Spring 2014 April 18 Friday

55 degrees this morning.  

ATC Fitness was light this morning, probably due to Good Friday and Easter Weekend, but I have noticed that Friday is always a really slow day.  Saturday and Sunday I am frequently the only one there (at the time I go) while Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I expect there are at least 30 people there exercising.  Monday is kind of a mixed day, but Friday is always light.

Hockey and boxing are two sports I rarely watch, but I like when I do watch.  (I also like stock car racing but rarely watch it due to the time involved.  Formula one is always interesting and short enough I enjoy them.)  Started watching the "St. Louis Blues" and the "Chicago Blackhawks" last night, actually during the first overtime.  I was able to finish watching it this morning.  I think what I like about both boxing and hockey is the intensity involved, especially in the overtime.  In boxing, one mistake and that's it, in overtime hockey, the same thing could happen.  I think that is what i like, even though Hockey is a team sport, there is an intensity it has that I don't see in pro basketball (which i never watch) and pro football.  Anyway, that is my perception.  

I never have liked the "shoot-outs" to decide the game.  It seems rather strange (as well as unfair) to play a game based on one situation and then decide the game based on something completely different.  Of course, I have to remember it is just entertainment, not the real world (although the money is certainly real world!).  

In the game last night, I can imagine the disappointment of the Blackhawks.  I wasn't really for either team (highly unusual for me) since I like both Chicago and St. Louis, and both the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals are my favorite baseball teams.  While I don't watch pro basketball, I really have a lot of respect for the Memphis Grizzles, both as a team and for the players as individuals.  They have a lot of class and contribute a lot to the community.

Catching up on my "Wired" magazines.  Like a lot of magazines I get behind because I want to read them "when I can concentrate on it".  I learned to just do it and not worry about it if I didn't feel I was concentrating on it.  I learn a lot from reading Wired. They also have a lot of junk, but I've learned to skip over that, just like I do in newspapers.   Wired is where i first learned about Twitter, which allowed me to get my own name as a Twitter name etc. 

We should know if we have a contract on the house by today, or being Good Friday, it might be Monday.  We still don't know where we would move, will depend on a number of factors.  We just don't know yet.  

Looks like it will be a great day, high of 70 degrees or so, sunny.

That's it for now.

Fall 2013 November 16 Saturday

54 degrees.  Amazing how the weather can change!

Saturday morning, a good time!  I had planned to get get some things done this morning (like getting my new iPad Air up and running) but got caught up in responding to e-mail from yesterday (and I hate to say it, but some from Thursday also!).  Such is life.

Hopefully I can catch up on my newspapers, magazines and mail today.  With all of the meetings and just being busy I am woefully  behind.  Of course, they will just be tossed today if I don't read them. That is the most effective way I know to deal with accumulated newspapers and magazines.  Normally I would have tossed he newspapers yesterday, but I made a slight exception today since I just didn't have time yesterday to finish up.  They will be out by noon today no matter what, read or unread.   I have too many tendencies of a "hoarder" to let anything accumulate.

Still listening to "A Brief History of Time".  I am also reading a rather interesting book, " The Laws of Subtraction" (by Matthew May).  His comments on how minimal may be better are interesting.  I haven't read enough of it yet to really develop a comprehensive view of the concept, but it has been interesting so far.  

Going to download a copy of the latest Doris Kearns Goodwin Book (The Bully Pulpit, I believe) to listen to.  I also bought a "hard copy".  She really is an interesting historian and i have read all of her books at least once.

I first heard her speak at a conference and have heard her several times since in person and of course see her on tv all the time.  At the same conference I also heard Beck Weathers ("Left for Dead", which started me on reading a number of books on mountain climbing.  I have absolutely no desire to be a mountain climber, but I enjoy reading about it and watching it.  Kind of like boxing, I never want to do it, but I love watching it and wonder what and why anyone would torment themselves so much.  Boxing has the excuse of making money, but very few mountain climbers (other than guides) make much money at their sport.  It still is fascinating to read about and Beck Weathers and Doris Kearns Goodwin gave me a lot to read!  Doris Kearns Goodwin books on Presidents (Johnson, FDR, the early days of JFK, Lincoln and her book on baseball) are super, but take some time to read.  I wish she would do one on Truman.

After seeing her at a conference, she actually sat right next to us at the airport restaurant (a TGIFriday's).  Like sitting next to any celebrity, we told her we enjoyed her talk and then didn't bother her.  It was fun meeting her though and she was very nice.

I always have a problem getting used to the early darkness, and the worst part it here.  I always can't wait until Dec. 21 before the daylight starts getting better again.