76/79 degrees this morning. Walked and weights, but didn't cycle again. I have a meeting in Jackson, so I have to leave early, so I decided not to push it. Hopefully will get started back tomorrow.
Obviously, remember September 11, 2001, as well as April 19, 1995. Almost like you can't believe it's happening, but you know it is. I have a hard time believing has been 12 years since the Twin Towers and almost 19 years since Oklahoma City. I was in Oklahoma City when on April 19 and the weeks and months after so I saw the continued impact of the destruction and all it entails.
I think that is something I always try to remember is the "long tail" of any action, the effects of an act you can't predict and how it affects you in a myriad of ways that you did't expect and frequently didn't want.
The saying "First, do no harm" is perhaps a good start to actions.
It has been in incredibility busy two days (Monday and Tuesday). Hopefully get some relief to day and get some time to get some things done that I have to get done.
I am taking a class this morning to get some of the required hours for the "Certified Municipal Finance Officer" (CMFO) training. A super program, it includes 11 full days of instruction with a test over the material for each day (that is 11 days over the period of a year, not straight through). It requires 24 hours of "continuing education" training each year, which is good.
Unfortunately, the opportunity to get hours isn't as good in West Tennessee (which I found is frequently the neglected part of Tennessee) as in other areas of Tennessee so I have to take every opportunity to obtain the certification hours.
A short thunderstorm yesterday afternoon shut down the City e-mail and phone service. You forget how important it is until you don't have it
Poem today from "The World Without End is Ending" is " Winter Sundays", probably written as a special assignment, I'm not sure what. The first part refers to my Father, who grew up in an orphanage that would probably be considered child abuse in today's world. He saw his sister about once a year and got an orange once a year at Christmas. Reading on the orphanage in later years, I expect he was telling the truth and probably not telling us some other events that would have stunned us. He worked his way through collage, which I think the "shoveling coal" probably refers to.
I doubt that this ever actually happened, except he did listen to WIBW , Topeka pubic radio and "Music of the Masters" on Sunday while (I assume) he took a nap, maybe he was only meditating. Actually I enjoy classical music and did even as a child.
I have always been entranced by fiddle and violin music. My Mom told me once, even as a child, when I heard a violin or fiddle, I would stop everything and listen to the violin or fiddle music.
WINTER SUNDAYS
Sundays, my Father
Walked briskly in the early morning cold
Heels crunching on the frozen grass
And describing his early life of
Shoveling coal for little pay
Oranges only at Christmas
Life without electricity, running water
And money, while I
Walked with him
And dreamed of a future
Of thundering red Corvettes
Travel to beaches and mountains
And plenty of money
Sunday afternoons
He listened to classical music
During his after dinner nap
Dreaming of the good old days while
I listened to the Orange Blossom Special
And the Black Mountain Rag
Captured crooks
With the Hardy Boys
And dreamed of fiddling
With Bob Willis and the Texas Playboys
Dilemmas
In the magical kingdom
Of life
