CURRENT MISSION

To be engaged in the world, helping people and being helped by them. To learn and to be transformed by the renewing of my mind.

ABOUT ME

Why "Lawnchair": in 1984 I organized a group of sailboats to cruise the Bahamas. We were anchored on the E side of Gun Key and in the morning we headed out. The others read their charts and I climbed the mast. There was a gap in the reef (not on the charts) that I sailed through. The others could not see it and watched in amazement that I did not run aground. That night, in a bit of grog, one announced that if "it" is green and you can't put a lawnchair on it (ie shallow water but no grass) I would sail on it (with my 5 1/2' draft boat). The name Capt Lawnchair thus stuck.

High energy. Ran my first marathon last year (on a torn left achilles and a broken right first metarsal) but I trained for it and so I did it. Have traveled all over the world and to all 50 states. Christian, but not what you think if you think Catholic or Pentacostal. I walk with Him. You can, too, or you can do otherwise. "Not my prob. man!"

PHILOSOPHY

Saved by Grace. Bible is not a hammer. I'm my responsibility, you are yours. Don't hit my nose and we will get along fine. I want to learn from you. If it's not reciprocal, that is fine too. In life, I am not responsible for the outcomes of my projects; I am responsible for the effort I put into my projects and if I give it my best and it fails, then that is a success too. The journey, not the goal.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Helping to raise 7 kids (one of whom is married, so sort of like 8) has been a great job. Just got married again (#3) in May 2009. Finally found the right woman after 2 long term failures (12 and 18 years).

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Newbee. Have hosted 2 students and a teacher from Lithania, and 3 students from Colombia, 1 from Singapore, one from Latvia, this summer from Italy. The student from Lithuania got me out of an arrest by the KGB by calling the right people. To thank him I brought him to the US for a quarter and sent him to college here. He then got a full scholarship @ Loyola and got a BBA. Then an MBA. Then a JD (co-incidence?) and now is an attorney in Detroit! I think I affected his life as much as he affected mine. Vladas.

Interests

Newbee. So show me it all! Only been here 62 years, just getting started.

• marathon
• running
• boating
• sailing
• teaching
• law

Music, Movies, and Books

I've read a fair number of books. They are interesting at the time, and I grow some from some of them (like Wild at Heart, The Shack, 5 Love Languages, etc) and others are just (?) entertaining. Last read: "The Sixth Extinction" and before that "Chaos Theories", "Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting", "Becoming an Expat in Equador", and lots of travel books. Go to movies all the time, so have seen most of the genre that I enjoy: Action and Adventure.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Seen: the sunrise this morning - a fresh start to a new day.

Done: I have done a lot of things, but they are not as amazing as what I have seen, for what I have done has been a product of my limitations while what I have seen has been the product of God's limitations (ie none).

Teach, Learn, Share

My talent is that I can figure anything out. It comes from not being able to remember anything. Never could. Life's a blast and best when shared.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Martinique, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Virgin Islands, British, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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