Winter 2014 January 11 Saturday

54 degrees this morning.  

Sitting in Starbucks on a Saturday morning.  Sun is actually shining, supposed to warm up.

Been working on taking pictures of my Hot Wheels collection.  Current efforts are at  http://robertwherryhotwheelscollection.tumblr.com.  Just getting started posting the pictures so there may/will be some revisions later.  Note that I probably have over a thousand Hot Wheels, so it will be awhile before I get it completed, in fact I will probably never get it completed, as such.  Even if I get all of the cars on there (which is a big maybe), I will be continuing to add and revise.  I still buy them, and occasionally, when I am in Oklahoma City at the right time, I go to a Hot Wheels show, which is really nice.  I was surprised when I took my granddaughters to the show several years ago (they are 14 and 11 now, so they were probably 12 and 9 then), and they both loved it.

Not sure why, at my age, I still buy them and enjoy them, but I figure is it a relatively inexpensive hobby when each one is less than $1, at least in most cases.  I tend to target more now, buying race cars an Ferraris and any car like one I have ever owned or even liked for that matter.  I also like to buy construction and public safety vehicles/equipment Hot Wheels if they are well done.

By the way, it isn't just "Hot Wheels", I also have a lot of Matchbox and some other brands/generic ones that I have picked up over the years.  If I like them, I buy them, but I normally get Hot Wheels.  I also have some larger ones that I will post also.  

This is a project I have been working on for some time.  I think the right equipment (an iPad miniI) and time (Tumblr) has arrived.  I probably will try to upload the pictures to Blogger and Google Plus also.  It is fun right now, as time goes on it could become a hassle (when I learn how to do it!), so I am just doing a few at a time so I don't get tired of it. 

Almost the middle of January.  We will have some decisions to make shortly which will have long term effects.  Still have  a couple of opportunities I will see if anything comes of.

Our weeping willow tree was bent over from the ice storm (the ice broke the stick that kept it straight), so I need to figure out how to get it straightened up before the growing period begins.  

Summer 2013 September 1

82/81 degrees this morning.  Actually felt cooler today than lower temperatures earlier this week.  (This was at 3 a.m.)  Right now (about 6:30 a.m.) it is cloudy and a light breeze makes it seem even cooler as I sit on may patio in the waning days of Summer.

The middle of a wonderful 3-day weekend, the start of September.  

While I enjoy using Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter etc., I am increasingly put off and irritated by the irresponsible abuse of their attempts at adversing, forcing objectable blogs on users et., hiding the fact that much of the information is advertising.  I make a deliberate effort to avoid purchasing anything that is advertised in that manner.  

I don't think they fully have a grasp of the technology and go back to the TV and radio ways of attempting to intimidate the users with advertising.  I greatly reduced my use of twitter when they started their abusive advertising and the Facebook started inserting their junk advertising into the "timeline', I just quit looking at it and use the messaging feature.  Tumblr keeps throwing objectable "blogs" (read, heavy handed advertising) at me and it is impossible to delete it. All of them try to trick you into clicking on it so they can charge the advertisers for another click.  I expect their behavior will come back to haunt them.  It is about like the political candidates who trash up the neighborhood with their signs-enough if enough.

Aliene shopped for a dress for her Grandson's wedding yesterday.  She is actually relatively efficient as a shopper.  

Listening to "The Willpower Instinct" for a second time.  This morning I listened to the part about where the expectation of pleasure is more powerful than pleasure itself for some people and the "expectation" that you will do good in the future will lead one to negative behavior today.  (For example, we think there is always more time in the future, so we put off doing things we need to do "until we have time".  

What really surprised me was that "doing good" (for example driving a high gas mileage/low polluting car) could lead to excessive behavior in other ways, and a small selection of "healthy food" just being available could lead to unhealthy eating.  In one case, persons who thought about a previous contribution to charity gave 60% less etc.   

Looking forward to catching up on some work and personal stuff today.