Meet the Silver Lining

It's been a sleep-deprived few months for me. We married off our oldest child and only daughter (blinking back a tear!), we've been prepping our house for sale (where did all this junk come from?), I facilitated the move of the office across campus to a space at about half the size but with at least twice the challenges (including a sporadically functioning elevator!), and last week I was graced with a head cold.

But today, instead of bemoaning my losses (in no particular order)...daughter, house, office, things I can't even think of because lack of sleep has destroyed so many brain cells...I've decided to look for the silver lining!  

So let me think...until recently, I'd been getting quite a bit of exercise, I've lost 2.5 pounds, the housing market is picking up, and oh yeah, I've gained a son-in-law!  

About a year and half ago the future son-in-law sent me this text,

So you, mike, and I need to sit down and have a talk about my intentions soon. When's good for you? 

We planned a lunch at Applebee's in response and enjoyed a nice meal with light conversation. We paid the check and the three of us just sat there in silence. And just when I thought we'd be heading back to work unrewarded, Curt asked our permission to marry Chelsea. While it may seem old-fashioned, we were thoroughly impressed!

It's been a great 2 1/2 years getting to know Curt and his family: Scott & Carol, Paul & Kristen, and Ryan & Bonnie. It's been easy to like Curt from the beginning...he's smart, funny, thoughtful, and laughs at my jokes (or at least he's kind enough to humor me...pun intended)! But most of all, it's obvious that he loves our daughter with all his heart!

So everyone please welcome the newest member of our family, Curt James Toppin. And while I'm not in any hurry, I can't help but smile at the prospect of curly-haired grandchildren ;)

Welcome to our family Curt!

The Toppin Clan

Throwing out my smartphone...kinda!

As I got frustrated that the newest app on my smartphone wasn't working, I asked myself what I did before I had a smartphone. Then I wondered what did I do before I had a cellphone. Life was much simpler before my cellphone was constantly alerting me to stuff or tempting me to check something like email, Facebook, weather, the list is limited only by the apps installed. And while I don't think I could do without a cellphone entirely, I do feel the need for less distractions, not to mention the cost of having multiple data-based devices.

So here's my theory...I'm going to remove all the extra apps from my smartphone, leaving just the basic items that any phone would have like texting, and oh yes, voice dialing. I have a Mini iPad to use for recreation, organization, and productivity and plan to use that instead of my cellphone. At least if I use my iPad, it will be a conscious choice, not my phone beeping (ie interrupting my life) about every post and email and alert...every minute of every day (and night, too)!

I've always been the first to show off the newest tech toys, but this experiment is designed to help me find a way to use my technology to enhance rather than distract from my life. Here I go, the data is off, the apps are next...old-school, here we come!

Reporting live on the Amtrak...rude Americans abound!

Working in the Study Abroad field, I am constantly reminded that many other cultures/countries find Americans rude. As I sit on an Amtrak train waiting to pull out of Chicago's Union Station, I might have to agree. Since rude implies intent, I could go with oblivious, but the end result is the same...annoying others with selfish behavior.

The annoyance began on the trip to Chicago as we were waiting to board the train in Ottumwa, Iowa. The train was very delayed due to wether which left the waiting room full of noisy patrons for longer than normal. One pair of older gentleman talked so loud, despite sitting right next to each other, that I could hear them over the loud music pulsing through my headphones.

On the train, a man sitting across from us had a loud ring tone, which obviously wasn't silenced, and he proceeded to repeated phone conversations in a normal tone. Add in the music and movie that was playing out loud somewhere nearby behind us, and we were faced with at least 3 sources of rude/oblivious behavior.

Back in the the more recent past, we cued up in a cattle-style waiting area in the Amtrak terminal about two hours ago. Despite being nearly packed with more than an hour until departure, a single traveller sat taking up 3 seats, his briefcase and some other items taking up the two chairs on either side of him. Eventually he moved his stuff from one of the seats so a family of 5 could have 2 seats together. But he didn't bother to move over to allow them 3 seats which lead to the remaining children just standing or sitting in the already overcrowded aisle.

So we boarded the train and proceeded to get comfortable for the 5 hour trip home. As a parent, I'm fairly tolerant of traveling children, but that courtesy does not extend to rude/oblivious parents. A cute little boy one seat ahead of us started his DVD player. Mom sat next to him with a pair of $200 Beats headphones plugged into her smartphone while the boys watched his movie out loud. A woman behind us started a loud, argumentative conversation.

I make a conscious effort to put my mobile on vibrate, I text instead of talking, and I use headphones if I'm listening to a movie or music. I've learned not to travel without the means to block out the rude/oblivious, but why should the burden be on me to compensate for their selfish actions? It shouldn't, and this weekend's travels just serve to remind me to pay attention to how my actions affect others around me, especially while traveling!