Winter 2014 March 19 Wednesday

54 degrees this morning, windy, so still very cool.  Spring is almost here.  I did see some Crocuses the other day (or what I call Crocus), which to me means Spring is here, with maybe a freeze or two left!

When we go out to eat with Katherine and Kali, we are probably a test to the server.  Kali is a vegan, Aliene can't tolerate gluten and I try to avoid carbs (except in fruit and vegetables).  Katherine will eat anything if she is in the mood for it.  Most restaurants are actually unfazed by it.  

It is strange what is difficult to toss or give away.  Some of the smallest things, many that I got free or have little actual value that I could buy anywhere for very little, are the most difficult to throw away.  For example, the "gimme" notebooks that I have lugged around for 10 years.  Surely it is time to toss or give them to a good home that will use them!  Ditto on many books, especially technical books for devices I no longer have!

Some books I will never give away, including "Watership Down", my collection of books on Lincoln, my Tony Hillerman books (including paperbacks), my collection of literature books I read when I was a child, my copy of "SnowCrash", Silent Spring etc.  As they say, so many books, so little time.  I love each book in it's own way.  Even the books I know I will never read, I have a hard time discarding.  My one positive factor is that if someone wants to read it, I will give it to her without pause.  Books need to be read!  

I actually don't have any real problem with e-books or e-magazines or e-papers.  Many bigger books are difficult to read since they get heavy.  On a long trip, having books on my iPad vs. lugging a bunch of books is not a difficult decision.  Ditto my subscription to a service that provides e-magazines for $10 per month, and my e editions of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Commercial Appeal.  I still read (and greatly prefer) the physical newspaper, but at least the e-edition is there.  They still have a lot of little problems come up, but overall they do a good product.

T shirts are the hardest thing to get rid of, since many of them are souvenirs and remind me of an event or person etc., especially a run, bike ride or some special event.  The ones that are too big, I finally packed away.  I believe I have compromised with Aliene that, of the ones that fit me that I know I will wear "sometime", I am packing them away, to see the light of day elsewhere.

However, I don't want to become like some people I know, and spend more than an item is worth to store it for years!  (This usually happens with furniture, and with the exception of my library card case, I have little attachment to furniture).  I was rather surprised at my impressive collection of knives I have picked up over the years.  They are small and easy to store, but when I need one.....

Just like pens and pencils, I have a bundle of them, but when I need one I can't find one!

That's it for today.

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 February 27 Thursday

21 Degrees this morning!  Spring, where are you!

Currently in my "second place" (Starbucks).  Early this morning to get car serviced, which is always an expensive proposition!  At least the car dealership has a nice waiting area with free coffee and water and even snacks and a light meal.

In the throes of making a final decision about medicare advantage plan (or supplement).  Fortunately we can change in six months or so if I pick the wrong one.  

In a waiting stage right now, as I wait for responses etc.  I have been busy sending out resumes, looking at medicare plans and similar items.  Now I am starting on my the China plans.  I should have been a travel agent. I really enjoy planning trips, probably more than I enjoy taking them.  In the case of the China trip I probably will also use a travel agent.   I have enjoyed reading about China, how to travel there, various tours etc.  I have even started to re-listen to Henry Kissinger's "China" to remember some of the history and culture.  I don't think I could ever learn to use chopsticks, but I can try.  One problem is I hate to commit to a specific flight since it is so expensive to change the flight and my plans could change. 

My jaw is a little swollen from the surgery this morning, for some reason.  I always get a little worried about that.  It doesn't hurt tho, which is good.  This phase was a lot better than the first phase, even though it did include a small graft. I will be glad to get it completed.

in spite of the cold, the sun is out today, which is nice.  

I started reading a book by Anne Hillerman, Tony Hillerman's daughter.  He was one of my favorite writers and i actually met him and had him sign a book for me when he appeared at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.  So far she appears like she is maybe a little different writer than her father, but just as good in her own way.  I"ll read it and see.  I have been agonizing over medicare and the health plan so I haven't read a lot of it, but so far it has been an interesting read and I'm going to set aside several hours to enjoy it.