"A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience." - Doug Larson

The people are the best part.
Getting an opportunity to spend individual time with a young couple new to Pathway represents a favorite part of my job. Getting invited to lunch at their house, and upon arrival learning that they met in culinary school?? Yeah, it wasn't bologna and cheese sandwiches.
Goodness!
But the company was even better than the food.

Disco got no respect. It was the musical equivalent of Thomas Kinkead paintings - formulaic kitsch. But I think time has been kinder to disco than I expect it will be to "portraits of light." It's impossible to listen to disco and not feel good. It's full of energy and fun, and didn't take itself seriously - didn't pretend to be more than it was. I have a disco station on my Pandora page and it makes a great Saturday morning background track. I threw out my plaid bell bottom polyester pants last month but I still have my rayon shirt with long blouse sleeves. So I think tonight I'll listen to some Donna Summer and do my best John Travolta (dance) imitation. Hey, I got some moves.

The bearings and seals came today, but not in time for me to install so I'll do that job when I get back from Seattle next week. Instead, I went out to the garage early and worked on Ilsa for a couple of hours, installing the rear view mirror, the license plate wiring, the steering column and the sleeve it passes through. That will allow me to install the wiring that goes to the turn signal switch, which will in turn allow me to install the gas tank that covers up all those connections.

I hate shopping. My khaki pants are old and look it. So last night after dinner at Paradise Bakery Pam and I went over to Kohl's to replace them. They didn't have anything in my size (tall skinny). So after that great lunch I went to a Kohl's nearby their house and ... still couldn't find anything that fit well. I bought the closest I could find and realized again the wisdom of marrying a seamstress. She'll fix them when she gets home from work, in time to take them with me to Seattle tomorrow morning.

I've got everything except my toiletries packed. And my devices, which are charging. I'm almost embarrassed to be taking my laptop, my iPad, my Kindle and my digital camera.
I know to take the laptop out of the case at airport security, but I've never traveled with the iPad. I don't remember seeing anyone take theirs out so I don't plan to. Hope that doesn't get me arrested.

On the drive into town I listened to a program on NPR about the JP Morgan Chase issue that included lots of railing against the uber rich, especially those who make their money on "Wall Street." (Pro athletes get a pass, though they have salaries equal to, or higher.)

As I listened I thought again that I am not at all bothered by the massive amounts of money some people have, and wonder about those who are. We have so much more than we need. Sure, if we had more money we'd do stuff we can't now, but we are completely content with our station in life. I've seen real poverty - not the pseudo poverty of most "poor" people in America. I had the opportunity to live briefly with people who gather each day's meal (singular) out of their garden that day, who don't have cupboards because they don't have anything to put in them, and for whom closets are completely outside their frame of reference. Meat? Very seldom, and usually for a special occasion. Eat the chicken and you don't get any more eggs. The goat - if they have one - is for milk. Their child's distended belly isn't any different from any other child in the village and their house has two rooms, one for the adults and one for the children who survived. (Cooking is done over a fire outside with water carried from the village well.)

It's about frame of reference and perspective. I can choose to compare myself to the wealthy which, combined with the growing American ethos of entitlement, leads to jealousy, envy and greed. Or I can compare myself to the vast majority of the world's population and realize how blessed we are. The truth is, some days I have to fight it, but I choose the latter.