2017 Winter December 31 Sunday

19 degrees this morning, (feels like 2 degrees).  No walk, occasional patches of ice etc.

Yesterday morning I mentioned it was 31 degrees when I got up and walked.  About 7:00 a.m., it was down to 19 degrees!  

Also, there was a light mist that caused some frozen patches that was completely missed by the weather apps at least.  

I don’t mind walking in the cold (although I don’t necessarily like it and like hot weather a lot better), I do mind slick areas!

Even though the weather kind of limited us yesterday (and probably will today and tomorrow), it has still been a good weekend thus far.  

When I am in the middle of something I have been waiting for (like a 3 day weekend!), I try to occasionally “be in the moment” and enjoy what I have been anticipating!   I need to realize I don’t need to do anything “special” to enjoy the time, although if there is something special that is all to the good!

Last day of 2017. While I normally don’t make resolutions as such, it is a good time to review projects  see where they are.

Just thinking about “Evernote” again.  While I occasionally take a stab at using it, somehow I just don’t use it much, other than as information storage.   

Part of it may be I use the phone calendar for planning and sort of an alarm and reminder and “Notes” is excellent for making notes etc., especially since with iCloud, all of my devices are updated with the same information  

The “Contacts” are an excellent way for me to keep track of people etc.  I have gotten relatively good at updating it with every contact.  

It may be that Evernote is just obsolete, like the old flashlight apps etc. 

My pictures of my Hot Wheels has somewhat stalled while I try to figure out how to get better pictures.  I decided that the documentation was the important thing, but it is still difficult to post what I feel are picture that don’t do justice to the subject!

Another photo related item is reviewing all of my photos and deleting many of them (duplicates, poor quality etc.  Eventually I want to put them all into some sort of photo book.

Aliene’s project of getting all of her family photos for the past 100 years + (literally) is progressing well, thanks to Kali and Katherine working on the project.  They are already up into the early 2000’s..  Aliene and her mother spent a lot of time putting the photos into phone books.

I’ll continue this tomorrow.  While I don’t have any length I try to keep this daily post, I don’t want to make it too long, plus I just thought of a status report on all of my projects, so some “review time” may be beneficial as I ponder on the status report.

That’s it for now, Sunday, December 31, 2017, the last day of 2017.

2017 Fall December 30 Saturday

31 degrees this morning, walk 34:23 minutes

Cold had a nip in it this morning.  While as usual, I didn’t think about the cold after I got t walking, occasionally I would feel the nip of the wind.

There is supposed to be some horribly cold weather coming in over the next several days.  I guess that will tell what my limit is for walking, whether there is a temperature where I won’t walk at!  Actually I think I have walked in all temperatures.  

As long as I can protect my mouth from the cold air and wear protective clothing, I can walk in any type of temperature.  I do draw the line at walking in the rain and snow.  

Pace was 5 seconds below my goal, which is good.  Suddenly my pace seems to be picking up.

As I mentioned before, it could well be my anger that arises while I listen to “Dark Money” and learn how the kook criminals basically are trying to buy government, judges etc.  is causing me to walk faster!

Of course, with the lying coward lunatic and the party of cowards and criminals “in charge”, their money is going a long ways right now.  

Fortunately extremes have reactions, and hopefully there will be big backlash the next election at all levels.  Unfortunately there are a lot of paid off, incompetent “judges” in the system, but I expect it will work out.  

Speaking of the “Sopranos”, the original reason for the Mafia was the reaction to the corruption of the judges and authorities. Obviously it became something else.

Reading the book on aging.  I think the main lesson is to accept it as part of living of life.  Doesn’t mean you have to like the process, but I think being aware of the process and not denying it is important.

Of course, I tend to ignore it, which may not be a good alternative either, but I certainly don’t intend to dwell on the negative aspects or accept the idea that older people should become invisible or vegetate in silence.

I have become attentive to my eating and weight again.  I have a book where I record my weight that goes back to 3-22-2000.  It tells tales of success as well as woe over the years in my continual battle to control my weight!  

As I noted several days ago, I like the concept that i should aim for my waistline to be 1/2 of my height.  That is my goal now, I never could really settle on a “goal weight” in any degree.  The “desired weight” proposed by the weight tables was impossible for me to meet, and I settled on a weight which I felt good at, and oddly enough, my waist line was about 1/2 of my height, so perhaps that is the evidence I need that the “waist line 1/2 your height” is actually a acceptable goal.

Waiting for the “super cold” weather, hoping it misses us!

That’s it for now, Saturday, December 30, 2017.

2017 Winter December 29 Friday

39 degrees this morning, walk 34;18 minutes

Back to walking again, thank goodness.  Didn’t seem to be that cold this morning, but again, I was dressed for it.  Good to get back to walking again. 

Aliene got good news yesterday, she can drive again, go to the gym etc!  You don’t realize how nice it is until you can’t do it!  

Pace was 19 seconds below my goal, which is great.  Hopefully I am suddenly walking faster, even with the heavier winter clothing

Of course, it could be anger from listening to “Dark Money”, about the extremist crooks who are  buying the government.  (Originally I said “trying to buy the government”, no trying about it, they are buying the current administration!)

2018 will be here Monday.  I remember when I was a child I couldn’t even envision being this old, or the year 2018.  I still jump occasionally when I hear about the book 1984 and my first reaction is it is a futuristic book!  

Unfortunately with the lying coward lunatic shoveling tax dollars to his rich “friends”, (who feed his ego while he can shovel tax $ to them and  do them big favors for kow towing to him) big corporation, lobbyists and special interests at the expense of the average person, “1984” and the dictatorship of huge corporations could be here.  

I don’t really believe that, but I think you have to be watchful, especially with the lying coward lunatic and the party of cowards and criminals in “control” at least for the next 11 months.  

Hopefully they won’t be able to buy the elections or coerce persons into not voting legally or otherwise.  

I am occasionally embarrassed to admit I am from Kansas, with all of the extreme nuts in Kansas, including the kook brothers, the former governor who destroyed state government and the state economy  and the weirdo who is trying to stop anyone but his supporters from voting. 

“Dark Money” goes into the history of the kook brothers and how their father made his money from Stalin and Hilter, truly literally “blood money” since the refineries he built supported their military aggression and atrocities and killing of millions.  

According to “Dark Money”, the kook brothers were raised by literally a Nazi who actually resigned to go back to Germany and support Hilter.  

All documented in “Dark Money”.  I’m not sure if I can send to listen to the rest of the book, it makes ma so angry (and concerned) about the unethical lying extremists who are bribing the government and actually benefit from “big government” by the lucrative contracts and tax breaks they buy for their bribes.  

Back to 2018, this is the last work day of 2018 and another three day weekend, which is nice.  

That’s it for now, Friday, December 29, 2017.

2017 Winter December 28 Thursday

29 degrees this morning, no walk.

Hopefully get back to walking again tomorrow morning.  

One of the problems with getting older seems to be aches and pains, which fortunately so far have been temporary.  Probably means I’m not exercising all my muscles enough and when I sit wrong or something for an extended period it causes a reaction.  

Not complaining, just commenting, I have had pains in my knees, hips and sides and now my shoulder and neck muscles.  Not enough to stop me from doing anything, although it was a consideration in not walking this morning.   May even be from the cold weather, but it seems to happen after I sleep or sit strangely for awhile.  

Perhaps I’ll do an internet search on this today. 

Still watching the “Sopranos” series.  I am around Season 5.  I’m not quite sure yet what I think of it.  Obviously the violence and crimes are appalling, somehow I find it an interesting study of the characters on both their good and bad sids.  

Although (fortunately) I have never known anyone like the characters, it is still an interesting study in how people have self-destructive qualities.  Maybe something like this helps people avoid some of their self-destructive actions.  On the other hand, it shows criminal behavior as somewhat “rewarded” even if it is eventually punished either legally or by other means.  

At times I think I am wasting my time watching it (and maybe I am), but so far it continues to interest me.  There have been lulls where I considered taking a break from watching it, but I continue. 

Like “Downton Abbey”, I know eventually it will end, and it will be like the end of a small part of my daily life activities, probably to be replaced by something else.    

I watch it only on lunch “breaks” we are required to take at work (I watch it only when I am “in the field” on lunch breaks)  and when Aliene and I go to Starbucks, our “third place”,  so it is sporadic.

I have always “intended” to watch movies etc., but rarely do, so the “streaming” of movies and series is an interesting chance to watch them on a very sporadic basis.

As I have probably mentioned before, the last  tv series I watched was “Hill Street Blues” and that has been a long time since that was on even in reruns!

The “new” car just went over 50,000 miles and is approaching the middle of it’s 7 year expected life.  Probably it will reach 100,000 miles before it’s 7 year life cycle.  Anyway, it has been a great car.

I think in 3 to 4 years, there will probably be a major change in cars with technology and electric power instead of gasoline.  

I especially like the technology such as (what the Camry currently has) such as the radar on the side to detect cars in the “blind spot”, the backup camera, and the beep detecting cars when you are backing up.  I drove a rental with “lane detection” that beeped if you went out of your lane.  It was wonderful! 

They have a lot more now that would be nice such as cruise control that breaks if you get too close, self parking etc.  It is really amazing, but i expect it will be even a lot more advanced in 3 years.  

Cars may become like computers, where you hate to buy one because technology is advancing so fast!

That’s it for now, Thursday, December 28, 2017. 

2017 Winter December 27 Wedesday

19 degrees this morning (feels like 6) no walk

Didn’t walk for a variety of reasons, primarily my schedule this morning.  Obviously the cold (and the effects on a lingering head cold etc.) also played a role.

End of the four day holiday, overall an enjoyable vacation.  Of course,  that also means this is a 3 day work week before the 3 day New Year Holiday!

A  three  day work week is good, even though usually it means you have to fit five days of work into there days!

Sometimes I plan on getting a lot of personal projects over a 3 or 4 day weekend.  I didn’t really plan anything for this one, just decided to enjoy the time off. I still got a few things done, but it was nice to just relax and enjoy the time.  

I am still getting used to the concept of being “off” of work, even after over three years in my current job! 

It is forecast to be about the same temperature most of the day, starting to “warm up” to 28 degrees by late afternoon!  

Since I am in and out of the car all day when I am in the field, I feel the cold weather but I’m normally not in it for any long time.

I am ready for our “vacation” away from the cold already! It is several months away, but it makes me warmer just thinking about it!  

Aliene told me about an exercise her physical therapist had her do to help her fractured ankle.  It is designed to help her balance.

I was surprised when I tried it and found I couldn’t do it!  I don’t think I have any problems with my balance, but I don’t want it to start either, so I have a new exercise to do during my daily exercise. 

 Actually it is simple enough to do anytime while you are waiting etc.  It is simply standing on one leg for 30 seconds, a lot harder than it sounds!  

Actually, I have never liked exercises like that, I prefer walking and working with weights.  I think my dislike of that kind of exercise goes back to high school.

That’s it for now, Wednesday, December 27, 2017

2017 Winter December 26 Tuesday

29 degrees this morning, walk 34:01 minutes

Could feel the cold this morning when first started, but quickly warmed up.  It actually “seemed like” 21 degrees, but it really didn’t seem that cool.

Pace was 17  seconds faster than my goal.  

Faster pace could have been from the cold or possibly to mounting anger and disgust from listening to “Dark Money”, about how thieves like the kook brothers and billionaires are bribing the government for special deals, “contracts” and adding to their billions by illegal means while crowing about their so called “limited” government desires.  Limited only in how it helps other people, not them. 

Last day of the Christmas Holidays.  Always look forward to holidays, and they seem to go so fast!  Like anything you look forward too. 

Now there will be a week of “remember the past year” etc. followed by stories and jokes about Resolutions.  Whatever.  

I have to admit watching Christmas music (or any music for that matter) with “captions” is always a little surprising as to what some of the words actually are!. I

t is especially surprising on Christmas music I have listened to all my life.  I’m not sure what I actually thought the words actually were.  Frequently when I am along in my car, I’ll listen and sing along, obviously I’ve been singing the wrong thing!

The same is really true with any music, I am frequently surprised (and sometimes stunned) at the actual lyrics.   

Several Christmas songs I never get tired of are “I’ll be Home for Christmas”, “White Christmas”  “Silent Night”, O Holy Night, and, oddly enough, “Santa Baby”.  There are a few more I’m not thinking of now.  Probably “I”ll be Home for Christmas” is my favorite.

I have to admit, based on peoples reaction to age, I have become more interested in reading about aging.  No matter what, I think it is part of the living process (if you live long enough you are going to be a senior citizen or whatever you want to  call it), so I may as well deal with it.

From what I have read, a major part of dealing with aging, is accepting it to a degree, but continue living.  As they say “stay young in soul by not becoming a fossil in your life”.  

I think that is not becoming frozen at a certain age (no matter how much you enjoyed it or regret it’s passing) and enjoy (or at least actually experience) the “experiences” of your life as you progress through life

I think there are limitations at any age and you deal with them.  The same with the aging process, there are some limitations and there are many benefits, you just need to deal with the limitations and enjoy the benefits.  

Certainly there are limitations to each stage of life and I think the “wisdom” of experience makes paling with them as you age easier.  Or at least I hope it does. 

I think like anything, we have to realize that “change will happen” regardless of whether we want it to or not and we have to adapt to that change.  

I think that is what is so important about maintaining a curiosity about the world at all ages and not lose the “wonder of childhood” and continue to be curious about everything. Perhaps limiting that curiosity is one of the biggest failings of our educational system and society as a whole for not facilitating continual learning and curiosity.

That’s it for now, Tuesday, December 26, 2017.  

2017 Winter December 25 Monday

24 degrees this morning, no walk.

About as cold as it has been this year, and it is supposed to hang around all week. 

Good Christmas Eve, which is when we have most of our Christmas activities, we just kind of take it easy on Christmas Day.

It is too bad that the lying coward lunatic has even made saying “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” as you feel is appropriate some sort of weird  low class tribal political statement instead of a simple means of communication and either expression of your feelings or just making a cultural greeting. 

I was reading the other day that this lunatic is the first “tribal” president who only plays to the racist, sexist, extremist  groups, pandering to lowest instincts in people while stealing for himself and his donors etc.   

I truly believe this lunatic will never be elected again, but 3 more years of primitive pandering to the lowest common denominator will do some real damage.

I already am reading the the lunatic, along with the coward kow towers who lie to support his lies and express many of the qualities of “following orders” that lead to  atrocities  committed in the name of dictators.

However, extremists have almost always snapped back to the other extreme, which also won’t be good.  

Watched “A Christmas Story” last night, which never gets old no matter how many times we watch it or how many commercials interrupt it. In a way, it gets funnier every time we see it.  It is hard to believe it was actually made in 1982, which actually is quite a long time ago!  

When we first started watching it (probably in the early nineties) it was still relatively new in terms of when it was actually made.  

I’m not sure how many times we have watched it.  When we visited over Christmas in the past, we didn’t have a DVR in the hotel, so we would just watch parts of it over the 24 hours when it was broadcast. 

It is a lot more fun to watch it by speeding through the commercials, just like all programs!

One more week, it will be 2018.  I am already getting used to writing 2018, since many appointments are in 2018.  It seemed so far in the future when I heard the date “2018” when I made the appointments!  

I don’t make Resolutions as such, but I have some long term goals I review my progress on. I recently read that I shouldn’t worry about weight as such, rather that the goal is your waist line should be no bigger than one-half your height.  That actually makes some sense.

I figure if I eat right  and continue to exercise it will take care of itself.  Unfortunately that has been a big “if” on the eating right part!  But, I’ll keep working on it!  

That’s it for now, Monday, December 25, 2017.

2017 Winter December 24 Sunday

32 degrees this morning (feels like 23 degrees, foggy),Walk 34:52 minutes

Light fog this morning, actually had a mist of water on me when I got back.  Wasn’t sure about walking but decided to go ahead.  Definitely cold outside, at least to me.  I was dressed for it, so didn’t feel it are than the first few minutes.  Actually was sweating before I got done, although I guess I always am.

Pace was 9 seconds slower than my goal.  I have generally resigned myself to maintaining my current goal (rather than making it shorter).  What will be, will be.  

I am actually glad I have a goal I actively monitor.  At least I meet or exceed it occasionally and almost always am close to my goal.

Other aspects of my life aren’t as easy to set (and monitor) goals for.  While I have goals for my weight etc., I am not near as close to my goal as I feel I should be.

Goals certainly change as we progress through life, although I think I have  lot more similar goals than I expected when I was younger.  

Christmas weekend continues.  It isn’t even half over yet (the 4 day weekend), which is good.  

Christmas started with the “Christmas Eve” Breakfast (actually on Saturday this year), where I immediately broke all my goals for eating better, but I”ll just get back on track!  

We took back Aliene’s “scooter” for her foot yesterday.  I don’t think she used it quite as much as she thought she might, but it still came in handy when she needed it. (She rode it “side saddle” mostly, since she felt too unstable on it.)    I tried it enough to know what she felt and I’m just hope I never need it!

Reading a book about aging, which has some interesting thoughts.  The author mentions it is more of a “process” than anything else.  

He had the same feeling I have sometime, thinking someone is “old” and then realizing they are younger than I am!

Somehow even the realization doesn’t make me feel any older or perceive the other person as any younger.

Maybe the main point of the book is that “acceptance” of where  we are at any point *regardless of age” or whatever is the important thing.

One beneficial aspect is knowing that  I will have some money coming in for the rest of my life, regardless of what happens, at least what happens in the normal scheme of things. 

Just saw the quote “I was  a boat stuck in a bottle, never had the chance to touch the sea” (actually a song lyric).  I’ll have to think about that one!

That’s it for now, Sunday, December 24, 2017.     

2017 Winter December 23 Saturday

32 degrees this morning, light ice/snow, no walk

Winter seemed to come right on schedule, although we didn’t get much snow and ice, just kind of a glaze on the grass (although I haven’t been out yet).

Start of a 4 day weekend, always a good reason to relax a little!  I was thinking last night I need to pull out a good book and read it, especially if it snows!

We don’t do a lot of events fro Christmas, we usually go to a very nice breakfast the day before Christmas (although it is today this year), then actually do our family Christmas on Christmas Eve and than Christmas we go out for Christmas Lunch someplace and generally just relax. 

Sometimes I wonder how retail is going to do if everyone really got into the “minimalist lifestyle?  

Probably don’t really need to worry about that happening.  There is probably more danger of people having to live the minimalist lifestyle since they can’t afford to buy anything!  

Finally pulled the trigger last night and cancelled the Wall Street Journal.  They have just gotten to the point I don’t trust their “news” anymore.  

It’s probably not as slanted and ridiculously biased and lies as “fake fox “news” but I just can’t trust it anymore.  Of course I never watch fake fox “news” anyway so I wouldn’t know., but I’ve heard enough to know they have no ethics and the truth is “relative” depending on what they want their listeners to hear.  

Of course that is the ultimate unethical journalism as I learned in college.  

Unfortunately, the lying coward lunatics continual lies seems to make everyone around him think lying and bullying is acceptable and even desirable.  

The United Nations vote and the United States bullying response was particularity  embarrassing and shameful.  A nation can’t express it’s feelings without the lying coward lunatic and his appointed incompetents and criminals  threatening them?  Shameful. What happened to free speech? 

Of course, we know that, unless you are kow towing to the lying coward lunatic, you are lying etc.  I hate to think of where this is leading.

I am going to call the rest of 2017 the “Winter of 18”.  Not sure if that is correct or not, but I guess if I do it it is correct for me!  

Winter is the only season that carries over into the next year (obviously there can be only one!).  I think when there are only 10 days of “winter” in one year and the other  2 months and 20 days is in the next year, it can logically be called “The Winter of 18”.  

That’s it for now, Saturday, December 23, 2017.

  

2017 Winter December 22 Friday

33 degrees this morning (feels like 22), currently 30 degrees.  No walk.

This temperature is particularly nasty because of the wind and the moisture in the air.

That isn’t the reason I didn’t walk, I didn’t  want to take a chance on what I have a feeling is a sore throat, or perhaps just “post nasal drip”, a term (and a condition) I hate.  Hopefully just allergies.

I remember hearing the term “post nasal drip” when I was in college when the nurse told me that is what I had and nothing could be done.  I’ve hated the term and the condition (that I have a lot) ever since.

One year (actually I know the year, it was Christmas of 1995) I had a terrible flu over a 4 day Christmas holiday.  I decided never again if I could help it.  I think I actually was sick the day before and the day after and I missed the entire holiday.  

Anyway, I didn’t walk, with some regret since I enjoy walking.  I may have to find a gym with inside walking that is open when I like to walk, although part of what I like is walking outside.

I had a comment on a recently post that  “The current school system can be summarized by "Memorize, Regurgitate, Forget”.  Unfortunately I couldn’t agree more.  

The problem is, what do you do about it, especially since we (including me) were educated this way and it limits our ability to change the system.  

Even more unfortunately we have the proclivity to elect officials who only pander to the “low tax at all costs” group (and maybe wouldn’t be elected if they didn’t).  By the way, this isn’t always true at the local level, where people see taxes as an investment in a better quality of life.  Why it doesn’t extent to the state and national levels, I don’t know.  Maybe it is too far away from the people.  

I think the alternative of “Charter Schools”-Well, some are excellent, too many are just rip-offs of public funds by greedy companies and individuals who are nothing but criminals and that only decimate public schools more.  

While I don’t want to even hint at my source, I recently heard some, quite frankly, horror stories of extremely poor teachers who are basically allowed to lazy their  incompetent way through to retirement, shortchanging their students all the way.

Of course, the same persons told of outstanding teachers who cared about teaching, even though they are criminally underpaid in this state.  

In some cases, the teachers are paid less that the elected legislature who only “work” 60 days per year and get huge benefits besides that!  Sick.

It seems that the companies who shovel huge “donations” (or call them what they are, bribes)  to elected officials to keep their taxes/fees low and get big “incentives” would realize it is in their own best interest to encourage education, but private industry if obviously short sighted, looking only to the next quarter to so they can get more bonuses.  

Anyway, I don’t know what to do about it, except start getting more involved in elections and work agains the short-sighted elected officials.  

That’s it for now, Friday, December 22, 2017.