39 weeks later…

Well, I guess 39 weeks after my last post is better than 40?

What’s new? It’s a typical question when you see someone you haven’t chatted with in awhile. It’s what you say when you don’t know how to start off the conversation right? Well, my brain has a hard time with this one. Nicole probably sees this more obviously than anyone else, not sure if others do, so since I’m now just past a 1/3 into my expected life (another story, but I like the loophole), I’ll throw it out to those that actually want to come read this.

What’s new paradox: Well, everything really, or at least a WHOLE lot. I mean cells get replaced often, some not so often but of course this isn’t what we mean here is it. My brain wraps into technical, then tries to figure out this human experience, then remembers we have emotions.

So then what does this person want to know? I got a new deodorant stick this past week, cause my old one just ran out. Nope, that probably isn’t it either, but it’s still new!

How about this new bruise I got on my knee? Maybe? I mean if it’s just another small bruise where you bumped a table, does anyone really care? Probably not, BUT! what if it’s a BIG one? or you have LOTS? does this relate to others? Are they on blood thinners too? Or know someone who is? Well, I guess that’s a bit of a conversation. And if it’s the 10th time you’ve talked about it in the past week, even if it’s a new person your telling, do you get annoyed? I tend to as that makes the conversation not really new…???… at least to me.

But what about this entirely new experience or a new vehicle or this trip to the beach? It’s interesting to me, it’s all relative right?

If I’m talking to someone who works for National Geographic and takes trips all over to photograph thing most people rarely see, why would they care about a new experience? Or maybe they do because they want to talk about how it made them feel and see if it matches what you feel?

If I’m talking to a friend who is a car salesman about my new car, do they get tired of talking cars? Or is this why they do what they do? They love talking cars so much they want to know every detail.

What about someone who lives on the beach? Do they want to hear about my trip to the beach and how sand feels barefoot? Or do they want to know about the tree house trip deep in a national forest on top of mountains?

Interesting isn’t it? How one small little thing can be something that gets two people to completely relate to each other, or make one person lose interest in the conversation quickly.

This topic probably has done the same thing, some may have stopped reading by now, others might be thinking more about it. Maybe ignorance is bliss in many cases, maybe learning everything about everything is really the goal.

I’m not going to pull in a big political debate or conversation here, that’s for another place. Just this: One statement is not enough for any human thought, there is no common knowledge when there is more than your immediate group, and since we can’t mind meld discussion and talk is our only option.

And if you don’t know me, talking is not something I typically like to do. I’d rather play, experience, do and observe. But sometimes I do.

I think I’ve written enough, so I’ll do the bullet points of life in the past 39 weeks:

• November: short stays in MI, IL, MO, MS – lots of prep for 2020 FRC!
• December: short stays in AL, IN, IL, MO, IN – holiday season and getting ready for Australia
• Jan – Feb: short stay in NH then almost 6 weeks in Surry Hills, NSW Australia – FRC kickoff, FTA training, learning what it’s like to really live in Australia
• end of Feb – Mar: short stay in Taipei, Taiwan before what was supposed to be the Taichung FRC regional, but that’s when everything started to change globally
• March: short stay in Thirroul, NSW since we had to come back early, then to Wentworth Point, NSW, the planned stay during the Australia FRC events.
• April: Stuck in Wentworth point. Not officially, but had flights cancelled, events cancelled, pandemic expanding, so the smart play seemed to hunker down and not move
• May: Same thing, didn’t go really anywhere, some walks on walking paths so long as people were spread out. Trips that were planned to visit my parents got cancelled, just like so many other things.
• June: Took the option of flying back to the US because (1. 90 day limit was nearing for our Visa, 2. application for extended stay Visa was only option to stay, it was ~$700 for us to apply and no promise we get it), then hunker down in a small town for the month
• July: Since we pretty much self quarantined for a month, back to IN to visit work in person and see “what’s new”. Then to MI for my now yearly cardiologist appointment. 41 years old and I now get 2 doctors to see each year for checkups, not counting the dentist.
• August: that’s now! But, next step, edge of Lake of the Ozarks where we can do the self quarantine thing again. It’s easier when no one is near by.

And, as pictures say 1000 words (probably different words to each person…) here is a bunch of pictures.

November – Warmth to Cold!

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OH! We did see Hamilton!

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December: apparently didn’t take many…

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January:

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Australia day! (another difference of relative point of view, maybe it shouldn’t be on 1/26?)

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February:

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March:

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April: not much action outside, one longer hike for a shipped package and the entrance to the shopping center next door.

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May: Lots more no movement, but flew out on the 31st

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June: More isolation after returning…

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And the rest is fish pictures, as you can tell I like fishing, all these are catch and release:

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And if you are still reading, here’s that bruise I referenced at the beginning, this is after it was healing, didn’t think to take pictures to start…