See Mermaids Live

A Weekend in St. Petersburg

Bev was midway through a list in the options we could take during my weekend in St. Petersburg, when I jumped at the opportunity to Weeki Wachee Springs, home of the live mermaids. During our day at the park, we saw a manatee swimming the springs, two mermaid shows and a wedding!

Fabulous!

Weeki Wachee Springs - Music Video

The Conference

Conferences are always interesting affairs. Some attend hoping to find answers, to network, and others hope to get hired. I attended an eLearning Conference in Orlando and found myself feeling a little rebelious. I was supposed to attend a full day session but left during the last hour.

There is nothing worse than self-appointed "training leaders" demonstrating their undying love for their fellow presenters. It seriously felt like watching a bunch of middle-age white guys masterbating each other.

Stroke ... stroke ... stroke... you are so wonderful.

I just loved your book ... heh heh ... did you like the statistics that I pulled together?

Hot.

Look I included a powerpoint transitions.

Dude that is amazing!

PowerPoint is hot.

Hey, did anyone read the bullet points that promoted today's session?

Why?

Oh, that's right, we're "training leaders" ... whatever we say is gospel.

By the way, who are those people looking at us like we're absolute idiots ... didn't they hear that we are training leaders?

So, I opted to read Jeanette Winterson's The Stone Gods and headed to the Magic Kingdom with a colleague. I am happy to say that after the first day's disappointment, the rest of the session was excellent.

Messages from the Other Side ...

A few years ago my surrogate mother, Toni, passed. She struggled with cancer and eventually lost the battle.


Toni was the mother of one of my best friends. On Saturdays, her home was always open to provide a home-cooked meal, a hug, share a story, or act surprised by the antics of teenage boys.


The birthday after she passed, I received a card with her handwriting on the outside. It was a final message and it was so unexpected and so welcome.

The family of Kurt Vonnegut have released previously unpublished works and it is a gift to those of us who have enjoyed Kurt's work over the years.

"I've too damned much to say, the rest will have to wait. I can't receive mail here so don't write." (May 29, 1945)

Chris Turns 47!