The Quest

When I go to a cemetery to take photographs, I'm always drawn to the headstones of the people who seem forgotten. In Albany Rural Cemetery , there are many, many forgotten ones. I have taken pictures of quite a few headstones there that have not yet been added to Find-a-Grave (most of the cemetery is well-documented there). It makes me wonder if they have any family out there, anyone looking for a record of their life. It's sobering to think that one day all that may be left of your life is a solitary headstone in a single plot with no family around you. I spent a fair bit of time on Saturday uploading pictures, adding new entries, and trying to find out if the person in question was forgotten, or had family to remember them. When I see a person's headstone with no inscription and no fanfare, it makes me wonder if they were impoverished or if they had no one to give care to the creation of a headstone that reflected their life. Take this one, for example: It's a...

Originally posted on my travel blog . There are many historical sites in the Capital Region that I've wanted to visit. Today, I was out in Albany Rural Cemetery doing some headstone photography. As I was wrapping up my work I noticed the Pruyn family headstones. This reminded me that I had not yet visited the  Pruyn House , a historic site that's just down the road from home. So, rather than going straight out of the cemetery to go home, I turned right and made my way to Pruyn House. (For those of you, like me, who are not accustomed to seeing "uy" in names, it sounds like a long "i"... so imagine that the name is spelled "Prine House" and you'll be pronouncing it correctly in your head.) This home was built between 1825 and 1830 on land owned by the Van Rensselaer patroon. The home belonged to the patroon's land agent (i.e. rent collector), Casparus Francis Pruyn. He was the sixth generation of Pruyns to live in America, the first h...

I've been mulling over "ought-to's" today. You know... things you ought to do, ought to want, ought to be. I ought to get out of bed. I ought to take a shower. I ought to have a job by now. I ought to care about career goals (like titles, and making more money, and not "regressing"). I ought to read more. I ought to do more with my talents. I ought to be doing more things I love with every single day while I have time. I ought to have this transcription project done by now. I ought to walk the dogs. I ought to write a book. I ought to draw. I ought to pay more attention to my budget. I ought to be saving for retirement. I've used ought so many times it doesn't even look like a real word anymore. When I brought some of my job-related ought-to's to my sister's attention, she asked, "Why? Do any of the people in your life care about those things?" Well, no. But I ought to. When I think about some of the ought-to's on my list, I...

My, my, what to say about today. One of the most stand-out things I can tell you is that it's very disconcerting to find a skinned rat rotting just outside your patio door. I can also tell you that when flies are buzzing, it's not always dog poop. Just sayin'. Now that you have that lovely picture in your mind's eye (and I'm not showing you the actual picture that I texted to Kef in the middle of her day), try to refocus on what I have to say next. A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer in her eye. She went through a procedure to radiate that eye, which damaged the ocular nerve and left her blind in that eye. I was talking to her today and she is hanging in there like a real trouper. She's even working VBS, which I wouldn't even subject myself to with two perfectly-working eyes. Now, I know that people live thoroughly wonderful lives without sight. But I have to tell you that it has always been one of my greatest fears that I would go blind....

I know what you're probably thinking. Great, another genealogy post. Nope. In this case, the history I'm referring to is my browser history. But how can that be a gift? Isn't it just evidence of Google spying on you? Perhaps. But in my case it's very helpful in remembering what interesting things I learned today, and what things I might have forgotten. It is helpful because the power went out and shut my computer down, so all the tabs I was holding open for one reason or another were closed. It's helpful in remembering to order Heartguard for the dogs and apply for jobs that I've bookmarked. It's helpful in finding the link to the article I read about how spiders manage to make webs over seemingly empty space. It's helpful in keeping track of time, like when I started working on a project and when I finished. I actually can't say I learned much today because I spent most of the day doing actual work-related things.... doing a phone interview, app...

This morning I was watching a series of TED talks on diversity in preparation for an interview at an organization that provides training on workplace diversity and inclusion. As I was absorbing these words of wisdom, I began to reflect on my own circle of influence (which includes you, dear reader). This brought me to my trusty friends list on Facebook. What I found was that most of us share a very similar demographic. There are a few from other countries, a few from other races, but the vast majority are people very similar to me. We share the same culture, and similar backgrounds... on the surface. Yet when I think of each person on that list, I think of what makes them unique. I am reminded how we first met. Some I was born into knowing. Some I've known since Kindergarten. Some I met literally yesterday. Some speak a different language than me (some more than one). Some I've never met in person (though most I have). Some have a very unique family lineage, and others don...

This morning I was struck by the degree to which Kef and I have fallen into a routine. Every Friday evening, we eat at Margarita City , where she orders a jalapeño margarita, and I a lover's kiss margarita (made with cranberry juice, orange, cinnamon). We always get queso, which they insist on calling cheese dip. I invariably order the same thing each time: Burrito San Jose (chicken and chorizo inside a flour tortilla, queso on top). I always sing the song, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" either out loud or in my head after ordering. Kef's orders vary, but usually involve beef. On Saturdays, we go to Sushi Tei . We both order hot green tea and miso soup. I, again, consistently order the same thing: salmon katsu box with rice and a crab tempura roll. Kef always gets a spicy scallop handroll on soy paper. The other parts of her meal vary on a rotation of certain sushis and sashimis that she loves, usually involving some sort of tongue-scorching spice. She always ne...

I've often wondered if I could manage to write a blog post every day. There are a lot of people these days who monetize their blogs and make good money becoming influencers. I don't know about the influencing, or the monetizing actually... but I do think it would be a good habit to write every day. This is not a new concept and has been taught by many, including our favorite Dr. Cindy Ryan , who has given us all the tools we need to be an every-day journaler. I have failed miserably. I see the value, and I have the desire... but I have not been faithful with daily writing. If I can't be faithful in personal journaling, how in the world would I be successful writing a daily blog? I suppose, like anything, you have to make it a habit. I've often heard that it takes a month to build a habit. Google now tells me it's more like 66 days, on average. Either way, I have been an every-day writer for at least that long at times in my life. And yet, I still fell out of the...

As I was waiting for my turn to speak, I wondered what I could possibly say that would be insightful to a room full of senior public relations professionals. The question: What do you do every day that helps you in your PR work? Some talked about making lists, setting goals, re-prioritizing, following trends, news, and scholarly work. Others centered themselves, drank coffee. Since I'm not working right now, what could I possibly say? When it came my turn to speak, I nailed my thoughts down and said, "Diversify my reading." I explained that I read about things I don't know, to which I've never been exposed. We can glean so much from other disciplines, and often we learn things that can apply to challenges in our own organizations. For several months, I've been preparing for interviews at organizations that do things I've never done before. Each cover letter is a practice in applying my experience to a new field. Each interview involves imagining myself i...