August travels

A busy week. Aliene and her mother flew to Nashville, I met them. (Due to Northwest pricing, it is impossible to fly directly into Memphis. Northwest charges excessive fares into Memphis, just because Memphis is a “hub” and it is put it to Memphis residents. It ought to be illegal. For example, Northwest charges $400 to fly from Oklahoma City to Memphis, and $200 to fly from Oklahoma City to Little Rock-on a flight that lands IN MEMPHIS! Thank goodness for Southwest. I have no sympathy for Nothwest when it declares bankruptcy again-they deserve it. What a ripoff.). Hopefully some other airlines will start flying through Memphis and keep Northwest honest and quit ripping off Memphis residents. For example, if you are going to Orlando or Denver now, you can get decent fares since Frontier is here.

We took Aliene’s mother to the “Grand Old Opry”, since she had never been there before and had always wanted to attend.

We then went to Lawrenceburg where Aliene’s and her mother visited a relative. We had lunch at the “Square 40” café in Lawrenceburg which had some good Southern cooking! They had pictures on the wall signed by President Bush and Harold Ford who had eaten there.

I also visited “Davey Crockets” home. He grew up in this area. I can remember he was my hero when I was a child and I was part of the Davey Crocket craze in the 50’s .

We went to Lakeland for several days and then took Aliene’s mother back to OKC. I figure I drove over 1600 miles in that week! We had a lot of fun.

While in OKC, we were in part of the storm from the hurricane. While we weren’t “in the eye”, we were close to where it was. We were glad to get out of the area safety Sunday.

We celebrated Katherine’s 5^th birthday and my 60^th in OKC and returned home Sunday. As always, traveling is fun, but it is nice to get home!

I am still watching the podcast on “Mount Everest”. They are now actually climbing Mount Everest. It is an interesting series.

August 12, 2007 Summer 2007

103 degrees today, supposed to top 106 degrees Wednesday and Thursday. I went on my bike ride today, tried a new route, going down the bike lane on Highway 64. It has a bike lane, but it is still intimidating to have cars going by at 55+ mph. Actually it went pretty good. My clothes were literally soaked when I got back. My head bad was really soaked. I’m going to have to bring an extra!

Biking down the highway gave me the best average speed I’ve had for awhile although I was holding back a little, since I didn’t have anyone to call if I get in touble..

I’ll be glad when the election is over. I’m already tired to seeing campaign signs. Of course when the Lakeland election is over, it’ll be time for the other elections in the area (Memphis etc.). Oh, well, just part of the process I guess.

I think August has always been one of the hottest Summer months, even though Summer actually starts in June.

Living it and loving it, Day 2-Summer 2007

85 degrees again this morning. Yesterday it reached 102 degrees. I went biking for about 45 minutes. It’s not as bad as it seems since by the time I went biking (around 5:30 p.m.) it was actually shady in many areas on my ride route. I’ll probably ride earlier today. I have been riding in “the neighborhood” so I can stop if I start to feel overheated.

Just saw a couple from Tennessee on the “ Rest of Everest” podcasts. It is a long slow group of podcasts. I don’t think I could just sit and watch it, but I do enjoy watching it while I working on the computer or reading and picking up the highlights.

During my walk this morning I was thinking how my job is somewhat like a Conductor of a symphony and just now I am reading an article which says that is what a Manager’s job is like.

Crews are pouring the foundation for a nearby house this morning. It is interesting to watch. They seem to pour a lot of foundations on Saturday when the Inspectors aren't around! (The County inspects houses in Lakeland, not the City.)

Living it and Loving it-Summer 2007

85 degrees at 3:45 a.m. this morning! I love it! I am currently sitting on the patio enjoying the head, and, oddly enough, a nice cool wind.

I really enjoy sitting on the patio, either working, reading or whatever. I am currently also watching a podcast on Mt. Everest (“The Rest of Everest”). I enjoy reading and watching about mountain climbing, although I don’t have any interest in every mountain climbing. I read “In Thin Air” and then heard Beck Weathers at a conference and read his book (“Left for Dead”) and a lot of other books on mountain climbing.

The podcast on “The Rest of Everest” is a daily (almost tedious) film of a Mt. Everest expedition.

I have been staying busy both for the City and personally. Somehow things never seem to slow down, and obviously I hope they don’t. I am currently reading a book about Lincoln, autobiography (David Donald, Lincoln), a book about Iraq (Bob Woodward, State of Denial), and a book “Bringing Out the Best in People”. In addition, I try to keep up with my magazines. I also love newspapers and spend too much time reading the Commercial Appeal and Wall Street Journal!

We enjoyed the Courter Reunion, and then my 60^th Brithday. Aliene’s daughter is having knew surgery so she is with her for the surgery and aftermath.

83 degrees at 4 a.m.-Summer is really here!

83 degrees this morning at 4:00 a.m.! I love Summer, I enjoy the heat, and especially enjoy being able to sit outside and read/work, the long daylight hours, the fresh blueberries, the flowers, leaves etc. and even the sound of the cicadas in the early evening.

Of course, now the Summer is at its height, it is also declining into Winter, somewhat like life.

I enjoy it while I can. Actually I love the climate out here, since the Winter isn’t really that bad. What I don’t really like is the way the cold/coolness hands on in the Spring. I always think around late February or March I want to go someplace hot to get away from the cold.

I really enjoy fresh blueberries for breakfast with my oatmeal and, while frozen blueberries are better than none, I really miss fresh blueberries!

August always means the Courter Reunion. The Courter Reunion is here and gone. It is always a surprise to me how long you plan for something and how short it lasts. We had basically planned for the Courter Reunion for a year (in our minds anyway). Suddenly it is over.

We really enjoyed having everyone out. Sorry more people couldn’t be here (you were here in spirit, we talked about you!), but we had a good group and we are already looking forward to next year.

60-no longer an abstraction!

60 years old. What used to be an abstraction (and a far off one at that) is now a reality. I don’t really dwell on it. Over 20 years ago, I firmly decided not to worry about events I couldn’t do anything about so I could concentrate on events I could do something about. Turning 60 is definitely not something I can change!

I have learned the value of experience the older I get! I have also realized how important it is to look at life with the wonder of a child looking at something new and exciting and not to get into a rut.

Probably, as for the past 20 years, maybe 30 years, what bothers me most is the lack of time to do what I want/have to do. Probably for the last 15 years, I don’t like the idea that opportunities are closing on me.

I will always remember the first time (and subsequent) times I heard the Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken” and how I immediately recognized the Great Dilemma of life.

Some roads I am glad I have taken is my career as City Manager, marrying Aliene, moving to Lakeland, bike riding, walking in the morning, l loving to read etc. Not to say there aren’t many things I would have done different, but overall I feel I am on the right road in those areas. I think that helps facing the years to come and the feeling that opportunities are closing.

Looking back, I am glad that at 40 I realized the “future is now”. While I realized you still need to plan for the future, you live in the present. At 50 I finally understood the beauty of experiencing every minute of life, including the rough times.

One thing about living in a 55+ community, I see some many people “more mature” than I who still enjoy life and have a high quality of life. It can be done!

Yesterday I mentioned that perhaps the scariest thing about turning 60 is that in 10 years I will be 70! I hope to work at least 10 more years, so in only 10 short years I could be facing the major life change of retirement. Of course, I remember when I was in my 30’s I thought retiring at 55 was a great idea, in my 40’s I thought retiring at 62 was great, when I was 57 I liked the idea of retiring at 67, now I am thinking of retiring at 70 when I am 60!

Of course, one reason I picked 67 was that in 2015 I wanted to walk up to the stage and receive my “40 years of service” award from the International City Managers Association at the Annual Conference! It is hard to believe on October 21, 1974 I started my first full-time career job with the City of Liberal, Kansas. (I started my first City Manger position in 1981. I can still remember the impact of realizing my responsibility-as well as the opportunities-of the position.)

The first real impact of working for City government actually came shortly after I started my first job. I was standing in line for a show and I looked at the line and a chill went down my back (a pleasurable chill) when I realized that my job affected, however small, the quality of life for everyone in the City. I am pleased to note that I still feel that chill of pleasure!

60 years-perhaps still an abstraction, but I am living it!