diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11')
5 files changed, 944 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/halloween.html b/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/halloween.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3fc99cf --- /dev/null +++ b/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/halloween.html @@ -0,0 +1,374 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html +class="detail single" dir="ltr" lang="en-US"> + +<head> + <title>Halloween - by Scott Gilbertson</title> + <meta charset="utf-8"> + <meta http-equiv="x-ua-compatible" content="ie=edge"> + <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> + <meta name="description" + content="Every Halloween I complain about how hot it is. I don't actually recall this, but my wife does and reviewing some pictures from the last four years reveal that jackets have not been worn on Halloween in recent times."> + <meta name="author" content="Scott Gilbertson"> + <link rel="alternate" + type="application/rss+xml" + title="Luxagraf RSS feed" + href="https://luxagraf.net/rss/"> + <link rel="stylesheet" + href="/media/screenv9.css" + media="screen"> + <link rel="stylesheet" href="/media/print.css" media="print" title="print" /> + <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> + <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json" /> + <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://stats.luxagraf.net"> + + <link rel="canonical" href="https://luxagraf.net/jrnl/2016/11/halloween" /> + <meta name="ICBM" content="33.95636176760647, -83.40707773513215" /> + <meta name="geo.position" content="33.95636176760647; -83.40707773513215" /> + <meta name="geo.placename" content="Athens, "> + <meta name="geo.region" content="-"> + <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> + <meta property="og:title" content="Halloween" /> + <meta property="og:url" content="https://luxagraf.net/jrnl/2016/11/halloween" /> + <meta property="og:description" content="Every Halloween I complain about how hot it is. I don't actually recall this, but my wife does and reviewing some pictures from the last four years reveal that jackets have not been worn on Halloween in recent times." /> + <meta property="article:published_time" content="2016-11-14T22:41:54" /> + <meta property="article:author" content="Scott Gilbertson" /> + <meta property="og:site_name" content="Luxagraf" /> + <meta property="og:image" content="/media/images/post-images/2016/halloween.jpg" /> + <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" /> + <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> + <meta name="twitter:description" content="Every Halloween I complain about how hot it is. I don't actually recall this, but my wife does and reviewing some pictures from the last four years reveal that jackets have not been worn on Halloween in recent times."/> + <meta name="twitter:title" content="Halloween"/> + <meta name="twitter:site" content="@luxagraf"/> + <meta name="twitter:domain" content="luxagraf"/> + <meta name="twitter:image:src" content="/media/images/post-images/2016/halloween.jpg"/> + <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@luxagraf"/> +<script type="application/ld+json"> +{ + "@context": "https://schema.org", + "@type": "Article", + "mainEntityOfPage": { + "@type": "WebPage", + "@id": "https://luxagraf.net/jrnl/2016/11/halloween" + }, + "headline": "Halloween", + "datePublished": "2016-11-14T22:41:54+04:00", + "dateModified": "2016-11-14T22:41:54+04:00", + "author": { + "@type": "Person", + "name": "Scott Gilbertson" + }, + "publisher": { + "@type": "Organization", + "name": "Luxagraf", + "logo": { + "@type": "ImageObject", + "url": "https://luxagraf.net/media/img/logo-white.jpg" + } + }, + "description": "Every Halloween I complain about how hot it is. I don't actually recall this, but my wife does and reviewing some pictures from the last four years reveal that jackets have not been worn on Halloween in recent times." +} +</script> + +</head> +<body > + <div class="wrapper" id="wrapper"> + <div class="header-wrapper"> + <header class="site-banner"> + <div id="logo"> + <a href="/" title="Home">Luxagraf</a> + <span class="sitesubtitle">Walk Slowly</span> + </div> + <nav> + <ul> + <li><a href="/jrnl/" title="Stories of life on the road.">Jrnl</a> & <a href="/field-notes/" title="Short stories, snapshots of daily life on the road.">Field Notes</a></li> + <li><a href="/guide/" title="Advice, Tools, Tips and Tricks for Full Time Van or RV Life.">Guides</a></li> + <li><a href="/newsletter/" title="The 'friends of a long year' newsletter">newsletter</a></li> + <li><a href="/about" title="About Scott">About</a></li> + </ul> + </nav> + </header> + </div> + <ol class="bl" id="breadcrumbs" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/BreadcrumbList"> + <li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"><a itemprop="item" href="/"><span itemprop="name">Home</span></a> → + <meta itemprop="position" content="1" /> + </li> + <li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"> + + <a href="/jrnl/" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">jrnl</span></a> + <meta itemprop="position" content="2" /> + <meta itemprop="position" content="2" /> + </li> + </ol> + + + <main> + <article class="h-entry hentry entry-content content" itemscope itemType="http://schema.org/BlogPosting"> + <header id="header" class="post-header "> + <h1 class="p-name entry-title post-title" itemprop="headline">Halloween</h1> + + <div class="post-linewrapper"> + <div class="p-location h-adr adr post-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"> + <h3 class="h-adr" itemprop="address" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/PostalAddress"><span class="p-locality locality" itemprop="addressLocality">Athens</span>, <a class="p-region region" href="/jrnl/united-states/" title="travel writing from the United States">Georgia</a>, <span class="p-country-name" itemprop="addressCountry">U.S.</span></h3> + – <a href="" onclick="showMap(33.95636176760647, -83.40707773513215, { type:'point', lat:'33.95636176760647', lon:'-83.40707773513215'}); return false;" title="see a map">Map</a> + </div> + <time class="dt-published published dt-updated post-date" datetime="2016-11-14T22:41:54" itemprop="datePublished">November <span>14, 2016</span></time> + <span class="hide" itemprop="author" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">by <a class="p-author h-card" href="/about"><span itemprop="name">Scott Gilbertson</span></a></span> + </div> + </header> + <div id="article" class="e-content entry-content post--body post--body--single" itemprop="articleBody"> + <p>Every Halloween I complain about how hot it is. I don’t actually recall this, but my wife does and reviewing some pictures from the last four years reveal that jackets have not been worn on Halloween in recent times. Photos from 2002, however, show plenty of jackets in evidence. Something to think about. This is why the kids carved pumpkins in their underwear.</p> +<div class="cluster"> + + <a href="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-27_152131_halloween.jpg" title="view larger image "> + <img class=" " sizes="(max-width: 1439px) 100vw, (min-width: 1440px) 1440px" srcset="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_152131_halloween_picwide-sm.jpg 720w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_152131_halloween_picwide-med.jpg 1170w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_152131_halloween_picwide.jpg 2880w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_152131_halloween_pic5.jpg 648w" src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_152131_halloween_picwide-med.jpg" src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_152131_halloween_picwide.jpg" alt="Carving pumpkins photographed by luxagraf" data-jslghtbx="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-27_152131_halloween.jpg" data-jslghtbx-group="group" ></a> + + +<span class="row-2"> + + + <a href="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-27_153405_halloween.jpg" title="view larger image "> + <img class="pic33 " src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_153405_halloween_pic33.jpg" alt="Pumpkin race photographed by luxagraf" data-jslghtbx="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-27_153405_halloween.jpg" data-jslghtbx-group="group" ></a> + + + + +<figure class="pic33"> + <a href="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-27_153154_halloween.jpg" title="view larger image "> + <img class=" " src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_153154_halloween_pic33.jpg" alt="Hugs photographed by luxagraf" data-jslghtbx="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-27_153154_halloween.jpg" data-jslghtbx-group="group" data-jslghtbx-caption=""They're just so pretty I want to hug them""></a> +<figcaption>“They’re just so pretty I want to hug them”</figcaption> +</figure> + + +</span> + + + <a href="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-27_153423_halloween.jpg" title="view larger image "> + <img class=" " sizes="(max-width: 1439px) 100vw, (min-width: 1440px) 1440px" srcset="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_153423_halloween_picwide-sm.jpg 720w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_153423_halloween_picwide-med.jpg 1170w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_153423_halloween_picwide.jpg 2880w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_153423_halloween_pic66.jpg 820w" src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_153423_halloween_picwide-med.jpg" src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-27_153423_halloween_picwide.jpg" alt="Pumpkin admiration photographed by luxagraf" data-jslghtbx="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-27_153423_halloween.jpg" data-jslghtbx-group="group" ></a> + + +</div> + +<p>I suspect this mis-memory of cold Halloweens is because I grew up in the Los Angeles area and always desperately wanted it to be cold for Halloween, but of course it never was. I finally get somewhere that it does actually get cold sometimes and I project Halloween into that world. </p> +<p>Unsurprisingly, for my wife anyway, it was hot on Halloween again this year. </p> +<p>That did not stop our peacock, mouse and shirtless-peacock-owl-creature from taking the streets by storm.</p> +<div class="picwide"> + <a itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" href="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-31_182338_halloween.jpg " title="view larger image"> + <img class="u-photo" itemprop="contentUrl" sizes="(max-width: 1439px) 100vw, (min-width: 1440px) 1440px" srcset="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_182338_halloween_picwide-sm.jpg 720w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_182338_halloween_picwide-med.jpg 1170w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_182338_halloween_picwide.jpg 2880w" src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_182338_halloween_picwide-med.jpg" alt="None photographed by luxagraf" data-jslghtbx="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-31_182338_halloween.jpg" data-jslghtbx-group="group" > + </a> +</div> + +<div class="picwide"> + <a itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" href="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-31_184343_halloween.jpg " title="view larger image"> + <img class="u-photo" itemprop="contentUrl" sizes="(max-width: 1439px) 100vw, (min-width: 1440px) 1440px" srcset="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_184343_halloween_picwide-sm.jpg 720w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_184343_halloween_picwide-med.jpg 1170w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_184343_halloween_picwide.jpg 2880w" src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_184343_halloween_picwide-med.jpg" alt="None photographed by luxagraf" data-jslghtbx="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-31_184343_halloween.jpg" data-jslghtbx-group="group" > + </a> +</div> + +<div class="picwide"> + <a itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" href="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-31_184351_halloween.jpg " title="view larger image"> + <img class="u-photo" itemprop="contentUrl" sizes="(max-width: 1439px) 100vw, (min-width: 1440px) 1440px" srcset="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_184351_halloween_picwide-sm.jpg 720w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_184351_halloween_picwide-med.jpg 1170w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_184351_halloween_picwide.jpg 2880w" src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_184351_halloween_picwide-med.jpg" alt="None photographed by luxagraf" data-jslghtbx="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-31_184351_halloween.jpg" data-jslghtbx-group="group" > + </a> +</div> + +<div class="picwide"> + <a itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" href="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-31_191203_halloween.jpg " title="view larger image"> + <img class="u-photo" itemprop="contentUrl" sizes="(max-width: 1439px) 100vw, (min-width: 1440px) 1440px" srcset="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_191203_halloween_picwide-sm.jpg 720w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_191203_halloween_picwide-med.jpg 1170w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_191203_halloween_picwide.jpg 2880w" src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2016-10-31_191203_halloween_picwide-med.jpg" alt="None photographed by luxagraf" data-jslghtbx="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2016-10-31_191203_halloween.jpg" data-jslghtbx-group="group" > + </a> +</div> + +<p>Two weeks later though it’s dipping down to the mid 30s at night and I still haven’t turned on the heat<sup id="fnref:1"><a class="footnote-ref" href="#fn:1" rel="footnote">1</a></sup>. Our house is so well insulated that as long as it hits 70 during the day we’re fine without heat. We do some baking, make all day soups and roasts that heat the house while they cook. The way your grandmother used to.</p> +<p>We won’t have heat in the bus so we may as well toughen up a bit while we can. And we do, until the first cloudy day that doesn’t crest the 60 degree mark. I give in and call the gas company, but it’s five days before they can come out. We warm up using a borrowed space heater.</p> +<p>Then a couple days later it’s back to hot. The Salvation Army bell ringer is dripping sweating standing five feet from the air conditioned interior of Bells Grocery and I seriously consider calling the gas company to say, “forget it”. Cold feels more like a novelty around here with every passing year. Sometimes I think we should revel in it, make sure we have strong memories of it. But of course we have a house to sell and not everyone thinks the way I do — so on it goes.</p> +<div class="footnote"> +<hr> +<ol> +<li id="fn:1"> +<p>Since the only gas in our house is the heater it’s cheaper to shut it down for the 9 months we don’t need it then it is to pay the “base” charge and taxes for 9 months. <a class="footnote-backref" href="#fnref:1" rev="footnote" title="Jump back to footnote 1 in the text">↩</a></p> +</li> +</ol> +</div> + </div> + <div class="entry-footer"> + <aside id="wildlife"> + <h3>Fauna and Flora</h3> + + <ul> + + <li class="grouper">Birds<ul> + + <li>American Robin </li> + + <li>Blue Jay </li> + + <li>Brown-headed Cowbird </li> + + <li><a href="/dialogues/brown-thrasher">Brown Thrasher</a> </li> + + <li>Canada Goose </li> + + <li>Carolina Chickadee </li> + + <li>Chipping Sparrow </li> + + <li>Downy Woodpecker </li> + + <li>Eastern Bluebird </li> + + <li>Eastern Towhee </li> + + <li>Gray Catbird </li> + + <li>Great Blue Heron </li> + + <li>Hooded Warbler </li> + + <li><a href="/dialogues/northern-cardinal">Northern Cardinal</a> </li> + + <li><a href="/dialogues/northern-mockingbird">Northern Mockingbird</a> </li> + + <li>Red-bellied Woodpecker </li> + + <li><a href="/dialogues/summer-tanager">Summer Tanager</a> </li> + + <li>Tufted Titmouse </li> + + <li>Wood Duck </li> + + <li>Yellow-rumped Warbler </li> + </ul> + </ul> + </aside> + + + </div> + </article> + + + <div class="nav-wrapper"> + <nav id="page-navigation" > + <ul> + <li id="prev"><span class="bl">Previous:</span> + <a href="/jrnl/2016/10/useless-stuff" rel="prev" title=" Useless Stuff">Useless Stuff</a> + </li> + <li id="next"><span class="bl">Next:</span> + <a href="/jrnl/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect" rel="next" title=" Nothing is Finished, Nothing is Perfect">Nothing is Finished, Nothing is Perfect</a> + </li> + </ul> + </nav> + </div> + + + + +<p class="comments--header" style="text-align: center">Sorry, comments have been disabled for this post.</p> + +</main> + + + + <footer class="bl"> + <ul class="footer-nav"> + <li><a href="/blogroll" title="Sites that inspire us">Blogroll</a></li> + <li><a href="/contact/" title="contact luxagraf">Contact</a></li> + <li>Follow Along: + <ul> + <li><a href="/jrnl/feed.xml" title="RSS feed">RSS</a></li> + <li><a href="/newsletter/" title="Luxagraf Email Updates">Email</a></li> + <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/luxagraf" rel="me" title="luxagraf on Instagram">Instagram</a></li> + </ul> + </ul> + <div class="support">Support luxagraf: + <div class="donate-btn"> + <form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top"> + <input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick"> + <input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="HYJFZQSBGJ8QQ"> + <input type="submit" name="submit" title="Donate to luxagraf via PayPal"> + </form> + </div> + <div class="donate-btn"> + <a class="liberapay-btn" href="https://liberapay.com/luxagraf/donate"><span>Donate</span></a> + </div> + </div> + <p id="license"> + © 2003-2020 + <span class="h-card"><a class="p-name u-url" href="https://luxagraf.net/">Scott Gilbertson</a><data class="p-nickname" value="luxagraf"></data><data class="p-locality" value="Athens"></data><data class="p-region" value="Georgia"></data><data class="p-country-name" value="United States"></data></span>. + </p> + </footer> + </div> + +<script> +document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) { + var leaflet = document.createElement('script'); + leaflet.src = "/media/js/leaflet-master/leaflet-mod.js"; + document.body.appendChild(leaflet); + var lightbox = document.createElement('script'); + lightbox.src = "/media/js/lightbox.js"; + document.body.appendChild(lightbox); + leaflet.onload = function(){ + var detail = document.createElement('script'); + detail.src = "/media/js/detail.min.js"; + document.body.appendChild(detail); + + detail.onload = function(){ + createMap(); + var open = false; + } + + } + + lightbox.onload = function() { + var opts= { + //nextOnClick: false, + captions: true, + onload: function(){ + var im = document.getElementById("jslghtbx-contentwrapper"); + var link = im.appendChild(document.createElement('a')) + link.href = im.firstChild.src; + link.innerHTML= "open "; + link.target = "_blank"; + link.setAttribute('class', 'p-link'); + im.appendChild(link); + } + }; + var lightbox = new Lightbox(); + lightbox.load(opts); + } + + + +}); +</script> + +<script> +<!-- +// Register our service-worker +//if (navigator.serviceWorker) { +// window.addEventListener('load', function() { +// if (navigator.serviceWorker.controller) { +// navigator.serviceWorker.controller.postMessage({'command': 'trimCaches'}); +// } else { +// navigator.serviceWorker.register('/serviceworker.js', { +// scope: '/' +// }); +// } +// }); +//} +//--> + +<!-- Piwik --> +var _paq = _paq || []; +_paq.push(["disableCookies"]); +_paq.push(['trackPageView']); +_paq.push(['enableLinkTracking']); +(function() { + var u="https://stats.luxagraf.net/"; + _paq.push(['setTrackerUrl', u+'piwik.php']); + _paq.push(['setSiteId', 1]); + var d=document, g=d.createElement('script'), s=d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; + g.type='text/javascript'; g.async=true; g.defer=true; g.src=u+'piwik.js'; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s); + })(); +<!-- End Piwik Code --> +</script> +<noscript><p><img src="//stats.luxagraf.net/piwik.php?idsite=1" style="border:0;" alt="" /></p></noscript> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/halloween.txt b/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/halloween.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..80fd7a6 --- /dev/null +++ b/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/halloween.txt @@ -0,0 +1,36 @@ +Halloween +========= + + by Scott Gilbertson + </jrnl/2016/11/halloween> + Monday, 14 November 2016 + +Every Halloween I complain about how hot it is. I don't actually recall this, but my wife does and reviewing some pictures from the last four years reveal that jackets have not been worn on Halloween in recent times. Photos from 2002, however, show plenty of jackets in evidence. Something to think about. This is why the kids carved pumpkins in their underwear.
+
+<div class="cluster">
+<img src="images/2016/2016-10-27_152131_halloween.jpg" id="image-191" class="cluster picwide" />
+<span class="row-2">
+<img src="images/2016/2016-10-27_153405_halloween.jpg" id="image-193" class="cluster pic33" />
+<img src="images/2016/2016-10-27_153154_halloween.jpg" id="image-192" class="cluster pic33 caption" />
+</span>
+<img src="images/2016/2016-10-27_153423_halloween.jpg" id="image-194" class="cluster picwide" />
+</div>
+
+I suspect this mis-memory of cold Halloweens is because I grew up in the Los Angeles area and always desperately wanted it to be cold for Halloween, but of course it never was. I finally get somewhere that it does actually get cold sometimes and I project Halloween into that world.
+
+Unsurprisingly, for my wife anyway, it was hot on Halloween again this year.
+
+That did not stop our peacock, mouse and shirtless-peacock-owl-creature from taking the streets by storm.
+
+<img src="images/2016/2016-10-31_182338_halloween.jpg" id="image-197" class="picwide" />
+<img src="images/2016/2016-10-31_184343_halloween.jpg" id="image-198" class="picwide" />
+<img src="images/2016/2016-10-31_184351_halloween.jpg" id="image-199" class="picwide" />
+<img src="images/2016/2016-10-31_191203_halloween.jpg" id="image-200" class="picwide" />
+
+Two weeks later though it's dipping down to the mid 30s at night and I still haven't turned on the heat[^1]. Our house is so well insulated that as long as it hits 70 during the day we're fine without heat. We do some baking, make all day soups and roasts that heat the house while they cook. The way your grandmother used to.
+
+We won't have heat in the bus so we may as well toughen up a bit while we can. And we do, until the first cloudy day that doesn't crest the 60 degree mark. I give in and call the gas company, but it's five days before they can come out. We warm up using a borrowed space heater.
+
+Then a couple days later it's back to hot. The Salvation Army bell ringer is dripping sweating standing five feet from the air conditioned interior of Bells Grocery and I seriously consider calling the gas company to say, "forget it". Cold feels more like a novelty around here with every passing year. Sometimes I think we should revel in it, make sure we have strong memories of it. But of course we have a house to sell and not everyone thinks the way I do -- so on it goes.
+
+[^1]: Since the only gas in our house is the heater it's cheaper to shut it down for the 9 months we don't need it then it is to pay the "base" charge and taxes for 9 months. diff --git a/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/index.html b/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/index.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..983c51a --- /dev/null +++ b/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/index.html @@ -0,0 +1,107 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html dir="ltr" lang="en-US"> + +<head> + <title>Luxagraf - Topografical Writings: Archive</title> + <meta charset="utf-8"> + <meta http-equiv="x-ua-compatible" content="ie=edge"> + <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> + <meta name="description" + content="Luxagraf: recording journeys around the world and just next door."> + <meta name="author" content="Scott Gilbertson"> + <!--[if IE]> + <script src="/js/html5css3ie.min.js"></script> + <![endif]--> + <link rel="alternate" + type="application/rss+xml" + title="Luxagraf RSS feed" + href="https://luxagraf.net/rss/"> + <link rel="stylesheet" + href="/media/screenv8.css" + media="screen"> + <!--[if IE]> + <link rel="stylesheet" + href="/media/css/ie.css" + media="screen"> + <![endif]--> + <link rel="shortcut icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> + <link rel="manifest" href="manifest.json"> + <meta property="fb:pages" content="900822029969349" /> + +</head> +<body id="archive"> + <div class="wrapper" id="wrapper"> + <div class="header-wrapper"> + <header role="banner"> + <h1><a id="logo" href="/" title="home">Luxagraf</a></h1> + <h2>Walk Slowly</h2> + </header> + <nav role="navigation" class="bl"> + <ul> + <li id="laverdad"><a href="/jrnl/" title="What we've been up to lately">Journal</a></li> + <!--<li id="nota"><a href="/field-notes/" title="Quick notes and images from the road">Notes</a></li> + <li id="fotos"><a href="/photos/" title="Photos from travels around the world">Photos</a></li>i--> + <li id="maps"><a href="/map" title="Maps">Map</a></li> + <li id="about"><a href="/about" title="About Luxagraf">About</a></li> + <li id="etc" class="last"><a href="/projects/" title="the less visible portions of the iceberg">More</a></li> + </ul> + </nav> + </div> + <ul class="bl" id="breadcrumbs" itemscope itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Breadcrumb"> + <li><a href="/" title="luxagraf homepage" itemprop="url"><span itemprop="title">Home</span></a> → </li> + <li><a href="/jrnl/" title="See all Journal Entries" itemprop="url"><span itemprop="title">Journal</span></a> →</li> + <li><a href="/jrnl/2016/">2016</a> →</li> + <li>November</li> + </ul> + <main role="main" id="writing-archive" class="archive"> + <h1> Archive: November 2016</h1> + <ul class="date-archive"> + <li class="arc-item"><a href="/jrnl/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect" title="Nothing is Finished, Nothing is Perfect">Nothing is Finished, Nothing is Perfect</a> + <time datetime="2016-11-20T00:46:51-05:00">Nov 20, 2016</time> + </li> + <li class="arc-item"><a href="/jrnl/2016/11/halloween" title="Halloween">Halloween</a> + <time datetime="2016-11-14T22:41:54-05:00">Nov 14, 2016</time> + </li> + </ul> + + + + <footer role="contentinfo"> + <nav class="bl"> + <ul> + <li><a href="/blogroll" title="Sites that inspire us">Blogroll</a></li> + <li><a href="/jrnl/feed.xml" title="RSS feed">Subscribe</a></li> + <li><a href="/contact/" title="contact luxagraf">Contact</a></li> + <li><a href="https://twitter.com/luxagraf" rel="me" title="follow luxagraf on Twitter">Twitter</a></li> + <li><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/luxagraf" rel="me" title="luxagraf on Flickr">Flickr</a></li> + <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/luxagraf" rel="me" title="luxagraf on Facebook">Facebook</a></li> + <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/luxagraf/" rel="me" title="luxagraf on Instacrap">Instacrap</a></li> + </ul> + </nav> + <p id="license"> + © 2003-2018 + <span class="h-card"><a class="p-name u-url" href="https://luxagraf.net/">Scott Gilbertson</a><data class="p-nickname" value="luxagraf"></data><data class="p-locality" value="Athens"></data><data class="p-region" value="Georgia"></data><data class="p-country-name" value="United States"></data></span>, except photos, which are licensed under the Creative Commons (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/" title="read the Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 deed">details</a>). + </p> + </footer> + </div> + +<!-- Piwik --> +<script type="text/javascript"> +var _paq = _paq || []; +_paq.push(["disableCookies"]); +_paq.push(['trackPageView']); +_paq.push(['enableLinkTracking']); +(function() { + var u="//stats.luxagraf.net/"; + _paq.push(['setTrackerUrl', u+'piwik.php']); + _paq.push(['setSiteId', 1]); + var d=document, g=d.createElement('script'), s=d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; + g.type='text/javascript'; g.async=true; g.defer=true; g.src=u+'piwik.js'; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s); +})(); +</script> +<noscript><p><img src="//stats.luxagraf.net/piwik.php?idsite=1" style="border:0;" alt="" /></p></noscript> +<!-- End Piwik Code --> + + +</body> +</html> diff --git a/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect.html b/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a36c380 --- /dev/null +++ b/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect.html @@ -0,0 +1,401 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html +class="detail single" dir="ltr" lang="en-US"> + +<head> + <title>Nothing Is Finished, Nothing Is Perfect - by Scott Gilbertson</title> + <meta charset="utf-8"> + <meta http-equiv="x-ua-compatible" content="ie=edge"> + <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> + <meta name="description" + content="life is joy and wonder and love and food and drink and walking. Everything else is just the static background noise of existence."> + <meta name="author" content="Scott Gilbertson"> + <link rel="alternate" + type="application/rss+xml" + title="Luxagraf RSS feed" + href="https://luxagraf.net/rss/"> + <link rel="stylesheet" + href="/media/screenv9.css" + media="screen"> + <link rel="stylesheet" href="/media/print.css" media="print" title="print" /> + <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> + <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json" /> + <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://stats.luxagraf.net"> + + <link rel="canonical" href="https://luxagraf.net/jrnl/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect" /> + <meta name="ICBM" content="33.95815048298077, -83.40810770339354" /> + <meta name="geo.position" content="33.95815048298077; -83.40810770339354" /> + <meta name="geo.placename" content="Athens, "> + <meta name="geo.region" content="-"> + <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> + <meta property="og:title" content="Nothing is Finished, Nothing is Perfect" /> + <meta property="og:url" content="https://luxagraf.net/jrnl/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect" /> + <meta property="og:description" content="life is joy and wonder and love and food and drink and walking. Everything else is just the static background noise of existence." /> + <meta property="article:published_time" content="2016-11-20T00:46:51" /> + <meta property="article:author" content="Scott Gilbertson" /> + <meta property="og:site_name" content="Luxagraf" /> + <meta property="og:image" content="/media/images/original/2018/2011-05-31_015223_paris.jpg" /> + <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" /> + <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> + <meta name="twitter:description" content="life is joy and wonder and love and food and drink and walking. Everything else is just the static background noise of existence."/> + <meta name="twitter:title" content="Nothing is Finished, Nothing is Perfect"/> + <meta name="twitter:site" content="@luxagraf"/> + <meta name="twitter:domain" content="luxagraf"/> + <meta name="twitter:image:src" content="/media/images/original/2018/2011-05-31_015223_paris.jpg"/> + <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@luxagraf"/> +<script type="application/ld+json"> +{ + "@context": "https://schema.org", + "@type": "Article", + "mainEntityOfPage": { + "@type": "WebPage", + "@id": "https://luxagraf.net/jrnl/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect" + }, + "headline": "Nothing is Finished, Nothing is Perfect", + "datePublished": "2016-11-20T00:46:51+04:00", + "dateModified": "2016-11-20T00:46:51+04:00", + "author": { + "@type": "Person", + "name": "Scott Gilbertson" + }, + "publisher": { + "@type": "Organization", + "name": "Luxagraf", + "logo": { + "@type": "ImageObject", + "url": "https://luxagraf.net/media/img/logo-white.jpg" + } + }, + "description": "life is joy and wonder and love and food and drink and walking. Everything else is just the static background noise of existence." +} +</script> + +</head> +<body > + <div class="wrapper" id="wrapper"> + <div class="header-wrapper"> + <header class="site-banner"> + <div id="logo"> + <a href="/" title="Home">Luxagraf</a> + <span class="sitesubtitle">Walk Slowly</span> + </div> + <nav> + <ul> + <li><a href="/jrnl/" title="Stories of life on the road.">Jrnl</a> & <a href="/field-notes/" title="Short stories, snapshots of daily life on the road.">Field Notes</a></li> + <li><a href="/guide/" title="Advice, Tools, Tips and Tricks for Full Time Van or RV Life.">Guides</a></li> + <li><a href="/newsletter/" title="The 'friends of a long year' newsletter">newsletter</a></li> + <li><a href="/about" title="About Scott">About</a></li> + </ul> + </nav> + </header> + </div> + <ol class="bl" id="breadcrumbs" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/BreadcrumbList"> + <li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"><a itemprop="item" href="/"><span itemprop="name">Home</span></a> → + <meta itemprop="position" content="1" /> + </li> + <li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"> + + <a href="/jrnl/" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">jrnl</span></a> + <meta itemprop="position" content="2" /> + <meta itemprop="position" content="2" /> + </li> + </ol> + + + <main> + <article class="h-entry hentry entry-content content" itemscope itemType="http://schema.org/BlogPosting"> + <header id="header" class="post-header "> + <h1 class="p-name entry-title post-title" itemprop="headline">Nothing is Finished, Nothing is Perfect</h1> + + <div class="post-linewrapper"> + <div class="p-location h-adr adr post-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"> + <h3 class="h-adr" itemprop="address" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/PostalAddress"><span class="p-locality locality" itemprop="addressLocality">Athens</span>, <a class="p-region region" href="/jrnl/united-states/" title="travel writing from the United States">Georgia</a>, <span class="p-country-name" itemprop="addressCountry">U.S.</span></h3> + – <a href="" onclick="showMap(33.95815048298077, -83.40810770339354, { type:'point', lat:'33.95815048298077', lon:'-83.40810770339354'}); return false;" title="see a map">Map</a> + </div> + <time class="dt-published published dt-updated post-date" datetime="2016-11-20T00:46:51" itemprop="datePublished">November <span>20, 2016</span></time> + <span class="hide" itemprop="author" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">by <a class="p-author h-card" href="/about"><span itemprop="name">Scott Gilbertson</span></a></span> + </div> + </header> + <div id="article" class="e-content entry-content post--body post--body--single" itemprop="articleBody"> + <p>If you zoom out far enough pretty much everything looks absurd. It’s a handy way to reduce stress. Worried about the future? Think about how you would explain your worries to an alien visitor. You’d have to start the very beginning, explain the entire structure of life on earth and how you fit into it. By the end I’d be willing to bet you’ll feel a little better. That maybe it isn’t a big of a deal as you think.</p> +<p>Perspective can be the salve to thy sores, to paraphrase Milton.</p> +<p>I’ve been thinking about perspective and about what the Japanese call Wabi-Sabi a lot lately. Wabi-Sabi has a many different aspects to it, many of which are deeply entwined in Japanese culture in ways that an outsider like me is unlikely to ever fully appreciate, but the description I encountered, which has stuck with me is the idea that Wabi-Sabi means “nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.”<sup id="fnref:1"><a class="footnote-ref" href="#fn:1" rel="footnote">1</a></sup></p> +<div class="picwide"> + <a itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" href="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2011-05-31_015223_paris.jpg " title="view larger image"> + <img class="u-photo" itemprop="contentUrl" sizes="(max-width: 1439px) 100vw, (min-width: 1440px) 1440px" srcset="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2011-05-31_015223_paris_picwide-sm.jpg 720w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2011-05-31_015223_paris_picwide-med.jpg 1170w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2011-05-31_015223_paris_picwide.jpg 2880w, https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2011-05-31_015223_paris_featured_jrnl.jpg 520w" src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2011-05-31_015223_paris_picwide-med.jpg" src="https://images.luxagraf.net/2016/2011-05-31_015223_paris_picwide.jpg" alt="Iraqi restaurant interior Paris photographed by luxagraf" data-jslghtbx="https://images.luxagraf.net/original/2016/2011-05-31_015223_paris.jpg" data-jslghtbx-group="group" > + </a> +</div> + +<p>A dozen years ago this week I was at an Iraqi restaurant in Paris. It was a tiny place near the cross roads of two very forgettable avenues, an unassuming door, a small menu board of the kind you see dozens of on nearly every block. I have no recollection of what drew us in, maybe just hunger. There were only four tables, a low ceiling, rock walls and heavy wooden chair and tables. The only people in it were the owner and his wife. To this day I would call it as the best meal of my life. The next morning I was due to get on a plain at Charles De Gaulle and disappear into the Indian subcontinent. I recorded nothing of the day in my journal, nothing of the meal even, though I remember every detail. There is an entry on this site that mentions it, but I haven’t reread it because I have realized it doesn’t matter what I thought. </p> +<p>Whatever I might have thought about that night at the time — and I did have the sense that it was an important moment in my life even at the time — I lacked the perspective to understand it then.</p> +<p>That was the beginning of the journey, that meal is where, for me anyway, a trajectory began that is still taking shape, there was something in that meal, something about eating such amazing food from a country that the country I came from was about to invade and attempt to destroy, something about stumbling through my terrible French, my even worse Arabic and somehow still managing to convey that the food was amazing, that the wine was the best I’ve ever had. </p> +<p>That meal that night was not an awakening so much as a realization that it is possible to duck the politics of the world, to side step the divisions created by the power brokers, the would-be malignant overlords and connect as human beings do, as they always have, by eating together, by talking, by drinking, by walking together down the street, by being human, because life is joy and wonder and love and food and drink and walking. Everything else is just the static background noise of existence. </p> +<p>All the beliefs, all that religions, all the politics, all the attempts to divide are doomed to fail because they fly in the face of the fundamental truth that everyone knows, no matter how hard we sometimes seek to avoid it — that the universe is incalculably immense, goes on forever and we are so small in it as to hardly be of it at all and yet here we are, able to look around, to appreciate the lap of the sea on the shore, the clatter of palm fronds, the whistle of wind in pines, the soft rain, the driving storm, the inhospitable mountains that welcome us home anyway. I don’t know why we’re here and neither do you, let’s have a meal, maybe a drink if you like and we’ll be friends. </p> +<div class="footnote"> +<hr> +<ol> +<li id="fn:1"> +<p>from Richard R. Powell’s book <cite>Wabi Sabi Simple</cite>. <a class="footnote-backref" href="#fnref:1" rev="footnote" title="Jump back to footnote 1 in the text">↩</a></p> +</li> +</ol> +</div> + </div> + <div class="entry-footer"> + <aside id="wildlife"> + <h3>Fauna and Flora</h3> + + <ul> + + <li class="grouper">Birds<ul> + + <li>American Robin </li> + + <li>Blue Jay </li> + + <li>Brown-headed Cowbird </li> + + <li><a href="/dialogues/brown-thrasher">Brown Thrasher</a> </li> + + <li>Canada Goose </li> + + <li>Carolina Chickadee </li> + + <li>Chipping Sparrow </li> + + <li>Downy Woodpecker </li> + + <li>Eastern Bluebird </li> + + <li>Eastern Towhee </li> + + <li>Gray Catbird </li> + + <li>Great Blue Heron </li> + + <li>Hooded Warbler </li> + + <li><a href="/dialogues/northern-cardinal">Northern Cardinal</a> </li> + + <li><a href="/dialogues/northern-mockingbird">Northern Mockingbird</a> </li> + + <li>Red-bellied Woodpecker </li> + + <li><a href="/dialogues/summer-tanager">Summer Tanager</a> </li> + + <li>Tufted Titmouse </li> + + <li>Wood Duck </li> + + <li>Yellow-rumped Warbler </li> + </ul> + </ul> + </aside> + + + </div> + </article> + + + <div class="nav-wrapper"> + <nav id="page-navigation" > + <ul> + <li id="prev"><span class="bl">Previous:</span> + <a href="/jrnl/2016/11/halloween" rel="prev" title=" Halloween">Halloween</a> + </li> + <li id="next"><span class="bl">Next:</span> + <a href="/jrnl/2016/12/waiting-sun" rel="next" title=" Waiting for the Sun">Waiting for the Sun</a> + </li> + </ul> + </nav> + </div> + + + + + + +<div class="comment--form--wrapper "> + +<div class="comment--form--header"> + <p class="hed">Thoughts?</p> + <p class="subhed">Please leave a reply:</p> +</div> +<form action="/comments/post/" method="post" class="comment--form"> + +<input type="hidden" name="rder" value="" /> + + + <input type="hidden" name="content_type" value="jrnl.entry" id="id_content_type"> + + + + <input type="hidden" name="object_pk" value="180" id="id_object_pk"> + + + + <input type="hidden" name="timestamp" value="1596833420" id="id_timestamp"> + + + + <input type="hidden" name="security_hash" value="34e2d262e7b30fba44674287b3234f88621009a6" id="id_security_hash"> + + + + <fieldset > + <label for="id_name">Name:</label> + <input type="text" name="name" maxlength="50" required id="id_name"> + </fieldset> + + + + <fieldset > + <label for="id_email">Email address:</label> + <input type="email" name="email" required id="id_email"> + </fieldset> + + + + <fieldset > + <label for="id_url">URL:</label> + <input type="url" name="url" id="id_url"> + </fieldset> + + + + <fieldset > + <label for="id_comment">Comment:</label> + <div class="textarea-rounded"><textarea name="comment" cols="40" rows="10" maxlength="3000" required id="id_comment"> +</textarea></div> + </fieldset> + + + + <fieldset style="display:none;"> + <label for="id_honeypot">If you enter anything in this field your comment will be treated as spam:</label> + <input type="text" name="honeypot" id="id_honeypot"> + </fieldset> + + + <div class="submit"> + <input type="submit" name="post" class="submit-post btn" value="Post" /> + <input type="submit" name="preview" class="submit-preview btn" value="Preview" /> + </div> +</form> +<p style="font-size: 95%;"><strong>All comments are moderated</strong>, so you won’t see it right away. And please remember Kurt Vonnegut's rule: “god damn it, you’ve got to be kind.” You can use Markdown or HTML to format your comments. The allowed tags are <code><b>, <i>, <em>, <strong>, <a></code>. To create a new paragraph hit return twice. </p> + + +</div> + +</main> + + + + <footer class="bl"> + <ul class="footer-nav"> + <li><a href="/blogroll" title="Sites that inspire us">Blogroll</a></li> + <li><a href="/contact/" title="contact luxagraf">Contact</a></li> + <li>Follow Along: + <ul> + <li><a href="/jrnl/feed.xml" title="RSS feed">RSS</a></li> + <li><a href="/newsletter/" title="Luxagraf Email Updates">Email</a></li> + <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/luxagraf" rel="me" title="luxagraf on Instagram">Instagram</a></li> + </ul> + </ul> + <div class="support">Support luxagraf: + <div class="donate-btn"> + <form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top"> + <input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick"> + <input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="HYJFZQSBGJ8QQ"> + <input type="submit" name="submit" title="Donate to luxagraf via PayPal"> + </form> + </div> + <div class="donate-btn"> + <a class="liberapay-btn" href="https://liberapay.com/luxagraf/donate"><span>Donate</span></a> + </div> + </div> + <p id="license"> + © 2003-2020 + <span class="h-card"><a class="p-name u-url" href="https://luxagraf.net/">Scott Gilbertson</a><data class="p-nickname" value="luxagraf"></data><data class="p-locality" value="Athens"></data><data class="p-region" value="Georgia"></data><data class="p-country-name" value="United States"></data></span>. + </p> + </footer> + </div> + +<script> +document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) { + var leaflet = document.createElement('script'); + leaflet.src = "/media/js/leaflet-master/leaflet-mod.js"; + document.body.appendChild(leaflet); + var lightbox = document.createElement('script'); + lightbox.src = "/media/js/lightbox.js"; + document.body.appendChild(lightbox); + leaflet.onload = function(){ + var detail = document.createElement('script'); + detail.src = "/media/js/detail.min.js"; + document.body.appendChild(detail); + + detail.onload = function(){ + createMap(); + var open = false; + } + + } + + lightbox.onload = function() { + var opts= { + //nextOnClick: false, + captions: true, + onload: function(){ + var im = document.getElementById("jslghtbx-contentwrapper"); + var link = im.appendChild(document.createElement('a')) + link.href = im.firstChild.src; + link.innerHTML= "open "; + link.target = "_blank"; + link.setAttribute('class', 'p-link'); + im.appendChild(link); + } + }; + var lightbox = new Lightbox(); + lightbox.load(opts); + } + + + + + + +}); +</script> + +<script> +<!-- +// Register our service-worker +//if (navigator.serviceWorker) { +// window.addEventListener('load', function() { +// if (navigator.serviceWorker.controller) { +// navigator.serviceWorker.controller.postMessage({'command': 'trimCaches'}); +// } else { +// navigator.serviceWorker.register('/serviceworker.js', { +// scope: '/' +// }); +// } +// }); +//} +//--> + +<!-- Piwik --> +var _paq = _paq || []; +_paq.push(["disableCookies"]); +_paq.push(['trackPageView']); +_paq.push(['enableLinkTracking']); +(function() { + var u="https://stats.luxagraf.net/"; + _paq.push(['setTrackerUrl', u+'piwik.php']); + _paq.push(['setSiteId', 1]); + var d=document, g=d.createElement('script'), s=d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; + g.type='text/javascript'; g.async=true; g.defer=true; g.src=u+'piwik.js'; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s); + })(); +<!-- End Piwik Code --> +</script> +<noscript><p><img src="//stats.luxagraf.net/piwik.php?idsite=1" style="border:0;" alt="" /></p></noscript> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect.txt b/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f77c2da --- /dev/null +++ b/bak/oldluxpages/jrnlold/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect.txt @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@ +Nothing is Finished, Nothing is Perfect +======================================= + + by Scott Gilbertson + </jrnl/2016/11/nothing-finished-nothing-perfect> + Sunday, 20 November 2016 + +If you zoom out far enough pretty much everything looks absurd. It's a handy way to reduce stress. Worried about the future? Think about how you would explain your worries to an alien visitor. You'd have to start the very beginning, explain the entire structure of life on earth and how you fit into it. By the end I'd be willing to bet you'll feel a little better. That maybe it isn't a big of a deal as you think.
+
+Perspective can be the salve to thy sores, to paraphrase Milton.
+
+I've been thinking about perspective and about what the Japanese call Wabi-Sabi a lot lately. Wabi-Sabi has a many different aspects to it, many of which are deeply entwined in Japanese culture in ways that an outsider like me is unlikely to ever fully appreciate, but the description I encountered, which has stuck with me is the idea that Wabi-Sabi means "nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect."[^1]
+
+<img src="images/2018/2011-05-31_015223_paris.jpg" id="image-201" class="picwide" />
+
+A dozen years ago this week I was at an Iraqi restaurant in Paris. It was a tiny place near the cross roads of two very forgettable avenues, an unassuming door, a small menu board of the kind you see dozens of on nearly every block. I have no recollection of what drew us in, maybe just hunger. There were only four tables, a low ceiling, rock walls and heavy wooden chair and tables. The only people in it were the owner and his wife. To this day I would call it as the best meal of my life. The next morning I was due to get on a plain at Charles De Gaulle and disappear into the Indian subcontinent. I recorded nothing of the day in my journal, nothing of the meal even, though I remember every detail. There is an entry on this site that mentions it, but I haven't reread it because I have realized it doesn't matter what I thought.
+
+Whatever I might have thought about that night at the time -- and I did have the sense that it was an important moment in my life even at the time -- I lacked the perspective to understand it then.
+
+That was the beginning of the journey, that meal is where, for me anyway, a trajectory began that is still taking shape, there was something in that meal, something about eating such amazing food from a country that the country I came from was about to invade and attempt to destroy, something about stumbling through my terrible French, my even worse Arabic and somehow still managing to convey that the food was amazing, that the wine was the best I've ever had.
+
+That meal that night was not an awakening so much as a realization that it is possible to duck the politics of the world, to side step the divisions created by the power brokers, the would-be malignant overlords and connect as human beings do, as they always have, by eating together, by talking, by drinking, by walking together down the street, by being human, because life is joy and wonder and love and food and drink and walking. Everything else is just the static background noise of existence.
+
+All the beliefs, all that religions, all the politics, all the attempts to divide are doomed to fail because they fly in the face of the fundamental truth that everyone knows, no matter how hard we sometimes seek to avoid it -- that the universe is incalculably immense, goes on forever and we are so small in it as to hardly be of it at all and yet here we are, able to look around, to appreciate the lap of the sea on the shore, the clatter of palm fronds, the whistle of wind in pines, the soft rain, the driving storm, the inhospitable mountains that welcome us home anyway. I don't know why we're here and neither do you, let's have a meal, maybe a drink if you like and we'll be friends.
+
+[^1]: from Richard R. Powell's book <cite>Wabi Sabi Simple</cite>. |