On The Fly

It's the question we outgrew. Do you remember being five years old, lying on your back on a warm afternoon, squinting into a cloudless sky, and asking,  “Why is the sky blue?”

Happy birthday to my brother, Ronnie! Enjoy your special day!

In this 500th episode, we’re moving to a new home. Here’s why—and what’s staying the same. Since April 2012,  On the Fly  has been on  Blogger . Now, join me on Substack.

Why Your Mind Feel Like It Has 47 Tabs Open?  In 2017, I described the mind as a blank slate at birth —clean  and ready for coding. If your Life OS feels slow or buggy, don’t wait for a hardware upgrade; you have full admin privileges. This week, instead of seeking miracles, look for glitches.

They say golf is a game of misses. My first round at Rancho Carlsbad was a masterclass in missing. I turn 70 in August, and as part of my Great Un-Working Lifestyle, I want to shoot my age by my birthday.

Early Sunday morning, I cycled past a veterans' park in San Marcos. The air was still, streets nearly empty. On one corner, a woman held a sign:  "Be ANGRY. ICE agents are murdering people.”

Your telescope arrives in a cheer-filled box, promising galaxies and wonders nearby. The pictures shout WOW! The words say you’ll see the universe—easy!—Just wait, you’ll agree.

In this special bonus episode, Boy on a Beam.

In 1895, a sixteen-year-old boy did something we rarely permit ourselves to do anymore. He gazed into space and let his mind wander. So here’s my challenge—not as a physicist, but as a fellow human.

The world has gotten very good … at interrupting us. It lives in our pockets. Buzzing. Vibrating. Let's see how we can manage it.

Welcome to 2026. Traditional resolutions are merely "re-work"—tasks to improve efficiency. In the Un-Working era, resolutions are about unlearning. Join Jim & Chloe, with NotebookLM, as they explore this blog post.

In this bonus episode, it’s 2026! Yes— this  is the year! A different kind of start—you feel it right here? No lists! No demands! No fix-all-your-flaws! No “New You by Tuesday!” No rules! No laws!

People often ask me, “So . . . what is  On the Fly  really about?” At its heart,  On the Fly  is about noticing—the small, easily missed moments that quietly shape our lives. Join me!

In this episode, Night Before Christmas, I share a poem I wrote for my brothers to share with their grandchildren, inspired by Edgar A. Guest.

Merry Christmas, everyone — and welcome to this year’s holiday edition of  On the Fly ! Since 2020, Lori and I have created a Christmas gift for our family and friends: a children’s story in our voices, with sound effects, music, and seasonal magic to make Santa smile. Enjoy!

You don’t usually expect a time warp at the post office, but here we are. We only needed stamps for Christmas cards—showing that "slow" places often hold the best stories.

With two weeks left until Christmas, have you ever had to explain whether Santa Claus really exists, considering all the children's books and movies about him?

As this holiday season approaches amid shopping and busy schedules, I embrace simplicity: taking a moment to pause, breathe, remember, and honor the person and place that shaped my sense of home long before I had the words for it.

Travel broadens the mind, but after eight days sailing the Rhône with 140 luxury vacationers, I can confirm it tests patience, calf strength, buffet strategy, and tolerance for people furious that France insists on being French.

As the holiday buzz fills the air with pixels and beeps, it’s easy to feel like the world is drifting into a gentle smartphone sleep. I take a quick break to step back, breathe in cherished memories, and sit comfortably in them—a Holiday Tribute to Mom.

I’ll be honest with you: My triumphant return from France wasn't quite the glamorous homecoming I had imagined. There was no smooth glide back into my routine, and no movie-like moment where I lift my suitcase from the carousel and exchange a wink with life, as if we're old friends. Sometimes, reality is a bit different from our dreams, but that makes the story more interesting.

Every now and then, something has a wonderful way of bringing us back to the wide-eyed wonder of childhood. For me, it was just yesterday—June 2, 2023—thanks to an inspiring visit to a guitar shop, a long drive, and the magic of a talented musician.

Sometimes, connection comes unexpectedly—not through grand gestures but via technology. In a Paris apartment, I understood my family’s words and felt my mother’s presence in every sentence.

If you’re reading this, I’m already off the grid. Today kicks off a well-deserved vacation, and for the next few weeks, On the Fly is taking a little break along with me.

We live in a restless world where mornings start with immediate digital distraction. The urge to dive into chaos is quick, but sometimes, stillness  finds you .