Author: <span>Ron Charest</span>

Published February 7, 2022 by

Back In The Trenches – A New LTE

Newspaper Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Back quite a few years ago, when we first moved up to Northern Virginia, I was actively writing Letters to the Editor (LTE) of my local newspaper. Between 2007 to 2008, we still had a local dead tree newspaper, an openly hard-rightwing publication judging by their columnists and general editorial slant.

Regrettably, that all ended when the newspaper collapsed. All we have now are some small online publications, still mostly right-wing oriented. This week I decided it was time to get back into writing LTEs again.

Continue…Back In The Trenches – A New LTE

Opinions & Commentary

LTE Prince William County

Published January 27, 2022 by

Let It Go

Grace Slick – 1967

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

I post music clips at random intervals of songs and musicians I particularly enjoy. But to date I’ve been remiss in not posting any music from my all-time favorite singer-songwriter. A musician who has not only created some of the greatest rock music ever, but is otherwise incredibly vibrant. A musician who was ahead of her time in setting standards for “liberated” women.

A singer-songwriter who I also had a teen-aged crush on, and still deeply admire even after all these years.

I’m referring to Grace Slick of Great Society / Jefferson Airplane / Jefferson Starship / Starship.

Continue…Let It Go

Just For Fun

Grace Slick Music Video YouTube Video

Published January 21, 2022 by

A Tribute to Meatloaf

A Meat Loaf but not the singer
Not This Meat Loaf

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

So this brave new year of 2022 has barely started, and already too much of the news is bad news. Today’s sad news is about a famed Rock Singer with the unlikely name of “Meat Loaf,” passing at the age of 74.

He was/is one of my favorite “Classical Rock” performers. A trailblazer in his art who built a place among the great musicians of our era.

Continue…A Tribute to Meatloaf

Just For Fun

Meat Loaf YouTube Video

Published January 6, 2022 by

The Snowpocalypse of 2022, Part I

Snowpocalypse of 2022 tree covered in heavy snow
Snowpocalypse of 2022

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

This past Monday folks here on the north-eastern seaboard of the United States discovered that it really is winter. The realization came from temperatures changing from 60 degrees on Sunday to 30 degrees on Monday. Accompanied by our first snow of the season, a whopping nine inches in my neighborhood.

Nine inches doesn’t seem like all that much snow, compared to what I’ve experienced even since living here in Northern Virginia. But, perhaps because we’ve had almost no snow for the past couple of winters, people forgot that snow happens. This past Monday, going into Tuesday and Wednesday, the great snowpocalypse of 2022 shut down a major interstate highways and dumped power for thousands of people in my area.

And this is only January. We have lots of time for a Snowpocalypse Part II, and more…

Continue…The Snowpocalypse of 2022, Part I

Family Stories

disaster planning Snowpocalypse

Published January 1, 2022 by

Happy New Year 2022

Happy New Year 2022. Photo by Vladislav Murashko from Pexels
Happy New Year 2022

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Yes, today is the first day of the year 2022 as per the Julian calendar, as devised by non other than Julius Caesar himself. So we managed to survive another year of lockdown due to the seemingly never-ending Zombie Apocalypse, along with all the horrors of the post-trump-presidency error era.

So, for my first post of this brave new year I feel we need a little bit of celebratory music.

Continue…Happy New Year 2022

Just For Fun

Music Video New Year 2022 YouTube Video

Published December 29, 2021 by

On Shutting Off The Electric

Reaching for Electricity by holding a lit light bulb.
Reaching for Electricity

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Our moving had a number of challenges, but one challenge we didn’t expect was having our electrical service cut off. But we did, at absolutely the wrong time. Not that there’s ever a good time to lose electrical service.

Continue…On Shutting Off The Electric

Family Stories

Dominion Energy moving

Published December 28, 2021 by

The Tao of Moving

The Tao of Moving - how hard can this be?
The Tao of Moving

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

So Winnie and I have successfully finished moving into our new old house. As it’s been 15 years since I last moved housing, this most recent experience re-taught me old lessons. With luck, I won’t need to re-use my re-learned lessons again.

This all comes under the heading of “The Tao of Moving: How to Move Gracefully.” As opposed to “Dear, where the hell is my other slipper?”

Continue…The Tao of Moving

Family Stories

moving in Moving Out

Published December 11, 2021 by

One Trailer Load At A Time

Moving Day - Humorous Packing Box with Feet Hanging Out
Moving Day

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

So after nearly fifteen years of being settled into the same house, Winnie and I are moving. It’s not a big move, as these things go. We’re only moving across town so local rates apply. But we’re self-moving, one trailer load at a time.

I’ve discovered that fifteen years in the same place means a lot of accumulation.

Continue…One Trailer Load At A Time

Family Stories

moving in Moving Out

Published November 26, 2021 by

A Family Outing In New England

Reason For A Family Gathering
Reason For A Family Gathering

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

This past week Winnie and I made a trip to Rhode Island to visit family. It was notable for several reasons; it was the first overnight trip we’ve had since this Zombie Apocalypse started in March 2020. The occasion was the 75th birthday of one of my cousins still living in New England, and lots of other family came in to celebrate.

So we had several days of hanging around family and visiting in New England in November. It turned out to be a nice visit.

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Family Stories

Family New England

Published October 20, 2021 by

Accepting a Counter-offer; A Quora Question

Take This Job and Shove It
Take This Job and Shove It

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

I’ve had a long post-Navy career at this point, and moved around a lot in my jobs. Within the different companies I’ve worked for I’ve had the great fortune of moving around doing different things, learning new skills, and working with different people. Some of the things I’ve done and people I’ve worked for were good. Other things and other people – not good.

I’ve also made some bad decisions throughout my career, mostly on basis that my word was the same as my signature, and other people’s word was the same as their signature. So when I had a chance to answer a Quora question ” Did you accept counter offer from your current employer when you put in two weeks, how did it turn out?” I went with my most infuriating job-related incident of trusting someone to keep their word.

Continue…Accepting a Counter-offer; A Quora Question

Family Stories Quora Re-Posts

Career Jobs quora