2016 Spring May 31 Tuesday

69 degrees this morning, Walk 31:24 minutes (decided lightning was just a little too close, it was time to turn back early on my walk!)

Well, another state team choked in the finals.  Somehow it seems all teams in this state choke in the finals and can’t win “the big one”.   While I don’t watch or follow pro basketball (I really don’t see the purpose and it is boring and is basically the same to me as pro wrestling, but that is just my personal opinion), I obviously like to see the local team win.  But that’s life.  

Probably everyone in every area thinks the same, since only one team can actually win the finals, but choking seems very prevalent here for the  state sports teams.

If anyone gets upset about me pointing that out, I should say they are criticizing the messenger and not the message, which is correct by any empirical analysis.  

I finally broke down and decided to get Amazon “Prime”, not for the videos, certainly not the free shipping, but for the “unlimited” storage.  

Of course, true my experience with Amazon, you have to to read he fine print with a very large magnifying glass (probably with a light so you can see all of it), only PHOTOS are included in the “unlimited” storage.  You have to pay more for unlimited files, videos etc.  It is only $59 per year, but….

So, now I am in the processing of uploading about 400 GB of photos and other files.  It takes a long time, but I have to admit the final product is reasonably good.

The process of uploading has been a real pain.  It was relatively easy from the iPad and iPhone, but from the MacBook, it  has been a long and torturous process

I actually have my photo’s saved in Google photos and Flckr, so maybe I am being a little to safety conscious, but….  

One reason I bought Amazon Prime is I am tired of Apple’s continued price gouging on the iCloud.  I really like Apple products, but their short-sight view on memory for the iPhone etc. and charging for iCloud the way they do will eventually come back to haunt them.  

While I originally thought “renting” the iPhone from them was a good idea, I’m not so sure now.  First of all, they didn’t brother to tell you it is handled through a credit card company, so it is another credit card on your credit report.

This may not always be a problem, except at the time I was buying a house, and the Mortgage Company went nuts about another credit card suddenly showing up.  

Also, I just really don’t see the advantage to the program. You pay full price, and never own anything.   Some of the phone companies have similar programs which appear to be much better.  As the first year approaches, I”ll see.  

The only real advantage you can “trade up” each year, but they really don’t make any major improvements each year.  

Had a very nice 3 day Memorial Day Holiday.  Overall the weather was nice.  It is amazing that it is already almost June 1.  

Soon we will have been here two years and I will have been in my current job for two years.  As I have noted before, somehow it doesn’t seem as if has been that long, in other aspects it seems like it has been forever.  

That’a it for now, Tuesday, May 31, 2016.

2016 Spring, May 302016 Monday (Memorial day)

67 degrees this morning.  Walk 35:45 minutes (estimated, forgot to turn off stop watch)

Some rain last night apparently, but mostly dry by now.

Enjoyed my second day of walking in my new walking shoes.  I had forgotten how nice it is.  

The Person at the shoe store (he actually has a medical degree in some sort of foot specialty) advised my current (or now past shoes, I’l call them #13, since the new ones are # 14) were worn out and I  shouldn’t wear them even for causal wear more than a month or so.

Of course, I will probably wear them for causal use for another five years.  I don’t know what he would say about the first pair of shoes they sold me. (This is the 3rd pair of shoes I bought there).

Aliene thought it was better to change shoes every day.  The Shoe Doc said that was correct, and it had several advantages, one the shoes would last about 50% longer, and the variety was good for your feet to work slightly different muscles.

He also advised us os something I didn’t know, that Ecco shoes has a “shoe renovation” program, which I am going to try on my old Ecco shoes.  

Thinking about Doctors, I think I realize why I like some Doctors and don’t necessarily like others (I respect them, I just don’t care for them personally, I don’t “dislike” them, I just don’t rally like them, there is a big difference).

The one Doctor sees me as a person, the other Doctor sees me as a patient or maybe a body part.  Not a bad thing either way, but I view them in the same way.  

I think that is one I try to do at work, and have always tried to do.  See someone as a “person” and not just as a “Citizen”, “resident”, or, in my case now, as a “case” to get finished. 

While it doesn’t mean I don’t keep a business distance, I also try to see the person as a person and not just a case.  Maybe I don’t really “try” as much as it is just the way I view people, if that makes any sense.  

Rather strange dream last nigh, since I didn’t write it down right afterwards, I have probably forgotten most of it, but it woke up and it took me a while lot realize it had only been a dream.

In the dream, for some reason, I used an old key to get into a City Hall where I used to work.  No reason in the dream, I was just gong to go in and look out of curiosity  

Of closure the alarm went off and I didn’t have the code, so I ran out and had all kinds of  worrying about what I would do if someone had seen me, if there were security cameras etc. 

I don’t remember much else, except at the end I was going down a gravel road (kind of the road a the farm where I grew up, there was a high hill) and I was stopped by two Police officers who stood on one side of the road toad two long snakes lying down on the ground on the other  side of the road.  I know, doesn’t make any sense.

I think it may have come from a book we are reading where someone goes into an apartment.  Anyway, it took me a long time to realize it was just  dream and I had a long sense of  relief.  

Bought a pair of 25 lb dumbbells yesterday, I had a 20 lb set and a 30 lbs set,but no 25 lib set, for some odd reason.  Anyway, a 10 lib increase would have been too much but 25 is just right to keep me advancing without being too much.

Also found nice air compressor (on sale even) that will be nice for airing up my bike tires.  Fell somewhat like a wiener for using an air compressor, but that doesn’t bother me nearly a much as using a manual air pump.

Happy Holiday!

That’s it for now, Monday, May 30, 2016.

2016 Spring May 29 Sunday

73 degrees this morning walk 33:57 minutes

Temperature was a wide range this morning, depending on which weather service you looked at.  73 was probably a little high, maybe the 70 or even the 67 was more like it, but I always use the temperature on the one weather app, so to be consistent, I’ll use it.

The house has really helped my exercise, because my boxing “heavy bag” and my punching bag fit, as does my weight benches.  

I am trying to walk in the morning, then do my weights,  then later in the day I ride my bike and exercise on the heavy bag and punching bag.  

Still getting back into riding the bike, I have been riding in the neighborhood (which is fairly small,) so I do a lot of laps even for my short  ride!.  Today I am going to take it out on a longer ride.

A lot of people walk and ride around here, so at least the traffic is used to it.

When we moved up here, someone from the moving company either stole or lost (same thing in the end), by beloved power air compressor that I used to air up my bike tires.  It was a basic, simple air compressor that, I think, cost me $29.  I used it for years and planned on literally using it for the rest of my life.

Of course, I can’t find a decent one to replace it, even at a much higher price.  They include so many gimmicks that they don’t work. 

Right now I am using a manual air pump, which can be ok, but….figuring out how much time I spend on the manual pump, an air compressor is well worth it.

I don’t like the idea of riding with low air in my tires (first of all, it makes it much harder, evan a few pounds)!  

I am gradually increasing the “weights” I am using.  I have been using 20 lb barbells for years.  Of course I don’t have any 25 lb , just 30 lb, so I will need to buy some 25 lb barbells.The jump to 30 lbs is just too much.

I am also increasing my “bench press” weights.  I had been using “just the bar”  (which is 45 lbs) and now am up to 70  lbs, which of course is embarrassing to admit.  However, I will gradually increase, and I really am looking to “tone” rather than “bulk”, so more repetitions are better.

Of course, the more reps, the more time it takes, and here we go again!  

One aspect of weight lifting I really like is that muscle burns about  50 calories more per day than fat, so if I convert 10 lbs to muscle, I automatically burn 500 more calories per day.  

Or I can eat 500 more calories per day, depending on how you look at it.  (I look at it as freedom to eat 500 more calories!)  Of course, I have no idea of whether I have muscle or fat, so I can’t automatically eat 500 more calories per day.

Now I need resume swimming and the machines at the YMCA.  Probably will start a “every other day” routine or something like that so I have variety.  My walk and weights will be every day, but I could vary my routine some if I idon’thave the time.  

Or even more likely, I will ride my bike to the Y (about 1.4 mlles), swim etc. and then ride back.

Even being semi-retired (that is only working 40 hours per week), it is difficult to find the time to do everything.  

One thing I like about the “heavy bag”, it really can help you get rid of anger, etc. evan though I rarely get that angry. 

I’ll go into that another day.

That’s it for now, Sunday, May 29, 2016

2016 Spring May 28 Saturday

2016 Spring May 28 Saturday

65 degrees this morning, walked 36:39 minutes 

Purchased a new pair of walking shoes yesterday, Brooks Glycerin 14, which are a brand new edition, actually released in June of 2016, a pretty good trick, since it is only May of 2016!

Of course, I didn’t know all of that when I purchased them.  I just know they fit good and even better than my current Brooks (probably a Glycerin 12, I’ll have to check.  

I purchased them with a credit card that “guarantees” you the lowest price.  When I started checking I found out I basically already had the best price because they are a brand new model.

I buy my walking shoes etc. at “Elite Feet” which actually caters to runners etc., but they are very good.  My foot doctor actually sent me to them and I haven’t had to go back to him since I haven’t had any foot problems since!  

A lot cheaper than Doctor bills, or worse yet, what I was facing, surgery and about a month off of my feet.  

Absolutely no problems since i bought my walking shoes here, so they have a customer for life!  

Shoes, especially running shoes, apparently have new models on a regular basis, just like cars, mobil  phones etc.   

I don’t buy Nike or any of the big advertisers.  When one of them gave $90,000,000 to an 18 year old kid to wear their shoes, I decided I didn’t need to buy their shoes! If they have to advertise that badly, maybe it says something.

On the other hand, a lot of persons love them and I guess they figure the more they advertise the more they sell. 

Basically, it is just a personal decision I made.  I don’t drink Coke or Pepsi etc., although for different reasons than the fact they spend so much on advertising.  

I also ordered good (I hope, if expensive equals good!) scandals.  I love to wear scandals during the summer and I have such a hard time finding a pair that will last and be comfortable.  

The scandals with the “cushion” aren’t comfortable long because once they get wet, (even if your feet sweat just a little bit) flatten out and get uncomfortable.  The rubber ones that are waterproof are too hot and slick.

I do have one pair with  “knobbed” foot cushion that I love, and that have lasted a long time, but I can’t find another pair like them and I know they won’t last forever.  

Especially with me having an “office day” two or three times a week (where I normally wear scandals and shorts during the summer since I work in an office in my house), I will need a comfortable pair of scandals.  

One thing about aging, you need fewer clothes and other things.  Clothes and other items last so long, they don’t wear out, if at all, very fast, although you may decide to replace them for other reasons.

I’m not sure when I will start  wearing my new shoes, probably pretty soon.  

Sometimes it takes me awhile to start using something new. Not sure why, it isn’t unusual for something to sit in the box for several weeks while I ponder putting them into use.  I have a new Keurig, that has set in the box for two weeks, I’m sure I’ll suddenly decide to set it up,maybe  this weekend.

The new Keurig has a lot bigger reservoir, some settings to hopefully make the coffee hotter and I can use my own coffee!   

My favorite coffees are actually McDonalds and Starbucks.  McDonalds actually has the only coffee cup I even dare to attempt to use in a car and I really like their coffee.

They are usually very good about making fresh coffee if it is old, which is nice.  I have almost quit drinking coffee at night (or rather, at supper when we eat out), since you really can’t get a good cup of coffee very often and $2.50 or $3.00 for a cold cup of old coffee doesn’t make a lot of sense.

That’s it for now, Saturday, May 28, 2016

2016 Spring May 27 Friday

69 degrees this morning, walk 37:28 minutes  

Friday before Memorial Day. Time flies, and yet it doesn’t!  

As I more or less expected, the State Legislature here, after gutting programs for education, programs most  benefiting lower income working people, cursing benefits for state employees etc. now is voting itself a 30% or so increase in their “computer and staff” allowances!

Of course, they already pay themselves as one of the highest paid state legislatures and that is for 60 days per year!  That doesn’t count all of the “benefits” they provide for themselves.  

Sick.  

I am definitely going to vote against anyone who votes for that appropriation!  

Of course, they won’t use the funds for state purposes, but instead to research programs than pander to the lowest prejudices of the legislature and their supporters, and that only costs legal fees when the programs are declared unconstitutional.  

Of course, not one penny of the corporate welfare was cut.  

The weather is definitely warming up and becoming nicer.  I’m not sure if the weather is part of it, but my coughing has ceased, at least for now.  

As I have always heard, “if you are healthy you have everything” and I can understand that saying.  

Three day weekend coming up.  I always enjoy Holidays, and Memorial Day is probably one of my favorite Holiday, since it is the beginning of Summer. 

Going to the CMA Festival later on in June.  Not sure if this will be our last one or not.  Or at least we may take a break.  

The Festival organizers have changed their focus over the years and it now seems targeted at raising money for their cause and they have forgotten the true purpose of the Festival.  They have lost their focus and are trying to be too many things to too many people.   Also, it has gotten lot bigger than it used to be and it is harder to get in to places,

Anyway, we still enjoy it and that is the major purpose.  

This year we are also stopping along the way and visiting some friends and we are looking forward to that.  

Listening to “War and Peace” still while I walk. It is a very interesting book, I will have to “read” it in the near future. 

I was surprised to look at the “time remaining” this morning and there is still about 44 hours left!  Even that is more than any other book I have listened too.  

Thus far, it is very interesting to listen to.  I have some problem keeping all of the characters straight, but it has been easier than I expected to keep a general idea.

A “field day” today.  Hopefully it will be nice weather.  I will mainly be in my “new” territory, finishing up visiting businesses in this area. 

That’s it for now, Friday, May 27, 2016.

2016 Spring May 26 Thursday

78 degrees this morning, walk 33:52 minutes

First morning walk of the year in shorts and short sleeves!  

What a day Wednesday was!  

I am starting (at least temporarily) an additional “territory” of work.  I really enjoyed the new businesses and people.

It was one of those days when everything just clicked.  If someone I needed to see wasn’t there, they suddenly walked in, a business normally closed at Noon (and opened at 4:30 p.m.) and I got there at 11:55 a.m., sometimes the person I needed to see was just leaving etc.

Anyway, I realize every day isn’t like that, but it is nice when you have one!

To top it off, I had to take the turnpike to one customer, I happened to see a person who knew exactly who I needed to see, called her and she was waiting on me when I got there!  

On the way back, as I as getting on the Interstate, “Turn the Page” came on the radio, one of the songs I really enjoy putting  the sunroof down, pushing down the accelerator and singing along with!

(To make it even better I was going a little over the speed limit-as someone said once, rock music is good for an extra 10 mph) and slowed down for some reason and about a minute later a highway patrol comes past!)

Had a chance to bike and walk with Aliene at the end of they to top a great day off!

I remember  the person who said “rock music was good for an extra ten mph” actually said it when he was in municipal court for speeding!  It wasn’t said as an excuse, just in a matter of fact way.  

The Judge kind of looked at him, smiled and dismissed the ticket! 

I have never had to use it as a reason, but…..

Actually yesterday, for some reason, the super music continued after “Turn the Page”, music I like sing along with anyway.  

Hopefully I will be assigned the extra territory on a permanent basis although I really doubt  it that will happen.

Because of the way the job is set up, I always have enough to do, but I kind of like to have tasks “looming” so I can keep working at top speed.  

Makes it a lot more interesting.  

78 degrees when I get up to walk probably means summer weather is here, hopefully permanent, at least until it is over.  

I like summer so much more than winter or, almost worse, the long, long spring until it is summer.

I own’t be in bicycling shape this year to ride in any of the long rides, maybe next year.  

I may need to change my concept of my “ride with the Summer”  (which five years ago, I thought would be this year or last year), but this year, at least at this location, “spring” is so long, I may need to change my “ride with the Summer” to much later in the Spring that I was thinking.

That’s it for now, Thursday, May 26, 2016.

2016 Spring May 25 Wednesday

76 degrees this morning, Walk 35:22 minutes 

It is always strange to know that the sun will be “up” longer each day until Summer begins and then the day gradually starts to get “shorter”, not to get longer again until a winter and long, long Spring has passed.  

Such is life.  One reason I try to enjoy each day in the moment.  

Maybe next year, somewhere in the middle of waiting for warm weather we will take a trip to someplace warm and hot and get a break from the cool weather.  

Even this morning, at 76 degrees, there seemed to be a tinge of coolness in the air, although I forget that is normal around here.  In Memphis it may cool a little but not like here, probably the rain.  

“Hailed” last night a little, about the size of peanut M & M”s at the most, still you could see the potential for damage!  A short rain, and then it was basically over, although there is a lot of moisture in the air.

Biked yesterday, no coughing thank goodness.  Too early to tell if it will continue (the no coughing) or not.  Felt good to bike again.

We have the punching bag and the “heavy bag” set up now, so I was able to get a workout on both the heavy bag and the punching bag.  

I don’t know if it really benefits me in any way, but it is fun.

Also am increasing the weights slightly so I continue to “challenge” my muscles 

Riding the bike, I know I have to get back to the machines at the YMCA.  Basically need to “limber up” my legs and I’m sure there are other areas I’ve neglected that I will need to work on.

I will also return to swimming which I really missed during the coughing spell. 

I’ve had some area and some additional items added at work, while I always had something to do, it feels good to be busy and always have a multitude of tasks to do.  “Looming” over me so to speak.  

I still feel I have the time to take extra time with the customers who need it and still have time to do justice to others without getting behind.  

It is odd how the work day seems to take on a life of it’s own (especially “in the field”), each case becomes very much a focus and the day develops into an intense race with “myself” as I try to complete as many cases as possible.  

Three day weekend next Monday.  I always  enjoyed Holidays since I was “really off” on holidays.  

In my past job, I knew if I got a phone call on a holiday, it normally was a true emergency.  

Of course, in my current job, I can’t work holidays or over 40 hours per week.  I have gotten used to evenings and weekend’s off, while I used to work two or three evenings per week on a normal basis. 

That’s it for now, Wednesday, May 25, 2016.

2016 Spring May 24 Tuesday

72 degrees this morning, walk 34:53 minutes

“In the Field” day yesterday.  I am always amazed how ever day is so different, and normally seems to take on a life of it’s own as the day proceeds.  

I have been lucky in that I have had interesting jobs all my life.  I can’t imagine what it would be like to hate to go to work because it is boing of uninteresting.  

Maybe I can, because there have been short periods where I first started a job, or jobs in college etc., where it was hard to find much interesting about the job!  However, even it it wasn’t interesting, normally other people were interesting.  

I meet a lot of people during the day on a “Field Day” and I love to see the variety of jobs and businesses people have and how so many people are deeply involved in their job or business.  

I have tried to analyze (in my mind) why some people are interested in their jobs or businesses and other people aren’t and are bored.  

I can definitely tell the difference in service  Even some chain stores (where I take a break), I can frequently tell if a good manager is on duty by the service or, specifically, the “tone” of the place.  

When I take a break, I normally catchup on  paperwork also, so I develop a sense of the “tone” of the place, and whether the personal are happy or stressed or care or just don’t care.  It is frequently very subtle, sometimes obvious after several minutes. 

It still doesn’t explain why some people are interested and “happy” (for lack of a better word) in a job or unhappy and stressed.

Sometimes I think it is “hope” that matters.  Knowing that a job has potential, or maybe even seeing the job as a transition to a dream job is important.  

Perhaps the opportunity to actually enhance your own job is important as opposed to following some strict rules that you can’t change.  

72 degrees this morning, and I didn’t really notice the “coolness” in the air that much.  Maybe Summer is finally here.

I’m not even sure when the sun has shined (shone?)-I looked it up, it is “shone”- all day.  It seems every day is cloudy.

I am getting used to the CPAP machine, to the point I actually look forward to using it.  My main problem has been getting new supplies,  I really don’t know why I am having such a problem getting new supplies.  

I won’t go into detail on what has happened, but see my previous posts on “incompetence” and I am sure the company who provides the machine and supplies has it’s picture to describe the term “gross incompetence”!  

I am always amazed at how persons in private enterprise lake about how government is so Bureaucratic  and incompetent.   It may well be in many instances, but I have seen much worse in private companies than I ever see in government.

Strange that the “private enterprise is so efficient” people are always the first to say their business needs government assistance while they complain about the government.    So much for efficiency. 

That’s it for now, Tuesday, May 24, 2016.

2016 Spring May 23 Monday

70 degrees this morning.  No walk (rain storms, but no rain yetiI)

Sometimes I will learn to not believe everything I read.  The weather last night said there was a “100% chance” of heavy rain at the them I normally walk, so…. of course, I mentally didn’t plan on walking, and even when I got up at the usual time and looked, I saw this huge storm coming in.

Of course, now, almost 2 hours later, it still hasn’t rained!  Of course, it does say there is a “100% chance” of it raining in about an hour!  

Of course, I would  rather not walk if it is lightning etc., but I don’t think it was even doing that. 

In fairness to the forecasters it looks like the storm turned south, although there was a huge system looming over this area since 1:00 a.m. this morning, it just has moved or moved to the south.

I like the word “looming”.  It can say a lot without using a lot of words.

Actually, while of course I knew the word “looming”, it was used in a very descriptive way by one of the more interesting persons I have even met (and probably one of the most intelligent I have ever met as far as sheer brainpower and logical reasoning). 

He tended to say a lot of interesting things.  I always said I was glad we had moved to Lakeland just because I had a chance of meet him!  

Actually I met a lot of interesting persons I enjoyed meeting and still do from the Lakeland/Memphis area/era.  

Trying not do overdo it on the “dreams”, but I also want to report on them.  I have several this time:

3-22-16 dream:

Dreamed I was attending something, some event where sat in a chair, or in a large space.

I quickly started  building Piles” of papers and items around, including some kind of weird statute.  

Soon,  people were coming over and asking me to move my “piles”  (or at least adjusting them)

The last thing I remember is throwing my stuff in a box and putting it in the trunk of the.

That is all i remember. 

Unfortunately this is close to real life.  I am a "pile" or "stack" person. 

The dream below actually woke me up in the middle of the night, which is unusual and I felt strongly enough I actually got up and wrote it down.  Already forgot a lot of it by the time I wrote it down .

5-23-16: Dream

Dreamed was wrongly put in prison, actually the County Jail.  There appear to be two separate deams, one with a County Sheriff, who left during the day and all the prisoners would sneak out and do things.

Not sure why I was there or what I had allegedly done, but I would walk out and do things during the day.

The main activity appeared to have something to do with something that could be converted to time off, or some sort of money.  

The other part was a work prison where we had to work.

In the dream Bill Clinton was walking around with a cane, talking.  I'm not sure what his role was 

The dream faded fast, but it was very strong.  

I had to find the deal outside that wold let me outside.  I don’t have any idea what that meant, but I had written it down, so….)

That’s it for now, Monday, May 23, 2016.