Winter 2014 March 14 Friday

47 degrees this morning, but developed into a beautiful day.

I read a comic strip "Zits" that really hit home.  I"ll try to include a copy.   It concerns passwords, I just laughed and laughed about it since it really hit home!

Nice visit with Aliene's brother and sister and their spouses tonight.  Sometimes, no matter what you do, the best times you remember are something like eating takeout pizza and visiting for several hours!   Same as last week when we visited with our friends from Virginia, it's not the tours or anything else you really remember and enjoy, it's the times you just sit down and visit.

Deep into the novel "White Fire"  I don't know it is about a novel that takes me to get involved anymore.  I have learned not to waste my time on something I"m not interested in, so I just steel myself to quit a novel that hasn't grabbed me by a certain time.  I'm not sure when that time is.  Some novels, which are nothing but repeats of earlier novels, I can drop fast.  Yet other novels, which are basically the same thing, grab me!

I can remember when I was in college and for a few years after that, staying up all night reading a novel or book that had grabbed me. (The novel "It" by Stephen King even had me checking the sink and bathtub drains at 2 a.m. in the morning!  It was a while before I truly trusted drains again!. Later I read where he said he should have added an "sh" to the book title, but I really enjoyed it.)

One of the hardest things about giving away books (I never throw the away, I always hope they will have another read by someone) is i always think I will want to read it again!  I have the entire "John Jakes" serial novels he wrote for the centennial, that I probably will never read again. all of the Harry Potter books, all of the Hobbit/Lord of the Ring series, the high school literature books I read in the third grade (and probably never understood for a couple of years in many cases), John Grisham books, Stephen King books, David Badacci,  all my Tony Hillerman books, my Lincoln collection (that I will never get rid of) and many others.

Some of my legendary reads were "Gone with the Wind"  (read straight through from about 4 p.m. to about 7 a.m. the next morning I may be a little off on the times), the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings, 36 straight hours, with some time for naps I am sure.  (Actually I was working, I had to be "on call" and was supposed to stay away, I believe for 18 hours, but I was pulling a double shift).  I never read a book in one sitting anymore, the last book I read in one sitting was "Bright Lights, Big City", I read it as an early snow carperted   the city.  I'm not sure why it fascinated me so much, but I really enjoyed reading it.  Now I am lucky to read a chapter at a time and finish it in several weeks. Maybe "sometime"  I will do it again and finish my books.  I really like Nicholas Evans books, (The Horse Whisperer, the Loop, the Smoke Jumper), but he write so few books, I think those are the only there he has written, although he has written a book about how languages are becoming extinct ($42 in paperback!)

I feel about authors the way people feel about their children or family, you hate to mention one of them in particular because you are scared you will leave one out and you really love them all in their special way since they are all individually important.

Actually I have read more the  past several weeks, "The Circle", Anne Hilllerman's book (I believe the Spiderwomans Daughter) and now White Fire.

Winter 2014 March 11 Monday

39 degrees this mooring, but warmed up to a nice day.

Large part of the day was spent throwing stuff out/getting it ready to donate.  I am trying to use the concept of if I haven't used it and don't see a specific future need for it, it goes out.  (With the exception of my Hot Wheels, although I think they meet the criteria to keep). As usual, the books are the hardest, although I am making progress.  

Started the day off with a very early morning meeting (7:00 a.m., but had to leave at 6 a.m. to get there).    Good meeting, but the travel time will make it difficult to attend.  

Rode bike this afternoon (missed this morning due to the early morning).  Felt good and had the chance to see a large number of people and does to get into the terminal.  I am hoping I can build up to do the "Ride with the Summer" in 2015 and also I may get to chance to ride in "Free Wheel"  (Oklahoma bike ride of about 500 milesI), Ride across Kansas and the Ride Across Tennessee this year as a way to prepare for it.

I will be so glad to see flowers bloom and the trees turn green.  It has been a long winter.

Saw a story on 60 Minutes about how companies keep data about everyone and then try to get the info to sell to a marketing company, which leads to having over 1,000 spam e-mails!  Not only can they follow my data, they can provide information on where I go etc, which is kind of scary.   I may turn off my GPS on my phone, although I don't know why anyone would want to see what I am doing!  After reading "The Circle" I decided to take some steps to keep more information about myself private, so the 60 Minutes story came at the right time.  They mentioned two companies "harvest" and store the data, but don't sell it, which is almost scarier than the companies htt sell it.

Discovered today that the Tennessee Employment Security Commission is a joke.  Spent about two hours trying to get through with a simple question before I gave up.  I wonder how many others give up?  Just another example of the fat cat politicians bragging about "streamlining" or cutting is just political BS, they are actually drastically eliminating services pandering to the lowest common denominator to buy votes by screaming how they are "saving" money by hurting  to some of the people who need the services the most. 

I expect this will bite them hard eventually.

Winter 2014 March 9 Sunday

37 degrees this morning.  Also Daylight Savings Time, which means the "bite" of Spring Forward.  I love the idea of Spring arriving, but I don't like the time to "Spring Forward".  While I don't mind traveling west and having "gain" an hour (or two), I really don't like to go east and "lose" an hour.  I always feel like I can feel it.

Still trying to get all of my stuff sorted out.  It is a continuous process that somehow I never quite get caught up.  

I need to complain some more about the Logitech keyboard for the iPad Air.  Do NOT buy this keyboard!  It has to be the worst keyboard I ever purchased and I decided I will never buy anything from Logitech again (similar to how i quit buying Samsung, the products, for me, just never work out to be reliable or something I like. Except in Logitects case, the keyboard doesn't fit right, doesn't work and they won't respond to my complaints about it, in fact they have it rigged so you can't even get ahold of them.  I will probable send a letter tot the CEO and advise him of how I feel.  If someone felt that way about a product I made, I would certainly want them to tell me.

i keep telling myself Spring is only 11 days away, although whether that is only on the calendar remains to be seen!

Finished the book "The Circle".  Somewhat interesting concept, and it actually could happen, but....

Winter 2014 February 19 Wednesday

61 degrees this morning.

I will be glad to say "goodby" or at least "see you in six months" to my winter walking clothes.  It is strange, many of them I have had for years and literally never worn until this winter, when I have worn almost all of them at some time.  It will be so nice this Spring and Summer to simply put on a t shirt, shorts and my bandanna "hat" and go to a walk and bike ride!  

Went to the Doctor yesterday for normal appt.  I always feel a sense of relief when I leave without being advised I have some dread disease or major problem.  Actually, the nurse took my blood pressure (100/68) looked at my lab results (all within limits) and asked "what was I doing here!".  The Doctor (who is a great Doctor) went over everything and of course, suggested I watch out for low blood pressure.  He explained as I lost weight (which is very slow now, but at least decreasing), my blood pressure also went down.  If I started feeling dizzy when I got out of a chair etc., it could be low pressure. 

Applying for Medicare, a stage of passage, I guess.  It has been rather bewildering even for me, and I am used to regulations.  I made the mistake of filling out an on-line questionnaire for information and got 10 phone calls and 5 e-mails in 10 minutes.  The phone literally ran 30 seconds after I made the mistake of hitting send, putting my phone number on it.  In fairness, all the calls were polite and non-pushy.  Since I am enrolling under a special exception (I didn't apply at 65 since I had employer coverage), I had to call and couldn't enroll over the internet.  When I finally got through, the representative was courteous, knowledgable and courteous, but I still haven't gotten the information I need to fill out and send back by February 28. I at least understand my options, thanks to Consumer Reports and the information provided by Medicare.

Still thinking about starting a private business.  The more I think about it, the more I like it.  I have a lot of self-initiative and can work independently.  I am brainstorming now.  I get so angry when I hear about some of the people who are discriminated against because of their age that I feel I ought to try to do something in that area.  Oddly enough, I don't resent it as far as I personally am concerned, at least for City Manager positions.  I feel the elected officials should be able to hire whom they want, if my age is a problem so be it, that is their problem.  Some of the other stories I hear (being laid off right before retirement, led on and then laid off etc. just infuriate me.  While it isn't legal (age discrimination) it is very hard to prove and most people don't want to file complaints or lawsuits for that or even very overt hostile worksite situations.  

Watching Richard Engel (NBC Foreign Correspondent).  It is amazing where he turns up, I really wonder what kind of life he has.  I really admire him for the work he does.  I don't believe I would want to do it (maybe 40 years ago).  He turns up everyplace.  

Reading "The Circle" and trying to decide if I am going to continue.  So far it has kept my interest, but I hope it doesn't degenerate into complete fantasy.  I don't mind fantasy (I loved "Snowcrash") as long as they don't degenerate into one of those things that "I can't describe it,but I know it when I read it"!  One of my secret vices is "Jack Reacher" novels (Lee Child), I devour them as soon as they come out and frequently listen to the audiobook also.