Another interesting set of maps of Ohio from NationalAtlas.gov

| December 17, 2025

Brilliantmaps is a social media account on X.com that I follow for year … and have posted from before. This past week, one of the posts on their website was on a set of retired NationalAtlas.gov maps of Ohio. Since I’ve been a life long “Ohioian,” it seems fitting to include a link to their […]

The weekend after Thanksgiving 2025 is wintery in the Midwest

| November 30, 2025

Thanksgiving “return home” weekend travel look dicey in some parts of the midwest and could snarl air travel for those who might be flying. Thankfully for us, KDAE are traveling home on Saturday and not Sunday, but will likely face a little weather (since I’m writing this after they left our house on Saturday).  It […]

Thinking about beaches, turtle eggs and a Green Turtle victory

| October 18, 2025

Brenda and I are beach walkers and when in Delray Beach … or any beach for that matter … we walk in all kinds of weather. A week or so ago we were surprised at the heavy erosion along Florida’s Atlantic beaches, which can be somewhat normal with storm surf, higher winds and tides. This […]

Beach Erosion, Postseason Baseball and Family in Western NY

| October 16, 2025

Eventually I’ll get around to updating a back and forth trip to Florida to check on the Delray Beach condo’s lanai repairs (and the missing beach – erosion video above) … maybe more over the weekend (???) … but for now a little updating on our lack of excitement with MLB post-season baseball. Brenda and […]

Archive: A few leftover family photos from early October 2025

| October 11, 2025

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Archive: The Utah trip photos from yesterday were not enough

| October 10, 2025

After posting our “trip to Utah” photos yesterday, Brenda commented that I left out her favorite from the top of Angels Landing in Zion National Park. Obviously navigating the chains was truly an accomplishment for “senior citizens” … so a few more photos and video seems justified. 😉 

Back from an amazing trip to Solitude, Zion and Sundance, Utah

| October 9, 2025

It is probably going to take me a couple of weeks to get my blogging bearings back, but let it be known, we enjoyed our week in Solitude, Utah with my sister-in-law Ann and her husband Gary. Thank you so much for inviting us to your condo and treating us to the great hikes, trip […]

Our Utah trip photos with Ann and Gary are coming … but first a couple pre-trip photos with our nieces

| October 8, 2025

Our Utah trip is still fresh and the photos TOO many to sift through at the moment … so I’ll start by archiving a single photo of Zion National Park; the three peaks known as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (photo above). This might at least start the ball rolling in  getting the photos and my […]

Mike’s Pretty Good Campers and a human-interest “work” story

| September 20, 2025

I saw a story being passed around on social media and because I enjoy Mike Rowe’s story telling AND tear drop campers short post made me smile (I could build one on my trailer someday?). Besides, it is a way to add some Markdown text to my hugo.brenich.com practice website and a link Mike’s Pretty Good […]

Our Lanai Condominium repairs in Florida are looking better

| September 16, 2025

I really thought that I posted a photo last month on the Lanai construction happening at our Delray Beach condo? Nope, can’t find it (photo right). But thanks to our super nice neighbor, she took a couple updated photos below for us in between the heavy rains they have been getting in south Florida (we […]

Interesting: What do you know about ‘dark tourism?’

| September 9, 2025

Read an article on the NPR blog about “Dark Tourism.”   Dark Tourism has been defined as tourism involving travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy. (link) It was a new term to me (but shouldn’t be) … and as someone who reads a significant number of books on World War II, should […]

Could a lightning strike damage my surge protection power strip?

| August 19, 2025

It is the time of years that summer storm whip through the area and occasionally the lightning gets pretty close. It happened last week and then I notice that my fairly new surge protector power strip wasn’t working (below). I reset the little breaker switch and the 110v ac plugs came back on, but the […]

Archiving a few leftover photos from our Spring in Florida

| April 30, 2025

While walking the Atlantic shoreline, Brenda and I often watched ships and tugs towing barges offshore pass by. We took note of the unique ones like the SS United States and more recently a specialized Express Marine hybrid barge with its companion tug. It was interesting enough to dig a little deeper. Express Marine, Inc., […]

Archive: Enjoyed beach time with the Oostra family last week

| April 22, 2025

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Where do Alligators and Crocodiles coexist?

| April 19, 2025

After posting about Alligators, Crocodiles and Caimans previously and noticing just how much traffic continues to find its way to the post (just as does this old 2008 post on Great White Sharks post). So, when I saw this email when clearing out my Gmail junk, it seemed like a great follow up to both […]

REAL ID Deadline Approaches: What You Need to Know

| April 15, 2025

Although this was mentioned in 2019 and 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin enforcing the REAL ID Act on May 7, 2025. After this date, standard state-issued driver’s licenses will no longer be accepted as valid identification for boarding domestic flights or accessing certain federal facilities, such as military bases (graphic […]

Palm Sunday afternoon, taxes and KDAE at Legoland in Florida

| April 14, 2025

Let’s start with yesterday’s Palm Sunday word of the day … or at least one that I learned from today’s TFL devotional “God’s Plan All Along” and the Hebrew word: “Tetelestai!”   The Hebrew word that Τετέλεσται (it is finished) best translates is שָׁלֵם, which is how the Syriac Peshitta* and modern Hebrew** translations translate […]

Archive: What’s going on with our family?

| April 3, 2025

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AI has replaced basic search for most of my research these days

| April 2, 2025

During one of our many longish 9-1/2 mile winter beach walks this year, Brenda and I came across a couple orange objects. The orange ball that washed up during a heavy surf was pretty obvious … since they are used along the shore to mark life guard protected zones and swimming areas. There was a […]

Archive: We never tire of seeing this Atlantic Ocean view

| March 22, 2025

Seeing this view each morning as we head to the beach never gets old. To be sure, I’ve posted similar photos a few times before, but even as the wallpaper on my iPhone, I can’t get enough of it.  As our time in Florida for 2025 inches closer to a close, Brenda and I are […]

Archive: A few leftover Florida photos and oddities

| March 19, 2025

Going through my iPhone’s photos folder to see what I’ve missed posting about  is becoming a habit. This past weekend I realized that the SpaceX Falcon9 rocket with the crewed Dragon capsule‘s launch contrails on Saturday evening were blogworthy as was a condo “parking lot” photo of the Blood Worm Moon on Saturday evening (click […]

Thinking the same thing already this year … #TBT

| March 13, 2025

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We stay on the lookout for different crabs on our beach walks

| March 9, 2025

While on our walk on the beach the other day, we spotted an unusual looking crab (posted a couple crab photos last month and this month too). After a little digging on the Internet, I think this crab appears to be a Florida Rough Box Crab (Calappa gallus) or a closely related species of Box […]

Semi-excessive Florida Beach Walking and the Snowy Egret

| February 22, 2025

There was a north wind for our beach walk today, but we continue to add a few more steps to it each day. It is shocking to see Brenda able to comfortable walk ever day with her replacement hip — medical science is amazing. On our walks, we continue to enjoy briefly talking to others […]

Enjoying life and leftover President’s Day weekend family photos

| February 19, 2025

My reading from a week ago has stalled … and I have no idea why? “Area 51” by Annie Jacobsen is an interesting book, and beside walking, neither Brenda or I are doing much more than pretending we are on a long vacation.   One of our pleasures is seeing the same people each morning […]

There’s no place better for Valentine’s Day than on the beach

| February 15, 2025

We have been enjoying our time together in Florida this month. The weather has been near perfect after a little “expected” cooler, damp, jacket weather that Florida received in January. Next week could be different … according to my weather and tides watcher — report courtesy of Brenda. 😉 Our daily walks are getting easier […]

Enjoying the Florida Sunshine and started a new book: “Area 51”

| February 13, 2025

Brenda and I have been thoroughly enjoying the surprisingly nice early February weather and escape from winter up north — and we are living The Life of Riley (a previous reference that I can’t get out of my mind).   I’ve finished “Killing the Rising Sun” and have picked up a Annie Jacobsen book (previous […]

Enjoying “The Life of Riley” … as the old phrase goes

| February 5, 2025

While sitting down after our long beach walk with a warm breeze on a sunny day while in Delray Beach, Florida, I commented to Brenda that we were living “The Life of Riley.” I assumed she would be familiar with the reference and meaning that we were living a comfortable and carefree life. She surprised […]

Books: “Killing the Rising Sun” by Bill O’Reilly (2016)

| February 1, 2025

When it comes to reading downloaded books on my Kindle, sometimes I need to pick up where I left off. Last year I started to reading Bill O’Reilly’s 2016 book “Killing the Rising Sun” and put it down to read something else. So this year, I’ve picked it back up again while spending some extended […]

Walking Delray Beach each day, even in questionable weather

| January 25, 2025

The shoreline of the “Gulf of America” isn’t the only area impacted by cold weather this past week, as Brenda and I are feeling the cold a bit further south in Florida too. We’ve been walking daily in the cool north winds on Delray Beach and still enjoying it, despite the numb fingers and cold […]

Making a few measurements to fix our beach umbrella

| November 17, 2024

On our recent trip to Florida, we saw stronger than usual winds on the beach most of the trip. Unfortunately the excellent BeachBub umbrella broke, although I’m unsure it was due to the stronger wind (but likely). I’ve written an email to the company just to see if there is a new “frame” part even […]

Archive: Replaced another garbage disposal, this time at the condo

| November 16, 2024

Officially this is a “replaced the garbage disposal project” from a week ago, but since I’m still mentally in “vacation-mode,” I’ll archive this post for condo improvements records and include a panaramic photo above from my new phone (I’m relaxed just looking at it).  The old InSinkErator Badger brand disposal was replaced in 2012 (Brenda’s sister […]

Archive: Taylor talking with WKRC regarding Batavia Township

| November 14, 2024

After a great visit with Taylor in Florida last week for his planning conference, he’s right back into the hornet’s nest in trying to find the best way to navigate economic growth and housing development in his township. The battle lines are being drawn between fairly large housing developers and builders who are growth focused […]

Archive: Our family is enjoying the 2024 autumn weather

| October 29, 2024

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The iPhone16, US Mobile auto top-off and bigger photos and video

| October 26, 2024

One of the biggest changes and needs now that our family of iPhones takes larger photos and video … and are now 5G capable … is the need for more data. I’m no longer satisfied with our “pooled” 6GB USMobile plan. I sort of knew this would be a problem, but for most of the […]

Filler: If you are having a bad day, dream about a trip to Alaska

| October 18, 2024

Photo is from the internet — not mine. ☹️

Books: Planning to read “Accidental Super Power 10 Years On”

| October 16, 2024

Two years ago I read Peter Zeihan’s book,  “The End Of The World Is Just The Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization,” on my friend Jeff’s recommendation. We discussed a few thoughts over lunch (as usual) … but instead of a Kindle book for an upcoming trip, I opted to buy the used paperback book, […]

Family health issues: We’ll take our Utah trip next year!

| September 25, 2024

A change of plans is something that can cause stress … but nothing like the stress of having a child with a medical condition, no matter their age. Brenda’s younger sister Ann and her husband Gary have a grown daughter who has overcome hurdle after hurdle in living with a chiasmal optic glioma. It has […]

Capsizing Trinka triggered a traumatic memory for Katelyn #TBT

| September 5, 2024

Katelyn, my now 38 year old adult daughter, read yesterday’s wedding ring and capsized Trinka dinghy sailing memory and mentioned that I should have included her 7th grade “Time In A Bottle” artwork. She reminded me that it was a “traumatic” incident in her young life (although personally, I did feel that I had everything […]

Archive: Labor Day Weekend photos in Toledo with KDAE

| September 4, 2024

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Music Monday: “Tin Cup Chalice” by Jimmy Buffett and memories

| August 5, 2024

It would be nice “to go back to the islands” …  well maybe going back in time to when we took a trip down A1A (Florida highway and Jimmy Buffett’s 1974 album title) and drove down to Key West. I sort of want to do it again, although I suspect Key West is no longer […]

Archive: Summertime with Oma and Bompa – 2024 edition

| June 25, 2024

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Tech Friday: Trying Perplexity.AI for better assistance

| June 14, 2024

After chatting with Brenda’s sisters and brother-in-laws about booking flights for a trip together, I mentioned that I was partial to Southwest Airlines. My brother-in-laws are both Delta fliers … and have a long history of booking business travel with the major airlines — I did feel as if I were ruffling feathers (text updates […]

All states with weather and big cities have stressful commutes

| June 11, 2024

The map below might not be up-to-date map (2021), but it looks like most states have there share of stressful traffic. Personally speaking … after driving to and from SW Ohio  to NW Ohio for the better part of 20 years, I can attest that winter driving (snow and ice) and constant road construction on […]

A leftover Spring 2024 Vacation photo from Delray Beach, FL

| May 7, 2024

The sunsets across rural Ohio never really get old. I’ve driven home to Cincinnati this time of evening more times than I care to remember while coming home from NE Ohio … but those days are now behind me. This time it was returning from a spring vacation in April and I realized that there […]

How far in advance should you book air travel? #tidbit

| April 16, 2024

Last week when reading and posting about Berkshire Hathaway investments and Warren Buffett from Kiplinger, I also snipped a “Best Time to Book a Flight” sidebar.

Archive: Taylor and his MU fraternity brothers in Vegas

| April 5, 2024

After posting the “Bald Eagle and 100K post,” I was feeling guilty in not including Taylor on the “goings-on” archive of my blog. So … to keep up, here’s photo from a bachelor trip to Las Vegas with his Miami University fraternity brothers last weekend. It sure looked and sounds as if they had a […]

Trying to keep up with my “Where’s Waldo” traveling friend Jeff

| March 27, 2024

My friend Jeff has been busy traveling for business for the first half of 2024 and I “think” is scheduled to be in some 20 countries doing cybersecurity audits. I’m having a challenging time keeping up with his whereabouts, but do know after some time in Southeast Asia and New Zealand (video below) that he […]

Contemplating and already missing our winter beach days

| March 10, 2024

I wish I could say that our winter Florida vacation was long enough, but to be honest, it flew by way too fast. Nevertheless, being “snowbirds” … as our son Taylor called us … suited us just fine. We thought our daily walks on the beach (10,000+ steps each day) and eating less were surely […]

Archive: KDAE February 2024 vacation to Florida Wrap-Up Part 2

| March 6, 2024

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Music Monday: “It’s going to be a bright, bright sunshiny day!”

| March 4, 2024

A vacation duplicate (realized after the fact) of the 1972 song “I Can See Clearly Now” recorded by the late Johnny Nash (1940-2020). As I mentioned before, “it was enjoyed by my parents as well as my generation … and likely is still appreciated by today’s current generation?” Personally I never gave much thought to the […]

Archive: KDAE February 2024 vacation to Florida Wrap-Up Part 1

| March 3, 2024

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Sloothing a college friend, a shoe throwing incident and a seagull

| February 11, 2024

While on vacation and walking the beach, Brenda threatened a bird with her sandal who was boldly getting a little to close to her while we were snacking on a granola bar. I laughed at her as the thought about ONE of the Christmas break trips to Florida with my college and a memory came […]

What doesn’t belong here? Very Waldo-ellian! #DDJ #humor

| February 10, 2024

Ok … so the title of this post is questionable.  The twisting of the “Where’s Waldo” picture game with the Orwellian like doublespeak obviously shows that I was too tired in preparing to add this photo to the blog. My plan in putting this “snail shell” in a palm tree was to See if it […]

Who doesn’t enjoy looking up and seeing the Goodyear Blimp?

| February 4, 2024

Years ago while regularly making my weekly drive to and from NE Ohio and through Akron, I often saw Goodyear blimps like the “Spirit of Akron” hanging over the interstate and city. Most of us know the blimp either for their aerial coverage of sporting events or watching them leisurely pass along beachfronts — often […]

Better weather, eating less and more walking last month

| February 3, 2024

While Brenda and I apprecated the warmer weather while in Florida last month, we really focused on walking more each day after working half days from the condo. Our steady daily beach walks and healthier eating will hopefully pay-off with the shedding of a few pounds and improving our long term health (Brenda’s hip replacement […]

And then there were 4: The NFL Playoffs continue this weekend

| January 27, 2024

Brenda and I have been enjoying the NFL playoffs in late January from Florida this year and are looking forward to watching the final two games before Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024. This weekend America will be watching the Detriot Lions vs the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC and the Kansas City […]

Walking the beach in Florida and a “Big Eye” #TBT moment

| January 25, 2024

A post from over a decade ago highlighted a beach find that was rather unique for the east coast of Florida … a BIG eye … so figure for this ThrowBack Thursday #TBT it would be a way to then comment on a Portuguese Man O’ War spawn this week along Delray Beach. Although there […]

Living vicariously thru a friend’s international business travel

| January 24, 2024

Although the time difference makes instant text communication a little more challenging than usual in staying in touch with my buddy Jeff, I’m still enjoying the interesting business travel he is starting early in 2024.  I lost track of the number of countries will be in while making cybersecurity audits of client plants, but it […]

An away from home work-table and a long overdue desk chair

| January 21, 2024

Really this is to archive a few project ideas (below the break) for Taylor. He is a Mid-Century Modern lover and has consistently focused his decorating with this kind of taste. If dollars didn’t limit his shopping, I think he would be living in a Frank Lloyd Wright home and have it decorated with a […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog