2017 Fall September 30 Saturday

2017 Fall September 30 Saturday

62 degrees this morning, walk 34:45 minutes

Oddly enough seemed cooler this morning than yesterday morning when the temperature was 61 degrees.  Of course, as far as my walk is concerned, I only notice the coolness for the first minute or so when the physical exercise wakes me up.

Pace this was 1 second below my goal.  Of course that counts as beating my goal, but 1 second slower than my goal means I met my goal, not that I didn’t meet my goal!

Writing this on my desktop Mac this morning (which actually is a lot better computer, just not as convenient). 

In a momentary lapse, I forgot to plug in my laptop last night.  I cleaned the screen and left it open so it would dry completely and forgot to plug it in.  Live and learn!

My situation yesterday where I forgot to shut off my watch reminds me again to avoid jumping to conclusions and “assuming” something or stereotyping something.

When my walk statistics wouldn’t come up, I was blaming the watch, the iPhone, Apple and everything else until I thought through my actions and realized I was completely at fault!

It really emphasizes to me again, not to jump to conclusions, don’t “assume” anything without checking out and avoid stereotyping. 

I keep reminding myself that these actions are laziness and failure to properly analyze a situation before making a decision.  

I know from experience that, due to time constraints, you frequently have to “assume” something, but I know I have to be very careful in what I assume.

Another weird dream that I  wrote down.

9-29-17 Dream

Dreamed I had a new job (as City Manager) and I went someplace with one of the Council Members.

For some reason, we took my car.  I don’t recall, but he ended up driving and we we went to another City.  (Seemed like Chanute, Kansas, someplace I lived).  Why that city I”ll never know.

Anyway, he drove to the city, I may have napped on the way since I was thinking I didn’t remember the trip

When we arrived, he said he’d meet me at the restaurant.  For some reason, he took off and I dallied around in the car.  When I started, I realized I didn’t know where he had gone.

I went into a restaurant with a buffet and picked up a menu.  I waled into a very dark restaurant and thought I recognized him and sat down at a table.  After a few seconds I realized it was not him.  I got up.  In one section people were playing slot machines.

I gave my memo back to the person in front, advised I couldn’t find the person I was looking for and walked out. 

I saw some kind of small car or a remote control car or drone, and some other devices by the front door.  The main “car” w as a bright green and my first thought was it was too small for anyone to ride in.

I went to the car and was thinking what a poor impression I was making if I had lost him.  I went to another restaurant (unclear or don’t remember the type etc.)

Thought about walking around looking at the other restaurants, but decided not to.  For some reason I didn’t have his cell phone number and I don’t know why he wouldn’t know my cell phone number.

I thought about calling the City Hall of the city but thought they wouldn’t give me his cell phone number since they didn’t recognize me.

I was starting to get worried when I woke up, and it took me a while to realize it was only a d dream.  It took me a bit to realize (with relief) it was just a dream.

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

2017 Fall September 29 Friday

2017 Fall September 29 Friday

61 degrees this morning.  Regular walk, no time

Good walk this morning despite the cool air.  For some reason (perhaps out of he habit after 3 days!), I failed to stop the watch when I finished my walk.  Totally disgusted at myself!  

However, even if there is no official  record of my walk, I still walked at whatever pace I may have walked.  (I probably need to rush down and shut off the watch or it probably won’t recharge very fast, although I have never had any problem with the battery on the watch).

It is always frustrating to forget to do some basic task that is so routine that you should automatically do it, but it is easy to do.  I know, I have been doing it all my life and have developed little routines to help me avoid such actions (or inactions).

Actually I am glad it doesn’t happen more.  One of my best routines is the “silent butler” , which is basically just an area where I ALWAYS put my wallet, keys, jewelry , phones etc.  Works well as long as I remember to put it in it’s place.  The times you don’t do it help you remember!

While I believe that sports play way too big a role in our society, I still find it hard not be be disgusted and overreact when one of “my teams” doesn’t make the playoffs, especially when it is poor playing.  

I do get over it fast though and realize it is just entertainment.  

The recent NCAA “shoe scandal” is hardly surprising, too much money tends to lead to temptation to break the rules.  It is too bad some coaches and players allowed themselves to betray their trust by “big money” for what ultimately will be trivial money compared to what they would have made by being honest.

Same with the people who close their eyes to obvious ethical abuses (and now discovered legal violations they can’t ignore) by coaches who “win”, now it may be obvious they won because they cheated. 

Of course, it’s not just  sports, look at Wall Street, where someone making millions of dollars cheats and breaks the law just to make a few more dollars.  Ditto with politicians and probably a lot of other areas where it is hard to believe people can’t accept what they have when it is already much more than most people have.

The library system here recently extended the “check-out” time for books.  It has made it much easier to try to finish reading a book, although the time still goes fast.  

As I have mentioned, I have been trying reading some different fiction and non-fiction I normally would not read.  Some of them I soon realize why I normally don’t read them.  Some types of fiction are just not for me, no matter how highly acclaimed etc. it may be.  

Of course, if worst comes to worst, I can always just pay the fine, but there are probably some ethnical considerations in that, plus I don’t like the idea of having to pay a “fine” for not bring the library book back on time!  It kind of defeats the purpose of a public library.

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

2017 Fall September 28 Thursday

2017 Fall September 28 Thursday

61 degrees this morning, still some rain.  No walk, schedule and rain

Rain so much I am starting to wonder if I need to get a boat!  Actually, for the most part it has been a light soaking rain.

Thought yesterday it has been 20 years since my Mom passed away on September 27 and actually I learned about it on September 28.  Twenty years, time is relative in a lot of ways, but it continues to go on.

One of those situations where you can remember everything in exact detail.  

Received an e-mail  about Bernanke (listening to his book The Courage to Act) and how many of his actions were really counterproductive for the economy.  I don’t disagree, I am trying to think what I would have done in a similar situation or at least an appropriate response.

In one of those strange coincidences, I heard Jim Kramer  on “Mad Money”, make a negative comment about Bernanke (at least the situation response).  It was actually last nights program, I was watching a copy this morning while I write this.

I also think the previous ten years were a major part of the problem, as mortgage companies and banks took what they felt were “guaranteed” profits and then didn’t have to accept the consequences of their decisions. 

I can remember the ads saying “credit not checked” and wondered how they could ever make a loan without checking the credit. (Called “liar loans” now.)  

Of course the idea was they could made huge fees and then pass the risk and bad debts off on someone else.  

Read in web site  about someone in our general addition (not our area) with snakes in their house.  Hoping my friend, the opossum is hard at work!

Really weird dream yesterday.

9-27-17:

Strange bizarre dream.

Aliene and I were in “our” house (in the dream), apparently redoing it.

We looked outside and saw a very small car parked in our driveway, painted almost like someone had painted it with a brush.

Next we noticed a big huge old pickup parked right at our front window.

Aliene answered the door and a very small woman, with a head kind of like a chicken came in and started complaining about something  We couldn’t understand her.  

Next somehow we were outside and the man in the pickup (who was naked) had jumped into our house through a window he broke, although in the dream, it was a big square hole in the side

I rushed in yelling “hey sir”, get out or I’ll call the police.

I woke up, half believing it was real until I realized it was a dream. 

That’s it of now, Thursday, September 28, 2017.

2017 Fall September 27 Wednesday

2017 Fall September 27 Wednesday

61 degrees this morning, no walk, rain.

Rain all of yesterday and probably all night, still raining now.  As noted, the temperature has also taken a  major drop.  

I definitely am not unhappy about not walking in the 61 degree temperature, although I would have liked to walk this morning.  

After two days of slow soaking rain, I decided to turn off the sprinkler system, which will save some money as well as avoid more wasteful use of water just to keep grass unnaturally green.  

However, it also is a another marker that the Summer of 17 is over.  

Today is a “field day”, so I am “looking forward” to an especially miserable day in the rain, although it isn’t really that bad.  

Trying to read some new fiction and non-fiction occasionally.  One rule I have, if I keep falling asleep while reading a book, it is probably time to stop reading it.  Time is limited and I have lost any ambition I ever had to finish every book I start just as a matter of self-discipline.  As I mentioned previously, not just rigidly not quitting, but quitting before I invest too much time and energy in a book that just isn’t for me is just a good use of time.

As with anything, knowing when to quit is difficult, but at some point it is just time to quit, whether it is a book or project.  

Speaking of quitting, I am occasionally asked when I am going to retire.  It makes me think about a friend of ours who was about the age I am now and he didn’t want to retire because he didn’t feel he could keep busy or interested in doing something.  I actually think he could of, but it is a matter of perception.

In my case, I don’t think I would have any problem keeping busy after I retire.  It just is’t really time yet.  

I know I kind of perceived my current job as a “semi-retirement” in that I don’t work more than 40 hours per week or have to attend night meetings or work on weekends etc., but the extra time disappeared and I feel like I have less time now than I did before even though I work a lot fewer hours!

I think perhaps when I have more time, it provides more opportunities for other projects, so it could be that the more time I have, the less time I have since more projects are possible!  Or something like that.  

As far as unfinished projects, there is a lot to be said for just jumping in and doing it and don’t worry about being perfect in getting it done or the time it takes.  Last night I jumped in and finished some projects for an organization I belong to and I basically finished it in a relatively short time.  

Now I need to tackle organizing my office!  Of course that is also a matter of daily organization also.  I am trying to learn to “toss” paper after I complete the computer entries which gets rid of a lot of paper.  The compulsion to keep a backup is probably one of the biggest reasons for disorganization.

That’s it for now, Wednesday, September 27, 2017.

2017 Fall September 26 Tuesday

2017 Fall September 26 Tuesday

73 degrees this morning no walk (rain)

Rain last night, ground was wet this morning.  Almost walked, but decided not to try it, a good decision as it turns out.

Temperature has dropped to 69 degrees already (about an hour after I got up).

Strange when I don’t walk, I always think “catch some sleep”.  For some reason, it normally doesn’t work.  I end up basically just meditating if I try to sleep during he time I normally walk.  There is nothing wrong with that, but it’s not sleep.

My usual patter is to get up and than piddling, walking, weights etc. shower and the journal take about 2 hours, maybe up to 2 1/4, depending on how much I piddle.  

Then I always take a nap, or, lately, a series of naps before I eat breakfast and go to work.  I don’t think there is anyway I could continue my day without a short nap!

I couldn’t go on without a nap or naps after I write in the journal, sometimes I am falling asleep as I finish the journal if I am taking more time than usual. (That is the reason for some occasional embarrassing typos in my journal that a review doesn’t catch!)

I guess patterns are difficult to break.  I always feel a little unsettled when I don’t walk.  I thought about going to the gym when it is raining etc., but somehow it just isn’t the same.  

Also, with “hypertime” in the morning, where time seems to go so much faster, I”m not sure if I could fit going to the gym in my early morning routine!  

I won’t weigh in on the current controversy (concerning sports and political activity), especially concerning National Anthem, except to mention the lying bully coward shouldn't be involved in the matter.  Fortunately he is getting substantial feedback to that effect.

That is following his normal routine of “liar in chief” and “divider in chief” and his apparent delusional thoughts and actions.

I am listening to the book “The Courage to Act” by Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the Fed during the period in 2007 etc. when the banking system failed.  

I don’t know what I think about his actions, sometimes (as he notes in the title) you just have to do what you think is right.    

However it did reinforce my feeling that so many of the businesses (and politicians etc.) praise the virtues of “competition” and the rewards of taking risks, until they feel the pinch of their “risk taking’ when the squeal for “relief” instead of saying “that’s the way the system works” and accepting the consequences of their mistakes.  Of course the workers always get the “consequences” of lay offs, pay cuts etc. but not the ones who made the mistakes or were too greedy in the first place.

Like he says, so many like to play the “heads I win, tails you lose” game, and only like it when then win or when they can pay off the politicians so they win all the time.

It almost literally makes you sick to see how the banks and mortgage companies made a big game out of mortgages etc. (and are now doing it again with the delusional lack of regulations) and basically got away with stealing literally billions or dollars without any punishment, many of them still have their high paid jobs!  

Disgusting.  

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

2017 Fall September 25 Monday

2017 Fall September 25 Monday

76 degrees this morning, walk 35:05 minutes

I consider every morning on a patio a gift now, since soon it will be too cold to sit on the patio until next Spring.  Actually it was too cold a couple of weeks ago to sit on the patio in the early morning, so I am glad to have this opportunity.  

Walk was pleasant this morning, as well as the patio.  There is a slight cooling breeze that makes it seem less than 76 degrees, at least in the early morning.

Pace was 4 seconds slower than my goal.  I think there is some  satisfaction in essentially meeting my goal.  If I had to write ’34 seconds slower than my goal or 1 minute and 4 seconds slower than my goal, it seems it would not be conducive to starting the day off right!

Of course I could raise my goal, saying I was 34 seconds faster than my goal, or 64 seconds faster, but I expect (and hope) I would recognize it as basically a lie.  I don’t think there is really “standard” goal for walking pace, just whatever you want out of it.

Some of the medical advances that have been made in making people feel better is probably as amazing as the advancement in computers, smart phones etc.  

While the medical devices may affect fewer people, they certainly are a miracle in themselves.  In this case I am thinking of the electronic devices (both external and even implanted) that control pain etc. by whatever method.   

I would be the first to say I don’t understand how they work, but I am glad someone understands both how they work, why  they work and how to make them work!  

The fact that insurance companies pay for them must mean they work also, as well as the relief they bring people.  

Insurance is another modern wonder (I guess it is relatively new anyway).  I have to support the idea that insurance should be available in some form to everyone. 

At least I assume insurance is a relatively new product.  It may be much older than I  think, I really haven’t thought about it.  I know my parents had health insurance, at least hospital insurance.  

Dental insurance is valuable for encouraging preventative care, but otherwise is more of a prepaid plan at least in most cases.  Not that it isn’t nice to have it, it just doesn’t pay for a lot of dental procedures.  

Occasionally we have bought “eye/eyeglass” “insurance”, but haven’t normally found it worse than useless and never actually worth the money, other than apparently to the insurance companies. 

The last week of September, how the time does pass!

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

2017 Fall September 24 Sunday

2017 Fall September 24 Sunday

76 degrees this morning, walk 35:11 minutes.

Expecting cooler air, so the 76 degree temperature was welcome.  Sitting on the patio with a  cooling breeze that makes it seem much cooler than I would expect 76 degrees to be.  

Overall walk was good.  Pace was 4 seconds slower than my goal, and I basically count that as meeting my goal, such as it is.  

Still debating lowering my goal, especially before I have to dress heavier for color weather which slows me down some.  I am hoping that lowering my goal will psychologically make me walk faster.  

However, as I have discussed before, perhaps this pace is the best pace for me and if I change my goal, it may just be frustrating!

It is interesting to observe my “beats per minute” on my heart rate and I understand the new IOS will have dramatically improved information on you heart beat, both under activity and standing still.  

The only problem with that is I need to be somewhat informed on what the information I get means.  For example, I really have only a vague idea of the beats per minute impact.  I vaguely know (when you exercise)  it’s not supposed to be too high, but also not so low you don’t get some benefit from it!  

Weekend whizzes by.  Already Sunday morning and I feel like the weekend has just started!  Enjoyable day Saturday and looking forward to Sunday!

Noted a tree “turning” already yesterday and suddenly realized that October was really almost here!  They may have been early turning trees or whatever, but it won’t be long and leaves will be falling.  

Several activities planned for October.  I am always somewhat bemused by the way I look forward to an event, then the event is suddenly here, and in a flash it is over.  

Kind of like having “new car fever” or “new house fever” , after you buy the car, you wondered how you had so much time to analyze, study and look for cars! 

I always have disliked the assumption of salespersons that you will buy a car (or a house) without harding really driving it.  Something I will use for 7 years or so, I want to spend more time actually driving it and learning about it!  7 years is a long time to regret a hasty decision!  

I have always tried to use the “3 day rule”, that I won’t buy anything major for three days after I first look at it (perhaps unless I can return it!). I don’t always follow it and when I don’t I normally regret it!

Hopefully today own’t be my last day on the patio, it is very pleasant here this morning as I look froward to Sunday!

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

2017 Fall September 23 Saturday

2017 Fall September 23 Saturday

75 degrees this morning, walk 35:30 minutes

Good morning for a walk, again a light breeze cooled off the morning as I walked.

Sitting on the patio as I write this, enjoying the early morning warm coolness, breeze and the overall peace of the early morning.  

Pace was 24 seconds slower than my goal, although it isn’t as bad as it seems.  I probably wasted a minute fighting with my iPhone.  I didn’t think to turn it on until I got started and then I had to waste time fighting with Apple harassment for downloading an upgrade to IOS, two factor authorization etc.

I like Apple, but they can be a real hassle sometimes.  

Start of Fall 2017.  At least so far, it isn’t much different than Summer although I understand cold air is coming in next week.  I am not ready for it.

I was reminded in my previous blogs about a breakfast I had, probably 30 years ago.  I had breakfast with another City Manager and he mentioned how much he was saving for retirement.  He was about my age, maybe a little older.  

Anyway, he was saving more than my take-home pay at the time.  Somehow, it got me to actually saving for retirement, just a few dollars at first, but I am so glad that I got woken up.  As they say, it is never too late to start.  Somehow this incident committed me to saving something for retirement.

I really had no idea at the time when I was going to retire, I think retirement age was some vague future which I really doubted if it would even come, it seemed so far into the future.

I think it really became reality when I reached my early 50’s and realized many people actually retired at 59, 62 etc. 

I recently saw a discussion on “defined benefits” (the “traditional” retirement where you get a set amount for life, like social security) vs.  “defined contributions”  (401 k, etc. where you are responsible for investing your money and can run out of money).

I couldn’t believe that workers were actually supporting the defined contribution plan versus the  defined benefit.  In my opinion (and I have both) there is no substitute for the defined benefit plan and I think the 401 K etc. other than as a supplemental plan is not really a good plan. 

Not to say that the retirement age etc. or other adjustments shouldn’t be made, but many people simply don’t understand the 401K etc. and are defrauded by unethical sales people who sell high commission, low performing “investment plans”. 

What is worse about the 401 K plans (as well as the regular IRA) is the impact of the taxes is much worse than you imagined.  I think the Roth IRA (which is “before tax contributions” but not taxable when you take it out) is much better and should be encouraged.  

The impact of taxes on your withdrawals is hard to describe, but you may has well cut your savings by 25% or whatever your tax rate is.

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

2017 Summer September 22 Friday

2017 Summer September 22 Friday

77 degrees this morning, walk 34:41 minutes

Overall excellent morning, excellent walking conditions this morning.  In spite of the temperature there is the hint of coolness in the night air.

Pace this morning was 8 seconds below (faster than) my goal, which is good.  I guess my “goal” my be correct, although I feel my goal should be at least a minute faster than it is.  As I have mentioned before, maybe the goal predetermines my performance.  

I may will change my  goal just to see how it subconsciously affects my walking pace, or if it doesn’t affect it at all.  Of course, if it is a goal I realistically don’t expect to attain, it probably doesn’t really matter.   As they say, I have to believe in myself that I can reach the goal.

I have to assume if I set a faster goal and realistically feel I can walk that fast, and I picture myself walking that fast, I will eventually meet the new goal and establish a new level of performance.  

On the other hand, if I set a new goal and don’t even really improve my pace, all it means is my present goal is correct.  Also, does it really matter what my pace is, at least if it is a minute faster or not?

I grew up on the concept that “you never quit” that you can literally do anything possible if you put your mind to it and don’t quit.

It was a shock at first to meet people who I thought quit too fast etc.  

However, as experience taught me, sometimes it is best to realize the goal or project may not be in your best interest and it may be reasonable to quit, especially it not quitting is causing harm to yourself or others.  

As I age, I also realize the truth of limited resources (especially time) and it is best to use your resources wisely and spinning your wheels on a unreachable goal is simply not a good use of limited resources.  

I think you get back to making good decisions and realizing when you have made a wrong decision, even if it is a major bad decision like the wrong house, car etc.  

Common sense comes into play on how you resolve the consequences of a bad decision.  As they say, good decisions come from “experience” and “experience” comes from bad decisions!  

One thing I really like about this blog is I really don’t know where I am going with it each morning.

I had no intention of writing about this subject(s), vaguely I was going to write about something else entirely different, although I never know for sure what I am going to write about.  

One thing I knew I was going to note (although I thought I was going to do it at the first) is that today is the last day of Summer of 2017.  Tomorrow I will be be writing “Fall” (unless I am in denial and continue to write “Summer” just hoping that if I say it, it will be true!)

Also, one day soon will be the last day I spend on the patio until next Spring, but at least I am on it today!

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