Summer 2015 July 5 Sunday

77 degrees this morning.  No walk due to mud in the streets from irresponsible  builders/fireworks debris.

Had an excellent July 4, except for several rains leaving  the streets in the addition like a county road, muddy  with red dirt from irresponsible builders.  

Took pictures and filed complaint with the City, but I am thinking it is time to contact the builders directly and ask them to be more responsible.  

Coming back last night we noted residents (illegally) shooting off fireworks in the street, so I assume they didn’t bother to clean up after themselves either.  (Fortunately, it was in an area we normally wouldn’t go through except we were trying to avoid the mud from the normal way we came in.)  However, it is part of my morning walk and another reason I decided not to walk.  

I realize this (irresponsible builders cutting corners on erosion control etc.) is normal, it doesn’t mean I have to accept it without a fight!  Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t resent the time it takes to have to deal with their illegal and irresponsible behavior.  Hopefully I can get the neighborhood residents to get involved also.

We finished putting books on bookshelves, putting knick knacks up, putting items away etc.  We actually have very few boxes of items left, but of course they are the hard ones to decide what to do with, or the ones that are going to take some time to deal with.

One issue I have to decide on today is my “punching bag/speed bag” holder, which is an ungainly item and takes up a lot of room.  I have to decide on whether we have room for it, or I have to take it a apart (which probably means I will never put it together again) or we need to find another home for it.  Ditto with the bike rack, except I do know I want to keep it.  

Aliene is great at organizing and she has some ideas, so we may try that first.  My idea is that eventually I can set the punching bag up again and use it, but it might not work out.

We didn’t go to a fireworks show as such yesterday, but where we went for family July 4 meal was in an area where fireworks are legal (or at least not banned), so we got real fireworks shows around us all evening!    

The mud in the streets etc. makes it more important for me to check out the 24 hour gym which is   about a mile (actually about 1 1/2 miles from our house).  Unfortunately, as is typical for this city, there is no good way to walk or bike there, but at least i can drive and get somewhat of a workout.

I still like the concept of the YMCA, although it opens too late for me for morning exercise and doesn’t have very good weekend hours.  But it does have a swimming pool and other good facilities.  I may have to adapt my morning schedule if i want to swim in the morning.  Fortunately my work hours can be flexible if needed.

We have now lived here for a year   (in this area) and I have been at my new job for 10 months as of July  2.  As I have noted before, I couldn’t have fallen into a better job, or probably one I wold like more.  

We i took the job, I was also talking to a consulting company about consulting work (including interim City Manager positions, grant applications, special projects etc.) but I had already accepted the position.  Probably a good thing, at least at this time.

Three day weekends always seem to go so fast, here, then gone before you know it!

That’s it for now, Sunday, July 5, 2015.