Long Feng Shi To - Dragon & Phoenix Stone. One of the most beautiful treasures I discovered traveling last year in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan. I've since brought home several dozen pieces to decorate our house and give as gifts. It's a beautiful combination of natural beauty and human craftmanship. The only other place I've ever seen anything like this is at one little Yunnan import stand at the Pan Jia Yuan market in Beijing. 

With old friends in Las Vegas

Karen and I at dinner outside of Las Vegas, where I attended the National Association of Broadcasters trade show for my company. Karen and I spent six weeks together over several years time studying the mysteries of life with Pathways Institute (www.pathwaysinstitute.com), which regretably will close its doors this year.

Dinner with some old friends from Pathways last week in Las Vegas. John, Virginia, Michael, me (new shirt!), and Karen. 

The gorgeous Saint Basil's cathedral off of Red Square in the Kremlin. 

Red Square in Moscow 

Pictures from chilly Moscow a few months ago. 

Lifetime Travelog

I've been blessed through my current job with the opportunity to see a lot of the world. But I am far from finished! Below is a running list of the countries and cities I have visited so far in my lifetime (mostly in the last three years, if you can believe it!).

Australia	Sydney*
Austria	Salzburg, Vienna, Melk, Halstatt
Belgium	Brussels*
Bulgaria	Sofia
Canada	Winnipeg, Atikokan**, Toronto, London
China	Beijing**, Shanghai, Kunming, Urumqi
Denmark	Copenhagen, Horsens, Billund
England	London**, Colchester
France	Paris*, Marseilles, Bayonne, Biarritz, St. Jean de Luz, St. Jean de Pied de Port, Hendaye
Germany	Cologne*, Düsseldorf, Idar-Oberstein
Greece	Athens*, Hydra
Hungary	Budapest
Ireland	Dublin
Italy	Rome, Milan*, Baveno (Lago Maggiore), Turin
Japan	Sapporo*, Jozankei, Otaru
Korea	Seoul
Mexico	Tiajuana, Merida*, Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Progreso
Netherlands	Amsterdam***, Hoofddorp***, Purmerend***, Hoorn***, Hilversum**
Poland	Zielona Gora
Portugal	Faro (Algarve)
Russian Federation	Moscow
South Africa	Johannesburg*, Sun City, Hermanus
Spain	Madrid*, Segovia, Avila, Toledo, Barcelona, Figueras, Marbella, San Sebastian***, Bilbao, Vitoria, Lazcano**, Irun, Hondarribia** (and dozens of other smaller Basque towns and villages in my one year of living there)
United States	Arizona**, California**, Colorado*, Conneticut, Washington D.C.**, Florida*, Georgia*, Hawaii*, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa***, Maryland*, Massachusetts*, Michigan, Minnesota**, Missouri**, Nebraska, Nevada**, New Jersey, New York*, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia***, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Lived, worked, holidayed or studied for cumulatively:
* = One week or more **=One month or more ***=One year or more

Donostia-San Sebastián

Journied last weekend to Donostia-San Sebastián in the Basque Country of Spain. I went to school there for 8 months in 1990-91, and have had the pleasure of returning half a dozen times since then. Recently it has become a yearly affair. This year it will probably be about three times, because I'm planning a company event there! Last week I went with a colleague to prepare the way, investigating the hotel facilities and the dining and excursion sites we'll take our customers to. It was a blast. The hotel is fabulous. I never even dared to walk into it when I was a student, so it always gives me a satisfied feeling to stay there. So imagine how I feel about renting the whole bloody thing out for a week! :-)

John Paul II - "Gay Marriage Evil"

In case you wonder why it is that I can't get all too excited about the pope's death, see this clip from a recently published magazine...

The man obviously did a lot of good in the world to incite as much love as the world is expressing right now. But not being Catholic, poor, Polish, African or South American, there's not much reason for me to respect him considering statements like the one above. For him to say that my relationship with my partner is any less deserving of respect and recognition by the government or the church (which I realize are two different questions entirely) is patently rediculous. Where is the respect for life here? Where is compassion for others? Where is "The greatest of these [commandments] is love"? Instead he's declaring war on me and my kind by actively using the power of the church to influence government policy making. What ever happened to the separation of church and state (in the U.S. at least)? Welcome to the newly founded Theocratic States of America, in so small measure with help from His Holiness.

So I mourn the passing of the pope as a human being who did some good and some evil in the world. Pretty much like any other human being, I guess. I'll work on trying to show more acceptance and compassion for him than he showed for me. But it's proving hard.