CURRENT MISSION

To launch my youngest child off to college and re-feather the resulting empty nest

ABOUT ME

Intelligent, articulate, wise and insightful sense of humor, somewhat cynical, generous, empathetic, non-judgmental, verbose.I'm 60, a lawyer for people with righteous legal issues and little money. I do family law, criminal law, civil law, and any kind of case in which I believe in the client, feel competent, and can make a little money.

PHILOSOPHY

I think an optimistic attitude brings good things, because fortune favors the prepared mind. I admit I can't always practice that. I believe all religions are myths, but welcome all to practice their religions of choice as long as they don't try to convert me or force me to obey their rules (spirited, respectful discussion is also welcome). I think the best way to get is to start by giving, but that giving with the expectation of getting actually interferes with the process (it's a conundrum).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

In the past 33 years I've parented or co-parented ten children, most of whom weren't relatives. I think they all left me better off than when they arrived. My last kid has moved away to start college, so I have the house mostly to myself, which is lonely and liberating by turns.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Not much, at least not since the sixties, when we called it "crashing", possibly because sometimes we were landing from some sort of height. I've been the beneficiary of the informal hospitality of many a stranger, around California, east coast of the US, and in Europe and North Africa (but not for a while now). I like to think I've reciprocated when I could (though the time the hitchhiker left body lice in my couch is not one of my fonder memories!).

Interests

I ride a 1999 Kawasaki KLR650 motorcycle, work on it myself. I'm preparing to start a permaculture garden, volunteering with local permaculture groups. I volunteer with Hospice of Humboldt, working in their thrift shop and training to visit dying folks. I'm a poor guitar player but a pretty good singer. I believe life begins at the end of my comfort zone, but don't always challenge myself as much as I'd like.

• gardening
• shopping
• thrifting
• guitar
• law
• religion
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies/books about the American Old West (18th-19th century), history books about any time, place or person, novels whose character development teaches me something about how to live an authentic life, any instrumental music with interesting structure/rhythms, any music with thought-provoking lyrics that I can understand.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I don't know that I've ever done or seen anything that would impress another as "amazing". I try to cultivate an attitude that is amazed by the mundane, rather than wait or search for a big event.

Teach, Learn, Share

Folks with skills I don't have and experiences I haven't had.

Countries I’ve Visited

Algeria, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States