Spring 2014 April 18 Friday

55 degrees this morning.  

ATC Fitness was light this morning, probably due to Good Friday and Easter Weekend, but I have noticed that Friday is always a really slow day.  Saturday and Sunday I am frequently the only one there (at the time I go) while Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I expect there are at least 30 people there exercising.  Monday is kind of a mixed day, but Friday is always light.

Hockey and boxing are two sports I rarely watch, but I like when I do watch.  (I also like stock car racing but rarely watch it due to the time involved.  Formula one is always interesting and short enough I enjoy them.)  Started watching the "St. Louis Blues" and the "Chicago Blackhawks" last night, actually during the first overtime.  I was able to finish watching it this morning.  I think what I like about both boxing and hockey is the intensity involved, especially in the overtime.  In boxing, one mistake and that's it, in overtime hockey, the same thing could happen.  I think that is what i like, even though Hockey is a team sport, there is an intensity it has that I don't see in pro basketball (which i never watch) and pro football.  Anyway, that is my perception.  

I never have liked the "shoot-outs" to decide the game.  It seems rather strange (as well as unfair) to play a game based on one situation and then decide the game based on something completely different.  Of course, I have to remember it is just entertainment, not the real world (although the money is certainly real world!).  

In the game last night, I can imagine the disappointment of the Blackhawks.  I wasn't really for either team (highly unusual for me) since I like both Chicago and St. Louis, and both the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals are my favorite baseball teams.  While I don't watch pro basketball, I really have a lot of respect for the Memphis Grizzles, both as a team and for the players as individuals.  They have a lot of class and contribute a lot to the community.

Catching up on my "Wired" magazines.  Like a lot of magazines I get behind because I want to read them "when I can concentrate on it".  I learned to just do it and not worry about it if I didn't feel I was concentrating on it.  I learn a lot from reading Wired. They also have a lot of junk, but I've learned to skip over that, just like I do in newspapers.   Wired is where i first learned about Twitter, which allowed me to get my own name as a Twitter name etc. 

We should know if we have a contract on the house by today, or being Good Friday, it might be Monday.  We still don't know where we would move, will depend on a number of factors.  We just don't know yet.  

Looks like it will be a great day, high of 70 degrees or so, sunny.

That's it for now.

Winter 2014 January 13 Monday

55 degrees this morning.  An unexpected rain.

Radio station at ATC Fitness this morning was absolutely horrible.  The announcer must have stopped growing in maturity at about 6 years old and his callers are worse.  Playing stupid "tricks" which are vicious and not funny at all.  Music is really horrible and not gym music at all.  I don't know why ATC Fitness can't have better music.  Otherwise, it is great, always clean and well maintained etc.  and really can't be beat.  I don't notice it that much when I ride my bike, but when I drive (like this morning when it was raining), it is horrible.   

I am really enjoying the warmer weather.  Hopefully it is a pre courser to an early Spring.  

Listening (and reading) Jim Cramer's (Mad Money) book " Get Rich Carefully".  I enjoy reading it and enjoy watching it when I have time.  I used to record his podcast and listen to it as I walked the next morning so it was timely, but I missed the opportunity to listen to other books.  I primarily listen to non-fiction books when I walk, sometimes I buy the book (like The Willpower Instinct) or listen to it several times.  I have listened to some interesting books, everything from Lincoln, the Civic War, an entire book (and very interesting!) on perfume, one on the history of the search for uranium (this one will shock you), ad the Aztecs (this one will really horrify you),  Audiobooks vary widely, I was really looking forward to a book about the building of the Panama Canal, but it was disappointing.  I don't know if it would be better if I read the actual book or not.  I am currently listening to and reading "Get Rich Carefully", which is interesting.  I see what I missed in one when I hear or read it in the other!

I have loved reading about and studying investments since i was in the 8th grade.  I have long given up hope of "getting rich" whether carefully or not, but I still enjoy reading about it.  I actually started when we got an afternoon paper when I was in the 8th grade.  I'd grab it and read the comics (at the back) and my Dad said (i doubt if he was serious, but....I thought he was back then) that if all I was going to read was the comics he was going to cancel the paper.  So, I started faking reading it and begin my lifelong love of newspapers, politics and the stock market and investments.  

I am always surprised when I look back and note the small events which later became major factors in the way my life has been effected.

Hopefully the rain will stop and the sun will reappear, but right now it doesn't look it it!

Winter 2013 January 3 Friday

18 degrees this morning.  Felt it also!  I rode my bike to ATC Fitness and while it was parked outside (I am there for about 40 minutes), the moisture from my breath (on the deal I wear over my mouth to mitigate cold/exercise induced asthmaI) was actually frozen, as was the "riding" water bottle I left on the bike.  (I actually carry two bottles of water, one for on the bike, the other for whilel I am in the gym.).  Anyway, it so cold.  My hands really felt it on the way back!

Great OU (Oklahoma University) game last night.  We record the games and watch them delayed by an hour or so.  I don't let a football game get in the way of my sleep time (from 10:30 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.), so I told Aliene to ''wake me if they're winning, let me sleep if they are losing", so I got to watch the last few minutes of a wonderful ball game!  I'm not quite sure why I am such an OU fan (I have six hours of Graduate Work from OU, but it was a program offered to the Air Force (and probably all the military and companies) to get a degree.  I have only been on the campus several times, although I used to go fairly often to visit a wonderful little museum on the campus.  Anyway, I've been a rabid OU fan (in all sports and other programs) since probably the early 70's at the latest.  Of course, I am also a Wichita State fan and University of Memphis fan.   And I will always be a Memphis Redbirds fan, no matter where I live, I had so much fun attending the games and seeing the players move up to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Looks like it should be a wonderful day, after a very miserable day yesterday (windy, cold and wet).

I am going to the Apple Store to look at my "iTunes", I need to get it better organized.  

Amazon.Com is not charging Tennessee sales tax, so I feel much freer to purchase from other companies and express my dislike for the techniques Amazon uses. 

Speaking of techniques, one gouging action I really hate is the huge markups on "Premium" unleaded gas over regular unleaded.  Kroger (at least the one at Macon and Houston Levy) chafes like a .20 markup over regular for Premium Unleaded.  Recently, we were fooled into paying a .50 difference.  I know, drive a care that uses regular, or just drive off if the price is too much, but it's not quite as simple as that.  I'm not a big fan of Kroger, but at least on gas, they treat you right.

Finished reading "Catcher in the Rye" for my book club.  Kind of reminds me of "Bright Lights, Big City", with BLBC being the career version and CITR betting the teen version.  

Starting my "Hot Wheels" Tumblr blog, gradually develop pictures of all my Hot Wheels (and Matchbox etc.) cars.  At 2 a day, it will take me about three years to have pictures of all of them (I'll take a picture of the new ones when I get them), but if I don't start, in three years I won't have any pictures also!  I can't even count how many there are.  My main problem may be not duplicating cars as I gradually get the photographs.  That is one item I don't plan on weeding.

I am tossing a lot of paper, I figure I may as well do it now.

Winter 2014 January 2 Thursday

48 degrees this morning, but rain and high (for out her) winds.  Didn't walk or cycle outside, just did the stationary bike at ATC Fitness.  I really like ATC Fitness since it is literally never closed (open 24 hours/7 days per week), seems relatively safe and clean and is maintained well.

X+1-i first heard this when a speaker said the the early test pilots (and some military pilots) had a joke about how many times you could break the rules (flying to the limit) without getting caught or crashing.   X is the number of times you do it, +1 is for when you get caught or crash!  

I really liked the general concept of describing any type of actions, not necessarily breaking the rules, but just to describe that moment or time when the variable "+1" comes into effect.  There is a lot of ways to look at it.  I guess you could even say it is the formula for when you are going to die or how long you will be employed, as well as a formula for how many times you can test the limits of an airplane.  

I discussed it throughly with a friend of mine at the time and we had a lot of fun and thoughtful discussions about the concept, as well as the concept of "The World Without End is Ending'.  Of course it could be positive also, the formula for success of the KFC Colonel Sanders in selling his formula for cooking chicken (if I recall correctly, he lived out of his car and was rejected over a thousand times before he actually sold it and later became successful), or maybe how many resumes you have to send out before you get a job.

The concept of "the World Without End is Ending" became "...has ended' in 2013.  Of course, it actually ended on September 19.  i guess if you really think about it, there is an overall "World" and a bunch of "mini-Worlds", with the overall World being your life. 

Maybe better not to to read too much into "X+1" or "The World Without End is Ending", although it is fun to discuss it and think about it. 

Miserable looking day  today.  Only good thing, it's not cold enough for freezing rain or snow.  Of course, even the best day can have it's bright spots!

Starting the dreaded process of "weeding" books, papers etc. 

Fall 2013 December 14 Saturday

43 degrees.  Almost seems warm!  Rain most of night, still some rain this morning.  Supposed to be a good week, weather wise, here next week.

We finally made a decision on the "Christmas t-shirts" yesterday.  (It is a secret).  Every year, we purchase a t-shirt for the adult children, grandchildren etc.  It has to be a place we have actually been, so one hint is it is in Memphis or Lakeland!    

I am looking forward to attending "Toastmasters" again.  I haven't attended for a long time since there weren't any meetings around that were close and even reasonably convenient.  I always enjoyed the meetings and speaking and am looking forward to attending some meetings.  I have kept my membership although I have a feeling it may have lapsed when I didn't get an invoice.  For those of you in Toastmasters, I was an ATM-S.  I understand this has all changed, and after 12 years it probably will be good for me to start all over anyway.

Still working on "Evernote".  I hope I can find a short course in it.  I think it could be valuable, but it seems to have some flaws, although maybe they are "user" flaws!  I have a hard time investing the time in learning a program I may not use, although if it works as claimed, it would be wonderful. I still haven't found the article I saved to Evernote (about Evernote!).  

ATC Fitness had a good music station on this morning.  I really like they way they keep it clean and replace items (like shower curtains) on a regular basis.  

I have to admit, NFL Pro Football just isn't getting my attention this year (or really even for the past several seasons).  I watch and think "so what, it's only about the money".  I still enjoy college football and college basketball.  Somehow pro football just isn't interesting any more.  Like they are going through the motions.  Maybe it will get better as the playoffs approach.

Fall 2013 December 9 Monday

32 degrees this morning.  

Although there was no ice this morning, there were a few wet splotches, so I drove to ATC Fitness Center.  I was disappointed they'd changed to a totally inappropriate radio station for a gym (or anything else for that matter).  Usually I can block out the music, but when I have to take a shower there, (when I drive, when I bicycle, I shower at home) I take the blunt of the junk radio station.  

When LA Fitness comes, I may well switch to there just to avoid the radio station!  This morning there was an especially sick caller, don't know who was more sick, the caller, the dj's or the radiot station for allowing it.  (Or the listeners for listening to it.)

Nothing more exasperating (other than maybe trying to spell exasperating) than losing your car keys, even when you KNOW they HAVE to be here!  I finally deduced they HAD to be in my easy chair and of course they were.  Obviously there are a lot worse things that could happen, but that is one time wasting event I don't need in the morning.  I usually use a "silent butler" to put all of my stuff (keys, wallet, phone, watch etc.) and it not only saves time, but also helps avoid "losing" items.  While morning isn't quite as time constrained now as it has been, I am not changing any of my habits.  

Apparently came through the ice storm with our "Weeping Willow" tree bent over.  Hopefully I can get a stick put it in to get it straight again.  

I found a really helpful "pronunciation" "app" for my iPhone and iPad.  It is wonderful for pronunciation but also for finding the correct spelling for a word, it is that intuitive. 

Summer 2013 August 5

Happy Birthday to John and Mary Anne!  (I won't mention their ages, except to say they are my OLDER brother and sister!)

78 degrees this morning.  Able to walk, but light rain prevented me from bicycling to the gym (I drove).

ATC Fitness in Lakeland plays the most horrible music.  It is hard to describe except I'd prefer the cats yowling in the forest at night to this junk.  I think it is supposed to be relaxing, but it just makes me angry for some reason.  Even headphones don't help when I have to take a shower there.

Can't sit out on patio this morning due to rain. Still, I enjoy the house also.  

Aliene made some meat loaf yesterday (my favorite food and she makes the best meat loaf) so I can enjoy it for several days.  

Monday, the weekend is past.  I had a good relaxing weekend, got some work done, and otherwise caught up.