Spring 2014 5 28 Wednesday

66 degrees this morning.  Some rain last night, also somewhat cloudy this morning, but no problem with walking or bicycling.

Thinking this morning about "X+1".   I heard the story about Test Pilots were asked how many times they could flout the rules when they tested their new airplanes (I expect you don't expect a test pilot to follow the rules) and their answers was "X+1", with X the number of times you did it and +1 when you got caught or wrecked!  

I always enjoyed this concept and have used it in many different situations.  I think the "+1" is the reason that you keep on living and pushing regardless of the situation.  Anyway, it is fun to think about it and apply it in different situations.

Currently my status is "Change is coming".  No matter what, the "World without end is ending" and some type of change will take place, especially in the career situation, where we live and other factors.   I look forward to change and like variety and stimulation in daily life, but I also like the stability of a regular job and knowing I am going to live somewhere for at least a while.  It is likely we may be moving in the near future and my job status could change suddenly (or not), which will make the Summer of 14 the time of the most changes in our lives since the Fall of 2001.  In that case, the change was structured and I/we were in charge of the change.  This change is wildly unstructured and we have final action of approval of any change, but we don't really have any control over the change.  If that makes any sense.

My MacBook Air is back, but the problem still isn't fixed.  All they can say is they "can't replicate" the problem.  I understand that but it seems like there has to be a reason.  I haven't really searched the Internet yet for answers and that may be the key.  I'm sure I'm not the only one having this problem.  It is good to have it back, although I am always pleased at the versatility of the iPad when I have to use it.

Back to changes in our lives, I really expect we will be moving sometime in late June.  Where or why we don't know yet.  It may depend on a job, it may depend on the house being sold, or there is a good chance it could depend on both. 

I both look forward to the change and regret the loss of some of the routine and friends I have come to enjoy as part of the fabric of my daily life, knowing that the change will be a major loss and change for us as well as others.  

The trees in back of our house are in full "leaf", which provides a completely different atmosphere from Winter.  I am stilling on the patio, enjoying the patio and the trees (I call it the forest) and the birds welcoming the day.  Some morning I will record the birds and post the sound track.  The birds beautify the air with a burst of sounds in the morning, unlike later on in the day.  

I spend several hours at the Apple Store yesterday, getting ready for my iPhoto structuring.  I'm not sure how I will find time for it if we are packing etc., but I expect I will work on it a bit at a time.  I decided to do the latest events first, since I will remember them better and maybe it will put my mind in shape to structure the earlier events.  I am putting all my photos on a hard drive and working just off that hard drive.  

I am working more on Evernote.  The support staff has been good about analyzing my problems/questions and suggesting thoughtful answers. I still feel like I'm not using it to it's full potential, but then that is true of all my computer problems!  

That's it for Wednesday, May 28, 2014.  

Spring 2014 April 17 Thursday

37 degrees this morning.  

Learned more about iMovie yesterday at the Apple Store.  It is a fascinating program and can really do a lot.  I learned aspects of it I didn't have any idea even existed.  Of course, I don't take video that often, (except by accident), but I do have fun with it and it will be entertaining.  Probably use it more for work.  

The special effects, the music, maps etc. you can put with it is relatively easy, just a matter of time and learning.  My problem is I get stuck on something minor and there I am.  The Apple Store has a good answer for this with their "Open Session" where you work on a project and ask for help when needed.  (The 1 to 1 is literally a single teacher instructing you in the subject, which is wonderful.)

Probably will accept a contract on our  house today (or at least a counter-offer).  We love the house and hate to think of leaving it.  It is a wonderful house in a wonderful location.   On the other hand, we've only had it on the market for two weeks, so we may wait.  We are in no hurry to move, unless I get a job somewhere outside of this area.

Picked up my beloved MacBook Air yesterday.  It is nice to have it back. I got along fairly good without it, but I am glad to have it back.  It is so much more convenient, and actually a lot faster than other computers.  (Something to do with the flash drive, I think.)  I worked on iMovie on it and it is  very fast. I think the problem with my iMac is that iPhoto ran amok with "faces"  (I ended up with almost 60,000 pictures and got rid of 20,000, but I still have 40,000 pictures) and I think it is using up all of the processing power.

Evernote sounds like such a good idea, I just can't seem to get used to using it.  I used to to keep my car mileage and things like that on it, and the books I wanted to read, but that is hardly using it at it'll highest capacity.  Kind of like using a computer as a glorified typewriter, although I don't even know if they make typewriters anymore.

By the way, I need to praise Staples Office Supply.  After becoming throughly frustrated at FedEx Office trying to make up a business card with two sides (one English, one Chinese) and being stymied by FedEx bureaucratic requirements to use their templets, colors etc. and the inability to insert the Chinese Language, and wasting several hours on this, I went to the Staples web site and ordered a double-sided business card in exactly what I wanted in a matter of minutes!  A wonderful representative (I wish I had gotten her name) helped me when I realized my order wouldn't get to me before a meeting, she even redirected my order so I would get it prior to the meeting!  THAT is customer service!  

We're still thinking about the contract on the house. It is for less than we really want for the house, but there is some other factors which would increase the value of the offer to us.  A hard decision to make.

That's it for now.

Spring 2014 April 6 Sunday

46 degrees this morning, but seems to be warming up faster.  Also, trees and grass are greening up and the early trees and flowers are ballooning.

Ate our normal breakfast at "Steak n Shake" this morning.  We have eaten breakfast there (if I remember right) at least once per week on a regular basis for about 10 years.  We usually go on Sunday morning now.  We know the Manager, most of the personnel and even many of the customers who have the same patterns.  It is kind of like a small town restaurant.  The food is good, the service is usually great and it is relatively close.  The cooks even know to start preparing the "Gluten Free" environment when Aliene walks in!  (The grill has to be  cleaned off for her eggs and bacon.)  The Manager is great, and somehow doesn't  go nuts supervising young adults, most of whom are working at their first jobs.    We eat lunch or supper there occasionally, but we almost always eat our Sunday breakfast there.  For awhile, we ate their both Saturday and Sunday, but for some reason settled on Sunday.  Probably due to the Manager as much as anything, it is a great place to eat.  The Manager actually manages three Steak n Shakes in the area.  I like it so much several years ago (around 2008 during the downturn) I even bought some Steak n Shake stock for my IRA.  It did well, a huge percentage increase, although not much in absolute terms since it wasn't a lot of money.  Steak n Shake is now part of a company kind of like Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffet), so I own a few shares of that but it's not as much fun as directly owning Steak n Shake.  Maybe they will spin it off in the future.   The strawberry shakes at Steak n Shake are great, second only to Braums.  However, the nearest Braums to Memphis is about 280 miles (exit 13 off of I-40 in Alma, Arkansas).  Actually, for health/weight reasons, I rarely eat strawberry shakes anymore, but when I do, it is really a special treat.

Braums only goes as far as one of their trucks can deliver (supposedly so everything is fresh) so most Braum's are within 8  hours of Tuttle, Oklahoma, which is slightly southwest of OKC..

Finished "Lincoln's Boys"  (about Lincoln's Private Secretaries).  It was a good book.  Haven't decided what to start now, need to catch up on some magazines etc. The book was good, it shed some light on other reading I had done by them.

I am going to tty to set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network).  It apparently provides more security when you use the internet from a public place (like Starbucks or some hotels) plus, the main thing, is so I can access some websites that are blocked in China.  It appears simple, but.... I found a web site that has a very good description of how to set up a free one, but somehow "simple" to them isn't "simple" to me.  I may try it tonight or at least this week.  I have my first Apple Computer, an iMac G5 that I can't part with and it is still humming away in the front room.  It is probably 9 years old, and I think it is a about 7 generations old.  My "new"one is two generations old!  Of course, they released a "New" generation about three months after I bought it, so it was obsolete in three months.

I quickly learned to check the web sites and find out when NOT to buy Apple (and other products) based on when a new model was coming out.  So far it was worked well for my iPad Nano, iPhone(s) and my MacBook Air which I bought about a month after release.  I actually try to buy my computers on "sales tax free" weekend, which may be a poor reason but it makes me feel good.  Actually I use my Discover Card for 5% off and then get 9.25% tax free, so it's not bad.  I need to buy a computer every three years to maintain my "1 to 1" membership.  I'm due to buy one this year, but I'm not sure what I need.  Maybe a MacBook Pro., or the new edition of the MacBook Air, which I consider the best computer made.  The ten hour battery (actually more, since I turn it on at 3 a.m. and put it on the charger at 10:30 p.m. and it is almost never completely down.  Of course if I use it continuously the battery will run down about 7 p.m.

It is funny how the forest in back of our house looks so sparse in Winter, and so full in Summer.  The leaves on the trees really hide the forest.  Kind of like some people I know.

I think I'll get out my remote control car and try it out (maybe after I do the VPN), that is operated by an iPhone.  I had a little problem explaining that to Aliene, except that I had a $30 off coupon for it.  

Got the recall package for the Fitbit Force.  I love it, but since they are recalling it, it probably means I could never get it repaired.  

That's it for today.

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 February 16 Sunday

39 degrees.  Still seems colder than that, I guess the continued cold has gradually seeped into my  body infrastructure.  Or more likely, the 85 degree weather I enjoyed last Sunday through Wednesday spoiled me!

I had a problem with my MacBook Air, basically concerning use of iMessage and FaceTime.  I called Apple and was amazed at the time and care the Apple representatives took to resolve the problem.  I started with one and was transferred to a more experienced specialist (I assume).  He kept working on the problem.  After I advised him I had an appointment at the local Apple Store "Genius Bar" he asked me to contact him and tell him what the problem was so he would recognize it in the future.  I don't think it was an act, he felt a real concern that he couldn't solve the problem and it bugged him!    I went to the "Genius Bar" where the "Genius" worked on it in a very dedicated matter until he found the problem, which was a fluke type of cause (my clock time was set incorrectly due to me traveling to another time zone and the program refused to work since the time showed as the future, which didn't compute, or something like that!.  I e-mailed the Apple representative and advised him of the solution.

This holiday will honor my favorite President and historical figure, Abraham Lincoln.  I actually have an extensive library on him and have read a lot of books on him.  While in Washington D.C. last year, I went to his "country house", where he spent a lot of time by himself, or with friends, to get away from the White House.  I never tire of reading about him.  Partially due to my being in Tennessee, partially my reading about Lincoln and partially due to a wonderful tour of Gettysburg, I have also read a lot about the Civil War.

My newspapers arrived "on time" Saturday and Sunday so hopefully Friday was a one-time glitch.

Winter 2014 February 1 Saturday

55 degrees this morning.  Actually the forecast is for colder weather, although it should reach 60 degrees today.  In my "second place"  (Starbucks) on a Saturday morning. Busy weekend and week of preparing for several events.  

While computers are wonderful, sometimes it is just easier to read printed material, so I got a new toner cartridge and printed out some material I need to review.  

Disappointed to learn the the lack of volume in my (less than six month old) MacBook Air has a defect that Apple Computer is ignoring.  I almost never use volume on my MacBook, so I didn't even realize it was a problem until this week.  On reviewing various Apple Computer sites, I learned it apparently is a defect in the computer. However, I am heading to the "genius bar" and will see what I can find out.  Of course, as usual, the Genius Bar appointments aren't available until next Tuesday (this is Saturday), so I'll see if I can get in for a no-show.  In addition, I found out that the ocassional problem in signing out of Gmail (which is an irritation) is ALSO an Apple Computer problem that they are trying to blame on Google.  I may need to rethink my loyalty to (premium priced) Apple products after my experience last week!  

Speaking of "trolls", I was surprised to find that Google/Youtube had blocked my music on a Youtube video (which is when I learned about the volume problem on my computer) because some "copyright troll" was claiming the copyright on the music.  However, it is totally original music (with some Garage Band music that is all in the public domain).  I went to protest this and of course received a threatening note from Google that they would cancel my account if I protested and they found in favor of the copyright troll!  Welcome to 1984, except big business is the villain. I will probably protest anyway, because it just isn't right that some troll company goes around claiming copyrights they don't have.  Probably try to extort some money of "grant" me use of my own music!  And of course, Google is there helping them along, I"m sure for a good sum of money.

Reminds me of some music outfit that kept trying (in my opinion) to extort "licensing fees" from the City.  I received numerous calls that were basically veiled threats that they would attack us legally if the City didn't pay "protection" fees (sounds like the Mafia!).  Of course, they had some fancy name for it (licensing fees" or something like that).  Even an attorney said it was "easier to pay", but I never paid and won't, since there is no way the City was using any music copyrights.  The tyranny of the computers and big tech companies and, like always, someone trying to find an easy way to get money.

Fall 2013 October 25

39 degrees.  Really not that bad.  Bike ride (the outside part) and walk was fine.

Comcast internet was apparently down this morning.  Thank goodness I have backup DSL.  The DSL has always been spotty, but it is working great with my MacBook Air.  

Time is a real problem in the morning.  I know I need to set priorities on getting things done, but I schedule things so close, any little thing (such as having to take the dishes out of the dishwasher!, which just happened) can throw off my schedule.  I love the morning time, but it is "hyper time" that seems to move twice as fast.  

Friday,  I am looking forward to the weekend, mainly as a time I can catch up on some work and other things!