And that's the way it is

Three memorable moments

Redrawing Boundaries

A Christian Science Monitor article caught my eye this morning: "Climate change could redraw national borders." The article mentions, by way of example, that as the ridge crests defined by the glaciers in the southern Alps shift due to glacial melting, the border between Italy and Switzerland, defined by treaty as those ridge crests, has likewise shifted - northward by hundreds of feet. Melting glaciers may also play a role in redefining the boundaries in already-disputed sections of India’s borders with Pakistan and China; a somewhat chilling scenario, if you'll pardon the reverse pun. And as lowland and coastal countries become more and more submerged by rising seas, those coastal boundaries, too, will change.

Sometimes boundary changes are forced upon us, as in the cases above. At other times, if we are prescient enough, we can shift our personal, political and positional boundaries - our perspectives if you will - voluntarily. Impending changes in our climate, along with all of the attendant changes in economy, ecology, lifestyle, health, natural and human built resources, hold the power to force a change in perspective upon us - a change in the boundaries that we may be very comfortable living within at the present. But forced change is rarely the preferred, efficient, agreeable and enjoyable path forward. And unlike the shifting ridge crests, our perspectives are not physically or legally defined. We can choose, ahead of time, voluntarily, to listen to others, to find common ground and to follow shared interests.

Before those changes are forced upon us.

Before the foundations of our relationships literally shift beneath us, as assuredly as the glaciers are melting and the boundaries shifting in the Alps and Himalayas.

Slow

The week is moving slower than most it seems. It's only Tuesday. Seems like it should be Wednesday or more.

Maybe it's the fact that there is less activity than the past few weeks.

Maybe it's because the Internet was very very slow the past couple of days (it's better now).

Maybe it's the general slowness of summer in the south. People tend to move slower here - likely to conserve energy and not overheat.

Things are slow in DC, too. Not a lot of activity. Just the Supreme Court nominee confirmation.

No scandals or pressing legislation or real news. Just the fake, contrived kind.

We'll see if Tuesday ends up being any faster. Maybe tomorrow will end up being Friday!

Cool Jazz

Kate and I were going to sit and enjoy some live jazz at the outdoor sculpture garden of the National Museum of Art last evening. But there was no sitting to be had. The place was crowded with people of all sorts, sizes and shapes, leaving little room for two to sit down on the grass or benches or fountainside curb. I think it was a combination of the nice weather and . . . and something else (it's always a combination of causes, you know - but I can't think of another right now).

So, we left the sculpture garden and walked around downtown DC until we stumbled upon - by crazy, random happenstance - ESPN Zone. How shiny is that? Had a nice meal there. Although in the "Bristol Room" where we sat it was a bit chilly. The air conditioning must have been cranked down a bit in anticipation of a combination of the large Friday night crowd and . . . something else.

Then we grabbed the Yellow Line Metro to almost home. Kate had parked the car at the Metro thinking we would get back after dark. But because of a combination of the cut-short Jazz and quick meal (See! Two things!) we got back before dark. No fears but we drove home anyway in the daylight.

All-in-all not a bad evening. Even though things didn't happen as planned. It's like the French (I think) say, "If you want to make God laugh, make plans."

Walks

The two dogs and I have been enjoying our evening walks down along the Potomac River. The breeze is usually noticeably heftier there, and it's nice to get a longer perspective reaching out to horizons on the east (Maryland shore), north (DC) and south (downriver). Usually sailboats are breezing by and always others are out for a walk, jog, bike or run along one of the paths and trails down there.

A few of those others have dogs along for the walk, too. Kooper and Logan will either avoid them (at my prompting) or go sniff appropriate (for dogs) body parts in a canine introductory ritual. Kooper tends to approach out of fear and apprehension. Logan out of curiosity (if I may add on a layer of human intent here).

We typically walk down Bashford Lane, which crosses the George Washington Parkway just up from the house, bend south along the railroad tracks that feed coal to the power plant down along the River, and then cut across the tracks into the Riverside park. The park (with some gaps in the business and residential districts) goes south along the River through a good chunk of Alexandria. But we only do a bite-sized chunk on our walks and cut back west and north again before hitting the Alexandria downtown area.

Then it's back to the house for a treat (dog treats), some water and settling in for the night (until around 10 PM when it's time for a pee break . . . and 3:30 AM . . . and 5 AM). Get lots of walks that way.

Love

It's heartening to know that besides all of the crappy stuff that people tend to do a lot of the time, there are a lot of glimmers of love that shine through, too. Gives me hope. Not hope that people will change. But that people have the ability, the capacity, the innate drive to love each other. It makes the crappy stuff easier to bear, although not any easier to understand.

Then I think of all of the dogs I've known over my life. Just counting the ones in my families: Happy, Heidi, Daisy, Bess, Lady, Dobie, Kooper and Logan. Plus many other "extended family" and friend's dogs. They always seem to epitomize the unending capacity for forgiveness and love. No matter how much they are ignored or scolded or disciplined they always seem to come back with tail wagging and body squiggling and happy panting. I know that I'm humanizing the dogs a bit here. But, then, maybe we humans could do with a bit of dog-anizing, ourselves. Wag our tails a bit more now and again.

Makes the crappy stuff easier to bear.

Jayne

The Ballad of Jayne (revised in honor of good friends who are adopting a Newfoundland puppy and naming him "Jayne")

Jayne, the dog they call Jayne

He went from the couch
And he went to the door
He had to go pee
And perhaps to do more
Our love for him now
Ain't hard to explain
The dog that's a Newfy
The dog we call Jayne

Dollhouse Update

Update - DOLLHOUSE will now have its Season 2 premiere on FRI, 9/25 at 9/8c. Pushed back 1 week from the originally announced FRI, 9/18.

Poem of the week

From Iran’s national poet, Ahmad Shamlu, written in response to the recent Iranian election and subsequent violent suppression of the election abuse resistance movement-

To slaughter us
Why did you need to invite us
To such an elegant party?

Great New Fall TV Show Announced

I can't wait!

The Sentimentalist - watch more funny videos

Clouds

Today is the first in a long time when it has been generally cloudy. That cloudiness is reflective of the loneliness I feel these last few days between the days of much family visiting and the days of Kate being back. I talk to the dogs and Zelda (Lucky is still in daytime hiding) but they can only talk back in dog and cat talk so our conversations are limited.

"Hi Zelda." "Mrroww"
"Want to go for a walk Kooper?" heavy panting and tail wagging (Kooper)
Stand up. Move on the couch. Go upstairs. Brush my teeth. Roll over in bed. Take a pee. You name it. heavy panting and jumping and rapid short tail waggingg (Logan)

You get the picture.

The check out clerk and I had a nice conversation yesterday about the Fourth of July and her work schedule and the pace of business at the local Trader Joe's. But then I left. And she went on to have another nice conversation with the next person in the checkout line.

I say "hi" to people who are walking the opposite way down the sidewalk when we are out for our innumerable dog walks. About a half of the people respond. Others don't make eye contact or talk to their cell phones or text message someone.

It's a lonely world for anyone alone.

Cloudy.

I think I'll go to church now and be alone together with others.

Lucky

Seventy years ago today Lou Gehrig declared that he was "the luckiest man on the face of the earth." On Lou Gehrig appreciation day at Yankee Stadium.

I thought it would be appropriate to reprise his speech that day. You can also see it here:



"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break. Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.

"So I close in saying that I may have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for. Thank you."

Not Another One!

Yes! I have another blog (but it's work related so . . .). But over there at that blog I'm just as pithy and sublime and anachronistic and all of those other neat adjectives you could apply to this blog.

So, go visit over there (http://nemwuppermiss.blogspot.com/) if you'd like (or even if you don't like). In my second posting, I even mention a favorite movie of mine (no hints needed).

Quiet Quieter Quietest

Over the past few days things have really been winding down here in DC as people flee the city for the Fourth of July weekend. Each day there are fewer on the streets. Fewer on the Metros. Fewer on the buses. Fewer in the offices. And stores. And banks. All this fewering going on in large part is because congress went on recess last Friday and there is no one here to lobby or interview or pester or listen to (they tend to do all the talking) or report on.

I went to a Representative's office yesterday and his staff were reveling in the quiet and calm. Enjoying the down time of the week to actually stop and think and breathe. Up times tend to be noisy and busy allowing little time for thinking and breathing.

It's been quite nice bussing and training and walking around because I haven't had to zig and zag around folks or be bumped into or rushed ahead of by those in a hurry to get somewhere and do something (obviously a very important somewhere and something).

Today I'll go into work. Enjoying the relative calm and quiet. Tomorrow it should be even less busy with people either out of town or in their homes. I understand the National Mall gets quite packed for the fireworks and concert on the Fourth. That should be a sight. I think I'll walk down to the River here in Alexandria and watch it all from a few miles out. Sometimes crowds are best watched from a distance.