CURRENT MISSION

Stay alive, be useful, volunteer, make stuff, write....

ABOUT ME

I retired in July 2006--I highly recommend it; my wife, however, is a working professional and likes her work. But seriously, it's underrated.

I get out for some volunteering: in the local county jail with GoodNews, in the prisons with Kairos; for 3 months I volunteered at the Smithsonian Institution, Sackler Gallery (www.asia.si.edu) and that was great; also I have helped several years at the SI Folklife Festival (http://festival.si.edu/).

The 2019 Smithsonian Folklife Festival was June 26-30 and July 3-7, 2019, on the mall by the Museums, with world-class music! This year's theme was the social power of music, with programs featuring Benin, Brazil, and more.

Having grown up as an Air Force Brat, this whole couchsurfing thing is cool with me--we moved every year or so back then and often engaged in hospitality with others.

I built the deck in 2010, by the way. It's the couch photo--you can sleep out there if you want--I have slept in the sunroom.

With my walking partners, we walk about 4+ miles a day. Staying fit, eating right, trying to run again--these things keep me alive. I do find it hard to keep a fitness schedule, though, and just enjoying the hot-tub doesn't count, but I keep at it. My cardiologist yells at me when I slack off. Maybe I need a coach more than a couch.

PHILOSOPHY

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"A new commandment I give you, Love one another; as I have loved you, so you also must love one another. "

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have used couchsurfing on my travels since February and March 2007, beginning in Europe, then in the US, and lately with Anna in Spain and the US. We have been hosting others, through couchsurfing and the other hospitality organizations; before CS we had hosted exchange students, and other random travelers.

Anna has joined me for couchsurfing travels--such fun! We have frequent visitors to Washington DC, and I often join them since I like visiting the city.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I stayed on couches in London; Stow, Scotland; and Nederland; Barcelona, Roses, and Balaguer, Spain; Marseilles, Aix-en-Provence, Beaune, France; Northern Wisconsin; the bayous of Louisiana; the UP of Michigan; the Eastern Shore of Maryland; and many other places with folks who are now very dear to me.

What an amazing process! I've slept on floors at my kids' and other places, too; and camped in Scotland, England, France, at Assateague, and on the Appalachian Trail. This is time-tripping in a way, for me.

Some of our guests have been from globalfreeloaders and hospitalityclub, and we've even used Airbnb, but couchsurfing is still the best.

Interests

I toured some sites in Scotland and England while studying a copy of the Codex Junius 11, a medieval Anglo-Saxon paraphrase of Scripture, written sometime between the 7th and 10th Centuries A.D (http://omacl.org/Junius/), along with Milton's Paradise Lost--which seems to have come out from Junius--as research and exercise for my own writing.

• fish
• writing
• singing
• concerts
• festivals
• dancing
• cooking
• recipes
• wine
• cheese
• baking
• fitness
• exercise
• running
• coach
• zumba
• walking
• gardening
• music
• cycling
• fishing
• racquetball
• volunteering
• squash

Music, Movies, and Books

We use netflix. I think Harold Lloyd is the greatest silent movie comedian--see "Safety Last" for him hanging from the hands of a clock. Probably I like scifi the most, but recently we really liked the French trilogy of films "Bleu", "Blanc", et "Rouge" by the Polish genius director Krzysztof Kieslowski.

I like all music, and that's probably why I now have to wear hearing aids. I was at Woodstock over 40 years ago.

I read a lot online, study the Bible, and usually read in several books at the same time. Saramago is beautiful; I love poetry; I am re-investigating Milton; Donne's meditations move me; Gene Wolfe is a great writer--not just SF--I think Pirate Freedom by Gene Wolfe may just be my favorite book--I just had to let you know about it.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Two: I survived a heart attack in 2002. Half don't survive. Half of the survivors don't make it through the next year. God has further plans for me.

I enjoyed volunteering at the Smithsonian Institution, in the exhibit, "In the Beginning--Bibles Before the Year 1000" (http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/ITB/html/introduction.htm). The Freer/Sackler is one of the best museums in town. I have also been able to help in the Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall several times. That's always amazing (and hot).

Teach, Learn, Share

Yes! Sure!

Had a fire at dinner the other night--I love to make fun stuff for Anna. I had a pomelo (buoi or Chinese grapefruit), which I cut in half and sectioned, loosening the fruit to make room to fill it with dark rum. When she came to the table for dinner, I refilled it with a bit of 151 proof rum and lit it on fire! As it burnt down, it lightly caramelized the top, making it even more delicious.

I like it out back on the deck, listening to the trees as they sing. So nice to have the woods. The first fig tree, that produced an abundance of figs died, and its replacement is just beginning to produce! Grilled figs, figs with honey and mint, grilled brie with figs, figs with meat, figs with fish, figs with corn, fig salad, figs with ice cream....

I just add stuff here at random.

Someone told me that my name is not in my profile anywhere, so I'll add it here; it's Bruce Szmajda, so those who care about such things may find it if they read this far.

Serge made a real nice Ratatouille Nicoise, when he stayed here, and I've been practicing....

Griddle cakes, made using some cream cheese icing that had failed to set, so I added flour and baking powder. Oh yes.

Mmmmm, rosemary! So nice to have herbs growing.

The fresh Copper River salmon was like candy to me; I couldn't stop eating it. Great with beets from the farmer's market done three-ways.

Lots of salads, now, but I have made a Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham that was a hit--and a lot of work. Just now I'm grilling tuna with a cardamom rub.

This moment is different...
from any before it
this moment is different
it is now.
--Mike Heron

I enjoy cooking--I had been enjoying fried leeks--and always whatever good wine that we can afford. I had been stuck on peppers when my garden was producing abundantly (try peppers and peaches; or with mangoes). Later, winter squash!

Now we're using "Sun Basket," but have used "Blue Apron" or "Green Chef" for 2-3 meals a week. Their recipes have been pretty good. Errr--I sliced my thumb with a mandolin...so on occasion we call for a Ledo's pizza!

I only cook for people I love--good ingredients put together with some care produce great results. I ought to have added that to my philosophy--or my opinion of couchsurfing.

Anna and I have been getting pretty good at English Country Dancing. Lots of fun!

And this Ben Franklin quote was cut-off when this app changed: "Experience keeps a dear school; but fools will learn in no other and scarce in that." "for it is true, we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct, as Poor Richard says: however, remember this, they that won’t be counseled, can’t be helped, as Poor Richard says: and farther, that if you will not hear reason, she’ll surely rap your knuckles.”

You can find that online in "The Way to Wealth" and read the whole Ben Franklin bagatelle--one of the most widely read pieces in the world, ever.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Peace, hopefully.

Countries I’ve Visited

Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Spain, Uganda, United Kingdom, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Philippines, United States

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