It is so nice to have Bradley back home with us again. He had a great time on his field trip to the Big Island. He brought us back a big box of Big Island Candies...Yum!
OK, before you call Child Protective Services, let me explain. 
We've adopted!
My friend Gary recently turned 40 and got some birthday money! Woo-Hoo!
I think I've always known this, but today I know it in a deeper way.
My brain is wired to focus on one thing at a time and to intently
push that one interest to a goal state. I seem to operate best when
I focus on one interest at a time. I find that my interests come in
waves. I'll be consumed by one goal or another and then, over time,
my creative energies become saturated thinking about the one thing,
and they seek something new.
Here are the interests I'm usually engaged in at one time or another:
Archery,
Ham radio,
Sailing,
Backpacking,
Hunting,
Role Playing Games,
Leadership,
Video,
Geocaching,
Technology,
Blogging,
Running/Biking,
Rocketry
Guitar
I feel sometimes that my creative energies are like the "Eye of
Sauron" from the Lord of the Rings movies. It scans the lay of that
land coming to rest with an intense focus from time to time on some
small part of it, but soon it moves on looking for something else.
I've seen it in ham radio, where I very feverishly set up a bunch of
systems to help manage the EARC nets, and I developed a manual for
the NCSs and then... maintenance. I know my interest will return
there again, but for now, I'm interested in other things.
In the video ministry for my church, I launched a webpage, started
experimenting with streaming video, then a long lull until most
recently I edited a bunch of videos intensely for weeks and now I'm
recharging my interests in other areas.
Many of you know that I am inflicted with what I call "wander-lust" a
few times every year. I think that is merely my interest in the
outdoors bubbling back to the top of my mind every so often. I'm
overcome with thoughts of camping, solo-hiking, foraging, hunting...
just being outdoors in the woods.
Even my blogs and twitters come in bursts.
This tendency of mine to focus all my energies in one direction and
overcome those obstacles and achieve those goals is powerful, and I
think it can be quite good, but it drives my wife nuts. She no doubt
has known this about me for a long time. She has an amazing ability
to sense and know all things all the time. She is a multi-tasker. I
think that is part of the reason she doesn't like driving. She is
aware of all the cars and all the possible routes of travel and all
the possible collisions all the time and it is overwhelming. I love
to drive. I'm focussed on one thing, getting to my destination via
the route I've preconceived. I find it almost relaxing.
Lately I feel my interests are shifting again. It was video editing
a few weeks ago, some creative writing I've been doing lately, but
now I feel the winds of change blowing and I'm looking forward to
what is next. Don't be surprised if you see a burst of blogs soon.
Who knows what will capture my attention next.
Peace, Love and Focus,
Rich
My radio club just revamped the website and it looks great! Mahalo to Jason, WH7DA, for the excellent work he did designing it. Check it out:
Bradley has wanted rats for a long time, and the Mannings have rats
and were encouraging us all about them, so we succumbed. We have
added 2 brown and white rats to our family. We have named them Dip
and Dot (Dot has a white spot on her forehead) and we all enjoy
holding them as we try to get them accustomed to being handled. That
is why we specifically wanted baby rats.
Last Sunday, when the boys and I came home, (Em was out), we found ONLY
ONE rat in the cage, despite it being completely latched! There was
one spot where the wire bends into a handle that I could just fit my
middle finger into, so we suspect one was able to fit it's head
through and got out!
We hunted and hunted and couldn't find it. Bradley was very upset.
Just when we were about to give up, Dot jumped up on a box and I
spotted her. She didn't try to run away (much) and soon we had her
back in her cage. I wired the gap closed and they seem to be staying
where we left them now. Whew!
