2018 Winter December 22 Saturday

43 degrees this morning, no walk, 60 % humidity.  

No walk again this morning, hopefully will be able to start again soon!  

One of the best moments of life is when the Dentist smiles and says “no problems, see you in 6 months!”.  Almost as good as when the Doctor says after your physical, “everything is  good, just like to see less of you (lose weight) in a year! “

Had my semi-annual dental appointment yesterday.  While I didn’t expect anything bad, you never know.  

After my experience with the “teeth implant”  (I had two) five years ago, I am so glad I have been going to a decent Dentist for the past 4 and 1/2 years who doesn’t see an opportunity for a crown every visit!  

Also saw my Doctor yesterday who prescribed some medicine water on the ear (or something like that).  Whatever he gave me seemed to start working from the first pill.  I’m not quite 100% yet, or even close, but my feeling of “talking in a tunnel” is getting better.  Or rather, I don’t feel like that quite as much.  

Sometimes I get a little worried about all the medicine I take (for the colds I have  had), but I guess that is one reason I stay relatively healthy (or at least I feel like I am, same thing!)

I am hoping I can get back into my exercise routine and other routines I have had to suspend.  

Winter is here!  The season of the year I like the least, and I live in a “one day at a time” frame of mind figuring every day is a day towards Spring!  

Also today is the start of a 4-day weekend, which is nice, in addition to the fact it is Christmas.  

I realized again my tastes in fiction have changed greatly in the past few years, I’m not quite sure why.  I am trying different writers, different formats. Some I read and become very consumed with the story, others just aren’t for me.

I actually now like to listen the type of fiction I used to read, along with non-fiction.  For some reason, I never listen to audiobooks unless I am in the car or exercising. 

For me, listening to audiobooks is kind of like watching a movie, I have to concentrate on it and can’t read etc. while I listen to audiobooks .

Our project of scanning our family and important photo’s is progressing, hopefully make some major advances over the next two weeks since our granddaughters are off and may be able to spend some time scanning!   

One unexpected benefit is I think it gave them some sense of history to scan photos that are over 100 years old.  No cell phones, no tv, no airplanes, no computers!  A different life!

That’s it for now, Saturday, December 22, 2018.

2018 Fall December 21 Friday

33 degrees this morning, no walk, 72% humidity, “feels like 27”

No walk again this morning due to head cold and cough, hopefully will start soon, even if I need to walk inside for awhile,  I am ready to start walking again.

Today is the start of Winter 2019 (actually about 4:41 p.m today, so it isn’t Winter yet!.)  My view is we need to get it started to get back to Spring and Summer, so let’s get on with it!  

After commenting on the lack of good Christmas music on the radio. as I drove in for a meeting yesterdqy, I happened to have the radio on a Christmas channel.

I was delighted to hear many of my old favorites “I’ll be Home for Christmas”, Jingle Bells, White Christmas, O Holy Night  etc. one right after the other and it continued all day!   

I think one of the aspects of Christmas I really like is that a lot of the activity generally slows down for several days of Christmas.  

I decided I needed to be more “organized” about my life, both at work and at home.  Nor sure how I am going to do that!  (I usually think this around every Christmas!)

One activity I need to figure out is how to incorporate more exercise into my daily routine, or at least 4 times a week (in addition to walking etc.).  This is “new” exercises I am doing as part of my training etc.  As another advantage, the place I am exercising at has  a swimming pool and if I could start swimming on a regular basis, I would love that.  

As I mentioned about slowing down for Christmas, sometimes I think I need to look at how I use my time and make adjustments.  As they say, “you make time for what you really want to do”. 

Of course “down time” is as important as other activities.  Somehow there is a way to get it all balanced out!

I knew someone once who tried to get the license plate “balance” because of their strong belief that “balance” was the most important aspects of life! 

I certainly tend to agree.  “Balance” in life as well as “balance” in views is probably as important as anything in life!

A 4 day weekend this weekend!  That is always something to look forward to as well as the Christmas Holidays!  While I really love my job, as I have noted the “balance” of my personal life is also important.  

Seeing the Doctor again today about my head cold, cough etc.  Hopefully we can work out a solution to get this misery over!

That’s it for now, Friday, December 21, 2018, the first day of the Winter of 2019!

2018 Fall December 20 Thursday

42 degrees this morning (feels like 34), no walk, humidity 65%

Still have head cold, calling Doctor, it seems to just hang on, and I need to get back to living! (without a head cold).  A lot of it may well be allergies and I’ll plan on getting allergy testing for that part of it.

Finished Holiday cards etc, most presents.

Christmas music each year seems to be different.  Some years I hear a lot of good Christmas music, other years, like this year, I don’t seem to be able to find the right Christmas channel!!

Other years have been the same, and some years (like last year) it is a great year for Christmas music. I have  lot on my computer if it comes to that, but usually I listen while I am driving etc.  

I recently read where South Carolina GOP was talking about canceling their primary to insure the lying coward lunatic doesn’t have any competition.  

Obviously something has gone wrong with the concept that “the people” elect the leaders, not the donors,  lobbyists and many huge businesses and organizations  who have ripped off trillions from the government and now are trying to buy it so they can control it and rip it off big time.  

I recently read where extremist supporters of the lying coward lunatic were spending literally hundreds of millions of dollars in one state to study the last election to see why Democrats won and how they could steal the election for the lying coward lunatic in 2020.  (Well, it didn’t really say that, but that is what it meant). 

This is really sick that they have so much money they can literally waste billions on “studying”.  

I can tell them for nothing, people are tired of a lying, incompetent, coward lunatic destroying the country and world and him selling out to his donors and lobbyists.  

Just got a “news flash” that lying coward lunatic and his band of criminals (such as the robot Nazi Miller, who should be in jail) are tying to “bypass Congress” (read, deciding they are dictators and subject to no one) and increase work requirements for food stamps.  

This really infuriates me, the lying coward lunatic, flies to his own “resort”, spending billions of tax $, eats a 20 course inflated price meal with Tax $ and then concentrates on trying to harass elderly and low and moderate income persons.  Sick.

What rock did these cretins crawl from?  I really wonder if they have any human tendencies at all, other than to rip off our tax $ as much as they can and shovel tax $ to their donors and lobbyists so they con continue the high living on our tax $.  

That’s it for now, Thursday, December 20, 2018.

2018 Fall December 19 Wednesday

43 degrees this morning, no walk, 93% humidity 

No walk this morning as my head cold continues.  Feeling better this morning, thank goodness, although  I felt last night like my cold had gone into my ear, which worried me.  (TMI, I expect!)

A street car system opened up in the central city near us.  It appears like it is well used, although it is still new and free!  

After an introductory period of 3 weeks for so, they will start charging and quit running on Sunday except for special events.  It always surprises me when a City or business or whatever spends millions of dollars on something and then handcuffs themselves with restrictions! 

It isn’t like people don’t work on Sunday, go to Church and eat etc.  Why they kick themselves in the foot is beyond me! 

Probably it will cost more to manage the streetcar fares than they will receive.  Streets and sidewalks are free to use, why isn’t a streetcar?  

The city we live in (about 100,000) has free bus service, including roundtrip to the Central City downtown area (where they can get a streetcar) and also the State Capital.  

I don’t know the history of it, but, as I said before, I expect it is more expensive to police and manage the fares than they would receive in revenue.  

The bus service provides free transportation for college students, free transportation to the Social Security office, major employment centers etc. It is even comforting to know if we ever can’t drive it is available.  (Free “door to door” service is available for qualified elderly and handicapped.)

I think projects like this is why this city is considered the best city to live in this state and is one of the top cities in the nation. 

I had heard that before moving here, and now that I have lived here for almost 3 years, I believe it!

Not that it is perfect, but it is pretty good.

As I may have mentioned, the Mayor here suddenly died.  He was one of what I consider the “dedicated citizen”  who serves because he wants to improve the community and not, like many, because he has a “single cause” he is a fanatic on, or is supported by lobbyists who expect favors.  

Reading his accomplishments is amazing and rather disturbing, since I wonder if there are people out there (who can get elected)  whose primary goal is to improve the community without regard to serving donors, lobbyists or an extreme cause of some sort.  

He had filed for reelection and unfortunately State Law does not allow his name to be  taken off he ballot, which means he could win the primary and general elections and obviously wouldn’t be available to serve.  

It seems there should be a procedure to remove his name off the ballot, and have a brief filing period, especially when an incumbent was running, since there were person who didn’t file because he incumbent was running.

The purpose should be to to elect the best possible person, not follow some archaistic law or procedure. 

That’s it for now, Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

2018 Fall December 18 Tuesday

42 degrees this morning, no walk, 78% humidity 

Still have a severe head cold this morning, seems to be getting a little better.  When I go outside in the cold is when my systems get a lot worse.  

With Christmas less than a week away, we are trying to tie up the loose ends.  It just doesn’t seem like Christmas should be that close!

In regard to internet delivery, I have to say I had an experience that I just had illustrates the problems.  I ordered some items from Staples and got free delivery.  

That was over a week ago and I still haven’t gotten my items.  I got some e-mails saying the shipment had been delayed.  I looked at the trip details and the item had gotten lost several times.

Now it is supposed to be reshipped but I haven’t seen any sign that it has been reshipped.  

Of course, they charged my credit card immediately.  

While I realize they will “make it good” it is just the hassle of wasting time having to contact them and probably having to go through numerous people to handle it.

Probably the last time I order from Staples!

I guess it illustrates the other side of internet shopping, never getting your items, getting the wrong thing etc.  

There are a lot of “Amazon Prime” trucks running around delivering items.  Their drivers literally run to your door to deliver the package.  

Today is an “office day”.  Hopefully that will help me recover from my head cold.  It is ironic that just after I mentioned that I am thankful for every day that I am feeling good I get sick for at least two weeks!  

Obviously I am concerned about getting back into walking and exercising again, but I know I can’t do it right now without making myself sicker.  

I am beginning to believe, along with my Doctor, that a lot of it is some sort of allergy or allergies.  I have always had problems with cold air and coughing from vigorous exercise, especially in cold weather.  

I can even remember when I was in high school and in track, one of my problems with running was coughing fits after I ran.  However, I didn’t normally have that problem when I walked. 

Anyway, I’ll keep working on it, I’m not ready to quit yet!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, December 18, 2018.

2018 Fall December 17 Monday

29 degrees this morning, no walk, 84% humidity 

No walk this morning due to head cold etc.  Actually feeling better this morning, but then I haven’t been outside yet!  

If my cold follows the “7 day rule” I should be completely over it by Wednesday or Thursday.  Here is hoping!  

I recently had the pleasure of noting the graduation of a person who got a degree after a series of starts and stops.  He also has a job that is related to his degree, that he loves and that what he does is valuable.  

Hard to beat that!   I am reminded again of the quote that leaped out at me 5 years ago.  I had ajob where I was on call 24/7 and could always, at any time, get a phone call with an emergency. 

Suddenly I didn’t have that job, and I had “no worries” as they say.  It is a strange experience.  Even now, 5 years after the quote first leaped out at me in the book, the quote means a lot to me.  

Quote from "And the Mountains Echoed"

"Now I was free to do as I wished, but I found the freedom illusory, for what I wished for had been taken from me. They say, Find a purpose in life and live it.  But, sometimes, it is only after you have lived that you recognize your life had a purpose, and likely one you never had in mind”.

Listening to Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming”, it is also a story of a person who searches for some meaning in her work life.  Regardless of your political beliefs, it is an excellent book 

I assume this can actually work both ways, and the “search for meaning” etc. may also be the reason that someone who already has billions and more money than they ever can spend will risk jail time to make a pittance more by violating the law etc.  Money has become the passion rather than the process.  

About to finish watching the series “The Wire”.  It only lasted five seasons.  I figure I have watched 5 seasons, with an average of 13 episodes for a total of 65 hours.  It is still the top-rated series ever on HBO.  (I watched it on Amazon Prime, it actually ran from about 2003 to 2008, so it has been awhile since it was on.)

As I have noted, I watched it basically on “lunch breaks” I am required to take, plus when we go to Starbucks.

It has been a wonderful series, with the notation that the language is rather jarring sometimes.  My experience has been that people, including Police Officers etc. don’t casually use such language on a regular basis.  

I’m not sure what I will watch next, I won’t worry about it until I finish “The Wire” and then look at what is available.

I have been watching on Amazon Prime, but, through my cell phone service, I also have access to Netflex, so as they say I am in a position of having more than I can ever watch.  

Start of the last “work week” before the Christmas Holiday, (4 day weekend next week) and then New Year Day, which I am sure will be a weird week, working Monday and then off Tuesday, with Monday being a day of celebration!

That’s it for now, Monday, December 17, 2018.

2018 Fall December 16 Sunday

38 degrees this morning, no walk, 58 % humidity 

After my comments yesterday about internet safety, of course, someone tries to steal my  identity of my Facebook page.  

It wasn’t so much as my page getting “hacked”, some crook actually added a “y” to my name, copied my profile picture and then e-mailed my “friends” asking them to be “friends”.   Fortunately a couple of quick eyed people noticed the misspelling and notified me.  

I notified Facebook, hopefully they got right on it. 

I found out later that it is a fairly common attempt by crooks and there isn’t really anything you can do about it. 

At least it did cause me to change my password and put in “2 party authentication”, which I hate, but it is an extra layer of protection.  

Perhaps the worst thing is how it makes you feel, you really wonder why “I” was picked for this although I am sure they do literally millions at a time.  I am sure it is for some type of fraud, probably of an advertiser.  

It also caused me to change my profile picture, I was surprised that there wasn’t any way (that I have found yet) to stop your profile picture from being copied, which seems sort of odd.

I don’t know if the Internet is going to “fall” from the hacking and crooks, but it certainly takes up a lot of time and money that otherwise could go for something useful.  

I continue to have a “head cold” I think the 7 days are up Tuesday and hopefully I will be well by then.  I am ready to get back to walking and feeling better!  

Our first actually “training” session is this week.  While I feel basically my walking and weight lifting has kept me in basically good shape, I have neglected some areas.  Of course I also need to pay more attention to what I eat.  

i need to rephrase that, I don’t need to “pay more attention” to what I eat, i need to change my eating patterns again.  

I have found the one thing that really helped was eating less carbs.  I wasn’t a dedicated “no carbs at all” person, but a general limit on carbs like bread, potatoes etc.  I kept eating my oatmeal in the morning with blueberries and fruits and vegetables.  Basically I tried to limit my  carbs to “slow carbs”.  

Seems easy, but it’s not!  Like a lot of things that are “good for you” it is easy to talk about it, but difficult to do.

I have found one technique that works, at least for me, is the “one day at at time”, where I think “tomorrow I can eat all the donuts and cake I want, but today I’m not going too!”  Of course, the idea is that “tomorrow never comes since it is alway today”.   

You know you are fooling your mind, but it works.  Kind of like the restaurant that runs the sign “free crab legs tomorrow”, it is never tomorrow!  

That’s ti for now, Sunday, December 16, 2018.

2018 Fall December 15 Saturday

28 degrees this morning, no walk, 72% humidity (feels like 21)

Rain stopped, but weather  continues to be a nasty cold.  

Hopefully I am starting to feel better and my “cold” is improving, but it seems like it comes and goes.  It has not been a good time.  as far as how I am feeling!  At least I have been able to function!

I am woefully behind in regards to what even little I do for Christmas.  I think when Christmas comes at the end of a 4 day Holiday, it seems to arrive faster!  

Reading a Newsletter I get sent, the author is forecasting that hackers will eventually destroy the internet and and all of the internet connected devices etc will turn into paperweights, or at least become useless.

He sees this resulting from a combination of hackers, government attacks on each other etc.  

He may be right or wrong about the internet.  From what I have seen the past couple of years, it is obvious politicians (in general) at both the state and federal level have lost all  sense of responsible government, and are resorting to “tribal politics” where they rip off tax dollars for themselves, their donors and lobbyists, so who knows what may happen.   

When they think of the internet, they think of how they can use it to enrich themselves or maintain their power, now how it can be used for the good or evil of society.  

Hopefully the voters will restore order by responsible elections and getting rid of the trash, so to speak!

Back to the newsletter, while I think he grossly overstates the possible dystopic  future of the internet, but he does point out there are a lot of points of weakness for such an important part of our lives.  

He (I am assuming it is true) noted that one major casino  was hacked through it’s fish tank thermometer!  

One thing that tends to make me thing he is exaggerating the dangers is that he forecasts a “better” time after the internet crashes.  I think it is more wishful thinking on his part that people will be “happy” with having to go back to fax machines, hand written letters etc.  

It just won’t happen.  Or even if the internet does crash, people are not going to be satisfied with “going back to 1970” after they have had smart phones, e-mail etc. No way.  

Thinking about how much of our  electrical supply, food supply, and other essentials depend on the internet, it is a good idea to start looking at the vulnerable parts.  

Anyway, agree or disagree, it was interesting to read the newsletter.  There are other parts I will ponder on in the future!

That’s it for now, Saturday, December 15, 2018.

2018 Fall December 14 Friday

36 degrees this morning, rain.  no walk, 88 % humidity, “feels like 25” 

Very miserable weather yesterday and I believe continuing now.  Rain, cold, and a bitter wind.  Worst part was yesterday afternoon when I was driving back, but continued miserable all night.  

The bright spot it is supposed to be much better today after it clears off.  Another bright spot is it wasn’t freezing rain or snow!  

Yesterday was a “field day”, so the weather was particularly miserable, since I need to get in and out of the car all day.  As I mentioned it wasn’t too bad until mid afternoon when a heavy rain started on a regular basis.

Still have the “cold” which is just enough to keep me from walking or really enjoying anything.  Hopefully it is just one of those “seven day colds” which is over in seven days.  

I basically treat a cold like this with some over the counter medicine and a lot of Gatorade.  I have used Gatorade to treat a cold for a long time, and was validated some years ago when a nurse told Aliene to drink Gatorade for her cold!   

I don’t know if it works, but it does make me feel better!  

One week from today is the first day of Winter.  As I noted, the only good thing about that is that every day is a day closer to Spring!  

I saw a quote that said something to the effect “don’t grieve for what you don’t have, celebrate what you do have”.  Basically that is what I have been saying, although it is easy to want something you don’t have and not appreciate what you have. 

One thing about getting older, I begin to view possessions as something I have to take care of or store someplace so I really hesitate before I buy anything that I have to take care of or store!

Read a story about how some of the “Waymo” self driving vehicles are harassed, including being shot at, rocks thrown, vehicles pulling in front of the car and stopping suddenly, trying to run them off the road etc.

I have to wonder about the intelligence of someone who harasses a car with cameras that can read license plates and keeps a clear video of all interactions!  Also, there is a test driver in the car who can take over and wittness. 

The story said it was anger of people against technology, scared that it will take their jobs etc.  I expect that it is something else over than that, probably bullies who think they can bully something that can’t defend itself. 

In my job I deal with a lot of people who are excited and creative about using technology and new ideas and approaches, which is probably one reason I like the job so much.  

It shows that technology can create a lot of better jobs and I hope people will start using their actions and energy to considering how they can use new technology to help themselves and create new careers for themselves.  

That’s it for now, Friday, December 14, 2018.

2018 Fall December 13 Thursday

53 degrees this morning, 89% humidity, light rain, no walk

Getting very tired of this “cold” (head congestion etc.).  Although it is two different types (the first part was a lot worse), it has lasted for over two weeks!  Enough is enough!

I don’t know if people get “colds” in climates that are warm all the time or not.  Probably have a lot of allergies.

I am always worried about something becoming the “new normal”, like not walking in the morning! I am sure once I get rid of this cold (and the need to sleep more because of it), I will resume walking i the morning again.

I wake up at the same time, but feel the need for more naps etc.

We joined a health club (with a swimming pool even), now the challenge will be to use it!  

I have always heard “you make the time available for what you really want”, and I assume it is true up to a point.  I guess the “point” is when you don’t have any time left!

Although I used to work a lot more hours than now, it made a huge difference that my hours were “flexible”.  It is almost like I don’t have as much free time available when time isn’t all that flexible (during the day).

I don’t know how it would be arranged otherwise, but I always thought  it was strange that most activities you want/need to go to are during the “normal” work day!  

That has actually  changing  a lot over the past few years, although that also requires people to work “other than normal” hours! 

It appears this (work time) is a no-win situation!  

I am fortunate in that I have paid sick leave etc.  I was thinking about how some people don’t have, if nothing else because of the nature of their business.  

Ditto with health insurance.  Even with health insurance, deductibles, co-pays etc. can be costly, much less not having any health insurance.  If you add that into losing pay from taking off when you are sick, it can be a real problem!  

Sometimes it is easy to forgot how fortunate I have it.  The little things really shouldn’t bother me!  

Thinking about the refugees, people in Syria etc. where life is just  continual basic survival every day.  I don’t know what the answer is, maybe there isn’t one.  

In my work, I see a lot of people who work hard, long hours, and just plain hard work running their own business or working at a business.  I have to admire them for (most of them) their hard work and maintaining a good attitude about their life.  There isn’t a lot of “freedom” in running your own business, especially a consumer oriented business where you have to be open at specific times!

That’s it for now, Thursday, December 13, 2018.