Summer 2014 September 4 Thursday (My Walking Stick and Shillelagh)

82 degrees this morning.  54:26 minutes walk.

Whew!  Met my supervisor and relieved that all indications are she will be great to work with.  After I complete my training, I basically will be working independently, so it will be good to have a supervisor who, as long as I"m going my job, will be ok.

There are a lot of things I like about the job. I did learn today that I will be assigned to a high travel area, but that is ok.  I would have preferred a metro area, but the rural area has some advantages also.

Today (Thursday), I will attend general training with all of the others (long term as well as one other complete new one like me).  That will be interesting.

This morning during my walk, I was thinking about my "walking stick"  I got it in Arkansas in around May of 1994.  (There is a story about that that I won't mention in public.  Ask me about the submarine in Muskogee!)

That means my $5.00 walking stick is now 20 years old.

However, my other walking stick (a Shillelagh) is really old. I got it in 1973 and supposedly, it was at an estate sale for a 94 year old man and it belonged to his grandfather!  Figure it out, it all depends, but it easily could be over 100 years old.  Or a lot less, I really don't know, it is a good walking stick also.  It is carved out of a very light wood.

While trying to figure out how to spell Shllelagh, I did some research and found it is an Irish fighting stick, and frequently will have molton lead in the knob to make it more effective.  Mine if very light and does not have molton lead in the knob! It is obviously decorative .

Speaking of possessions I DO get a lot of value of, I can include the walking stick, the  Shillelagh, my bicycle, many of my clothes, my computer(s), my stop watch, walking/bicycling clothes etc., so I don't mean to say that possessions are all bad, you can get a lot of value of of expensive or inexpensive possessions.    On the other hand, some of the things I have been carrying around for years that I never use.... (or I intend to use when I get a "round tuit".)

One of my weaknesses about "experiences" or events is the "event" t-shirts, hats, souvenirs, etc. or even something that reminds you of a special experience or event.  (I have one old ragged hat with not writing on it that I keep because I thought Aliene liked to wear it-that goes back to 1998, maybe 1997.  To my knowledge she only expressed interest in wearing it then, since she normally doesn't wear hats).   Of course I have all the old hats, t-shirts etc. that DO remind me of a special event or experience.  For example there is a basic sweat shirt I got in Chicago in 1994 for $3. (actually I got three of them) that say some version of Chicago.  I rarely wear sweatshirts, but I still keep them!  And, of course, there are the Christmas clothes I don't even wear at Christmas!

I was advised of an excellent solution, that I actually have started and it works, which is take pictures of them.  It is much easier to throw or donate them!

And then, of course, there are the items that "may be worth something".  Who knows, best way is to try to sell them or don't worry about it and donate them.

I am thinking about getting a lunch box (or bag).  I haven't had one, or even thought about one for years.  I thought at first I had the option of one with Spiderman and one with Barbie, but they did have some nice ones.  I wasn't prepared buy one yet, even though they were only about $8.  Writing about possessions is having an effect!

Doing my walk and weights each morning.  Will try to fit in bicycle, may have to wait until I have my home office.

Even though we are renting, I can deduct my home office on our taxes, including a % of the rental, utilities etc.  NIce!

That's it for now, Thursday, September 4, 2014