Monday, January 09, 2006

Passage of Time

The passage of time. In western civilizations, we know that time increases on a graph as you read from left to right, but what else?

Time is thought of as the 4th dimension.

I was thinking about this topic over the weekend. As I grow older (and wiser?), I've noticed that time seems to be speeding up. I think it is because as we age we become increasingly aware of the value of time, and cease to view it as an infinite resource, to be squandered with the recklessness of youth.

Passing the theoretical half-way point in life really serves as a warning notice. Think about how much you've done in life so far. Plan on doubling it, more or less. And that's it. Is that enough? If not, what will you do about it?

I notice that I often find myself mulling over events from some time ago, thinking about how I might handle them differently. It's interesting to note that the time differential between the underlying event and my thoughts gets smaller and smaller every passing year. My theory is that is the reason why older people are so relaxed - they have shrunk that gap to virtually zero, and realize that today is today, and you had better make the most of it.

As Clint Eastwood said, "Tomorrow is promised to no one".

When I was younger, I was much more patient and willing to make sacrifices for future opportunities. As time moves on, I am realizing that those opportunities had better start materializing sooner than later. This has the overall effect of making me less patient, and more concerned about the probability of payoff. How does this translate to "paying my dues" at a new job?

A few interesting questions. Since I don't know the answers yet, I won't try to answer them right now.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Remodeling Update

Still making progress. Lights turned out very nicely. I was happy to finally put the covers on the outlets and light switches, since it's starting to look more and more like a real bathroom. Had some hesitation about how contrasty the grout is on the floor tile, but it's really grown on me. My goal is to have everything (except the vanity) completed before we leave for our sailing trip in a few weeks.

Monday, January 02, 2006

Holiday Letter

Here is our holiday letter for this year. This year we decided to include pictures to make it a little more interesting. The letter also made me rethink how I am approaching this blog, since none of the main topics (or pictures) were covered.

Happy Holidays!

Our year has been exciting, and we enjoy sharing it with you.

Aras focused on aquatic themes this year. In January he went down to the Caribbean to help a friend charter a sailboat. The twist this time was that they were in a 42’ catamaran – a first for Aras. He reports that it is not as much fun for actual sailing, but can’t be beat when anchored for the amount of space it provides.

In late July, Aras spent a week kayaking north of Seattle – his highlight was seeing a pod of orcas (killer whales) pass less than 50’ from his kayak.

In August, we spent a week driving around Lake Superior. Camping along the way, we enjoyed seeing The Lake from a Canadian perspective, and recommend the experience highly.

Pam tried several new adventures this year. In late spring, she went backpacking. Not the ideal weekend, since it rained the entire first day, then was hot and muggy the second day. Eager to try something she might enjoy, she went to North Carolina in late fall to try some coastal biking. She enjoyed visiting the little B&B’s along the way, and making new friends.

Late spring brought the annual camping trip for Aras, Romualdas, Gytis and Andrius. This has become a tradition in our family, and this year was enjoyed by all. Both boys enjoyed the playground next to the campground, and spending time with their uncle and grandfather. Before we knew it, the weekend was over and it was time to go home.

During the summer, we had multiple opportunities to enjoy sailing around Duluth with friends of ours. The summer was warm, and we were able to make the most of each weekend by combining sailing with biking and kayaking. The more time we spent up there, the more we looked forward to going back as soon as possible.

As fall started, a few more family gatherings took place. The annual reunion at the cabin was lots of fun - Aidas won the log splitting contest. A few weeks later, we flew down to Indiana to attend a surprise birthday party for Aras’ father. He had no idea we were coming, and was very happy to see us.

Please accept our wishes for a happy and fulfilling new year.

Aras & Pam