A PhD Dissertation is . . .

After scanning the titles of (literally) over 1000 different dissertations and reading parts of about 20, I've come to the conclusion that writing a PhD dissertation simply represents the opportunity to park a lot of big words next to each other in such a way that only a select few can understand their meaning.

I hope mine is different.

Half Way Finished?

When I recently told a friend that my truck is half way finished since the engine was completely disassembled, he corrected me, "That's not half way finished. They still have to put it back together."

Okay, so he was correct - technically.

All they have to do is put all this:

and this:

Back in or on this:

Want to see the new pistons and machined cylinders?

Here's the new turbo, which is more than 1/3 of the entire cost of the rebuild!

Colleen's Favorite Green: Swiss Chard

Personally, I don't eat the stuff, but it is my wife's favorite green on her plate, and it's now available at the market.

Jewish Wedding

While waiting for someone at a hotel in Jerusalem, I happened upon this beautiful wedding. In the end, I was at the wrong hotel because the person I was waiting for had been moved to another hotel without his knowledge. Seeing this wedding eased the sting of being at the wrong place for a couple of hours.

Can It Be Revived?

I took the plunge yesterday: I called the tow truck and had my Land Rover hauled to the garage as I followed behind.

It was a trip filled with emotions. I had excitement that my truck may be back on the road and trails before long. I also had a little anxiety that it may not turn out as well as I hope.

And when they started stripping everything to remove the engine, the anxiety didn't ease.

 
We'll see how things turn out.