2018 FAll Septembrer 30 Monday

#Purple_Days_and_Golden_Nights

#My_Jourey_19

#Fall_of_19

78 degrees this morning,  68% humidity

Yesterday was good, 88 degrees high, but cloudy  and windy all day.

As noted yesterday, started off day without any electricity.  Planned to walk, but didn’t want to walk without electricity.  Apparently a fairly extensive outage in the area.

Whenever the electricity goes out,  develop a sense of helplessness and the fear that “this time” it will be off for a long time.  Kind of like being on the runway in a jet waiting to take off.

Swim yesterday morning 24:05 minutes.  

Bicycled late afternoon 24:02 minutes.  

Read the journal of a relative who took a 10 day ride in the mountains in several countries in Europe.  I don’t know that I will ever be ready to do that, unless I had an electric bike!

Hoping I can get in shape for the event next summer, which is about a 500 mile ride over 7 days (I may be wrong about the exact number of days).  If not next Summer, hopefully the Summer after that.

Probably my main problem is I haven’t  ridden in groups, so I have no experience in riding with other bicyclists.  

I don’t try for speed, just enjoyment and so I take it easy.  I think the speed will come with time.  

At some point in my life, I would like to get a “power assist” bike, so that I could enjoy riding it, but could get assistance on going up hills etc. my vulnerable area, and also against the wind.  

Major League Playoffs ended today. It has been an interesting season, except for the Cubs not making the playoffs.  Now the playoffs, and then a winter of looking forward to it starting again!

We haven’t watched any Pro football games, probably won’t until the playoffs.  Just can’t get into it. We do watch several college football teams.  

Listening to my “Great Course” on Biology, I thought it was interesting that the “Lung fish” was closer related (genetically) to human beings than to other fish!  The things you learn!  

Start of another “work week”.  Overall a good weekend, it went fast.

That’s it for now, Monday, September 30, 2019. 

#Resist 

2016 Fall September 29 Sunday

#Purple_Days_and_Golden_Nights

#My_Journey_19

#Fall_of_19

77 degrees this morning, 78% humidity

Excellent day yesterday, high of 87 degrees, windy.

Electricity went out about the time I normally get up this morning and is still out.  (this is about an hour or so later after I normally get up).  

I tried to just sleep, but in some sort of weird sleep pattern, I can fall asleep in literally seconds  anytime but about the 2 hour period after I normally get up.  Not always, but most of the time I can’t sleep for that period.

Decided to get up and write my journal.  When I can post this, I don’t know, since it won’t be until the electricity comes back on, or, if it doesn’t come back on for some time, if we go somewhere.  

Again, it is hard to shake off this feeling that “This Time” the electricity will be off for a long time.  Hopefully not.  

Rather strange that we lived here (in this house) almost 4 years and now the electricity has gone off twice in a relatively short time, but never before. 

We hope this doesn’t become a habit.

Once again, I feel that the electricity distribution is set up on a false premise.  I think they really need to emphases the use of batteries and decentralized electricity distribution.  

I get the feeling of helplessness, somewhat like the feelings of claustropodia I sometimes get.  Not a pleasant feeling. 

Since my battery on this computer is so bad, I expect I will need to recharge it after the electricity  comes bak on.  

Exercise yesterday:

-Walking 27:59 minutes, 6 seconds faster than my goal.  

-Swim, for approximately 20 minutes (forgot my stop watch)

Working on a planned speech for my Toastmasters Club.  I try to avoid spending too much time on it, but I have to spend enough time on it to have a decent speech.  

Windy weather kicks up my allergies, I assume, I can really notice the difference when I exercise. 

Sat on the patio this morning, treasuring each morning I can sit on it and enjoy it, since I know soon it will be too cool to sit outside

Spent the day probably spending more time on planning a short vacation than I should have.  I always enjoy planing trips, even if I just plan enough to realize we aren’t interested.  

Try to balance the cost with the experience, not going so cheap we don’t enjoy it, but not spending excessively either.

Electricity back on.

That’s it for now, Sunday, September 29, 2019.

#Resist 

2019 Fall September 28 Saturday

#Purple_Days_and_Golden_Nights

#My_Journey_19

#Fall_of_19

74 degrees this morning, 72% humidity wind 16 mph

Overall excellent day yesterday, 93 degrees high. 

It is that time of year when the night air is somewhat coolish, even when it is hot.  If the sun isn’t shining, it is relatively cool.

Another weekend, thank goodness.  I was really for this one.  For some reason, the week seemed to go slow, although looking back, it sped by.  Several days of rain.

Yesterday my Mom died 22 years ago.  Looking back I wonder where the time went, especially when I remember her when she was my age now, and of course much younger.  

Received my new iPhone case yesterday.  Don’t know when the iPhone itself will arrive, probably several weeks yet.  I was hoping it would be sooner.  

I am getting it “unlocked” and “unactivated”, I may regret that decision.  I”ll see!  I couldn’t see any sense in paying Apple $125 the cell phone company will do free.  

I am trying to figure out how I can make more time in the morning.  Somehow time seems to fly and I keep trying to figure out where the time goes in the morning.  I know I must be wasting time “piddling”.  

I realize one problem is it is so easy to start looking at the news, scanning Facebook, or other activities that may seem interesting but also take time.  

I only am trying to figure out how I can fit walking and swimming into my morning routine and also allow for a nap or two before I go to work!  

On “Nextdoor” I read about the growing trend to not read the daily newspaper.  Maybe the time has passed for the newspaper, although I think the good ones who are creative on-line will survive.

I read again where the “Wall Street Journal” has basically become a propaganda  tool of the owners of “state tv” and they are killing any negative stories about the lying coward lunatic and his criminal activities.  

Apparently many of their best writers have left in protest and I have decided I don’t want to contribute a penny to the owners of state tv, which is a bunch of lies.

When I read the Apple News app, I can tell from the headlines for fox “news” that they are basically lies.  It shows when the headline information  is not seen on any of the “legitimate”  news media, which aren’t tools for the lying coward lunatic and his coward toadies. 

It is too bad, I have been reading he Wall Street Journal for years, but they have gotten too expensive anyway and now I can’t trust it to provide the truth anymore.  

That’s it for now, Saturday, September 28, 2019.

#Resist

2019 Fall September 27 Friday

#Purple_Days_and_Golden_Nights

#My_Journey_19

#Fall_of_19

74  degrees this morning, 72% humidity, wind 15 mph.

Thursday started with more thunderstorms and rain (when I normally walk, of course) and then was a relatively nice day, although it was cloudy all day and even a few raindrops in the afternoon.  

We decided to shut down our sprinkler system outside for the season.  It is amazing what we (and other people) pay to keep a non-native grass green during a time it isn’t supposed to be green.  Water, grass cutting, trimming, treatment, etc, I don’t even want to add up the cost. 

There is a lot of commotion in this city about the cost of water all of a sudden.  Sometimes it is difficult to understand that having to build infrastructure “for the top demand” is extreme expensive.  The most expensive water is the “top demand” during the summer.

Kind of like “the last mile” in delivery of any service, it is the most expensive and difficult. 

In reality, people who don’t use a lot of water are probably subsidizing the cost of the water for people who use a lot.  

We always struggled for the appropriate rate when I worked for a City.  It takes a minimum amount to even provide any water, so everyone should pay their share of that minimum charge.

The massive increase in infrastructure “per gallon” is hard to determine, since it may cost millions of dollars to supply “the last mile” of water, or the highest point of demand, with very little return.  

The real cost is that, except for that short period of maximum demand  for water,  all of the expensive “last mile” infrastructure normally is unused during the year, so it costs money but is not bringing any money in.  

Of course, try to explain that to someone angry about their water bill!

I always tried to explain it with the example of a house.  Most of the year there was, say, 4 people living in it.  If for two weeks during the summer you had 10 guests, there may not be enough room.  However by the time you expanded your house to accommodate the additional guests, it  wouldn’t be cost effective to spend $50,000 plus the additional maintenance, taxes and interest , etc.,  to save $500 per year in motel fees!  

Last night we did the first of some maintenance work on the yard of the house.  It probably will take all winter for us to complete the work.    I want to wait until winter so all fo the bugs, snakes , etc., aren’t around to scare the heck out of me.

Last night I was pulling some old ground sheeting out and a large stick popped up.  It looked like a big thick snake, and for a second I thought it was!

My Apple Watch indicated my pulse doubled when I saw the stick and thought it was a a snake!

That’s it for now, Friday, September 27, 2019. 

#Resist

2019 Fall September 26 Thursday

#Purple_Days_and_GoldenI_Nights

#My_Journey_19

#Fall_of_19

73 degrees this morning,85  humidity, raining 

Wonderful day yesterday, high around 96 degrees, probably hot for a  late September day.

I remember in college I worked in Denver in the summer and than  came back to college in Hays, Kansas.  Since I didn’t have a car etc. the humidity was extremely difficult to take for the first month or so, after the Denver weather. 

One of my first experiences with living in caring climates and it took me a while to realize why it seemed so hot!  

Walk yesterday, 27:30 minutes, pace was 2 seconds faster than my goal.  There was lightning to the North, but it kept going North and was never a problem.  

Listened to the “Great Course” on Biology this morning as I walked.  They are still in discussion about Species and how species change over time.  I will need to read the PDF on this so I can understand it better.  

Actually reading a book of fiction I never heard of before by an author I was not familiar with (Jessica Strawser, “Not That I Could Tell”.)  It is interesting so far and my main problem is not having time to read it, so I have been reading about a chapter a day. I’m not sure where I heard about it, but it showed up at the Library for me, so I assumed I ordered it!

Ditto with “Deep Work”, it is interesting to read, I just need to find the time to read it.  I guess I need to develop some “deep work”habits!

Working on developing a speech fro my Toastmaster group.  Not a big deal, just a matter of trying to find the right topic and put it together.  Usually I start well ahead of time, I am not a “wait until the last minute” person.  

Two “office days” in a row, which is highly unusual, but I need to the time to complete the paperwork I have to finish.  

Thinking about “generational music” the other day, how even category music has major changes as it passes through the generations and new genre’s of “music” appear.  

I just  figure each generation is expressing itself different, even if I don’t like it, if hey do, more power to them.  

I was listening to the “Beatles” and I realized their music is truly intergenerational music, one of the few groups whose music is truly  intergenerational.  

I grew up with it, my youngest sister liked it, my daughter liked it and I asked my Granddaughters the other day and they also like it.  

Since the last true Beatles song was probably in the late 60’s or early 70’s that is amazing.   

That’s it for now, Thursday, September 26, 2019.

#Resist

2019 Fall Sepember 25 Wednesday

#Purple_Days_and_Golden_Nights

#My_Journey_19

#Fall_of_19

73 degrees this morning, 90% humidity

Heavy rain early morning yesterday, remainder of day was cloudy, but no rain.  High of around 86 degrees.  

Exercise yesterday (no walk due to rain): 

-Outside bike:  24:58 minutes 

Getting back into bike riding shape, same old problem with keeping the tires filled correctly.  The “special” tire valves are very frustrating to say the least.  

Five games left in the regular season for MLB baseball.  Then the playoff’s start.  While the playoffs are fun, I really enjoy the regular season, it has a feeling of what I call “the endless summer”.

The Chicago Cubs, one of four teams we follow, have completely collapsed.  It is hard to imagine what causes that but it is hard to watch them fall apart the last month of the season. 

Years ago, after a particularly hard period, I took a couple of days off and went to the “White Water” water park.  I just sat and read and listened to the waves, napped and occasionally swam.  I always remember it, it was so nice.

I tried it the next year and, for whatever reason, it was not the same.  Crowded, noisy, it probably created more stress.  

Not sure of the reason for the change, it was odd.  May have been the time I went, or whatever.  

I remember I was reading the third book by John Grisham (I believe The Pelican Briefs).  I always thought “The Firm” was his best and most entertaining book, “The Innocent Man” and “A Time to Kill” his best books.

He is such a great writer, but his plots become so trite and then just depressing.  We decided after his last book we probably won’t listen to anymore of his books, the plots, frankly, suck and don’t show much creativity.  

Too bad, since he is a great writer.  Must be like Mark Twain, he got crotchety and his writing shows it. 

I had debated about the wisdom of the US House of Representatives impeaching the lying coward lunatic until last weekend.  I really thought it would be better to convict him and jail him for his criminal activities or get him institutionalized  for his metal illness.

However the congressional cowards are letting him run wild with destructive insane and illegal actions and it is time to impeach him.  He obviously is a traitor, a criminal who is stealing tax $ for his financially troubled hotels etc and is using the federal government to “punish” people, organizations or states  he viewed in his  paranoid mindset as his “enemies”  

I won’t waste time on this, it is time it impeach him and hope several of the GOP senators will get a backbone and convict him.

  

He is obviously illegally using the federal government powers and his coward toadies to try to steal the election again, so impeachment is the only answer. 

That’s it for now, Wednesday,  

#Resist

#ImpeachTraitorTrump

2019 Fall September 24 Tuesday

#Purple_Days_and_Golden_Nights

#My_Journey_19

#Fall_of_19

74 degrees this morning,  95% humidity

Yesterday had a light mist at times and cloudy, but no real rain  Hightof 86 degrees.

Thunderstorms and heavy rain this morning so didn’t walk.  

 Exercise yesterday: walk 27;35 minutes, pace was 5 seconds slower than my goal.

Firming up plans for our vacation (meaning we are actually making a commitment by paying for what we need to pay for in advance!).  

Listening to the “Great Course” on biology, it has gotten very interesting as the course is detailing “natural selection” and “species”, what determines a species and how a new species develops.  

He mentioned that a species is considered a “species” (regardless of characteristics such as size of beak, etc.) if they can mate and have “children” that include characteristics of both parents.  Probably I didn’t say that scientifically, but I hope I made my point.

He mentioned one episode that was rather interesting.  There was a species of birds that included a range of beaks, from very small beaks to very large beaks.

During a famine and drought, many of the birds died, but most of the survivors were birds with big beaks.  

They found that the reason was that the seeds (that the birds fed on) that survived were “big” seeds that only birds with big beaks could eat, the birds with small and medium beaks couldn’t eat the big seed, so they starved.  

Of course the descendants tended to have large beaks.  

He also mentioned that it is not unusual to for a species to completely change due to environmental changes.

It will be interesting to see how humans and other species change due to climate change. It probably will take a number of generations for the changes to be permanent changes in human beings.

Perhaps humans will become resistant to many of the pollution chemicals etc. as well as the more extremes of heat and cold.  Or maybe not and a whole new species (perhaps self-perpetuating robots) who can resist the environmental hazards while humans retreat to safer areas etc.  

The “personal assistants” (such Echo and Google) are amazingly advanced. I see the privacy concerns being a problem if that isn’t addressed.

That’s it for now, Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

#Resist 

2019 Fall September 23 Monday

#Purple_Days_and_Golden_Nights

#My_Journey_19

#Fall_of_19

72 degrees this morning, 90% humidity

Rain yesterday morning, cloudy all day, but no more rain.  High around 86 degrees.

Exercise, stationary bicycle, 29:19 minutes

First day of Fall this morning.  While not a major immediate  change, it is another step on the way to Winter.  A lot will occur before the Summer of 2020.

Somehow, 2020 seems  like a major change, just because it is 2020!   

At least it will be the presidential election, hopefully getting rid fo the traitor lying coward lunatic, who is using tax dollars and all of the federal government to enrich himself and using the federal government illegally to punish who he perceives as his “enemies”.  

What disturbs me is how the congressional cowards and  his coward cronies/appointments enable his criminal activities apparently because they think they are getting something out of his illegal criminal activities, so they go along with it.

I hope they are held accountable for this cowardice in enabling the destructive actions of the lying coward lunatic and his illegal actions.  

Put together an office chair today. While it went together fine, the “instructions” were negligent and were a horrible job of instructions.  Also the “help” line is only open 9 a.m. to 6 p.. on weekdays, showing they have little desire whether you can put it together or not. 

Our holiday decorations of pumpkins have been placed in front of the house.  One thing about this time of year, many of the decorations can honestly last from late September through Thanksgiving.  

Pumpkins are in “style” for Halloween, Fall and Thanksgiving.  I like pumpkins, they lend a splash to color to an otherwise drab part of the year.  Our crepe myrtle’s are still “blooming” which is one reason I like crepe myrtle.

I am gradually using Evernote more, but somehow it still hasn’t’ become the habit it should become.

Actually, I find the Apple Notes are as good as anything, I wish they were expand it just a little.

One problem with a lot of “apps” and machines etc. is, they seem to forget their real reason for being and they try to make it too complicated.

An example is the stationary bike at the fitness center.  I just want a basic, simple stationary bike that is can set at “difficulty” level and exercise.  

Instead it has so many functions, it is almost impossible to use it and it can take ten minutes to get started and has so many functions it doesn’t do anything well!

That’s it for now, Monday, September 23, 2019, the first day of Fall.

#Resist

2019 Summer September 22 Sunday

#Purple_Days_and_Golden_Nights 

#My_Journey_19

#Summer_of_19

73 Degrees this morning 94% humidity.  Thunderstorms, rain this morning.  

Rain yesterday morning, early, and then starting about 9;30 a.m.  it kind of defined the day.  Otherwise a nice day, although cloudy.  High was about 87 degrees but didn’t really feel like it.

We made the visit to the Apple Store yesterday.  Seeing the iPhone and iPad decided me really fast which one I wanted, based my needs based on size etc., as well as cost.  

It will be several weeks before I get the iPhone, although it could be much faster than the guide they provided for when it will be delivered.  I got the phone that was the same size I have now, I didn’t realize the largest phone was no larger than my “6”.  

I also looked at the iPad and decided the cheaper iPad Air was fine fo me, when I decide to purchase another one.  My current iPad’s are operating fine, even though they are six years old, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to purchase another one, until I can define the reason or reasons I need it.  

Even just having fun is a reason for upgrading, but I can do almost anything I have having fun with my current ones.  I would like to get an Apple Pencil, but I’ll absorb the deductible for the car, the vacation and the phone before I buy a lot more.

Also ordered a case.  I like the ones that have the little card slot on one side.  The case will get here long before the phone.  

Also looked at the MacBook Air.  If they aren’t upgraded, I have a good idea what I want.  I saw a 15 inch, but then I saw the price of the MacBook Pro, and I decided to forget about that!

I don’t believe the MacBook Air has a 15” inch screen, but the 13” screen has done fine for me.

Again, I enjoyed the “buzz” of the Apple Store.  

Looked at the iWatch 5, although I am happy with my “3” and don’t have any thoughts about upgrading.  

Disgusted that I keep hitting the sore on my arm and re-opening the wound.  It delayed my swimming another two days.  

Weekend seems to have flown by, although the weekend is really slightly over 50% over.  I’m not sure if Sunday morning is over half over, I guess it is 2/3/over if you consider that 2 of the 3 “sleeps” of the weekend are over!

But I still have a full day of the weekend in front of me.  Hopefully it will stop raining, or at least not rain hard.  Right now it seems to be raining just enough to keep me from walking etc!  I have learned from experience it is better to take a break than attempt to walk in the rain.

That’s it for now, Sunday, September 22, 2019.

#Resist

2019 Summer September 21 Saturday

#Purple_Days_and_Golden_Nights

#My_Journey_19

#Summer_of_19

71 degrees this morning, 30% humidity, raining 

Day yesterday varied.  After my walk, kind of a “mist” fell, Cloudy large part of day.

Walk  yesterday 28:23 minutes, 24 seconds slower than my goal.

Rain this morning, supposed to rain throughout the weekend.  I remember when I was in grade school, a teacher mentioned it always rained around the start of Fall.  Ever since, I usually note if it rains around the beginning of Fall or not.  

Listening to the “Great Course’ on biology, I found the part on how species change over time rather interesting.  

Especially interesting and perhaps rather alarming was the information on how germs become resistant to medicine.  He mentions that the reason the Doctors tell you to “finish the antibiotics” even if you are feeling better is that the germs (if that is the right word) that “survive” are more likely to become resistant to the vaccine or medicine used to treat the illness and “survival of the resistant” will lead to future generations of medicine resistant germs.  

Anyway, it makes sense that as time goes on “the strongest survive” and pass on their resistance to antibiotics  and other medicine.  

While the book didn’t say this, it seems that we (human beings) will become vulnerable to new “resistant diseases” since we won’t have any natural resistance to the new disease.  

Plan on looking at the new iPhones and iPads this weekend.  Probably a madhouse at the Apple Store, but I like to look at them at the Apple Store.  There is always a sense of excitement, anticipation and enthusiasm.

To get the veterans discount, I have to order on-line, which is ok with me since it gives me an excuse to think about what I want away from all of the intensity of the Apple Store.

It also allows me to consider the cost impact of sales  tax, extended warranties and larger memory etc!  Actually the sales tax where I live is slightly less than the City where the Apple Store is located so I have a small savings by ordering on-line and delivering here.

I read a story recently about “decisions” and how we have “buyers remorse” almost as soon as we make a purchase no matter what decision we make or how much we have researched a purchase.  

I know one of the hardest decisions to make is to “pull the trigger” on an interest rate for a house.  Make the “wrong decision” and it can cost you a fortune in interest.  Somehow, I don’t think that is fair, you should be able to get the lowest interest rate at the time you sign the loan. 

But, I don’t make the rules, unfortunately!   

I am ready for the weekend, rain or not!

That’s it for now, Saturday, September 21, 2019.

#Resist

2019 Summer September 20 Friday

#Purple_Days_and_GoldenI_Nights

#My_Journey_19

#SummerI_of_19

73 degrees this morning.  80 % humidity 

Nice day yesterday, some clouds in sky. 

Walk yesterday, 28:14 minute, 19 seconds slower than my goal.

Last full workday of the Sumer of 19.  If I remember right Fall arrives around 2:30 a.m. Monday morning, September 23, 2019.

Sitting on the patio yesterday morning, I felt the coldish air (even 74 degrees isn’t that warm when the sun isn’t shining) and I realized my time to sit on the patio for the year is probably ending soon.  

I think each year, I tend to remember that I could sit on the patio longer than I actually did.  

Winter has a few benefits, maybe no snakes and few bugs!  

Other than that, I think it is a good idea to go south for the winter.  I am not a winter person.  

Slowly getting ready to do our first “blanket”  of t-shirts, hats and anything else we can throw in that matches the theme of a city we lived in . 

I have most of them gathered, but I am waiting to make sure I have all of them!  Currently they are mostly tee-shirts but I have one hat, and several sweatshirt. 

At work, I am “covering” for some vacancies, so I suddenly have a lot more work.  I don’t mind at all,, I like being busy.  

I have learned my current area so well I almost never use a map or even have to think about where I am going.  I see the address and I can usually picture the structure and how to get there.

However, the new areas will stretch my comfort level since I’m not used to many of the areas and addresses.

I pride myself on scheduling my stops close together so I waste as little time as possible on travel. Since I’m not as familiar with the addresses , it will be harder to set up stops close together in my head as I do now.

I”m hardly complaining, in fact I consider it some somewhat of a  of a challenge to try to find the shortest and quickest route when I don’t know the area all that well.  This helps me learn! 

Yesterday I spent my Office Day researching the new assignments  and today is my first day in the field on the new areas.  (Actually I will only work them until a new person or persons is hired, but it is a nice break from routine, although I really like my current area.)

Actually they change areas occasionally and I assume I will change to a new area and I don’t like that idea at all, I really like my current area!

Thats’s it for now, Friday, September 20, 2019.  

#Resist