Stateside, a gas station. I drank a frozen blue beverage too quickly, and was struck down by a punishment this entire nation knows, and accepts, and has named.
The drink is called a slush. Ice, sweetness, and a blue that does not occur in nature. The day was hot. I was thirsty. I drank like a soldier at a river.
The pain arrived in my skull like a war horn.
Behind the eyes. Above everything. Total. I gripped the roof of my car. I may have made a sound.
"Brain freeze," said the cashier through the door, with no urgency whatsoever.
It has a NAME. The affliction is so common it has a household name, like a cousin.
"Tongue on the roof of your mouth," called a man at the pumps. He did not look over. He prescribed the remedy mid-pump, casually, the way one mentions weather.
I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth. The war horn faded. The healer nodded at his pump, finished, and was gone in a Chevrolet.
In my land, punishment follows crime by way of courts and seasons. Here, the sentence is instant. Drink with greed, and the ice strikes the mind directly. No trial. No appeal. Perfectly fair.
And here is what moves me. EVERYONE has felt it. The cashier. The healer. Children. Elders. An entire nation united by the same small lightning, all taught the same cure, all passing it on to strangers at gas stations, free of charge.
You cannot fully distrust a country once you know it shares one pain.
The freeze does not punish thirst. It punishes haste.
I finished the slush slowly, like a scholar. Blue tongue. Clear mind.
Then at the door I forgot everything, drank deeply, and was struck down again.
"Tongue, hon," said the cashier, without looking up.
Discipline is a journey.
What a day of severe weather across the Inland NW and the Cascades! Take a look at the satellite loop (with lightning strikes) of the entire day via the @CoDWXData site. An incredible amount of lightning for the Pacific Northwest, and an excellent severe wx forecast!! #wawx#orwx
On Nov 13th, there was a solar particle event that resulted in beautiful blankets of aurora. You may have seen it. We had the most amazing view and our crew collectively took thousands of photos and dozens of time lapses. Here is one of those time lapses. Nov 13th. Nikon Z9 | 14mm.
September 11, 2001, will always be one of the most tragic days in our nation’s history.
Today we pause to honor the lives taken too soon, the families forever changed, and the heroes who showed extraordinary courage and selflessness in the face of danger.
May we never forget, and may we continue to find strength in our unity as Americans. 🇺🇸
Through tears, I stand emboldened by Charlie’s message to fight evil and discord with the sword of faith and God’s almighty Love. Thank you Charlie for living your life as an example of God’s word. You will be so missed and loved for time to come.
On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase. A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for.
Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue