Spring 2014 March 25 Tuesday

37 degrees this morning.  We are in that S L O W period of warming up, where it seems to take forever for summer to get here, even in Memphis.  Some years it is mid-May before it has really warmed up.  I mentioned liking baseball yesterday, but we frequently avoid going to any games until early May, unless we are sure it is going to be warm, because it gets so cool at nights yet, too cool to just sit there and watch a game.  

One of the more fun parts of last weeks visit by Kali and Katherine (among many) was riding the bike with them.  Yesterday, at my afternoon ride, I missed having one of them riding with me.  I always ride my morning ride by myself.  (May have something to do with the time!)

The New York Times had an article about age discrimination this morning (even the old discriminate!)  Until 4 months ago, I wouldn't have agreed with it, now I definitely agree it is pervasive and there is little you can do about it, even when employers literally come out and say it is your age.  In a way it is strange since it is the discrimination that everyone (who lives that long anyway) will face.  It will definitely impact your life if you start looking for a job.  I guess it is a matter of that I wouldn't want to work at a place that views age in that way and go on with life.

Scheduled to work on the "MacBook Air" basics again (along with my iMac desktop) at the Apple Store.  The "one to One" program at Apple is certainly a huge benefit if you own any Apple products (although it is available at it's fullest benefit only for computers and laptops).   I always come away rejuvenated from the sessions and I always learn something.  (By the way, I am always pleased to see that, at least at the Apple Store, there is a wide diversity of "creatives" and "geniuses", with ages of all generations well represented, as well as all segments of society.  That is actually one area where someone could argue that age could be  a criteria, but I see no difference between the very young and the very old employees, they almost are all encouraging and informative, with only a few clinkers here and there.  There was one instance several years ago (when Facebook and Twitter came out) that one of the younger creatives couldn't hide his shock that I had a Facebook page.  This was well before it was commonplace, at least the general feeling was that it was for younger persons, but actually an older person helped me set it up, after I blundered around trying to set it up.

Spent a lot of time yesterday filling out the "Visa" applications for our China trip.  The highlight of the trip is the International City Manager Association (ICMA) International Summit, and a pre-tour Study Tour in Beijing.  We are going to spend a day or two on personal tours also.  I have the air flight,  the hotel reservations etc., but haven't finalized the personal tours.  We decided after a "private" tour in Washington D.C., it was well worth the money to take a short "private" tour of the highlights we want to see. I would never have seen Lincoln's Country Retreat on a regular tour and this gave me time to look at it in detail.

One of the more interesting tours we took in Washington D.C. was the "pedicab" tour, which was relatively inexpensive.  It also scared us at times, being the back end of a bicycle in Washington D.C. traffic.  However, it was fun and we saw things in a different light.  

The upcoming Tennessee City Managers Association conference is having a session on "Leadership lessons from Lincoln".  I am looking forward to the seasons since this has been a special interest of mine.

That's it for now.

Winter 2014 March 6 Thursday

34 degrees this morning (33 degrees Memphis).  

Super good session today at the Conference, I am glad I decided to attend.  Hopefully I will get to apply what I learned in the near future!

While in the Air Force, I was stationed at Hampton Roads Virginia. I drove up to Williamsburg and I remember the historical "downtown" area of Williamsburg.  It wasn't really that far.  

I think of who I was when I first visited Williamsburg, I was probably 25 years old and anxiously waiting to get out of the Air Force so my life could start.  Now I am 66 years old and once again, waiting for my life (work life anyway) to start.  When I was about in the 8th grade, I picked up the mail and check on a neighbor, who always told me she was just waiting for her life to end.  I hope I never get in that situation or feel that way.  I'm not belittling her feelings in any way, I just hope I never feel that way.  I always want to feel there is one more mountain to climb, one more river to cross, one more desert to feel and another friend to see and visit with again.  

I feel a cold coming on, could be just a reaction to the change of location and the unseasonal cold weather.  The cold up here seems colder than in Memphis, probably the wind.  I hate getting a cold and realizing I will feel like I am underwater for the next 7 days.  When I feel it coming on, sometimes I can forestall it by drinking a lot of water and Gatorade.  Sometimes not.  I used to drink a lot of Gatorade, until I realized it was like drinking sugar.  Now I drink it rarely, but I keep it around fro use a needed.  Usually I buy a case of small (12 ounce) bottles, and end up throwing some away since they are out of date and starting to taste bad.  I figure it is better to throw them away then drinking them when I don't need them which is "throwing them away" and possible damaging my health at the same time. 

Winter 2014 January 25 Saturday

30 degrees this morning, some wind made it seem cooler.  Couldn't bike due to hand wound.  Technically I can bike tomorrow, but I may wait another  day.  Sitting in Starbucks, my "third place".  (Actually, my "second place" right now!)

I am surprised at what I can do with my left hand when I have to use it (when I can't use my right hand since I can't grasp with it).  Necessity is the mother of invention, or something like that.

This has been one of the coldest winters since I have been in Tennessee since 2001.  I don't recall it ever getting below 18 degrees or so before and never to single digits, plus it was generally warmer than it has been.  I assume it is one of the cycles we go through.  One winter it warmed up in February and never got cold again.

Getting ready for a conference in China, which should be enjoyable and an experience.  I figured we may never have the time and money again.  It is an ICMA conference that is worth it for me to make some adjustments so I can afford to attend it.  I expect I will learn a lot professionally and personally and it actually is relatively affordable. I usually enjoy planning a trip almost as much as I enjoy taking it, so I am trying to figure out what we can see without committing to too much.  

Actually, I thought I would get a lot of reading done the past two months, but  I really have been too busy with everything else (different projects etc.)

March 2014 January 14 Tuesday

39 degrees this morning.  Looking to be a beautiful day.  In about a month and 1/2, the first signs of Spring should be appearing!

Bicycle in for maintenance/repairs.  Not a lot needs done, another chain, routine maintenance etc.  All I do to my bicycle is ride it and change the batteries (or charge them up) for the lights.  I have tried to learn to change tires etc. My skills simply don't run that way.  I wish they did, but I finally quit butting my head against a wall and admit I am simply a mechanical nincompoop.  (I haven't used that word for a long time!  However I tried to look it up and apparently I misdeeds it.  It says-it actually is in the dictionary-a "stupid or foolish person".  That isn't what I was trying to say, I was just saying I lack basic mechanical skills or abilities.  Anyway:)

However, my lack of skills in fixing the bike limits my bike riding, including my "ride with the sun".  I thought this might be the right year for my "ride with the sun", but I think I need to wait.  We are hoping to go on a trip to China to attend an International City Managers Association  (ICMAI) meeting, probably my one chance to visit China relatively inexpensively and partly tax deductible also!  

I hope to buy another bike soon.  My last bike was a "mountain bike" and I prefer the seating posture of the mountain bike to my present bike.  Not that I don't really like my current bike (a Trek 7500), I really like it.  It has been very reliable and is fun to ride.  I have been riding more lately (other than my daily early morning commute to the gym) and am really enjoying it. 

Too bad the City of Lakeland turned down a $1,200,000 grant for bike paths.  It was  a very poor, shortsighted decision in my opinion.  In addition to eliminating a major danger area for both walkers and bikers, it would have opened up employment and shopping opportunities for all of the residents of that area (about 3,000 people).  Most cities are making this a priority, but....

I have been busy writing and preparing responses.  It takes a lot of time, since I always feel like I can word something just a little better etc.  Even now, after numerous revisions and reviews, I still see an obvious misspelled word!  Part of the problem actually is spell check, which does make some obviously bad interpretations.  

Fall 2013 December 13 Friday

25 degrees this morning.  I'm starting to sound like I just repeating the temperature!  This is about as long of a cold spell as I can remember since moving here.  

Went to a "Breakfast Briefing" yesterday morning.  I was good to get out and visit with people and learn something.

Need to update my journal for the International City Managers Association (ICMA)  "Credentialed Manager" designation.  I have to attend (and report on) 40 hours of training each year to maintain it.  It is a great program.  I have prepared my notes, just need to put them in the journal and get it uploaded by January 1.  It provides me with a good summary of what I learned during the year and how I used it.  

Still learning how to use "Evernote".  I read an article in the New York Times yesterday and made me want to expand beyond the little I use it for now.  It is valuable to pay for it, but I really don't feel I even come close to using it's full potential.  For example, I saved the article on Evernote to Evernote, but now I can't find it!  I will keep trying.  The article mentioned doing one small task at a time.  I always tell purple who want to learn computers or programs to "decide what you want it to do" and they will learn better.  I strongly  believe that, I just need to start practicing what I preach!  I will save this to Evernote every day just to help myself learn it.  

Only a few more days until Winter and the "shortest day of the year".  December 21, I believe