Spring 2014 June 18 Wednesday

79 degrees this morning, wonderful day on the patio.  Sounds a little strange, but there is a coolness in the air.

Life on the edge.  

--Our Air conditioning is out.  Maybe lucky, maybe not, when we listed the house, we purchased a "home warranty" (which includes the AC) and in a "what the heck" moment, made it effective immediately rather than just for the new buyer.  A shock that our AC is out, but I'm glad the have the warranty.  Our normally HVAC person guarantees priority service, so we will try the home warranty person first.  Fortunately the ceiling fans etc. kept us cool during the night.  As the day goes on it could get worse.  Currently it is 81 degrees in the house, not bad right now, but obviously will get hotter as the day goes on.

-We may be closing Monday, June 23 and have to be out of the house Monday or...maybe not.  It basically depends on an inspection today by the insurance company on whether the roof is covered by insurance.  If not, the closing will probably be off.  

We have looked at houses in another area and have arranged to have our household items stored for awhile until we find another house, but ....  Of course then there is all the "goodbye's which have to be said, if we are moving Monday, if not we don't want to say goodbye until we have to.  I didn't realize "goodbye" was "spelled "goodbye" until spell check insisted on it this morning.  I normally say "goodby", which spell check insists is wrong!  Kind of like "separate" , for years I spelled it "seperate" until spell check taught me different.

-Both of us are juggling dental and medical appointments, not sure if we will be here next week or not.  My "opening up" appointment on my teeth implants was delayed until August since the surgeon decided it was too early.

-We have to continue packing as if we are moving, but, at the same time, make sure we can live here for an indefinite period if the closing doesn't go through.

-On top of that, I have an hour and one/half computer test tomorrow (I get an e-mail and have 1 1/2 hours to complete it from the time the e-mail arrives to complete it and send it back).  I am studying to refresh my memory on Excel and Word etc. on top of everything else.

Anyway, somehow life seems normal!  I think is it the fact that both of us, since late November, have realized life will never be the same as it has for the past 12 years, so we need to be flexible and adapt fast!  The hardest part will be leaving some wonderful friends in Lakeland and, to a somewhat lesser degree, leaving our wonderful house and patio.  Nothing we say even comes close to the house we have now, or especially the patio.  

I think the moving, and to some degree, the changes, are making me much more aware of buying "things".  I am going to have to really want something to buy a "thing" in the future. I think the problem is that I can't get rid of "things".  I have stuff that would almost cost nothing (will, not much) to replace and it is literally cheaper to buy it in the future IF I need it.  This includes clothes, tv's (that are obsolete anyway), radios, electrical wires that I have no idea what they are used for, flashlights that don't work, luggage that I never use and of course, clothes, clothes, clothes.  

Hot Wheels? No way, they are worth it!  In fact, if I can find the space.... Actually, I got started photographing and cataloging my collection of Hot Wheels (and Matchbox and other brands) but had to stop since they are considered "clutter" (by some people, especially potential house buyers), so we had to pack them away.  I expect to continue to enlarge my collection of Hot Wheels etc., but I probably won't get anything larger.  Much as I hate too, I know I need to weed my books, since they deserve to be read.  

We plan on having a "family giveaway" after we move, we will put stuff out, if they want it, they can have it, otherwise we are donating it to Charity.  This includes luggage, bags, clothes, and who knows what else.  Aliene and I had one garage sale once, and we decided never again.

I just happened to think, if the house closing does go through Monday, we will be "homeless" at least for several days or longer.  Of course, I don't want to move again for a long time, so the selection of a house is important.  Since we are intending to rent, we will have the option, but also are at the mercy of someone drastically increasing the rent, although it normally doesn't happen.

Just checked and the Summer Solstice is June 21 this year.  A really neat web site "Apples4theteacher.com".  

Three days until the official start of Summer.

That's it for now, Wednesday, June 18, 2004.  

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.

Summer 2013: August 2

Coolish this morning (70 degrees).  

TGIF.  I am ready for a weekend, although the week seemed to fly by.  Finishing a long process today of final interviews for a Receptionist/Administrative Assistant position.  Three very qualified persons, which means at least it is a positive choice, although a difficult choice.

Listening to "Steve Jobs", who believed in (and practiced) a minimalist life style.  I look around and see how possessions have taken ownership of me, not always a negative.  I tend to hang on to things (especially books and clothes) until they wear out.  

i remember when I first started working I rented everything so I wouldn't have to worry about it.  As the years went by, I accumulated items, and now look aghast at all the stuff.  However, I have a hard time giving away my books, even ones I haven't touched for years, my clothes (I recently lost enough weight to justify keeping some clothes for years on the basis that "I could wear them when I lost weight!, which is a wonderful feeling!  I want to throw away all of my "too large" clothes, but Aliene insists on putting them away "just in case".  

Of course, my Hot Wheels (Matchbox etc.) collection will die with me.  I will always pack them up and take them with me.  I will probably leave them to an orphanage or someplace where they will be used.  Or maybe a museum if there is such a thing as a "Hot Wheels Hall of Fame".  I don't know why I am so attached to toy cars (and similar vehicles), but it is an inexpensive hobby and one that I enjoy.  I actually bought my first "Hot Wheels" car in 1980, when my daughter was less than a year old.  Over the years, I pick them up, with no real purpose in mind, just nice or unique to look at.  I have a lot of race cars.  I don't "play" with them, but I do like to display them and change the displays.  

One reason August was always my favorite month probably was because it was the "birthday month".  John and Mary Anne were born on the same day (August 5) exactly one year apart and I came along 3 years later on August 6. We would aways combine into one big birthday part, usually at the swimming pool.

I can remember the swimming lessons we had when we were kids.  We would actually walk (on mud roads in bare feet" for over three miles to be picked up by a bus and then we would walk back three miles.  (It may be 4 1/2 miles). That is the absolutely truth!