Yesterday evening I took a quick helicopter flight around the area of Sedona Arizona.  It was my first time ever flying in a helicopter; and even though I was cramped in the back seat, four of us were sitting across, and I had to sit through a time-share presentation to get the flight at an…

Today I am in Sedona Arizona.  I spent the day hiking around several different trails.  I understand why people are attracted to Sedona; forget the vortexes that are supposed to be here, this place is beautiful.  The beauty that surrounds this city is just incredible.  I am so grateful for my partner who brought me…

Last night I was watching a show on PBS about an alien object that had entered our solar system.  Scientist predicted that it had come from another solar system that was eight billion years older than ours.  That is hard to imagine.  As I pursue my new career and life on the oceans I still…

I have survived another year.  I am another year older and another year wiser.  Looking back on the year 2022, there are a lot of good people that I have met and a lot of lessons that I have learned. The year 2023 I am anxious to share my experiences with others, to help educate…

This weekend will mark the transition from the years 2022 to 2023.  This has been quite a year!  This past month I graduated from Orange Coast College with an Associates of Science degree in Professional Mariner Activities and already there are opportunities opening up for me.  I officiated on several national soccer tournaments, meeting other…

It is another day after the holiday; the majority of our country is experiencing a major winter storm.  There are a lot of flights delayed and canceled, some people have died because of the storm.  It is a little cloudy where I live, but the sun is up and I am alive.  It is a…

And so I am grateful for another year in my life.  I have had a great day so far and a wonderful birthday week.  I am grateful for that as well.  I look forward to tomorrow and to this next year.

Today I am writing this from my room in Cabo San Lucas; yes I am blessed.  I am so grateful that Grace arranged this trip for us.  It is a trip of relaxation and recharging; this is what we are doing.  Okay, there is some work being done, but very little.  We are meeting new…

Today I took my last written final for my Professional Mariner Activities degree; Saturday I have a class but no test.  I am so grateful for all of the things that I have learned in the program at Orange Coast College; I am grateful for the people, (both instructors and students) that I have met. …

Today I drove with Grace down to San Diego to the Training Resources Maritime Institute.  The purpose of this trip was to spend half of a day training how to put fires out on a ship, in tight spaces.  Decked out in Fire Turnout Suits with breathing apparatus’ strapped to my back, I followed my…

With all of the World Cup Hype that is going on, I almost forgot that I needed to reregister with the United States Soccer Federation as a referee.  This is something that has to be done every year; a background check and completing a series of written/online tests and depending on your level of officiating,…

Two very special things happened today, that I am so very grateful for. The first is….The United States Men’s Soccer team won their third game of the group stage at the FIFA World Cup Tournament; this means that they now advance on to the group of Sixteen, better know as the Knock Out Stage.  The…