Spring 2014 5 23 Friday

70 degrees this morning.  Trying to sit on the patio, but there is still a slight coolness in the air (sigh).  Normally Memorial Day is about the time it really starts getting hot in the morning, so hopefully this weekend is it.

The Veterans Job Fair went well.  It was very professionally done and while I really wasn't suited or interested in many of the jobs offered, (there were a few which made it well worthwhile going, if nothing else just for the experience) and the organizations/businesses there were very open to questions and providing information.  They even offered a lot of "freebies", which I skipped except for a "string backpack" that I use when I bike and normally break about one every three months.  However, the one I am currently using has lasted for a long time, maybe even a year.

Trying to get my iPhoto library organized.  The most frustrating part has been getting ride of "duplicates, thumbnails and the "faces" that Apple uses that somehow duplicated to about 14,000 images.  The Apple Store staff has been very helpful in helping me approach this.  I'm not sure where Apple recruits for their store, but they hire a lot of really great people.  (They hire a good variety of ages, etc. also, which makes me feel good about the company.)

I don't quite know how my iPhoto library got so disorganized (probably through years of "tu it" delays!), but I am intent on getting it organized into albums and then stored somewhere.  I am actually learning a lot, it is interesting.  Apple apparently added more "1 to 1" staff, which is great, until everyone else learns about it and then it will be hard to get an appointment again!  They have a lot more appointment times available for the "1 to 1 personal", which is either 30 minutes or an hour of direct "1 to 1" training, which is great, because I always learn a lot.  "Open Training" is for when you have a project that you don't need continuous help, but you may need some assistance to help you over  hump and that  is also great.

 I noticed I am just scanning Facebook more and more as more "sponsored" ads and junk are in the "news feed".  Hope I don't miss anything I world really like to see, but I only have so much time. 

Looks like it will be a great day.  I even have another appointment at the Apple Store this mooring, hopefully can break through the problems on iPhoto.  I don't mind spending the time on it, I just hate to waste time.  The time on the patio this morning has been good, even if a little cool, it is good to be back and see the trees, hear the wind through the tress and the birds.

We no longer have our bird feeders.  It just got too messy.  We miss the birds, but it was a continual hassle fighting the squirrels, raccoons and other varmints as well as we weren't sure what type of pests were in our lawn to eat the discarded seeds.

We will try to go to a Redbirds baseball game (or two) this weekend.  That is always fun when the weather is nice. 

Just looked at my gmail account spam folder, I had over 200 spam in the last three days!

That's it for now, Friday, May 23, 2014

Winter 2014 January 30 Thursday

18 degrees this morning.  As an example of this winter, here are the stats that prove it is colder"

High/Low Wednesday:  35/10 (Temperature in Lakeland is normally a little cooler)

NORMAL:  51/33

Record HIgh:  70,  Record low:  5

For good measure, the Mississippi River at Memphis is 5.80, flood stage is 34.  

I love looking at these statistics each day.  I used to keep track of them in my journal, but it became a time thing, and then I quit looking at them every day even though I find them fascinating for some reason.  I especially like to look a the Mississippi level and wonder how this affects people.  

There are a number of persons who live along the Mississippi River (the largest i am aware of near Memphis is across the river on the Arkansas side).  They live in RV's, campers or tents and when the river floods the area you see the Rv's, campers and cars (many of vintage age to say the least) parked along I-40 out of the flooded area.  Not a bad life I guess. (Most of them have jobs etc, they just prefer alternative living arrangements.  

I always think about time, since it is always so scarce.  I am amazed at how much time I waste on "doodling" or just doing small tasks.  For example, some days it takes me 20 minutes after I get up to actually hit the street on my morning walk.  There is no reason I couldn't do it in five minutes, but....  Maybe I need the time for some reason. 

Currently, I feel reading my four favorite newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Commerical Appeal and the on-line USA Today-Sections News, Monday, Tech and Travel only!) take too much time but it is frankly worth it to me.  Some time it may not be, but it is the favorite part of my day.  Responding to e-mail takes a lot less time now.  Facebook takes a few minutes, My fitness Pal takes a little etc. and soon I am out of time for other things!  It is amazing how much time the little things that fill my day takes.  

I had a friend once who emphasized that you have to "delete some events/tasks/habits etc. to add new ones".  I realize it is true, but I don't like it, any more than I like the comment that "Life is a series of Hello and Good-by".  Obviously this is true, but it doesn't mean I have to like it or ever accept it!  

Having just endured a big "Goodby", I can testify it is no fun.  Of course I say "hello" and "goodby" to all kinds of events, items and people.  No matter what I am saying "hello" to Thursday, January 30, 2014 and will say "Goodby" as of midnight, no matter what.  

I always liked the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. I can remember when I first read it (I believe in the 3rd grade or so in one of my brothers high school literature books.  My Dad didn't believe in tv, so I read anything I could get my hands on after I finished my library books!

The Library trip was our favorite.  We would almost always check out the maximum number of books on our weekly trips "to town".  I am always pleased to see the Holton, Kansas Library still there and still well-maintained.  My other primary library memory is the Russell, Kansas library.  If memory is correct, someone donated the funds to the Library for the new building (Kansas has an independent library system, which works well and is a progressive way to fund libraries).  It was a wonderful library, and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Russell, Kansas and Holton, Kansas for their wonderful libraries and the Librarians who tolerated 7 children and 2 adults checking out the maximum books each week!  (I don't know that my Mom and Dad checked out the maximum or not, but all of us kids did.)

Strange that I now live in a city without a Library, although I have excellent access to a number of libraries.  

Winter 2014 January 6 Monday

16 degrees this morning.  A slight wind made it seem cooler, but no snow etc, so it was cold.  Exercised this morning (including walking outside) but did not ride the bike outside.  It's not really that bad.

Strange occurrence yesterday, looked at "Brookstone" for a keyboard and then went to Facebook.  Lo and behold, an ad (they call it a "sponsored post" or something like that) popped on my timeline for a keyboard from Brookstone!  Really crreeped me out and I decided I wasn't going to buy anything from Brookstone.  That is even worse than Amazon.com's creepy "suggestions" which almost never make any sense as something I would be interested in.  Sometimes when you buy an item, (one that you wouldn't buy another one for a long time, if at all), they will keep e-mailing you about sales on that item!  Crrepy, even though I realize that no human being  actually is involved.

Monday, the official end of the "Holidays" and the real start of 2014, as far as work activities go.  I am committing myself to work my normal schedule etc. I haven't changed my exercise schedule and intend on setting up an office here depending on what happens.

I am starting to notice the days "getting longer", which helps me create a positive frame of mind, knowing that Spring and Summer are coming, although probably the worst of  Winter will be in the next two months.

I am +16 libs on my weight goal.  I decided to establish a new goal, now that I have been at my current weight for a year (a 45 lb loss).  I will make a note of how much I have to lost every Monday.  In fact, I will make it a separate post (right after this one)

I'm not sure how long I have been keeping this daily on-line journal now, but it has been long enough it is a habit.          

Summer 2013 September 1

82/81 degrees this morning.  Actually felt cooler today than lower temperatures earlier this week.  (This was at 3 a.m.)  Right now (about 6:30 a.m.) it is cloudy and a light breeze makes it seem even cooler as I sit on may patio in the waning days of Summer.

The middle of a wonderful 3-day weekend, the start of September.  

While I enjoy using Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter etc., I am increasingly put off and irritated by the irresponsible abuse of their attempts at adversing, forcing objectable blogs on users et., hiding the fact that much of the information is advertising.  I make a deliberate effort to avoid purchasing anything that is advertised in that manner.  

I don't think they fully have a grasp of the technology and go back to the TV and radio ways of attempting to intimidate the users with advertising.  I greatly reduced my use of twitter when they started their abusive advertising and the Facebook started inserting their junk advertising into the "timeline', I just quit looking at it and use the messaging feature.  Tumblr keeps throwing objectable "blogs" (read, heavy handed advertising) at me and it is impossible to delete it. All of them try to trick you into clicking on it so they can charge the advertisers for another click.  I expect their behavior will come back to haunt them.  It is about like the political candidates who trash up the neighborhood with their signs-enough if enough.

Aliene shopped for a dress for her Grandson's wedding yesterday.  She is actually relatively efficient as a shopper.  

Listening to "The Willpower Instinct" for a second time.  This morning I listened to the part about where the expectation of pleasure is more powerful than pleasure itself for some people and the "expectation" that you will do good in the future will lead one to negative behavior today.  (For example, we think there is always more time in the future, so we put off doing things we need to do "until we have time".  

What really surprised me was that "doing good" (for example driving a high gas mileage/low polluting car) could lead to excessive behavior in other ways, and a small selection of "healthy food" just being available could lead to unhealthy eating.  In one case, persons who thought about a previous contribution to charity gave 60% less etc.   

Looking forward to catching up on some work and personal stuff today.