On Taking the Bolt Bus to Portland

We’ve had Bolt Bus service in the Pacific Northwest for a little over a year now. The line runs nonstop to Portland from Seattle, making it possibly the most efficient way to visit our hipster neighbors to the south. It’s cheap, comfortable, fast, and has some nice amenities. There’s a toilet cabinet at the back …


…read more.

Serendipity and Social Media

I want to yell at you about social media. I want to say things like, “Have you played your ukulele with an astronaut? No? Well, shut up then.” That’s not very polite, is it, and there’s no reason for you to listen to me if I talk to you like that, none at all. But …


…read more.

Interview with Chris Hadfield

They fix the camera angle so don’t fret — that clipped angle at the beginning is fine a few minutes in — be patient. And here is my interview, the whole thing, with what one audience member calls the “Best Astronaut Ever.” It’s long, but it’s Chris Hadfield, so it — forgive me — flies …


…read more.

Backstage with Chris Hadfield

You really should never leave home without your ukulele. There’s a video of the entire event coming, but in the meantime, just read the book:  An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything.    

Some Thoughts on My First Airbnb Stay

Here’s the scenario — I was planning a trip to San Francisco and I wanted to spend one evening in the city with friends that live there. We planned to get dinner and, I’ll just say it, do some drinking. I wanted to be able to stumble back to my bed when we were done. …


…read more.

Fog

There’s a park down on the water, about a mile from my house and it’s full of towering cedar and spruce trees. When I drove into our neighborhood, I could just see the tops of the trees poking through the fog and I could not see the water at all, so thick was the blanket …


…read more.