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Aleve came to the rescue at the beginning. Ten days, however, Aleve is not up to the job. Muscle relaxers will likely be the answer for back spasms which currently incapacitate. A visit to the orthopedic doctor is also a strong possibility for the knee. Both the back and the knee are posing painful problems. Getting into and out of bed is a problem. Turning over while sleeping is mostly impossible. Surprisingly, getting into and out of the car is not a nightmare as previously thought. We actually drove for errands; nearby and drive-throughs. No problem. However, thinking about visiting one doctor, and then another, gives me the heebie jeebies. So much could go wrong – getting the walker out of the back of the car; walking into the doctor’s office and going through the examination; driving to the pharmacy after seeing the doctor; navigating getting into and out of the car both times; then planning and doing the second doctor visit. My mind races. Time for a nap? Yesterday we even dr...

When Tiny Houses became a thing, I was interested only because it fascinated me how small a space could be that contained all a person needs to live in. Well, how well that kind of life would be, always was a question mark for me. Then came floor plans that placed sleeping quarters in lofts above kitchens, bathrooms and whatnot. The flaw was immediately apparent to me – older, heavier or disabled people could not navigate a ladder or narrow staircase to the loft area. The answer of course was convertible sleeping space on the ground floor. Murphy bed installations were the answer. Bedroom by night converted to living space by day, perhaps an office. Such designs were available in space squeezed Manhattan. Other conveniences were engineered into Tiny Houses at this point including compact washer/dryers, thin silhouette refrigerators that were taller than normal. Fold down shelves served as computer workspaces and TV’s that rose up from cabinets or tables. Fold down decks provided ...

Balancing Supply and Demand: spiking energy bills? Higher food costs? Want someone to do something about these things? Who do you think will come to your aid? Large shifts in supply and demand usually are caused by man-made actions, or lack of actions. Threats to food supplies is mostly nature made, but those can be anticipated, and reserves built to blunt the effect of the temporary supply shortfall. Mankind has been doing just that for centuries. Grain storage buildings and siloes have been a feature of agricultural economics for a very long time. So too have been animal herd sizes. And refrigeration and freezers. Major climate change – and the argument of whether it exists or not, or what to do about it – is seemingly a thing of nature. It isn’t when studied and viewed through the lens of science. Mankind has helped cause long-term weather patterns that must be reversed if ‘mother nature’s’ hands are to be calmed. And then there is the manmade manipulation of markets – supply ...

So much to write about on this issue. So many people have stated their opinions, and many are backbiting and small minded. College education has always been costly. For the student, the family and society. It has rarely ever been truly free. Those who got a 'free' ride in College or University most likely gave their talents to the athletic department, or music department, or maybe even a science lab doing heavy research. The last two have always been rare. The first one most likely. Those students ‘earned’ their scholarships. But someone always paid for them one way or another. Either you were gifted with a rare talent, or you came from a wealthy family able to pay the cost. Either way, someone else paid for your college education. The federal and state governments also pay for students. They subsidize the costly infrastructure of universities in every state of the union. But here is the bottom line: higher education should be free for all. Every person deserves to ob...

This will seem silly to many of you, while others will nod in agreement. Working with SCORE.org, I mentor entrepreneurs wanting to start their own business. I also work with people who have a small business already in operation but needing help with emerging challenges. My specialty arena is nonprofits. My management specialty is strategic planning. Incoming clients are usually much younger than I. Although they connect first with SCORE via internet, that doesn’t mean they do so with a computer. Cell phones are used as well. For older people like me, I don’t text a lot and sending a message by text is arduous. And slow. I welcome a new client with a detailed email. If I don’t receive a response in a few days, I text them to tell them to check their email and then respond. Sometimes, we only connect via phone. By then we have exasperated each other! Communications have rapidly changed into a conflict among technical methodologies. It is a little demoralizing when the old meets t...

Creature comforts in cars started with electric starters, you know, replacing the original cranks near the front bumper? Soon after, heaters were provided for colder climates. Eventually we graduated to power steering, power brakes, and a host of other powered features. I remember when power steering was power ‘assisted.’ It was not the full power steering we know today; no, there was some kind of pump that helped turn the steering mechanism dependent on the driver's own pressure on the steering wheel. It was a nice feature then. It could be again to replace the power steering systems that make the car feel like a light toy. One wonders about the feel of the road? Well, there are other things in lives today that are power assisted. One that is a blessing for me is the CPAP unit that pushes air into my lungs during the night, and also helps exhale, too. I grew up with lung problems that made breathing a chore. At times breathing was nearly impossible, but then meds eased those c...

After falling on Sunday, life changed more than a bit. I couldn’t just go to the bathroom when I needed to, or pick up the phone where it had fallen, or even switched on a light. No, those common movements were no longer possible. Back strain or sprain kept movements to a minimum and slowly maneuvered at that. Thought went into every movement. Anticipating the pain was only a small part of it. Worrying if knees would hold was a greater concern. Memories of the fall reminded me not to revisit that circumstance again. So, a first move, then a stand, and finally a step. The knee would not bend. But extended it held. So far so good. Then pain killers. Did I have any left over from the painful knee episode a few years back? Or a horrible back condition 2 years ago? Yes, those leftover pills remained in the medicine cabinet, in the back of course. Entering the drug’s name in the computer I learned what the prescription was for and likely side effects. One pill would kill the pain for...

So, on Sunday morning I had finished the Trib's crossword puzzle, finished my internet tasks, written a blog post for Monday, and prepared for SCORE appointments approaching. Went into the kitchen to toss out the newspaper and spotted a coffee spill on the floor. I grabbed a sterile wipe to clean up the small mess. In doing that my right foot slid on the tile. The leg kept sliding out from under me. The tile floor was too slippery for me to regain a standing position. So, I calculated a gentle slide down to the knees and rolled over. This probably took about 20 seconds, but it seemed like 5 minutes. Once down on the floor I assessed my situation. Rocky was in the bathroom doing his shower, shave and meds, and God only knew when he would be back into the bedroom with hearing aids in, fans off and able to hear my call for assistance! I was able to move around on my butt, came to know my knees were painful but not injured, nothing wrong with the ankles, but my lower back was strai...

I was sure I was right with that decision made in August 1976. Or the one in September of 1981, or was it 1984? You know, the time I hoped I had it right when I decided to speak the truth to my boss, or his! The consequences were high. But the truth needed airing. Bold. But right? I don’t remember now. Too much time has passed. I do recall times like those, however, when I didn’t play it safe and spoke my mind. Totally unlike my nature, really. I normally kept quiet, thought things through and prepared a reasoned comment or two for the current discussion. Over time I realized – yes, slowly realized – that the open moments were best to make a point that was important. Those were the instances when people got real about the discussion and really talked about what was important. Group thinking began to take root and ideas were shared that deeply affected the outcomes. Collaboration became a thing with the group. We birthed our team. The gamble to speak the mind paid off then. And ...

A colleague reminded me the other day that I should say ‘no’ more often. I’m kind of known for being busy and keeping it that way. At my age that complicates life more than a bit. I don’t get around so well these days, but writing, texting, Zooming and what not keep me involved without worrying about the mobility thing. The calendar, however, gets chaotic at times. Managing my time has been a problem but I normally found a way to squeeze in another appointment or two. The pandemic helped me out quite a bit. I learned to finally manage blocks of time. I made afternoons and evenings untouchable. Rarely would I accept an appointment then unless a colleague was requesting a meeting with a client together. Slowly people are learning that I don’t do afternoons and evenings. The why is simple: I rise at 5 am nearly every morning. To do that I go to bed by 9 pm, sometimes earlier. Simply put, I am not much good for anyone in the afternoon and certainly not during the evening. I remembe...

The heat builds. Humidity rises. Sun beats down with persistence. It is August. It is summer in Chicagoland. Each year this month is unrelenting. Hot. A good time to get out of town and feel cool country breezes, hill breezes, small, wooded lakes. I recall this season of summer embraced in one month. Whether in California, Massachusetts, New York or Illinois, this is the month of heat. When I was a school kid, this was the last month of summer before school restarted in September. Today’s calendar informs me that many kids are already going back to classrooms. I’m not sure when this changed, or why. But I do absolutely know we marked Labor Day as the end of summer and the eve of the new school year. Not so today. No, the kids get out in Spring, sometime around the end of May or early June, then return to school in August. In my day no schools were air conditioned unless they were situated on the desert. Today schools are often air conditioned, so it doesn’t matter if the months o...

That depends on who is fearful of negative effects. The wealthy wonder about their long-term asset values. They consider hedging actions to escape the worst of inflation, or deflation. They opt for strategies that soften the effects of recessions while building toward opportunities for boom times. This group has wealth buckets that see them through hard times. To the rest of us, the term means something else. The poor know what hard times are. They have lived through them over and over again. For them the fight is always over adequate food, decent housing, medical care and clothing. Planning for the future is not in their cards. That hand was dealt much differently than for the wealthy. Middle class folks, however, are another story. Their homes are worth more but so are replacement properties. If downsizing or moving to a lower cost of living area, you will do OK. If you are relocating to a higher cost of living area, good luck. Hope your new job assignment comes with a healthy ...

I have walked away from difficult situations in my past. One was a new boss hired over our division who I quickly learned was a poor leader for our future. I also became aware of a neurosis or two that bedeviled him. Rather than spend another 16 years building new programs I had already done, I simply took another career route. Another time I had labored for many years building a local institution (all volunteer) to a pinnacle of effectiveness when I learned new leadership had other ideas and gutted our capabilities. I walked away from them, too, and moved to another organization that bespoke my sense of possibility and collaborative values. Each leave taking turned out well. I did not look back at the old associations, only the new. Most of the previous entities survived; one did very well; another did not thrive but did survive. I write this recall to shine light on constructive leave taking. One must do what one must do and feeling undervalued is a clear sign it is time to go....

Swelling Public Illness : Flu and COVID infections are on the rise. Both are public enemies. We have steadfastly sought out appropriate vaccinations and advisory actions. We follow them. Got the flu only once while a recipient of the vaccine. So far, no COVID. Both of my kids’ families have had COVID. One family has suffered through it twice. They are inoculated and vaccinated. Still, they got it although all mild cases. We, on the other hand, restrict our activity, wear masks and protect ourselves and others. It would be better for all if we used our heads and wore masks. Heck, I haven’t even had an allergy reaction to pollens for over 2 years. The masks work. Disbelief Among Public : Now that much more is being learned about the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, conservatives and republicans are denying the facts and making big noise about injustice. They should talk! The justice system will determine what is fact, what is relevant, and what is actionable. I will gladly wait for t...

It has been said that justice is met with very fine teeth. Meaning: the details are center stage and take time to find, relate to other details, compare with the law, comply with law and process of law, bring to court, prepare case, try case. Decisions by judge and jury guide the judicial process along carefully and slowly. Maddening at times. The system, the process, is not for the impatient. On TV drama shows, justice is swift and certain. In real life, justice is slow and plodding. It is designed this way to protect the innocent, you and I. The FBI raid on Mar A Lago, Trump’s Florida home, took years to occur. Done correctly, findings will be admissible in court. Done incorrectly the whole exercise is thrown out. Care. Details. Attention. Bit by bit a case is built. Out of chaos of January 6, 2021, the Capitol hill riot or insurrection, unfolded. Hundreds of participants, some say thousands, with much background and causal history, produced the chaotic scene. Each and every mo...

I prepare to meet a client. I need to know how well they are focused on mission of organization, the longer-term vision of the organization, and what both entails. I wonder what is bothering them, what the possibilities are? What are their primary needs, and do they conform to what most bothers them? Bringing a smiley face to a meeting is helpful but pulling out client agenda is key if I am to meet their needs, their expectations. The two are not the same, needs and expectations. Sometimes an inventory of issues is helpful. Where the client places various items on that list tells me a lot. Does the client understand the relationship between the items? Which are drivers and which are support issues? Is there a chronology of these items that is important? Which ones should be attended to first, then second, and so forth? When facing these issues, does the client show fear, excitement, a sense of possibility? How can this be used to further the client’s mastery of their situation? H...

It is a good book to read. The mind enters sentences and paragraphs. A mood is noted. A person is present. We learn a bit about the person, her thoughts, his feelings, the struggle under contemplation. We sense the beginning of a story. A reason for this monolog. A reach into a near future. Something is building. The book becomes a refuge. Waiting between the covers is a mind niche, a ‘place’ to go and ponder, to lose oneself apart from and still within the world. Reading does not shut out the sound of a door closing, a doorbell, the phone, or even a microwave oven signal. Other footfalls in the home are sensed, even heard. Others are near and functioning in their world. I am in my place, though, pulled into a story’s vortex. Driving the car on an errand, I note other vehicles. We accommodate each other and wend our ways to destinations near and far without incident. Traffic lights are encountered and survived. Turns, stops and starts are negotiated. My thoughts focus on the ...

We quite cable a few months ago. Cable bill was $167/month with very few stations. We had downsized the service severely, yet it continued to grow in size nearly every month. That pattern of growth was a reminder of the 10 to 15 times we had renegotiated the package and price only to have the price grow even more quickly thereafter. Comcast has no seniors program. Comcast has no true deals for the consumer. Only good deals for themselves. There were two holdups to cutting the cord previously. Rocky simply put his foot down on the decision. Second, Wi-Fi connections were important to me, and I didn’t want them interrupted. Finally, however, with gas costing $100 a tank, I said yes to a Wi-Fi deal from T-Mobile. Gone was cable and in was streaming. During the pandemic we had learned how to use streaming better and liked it. Today we are firmly in the streaming family. Also gone are negative newscasts, millions of irritating ads and breaking news announcements that were hardly break...

Russia’s Role in History : Russia, led by Putin, waged war on Ukraine twice in recent years. The first was the taking of Crimea. The second is currently in progress. Ukraine represents a nation successfully building its own future and economy, stronger than Russia's because Ukraine pursued an international collaboration in education, economics, culture, capitalism and personal freedoms for her people. These are all starkly different from Russia’s own story. Hence, Putin punishes Ukraine for its independence and wants to make an example of this to encourage other satellite nations previously in the USSR to toe the line. That and the landmass that is Ukraine that gives Russia closer borders with European nations. The power wedge this would give Russia in international affairs is considered very important. But Putin played his cards wrong. His national economy lies in ruins and will take generations to rebuild trust and cooperation from other nations it needs for rebuilding. Putin...

I am a fan of Joe Biden. He has been a good president for the short time he has been in office. He has addressed many of the concerns created by his predecessor. He has restored a norm of calm, consideration and policy wholeness. His group of advisors in many sectors of expertise are excellent and use their voices to help Joe understand the many aspects of policymaking that build unseen traps in their complexities. In short, Joe Biden has done what I had hoped he would. And the work environment has not been kind. A war by Russia in Ukraine has unsettled the international trade world. Supply chain problems have been made worse on top of the pandemic’s effect which have still to be healed. Climate change continues to challenge governments worldwide as weather extremes are encountered and produce enormous threats to mankind. Political ideologues exist behind every tree, bush and corner. They are looking for anything to attack so they can build advantage and elect their candidates at t...

A lot of comments on social media complain about sexual orientation. Transgender teens is the current bestie being pummeled. Of course, adoption by gay couples is another hot topic. As always, questioning someone’s virility – manhood – is a favorite mock. These public displays of nastiness got me thinking. I wonder how the complainers, the nasty ones, came to know of their own sexual orientation? Did they wonder about sex before understanding it? Did they instinctively know what was happening, what to do with their ‘equipment?’ Were they instantly attracted to a potential sexual partner? Did they wonder about that? And then who did they ask about it? Mom or dad? Uncle or aunt? Brother or sister? Or a buddy in class? Just where did they get the information clarifying what they were thinking about, feeling? Did they visit the library and seek reading material? Did they know the terms they were searching for, the spelling of words? Each of us questioned our bodies, feelings and func...

Democrat Senator Manchin from West Virginia has made a career out of bucking his own political party. How else could he have become a millionaire while being a public servant from one of the poorest states in the nation? He has been and remains for sale to the highest bidder. In a political divide measured by a single vote or two, the cantankerous one wins dollars and power. Manchin has a knack to do this arduous skullduggery. Not everyone does. Susan Collins has tried but to little avail. No, Manchin is the perfect example for federal elected official who sells his vote to the highest bidder. His work has made Democrat leadership squirm, including a sitting president. He has given happiness and delight to Mitch McConnell who has used Manchin’s vote for many bills near and dear to Mitch’s heart. Anyone who says congresspersons – including senators – are not for sale, simply does not read. Campaign finance regulations are needed to put a stop to this nasty practice. What is ri...

August already? Yep! The months just keep rolling along. The economy is in the news. Job formation is a heady topic. We are doing well in creating new jobs. Much of this is a partial return to ‘normal’ as we struggle to get over the pandemic. But fresh layoffs and job losses are heralded in the same editions of the newspaper. Next item are reports of a labor shortage. Well, all these reports can’t be true, right? Well, yes they can be. Our economy is large and complex. Many elements are codependent on one another. Some are totally standalone in a bewildering array of statistics and economic hypothesizing. Perhaps this will help: 1.        The pandemic caused massive layoffs in the early months. Many of those workers returned to work by working from home. 2.        New employment opportunities grew as employers pivoted to different modes of operation to stay in business. Work from home became a thing, it remains such, ...