June 21-The longest Day, Baby Tornado, CMA Fest

In a way, June 21, the “longest day of the year” is the happiest day, but also the saddest day. It is the “longest day”, which I love, but it also means that the days will only get shorter and winter will follow!

I always decide I just need to “enjoy the day”, but there is always that nagging feeling that the days are getting shorter and winter is coming!

I am enjoying my new bicycle, after some problems with the gears were fixed. I thought at first it was just my unfamiliarity with the new shifting system, but there actually was a defect in it. The weather has been cooperative.

Saturday, June 17, I was sitting outside (our house has kind of a “protected” area of the patio and then an open area) watching the rain, when a high wind came through. Only the next day did I learn that I had sat outside and watched an F1 (a baby) tornado come through! The electricity went off for awhile, but I thought it was only high winds. There wasn’t any damage in my neighborhood, but 28 houses received minor damage in a nearby neighborhood.

Aliene is in OKC and has been since last week. (She missed the baby tornado!) Her daughter-in-law had an operation and Friday and her daughter had one Monday, so she had quite a week! (Both are doing fine.)

Aliene and I went to the CMA Music Festival (Country Music) in Nashville June 6-11 and really enjoyed ourselves. (We celebrated our 9th Wedding Anniversary in Springfield, Tennessee, where we stayed. It is a small town about 20 miles from Nashville.) I was going to write a full report on it, but, as happens, I wanted to block out enough time to write a report and haven’t done anything! I will write a full report, but briefly, we really enjoyed ourselves.

We saw a lot of the Country Music stars and especially enjoyed the autograph and exhibit sessions. I’ll write a full report (sometime!).

Anniversary!

Ten years ago tonight (June 6, 1996), I was sitting at a table with some other dancers after dance class.

One of the women at the table I was talking to gave me "a look" that I remembered for 10 years! One year and one day later (June 7, 1997) Aliene and I were married! Of course, she doesn't even remember it!

Oddly enough, we didn't see each other again for exactly six months, until December 6, 1996. On January 19, 1997, I went over to buy some weights I saw on sale, went to the "dance practice", met Aliene there and the rest is history! We started dating and were married on June 7, 1997.

We actually knew each other fairly well as friends and dancing partners, but just didn't get together until January of 1997. Once we started dating, things moved fast!

I can honestly say it has been a wonderful ten years and I am a very lucky man! Tomorrow, we celebrate our ninth Anniversary, but I will always mark June 6 as a special Anniversary also!

Summer 2006 (part 1)

I am enjoying my new bike, even though I don't have a "high gear". I thought I wasn't working the new shifter correctly, but I finally took it back to the dealer and they advised there was something wrong, they just need time to check it out.

They told me to go ahead and keep it over the weekend (the weather was wonderful until rain hit this afternoon), and they will work on it next week.

We have a bike rack which is easy to use, so I have the chance to ride throughout the city. It took a while to find a bike rack that a non-mechanical person like me could use.

Hopefully I'll get the kinks worked out on the bike so I can get to seriously riding it! I've been trying out some of the trails in Lakeland etc. that were just constructed, which is fun.

I joined "TagWorld.com", so may start blogging on that site. (My screen name is "blipntime".) I will give plenty of notice if I move. Also, my .Mac account has a nice blog, when (this sounds familiar!) I get time to figure it out.

We are really enjoying our new house. I have been reading outside a lot (we look out at trees) and enjoying the antics of the squirrels at times. I am surprised that any squirrels survive, as dangerous as they live! They jump on a limb, which goes way down, and then get thrown up to a higher limb. (I really feel old, talking about watching squirrels!)

Work has really been busy. The budget is basically approved, so that is a big relief!