Steffen

While retirement is in progress for a while already, the process of disconnecting from work and the company is not an abrupt but a rather gradual process. It is planned, has steps and milestones that are being worked through. Part of the personal decision process was an assessment of the financial situation and getting comfortable […]

In fall and winter, we can observe elk in the meadows close to the Deschutes River. The herds vary in size. Elk are amazing and one can say majestic animals – in particular the mature females that lead these groups. So far bucks are rarely to be seen. A common scenario is that after a

When we get together with friends, we inadvertently exchange stories about our children and based on current events for them and somewhat recent events for us we often talk about college. We touch on the challenges to get started, to manage and thrive in a new environment for high schoolers newly entering one of many

Early morning and I am driving to Sunriver for a meeting. It is a cloudy November morning. Suddenly I sensed what seemed to be a light flash in the corner of my eye. Naturally the first reaction is to look into the rear-view mirror, and yes there is a car behind me. Observing it for

In a personal conversation on the subject a friend pointed out that the chances for an implant are higher if the recipient is willing to broaden search for the sources of organs. When I inquired, I learned that a growing number of donors are victims of drug overdoses – otherwise healthy and young people that

A very few days till the 2024 presidential elections. Like many people I have the impression that the news gives only glimpses and highlights from the rallies by both candidates and increasingly the debate becomes personal, or the press publications emphasize certain statements and snippets – perhaps even just headlines and key messages. I happen

Comparisons suck! Still, they stipulate observations and perhaps discussion. So, a month ago we went for the first time to a sauna/spa in Germany. It was a rainy day and an elaborate Spa – here the “Therme in Kochel am See” (the town is called Kochel and is located next to the lake) – was

For a while now the New York Times has been publishing recorded articles in the daily online issue. A very convenient feature – listening to articles in the background while exercising, driving or taking care of errands. While I prefer to read, this morning I was late, so I put my ear plugs in and

We watched the movie on Netflix apparently a true story of two families – one with a tragic illness of a young man and one of a married couple where the husband has a history of a weak heart. The transplant that connects these two families enables the second family to return to normalcy while