2016 Summer July 24 Sunday

82 degrees this morning, Walk 36:15 minutes

Hot weather continues, which is great for me!  I enjoy it and do not look forward to cold weather at all.

Listening to my book during my walk this morning, the phrase “He wrote the truth, so everyone hated him” (or words to the effect that if you tell the truth, you will upset everyone.)

While I am sure that is correct, I think it is a large step to define anything as the absolute “truth”. The writer may believe it to be true, or it may be true at the time, but I doubt that any writer or speaker knows the complete “truth” and there is always room for discussion and changes. 

I think the overload of information and the slanting of news by even what once was considered legitimate news media (print, broadcast, radio and internet included) has made it impossible to define “truth”.  

It almost appears that “truth” is what the writer or speaker believes and you can almost be assured 100% that what they are writing or saying is not the “truth”, it is only their slanted and distorted version of events or of a situation or what a “sponsor” pays them to say. 

Even reviewing different sources of the same event, sometimes you wonder if you are reading about the same event, there are so many different versions, based on the perspective of the person reporting the news or (more likely) what they, or someone paying them want you to believe, not the real truth.  

Anyway, so it is probably a waste of time to get mad about someone telling the “truth” because it isn’t the truth anyway.  

A lot of history and philosophy is people attempting to get to the “truth” or to “prove” something.  Like “the journey is the goal”, 

I think it is essential that people attempt to further knowledge or whatever, but the “truth” or “proof” may be changed by either events, other people working on the same knowledge or even the beliefs of the person performing the analysis.  

I don’t really believe out of a lot of babble an essential truth emerges.  Junk is junk.  

I can say it is “true” that I enjoy sitting on the patio on warm summer morning!  I guess that is bout as close to the “truth” as any statement!  

I can pretty well tell you when my neighbors sprinkler systems start, etc.  While it is still too early for people to go to work, when I ride my bicycle, I have a good idea by now of when people go to work, which car is likely to be backing out etc.  

This isn’t nearly as good as my beloved patio in Lakeland, but it is nice, especially in the morning.As I have mentioned, a root needs to be put over the patio for us to really use it much in the evening.

I have started eating breakfast in the morning on the patio, which is very nice.  It is still coolish and provides a good start to the day.  

Weekend is already half over.  I treasure Summer weekends, even if I just stay inside!    

Of course, here, “summer” usually lasts until late September and then October, November and early December are still relatively pleasant.  

That’s it for now, Sunday, July 24, 20016.

2016 Summer July 23 Saturday

79 degrees this morning, walk 36:23 minutes

Pondering about buying clothes etc., things that last for a long time.  

I always though it is rather pushy for someone to expect you to make a decision on something you are going to have for a long time in a few brief minutes or hours. 

Examples of such things are not only houses and cars, but also clothing (especially shoes etc.), including appliances etc.  

Considering that if you overlook anything missing that is key to your enjoyment of an item,, or it isn’t just quite right.

I always, in theory, use the “3 day rule”, that I don’t buy something for three days that I am likely to keep for awhile.  Of course, whether I follow it or not is another matter.  

You always get the feeling it won’t be around for 3 days, or that you are taking to much time to make a decision etc.  When you think about it, only the person buying and living with the it can really decide when they are ready to buy it.  

Actually, my thoughts on this came up because of shoes.   Shoes of course need be comfortable, but also have to look good or be the right type.  However, when you purchase a pair of shoes, you can figure on living with them for a number of years.  

Ditto with coffee makers.  While I like the coffee maker i recently bought at Sams and am glad I bought it, it has a design problem.  I have decided that any “special purchase” at Sams will probably have some kind of design problem, be obsolete or otherwise have a problem that the manufacturer wanted to get rid of it cheap.  

That has been true with Sam’s items from a cd player to a satellite clock to the coffee maker I just bought.  I’m not sorry I bought the coffee maker, the design problem is on the cover of the water storage area.  

Another very strong and strange dream. I don’t remember a large portion of it.  

7-22-16:  Dream

Dream Aliene and I were someplace, in a desert type of area.  

At first it seemed like the area we live in now.  

She asked me to go get something ( I can’t remember what).

I took off and soon the terrain changed.  I felt like I had missed a turn.

I started going in a hilly area and went in to an area where there was a small city of tents selling (I believe) American Indian crafts 

I walked through and kept thinking I needed to get the items for Aliene.

I started walking for the car I had parked and suddenly was walking on top of a mountain trail. 

The trail was like a “single track” at the very top of the mountain, it was narrow.

I got to the end and looked down ands valleys and snow and mountains.

I thought, “i’m not where we live anymore”, Aliene will will get worried.

They I realized I had trapped myself at the top of the mountain.  

I finally dropped down a cliff.  I looked and saw more mountains.

Then I woke up.

A strange and almost disturbing (for some reason) dream.  

That’s it for now, Saturday, July 23, 2016

2016 Summer July 22 Friday

81 degrees this morning, walk 35:30 minutes

Temperature (at least according to my car) reached 104 degrees yesterday.  It was not a humid hot, so it really wasn’t that bad.  

Temperature this morning is a “cool” 81 degrees, if that makes any sense.  There is a cooling wind blowing, which of course will turn hot as the day  goes on.  For this area, it is a light wind.  

Time fills so quickly.  I was thinking this morning that my weight training is “only” about 20 minutes, at maximum.  

However, the problem is, I have “only” 20 minutes at weights, 35 minutes at walking (probably 50 by the time you figure dressing for it etc.), 20 minutes to shower etc., 30 minutes for bicycling (probably 45 counting dressing etc.), about 30 minutes writing my post, another 15 minutes for breakfast, several 21 minute naps and suddenly all the time is gone and I wonder where it went!  

If I kept a log (and I really don’t need to since every morning from the time I wake up until I go to work is about the same), I would know exactly where the time went!

I was thinking time was like money, you can spend in in small amounts or large amounts, you can use it for quality or waste it etc.  It is easy to “spend” time in small amounts and wonder where it went, just like money.   

However, time is a lot different in that everyone has the same amount and you really  can’t “borrow” time against future time.  

I could argue the point, i.e., if you have enough money, you can hire someone else to drive, do chores, housework etc.  and therefore actually “buy” time.  However, your time allotted is still the same, it is just how you use it, maybe depending on what you can afford.

You can “borrow” money against future money, but I have been debating if you can actually “borrow” time against future time.

If you commit to do something, you are “committing” future time, but you aren’t really “borrowing” time in the sense that you can use it for something else in the present.  I think that is the key, so while you can “commit” future time, you can’t actually “borrow” time.

I think you could make the case you can “buy time” in the sense that you use time more  efficiently, but you still won’t actually have “more” time. 

It is also impossible to “store” time.  I use time, no matter what.   I can use it for sleeping, working, reading or whatever, but I am using it and I can’t “store”time for the future like money can be “stored” for future use.  

Of course, while I am writing this, time is passing that I will never have again, so I hope I am using time for what I want to use it for!

Maybe I need review how I spend my time and rethink it if I’m not satisfied how I spend my time.  As far as I know, I am relatively satisfied with how I spend my time, I just  wish I had more of it!  

I remember reading about how if you spend 15 minutes a day reading the “Harvard Bookshelf” (or whatever), you would eventually know everything you needed to know.  Of course the problem then was finding 15 minutes you could concentrate on the books.

Now, the problem is there is no way you can even come close to reading, watching or listening to even a portion of the “information” that is available.   Like time, I have been having to set priorities in what kind of information I read, watch or listen to.  It is easy to avoid “celebrity news” (I never was interested anyway), most sports “news” etc. anyway, but that is a topic for another day.

That’s it for now, Friday, July 22, 2016.

2016 Summer July 21 Thursday

81 degrees this morning, Walk 35:11 miles

Slightly cooler this morning, even though the temperature is higher.  May be the wind cools in the nighttime.  

Elevation may also play a factor.  I believe it is generally around 1300’ elevation here. (It varies a lot, several hundred feet either way.)

Even after my time in Denver (and trips to the mountains), somehow I was never really aware of the effects of “elevation” until I lived in Memphis, where the elevation was (in areas) as low as several hundred feet.  

I would see snow in the west turn to rain in Memphis (good, believe me).  Also, the air was somewhat different, especially at night.  I think it contributes to what I call the “Memphis nights”, which are kind of a magical night for several months of the year.

Actually, it is somewhat the same here in the mornings.  I loved my patio in Lakeland, sitting out on the patio in the morning.  I enjoy it here also, although we currently don’t have a covered patio (and unfortunately the patio faces the setting sun).  Actually it says “covered”, but the part covered is useless.  I don’t really know why they bothered.  

Back to elevation, I can remember my first “career” job in Liberal, Kansas, the snows in the winter were actually fairly severe.  I believe the elevation there was around 3,000 feet.  It make a huge difference in snow and in the temperature.  Hot in the day, but cool at night. 

I am always surprised at the general increase in elevation as you go west. I checked on the elevation of Holton, Kansas (where I grew up on a farm near Holton), and the elevation is just slightly over 1,000 feet, so elevation really does make a difference and there is a significant difference even in 300 miles, westbound.

Actually driving from Memphis west, you do notice the difference,especially in Arkansas. 

Actually the “world’s highest hill” is in Poteau, Oklahoma at 1,999 feet, one foot short of being a mountain.  

However, this is in far eastern Oklahoma, almost in Arkansas, so that means that the elevation changes are major, since middle Oklahoma is about 1300 feet or so, which means there is quite a variation in elevations from Memphis to Denver, even though the trend is up!  

The sprinkler system crew is supposed to be here next week to complete the repairs to the sprinkler system.  It will be nice to have that fixed.  

Apparently “water” is very expensive here, so I”m not sure how much we will use the sprinkler system, but at least we can use it enough that the plants and grass will at least have a  lifeline of some sort.  

I don’t know if Crepe Myrtles take a lot of water or not, they seem to thrive no matter what, but I would hate to lose them.

Apparently the city here uses revenues from utilizes to subsidize city operations.  That was illegal in Tennessee and i have  to agree I see no reason that utilities should be used subsidize the city operations or vice versa (sales taxes be used subsidize the utilities etc., which is very common in this state.

Supposed to get up to 102 degrees or so there today.  (After a certain point, it really doesn’t matter!).  

Field day today.  Actually the heat doesn’t really bother me on my field days, I manage to find cool areas and really don’t mind the heat.  

Full moon is starting to wane, but it is still nice to walk in the moonlight.

That’s it for now, Thursday, July 21, 2016.

2016 Summer July 20 Wednesday

79 degrees this morning, Walk 35;17 minutes

Today was the first early morning when it felt “hot” in the sense that there wasn’t a cooling wind or a coolness that prevailed regardless of the temperature.

It has been 82 degrees some mornings and felt cooler than this morning.  If I recall correctly, it is getting that time of year (late July, August) when the nights are hot with that sticky heat that hangs on all night.

Beautiful moon this morning.  I assume, a full moon, is hanging in the sky.  It is fun to walk with a full moon.  

One aspect of this area I enjoy are the late days, in the sense that the sunset is very late and it is daylight until almost 9 p.m.  The other day, we were inside and walked out about 8:30 p.m. and were amazed that it was still almost full light outside!

The one thing I could never get used to in Memphis were the early “nights” in the Summer.  I loved Memphis nights, but didn’t like the fact they came so early! Of course, in the Winter it would frequently be dark by 4:30 p.m.

I am going to be thinking about a trip to take someplace “hot” this Winter to get away from the continual cold in the air around here.  Of course, I am sure when we go, it will be unseasonably warm here!

The bike repair person did an excellent job on tuning up my bicycle.  It rides like a completely different bicycle!  And that is good!

The one problem around here is that the sprinkler systems are over-used (especially by the HOA) and the street is still wet or has standing water around the medians etc.  The last (and actually only) time I took a spill years ago was when the ground was wet.  I was actually going very slow and hit a wet manhole cover.  No serious damage, although I had a few scrapes.

That is that was the only spill I have taken as an adult.  I took a lot of spills when I was a teenager/pre-teenager.  

I got some knee and arm pads in the event I fell again, but gradually quit using them.  Falling on a bike is part of the process although hopefully it won’t happen again.  

Maintaining a constant awareness is the best way to avoid an accident, it is so easy to let something distract you and all it takes is a second and you are down.  Not quite that bad, but it can happen fast.

Overall, motorists are aware around here and very courteous to bike riders and walkers since there are so many.  

However, most people walk/bike on the sidewalk.  I don’t, I bike and walk in the street, although I walk when there is very little traffic and so I can get away with walking in the street.

While the sidewalks are nice, they are just too narrow for me to ride the bike on.  The “main” street, if I bike to the YMCA  and some businesses etc. etc., does have a sidewalk narrow enough to ride a bike on

Went up another 5 pounds   on the bar bells. Doesn’t sound like much, but I feel it!  I don’t feel it near as much as 5 pounds  on the dumbbell, but then that was actually 10 pounds, five pounds fro each one.  

I enjoy lifting weights, I just don’t like taking the time.  Probably ought to do the dumbbells one day and the bar bell weights the other day and add a few exercises.  

Office day  today it is good to have the variety of an “office day” and a “field day”.  

That’s it for now, Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

2016 Summer July 19 Tuesday

78 degrees this morning, walk 35:31 minutes

I never can really tell the difference on my walk as to why the times (and sometimes even the distance) vary so much when it seems I take the same walking route each morning.  

To some degree, I can feel when I am draggy, or especially fast, but normally I walk (I think) about the same pace and for about the same distance.  

Maybe that is somewhat like all of life, when we can’t really judge our progress, maybe because we are concerned about things other than judging how we are doing.  

Actually, I think that is good, I think sometimes we spend too much time and effort on “measuring” and not enough on just doing a good job.  

In City Management, there is big emphasis on “measurement”, frequently by citizen surveys etc.  That is good to a degree and I think it has a role in city management.

Feedback (if you listen it) is good and certainly has a role in any type of management  However, again, to some degree the “experts” are considered “experts” for a reason-they are supposed to know the best method of accomplishing something.

I think “testing” and “measurement” too often lead to being too oriented to much to what is being measured.  It is only logical that if you know something is going to be measured, you are going to spend most of your resources what is being measured.  

For example, a “citizens perception survey”, where they same questions are asked each year (the same questions being asked so the “changes can be measured” each year),it is only logical your programs will play to the questions and try to get the highest “Citizen perception” you can.  This can be used as a bragging point and for salary justification etc.  

That is true in any field, not just municipal management, I was using that because I am familiar with it.

Ditto with the “satisfaction surveys” you get from businesses.  It doesn't  mean much if you are expected to give a “10” for just ordinary service.  A “10” should be reserved for really extraordinary service and even then very rarely.

However, like everyone (or almost everyone) I usually give a “10” for good service,even though a “7”  is  perfectly reasonable etc.

Of course, in some cases, the business is only using the  “survey” to get e-mail addresses for marketing etc. (they should advise you of that in advance!) and they really don’t care about whether you are satisfied or not, or at least it isn’t the primary objective. 

What is so sad about that is that a good manager should want, or need, to know what it wrong.  If you point out something wrong and then you get a call from some beaten down supervisor or manager who is being downgraded due to an honest answer, it really defeats the entire purpose of the survey.

It is hard to say that there are problems, but the good manager needs to know the problems.  Maybe they should reward customers for pointing out problems rather than giving a “10” and reward the supervisor or manager for resolving the problem rather than basing salary raises on how many flattering (and false) survey results of “10’ you get.  

I definitely support “citizen surveys’ or customer surveys etc., it is just I think they have been grossly misused and for the wrong purposes.  

Anyway, back to my original measurement comments, I can measure my walking by how farI walked, how fast I walked or how much I enjoyed my walk, and not on any 1-10 scale either!

Obviously, I want measure my walk (and life) on how much I enjoyed it (or whatever), not on some “hard data” 1 to 10 scale!

That’s it of  now, Tuesday, July 19, 2016.

2016 Summer July 18 Monday

79 degrees this morning.  Walk 36:11 miles.

Out on the patio this morning, listening to the soft wind blowing through the trees.  

Starting another  week of “normal’/routine activities  It is good to get out of the routine, it is good to get back into it.  

Overall good weekend, seemed to go fast, but then the week goes fast also.  

Plan on getting back into bicycling this morning, disrupted by our vacation, getting the bike tuned up and a maintenance check, storms and other activities.  

I have found I enjoy exercise more if I don’t get over excited about reaching any set goals.  At least thus far, I gradually increase my exercise (both in time and quality).  At least that works for me.

Where I sometimes falter is on not doing some exercises I should do simply because I don’t want to use the time.  That is one of the problems with exercise, it is important to do it, but it does take up a lot of time.  

I am planning on starting some “high intensity” exercise that may actually save some time.  Just getting started reviewing the information on this after settling back in from vacation etc.

I try to make a note of dreams I have that I remember enough to write down.  This dream (yesterday morning) seemed especially realistic.  I have no idea what it means, if anything.  Like all my dreams I remember, I try to note them.

7-17-16  Dream

Very powerful dream that Aliene and I were hosting the family  reunion, probably in our house, but wasn’t the house we live in now.

We were scurrying around getting ready.  

One of the bedrooms spring a water leak, including a tricycle which was in the room.  Why a tricycle in a bedroom and connected to a hose?  All I can figure this is a dream!  (This actually probably somehow relates to a leak I noticed in the sprinkler system.  Not sure how, but….)

I went to another room which was leaning at a weird angle.  

People started socking in and after thinking about the leak, I decided to call a plumber later. I was actually thinking of real life plumbers.

Then people started coming in and not only family members (most of whom were already there) but also many people I knew from past jobs and cities.

For some reason they were coming in the room I was in which was actually a back entrance.   I was changing clothes in the room.

The people from the past cities were very “real” and included both the “quick and the dead”.  I talked to a good friend who had recently passed away and mentioned I had recently been in Kansas City although he didn’t live in Kansas City (at least he didn’t).   Some previous Mayors and employees also were there as well as residents.  

The alarm went off and I woke up.  (I use an alarm for my naps to keep them short so I don’t wake up groggy).

A very strong, realistic dream.  

That’s it for now, Monday, July 18, 2016

2016 Summer July 17 Sunday

79 degrees this morning, walk 35:28 minutes

Thinking of the GE motion detector night lights this morning.  

As readers may or may not remember, I bought a motion detector LED night light last summer that was supposed to last for 13 years or so.  Made by GE, what could be better.

The nightlight started to act bizarre after about three months, basically flashing really erratically etc.  

Later I found out that a certain percentage of LED light bulbs (and probably all light bulbs) are defective, it is a fairly high percentage.  

Anyway, being the good citizen and consumer I am, I assumed GE would want to know about the defective light.  After all, 3 months is a lot shorter than 13 years!

I sent a very pleasant letter to their website noting that the motion detector light was supposed to last 13 years, but only lasted 3 months more or less. 

I don’t hear anything for awhile after I sent a letter in and then I get this arrogant letter with a $5.00 gift certificate for GE lightbulbs.  

I sent it back, with a letter explaining again that I wasn’t complaining to receive a gift certificate or anything else (i hadn’t even asked for my money back on the defective light), I just felt they should know that a light they claimed should last 13 years had lasted only 3 months.

Again, no contact, and I get a letter with a FedEx mailing label asking me to send it in for evaluation.  So, I sent it in (although I had to buy a “FedEx” quality mailing box for about $5.00 in keeping with the FedEx policy of maximum unexpected fees).

One day, I suddenly get a package with four units of the motion detector LED night lights.  No explanation or letter or anything, I guess the night lights spoke for themselves.

Of course the upshot is, the 4 of them are so useful I am having a hard time not buying several more!  I have them placed in strategic locations so I can get up in the morning and dress for walking etc. without having to turn on any lights!  

They are really excellent nightlight and well worth the money.  I don’t know if a motion detector LED night light will actually save any money, but they sure are nice and put out just the right amount of light for me to move around without turning on a light!

Success in the end, I guess, except that now I forgot where I bought the original one at.

Wind is up this morning which means I get to “enjoy” listening to my neighbors wind chimes.  They aren’t really intrusive, but they are, and I think the neighbor (I have no idea who it is) is rather arrogant to impose their noise on everyone else.  

Just my opinion.  It is one of those things that you just kind of forget as soon as you don’t hear it anymore, but I would like to just hear the wind in the trees without other noise.  

Pleased to have several Crepe Myrtles in our back yard (At lease until it comes time to maintain them!). They are blooming very nicely and apparently weren’t damaged by the lack of water.  

Hopefully the sprinkler company will be back soon to finish the remainder of the sprinkler system repairs.  At least we can put some water on the grass and plants.

Next week (or this week, depending on how you look at it) will be the first full week of work for me in July.  

That’s it for now, Sunday, July 17, 2016.