2016 Winter February 10 Wednesday

28 degrees this morning, walk 35:27 minutes 

Strange thoughts while walking.  This morning I heard a coyote (I assume) howling, and I had the vision of a werewolf  suddenly springing out of the nearby trees to attack me!  

Such are the thoughts of the early morning walk!  For some reason the dogs (in the distance) were much more active this morning.  I heard not only the howl of the coyote but the barking of a pack of dogs.  I don’t believe it’s a full moon.  

Saving my “cashback” earnings on my credit card for either an Apple iWatch or Apple  iPod Pro. About 30% of my way to an Apple iWatch or about 15% on my way to an iPad Pro.  

Of course, you normally have to take the base price and add 30% to actually make a decent product, so I’m probably have about enough to pay for the extras!  

In any event, it will wait until the costs associated with the move, the “new” (to us) house etc. shake out.  

The insurance on the house was startling to say the least.  Allstate coldly  tripled the premium on the new house without any explanation (obviously Allstate will be our “ex” insurance company after our move).  

We did find cheaper insurance (actually a lot better coverage) and found Allstate was extremely high (almost double!) other insurers on  our car insurance. 

We even got limited “earthquake” insurance on our house.

The “good hands” of Allstate are actually grabbing for your wallet, not protecting you!

Reading about the Super Bowl and the commercials, half-time show etc., I have to wonder if I saw they same thing they did!  I certainly didn’t get the same impression many of the writers did, but then that is not unusual.  

Listening to the biography of Woodrow Wilson, he has just died.  I hadn’t really realized how well he was respected or some of his many accomplishments (and some blind spots).

I think his obsessive behavior about the League of Nations was probably necessary for him, but I think in his obsessiveness, was also he weakness.  Probably if he had been able to compromise, it would have been a better result.

Obsessiveness is an interesting trait.  Some obsessiveness is probably necessary to reach your goals and get “grand’ projects done, but too much probably makes you unable to compromise and in your obsessiveness you lose what you want the most.

Of course, the key is knowing how much to give so you don’t lose your objective.  

Probably one of the most illustrative examples is the book “Left for Dead” by Beck Weathers as he narrates his obsession with mountain climbing, especially climbing Mount Everest.  

I actually heard him speak, basically the first few chapters of his book where he goes into the actual situation of being “left for dead” and being referred to as “that dead man in the tent”.  (He got up the next morning and was rescued by a very brave helicopter pilot).  

He left some scars on this face and hands to remind himself of his obsession.  

I had already read “Into Thin Air” and the speech got me  interested me in reading about mountain climbing.  I never had even the slightest urge to try it myself, but I still enjoy reading about it.  

It also interested me in obsessive behavior. (Such as written a journal each morning!)  More about that later.

That’s it for now, Wednesday, February 10, 2016.