Saturday, October 02, 2004
Blog? Why this esteenking blog?
Why this blog? Well my motives start with my old work friend, Linda, who had a great newsletter that she wrote and edited. While she ran "Outtakes," distributed throughout the Port of Oakland/San Francisco for the US Customs Service, she very generously printed everything I sent her. One of my never-to-be-forgotten moments was when she emailed me and said that she never had to edit my submissions for grammatical accuracy. If I can find some of these old pieces, I'll include them here. I wrote about Customs-related stuff, though some of my submissions were very thinly related to Customs. I recall one piece about Schola St. George- 15th Century swordsmanship- that I tried to link to something related to Customs and found that there was, indeed, a nexus. Other pieces were about what I did for Customs- domestic security right after 9/11, temporary duty to the Northern Border and HQ, etc. I had some nice photos there, so I hope I can still find these for later entries in this blog. One piece about my tandem bicycle had absolutely nothing to do with Customs, yet she still printed it. One of my disappointments revolves around the demise of Outtakes- since Linda retired, the news we get is exceedingly dry and to-the-point. Gone are little tidbits regarding who got promoted, who had a baby, who found some narcotics, who did this or that. HQ puts out a memo, the replacement newsletter merely reprints it in its entirety with nothing to make it personal. Linda also used to include small trivia questions, movie reviews, stuff like that. You looked forward to her Outtakes.
More of my motivation starts with me. I like to write, and I don't mind who reads my blather. So I guess I should start with a bit about myself- I have been a Customs Inspector since 1989. OK, technically, I'm a "DHS-Customs and Border Protection Officer," but in my mind, I'm still a Customs Inspector. Since I'm not yet retired, I'll have to be somewhat circumspect in my writings about my work. Bear with me, things will get better. And if I can find some of those pieces I wrote for Linda, I'll put them in here and you can see what I did just a few years ago. I can't bad-mouth Customs too much, they're really a good place to work. They're not perfect, but then which organization is?
What else? Well, I've been married for 34 years. We have a son, 33, a daughter 27, and our last child is a nice 12-year-old young man. We live in Hayward, CA, about half-way between Oakland and San Jose. This is not their blog, it's mine, so enough of them for now. If necessary, I'll write more about them another time.
More? Sure. I have lots of interests. In no particular order, they include bicycles, welding, blacksmithing, internet friends, motorcycles, languages, travel, art, gardening, renaissance faires, firearms, photography, car repair, movies, writing, philosophy, and learning how things work. (Quick aside: How thing work leads to wondering about one's existence. One of the more curiously-assembled things I've discovered is my own psyche.) I'll write about each of these things and see where they take me.
I have a handlebar moustache that my son says is the best at Dickens Fair.
I've raced motorcycles, served in the Army (Germany, not Viet Nam), been in the delivery room for all three kids, lived on three continents, and been employed at a number of different jobs- working backwards, I guess they'd be: Customs Inspector, chauffer (briefly), diplomat, burocrat, building mechanic/painter/carpenter, truck driver, welder, soldier, stockroom clerk, and paper boy. I think I've omitted some, but that's the bulk of my paid occupations.
Linda wrote some great pieces about herself, her travels and travails. If this blog can reach her level of prose, I'll be happy. Which Linda? Look at "Outtakes at home."
Signing off for now,
r
More of my motivation starts with me. I like to write, and I don't mind who reads my blather. So I guess I should start with a bit about myself- I have been a Customs Inspector since 1989. OK, technically, I'm a "DHS-Customs and Border Protection Officer," but in my mind, I'm still a Customs Inspector. Since I'm not yet retired, I'll have to be somewhat circumspect in my writings about my work. Bear with me, things will get better. And if I can find some of those pieces I wrote for Linda, I'll put them in here and you can see what I did just a few years ago. I can't bad-mouth Customs too much, they're really a good place to work. They're not perfect, but then which organization is?
What else? Well, I've been married for 34 years. We have a son, 33, a daughter 27, and our last child is a nice 12-year-old young man. We live in Hayward, CA, about half-way between Oakland and San Jose. This is not their blog, it's mine, so enough of them for now. If necessary, I'll write more about them another time.
More? Sure. I have lots of interests. In no particular order, they include bicycles, welding, blacksmithing, internet friends, motorcycles, languages, travel, art, gardening, renaissance faires, firearms, photography, car repair, movies, writing, philosophy, and learning how things work. (Quick aside: How thing work leads to wondering about one's existence. One of the more curiously-assembled things I've discovered is my own psyche.) I'll write about each of these things and see where they take me.
I have a handlebar moustache that my son says is the best at Dickens Fair.
I've raced motorcycles, served in the Army (Germany, not Viet Nam), been in the delivery room for all three kids, lived on three continents, and been employed at a number of different jobs- working backwards, I guess they'd be: Customs Inspector, chauffer (briefly), diplomat, burocrat, building mechanic/painter/carpenter, truck driver, welder, soldier, stockroom clerk, and paper boy. I think I've omitted some, but that's the bulk of my paid occupations.
Linda wrote some great pieces about herself, her travels and travails. If this blog can reach her level of prose, I'll be happy. Which Linda? Look at "Outtakes at home."
Signing off for now,
r
# posted by rich @ 8:00 PM 
