January 6th, 2020 - A National Antique

If you ask a teenager or 20 something today if  they knew what one of these communication devices was, what would they say? Yeah,  I could imagine there would definitely be a ton of blank stares as this popped up on a projector screen. This might even be worthy of antique status as we kick off a new decade. I used to love making phone calls on this thing from the bowling alley as a kid. If I remember right the ones in airports were much fancier. Enjoy taking a trip down memory lane this evening! 😉
FYI - According to some news outlet in 2018, there were about 100,000 of these still around. 


Early one August evening on the way to Cookeville, TN, I decided to stop by Percy Warner Park to go for a run. I didn't judge my timing very well as darkness was quickly approaching but I did manage to find this antique sitting outside of the entrance to the park. I was really surprised considering the entrance is located in the Belle Meade neighborhood, a pretty affluent community located outside of this beautiful city park. 

COMING TOMORROW - I will be reviewing one of my new (to me) favorite restaurants in the Shelby County area. 

January 4th, 2020 - I Hope You Looked Up Today

First of all, football playoff season can be very distracting, especially when a certain team is losing, and well they lost. A ton of Americans cheered for that team to lose, and that's why sports bring us together. There are better reasons than that, but we all know the truth today.

Seriously, did you look see that sky today? It was cold (by the standards of many Southerners), nevertheless, it was a really beautiful day from start to finish. Walking outside and seeing a beautifully painted sky to start the morning is a darn blessing in itself. Running down a road that you don't think is going to end for a while, but when it finally does and you finish at sunset, that's a darn blessing in disguise.
I leave you with this:
Psalm 19 1
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Photo 1 - Taken in the driveway at home here in Midtown Memphis around 6:30 am, before taking Ruth on her morning walk. 

Photo 2 - Taken while running on an access road heading westward toward the Shelby Farms Agricenter. 

Photo 3 - Taken after completing run (2 miles more than planned) adjacent to Visitor's Center at Hyde Lake. Note the human and dog in picture!

January 3rd, 2020 - The Korean Turtle Ship

From time to time I will search back in my database of old pictures from the Korean part of my life. That time when I was once a teacher over a span of six years on the other side of the world.

I present you with this one tonight.

So the guy with the statue was responsible for creating this ship. Yi Sun Shin is one of the most admired men in Korean Naval History. As you can see, this ship was referred to as a turtle ship. I am not sure how to best describe this 16th century innovation, but versatile would work. As you can see the sides had space for canons. The dragon up front even spit out some fire from to time -- it really did. One can  go to Amazon and find model turtle ships to build in your spare time.

Taken on an iPod Touch in the port city of Tongyeong, South Korea

January 2, 2020 - Flashback to Rain Free Times

Earlier this week I decided to postpone my New Year hike from New Year's Day to today. Last night I went to bed and realized that may have not been a great decision. So this morning at 6 am there was already a flood warning in effect, which meant no chasing waterfalls in Northwest Alabama. Rainy days like this remind me of a place where I did not see rain one single day in my three visits there.

A little introduction before the picture. I spent about 10 weeks living/working in the country of Bulgaria. I helped manage a hostel in the beautiful capital city of Sofia and also worked on a farm in the Balkan Mountains for about two weeks. 

WWOOF means Worldwide Organization of Organic Farmers. For two weeks in August of 2013, I worked for a "WWOOFer" who owned a farm in the mountains of Bulgaria. The above picture is the view I had daily as I picked plums and blackberries, cut wood and helped prepare meals in a wood fired oven outdoors. This farm was a Permaculture farm. 

A few fun facts about Permaculture farming. 

You do not waste ANYTHING.

You catch and store energy.

Creates a more sustainable world.

It was an interesting experience and most importantly the days are much cooler in Summer there.

Taken on a Samsung NX 1000

January 1, 2020 - Happy New Year

I have been wanting to get back to this blog thing and write again. I do have some little writings to work on, but this popped in my head recently.
Here's the deal.
There will be one photo, taken either that day or on a previous day in life.
There will be one hundred words about the picture included for that day.
Sometimes there might even be a bonus photo too.

  January 1, 2020            

As a teenager I ran a lot at Shelby Farms Park here in Memphis. Sometimes, I would joke with my best friend Jeff about going to the park and running with the bison. I am still alive, so that was one dumb decision that I did not make. I still enjoy stopping by after a run and taking pictures of these guys.

Did you know? The bison is the National Mammal of the United States.
Do you know? How many coins feature the bison?
Did you know? The bison is considered a sacred animal to the Native Americans.

(Picture taken this afternoon with a Canon Eos Rebel T7) 

Happy Birthday Jimmy V

To the namesake of the V Foundation, Jimmy V.

A link to his speech, which is now 26 years old itself.

Jimmy V ESPY SPEECH

Words though tough, are words we should all strive to live by daily.

All Glad - A Take on Coffee Culture in Korea

A few things you can always count on here in Korea - there will always be plenty of construction, plenty of blaming China for that "yellow dust epidemic", and new coffee shops are always opening up in this place.

At this moment (when I was writing this) I am sitting in a coffee shop with Eun Byeol, my little Korean sister who is getting married in a few days. The name of this place is All Glad - sometimes these folks can be creative with their names. There are more cafes with funky names all around this city. Hands Coffee, A Twosome Place, Davinci, Angel-in-us Coffee, Ediya Coffee, Holly's Coffee, Caffe Bene, Tom N Toms, and you can't forget the ones with excellent baked goods such as Paris Baguette, and Tous Les Jous.  Don't worry, there are plenty of Starbucks around here as well. They are usually set in the busiest areas of the big cities.

There are quite a few that are more locally owned and not so corporate as well. They usually tend to have more charm, from what my few experiences can share. The only reason I really spent much time in these places was for the tutoring jobs I held when I lived and worked here in Daegu. The students buy you a nice snack and/or drink, pay you a little cash money and you help them become better students.

I used to sit in some of these places and just cringe at the number of couples, and groups of friends that sit around wasting their time together not being together. Yes, families all around the world can be seen partaking in the same type of activity, so it's not exclusive to one area. These folks here can take it to a whole new level though. Selfie sticks, duck faces (or whatever that pose is), and the constant checking oneself out on your phone (just as many dudes do it too). There are always the groups that spend half of their time together attempting that to make that one awesome selfie. Granted, it may take 20 to get to that one. As I think back to a time I once met a neighbor, yeah I must have been feeling really nice to oblige in all of that! Some of these folks just spent nearly all of their time together submerged into their little distraction device texting their boo, trolling boo's former boo, trolling their future boo, or just chatting away on some group text with friends about that boo.

These people probably might take me for a creeper if they paid any mind to my analyzing their activities. Beanies with sport coats on bald men over six feet tall are not exactly a regular sight. Creeper alert! My old man and I both have thing where we can get dressed all fancy and stuff, but  having that supply of beanies in the winter time just adds the icing to the cake. No pun intended!

On a list I previously published on this blog, I made a mention of putting one's phone down, and investing time in the people that we are privileged to have in our lives. The fine patrons of this cafe have impressed me quite a bit. They seem so in tune to those that are in the presence of at the current moment.  I am in total shock at how these people seem to be so interested in one another. These aren't just middle aged adults catching up on life. I have glanced around this place multiple times - still not a creeper, I promise! Perhaps they realize that having social skills is kind of important after all. Either way, good job folks!

Now, when they walk out of this place and are so glued to distraction device that they walk into said bald guy that towers over them - another post for another time! Focus, focus and pow! Could be a light pole, or even a car that finds them not paying attention as well.

I realize that coffee shops/cafes are more of a place where people back home meet to discuss important work/church matters, have study time, or just have peace and quiet. Here it is a huge social thing. Couples always seem to have dates, and the ladies always seem to catch up wile kids are in school and husbands are at work.

One more random fact - you can always count on your receipt having a wi-fi password on it after you have purchased your tiny over-priced waffle and latte.

Here is an article that describes more about the coffee chains in Korea.
Coffee Chains in Korea