Winter 2016 January 22 Friday

30 degrees (20 degree wind chill), 25:58 minute walk

A stiff north wind this morning! Fortunately the cold doesn’t really bother me during my walk, I basically dress for it.  

Within the next several days we will have a better idea if the moves (selling our house and buying the other house) will actually go through.  Probably a good chance, but you never know.  We will live with whatever happens.  

Listening more to the biography of Woodrow Wilson during my walk.  The United States is now in WWI with the military draft starting.  

The writer notes that Wilson, who had no military experience was an excellent Commander in Chief.  

One key he notes that I never really thought about was that Wilson decided early that American soldiers would not be “replacements” for other nations armies,l but would fight as American troops under an American Flag etc.  

I had never really considered the importance of that, not only in the military, but in all aspects of life and careers.  Feeling part of a coherent group with common purposes or a common purpose is probably the key to success in many cases. 

I know my personal experience is that persons who feel part of a group (even if they are always complaining etc.), are almost always better performers than persons who don’t.  Of course you also have to define “part of the group”.

Since we are involved in buying the house etc., we probably aren’t going to take a short vacation to a warm spot this winter as we planned.  I think late January or early February would be a good time to “escape” for a few days to a warm place and forget about the cold.

Of course, an argument could also be made for March, since the cold part of Winter is over, but it seems forever before the warm weather really returns.  

We have noticed it always seems to get extremely hot just in time for the CMA Fest!  A lot of activities are outside, and it is just  uncomfortably hot.  

Also, the crowds are getting bigger and bigger and it is getting much harder to get around and really attend everything we want attend.  

Also, even though Nashville seems to grow hotels like rabbits, it is still difficult to get a room for the CMA Fest.  We used to not have a big problem, but this year we were lucky to get a room downtown and I doubt that we can get one downtown next year unless  the increase in hotel rooms makes a difference.

Oil prices are having a definite impact around here as companies start to lay off people and the retail stores are noticing the decrease in sales, probably due to both the internet and people either losing jobs and concerned about losing their job.  

Earthquakes continue to jolt the area.  I watch as the “Richter Scale” increases.  Earthquakes used to be in the 2.5 and under range, or at least 3 and under.  Now a 4.5 etc. isn’t all that unusual and that is dangerous.   

That’s it for now, Friday, January 22, 2016.