On The Fly

In this episode - Pandiculation . . . Have you ever noticed when your cat wakes up from a nap how they arch their back and enjoy an entire body stretch, yawning with legs extended, paws, claws, and toes spread wide? Now fully awake, they're ready to take on the day. What about you? When you wake up in the morning, do you sit halfway up, contract your arms to your body, then raise them high above your head while yawning? Then, relax your arms, pause for a second, and jump out of bed refreshed? That’s pandiculation. Little did I realize this is natural to our body functioning - simply put, pandiculation is the act of yawning and stretching. Wait, there’s more. Pandiculation is the involuntary stretching of the soft tissues, which occurs in most animal species and is associated with transitions between cyclic biological behaviors, especially the sleep-wake rhythm (Walusinski, 2006). Pandiculation comes from the Latin root pandiculari, 'to stretch oneself,' which is the act of ...

In this episode - You've Got Mail . . . What's in your mailbox today? No, I'm not referring to your email; I'm talking about what's become known as "Snail Mail." Remember Postal delivery? Like all other services, it also has an acronym, USPS - United States Postal Service. Think back - I'm sure there was a time when you were excited to get the Mail? Recently I've discovered a renewed love for postal delivery. Yep, I hear you saying, "What, you must be losing it. Our mailbox is always full of bills, statements, advertisements, and junk that ends up in recycling." (Be careful; you might find an unexpected gem among all that junk.) Junk mail, you say, yes, I understand - however, through the kindness, generosity, and love of an eight-year girl, our mailbox has become a treasured friend. Taped to my office wall is a growing collection of handwritten thank you letters we unexpectedly received for small gifts of Lego toys we've given this e...

In this episode - Jades Story . . . Don't be alarmed; Yes, it's me, I'm the ravishing beauty on your wrist, and my name is Jade. I know what you're thinking - how can this possibly be - this bracelet is talking to me? People don't realize it, but we're always trying to talk to your species. It's just that most of you are too academic to listen. If I reveal my inner secrets to you, will you share them with your world? I am what your species calls a mineral, one of over 3,000 known minerals, and a gem among gemstones. Most call me Jade. However, gemologists classify my family into two species, nephrite, and jadeite. I realize that my cousin, nephrite, has slightly different characteristics. But what does that matter? We've been around much longer than you. Grab a seat, and let me tell you my story. My interest in your species began in ancient Burma (Myanmar), where most of my family is from. I'm fascinated with how your people respond to my beauty, my...

In this episode - A Controlled Fall . . . Summer is here; as you hit the hiking trails, let me suggest a technique you might find helpful or at least a challenge to try. I call it the PCF technique "Patrick's Controlled Fall." If you live near any larg e hills, I challenge you to at least try this technique. I stumbled upon this during my adventures wilderness backpacking in the Sierras a few years ago. Of course, this is not for everyone; falling gracefully takes coordination and skill. Me, I'm able to practice the technique when hiking Daley Ranch in Escondido, CA.  During a recent Saturday morning hike, my conversation with Lori went something like this, "This may sound crazy to you, but training for this year's High Sierra trip, I'm going to practice my controlled fall technique to improve my decent pace; on the mountain trails." Her response was, "I'll see you back at the truck." "I'll wait for you at the bottom of the h...