Summer 2014 August 15 Friday (Shorts, Tee Shirts and Scandals-Summer of 14)

Summer 2014 August 15 (Friday)

63 degrees this morning. 

Thinking yesterday that it is probably the first time since I can remember that I spent most of my summer days wearing shorts, a tee shirt and scandals, with some exceptions when I wore a suit or “business causal “ for a specific meeting.  Probably the last summer I will do so for years also.  I can’t say I haven’t enjoyed it!  

Completed the next to last appointment on my “tooth implant” procedure.  It was more uncomfortable than I expected and about twice as expensive as I anticipated.  Ouch!  The final procedure is scheduled in two weeks, which means it will be just a few days short of a year long process.

Read this morning about private investment firms again “betting” on the misfortune of the “common person”, this time “betting” on electoral outages and “winning’ millions of dollars in a day.  Sounds familiar to the banks that “bet” on people losing their houses and then generally taking actions to make sure it happened.  When is this going to stop?  The money is coming from customers who can’t afford to keep supporting these rackets!

The story in the New York Times was the first time I had ever read of the “betting” on electrical outages.  What a racket!  I am sure, that just like the “special tax preference” that “private equity” firms receive, it is a result of “political contributions” and “connections”.

A recent story by he New York Times on a Starbucks employee and the irregular hours apparently is resulting in Starbucks starting new policies on employee scheduling. Again, computers are used for scheduling resulting in employees working on extremely short notice, being sent home after only a few hours of work and then called back etc.  Again “financial profit targets” are used to justify this.  (I’m not sure what to think of this yet, except I can see the frustration and inconvenience it creates for probably the lowest paid personnel, especially persons with families.  On the other hand, I can see the point of businesses that they can’t pay personnel just to sit around.  Seems like there is a good answer someplace that is fair to both parties.  Maybe businesses aren’t planning very well and need to plan better and utilize personnel better.

On another subject, I often (will, occasionally anyway) wonder about the little certificates attached to gas station pumps and elevators.  Who really inspects these?  What does the certificate really mean?  I don’t think I have ever seen a gas pump shut down, so I wonder who really inspects the pumps for correctness?  While I expect gas stations owners are generally honest, when I see the number of gallons sent through the gas pump, only “cheating” by a small fraction could raise a substantial amount of money.  

I’m sure it has happened, but I have never seen a gas station owner charged with having mis-measuring gas pumps!  I will run an internet search on it and see what I find.

Same with building elevators.  I wonder who actually inspects them?  Are they like airplanes, they have to do a certain amount of preventive maintenance each year?  I don’t obsess on this, but I wonder about it enough that I occasionally have a queasy feeling when I get on an elevator that creaks and moans.  Again, I need to do an internet search on this!

I think it is easy for me to say, concerning the above, especially the electrify racket, and how to schedule personnel that ‘“I can’t do anything about it, so I won’t worry about it”, but if I don’t worry about it, who will?  Nothing would ever get corrected with that attitude!

Looking forward to visiting with some friends this weekend.  Good food, good friends, good coffee and warm weather.  Hard to beat that combination! 

That’s it for now, Friday, August 15, 2014.

Summer 2014 July 20 Wednesday (Persistence)

75 degrees this morning.  Rain was forecast. Walked 57:53 minutes, sit ups and weights.  Walked a different route this morning due to forecast of rain, so I walked so I could  get back if it started to rain.  As frequently happens, I will probably walk the new route on a normal  basis since I like it better for a number of reasons.  Due to the turns etc., n the neighborhood, I can walk almost as far inside the neighborhood as I can walking along the major streets.  Due the lack of maintenance of the sidewalks, it is safer to walk in the neighborhood, for the most part.

Good to get back to the routine of exercise.   lI usually find I feel a lot better if I walk first, and then  do the other exercises.    

“Sticking to it” (persistence) is important, I feel.  The other day I was indulging in on one of my secret vices (watching boxing on tv).   The match included a  6’7” fighter with one loss and around 14 wins and one loss.  The other fighter was about 6’ tall and had no losses.  The shorter fighter was hurt early and tried his best to win.  I haven’t seen such determination and drive in someone as I say in that boxing match as he struggles to maintain his record of no losses.   I admired his drive and spirit, but he still lost.

I think one reason persistence is so important and yet so hazardous is that if you persist in a goal, you basically are giving up working on other goals.  For a boxer, maintaining his no loss record is probably his top priority.  On the other hand, if he gets injured permanently, or suffers a loss of confidence, it could be he should have quit early.  I assume self-confidence is probably one of the most important aspects of boxing since you are literally in it by yourself and can’t depend on any one to  help you while you are in the ring. 

Some of this relates to the recent fad of (especially recruiters), asking job applicants to fill out a long list of questions, many of which don’t seem to really relevant.  It can take up to 8 hours (or more) to fill some out, and in most cases, you don’t get an interview anyway, the recruiter is just trying to show they can present a large number of qualified applicants and justify their fee, at least in some cases. 

I am debating if it really is worth the persistence to fill out the questionnaires or if I should just use the time to look for other jobs. I don’t mean the usually questionnaire on your specific qualifications etc, which I can understand.  This is a long list of “what would you do in this case” type questions that literally take hours to complete and don’t always appear relevant.  In the end, it is a simple decision-if you want the job, you fill it out.  If you feel you really aren’t interested or qualified and you can use your time better elsewhere, you don’t. 

Moving continues, with one project at a time.  I have completed  a major part of my “book weeding” and am now staring into phase two, where I will go through the books I have kept and “weed” more.  

I am amazed at how many t-shirts, caps etc., I have.  I am undecided how to proceed.  Do I just keep wearing them and try to keep my favorites, or do I just start taking pictures of many of them (for the record) and give them away.  Many of them (especially the hats) have lived a long useful life and probably need to be retired.  On the other hand, they are comfortable and if I do lose them or damage them it is no big deal, so….the decisions continue!

My “teeth implants” feel fine, I have absolutely no discomfort from it, other than the very first day.  I still have to have the new “teeth” made, and then another visit to have them installed and then the procedure will be over and I will be able to enjoy my new teeth!  I am going back to Memphis to see my current dentist to finish the process.  

That’s it for now, Wednesday, July 30, 2014.

Summer 2013 September 5

68/73 degrees today.  Coolish.  No walk or cycle etc, on "fasting" diet (no food or water) due to dental surgery this morning.  Obviously not looking forward to it, but will be glad to get it over.  

The surgery is for two "tooth implants" I am having to replace a defective/worn out bridge.  I ail have one tooth extracted this morning, bone grafted, and then have two teeth implanted over the next six months (allows time for healing etc.).  Not look forward to the extraction but...

The first extraction was pure hell.  I had just gotten out of the Air Force and had one year of "free" dental care.  The "free" dental care cost me thousands of dollars over the past 40 years.  The dentist was too lazy to do a root canal, so he pulled the tooth.  I should have refused it, but didn't have the sense to do it.  Over the years, the bridge has been replaced, etc. and the poor quality of work he did caused other tooth problems.  

Several years ago, a Dentist wanted to replace the bridge again (at a cost of about $4,500).  This was after I had it replaced several years ago at a similar cost.  I decided to wait (and hope it didn't suddenly start hurting).  I switched Dentist and the new Dentist recommended a tooth implant, which made sense.  The first quote was for $6500 +-, which is somewhat paid by dental insurance (but not much).  I delayed and finally decided to get another quote which was for about $3800 max, plus since I had delayed, I could use two years of dental insurance.  (The $3800 is for the implant oral surgeon only, not the two crowns and other items the regular Dentist has to do!)  Between insurance and my "cafeteria plan",  I can do it without a lot of cash outlay but still....  I'll be glad when it is over to say the least. Will be out of the office at least today, who knows how the pain medicine will affect me.  I will be glad to get it over.

Sometimes the no water/no food part is the worst of it.  Thank goodness I have an early appointment.

My poem today from The World Without End is Ending is "Urban Renewal".  Not quite sure why I wrote this, but at the time, I would walk with a friend through some of the more decayed parts of Oklahoma City.  

Occasionally we would see a house, freshly painted, with flowers, well maintained etc. as an oasis  among the dilapidated and abandoned houses.  I think that is the basis of this poem, especially the last part, where the house (and inhabitants) obviously remember a better time and are hoping for renewal and a return to the better days when the neighborhood was a place where you could actually live.

URBAN RENEWAL

 A dog of another color

Ambles over the red brick road

 Followed by

 A freckled boy

in tattered blue jeans

And shirt

Feet bare

 A rusted Ford

Resolving to run again

Waits on metal rims

 A faded blue pickup

Bares all

Amid broken glass and

Torn metal

 A broken down sofa

And matching chair

Highlight the

Tangle of weed-infested yards

 Amid the wasteland

Scaling paint, sunken roofs

And boarded windows

 A black and white

Silently observes

The vapor

Of the dream

 A bright white house

Red roses shining like torches

Wait

For the return

To glory

Summer 2013 August 20

72/75 degrees this morning.  Still relatively cool, was slightly foggy, clearing now.

I now have a date for my first "tooth implant" visit (which will be the worst, operation wise).  I guess I'm glad to get it started, I certainly don't want the are flaring up sometime, although it has been almost three years since I was advised I needed it done.  (The original suggestion was for a new bridge etc.).

I plan on starting to catalog my "hot wheels"  cars sometime, I don't know if I should use Tumblr or a blog.  

Didn't listen to the "willpower" book during my walk this morning.  Actually, I forgot it.  I don't mind walking without any book etc., it is still a good time to think and prepare for the day ahead, maybe more so, except I like the idea I'm getting educated while I walk, somewhat like I enjoy the idea of reading the newspapers while I ride the stationary bike.  Kind of like buying time.

If I had the money, one of the few things I would lavish money on is a driver.  The thought of all the time I waste driving is enough to make me check on what a driver would  cost (too much!), but at least it is fun to dream.  Even here, where I live relatively close to work, I could save an hour a day I could use on reading etc.  Such are dreams!