2016 Fall December 14 Wednesday

23 degrees this morning, walk 36:22 minutes 

Cold this morning, but with no wind, it wasn’t really that bad.  Not that I wouldn’t  prefer 80 degrees!

Listening to my series on “Great American Literature”, this morning he started on Eugene O’Neill, whom I know absolutely nothing about except I recognize some of the titles to his plays.  I don’t think I have read, seen, or even read about any of his plays, oddly enough.  

The lecturer mentioned that American Literature has not produced a lot of great playwrights, only Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams and Author Miller.  

Actually I have vivid memories of the movies of plays by Tennessee Williams, at least the movie “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, and a play I saw in person, “The Glass Menagerie” .  I also saw Author Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” in person.  Frankly, both were very good, but also very depressing.  

I actually saw all of these in college and still have vivid memories of my reaction to them, so I guess playwrights communicated well!  That was, or was almost 50 years ago!

I also tried to read Author Miller’s autography “Time Bends” and I still have it.  He mentioned it was written in a “new format” (the reason for the title) where he jumped around a lot.  It was interesting, but too disjointed, and I stopped reading it.

Actually, I didn’t “stop” reading it, it just got so disjointed that I didn’t resume reading it, there is a big difference!  

“Death of a Salesman” especially depressed me (in a natural way I guess), almost as much as “Of Mice and Men” did.  

Actually I have to disagree with the lecturer on American Playwrights, there are too many to mention that have produced excellent plays, but Thorton Wilder and Edward Albee etc. come to mind!  

I have really been drawn into the novel “Powerless”.  Especially with the situation coming up in Washington, it is too close to a reality, which is why it makes since intense reading.  

I agree with the local book reviewer, this novelist compares to any of the best selling novelists of the same type of novel and is probably better than almost many of them.  It is amazing to think he lives in the same town I do!  

Anyway, in the book “Powerless”, everyone is staring to realize that the situation is reality for some time, probably years, and so gangs and looters come out to prey on people and get supplies etc.

Since electricity is literally the basis for everything you realize it isn’t impossible it could happen, and I think his concept of what would happen afterwards is probably realistic.

Read a very scary article about the new Department of Education selection.  She literally bribed the legislature  into destroying public schools in Detroit and shoveling money to profit schools.  The last place she should be is in charge of anything.  It is very scary to think about a power hungry greedy nut like her being in charge of education.  She should be in jail for bribery and extortion.  

I expect an “Arab Spring” situation to develop in the near future, much as I predicted several months ago as people realize what is happening.  

That’s it for now, Wednesday, December 14, 2016.

2016 Fall December 28 Tuesday

31 degrees this morning.  Walk 35;37 minutes 

Actually went one of my fastest “paces” this morning, the fastest I have recorded.  My overall time was a little longer because I walked a little further.  

I actually finally figured out how to put my Starbucks card on the Apple Watch, so when I buy something at Starbucks, I can use my Watch to pay for it.  I have been using my phone, but the Watch, if it works, will be fun to pay with.  

I have had a credit card on the Apple Watch for some time, I just haven’t used it.  I really need to study up on it.

It is kind of like when you are learning another language, you never feel quite ready to start talking to someone in their native language, no matter how much you have practiced.  

Like everything else (from riding up hills on a bicycle to whatever), nothing succeeds like just doing it and seeing what happens!

Went to a Toastmasters meeting last night, and that is what I like about Toastmasters, it gives you a chance to try something (from telling a joke, practicing a work presentation to being Club President, etc.) before you really try it in “real life”! 

What is even better is that you receive evaluations (as least on the speeches) which provides instant feedback on your performance, something you don’t always get in real life.

Listening to the lectures on “The Invisible Man”, and now I am sure I never read it before.  I have read a book by the same name, but not the one by Ralph Ellison.  

Listening to the lectures has been interesting, it has provided some thoughtful analyst of books I have read, plan to read and never have read and don’t intend to!

Listening, I am sure I have missed parts of it as my mind may wander, but I have have heard a large portion of it.  When I started, I wasn’t sure if I would be bored or not, but it has been interesting, even the lectures on books I have never read and have no intention of reading.

Actually, maybe it is more interesting for that reason, since I know I ‘m not going to read the book.

Forecast of snow, sleet and other “winter weather” this weekend and early next week. Still not near as bad as some of the other parts of the country.

Actually, Winter will start in about a week, I”ll need to look up the exact date and time.  At least when the “shortest day” happens, it only is better from there!

I do like Christmas, the lights, music etc.  Over the years we have developed a number of “animals” (toys) who can speak, dance and sing and even includes a dog that will roll over while barking! It is always fun to see them again for Christmas.

Perhaps even more fun is seeing the look of wonder in children's eyes when they see i for the first time!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, December 13, 2016.

2016 Fall December 12 Monday

2016 Fall December 12 Monday

29 degrees this morning (feels like 19), walk 37:05 minutes

Tried extending my walk this morning, by walking across the street (curb to curb) several times.  Actually increased my walk by .06 of a  mile over my walk yesterday.

However that isn’t all of the reason for longer time, since my “pace” was also significantly slower than yesterday (about 20 seconds a mile)

The “Nest Thermostat” appears to be operational now and I’m just waiting to see what happens.  I may tweak it occasionally.  Right now it is set on a regular schedule, but also may change to “energy saving” mode then it detects no motion or notes that Aliene’s phone is out of the house.

I am thinking of buying a Nest for the “bonus room”.  While at first I thought there was no way to make the investment back, I realized it is almost 40% of then square foot of the  first house I bought and much larger than the a typical hotel room, so even though we keep it closed off and it has only one window and door, it still may use a significant amount of gas and electricity. 

Since I only use it about two hours per day (less in summer), it would be easy to schedule it so it is at minimum capacity during the day and is at the right temperature when I normally use it probably saving a lot of fuel.

Also, it can be set to “talk” to the other Nest, so they will adjust for the effects of each furnace.

Something to think about.

Reading the book “Powerless” by Tim Washburn, who actually lives in the city I live in.  It is his first book.  I hadn’t heard of it until I saw a review of his second book, and it mentioned (rightly so) that his book is on par with any of the best selling authors.  

Anyway, in the book a solar flare knocks out all of the electricity, at least in the northern hemisphere.  

As you can imagine, chaos results, with roving mobs of looters, thieves and worse starting within hours.

Of course, you think about how much we depend on electricity, you can imagine the chaos.  No gas being pumped, so no deliveries, no plans, no phone service etc.  Anyway, you can imagine it.

Thinking about the chaos about to be unleashed by the clowns who are going to be running the national government, for the first time, I am seriously considering what steps we need to take to provide for an “Arab Spring” type of action, or, more likely, severe disruption of delivery of food and utilities as their insane policies are put into effect  

A book that speculates on a situation that “could” happen is always interesting if it is pulled off right.  That is one thing I liked about some of Stephen King’s best writing, it bordered on something that “could” happen.

Anyway, Powerless (it may only be available in paperback) is an excellent book and is certainly keeping me involved in reading it.  

Listening to lectures about “The Invisible Man” during my walk.  I’m actually not sure if I ever read the book, but I will need to.  I think it is one of those books I may have think I read since I heard so much about it.  

That’s it for now, Monday, December 12, 2016.

2016 Fall December 11 Sunday

49 degrees this morning, walk 36:12 minutes.  

Thanks to the Apple Watch, I am able to record my “pace” each day, how many minutes it takes me to walk a mile (I think I said that right, it is not “miles per hour”!).

I am not a speedy exercise walker (although I normally walk fast when I am walking someplace), so I won’t share my “pace” here, but  I do keep track of it.

The wind was blowing this morning and I think the 49 degrees was worse with the wind than 20 was without any wind!  

For some reason my pace was the fastest pace I recall recording, so maybe the cold wind has something to do with that!

Aliene made Christmas fudge yesterday, which always presents that moment when I can “lick” (not literally) the bowl!  One of the enjoyable moments of life!   Of course she gives most of it away, but we keep some, and we eat a little bit at a time (with occasional binges) until it is gone for another year.  

I got the Nest on a schedule.  It is amazingly easy to program after my experience with other thermostats etc.  I also got Aliene’s phone hooked up to the thermostat so that it not only can “sense” when we are out of the house, it will also know how far away we are etc.  

I guess I had better set up a stronger password on the Nest! 

I decided that I would just go with my instinct on the matter of whether you save money and energy by cutting back the thermostat.  

I decided we do, so I set up the schedule, but also carefully set it so it will be warm (or cool in summer) at the times we are  up and in the house.    l                         

The Nest actually provides a time table and history of energy usage, so it will be interesting to see if we are actually saving any energy.  Of course that would have to be correlated with the temperature and weather etc.

Several things to learn about the Apple Watch yet, how to set up Apple Pay on the watch and how to set it up so I can listen to music and audio books with or without the iPhone.  It took me awhile to adjust to paying with the iPhone (actually, so far I just use it at Starbucks), but it is nice to be able to pay that way and it would even be more convenient on the Apple Watch.  

It is a very small “savings” of time and trouble , but I figure everything helps!

In the “Great American Literature” Lecture series, the leader just finished “The Grapes of Wrath”.  I was hoping he would discuss some of other John Steinbeck's works, but he didn’t.  

I am going to have to read “The Grapes of Wrath” again.  It has been a long time since I read it. 

He has just started on Ralph Ellison, “The Invisible Man”, which ought to be interesting  Strange how so many of the great books can apply to the current period.

More candy making today (maybe). 

That’s it for today, Sunday, December 11, 2016.     

2016 Fall December 10 Saturday

34 degrees this morning, walk 34:56 minutes 

Since I have started keeping track of my “pace” on the Apple watch, I have a lot better idea of how fast I am actually walking.  I was surprised what a difference the small differences in mileage make.  Although I walk the same route each morning, my distance still varies as much as .05 of a mile.  

The experience with the Nest Thermostat continues.  We have found when it realizes we are out of the house and adjusts the temperature, it is relatively quick about getting the temperature back to the temperature we set.  (Notice I didn’t say “normal” temperature.) 

I checked and found that I actually had set a “low and high” temperature that it automatically adjusts to when it senses we are out. 

This weekend, I am going to review all of the scheduled temperatures to make them more rational and also set up Aliene’s phone so it ties to her phone when we are out.  

I really don’t understand why the furnace for the “bonus” room heats the entire house.  No matter how low the temperature is on the thermostat is, the actually temperature doesn’t go below a certain temperature (71 degrees) regardless of the temperature outside.  As far as we can determine, it is because of the “bonus room” heater being heated by a separate heater.  

I recently learned some interesting tips about the Mac, some things I never knew.  Now if I can remember how to do it!  

For example, I didn’t realize that the “desktop” should be kept with as few programs as possible or it slows the computer.  Of course, I have long stored documents, pictures and everything else on the desktop.  

I also learned how to do a “split screen” (which is wonderful) and how to adjust the trackpad.  

Now, if I can just remember how to do everything!  

Supposed to snow next week.  I’m not looking forward to that, but at least I don’t have to worry about traveling in it if it gets too bad.  Or how to clean it up!

I am almost ready for “winter”  (in the sense of the season “winter” that starts Dec. 21) so that we can get it over with and get back to Spring and Summer! Of course, the weather really hasn’t been that bad so far.

Listening to the “Great American Classics in Literature” lectures, he is now on “The Grapes of Wrath” and the impact it had.  Somehow, while I recognized the importance of the book, I didn’t realize the cultural impact it had on America at that time or it’s impact on literature.

That is one book I need to read again.  

I went through a “Steinbeck” period when I read all of his books.  I probably didn’t really understand of all of the undertones, but I enjoyed them.  One, “Of Mice and Men” was a very depressing book and I could never bring myself to read it again.  

Supposed to be a nice weekend weather wise. Aliene is planning on making fudge which is always kind of enjoyable (and also nice to “lick the pan”!)

That’s it for now, Saturday, December 10, 2016.

2016 Fall December 9 Friday

23 degrees this morning.  Walk 35;45 minutes

Happened to read my entry for April 6, 2016 and I noted I mentioned it was “April 2016 already” and wrote about time going fast.  Well…. it is now December 2016 and I really don’t know where the time went or goes.

Doing research about whether it is better to leave the thermostat “steady” on a single temperature or change it depending on if you’re in the house or not.

The answer is of course there is no firm answer.  There are a lot of good reasons for leaving it steady (on regular basis anyway, assuming you aren’t out for a long time) and plenty of reasons for adjusting it frequently.  

The fallacy about leaving it steady is that any house “leaks” hot air, so the furnace or ac will still need to work keep the house at that temperature.  

Of course, the argument for changing it frequently is that the furnace or ac will need to work harder to get it up to the chosen temperature. 

The middle of the road answer is to adjust it down if you are going to be out of the house for 8 hours.  

Of course, if (as I assume most people do) you have a blower with one speed, it doesn’t really matter if the furnace or ac is “working hard” or not.  Whether it is just “maintaining” or “catching up” it is blowing at the same speed.

Apparently this is one of “life’s great arguments” , which there is never a decisive answer that fits every situation.

Anyway, I kind of feel like it is better to adjust the thermostat, but on the other hand, there is no sense  being uncomfortable.

I still don’t know if the “automatic learning” has priority over the “scheduled” times for the thermostat.  Our thermostat is in “learning” mode right now, whatever that may bring.

Also looking at “Nest” smoke detectors and security system, as I may have mentioned before.  

I have read how some consider the Nest a “piece of artwork” versus the regular thermostat.  I guess art is in the eye of the beholder, so to speak.  It certainly has a lot more personality than a regular thermostat, if that makes any sense.  Kind of like R2D2 in Star Wars, except it doesn’t speak. (Yet)

Today is my Mom’s birthday. She would have been 104 years old today.  She actually passed away 20 year’s ago (in September, 1996).  Again, it is strange how time passes. 

While it seems cold to say I am walking in 23 degree weather, it really isn’t that bad.  Of course, I dress for it and I don’t like the cold, but it is livable, especially compared to the snow storms etc. I see in other parts of the country!  

My “Great American Literature” book I am listening to on my walk just finished with William Faulkner and is moving on to “The Grapes of Wrath”, which I am looking forward to because I read a lot of his books.  Didn’t always understand them at the age I read them first, but I read them.

That’s it for now Friday, December 9, 2016.

2016 Fall December 9 Tuesday

24 degrees (“feels like 12”) this morning, Walk 35:39 minutes

Brrrr!  Actually walk wasn’t all that  bad, although I could feel the cold.  

I have to admit I thought about “taking a break” because of the cold, but then I thought about one of my basic principles, “how are you going to do it if you don’t do it”.  I will never walk in the cold if I don’t walk in the cold.  

Kind of like my thoughts about the bicycle, “if I don’t ride up a hill, I”ll never learn to ride up a hill!

Of course, I  guess at some point you do decide that you aren’t going to walk under a certain cold level, or you decide a steep hill is just too darn steep!  

Actually I haven’t seen a day too cold or a hill too steep yet, but I expect they are out there.  Of course, it doesn’t get that cold here, but the hills can be pretty steep.  

The State is ‘losing” our attorney general to the national government!  (Our gain is the national governments loss!)  Maybe the state can balance it’s budget now that the Attorney General isn’t  throwing money at attorneys to file trivial lawsuits, and otherwise doing exactly opposite what an Attorney General is supposed to do. (Protect the state and public).

Of course, now the “EPA” will be known as the “Energy Protection Agency” as he protects his buddies and gives them a free rein and give huge political contributions.  I expect the excess will bring it’s own redemption, like it almost always does but they will do a lot of damage before they are reined in.   Hopefully it will make sure he never runs for Governor, although he will probably get huge political contributions.  

The First Bully  couldn’t have appointed a bigger joke, although some of his appointments are jokes, just really bad jokes. 

The Nest Thermostat did as advertised and turned the thermostat down last night when we were out of the house for awhile. While I realize it has sensors that detect no activity, I wonder how it know what temperature it decides on when we are out  Probably I set it up somehow.

I’m going to do some more work on  the “Nest” tonight and this weekend.  One thing I want to do is tie in Aliene’s iPhone so it will pick up on her iPhone being out of the house.  I’m not sure if somehow it detects the iPhone is getting closer and adjusts the temperature for our return or not.  It may just detect it is out of the house.

Probably smoke detectors  are next as we gradually move to an automated house.  I’m not quite sure how the smoke detecters are automated, but I’ll do some research on that.  

On the Nest, I am going to review all of the “away” options to see how it works and how it decides what temperature is best.

One thing we can always do (as long as the wi fi is working) is set the temperature from our iPhone wherever we are, so if we turn it down, we could adjust it in time for our arrival.

Actually, I also want to review the “Nest” Security system as well as the smoke detecters.  We had to sign a three year contract on security and it has one more year, so we have plenty of time. 

Dental checkup time.  Apparently I have a tooth that is cracking below the gum level and I’ll probably need to remove it and have an implant, which sends  shudders through me.  It is a front tooth and he assume me it was an easy one for an implant.  I have a feeling there is no “easy” implant.  

That’s it for now, Thursday, December 8, 2016.

2016 Fall December 7 Wednesday

33 degrees  this morning.  Walk 35:38 minutes

The Apple Watch GPS is so precise, I make a little game during my walk of trying to increase my walk by staying on one side of the road, walking around the full distance of a Cove or when I turn etc.  I can vary the walk within a range of about .04 miles  (Or the difference between .13 and .17 miles.)

What we won’t do to entertain ourselves.

It is becoming very scary when a business (Boeing in this case) can’t mildly critique a proposed crazy scheme of the president-elect  without having a vicious, vindictive attack on his company by the incoming president who is thin skinned even though he viciously attacks others and lies so much he has lost touch with reality.

I am really concerned that “free speech” as we know it may change in the hands of a power hungry despot who is scared of criticism with a bunch of “yes cronies” who are afraid to tell the emperor  he has not clothes so to speak (read sense, or any capacity whatsoever to be president). 

What a joke, although it really is a nightmare. 

When the newspapers and businesses  get scared of criticizing the policies of the president for threat of retaliation, there is something  seriously wrong.  

I am seriously considering dropping the two newspapers I subscribe to that suck up to the bully and subscribe to two newspapers that aren’t scared to criticize him, just to show support. 

Although the city we live in is about 100,000 people, it is amazingly backward and secretive in a lot of ways.  I admire the city for sticking up for residents over commercial and industrial (unlike the major city in this area which has little regard for the residents), it is also very secretive and apparently has a power structure which likes to hide.

As an example, 3 or the 5 City Commissions (actually the Mayor and two Commissioners) are up for re-election.  I didn’t see a word anyplace about the fact the three day filing period (Dec. 5 to 7) was even being held except for a small squib I happened to see by accident Sunday night! 

It seems the local papers and news media, and the City would publicized this more, but it seems like it was almost a secret and a way of control.  

I know from experience how much work it is and I admire that people who do it, and that is one reason I think it should have been publicized more, so that qualified people may consider it.

Researching the “Nest” thermostat, I think I discovered that the Nest “automatic” temperature setting MAY take priority IF you have at least one of two automatic options set. That makes sense, I think.

Apparently the Nest has built in sensors that  “know” if you are out or in by the activity.  More specific, it can use your iPhone to determine if you are in the house or away and also can tell if you are coming back so it can start heating or cooling the house!  Amazing.  

I am still learning about the Nest and what it can do.  Since we don’t have a regular schedule as such of being out of the house, attaching it to an iPhone makes sense.  

I haven’t checked into the Nest security system, but I will need to research that next. 

That’s it for now, Wednesday, December 7, 2016.

2016 Fall December 6 Tuesday

43 degrees this morning, walk 35:53 minutes 

As I was walking this morning, the cold north wind suddenly kicked in, and I was glad I was walking south at the time!  I had forgotten how cold the north wind was in winter, even when it is relatively mild out 

Each season I think about how we adjust to the season.  In the height of summer, this temperature would be freezing (and vice versa).  

The “Nest” Thermostat has been working well.  Still learning about it.  

I still have decided if the Thermostat “learns” from your actions first or from the settings.  

For example, if I set it to go to (for example) 68 degrees at 10:30 p.m., and up to 75 degrees at 3 a.m., but I actually turn it to 70 degrees at 10:15 p.m. and up to 77 degrees at 3:20 a.m., which will it learn from?

It appears to say it will “learn” from my actual changes, but in that case, I wonder why you even have a schedule?  Also, I am puzzled by how it will know when to change the  temperature if I change it at (for example) 70 degrees at 10:15 p.m. one night, 68 degrees at 10 35 p.m. another night and 72 degrees at 10 p.m. on another night?

It seems like it would eventually drive it into a frenzy of indecision, but I am sure something is built into it that it “learns” only certain sequences.  

I’m glad someone else programs these things!  

I started wondering because I would see the Next Thermostat make small changes to temperatures I hand’t set (for example, it would change from 77 to 72 to 74 to 77 etc.  I figured I had confused it somehow, but I’m not sure how.

Like anything, it will start to make sense as I observe it and learn about it.  Actually it sounds like a good question for tech support, although the answer is probably in the manual (as to how it learns to adjust temperature) or somewhere on the internet.

Somehow I had the impression that it “learned” to adjust the heat based on when you were home, but that doesn’t make any sense since  it would have no concept of how warm or cool you wanted it.

One neat thing it does is send you a distress call if you house starts to get too cold (so pipes won’t freeze etc.).  It won’t do it for hot weather.  You can adjust it as you like, slough the default is around 36 degrees.

Listening to my the book on “Great American Literature”.  He is currently on William Faulkner, “The Sound and the Fury”.   Again, I didn’t read near as much into it as there apparently is, although it has been a long time since I have read it.

One quote that sticks in my mind (and I don’t even recall what context it was used) is the quote that “like riding in a convertible, but sitting backwards and watching only the rear view”.

I think it referred to Faulkner’s view of the South at that time, but no matter, it is still a very interesting and visual quote.

That’s it for now, Tuesday, December 6, 2016.