:00.000-07:002018-07-29T08:17:08.864-07:00Flying Over FireI spent the last week in Oregon with my brothers. Along the coast, the weather was quite cool, not getting much above 60, and that was where we spent most of our time. Hiking, cooking, relaxing, talking. Inland the weather was quite warm, but as is characteristic in the area, the nights cool off beautifully almost the instant that the sun is beneath the horizon. Each day was special and carried with it, some great memories.<br />
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I decided to fly up and back, even though I love to drive, and relatively speaking, the drive between the Bay area and the Portland area is not far. During the flight up, as I often do, I took some photos out the window of the plane, playing with the shapes below. It was early in the day, and the light was pleasant. There were some pictures I liked from this flight, and may post process them at some point.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4mkLnNgGQxGXXDelzGAvdl9W2HmKbDcP4fNyF_adDrVbxOasZgupccBy2lFKbSQ8bDLgbkBm7RFZvMwBgPf4353Su_M1_Jg8txkQShJwAHdiyK3Ghv4zzuwbMkCFogGLbS5wCG6SBSuP/s1600/Flight+to+SJ+02+180728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4mkLnNgGQxGXXDelzGAvdl9W2HmKbDcP4fNyF_adDrVbxOasZgupccBy2lFKbSQ8bDLgbkBm7RFZvMwBgPf4353Su_M1_Jg8txkQShJwAHdiyK3Ghv4zzuwbMkCFogGLbS5wCG6SBSuP/s400/Flight+to+SJ+02+180728.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
Of all the photos I took on the trip, the one I included here is far from the best. I took it during my flight back. I was positioned in a seat right on top of the wing, so angling to take the photos, especially as I have to angle my head so that the reading portion of my bifocals is on the viewfinder, was difficult.<br />
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The subject, too, is difficult. This picture is from above the fires that are right now inflicting serious damage on northern California. As our plane approached the fires, turbulence from the rising heat shook us. I've seen photos from on the ground of <a href="https://www.redding.com/story/news/2018/07/28/carr-fire-what-we-know-redding-fire/854574002/">the Carr fire</a> in the Redding area, posted by a friend who lives in the area, and they give some idea of the power that feeds this plume of smoke.<br />
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We each go through our lives, day to day, and most of the days are unremarkable. Day to day aggravations can find undue weight. I had some work issues that invaded on my vacation time, and I found focusing unduly on the attendant frustrations.<br />
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But in an instant, things can change in big way. My heart goes out to those who wake up this morning, facing hard challenges.<br />
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Today, I am keeping perspective.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-63138675302500909412018-07-21T05:19:00.002-07:002018-07-21T05:19:42.338-07:00San Jose Airport MusingsSan Jose, CA Airport, 5:06 AM.<br />
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I hadn't planned to start my next writing project until I return from the vacation that I am starting now. I was working on backstory materials, and the outline, but one thing I've learned over the years is that inspiration won't be denied.<br />
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As such, I've written the first two chapters of my new novel. As always, the characters, once they set out on their journey, surprise me with their actions as the book unfolds.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZM5rbOqxG_SCQKJuB2-ZmkLeiIw_-lhJs4F1a5W0UA0vUJ_PwK4X2sz5_qyhicqXju1rIZ5Wgb0jKOkqhSghQyaSq34Ou8fIlIBdeWui2Ikx0aP4AXk65SZQPnuEFKMwtkYpNQT0urwo9/s1600/20180721_044438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZM5rbOqxG_SCQKJuB2-ZmkLeiIw_-lhJs4F1a5W0UA0vUJ_PwK4X2sz5_qyhicqXju1rIZ5Wgb0jKOkqhSghQyaSq34Ou8fIlIBdeWui2Ikx0aP4AXk65SZQPnuEFKMwtkYpNQT0urwo9/s400/20180721_044438.jpg" width="400" /></a>I have a fabulous vacation to look forward to this week, enjoying the Oregon Coast with my brothers. I might get some more writing done, but if I don't, I know my characters will be waiting when I'm done. Who knows, I might work on it now.<br />
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Or I might watch some cartoons...<br />
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Happy Saturday from Silicon Valley.<br />
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Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-70442194925637420792018-07-14T04:31:00.002-07:002018-07-14T04:32:15.794-07:00Sleeping In<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizblutG0sDyrAxRZJZ373ZmJ9e-nGRsIENEevpVCOIMAQgWAsYNB8XN1B6vl5CrOLo4RX_4wLmx-Qo01FjjqJQ9Pm105t8BwnwdTbNLNG77Xb-U_CXNhq9I9R3QhSo9TQDCzqk0dqG-HN-/s1600/DSC_0053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizblutG0sDyrAxRZJZ373ZmJ9e-nGRsIENEevpVCOIMAQgWAsYNB8XN1B6vl5CrOLo4RX_4wLmx-Qo01FjjqJQ9Pm105t8BwnwdTbNLNG77Xb-U_CXNhq9I9R3QhSo9TQDCzqk0dqG-HN-/s400/DSC_0053.jpg" width="266" /></a>I don't. I haven't been able to since I was quite young. Sleeping in, for me, is getting up around sunrise, and usually came after I woke up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night.<br />
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I used to say I was an insomniac, but looking at it objectively, I don't think that is actually true. Yes, I'm tired sometimes, but mostly I feel fine through the day. I might doze in my chair in the living room in the evening, but the five to six hours of interrupted sleep that I get each night is usually more than enough. The four-or-less-hour nights are another matter, but they aren't the norm.<br />
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Anyway, among my strange sleeping habits is a tendency to do the "reverse sleep in." Most sane and sensible people luxuriate on Saturday, sleeping in after a full week of work. I get up earlier.<br />
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This is a more recent condition. I think it relates to creative activities. Throughout the week, I will write a bit each morning, but I view Saturday as a time for dedicated writing. My mind turns over ideas I have worked on through the week, and often my Saturday morning is spent writing for hours before anyone else is up.<br />
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There are also times I like to catch the sunrise, such as I did in the accompanying photo, taken one October morning on the Oregon coast a couple of years ago. I have been taking occasional early morning photo excursions for about 25 years on an occasional basis.<br />
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There are times where I feel like it would be kind of nice to be able to sleep in. Sometimes I do that on Monday. I mean, if you consider getting up at 5:30 AM sleeping in.<br />
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Happy Early-Weekend from Silicon Valley.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-8660017221965984632018-07-07T06:42:00.003-07:002018-07-07T06:42:53.219-07:00Under Construction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi2Ha3Cg_K9HszIeWrIrG3HCU_IZ_pECmhUQkkJkfn57BK7TzqHGEJEYLehvMsGzGo91z9txd4-ImIfYHLvqbT-wuwHgvKxwRitaIgAbdafFtke-IZcFobJvrPZPVGDp9_klKmu5Ntc-r/s1600/Google+Cloud+Bldg+20141121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1018" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi2Ha3Cg_K9HszIeWrIrG3HCU_IZ_pECmhUQkkJkfn57BK7TzqHGEJEYLehvMsGzGo91z9txd4-ImIfYHLvqbT-wuwHgvKxwRitaIgAbdafFtke-IZcFobJvrPZPVGDp9_klKmu5Ntc-r/s640/Google+Cloud+Bldg+20141121.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Google Cloud Bldg Under Construction Nov 2014</span></div>
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As much as I love writing, I have to say the last couple of weeks where I have not written have been good for me.<br />
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I say "not written," but that's not really accurate. I have been journal writing, and occasionally blogging, which is a form of writing. I've played with some poetry too.<br />
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Anyway, I have not been working on any fiction projects. I say "not working on any fiction projects," but that's not really accurate. I've been working on a project I started after about a year of living in Silicon Valley. That project is the inspiration for the name of this blog, "Midlife Startup." I did some character studies, and wrote a synopsis and some outline work, and I have been reviewing those materials.<br />
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So, I have been writing, and have been working on fiction projects. Gee, this break from writing has been great...<br />
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Happy Saturday from Silicon Valley!Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-89306344400807991032018-07-04T07:59:00.000-07:002018-07-04T07:59:12.002-07:00Independence Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8F_FLpPsDMl6T2QJT3WskqnFtmQTpeOk4rEXOcaZTQjp3dME3nnoWg2l5EZKPb4OzMypaYH9gUKisePK3TBznGcLXiACd6uDxr_rD1bZcfdu8LYOEwIZXcm7wxEGWNIUyoxa64HUAeW1V/s1600/DSC_0169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8F_FLpPsDMl6T2QJT3WskqnFtmQTpeOk4rEXOcaZTQjp3dME3nnoWg2l5EZKPb4OzMypaYH9gUKisePK3TBznGcLXiACd6uDxr_rD1bZcfdu8LYOEwIZXcm7wxEGWNIUyoxa64HUAeW1V/s640/DSC_0169.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Sunrise Near Stanley Lake, Idaho, October 2016</span></div>
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Though I grew up in a small town in Idaho, and will always feel at ease in quiet solitude, I have become surprisingly at home in Silicon Valley, despite its many quirks. I also have discovered that I can enjoy almost any environment, at least all that I have lived in so far. I have not ever really accepted any particular place as home. I'm a tumbleweed, by nature, and the fence that impedes my rolling is a good enough for me for as long as it can hold me.<br />
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I don't see any destination as sacred, but rather see that there is sacred in all things and all places. Looking on the meaning of this day, the celebration of the birth of a nation, I see more meaning behind the spirit of independence, than I do about the place where this independence occurred.<br />
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One of the things I love about Silicon Valley is its pervasive energy, and the spirit of the people a place like this draws. I'm fortunate that I work with a lot of folks who are spirited and independent, and diverse. To look in the eyes of someone, on the sunrise of their own life adventure, reminds me of my journey so far. Such a fabulous journey, and I look forward to the miles ahead.<br />
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Today, as I celebrate the day that a group of rebels split off from an empire, I also celebrate the deeper spirit of independence. As I get older, the word takes on deeper and deeper meaning.<br />
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I hope you find time to think of the things in life that are special to you on this perfect Wednesday.<br />
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Happy Independence Day from Silicon Valley.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-45816915598176308612018-06-30T07:12:00.000-07:002018-06-30T07:16:03.628-07:00The Building Chipper Shredder<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtjynzHYNfqVZGZs-B5ND5mI3Vn4xHZbxrCE75cMTsimO2K5dq4BAUU-TaVN66V10fYU0T2jh4lESfrbrDtibOjgfQ5SmhDBWcF_w1o9uHTFliZ_BiI6bubygoaq242SzzRwnJJ9NygI1/s1600/20180212_104353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtjynzHYNfqVZGZs-B5ND5mI3Vn4xHZbxrCE75cMTsimO2K5dq4BAUU-TaVN66V10fYU0T2jh4lESfrbrDtibOjgfQ5SmhDBWcF_w1o9uHTFliZ_BiI6bubygoaq242SzzRwnJJ9NygI1/s640/20180212_104353.jpg" width="640" /></a>I live in the heart of Silicon Valley. I've been here since July of 2012, so it's coming up on six years now.<br />
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The face of the valley is constantly changing. The area I live in, the area I work in, are subject to cycles of demolition and development. I've posted a couple of pictures along the way that have shown different sides of this. I like to go for occasional walks when I'm at work, and these walks have given me "snapshots" of these cycles. Two blocks from the office I work in, they have leveled eight or nine buildings. I watched as the different buildings, which were not all that old, were emptied out, and came down.<br />
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Today there are steel skeletons stretching up four stories. They are cropping up like pines on scorched black earth, toward the skies.<br />
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I am fascinated by the process.<br />
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One of the most interesting phases of this development was after the existing buildings were leveled. All of the buildings had stone and concrete outer structures, leaving huge chunks of these outer shells scattered about. As these buildings came down, a large contraption was placed on the former site of two of them. Essentially, it was a chipper-shredder of doom, chomping down on these big chunks, and leaving an impromptu mountain of rubble on the other side.<br />
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The mountain grew pretty damned high.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUfsi_ywSY7JOpIRl0dG2JKCJMEWo9wdNlbgWi8YJsIELJwUfk155QwOwOQwEI3mow1BpNFQqCpbEY1R1Qs7ILopMu7oxZ4ksh6wLVkEFS7IyO_-6jMd_0FOz-W8ICotMcgPCva32koRj/s1600/20180215_140418+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUfsi_ywSY7JOpIRl0dG2JKCJMEWo9wdNlbgWi8YJsIELJwUfk155QwOwOQwEI3mow1BpNFQqCpbEY1R1Qs7ILopMu7oxZ4ksh6wLVkEFS7IyO_-6jMd_0FOz-W8ICotMcgPCva32koRj/s320/20180215_140418+%25282%2529.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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Then it disappeared. A sort of ebb and flow of stone that would take many millennia to shape in nature.<br />
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I've watched as the monoliths of technology, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Linkedin, and others, have gobbled up land and sprung up new, sleek and shiny buildings. It's a fascinating process, but I can't help but wonder if the need behind the growth supports the level of that growth.<br />
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Since I was a boy, I loved to watch things grow. Plants, trees, buildings, animals, people. As I have gotten older, and stopped growing myself, I more deeply understand the nature of growth, and the inevitability of decay. I see potentials, both positive and negative, in rapid growth.<br />
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I have no idea what to expect from the growth that seems to be encircling me, but it is fascinating to watch it.<br />
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Happy Saturday from Silicon Valley.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-44956809537047957252018-06-27T06:28:00.001-07:002018-06-27T06:28:14.922-07:00It has been a year and three months since I posted to this blog. Blogging is so last decade! But I find the terse style of Facebook, with it's focus on memes and images and strange interactions to be largely unsatisfying. I like things which are composed and thought through.<br />
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That said, this entry is going to be far from thought through. <br />
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This is just a moment in time, maybe good Facebook fodder, but it will be too long.<br />
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A stream of consciousness meandering down a mountainside.<br />
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I am in a space in the year that is both difficult and joyous. My birthday is near, the anniversary of my marriage just passed a few days ago, and the anniversary of DeDe leaving this plane of existence is on the horizon.<br />
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I just finished a final draft of a novel I have been working on since the 1980s. I have passed this along to be edited, and am just enjoying the act of not writing for a few days.<br />
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Celebrating it by writing a blog. Okay, there's a message in there, somewhere.<br />
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I have been working on a project since not long before DeDe passed in 2014. It was the inspiration for the title of this blog.<br />
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So maybe that's what drove me here today.<br />
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Life changes, past and present. Pursuit of creative writing. Placing things into perspective. Moving forward, looking backward.<br />
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Rambling on in the void of an ancient place called Blogland.<br />
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Happy Humpday from Silicon Valley.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-90424948405116235502017-03-11T06:37:00.001-08:002017-03-11T06:37:28.248-08:00The JournalIn early 2016 I started a journal.<br />
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I had never been one to keep journals. I'd tried many times, but it never caught traction. But now I faithfully keep writing a journal, not exactly daily, but frequently. The vast majority of my writing before was fiction, or related to my work, and sometimes poetry.<br />
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While fiction is a very personal endeavor, and one must dig deep into oneself to write it, there is something very special about the self-examination that goes on in a journal. There is something special about being about the ideas, without the worry that the reader will not get what is being said.<br />
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This journal has been an increasing joy for me. It has been a key element in learning more about myself. In the bargain, I'm learning about myself as a writer too. I'm looking back at fiction that I wrote in the past and seeing where I was not being true to myself in what I wrote, and where I was being true. <br />
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And the same can be said of me in general. I'm getting to know myself better, and I'm learning how to peel away the parts of me that I don't think fit, and to grow those parts of me that I have suppressed or neglected.<br />
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The act of writing for myself, thousands of words written in journals, has helped me learn to spend less time trying to perfect what I say, and more time getting ideas out.<br />
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I am coming to view this blog as a means to write in a public setting without editing so heavily. When I kept a blog "back in the day" I was really deliberate and edited my work the way that I would a story I was writing.<br />
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I will certainly edit my blog, but I'm hoping to just share some of my thoughts on life, maybe some of my photographs and poems. My goal is to spend no more than 20 minutes on a post, and let the chips fall where they may.<br />
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In my blog before, I was concerned with trying to get a few readers. And I did get a few readers. Very few...<br />
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Now, inspired by fulfilling act of writing a journal, I'm going to try my hand at writing a public journal. And if my readership improves over the journal, big win. <br />
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Hey, if one person reads this blog, my readership has DOUBLED!<br />
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Happy Saturday from Silicon ValleyCraig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-76617409443184667902016-11-17T06:41:00.001-08:002016-11-17T06:41:37.851-08:00My chosen profession over the past 35 years, is in computer programming. The jobtitles have changed over the years, but it all comes back to making computers do what someone wants them to do. I came to this career almost by accident, but it is something I am suited to, and thoroughly enjoy. It leverages both my technical, and creative tendencies. And it also leverages my tendency to want to help people, as well as solve problems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbc2YQ7a8Pnhpw71dALSRCzTuOG_jgD5WSKytK7qiMA-ZOydNDsiLMfzJ6n7Htus-X10uzZP36RvS2NVuBL7s1jhjjL2AEKajwfuOFgSue-uAczLw9rZBNSeGlLXItcS41xSQ6hgY1I2x/s1600/Flowchart+template+old+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbc2YQ7a8Pnhpw71dALSRCzTuOG_jgD5WSKytK7qiMA-ZOydNDsiLMfzJ6n7Htus-X10uzZP36RvS2NVuBL7s1jhjjL2AEKajwfuOFgSue-uAczLw9rZBNSeGlLXItcS41xSQ6hgY1I2x/s400/Flowchart+template+old+school.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
To do this job, you have to be good at finding root causes and filtering past the static. I recently worked on a problem where the output of a process was almost nonsensical. Years in this profession train the eye to see in unpredictability, certain patterns that lead to the root. Very frequently, a result that looks completely out of whack is just one missing line of code, a small error in language syntax, or the data is formatted slightly wrong.<br />
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The recent problem showed a number of records as duplicates, but they clearly weren't. My understanding of the type of process that was involved implied a possible shift of data. There was enough similarity in the results to say that the process was simply "seeing" the input data wrong.<br />
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After reviewing the data versus the definition of the data structure used to drive the process, I found that indeed a new column of data had been introduced into the input since the program had been written, and this caused a number of columns to shift right, and some of the wrong data was being interpreted. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf22QWPT0OnBVW3jhwtT2z9hmWlveDasdhDeGrZhZT-TzLW2I5EM0vu0S10rfEDdOEF8DEVGPNQZ-d26tYRWJeXg8ixbD4ydzJZP_rtTcI9dkolPM8CaB4E8y-8qF_VknhsFYaarjIrGKg/s1600/Ripple+Effect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf22QWPT0OnBVW3jhwtT2z9hmWlveDasdhDeGrZhZT-TzLW2I5EM0vu0S10rfEDdOEF8DEVGPNQZ-d26tYRWJeXg8ixbD4ydzJZP_rtTcI9dkolPM8CaB4E8y-8qF_VknhsFYaarjIrGKg/s200/Ripple+Effect.jpg" width="200" /></a>These kinds of problems and solutions are common in the job that I do. At the root is knowing to look past the, sometimes massive, ripple effects that can be created by a small error. A pebble sometimes brings what appears to be a tidal wave.<br />
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This is not to say that all of life fits neatly into this mode, but something I do see in relationships of all sorts, is that there is a tendency to get lost in the noise. Once enveloped in this noise, it can be hard to delve deep and find the root source. Often, the root source is much smaller than the final outcome. Often the final outcome can result it the perception that "the whole processe is screwed up!"<br />
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I get that a lot from clients, and it's understandable. They don't spend their time "deep in the details" and processes, they just see the mess at the end. Often, if a small problem remains unchecked, the results of the errant process just get worse and worse over time.<br />
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After the contentious election cycle, I have been trying to get down to the root of all that had happened. Of course, this is not just a simple computer process that can be debugged, but I feel the need to try to unravel all of the vitriol and contention, and help to uncover some root problems. Of course, it is naive to think that it is all so simple, but I think I can benefit from peeling away the layers of frustration and the outwardly vast differences I see, and understand root problems. I know friends from all ends of the political spectrum, and I see so many different reactions to what is happening now. The root causes are often the same, and even the ultimate desire to fix them is the same, but the interpretation both of problem and solution is very different.<br />
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Each morning, I get up and write some of my ideas and observations down. Some are of value, some are red herrings. But that is always part of the process of debugging a flawed process. Our current political process is flawed on so many levels. I know that, as I continue to try to make sense of where we are right now, and how we got here, peeling back the layers is helping me at least in understanding, and understanding is the always first step to finding a reasonable, actionable solution.<br />
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I take comfort in placing the discipline of logic around complex results.<br />
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File under "for what it's worth."Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-45827859450070311332016-11-13T20:10:00.000-08:002016-11-13T20:10:46.715-08:00My last post was September of 2014, over two years ago. I posted about life in the shadow of the loss of my wife DeDe. A post about a trip my kids and I took to Idaho as we took to the task of healing from losing her.<br />
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So much has happened since then. I was a traveler as a young man, before I married, and that became an element of DeDe and my life together after marriage. Raising kids and maintaining a job necessitated a certain stability in my postal addresses at times. Now, with my kids grown, I find myself searching, looking past fixed addresses and just loving the act of discovering new places, new people, new experiences.<br />
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I find myself facing a new day.<br />
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There is a part of me that wants to be carefree and just travel through the rest of my life pursuing my passions. Chase the rising sun, eyes fixed on the sky. But the realities of our current world make it hard to simply follow the things that make me happy. <br />
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These concerns came to a head last week. A president was elected who ran on a platform of exclusion, a man whose rhetoric was at direct odds with my belief that, as our United States forebears asserted, all people are created equal. I believe we have been made great by our very diversity, and that it his growth and inclusion and loving of all people in need that will continue to help us to stay vital in this rapidly changing world.<br />
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I am watching as people who "don't fit the mold" are being singled out and victimized in the shadow of the election, and this infuriates me. I know some amazing people who happen to be Muslim or Hispanic or other groups that have been recent targets. I know some people who do not fit into the simple definition of heterosexual male and female, that live amazing, loving and fine lives, raising families, helping their communities. People who I respect in the highest.<br />
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I look back on the contention of this United States presidential election, and the contention that has continued since, and I try to make sense of it. I try to find my place in it. I see at the foundation a lack of understanding, despite the fact that the challenges that we face are very similar.<br />
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I haven't found an answer, and I'm not even sure I fully understand the questions.<br />
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It will probably not be served by writing a blog that a couple (very nice) people read (and thank you in advance!) But writing has always been a haven for me. As I wrestled with the election process and its ultimate outcome last week, I turned increasingly to writing my ideas down. I thought to post them, but the limited size of a Facebook post would not support the ideas. They would be simply another "run on" post that no one would finish. Why bother?<br />
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So, I am considering writing a blog that no one will read instead!<br />
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A blog about the complexities of a rapidly changing country and the fears we share, or perhaps those where we see things very differently. A blog about being a father to amazing adult children who are struggling with their own challenges. A blog about travel. A blog about food and beer and poetry (not necessarily in that order.)<br />
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A blog about coming together, instead of coming apart. A blog about understanding why there is so much misunderstanding between good people with so very much in common.<br />
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For now, selfishly speaking, it is enough to be considering it. I know that many of you, both in the US, and in other countries share my concerns in your own way, either looking at events in the US, or in your part of the world. Perhaps you are struggling with where you can "go from here" too.<br />
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And maybe it is enough to share these ideas with you now, then see where it goes from there.<br />
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Mostly, I want you, my friends who took the time to read this, to know that I care about you, and I'm thinking of you, in relation to all these things that concern me.<br />
<br />
And I suppose that is "enough said" for now.<br />
<br />
I am thinking of you all, and I am rooting for you, and I'm rooting for us. By creating divisions, we will never really fully grow, it is by creating bridges that we will be unstoppable.<br />
<br />
CraigCraig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-91775347333215419852014-09-27T07:15:00.000-07:002014-09-27T07:15:03.423-07:00Sunrise and SunsetIt may come as a surprise to most of you, but I tend to like a good sunrise.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1b1ILjKXenZmg2dy6jd0UjtQ0uVsA14RkiDiqhmoCPSDjrabH7ZAqNaI-SJhIKiap1hcU10kUAZIYf-svQBebTCqR4YkxvTo3pcjgsrpGWrVEyRft9c-HCaTtwVMQLZ6T9SsR9qvoyssB/s1600/DSC_0867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1b1ILjKXenZmg2dy6jd0UjtQ0uVsA14RkiDiqhmoCPSDjrabH7ZAqNaI-SJhIKiap1hcU10kUAZIYf-svQBebTCqR4YkxvTo3pcjgsrpGWrVEyRft9c-HCaTtwVMQLZ6T9SsR9qvoyssB/s1600/DSC_0867.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
And a good sunset.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qwpG6ThO82u9tkrWATAcAOaF8LBT49YLeOCn-bsOX7HYhyphenhyphenjpLnoHk5q_3chU3zNQtLy1BE7egNDZDBu0FAIx5r9Gq_R2V6WmBfSRHXuloJKDxW2MFSH_0tSXvvGoFR7LEp036mF0OjzX/s1600/DSC_0945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qwpG6ThO82u9tkrWATAcAOaF8LBT49YLeOCn-bsOX7HYhyphenhyphenjpLnoHk5q_3chU3zNQtLy1BE7egNDZDBu0FAIx5r9Gq_R2V6WmBfSRHXuloJKDxW2MFSH_0tSXvvGoFR7LEp036mF0OjzX/s1600/DSC_0945.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Big surprise, right?<br />
<br />
Lucky for me, the average life is blessed with about 25,000 sunrises, and almost exactly the same number of sunsets. As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the change-of-the-guard from day to night and vice-versa. I have a fond memory from when I was around five years old, being the only person in the house who was up, standing at the large front window to a house we lived in only briefly, and watching the sun emerge in the distance.<br />
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I've mused on it in verse and in prose, I've expended more film on it than I care to consider, and now over half of the pictures I have taken on my new camera and my phone are of it.<br />
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I suppose some could say I am descending into obsession.<br />
<br />
So be it.<br />
<br />
This week was great for a sunrise-sunset obsessed man such as me. Beautiful rains masked the sunrise on Thursday, but as so often happens, it gave way to a spectacular display on Friday morning. I spent a lot of time and a significant amount of memory card on Friday's show.<br />
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I suppose I will remain fascinated, passionate, obsessed and in love with the pivot points of each day for as many days as I remain on this earth. And as long as people will put up with it, I'll share that obsession.<br />
<br />
Here is a sample from Friday, September 26th's, morning offering.<br />
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<br />
I love a story with a happy ending... <br />
<br />Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-47547473513509089392014-08-24T09:06:00.000-07:002014-08-24T09:06:59.528-07:00Along the South SideThis was a full week. Considering my recent life, saying this by comparison says a lot.<br />
<br />
Work had some big ups and downs, I bought a new camera, I realized that a planned upcoming trip to be with my brothers is at the same time as some tickets I bought for a concert that I was going to see with my son.<br />
<br />
But all of these things worked out, and beautifully so.<br />
<br />
Then there was this concert here in San Jose on Tuesday. Concerts are fun, they are a great escape, they are a way to get lost in the dynamics of the euphoria of a large group.<br />
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Sometimes concerts are more than this.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MiQbX3WnC6k?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
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Back in April, I bought tickets to see the band <a href="http://www.yesworld.com/">Yes</a> at the Civic Center. Yes has been a part of the soundtrack of my life, and especially of my life with DeDe. And when they said that the band would be performing the albums “Close to the Edge” and “Fragile,” two amazing albums, which we knew would not be easy to pull off live, well DeDe and I had to go.<br />
<br />
If you’ve been following me on Facebook, you probably know that between April and now, I lost my precious lady.<br />
<br />
I didn’t lose the tickets.<br />
<br />
I considered not going for a time. I thought it might be unbearable, less than two months later, to go to an event we had planned with such relish.<br />
<br />
Loss of a loved one affirms the power of the human memory in a jarring way. It plays on us through the grieving and the growing in the days that come after the loved one is gone. It stabs us and strokes us in the many difficult and mundane things we need to take care of in the short shadow after that person has said thier last goodbye. <br />
<br />
My daughter Cyn, a bonafide Prog Rock fan, and very much her mother’s daughter, agreed to come along with me. We ate some tasty food at the venue and thoroughly enjoyed the opening act, <a href="http://sydarthur.co.uk/">Syd Arthur</a>, who we met when Cyn bought their two albums and had the band members sign them.<br />
<br />
And though Yes had band members who were not on the main two albums they played (Jon Davison on vocals, Alan White on drums, Geoff Downes on keyboards) every one of them “brought it.” <br />
<br />
Chris Squire, a bassist extraordinaire, is also a great performer and brought many a laugh intermingled with displaying his virtuoso style. The way he played a sweet little bass progression to the hushed audience, then he looked out at the crowd and lifted his right eyebrow about a quarter of an inch was priceless, and brought a convulsive laugh from me.<br />
<br />
Steve Howe is the ultimate “cool nerd.” The guitar geek in me appreciated how he used a modern modeling guitar and amp rig to coax the many sounds that he provided in the original albums. The way he goaded an authentic twelve string acoustic tone from the little electric six string guitar reaffirmed his ever-present musical sleight-of-hand. His slight frame, and the way he looked out over the crowd through his thick glasses, was a wonderful counterpoint to hefty and charismatic Squire who roamed the other side of the stage working the crowd. <br />
<br />
I am so, so grateful that I went to the show, and so grateful to have Cyn as company. At times, I got lost in the music.<br />
<br />
Other times I stared at the rafters of the Civic Center and thought back in time.<br />
<br />
The band Yes has moved on, and continues these many years past their forming back in the 1960s. Do they sound the same as they did back then?<br />
<br />
Yes and no.<br />
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But in the end, with their white hair and aging bodies, they managed to rock it, and bring the Civic center to life with music and life.<br />
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As I listened to “South Side of the Sky,” I was transported back to a barracks room in Augsburg West Germany, listening to one of my favorite albums of all time through my Bose 501 speakers, admiring the many amazing sounds and the orchestration of the music with a lady who would soon be my wife.<br />
<br />
The barracks are now gone. The band Yes has changed. Even West Germany is materially changed, now reunited with the East.<br />
<br />
I believe in an afterlife, and so though my lady’s physical presence is gone, I also know that this is just another change. I felt her along with me at the Civic Center.<br />
<br />
<i>The moments seemed lost in all the noise</i><br />
<i>A snow storm, a stimulating voice</i><br />
<i>Of warmth of the sky, of warmth when you die</i><br />
<br />
<i>Were we ever warmer on that day?</i><br />
<i>A million miles away we seemed from all of eternity</i><br />
<br />(From Yes, <i>Fragile</i>, “South Side of the Sky”)<br />
<br />
This week ended with an earthquake that shook Silicon Valley. I don’t report this from my own eyewitness account, but from third party reports, including Cyn who posted to Facebook. <br />
<br />
I slept right through it.<br />
<br />
Life goes on around us; some small things burrow into us, some big things slip right by. Seldom do we really control which is which, and the best thing we can do is strap in as best as we can and continue to ride along to the next mile-marker.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-59137642910785170572014-08-15T21:14:00.000-07:002014-08-15T21:14:58.758-07:00A Full Day in SVIt was a full day indeed.<br />
<br />
It started early (like they always do) with some work to catch up on. Got a lot accomplished. Flash forward a couple hours, and I see the sky getting vibrant outside - a particularly beautiful sunrise emerging. <br />
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Ran some errands around town, then came back and helped my son with his car. Bought tickets to see Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Steve Winwood in October, then went to work.<br />
<br />
The evening was lovely, having a nice dinner with my other son, then out for a walk. Now, I'm back home with a cold beer in my hand. Well, cold beer is not in my hand RIGHT now, as it's hard to touch type with one of those like that.<br />
<br />
Any-who, all in all, a great day.<br />
<br />
But the funny thing (funny peculiar, not funny ha-ha) was this deep, burrowing depression in the middle of the day. Only lasted a few hours, but it was so intense. To some degree, these come and go in my recent times, but it was strange how it popped in during a great day. Or maybe it was the greatness of the day bookending the depression.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QVMG0CuIJYVCgFcqlxX8QkxmlncWrHbbxva9QoXDRjBOZ8DN0QoKiQKERrc_jJnEynADMt7T2uhrawtmW6n4Sc_RfvDJmiFUh8iDEWr1gGyA2GTtxDPYEoEPd3UZOgcoqMoD0vvJXTRC/s1600/DeDe+and+Craig+2001+by+Cyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QVMG0CuIJYVCgFcqlxX8QkxmlncWrHbbxva9QoXDRjBOZ8DN0QoKiQKERrc_jJnEynADMt7T2uhrawtmW6n4Sc_RfvDJmiFUh8iDEWr1gGyA2GTtxDPYEoEPd3UZOgcoqMoD0vvJXTRC/s1600/DeDe+and+Craig+2001+by+Cyn.jpg" height="320" width="218" /></a><br />
As I wrote her obituary in July, I had the phrase go through my head, "had I known her for just six months in the spring of 1981, I would certainly remembered her for the rest of my life, and been grateful for the brief friendship. To have had 33 years, and a family, and to have shared so many joys and sorrows, is a gift beyond measure. With that in mind, how could I be anything but grateful?"<br />
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And I am. <br />
<br />
It still hurts. <br />
<br />
But I am most grateful.Craig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017366256682446725.post-83846318327499416422014-08-08T21:35:00.000-07:002014-08-08T21:39:19.650-07:00Empty Bottle Blues<br />
Empty Bottle Blues
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©2014 Craig Sorensen<br />
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Somehow<br />
The setting sun<br />
turned the clouds<br />
<br />
Eggshell white<br />
charcoal grey<br />
tarnished silver<br />
<br />
Between them<br />
a cobalt blue<br />
empty bottle<br />
<br />
Scent still strong<br />
a rich bay breeze<br />
<br />
Recalls the<br />
contents<br />
<br />
Too recently<br />
<br />
EvacuatedCraig Sorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101869420537661374noreply@blogger.com0