On The Fly

Habit is the link between goals and accomplishments. You’ve heard it said that it takes 21 days to establish a habit, why? According to Julia Layton, “ Habits are essentially patterns of behavior that become "worn in" to our brains. Someone who wakes up every morning, pours a cup of coffee and lights a cigarette, in that order, every morning, has that pattern built in to his or her brain, in the form of well-used synaptic pathways.” With patience, persistence, and predilection you can teach yourself whatever you choose to learn through the power of habit. Since December 2003 its been my privilege to share my “ Thought for the Day” via the web, on Twitter, at pball001 . (This has since morphed to a podcast). Sometimes I ask myself why?  Who really reads this stuff? Does it make a difference? Then I realize - (I do) that reading or listening daily to a variety of books - biographies, science, philosophy, mysteries, travel logs, or whatever tickles my fancy - my mind, th...

iOS 7 “The iPhone is revolutionary,” for those who virtually attended any of the late Steve Jobs (1955-2011) Apple Event products launch via the web there was always an air of exhilaration and anticipation speculating what new gadget could possibly be next! I never missed one; I would eagerly jump out of bed early the next morning to discover what innovative products Apple was to release. What better ways to stay abreast of technology innovations than watching Steve Jobs perform, the Edison of our time. I’ll admit, I was a skeptical late adopter of the iPhone. The iPod Touch did everything and more that a gadget could provide (I thought). It was during my visit to South Africa in February 2011 that I pre-ordered my iPhone 4 via Apples Online Store with the anticipation of the Verizon release. Everyone had said, “Wait until the iPhone 5, it will do so much more.” I couldn’t wait to get home and open the box, it was like Christmas all over again at six years old – so exciting! ...

Fignon & LeMond Ah, Summer! Bicycling magic is renewed for millions when the voices of Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, and Bob Roll, grace the television airwaves broadcasting Le Tour de France (Le Tour). When you dare to believe you’re an accomplished bicyclist, just tune into the NBCSN Sports broadcast of Le Tour in July. Very quickly humility sets in. To date, the riders in that race have ridden nine grueling stages, with an average distance of 186 kilometers, that’s 115 miles per day. This year is the 102 nd  Anniversary - 21 stages, a total distance of 3,360 kilometers, and only two, yes two , rest days - of this classic race that tours the French countryside with the finale in Paris on the Champs-Elysées. Dare I say it – Le Tour can inspire even casual riders, take your bicycles from the back shed, dust them off, inflate their tires, and hit the streets. It’s amusing to see people pretend, they are in Le Tour, competing for the coveted yellow jersey. It’s summer...

Patrick Ball 1962 My kid days were filled with experiences, like learning to ride a bicycle, that decorate my thoughts akin to the excitement of colorfully wrapped Christmas gifts. As another birthday approaches, I realize now that growing up in Cuba, Illinois was going to happen with no particular thought or effort on my part. As an insatiably curious child, I stumbled through those early years not really paying attention to where we lived just accepting the fact - as I look back, appreciating the fact - we lived in a small midwestern town. I slid down the chute on the 229th day of the year, August 16, 1956. It was a Thursday in Angouleme, France. My father was an MP in the U.S. Army, from rural Illinois, and within three years he moved the family back to Cuba. One of my most vivid early memories was the challenge and freedom of that first bicycle. It was a red, single speed 26 inch Sears bicycle. No training wheels, just hop on and away you go . . . well, it was not qui...

Juniors' Buddy Nightly, when I get home from work, I’m greeted at the door by a friendly face with two large, bright, golden-greenish eyes, white whiskers, and what appears to be a smiling face. It’s my buddy, Tony Junior (Jr.), our Tabby. Early evening is when Junior with long, lanky  stretches  - wakes up from his daily snooze. Both Junior and his sister Missy spend their days, lounging around the house, sleeping. They are decidedly indoor cats. Over the years, we’ve lost too many cats to varmints that roam the open space behind our house. Jr. and Missy were four months old when we adopted them from the shelter. Thank goodness they are content to roam the house and sit in the window sills to watch the world pass by. Don’t be fooled, now, four years old, as much as I would like to think I’m Jr’s buddy, he is persnickety. With a rather demanding - meow, he runs to his chair, (my recliner) in the TV room, leaps to the back, turns to look at me as if to say, "A b...

Views of Summer Summer is upon us; officially, the summer solstice occurs today  at 6:34 p.m. EDT. With a midwest twang severely off-key, I’m out the front door; earbuds plugged in, arms pumping, on my routine early morning walk. Of course, I must look ridiculous and sound even worse echoing the chorus of -  Sunshine on my Shoulder, makes me happy . . . Thankfully, there’s no one else on the streets.  According to Ker Than in an article for National Geographic, “The solstice is the result of Earth's north-south axis being tilted 23.4 degrees relative to the ecliptic. This tilt causes different amounts of sunlight to reach different regions of the planet during Earth's year-long orbit around the sun." Translation, daylight lasts until after 8:00 p.m. in Southern California. T his year, the first of many, I’m planning to spend my summer in California. Now, I can hear you say, “Ok, what’s the big deal, don’t you live in California?” Yes, but every June, for t...

In this episode - Re-Discovery . . . Dateline March 1989 - Surrounded by a city of motor homes that sprung up overnight in the middle of a normally wind-swept California desert, the question on everyone’s mind was, “How will we know when the space shuttle arrives?” While searching for something to share this week, I was reminded of a significant event 54 years ago. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 successfully landed on the Moon. This event reminded me of how much the space program had captivated me. As someone who enjoys reading science fiction, witnessing mankind's greatest achievement was not a fictional experience. Edwards Air Force Base 1989 Twenty years later, Lori, my friend Bill Videto, and I embarked on a two-hour drive from Santa Monica, CA., to Edwards Air Force Base, hoping to witness the Space Shuttle Discovery touched down in California - weather permitting. Otherwise, the landing would be diverted to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Fortunately, luck was on our...

Cruise Compass “Good evening, Patrick and Lori did you have a fabulous day?” says our head waiter AJ as Charles the assistant waiter pours our drinks. “Tonight the chef recommends the lobster tail, we begin with a fresh seafood salad; prawns, shrimp, and mussels. Of course you’re welcome to order anything you like from the menu.” It was formal night, day two of our seven day cruise of Alaska's Inside Passage on Rhapsody of the Seas. No need for the steward to seat us, our table for four was ready and our traveling partners Bill and Linda were already seated. Quickly, we were made to feel like family aboard the ship. The service unprecedented, the food exquisite. We were on our way to the first port of call - Juneau, Alaska. Now, I’m inclined to candid here, a cruise vacation? My first day aboard ship, I’m not to sure about all this. For readers of this blog our vacations always involved; hiking the mountains, bicycling, driving, exploring, and physical activity. Not this ...