Author: Vic Socotra

Arrias: No Sense of Urgency

“Zero Dark Thirty” or “The Pentagon Wars”? Movies about the US military generally fall into just two categories: one is loaded with superheroes and amazing technology, the other packed with corrupt generals, politicians and defense contractors. Unfortunately, both have elements of truth in them. How is it that the same national security community that produces […]

Moving Status

Thankfully, both Arrias and Marlow contributed pieces that included actual thought this bright Monday morning. We are still amazed at transformation, from Big Pink’s plush Second Deck down to the more formal First, with external departues over The Patio. The dawn comes on clear days around nine-thirty, as you can see from the bright line […]

Life & Island Times: Motor Cyclists

Author’s Note: Detour Version 1.0 Series tale tail end #2 of 2 Here’s a brighter note on this series on . . . if you will . . . our dare-to-be-different sentiment-sprinkled memories — no weeping, wealth, or glory — will keep us alive in the hearts and souls of those who we love and […]

Night Train to Nairobi, 1979

Editor’s Note: This element of travel tales has lingered for a while. The date on it may be a notional one- it reads “10 June 1979,” which must have been an ancient date scrawled later to signify celebrating a 28th birthday in a place far away. The claimed copyright is dated in the year of […]

Life & Island Times: Detour: Random Postcripts

Socotra House Note: The formal re-telling of Marlow’s Detour 1.0 was complete yesterday with a ride back home in Fairfax, VA on the Couty Parkway. The rigors of nearly 10,000 miles on two wheels, coast-to-coast is a prelude to an epic “Four Corners” ride around the corners of the continuous States. It was written in […]

Morning Has Broken

(Julie demonstrates an eventual Sound of Music in the Alps once the remotes were sorted out!) The morning actually got unbroke, which was a relief. That is not to disparage the fine installation work conducted by FIOS installation technician Antoinne last Thursday. The thin white cable required for fiberoptic connectivity appeared to be routed correctly, […]

Life & Island Times: Detour, Day 23

Waffle House for breakfast — carb loading for the long day ahead. We retraced our steps from Day 1. Opening 30 minutes riding was in rain close to the intensity of that which we experienced in Kansas two days ago. Thankfully it abated. Even light rain made West Virginia toll booth stops a dangerous slip […]

Moving Downslope

It was a nearly successful move downslope yesterday. You can see there are a few things left to be moved around in the new unit. There are plenty of boxes, many of them full, and the Latinx crew who arrived in a timely manner to ask us not to use the “x” thing at the […]

Stage Two

(Image 01 March 2023 courtesy NBC Washington DC) “The cherry trees have progressed to florets visible, the 2nd of 6 stages. Depending on the weather, peak bloom should be around 3 weeks away!” @NationalMallNPS tweeted. Naturally, the news was electrifying. The cherry blossoms down around the Tidal Basin hit Stage Two on their germination process. […]

Life & Island Times: Detour Day 22

May 2001 All Of Sudden In St Louis During my two wheeled road trips, I never felt nerves or sensed or heard premonitions. Steve and I had slept well and deeply for many of the preceding nights. Twenty-two years later I still marvel at the insanity of having our entire future or better said any […]