2017 Spring June 13 Tuesday

76 degrees this morning, walk 33:48 minutes

First walk this year with “shorts and t-shirt”, which basically means Summer weather has arrived.

Pace was 29 seconds faster than my goal, which is good.  I thought I would walk at a faster pace when I changed to summer type walking clothes.  Even 76 degrees is relatively cool at the time I walk (it is still dark), although it is hardly cold.

The last six days (actually since last Monday), I have basically worn only shorts, a t-shirt and scandals, (and I will do that today, as long as I only have an “office day”, so tomorrow is likely to be a shock to my system when I go out on my “field day”.  

As they say, it is nice to get away, it is nice to get back.  Felt good to sleep in my own bed again and get started back in your daily routine, such as it is.

Overall, a very good trip back.  Stopped at Starbucks twice, as well as other times for normal breaks.  I need to note the trip mileage (around 1500 miles) and the average mpg was 38.5 mpg according to the car computer. That is about what I always get “on the road”.  It is about 36.5 in city driving, although it varies.  That is the long term average.

I really like the hybrid, primarily because it also has excellent pickup, even with a 4 cylinder engine.  Something about the electric motors and the torque. Basically the same as the acceleration of a totally electric car, though it is probably a little less.  Anyway, I like it.  

While in Nashville we took a ‘Lyft” car (competitor to Uber) for most transportation.  It was tremendously convenient, except, as I mentioned, when we were downtown and due to the high demand of all the cell phones, didn’t have any service.  (We walked about a block and got service.)

I can easily see that being able to substitute for one car, although I don’t see how the economics work for the driver.  Apparently they do.

One driver in Nashville was a professional Lyft/Uber driver.  He was from Atlanta and came to drive in Nashville just for the CMA Fest and was going to drive in Florida at a special event etc.  So I guess you can make money.

The better drivers had water, candy, cell phone connections, etc.  I expect it paid off in tips.  

I think a lot of the attraction to the drivers is that they can work when then want.  I think most of them used it as a second job, not as a primary source of income.

One of my sisters and her husband is retiring this month. That means 4 of the 7 brothers and sisters are now retired, at least from their full-time job.  As they say, now when we refer to the “older generation”, we suddenly realize that is us.

Always a little sense of regret after a vacation/long awaited trip is completed.  I think a lot of it is that it is a matter of the passage of time.  

Every once in a while, I remember a man I meant years ago.  He was in his 70’s and he told me his biggest regret was he had worked all the time and hadn’t taken’t the time to travel.  Several months later, I read where he had died, not ever taken the travel he wanted to so bad.

I don’t think it happened right than, but within the next few years, my thinking changed and I started living more for the present and not merely for the future. Whenever I think of that man, I feel his regret and I hope he feels my thanks. 

That’s it for now, Tuesday, June 13, 2017.