August is always a month of anniversaries and times of reflection. I am not quite sure why, but August seems to have accumulated a lot of life events, seemingly more so than any other month.
This year has been no different. It has been a nostalgic couple of weeks since my last installment of the Report. As a matter of fact, this week marks my 23rd anniversary of moving to Austin, inching me ever closer to having lived as many years here as I did in Canada. Just for the record, the day of the 50/50 split will be July 29, 2015, assuming that Austin is still home. I don't see that changing any time soon.
In this episode of the Rhubarb Report, I go back in the time machine for a few of those August moments in time. Gretzky, Erving, and Peralta - any of those names ring a bell?
It's amazing how connected we are these days. We update our friends online. We share our photos and videos online. We get our news online.
So imagine my disconnectedness after being in Denver for five days at a conference. It's not that the Internet doesn't exist in Colorado - it just exists in the hotel at about $12 per day. A little fiscal demand, combined with a busy schedule, countless face-to-face interactions, and some sleep wedged in there somewhere, and you are suddenly unplugged from the universe. Or so it seemed at times.
For 5 days, news from the outside world didn't really exist. It was, admittedly, quite nice.
But a few things did make it to my attention over the past couple of weeks. With that in mind, here is the next episode of the Rhubarb Report.
It was another example of truth being stranger than fiction: rain, in Austin, in July. As I looked out the window, I had a double-take. I had to pause to realize that no, Chicken Little, the sky was not falling, and yes, it was actually real, honest-to-goodness rain. And buckets of it.
While the northeastern part of the country bakes, we have actually experienced the wet stuff and a (fingers crossed) only-modestly-blazing summer thus far. I am not sure what you call all of these strange weather patterns, although some might actually call it "global warming" - but I digress.
So while the sky is falling, grab an umbrella, enjoy the rain, and dive right in to the next episode of the Rhubarb Report.
Our lives are chock full of beautiful memories. Some of the simplest things can trigger them off. Add some live blues music last week to some photos I found while rummaging around, and voila - an incredible trip down memory lane.
In those fleeting moments, I went back to places I haven't seen in decades. But it was more than just memories. These were some epic moments of growth and discovery.
Those were the times when life was really as simple as an open mic, a blues jam, a guitar, a glass slide on my finger, and, yes, some barbeque chicken.
Today is Independence Day in the United States. For the first time since I moved to Austin, I went to Auditorium Shores this evening to watch the fireworks and listen to the symphony. It's not that I haven't witnessed fireworks here before - I just haven't taken part in the traditional Austin downtown celebration - until today. Cool stuff.
Welcome to a special July 4th edition of the Rhubarb Report. It would only be appropriate on a day like today to find some patriotic rhubarb and to share a few thoughts on what makes this country what it is. We live in a country founded on freedom, and there are plenty of powers-that-be that would gladly tear it asunder if we let them do so.
So sit back, relax, raise a toast to the United States, and enjoy the latest episode of the Rhubarb Report.
Let's get this out of the way right now. I will begrudgingly congratulate the Miami Heat for winning game 7 and becoming NBA champions. As a resident of central Texas, it should be no surprise that I was in full support of the Spurs. Needless to say, the last two games have been a little agonizing for us here in Texas.
Now, with hockey winding down, we're left with ... baseball. Ugh. I guess it's time to start counting the days until college football starts again.
The Leafs lost. The Spurs lost. And yes, imagine this, life still goes on. So with that being said, let's get moving with another episode of the Rhubarb Report - where truth is stranger than fiction.
Here I was thinking that Section 215 was in the Alamodome or some other large Texas football stadium. Boy, was I wrong. Little did I know that it's the section of the US Patriot Act that seems to be getting everyone's attention these days.
It's funny that if you are an NFL team, you can't videotape an opposing team's practices - but you want my phone records? Go ahead, take a look. Email? No worries. Web searches? Welcome to Section 215.
Oh, the razor's edge of freedom that we live on. On a day when we remember D-Day, many can somehow turn a blind eye to this sort of thing. Incredible.
Just another snippet of rhubarb to start off Episode 068.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.