Winter 2015 January 31 Saturday

45 degrees this morning 45: minutes walking

2015 will be 1/12th over today.  Time does go fast.

Wrangling with the tax returns.  I’m glad I still have 2 1/2 months to work on it.  Two states, moving expenses, job hunting expenses, home office expenses, etc. are proving to be quite a challenge, even with Turbo Tax.  

To top it off (I”ll avoid mentioning which one), one of the Federal Identification Numbers on one of my tax documents refers back to an incorrect organization when i put it in Turbo Tax.  Not sure who made the mistake.

Sounds like rain and possible snow this weekend, at least rain.  

I think I write about how fast time passes for a reason.  I’m now quite sure what yet.  Perhaps I feel the limited time available to me as time passes, the limitation everyone has.  

I think starting an entirely different kind of life (in the sense of career and other areas), both opens new possibilities and emphasizes limitations.  Some things I will never do again, yet there are many things I will still do for the first time.

Listening to the “Edge of Eternity” during my morning walk.  

“Historical fiction” must be difficult to develop.  All of them seem to spend a lot of time in the early phases (which I understand)and then as time goes on, skip over large blocks of time.  John Jakes was supposed to write to 1976 (which really sounds quaint now!), but didn’t make it past the twenties or so.  The Edge of Eternity skipped over the entire decade of the fifties, the Korean War etc.  and I wonder if it is going to make it past the seventies, without skipping over some major areas.

Of course, my life is like that, there are major stretches where I  really don’t recall anything major that happened, even though at the time I’m sure there was a lot that was important.

Perhaps that is just the way time and life is.  If you tried to make everything that ever happened important, it may just be too overwhelming.

Obviously, in looking back, I can recall specifics of almost any period if I concentrate on it. I think some of the happenings etc. at the time seemed so important it is hard to believe that now it is so unimportant I have to work at recalling the history at the time.

On the other hand, there are things that happened that seemed unimportant that  later I recall as pivotable, very important, events or peopled.

Field day Friday.  I have developed somewhat of a pattern, depending on what I am working on at the time.  My computer locked up (that is for some reason I couldn’t access it) which is frustrating.  

That’s it for today, Saturday, January 31, 2015. 

Winter 2015 January 30 Friday

36 degrees this morning, 45:08 minutes walking

Celebrated three birthdays’ last night.  It was fun and somewhat of a marker, although no one had a “milestone” birthday. 

Got my VPN working again yesterday on my Mac.  It involved an update of the VPN software.  It helps protect my information when I am at Starbucks etc., or other places with an open wifi and also is what helped me keep up with Google, Facebook, Twitter etc. while I was in China.  

I don’t understand how the VPN works, but I do understand the protection involved in using it on wi fi networks.  

Of course that is like a lot of things with computers, I know what they do but I don’t understand how it works!  

Getting full speed ahead on our taxes for the year.  I still haven’t decided how we handle the hard part, allocating the income between the two states.  (Well, the hardest part is actually paying the taxes!.)

I have been able to get a lot of the tax forms (1099’s, etc.) over the internet, which has helped me keep working on the tax return.  

I’m not sure where I developed the desire to do my own taxes.  As I may have mentioned before I started doing them when my taxes were easy and they gradually got more complicated.  Maybe I just feel no one else will do them with the same interest I will.    

I used to spend hours reading the tax law and doing my own taxes.  It is kind of like my job here and even as City Manager, it included a lot of looking at a lot of material and determining the best way to proceed. 

Then TurboTax came along and it became a lot easier, if a little more frustrating.

It is hard to explain the pleasure of determining the right way to proceed.  Part of it may well have been the pleasure of finding a loophole, or at least the best way to proceed.  

Even Jim Cramer (Mad Money) doesn’t know the difference between a 457, 403 and 401.  (at least he says he doesn’t).  I am very aware of each one, the good and bad points etc.  (All of them are good, but have major disadvantages.  The best one is the Roth, in my opinion at any age.)

The major problem with anything Congress does is you can always see the figures of the lobbyists in the pie with the exceptions and the “special circumstances” which apply only to certain people or businesses.

Even with my limited experience, I have found the biggest problem is paying the taxes on retirement income!

I think I liked the idea of minimizing taxes to the lowest amount and it became kind of a game. 

It is hard to believe it is Friday already.  Looking forward to the weekend, although I think it is supposed to rain this weekend, and maybe snow.  I definitely felt the temperature fall yesterday from the time I got up until last night.  It was about 20 degrees cooler this morning from yesterday morning.  

That’s it for now, Friday, January 30, 2015.

Winter 2015 January 29 Thursday

54 Degrees this morning 45:06 minute walk.

Had an appointment downtown in the City yesterday.  I was surprised again at the poor planning in this city.  All of the construction etc. downtown and they haven’t  upgraded their planning.  Their planning practices are about from the early sixties, if that,  a sad commentary.

Outside of the downtown area, where I really notice the extremely poor planning  is in the lack of connectivity of shopping areas which leads to  excessive traffic (especially short trip traffic) on major roads.  It is a real mess even in new areas where they still don’t consider the needs of the customer.   

Another extremely poor planing practice is allowing new construction without a left turn lane or a turn lane is deplorable, much less requiring bike/pedestrian  lane on new construction on them.

Anyway, that is my opinion.

I was surprised how much change there had been, just enough that I really couldn’t get my bearings.  

I am remembering it from the past, and it is now in the future.  Maybe that is a problem with a lot of situations, we don’t look at them in their present situation, but as we viewed them in the past or in the future.!  

Thinking about it, I think that is why organizations (and people etc.) get stagnant, failing to recognize that new techniques and procedures are required and the old procedures   and practices are simply not effective in what has become the real world.

On the other hand, automatic responses and procedures used in responding to the environment also has a lot of strengths, since you save time and have the capacity to develop new responses and react to the new environmental.

I know when I was City Manager, sometimes I would look back and think how much time I would have spent on researching information about a decision  As I gained experience,  I simply made a quick decision.and  really consciously  of how I made the decision. 

There’s a name for that but I can’t think if it right now.  

Hopefully I will get to the point where I will make  decisions  the same way on my present job also.

I have grown to absolutely hate passwords on computers, especially the “automatic lock after 3 incorrect entries”, which is about as thoughtless as one can get.   I don’t think it does a lot of good and it takes a lot of time to deal with it, since I have to put the password in every time I am away from the computer and it randomly asks for it.

Back to organizational change, I have to really question how someone can buy 6% of a company and  than demand changes  that may be good just for that persons.  6% of the voters isn’t anything, but a tiny minority.

They can ask all they want, but I don’t see why the company management should kowtow to the person who owns the 6% (or, usually a bunch of greeds who are trying to make a bunch of money that is not in the best interest of the rest of the stockholders).

If they buy a majority of the company, I guess that is just the system,l but why someone can buy 6% and force the company to do somewhat that benefits only them to a substantial degree should not happen.

It would be like 6% of the population saying they vote so they should control all the decisions, which doesn’t make a lot of sense. 

By the way, including things not making sense, the the only Starbucks in the entire east half of this metropolitan area is in a Target.  Nothing wrong with that, but it isn’t really he atmosphere i want in a Starbucks.

That’s it for now, Thursday, January 29, 2015.

Winter 2015 January 28 Wednesday (And How Fast They Grow!)

54 degrees this morning, 46:00 minutes walking

Sounded warm this morning.  It really wasn’t near as warm as it sounded, but after I started walking I warmed up fast.

It wasn’t until I became older myself (well, at least an adult able to see one generation grow) that I realized why my parents friends always gushed about “how much we had grown etc”. 

It was true was the reason, and even more because it was before people traveled a lot or took a lot of pictures, at least compared to today.

I am just amazed at how fast children grow up, even when I see them fairly often.  

I think that is just the nature of life, and I don’t realize how many years have gone by until I see it in children.

It is still a shock to see children I knew as young, now fathers and even grandfathers!  

I remember a song years ago “19” and a folk song about how someone who dies young is “always 19” in our memories and doesn’t grow old in our minds.  

Not sure why this thought came up, except Eleanor (my sister) texted me and mentioned she was met someone who went to Waldo, Kansas (where we lived for three years).  She mentioned that she met someone from Waldo whose older bother had been killed in an accident while driving a tractor.

I’m not sure why I remember it, but I did remember his brother getting killed and the school yearbook was dedicated to him.  

I’m not sure why it made since an impression on me, although it may be the first time I had encountered a tragedy like this where I was remotely involved. 

Eleanor said the brother (that she met) had moved from Waldo when he was twelve and came back after he retired and bought a number o houses in Waldo, the grocery store and post office.  Apparently Waldo had a hold on him as a place.

I think a sense of “place” can have a hold on you, for whatever reason.  I remember the area I  grew up in and have gone back a few times and am amazed at how little has changed (except everything is so much smaller!), just like other places have changed so much.

A lot happened in my life in Waldo. I had my first job there (cleaning out a septic tank) and I made money mowing lawns.  I also made some friends whose names I can still remember.  One was killed in a car accident when I was in college and I remember one because he got married and had a baby and I think how old that baby is now!

The warmish weather is nice, it will be tough to go back to cold weather.  I remember several years ago, it turned warm in February and never really got cold again.  My kind of winter!

I have gotten tons of e-mails I just delete for years.  I decided it was time to take some defensive acton, so I have started “unsubscribing” to e-mails I don’t want where I know it is a legitimate e-mail and not spam where they just are trying to confirm your e-mail.  

So far I think it has been relatively successful in eliminating some e-mail.  I realized i was spending time deleting e-mailI no longer wanted or cared about.

I do wish there was a way of “blocking” e-mail like I used to be able to be able to block specific e-mails with just a click, just like I can block phone numbers.

Anyway, I started this with the idea of about how I noticed time pass in observing how fast children grow.  

That’s it for now, Wednesday, January 28, 2015.

Winter 2015 January 27, Tuesday (Weather, Time Passing0

 40 degrees  this morning,45:45  minutes minutes walking

75 degrees yesterday, that is the right kind of winter weather for me!  Actually most of the week is supposed to be warm, with cooler weather Thursday.

Thank goodness we aren’t getting the weather they are having elsewhere right now.

Starting the last week of January, 2015!  Somehow it feels like 2015 hasn’t even started yet and it is already 1/12 gone!

I really don’t like the “timeless” quality of all of this, I like to look back and be able to see the change!  

Actually, I am coming up on only 7 months where we live now, and 5 months on my job, so I guess not that much time has passed, although it feels like a lot has happened and it has has been a long time.  Somehow when I look back….

However, concerning my job, I feel like I have really learned a lot since I started and when I analyze what I have learned, it is amazing  wheat I didn’t know when I started!  

Of course, one area I really notice time passing is our Toyota Camry hybrid.  We are rapidly approaching the 5,000 mile mark, where we have the first maintenance appointment.  

Contrast that with the recommendation years ago to have oil changed every 2 or 3,000 miles.  

Actually, the first 5,000 mile maintenance is just to rotate the tires, the oil isn’t changed  until 10,000 miles.

I always wonder at what point a new car becomes the “old car” or at least “no longer new”.  It happens gradually, but then suddenly the moment is there, just like age  etc.   You even look back and can’t really see it happen.  

Ron and Vicki (Aliene’s son and his wife) are here for a visit this week.  We are having an enjoyable visit.  We had a nice supper last night with Ron, Vicki, Peter and Sara. Ron, Peter and Sara all have birthday’s this week.

Some really vivid dreams the past several days.  Yesterday morning I woke up and  dreamed I had won $25,000 in “rental car fees” from American Express.  I was running around getting in different lines, and being told I was in the wrong line when I woke up.  

Really a strange dream with some other vivid dreams I have recently had. Don’t know if it is something I am eating, or just that I wake up at a time when I am dreaming.  

All of the dreams are extremely vivid and are the type that I am awake for a few seconds before I realize it is a dream, or at least before I am totally aware it wasn’t a dream.

I am already hitting the “two state” problem on my taxes and I am just getting started!  Turbo Tax is refusing to recognize one of my tax documents that is separated depending on which state I was living in at the time.

Hopefully there “help” section is good.  I have never had to use it before!

“In the field yesterday.  As usual, the day was much different than I envisioned it when I left in the morning!  That is what I love about this job, it is always something different, and I never know what is going to happen. 

 I also learn more each day, both about the job and about people!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, January 27, 2015.

Winter 2015 January 25, Monday (History)

31 Degrees this morning, 45:12 minutes minutes walking

Supposed to be in the high 50’s to day, and the 70’s for the next several days (for a high).  Marching towards Spring!

Watched the premier  of “Downton Abbey”  last night.  (We tape it until we have time to watch it and concentrate on it.)  

It was especially interesting since I am listening to a book which has scenes in it from the same period in England and “change” was the feature in it also.

I especially like the quote where one character (on Downton Abbey)  says “things are always in a flux” and the other character says it “sounds slightly dirty” or words to that effect. 

When you think about it, change isn’t always pretty or even good, but change will happen, I think it is our response that is important. 

After it was over, they had a session on “British manners” and how by following the rules everyone knew the situation.  It may have been convenient, but frankly I’m glad that isn’t true anymore!

The manners and rules were basically a means of dealing with change or, perhaps, ignoring change. 

Reading a little bit of history, I can learn a a lot.  For example, I am reading a book about China in 1945, and I hadn’t realized that China was basically destroyed by war with Japan prior to World War II, when China and the US became allies.  

I recently noted that China was blocking some VPN access, which means I couldn’t get the normal internet access.  I’m not sure if I would have cared for that when I was there for 18 days!  On the other hand….

I still remember the Chinese city officials and how anxious they were to discuss how to deal with their desire for sustainability, how to deal with the influx of urban residents and urbanization and the rapid changes.  

These were elected and appointed officials who were dealing directly with the residents and the persons impacted by the change.  I was impressed by their dedication and desire to discuss solutions.   

One thing I am really enjoying is having the opportunity to read (or at least review) my “tu it” book list I have developed over the years.  Even if I don’t read them, I at least had the opportunity to read them and look at them.  

I will probably actually read about 50% of them, and probably will not even check out some when I have the chance to  review them some more.  (I just made a list as I went along, figuring the important thing was to note the book.)

I have a list of maybe 100 books, so it will take me awhile to get though the list!  Plus I am adding books I pick up  on, so probably I will never complete my list!  While I have more time than I used to, it still takes a lot of time to read a book and comprehend it.

I have also started transferring my “books  read” list to my computer, hopefully I will have completed it by the end of 2015.  

That’s it for now, Monday, January 25, 2015.

Winter 2015 Saturday, January 25 (Cutting the Cord, Taxes)

53  degrees this morning, 44:27 minutes walking

Hard to decide how to dress for the “warmer” weather on my walk this morning!  I ended up dressing about right, it was a little cool at first, but I quickly heated up.  

Finished “Winter of the World” this morning.  The 3rd and last book, “Edge of Eternity” is about another 36 hours, so I will probably finish it around Spring, which may be appropriate.  

“Cutting the Cord” is an interesting concept, but my recent experience makes me wonder how it will be implemented.  (By this, I mean cutting off cable tv and using “streaming”of movies and shows etc.)

While I am in my office, I “stream” CNBC, normally about 6-8 hours.  I don’t necessarily watch it, but I have it on.  I “stream” it since there is no cable connection in the office.  

What is strange is that the report from my cable company indicates that I use up to 30 GB of an  300 GB monthly limit of data in just one day.  Otherwise, when I don’t “stream”  it, we use a nominal amount of our data allotment.. 

I wonder when somebody “cuts the cord”, how are they going to have enough data capacity allocated from the internet provider/  May be something I don’t know, but even if you watch a nominal amount of movies, shows etc., it seems you would rapidly exceed the amount of assigned data usage available for the month.  

My understanding is the cable company doesn’t necessary cut you off or even take any action if you “exceed” the limit, but it seems this would be a major factor in “cutting the cord”.  

I tried Netflix for a short time, but since they never seemed to have the movie we wanted to watch (and we don’t watch that many movies anywayI), and I don’t care for “series” shows,  I canceled it.  Now, I really wonder how  anyone could use it much without exceeding the available “data usage”.  

A mobile phone/ipad etc. is especially vulnerable in this case since many plans limit usage to 2 GB etc., hardly enough  for a month of “streaming”, assuming you don’t use wi fi.  

Actually my set up in my office is an “Apple tv”, and I also have an antenna that I can pick up about 50 over the air channels (most of which I wouldn’t care to watch, but that is true with cable tv also!)

Started my taxes today.  I don’t necessarily “enjoy” it, but in a way I look forward to it, at least getting taxes  done.  Actually, I do enjoy it!  I enjoy it a lot more when I don’t have to pay of course!

I use “on-line” Turbo Tax, which isn’t bad.  It has a lot of advertising and tricks to try to trick you into buying additional items, but it actually works pretty good.

I dreaded taxes this year because we will have income from two states and all kinds of weird income and expenses.  I’ll have two different employers,  retirement income, IRA distributions, job hunting expenses, moving expenses.  I”m not quite sure how I decide which income was in which state, but I expect they have some kind of formula.  

It will be a weird tax return.  Normally I really enjoy doing it, and I probably will this year, after i figure out how to handle the two state deal.  

In a way it reminds me of my job, in that there is a lot of records and work, but I always feel a sense of satisfaction when I finish.

There is another China tour by the International City Managers Association (ICMA) this year in April.  It is aimed at persons who want to do consulting work with China.  Of course I won’t be going, since I don’ that have enough time, but hopefully I can go again in the future.  

We are going to watching a great-granddaughter this morning.  It is always fun.  The cycle continues.

That’s it for now, Sunday, January 25, 2015

Winter 2015 Saturday January 24 (Looking for a Starbucks!)

35 degrees this morning 56:45 minutes walking

After a question from my cousin about using my Starbucks app to find a Starbucks in the area where my “work territory” is, I I checked a map of the City and found there are 12 Starbucks in the Northwest quadrant of the metropolitan area (fortunately where I live) ! That is really amazing.  There is only one Starbucks in the SW Quadrant and one Starbucks in the entire east 1/2 of the metropolitan area!  

There are roughly 24 Starbucks in the total Metropolitan area, five are in the far suburb south area, one is in the east metropolitan area, one in the southwest quadrant and the rest are all in the Northwest quadrant, including the far north Suburb.  

Looking at the map, the Starbucks in the Northwest quadrant are almost on top of each other.

I guess it is marketing and being where the customers are, but that is really strange.  I really don’t understand that, I’ll have to check some more and see if I”m missing something!  

I figured roughly within a ten mile radius of where I live, there are e 14 Starbucks, and a16 are within a 12 mile radius!

Where I work, there is one Starbucks in a 12 mile radius!  There is really only one which is remotely possible for me to justify going during the work day and none that are really convenient. 

I could be missing something, perhaps my search didn’t give some results 

This is all rough figures, but if nothing else, it is a good approximation.  I was right, there are no Starbucks in my field area.  Plenty of McDonalds, Braums’, 7-11’s  and Taco Bells etc., so I won’t want for coffee, but…. (Actually, I never get coffee at Braums’, almost everything else is wonderful there, but their coffee…..  Taco Bell and McDonalds have excellent coffee.

In any event,l when I am “in the field”, it is normally so intense, I rarely stop even to eat.  When I go in the field I bring along a Trail Bar and a small container of peanuts and Cashews (and two bottles of my diet Gold Peak tea! and about 3 bottles of water) and I just keep going and eat between my visits in the car. I don’t even drink coffee very often while I am in the field.

it is hard to explain how you feel in the field (I think almost everyone is this way), but I just want to keep on going until I finish, I just don’t feel like stopping.  

I think that is one reason I really like it, there are days in the field of intense activity, and then days in the office when I research and complete paperwork from the days in the field.

Aliene and I went to Starbucks tonight.  She had her “Carmel macchiato” (I think I have that right), while I stick with either a dark roast or an iced coffee.  Somehow there is a timeless quality at Starbucks you don’t get elsewhere.  

There are actually at least two “coffee shops” within a short distance of our house (about two miles or so, in addition to the Starbucks (and at least 4 Braums) but we have never tried the coffee shops.  

I did used to stop at our neighborhood McDonalds before we got the internet hooked up and then while I was commuting to the office.  I’ll get a cup of coffee (as I mentioned McDonalds has excellent coffee) and a parfait. 

I am a very sloppy coffee drinker when I am driving, so I normally don’t try to drink coffee and drive.  My one exception is McDonalds.  Somehow their coffee cups are relatively easy to drink while I am driving.  (It is impossible to drink out of a Starbucks cup while I am driving!  I have a hard enough time just getting one home without spilling it).  

I have tried numerous “commuter” coffee cups that just don’t work.  

I’m not quite sure how this entire post was about coffee, but….coffee is important to me!

That’s it for now, Saturday, January 24, 2015.  

Winter 2015, January 23, Friday (Tea and Coffee)

28 degrees this morning 45:18 minutes walking  (Looking for another “earthquake app”)

Friday already, definitely noticed the “short week”.  

Reading “Contagious”.  It is a really interesting book about how fads take off, why some  seemingly useless videos are watched literally millions of time etc.

I’m thinking about basing aToastmasters speech on the concept, primarily because I will learn it myself if I try to tell someone what I learned!  

Sometimes, when I really want to remember something, I can set down and write down what I learned as if I was telling someone, I actually will remember it of a lot longer.

I am amazed at the scarcity of Diet Gold Peak” tea.  They are almost impossible to find.  I have a feeling it is an ‘artificial way to raise demand for it, but I don’t know if they could really plan something like that.  There is plenty of Gold Peak “Sweet Tea”, but little “Diet sweet tea”.

No big deal, I can actually get it, it just is puzzling why there isn’t more available.  I looked on the internet and found other people with the same problem.  

Either a massive failure to predict demand, or a brilliant marketing campaign!  I used to be able to buy a “six pack” of it at Target, but now I can only find individual bottles, if I can find it.  Of course, it is much more than I normally pay for anything like that, but I limit myself to one or two per day, and then normally just when I am “in the field”.

I have learned the possible danger of artificial sweetener and limit my use of that anyway.  I am considering maybe going ahead with the regular “sweet tea”, since I limit my intake anyway.  

Speaking of tea of course makes me think of coffee, and Starbucks.  For some reason, in the area where my field work is, there is no Starbucks.  I have a huge area and I have yet to see a Starbucks.  

I’m sure there is a Starbucks someplace, but….  My work “in the field” frequently requires me to find a place where I can update the computer records.  I can do it in my car, but that isn’t really convenient and, I feel, is hard on the car.  (Either that, or I wait until I get home.)  A Starbucks would be perfect as my “second place” to update my records. 

McDonalds works well, Taco Bell and Braums are also good, and there is a mall where I can work, but there is something about a Starbucks!  Panara Bread is also good and has good coffee.  

I kind of feel like a traitor when I say this, but both McDonalds and Taco Bell have outstanding coffee, as long as it is fresh. 

McDonalds will almost always brew a fresh pot if I ask if it is fresh (if they don’t I don’t buy it) and Taco Bell makes each cup fresh.  Panara Bread marks the time the coffee is made, although for some reason I rarely go to Panara Bread, probably because I don’t each much bread!  

Some restaurants brew separate coffee cups also (TGIFridays is one), but it is horrible coffee.  Some restaurants keep it in a “coffee warmer”, which, quite frankly does not work.  Even a coffee shop (The Red Cup) did this, which amazed me, although the coffee was very good, no coffee is good lukewarm (unless it is ice coffee).

Another week of winter is gone! 

That’s it for now, Friday, January 23, 2015.

Winter 2016, Thursday, January 22 (Time, Hypertime and Cold)

37 degrees  this morning, no walk, rain.  

Always feel a little disappointment when I can’t walk, but that I didn’t walk but also I don’t feel I use my “extra” time effectively.  Also, I like my daily dose of whatever book I am listening to as I walk.  

My current book (which is “historical fiction”) is up to 1945, on it’s way to (I assume) 1999.  That means I have about 40 hours of listening left!

Watching reports from the “1%” conference on CNBC.  I am amazed at how some of those people can really have those opinions.  I am amazed they try to justify some of their actions. 

In a way it would be nice if “time” was elastic.  I would compress it and speed it up in the Winter and slow it way down in the Summer!  

Kind of like the morning is “hyper time”, although I can’t think of any part of the day where time drags.  

Unless, like yesterday, I get  stopped by TWO loooooonnnng freight trains!  Both going very slooooowwwww!

I am always surprised at my naps during the day.  I always wake up thinking I have slept for a long time, and it is normally about ten minutes.  (Except in the morning after my walk where I normally nap for about 27 minutes.

I actually set my phone to have an alarm come on at around 32 minutes for my morning nap and 15 minutes fro other naps. I almost never actually hear the alarm since I wake up before the alarm.  Actually of course I hear it, but I don’t hear it to wake up to.

For some reason, my naps lately have involved   some very strong  dreams.  Very vivid, and the type that it  takes you a while to transition from sleep to being awake because of the conjunction of sleep and awaking.  I assume that is good, since it means I am getting a deep sleep in a small dose..

It is that time of year when I am tired of cold, or even a chill.  I am ready for Spring and Summer to come, green grass, colorful flowers and green trees.  Warm winds, birds flying (just not nesting at my house!) and nice warm or even hot weather!

I have always thought (well, the last couple of years), I’d like to go to Panama in the dead of winter, or someplace where it is hot, hot , hot to make up for the cold winter.  Maybe a cruise in a warm ocean with hot breezes.  Aliene and I have never been on a cruise and we’ll have to try it sometimes.

When I first started exercising when I was in Chanute, Kansas, I can remember going to the sauna and just sitting there until I felt the heat burn into me and kind of burn the cold out of my body.  Some the cold just seem to seep into your body and stay there.

Somehow I got my car radio connected to my iPod so I can play my Spanish lessons, or music or whatever over bluetooth.  It is amazing.  I shut the car off and when i start it again, it starts in the place where it stopped! 

I especially like it in my “sunroof and heater up” mode, when I can listen to fiddle music (or any kind of music I’m in the mood for) and get away for a short time.

Strange, I have probably never met a woman named “Chastity” in my life.  Not that I remember anyway. Yesterday I met or talked to three! 

That’s it for now, Thursday, January 22, 2015.

Winter 2015 January 21 Wednesday (1984?)

32 degrees this morning  57:47  minutes walking

I read yesterday  about a new “detector” where the Police/law enforcement can actually determine where someone is in a house or office, how many etc., and in some cases even determine the design of the structure. 

I’m  not so concerned about law enforcement having this as I am about criminals having it.  

I assume the next thing will be to have to install “anti-radar” shielding on your home and office so criminals can’t determine if you are or are not at home.

Scary the invasion of privacy that is developing.  Cameras everywhere, radar to see if you are at home and Facebook tracking you everywhere, a device built into the car tracking where you have have been etc.  

1984 is here 30 years late.

In the blink of an eye, January 2015 will be past!  Weather today and over the weekend was wonderful.

January went so fast, I was just thinking that soon we will have to decide what we are going to do about a place to live.  Of course, a large part of our decision will be if, and if so, how much, the lease is raised no our house.  

We have found renting has a lot of advantages (as does owning/buying a house), but at least your mortgage payments (as a general rule) doesn’t change.  Of course, there are a lot of other surprise costs.  

It also means that our income tax returns will be due etc.  With two states, moving expenses, job related expenses etc, I’m not really looking forward to doing our taxes.

Actually, I enjoy doing our taxes, I just need to find the time to do it.  I enjoy working through the process and seeing it all come together.  

Spent the day in the office today (unfortunately rather than in the field on a wonderful day!), but I had a lot of administrative work, phone calls, updating records etc. after being in the field Thursday and Friday last week!

We were able to donate some more items today.  I heard someplace (I wish I could find it) that items that we have tend to be imputed with a lot more value than they actually have.

As an example, we have several printers we donated yesterday along with some other items.  Even though the printers were ten years old and we hadn’t used them for several years, I had that moment of hesitation where I started thinking what I could do with them!

When I start thinking that, I just think “why haven’t I already done it” and also that we can buy a brand new printer that isn’t obsolete for less than $100!

The same thing can be said about old clothes, furniture, books, computers  etc.  Unless there are some sentimental  meaning to an item,  we always seem to attach more value to an item then it is really worth.

I soon am going to set up a scanner, and Aliene will start scanning her pictures, and I am going to scan a lot of records that I can then toss the physical items.

Hopefully, they have a strong “advice line”.  As I mentioned about the wifi extender, it is amazing how easy it is once you know how to do it!

My foot has been doing a lot better since I got another pair of walking shoes.  The difference is amazing.  It didn’t cure the problem, but it made it a lot more easier to live with.

Aliene is starting physical therapy on her neck today.  We are both hoping that the therapy will resolve the problems without surgery, but the Doctor also said if nothing else the therapy will make her neck stronger and she will recover form surgery faster and easier. 

That’s it for now, Wednesday, January 21, 2015.