2018 Summer July 18 Wednesday

78 degrees this morning, no walk

Got up at my normal time this morning and the weather map looked like a major storm was coming in.  Probably is somewhere but not here!  I should have stepped outside (it is really very nice), but there is some sprinkles.  

Sitting on my patio under what the building must have laughingly called a “patio roof”.  Our patio is wonderful but for some reason they build only a very small roof.  I will never understand that.  

We love our house, but the biggest force in us  possibly moving to a “maintenance free” facility (also called renting) is the problems with finding someone who wants to do a good job for reasonable pay.  

Since the lying coward lunatic and his band of cowards and crooks made home ownership less affordable by making the home deduction meaningless (and in the process also made other deductions like the home office, job expense deductions etc. meaningless in their scramble to shovel tax $ to their donors and lobbyists), it looks even better to rent. 

As I may have said before, our HVAC is original, but cools and heats great.  The AC did make a lot of noise, which concerned us. 

We do try to service and inspect them twice a year, and the first time we used what is supposed to be a “respectful” HVAC contractor who gives us a $350 bill and a recommendation we need an entire new system.

We used two others after that, not bad, but just didn’t have the knowledge and shouldn’t have been in business for themselves yet.  

Anyway, i had seen enough raves on Next.Door about an HVAC contractor that it appeared to be legitimate and not spoofed by the contractor or his friends.

He replaced a small device that had been installed incorrectly, inspected both systems and charged us about $75 for the repairs (plus the servicing etc.) and the AC has run great since and has been quiet.  

On the other hand, we used a plumber who we thought treated us right the first time but the second them they bought out two plumbers for some reason and charged us a whopping amount without a detailed bill.  That one is partially on me, since I never should have paid until I received a detailed bill, or at least called the office to ask for a detailed bill.

Some plumbing companies charge by the job, not the hour etc. which can lead to some grossly excessive bills and I feel is really unethical.  Not illegal, I realize they can charge what they want,  but unethical if they don’t advise you in advance.  Anyway, I will stay away from anyone who bills like that.

We are starting to wonder about our exterminator, it seems that the stuff they spray with seems to encourage insects (and similar animals such as salamanders, toads etc. and if you question it there is always an “extra upgrade” they are willing to try to sell you.  Time for a change.  

Of course i think the atmosphere of “screw the consumer” promoted by the delusional lying coward lunatic and his band of crooks and cowards will make it even worse as companies start to assume that any type of  consumer protection is “anti-business” and realize they can get by with any type of unscrupulous business practices. 

Anyway, we will continue our search for “honest”, pro-customer businesses.  Fortunately there are a lot of them out there, it is just a matter of finding them!  

That’s it for now, Wednesday,  July 18, 2018.

2i018 Summer July 17 Tuesday

80 degrees this morning.  No walk

Have a (hopefully) small foot problem,  decided to give it a break today, although I hate to miss my walk at this time of year during warm weather.

Sitting on the patio, there is a lot of moisture in the air, even with a breeze.  I have noticed I have more problems coughing when the humidity is high (or cold air or weather).

Yesterday, a really raucous bird was out making a a lot of noise (not “singing”!).  I don’t know what kind it was.

Well, shortly after I wrote about the lying coward racist lunatic yesterday morning, he also proved he is a traitor also.  I think it is a strong indication that he stole the election with Russian assistance and he knows it is coming out.  Maybe he will try to get “asylum” in Russia after he is impeached and convicted of being a traitor with his buddy Putin. 

Totally disgusted that this shameful criminal disgrace is supposed to be a “president”. 

What is really depressing is the outright lies, deceptions and anti-consumer actions by the lying coward racist lunatic and how people still support this disgraceful joke.   

While I was pleased the enthusiasm displayed for the “World Cup” soccer tournament, I don’t really understand soccer and why it is so popular in some countries.  Obviously I am missing something, it is hard to be interested in something you don’t understand.

A lot of sports are that way, it just isn’t worth the time or effort to understand them and I”m not sure if I’d care even if I understood them.  

Yesterday, I sat down on my lunch “hour” to watch “Bosch” and was not allowed to watch it due overload of the system due  to Amazon “Prime Day”.  Apparently the web site crashed.  

Anyway, so I decided to watch “Orange is the New Black” or something like that.  I had heard of it but didn’t know what it was about.  Interesting concept, but I don’t know if I will care for it or not.  

It may be a little too over-acted.  

It makes you realize how dependent we are on distribution systems, whether it be digital, trucks, airplanes or whatever.  

As I have mentioned before, electricity is probably the major distribution system that would literally disrupt all aspects of our lives.  

Anyway, as I have noted before, there isn’t really much we can do about it except be somewhat prepared!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, July 17, 2018.

2018 Summer July 18 Monday

78 degrees this morning, walk 34:46 minutes.

Walk this morning walk was good, again no light in the sky from the moon.  Very little breeze, which increased the effects of the humidity.  

I expect the full moon should be out shortly!  Stars fill the cloudless sky.

Pace was 13 seconds slower than my goal.  I do think about my pace occasionally during my walk, but I don’t really want to concentrate on that part of the walk so much, unless my pace really gets slow.  

Still listening to the biography of Robert Moses by Robert Caro.  While he (Moses) obviously accomplished a lot of good things, his tactics were both illegal and unethical to say the least. 

Start of another work week.  The weekends go fast, but the work week goes fast also.  That also means the months and the year goes fast also.  Already July 16 into the second half of 2018!  

Of course I know there will be Presidents I disagree with, but I never really thought I would be ashamed of one.  I cringed when I saw the lying, cowardly, vile attacks at a political deal in Montana (I believe) by the lying, coward, racist lunatic.

However, his trip to Europe is a disgrace the USA will take a long time to live down.  Such a lying, vile, cowardly, racist lunatic.  What is almost worse is the cowards who kowtow to him for personal favors etc. when they should be saying “this just isn’t right”.  

His pimping of his money losing junk resort should be grounds for impeachment for misuse of office.   Actually they are grounds for impeachment, congress is just full of cowards who forgot they serve the people, not some lying, coward, racist lunatic. who wants to be dictator   

I have absolutely nothing against “pro-business” attitudes.  However he believes “pro-business” is allowing the few unethical crooks in business to cheat and steal from the citizens, pollute the environment for their own profit, even encouraging more “robo calls” to try to scam residents. 

What a disastrous  vile coward lunatic!  I really can’t believe congress snd the news media are sitting on their hands (or having them out to catch the illegal gains) while this lunatic destroys the country.  

What is really strange is the people who say “oh, we have to be ciivil” while supporting the vile, lying, vicious attacks by the lying coward racist sexist lunatic.  I have a short response for that that I won’t put here. 

I have been concentrating on doing the voice exercises designed to improve or strengthen my vocal cords etc.  Somewhat to may surprise, the breathing exercises I am doing for the coughing etc. actually work!  

Sitting on the patio this morning, a clear morning and I can see all of the stars.  I realize the daylight is getting shorter as we start the transition to Winter, but there will still be plenty of Summer weather left!  

That’s it for now, Monday, July 16, 2018.

2018 Summer July 15 Sunday

78 degrees this morning, walk 35:24 minute

Walk this morning was ok, humidity wasn’t too bad.  No moon, very dark etc.  Not a lot of wind.  

Pace was 21 seconds slower than my goal.  That basically means I am taking 21 seconds longer to walk a mile than my goal, which actually is quite a bit, unless I am delayed for some reason.  

There is almost no traffic, usually I don’t even see a car etc.  I do keep a watch for snakes in the road, although I have never seen a snake in the road at the time I walk.  If I ever do, it will be one too many!

Sitting on the patio, nice although there is no breeze.  This is the ‘anniversary” of my entry into the Air Force, a real shock to my system to say the least.  For a while I felt like everyone was acting out a part they saw in movies, and I’m not real sure that isn’t true.  

Yesterday was the France Bastille Day.  In their honor, I played the "La Marseillaise," on the Amazon Echo.  An excellent version, the best I have heard, by the Red Army Choir.  I do prefer to have a female singer also, it seems to blend better, but this performance was really excellent.  

I looked up the translation of the "La Marseillaise," and it is better to leave it in the French language, it would be difficult to sing in English and sound as soaring as it does in French.  

In my most positive and imaginative moments, I have always wanted to perform “Orange Blossom Special” on the fiddle and sing "La Marseillaise” in French.  I tried on the Fiddle (about 10 years, although not strictly to perform the “Orange Blossom Special” and I probably will never try the Fence national anthem in French, but it is fun to dream about it and imagine myself doing it!  

I have to admit I went over to the “dark side” and now have an Echo Dot and an Echo Show.  And I have ordered  another Echo Dot for my office.  At $34, I figured it was worth it. 

In addition, we ordered the “Nest” door bell and lock and are getting a free Google Home mini with it, so we can try both.  

I hate to admit it, but the Apple Siri is a very poor third to Google and Amazon.  I really don’t know where Apple’s head is at on this and on the matter of a touchscreen for their laptops.  

The Echo Dot and Show are  hardly perfect.  They are too much of a marketing tool for Amazon, it seems that Amazon is shameless in that regard. About 50% of the time it prompts you to order from Amazon.  The Echo Show has too small of a screen etc.  As I have mentioned before, I’m not much of a “video” person, so that isn’t really an advantage for me.  

The main reason I ordered it is I understand it can be connected to the Nest door bell camera so you can immediately see who is there without messing around with the iPhone. 

We have found it is excellent for “lists”, reminders, alarms, scheduling etc.  It isn’t always all that intelligent when you ask it a question, but Siri seems to have dumbed down also.  

That’s it for now,  Sunday, July 15, 2018.

2018 Summer July 14 Saturday

82 degrees this morning, walk 35:03 minutes

Actually the weather for the walk was somewhat coolish this morning in spite of the heat.  Well, it wasn’t a smothering heat anyway like the last few days.  Moon wasn’t viewable, and there were some clouds in the sky. 

As I sit on the patio, this is one of my favorite types of weather.  It is hot, but there is a cooling breeze, which makes it very enjoyable.  

Pace this morning was 10 seconds slower than my goal.  

I try to think in a positive note  “I have 3 more months I can sit on the patio!, rather than the more negative “I only have 3 more months to sit on the  patio…”.  As they say, “it is what it is”.  

Probably my favorite of the cultural expressions that pop up (“it is what it is”, throw him/her under the bus” “drink the kool aid” “back in the day” etc.)  is “Whatever”, of course said with a vacant expression and a sigh.  

“Whatever” is one word that can convey a lot of meaning, of course, depending the the expression, how used etc.  

I have added some meat to my eating, not without some misgivings, but without any real consequences that I can tell.  Now I need to cut the “fast carbs” out.  While I don’t believe in the extreme “low carb” diets, it is the one way I have managed to lose weight, other than severe (probably unsustainable) restrictions on food and high levels of exercise.  

Exercise itself doesn’t really burn that many calories, unless you do a highly intense exercise or an extreme amount of it.  

I am trying not to get my hopes too high, but it appears that the treatments and the exercises I have been doing may be having some affect on my coughing.  There are still episodes, but it appears to be less frequent.

I have just started on some intensive new exercise involving my voice, voice box etc.  (I don’t pretend to understand all of that), that may help even more.  

My main concern is simply making or taking the time to do the exercises.  They really aren’t all that time consuming, but sometimes small tasks impact your life like “death by a  thousand cuts”, where the little bits of time add up.

It also happens with money, where “a little bit here, a little bit there” adds up fast.  I try to look at my credit card statements for the little “small” charges I may not be aware of, the “automatic renewals” etc.  

Automatic renewals can be convenient, but I think they should require a notice prior to the end of the opportunity to cancel an “automatic renewal”, especially when the price increases with every “automatic renewal”.  

Nothing infuriates me more than some of the “automatic renewals” that require you to cancel six months in advance etc. or be “automatically renewed” for another year, 3 years etc.  Most of the home security companies are infamous for this unethical action.   (I decided I was’t going to get a security “contract” this time, I am so angry at the abuses of this tactic.)

I first noticed it with magazine subscriptions and soon stopped most of my magazine subscriptions except for Consumer Reports, which by the way, notifies me of all renewals in advance and provides the opportunity to cancel.  Since the subscription includes the on-line Consumer Reports, it is a good deal, at least for me.

“Whatever”, that’s it for now, Saturday, July 14, 2018.

2018 Summer July 13 Friday

77 degrees this morning. 34:40 minute walk

Walk overall good, very dark, no moon and it seemed some of the street lights were out.  A slight breeze keep the humidity down.   

Not today, but yesterday I almost ran into a duck (while walking) that were hanging around the lake.  We call them “big boys”, I’m not sure what their official name is.  It was just standing on the sidewalk, didn’t make a sound!

Pace was 5 seconds faster than my goal, which was nice.

The wonders of the early morning walk!   I’m still not sure on the schedule of the moon, I”ll have to check on that.  

I have been going to some therapy for my vocal cords (which is somehow related to my coughing).  It has already helped some.  

However, now I have a set of exercises to “exercise and bulk up” my vocal cords.  My first thought was “all I needed, one more activity to use up time!”.  

I think what I will do is just set aside several minutes twice a day to do the  exercises or I will never do them.  It involves some loud (and I mean LOUD) noises, so I have to be careful where and when I do them.  

Hopefully I can find a “noise meter” app, so I an measure how loud I do the exercises.  

I am a great believer in “you make time for what is important to you”, but there is also a limit on time when a lot of things are important to you!  Setting priorities is easy to talk about but hard to do!

I recently noted how absolutely attached small children are to some of the You Tube videos.  These are videos that are designed to  the children such as counting, colors etc.  

In a way, I find them disturbing (such as the one about the fish be chased by the sharks).  I assume children don’t take the connection that the sharks are going to eat the fish.

What I find more disturbing is how the videos somehow capture children attention and they are just literally fascinated by the videos, watching them to the exclusion of everything else.  

I have to admit it is good the children show the attention span required to watch the videos, although I”m not sure where that attention span goes!  

I understand now the “Pipe Piper of Hamilton” and the fear of people of losing their children.  When I see the rapt attention they give to the videos, I feel a mixture of pleasure that they are attraction to a learning video, mixed with a bit of concern that they are so entranced by it!

I always thought the “Pipe Piper of Hamilton” was kind of an expression about how parents feel about their children growing up and leaving, now I wonder if it didn’t literally happen.  

That’s it for now, Friday, January 13, 2018.

3028 Dummrt july 23 Thursday

77 degrees this morning walk 34:46 minutes.

Again a walk in high humidity with little wind.  Could see the stars but not the moon.  Wind is actually picking up to a breeze since I sat on the patio, makes it seem a little cooler.  

I am puzzled by the moon, or rather the lack of it.  It probably rises and sets early etc.  I know there is a period when there is almost no moonlight (like now) but I really don’t know the reason.  

Pace was six seconds slower than my goal.  Considering the dense air etc., I’ll take it!

Tomorrow will be Friday the 13th.  I especially remember Friday, July 13, because I got out of the Air Force two days early since my normal discharge date July 15, fell on a Sunday.  

I got in the car and took a long round about way to Kansas.  I drove through Washington DC during rush hour, drove the Pennsylvania Turnpike and stopped at some motel in the mountains when I got to tired to drive.

i drove through a Springfield in some state and wasn’t sure if I was in Illinois, Iowa, Ohio or Missouri!  

It was a strange trip, but a good transition to civilian life.  Hard to believe it has been so many years ago.  

Originally I had intended to walk back to Kansas, we would sit around and talk for hours and plan it, but in the end, I didn’t do it.  Maybe I should have. 

I mentioned yesterday about public buildings.  A Commissioner I highly respected used the term “lay the tracks” for some projects we were doing.  

I think the importance of that cannot be overemphasized.  Any project is “laying the tracks” and defines as well as limits future projects by the investment.  

Another consideration that, in my opinion, public projects need to consider more is the cost (and benefits) to future generations.  

Listening to the book on Robert Moses, I heard a prime example.  He made some “deals” on a road.  The cost savings at the time was minimal, it was primarily a political  ploy.

However, the cost was that all future users of the road (from the 1920’s to literally now) are driving 22 extra miles a day! The cost of that in human time, actual cost of wasted gas etc. are unimaginable, all because he wanted to curry favor with some influential people!  

I always liked the idea of the “Ombudsman:, who was separate from the “power structure” and could bring up such considerations.  It used to be the news media in America, but somehow, like the Supreme Court, they got politicized and no longer are doing their job of independent consideration  

That’s it for now, Thursday, July 12, 2018.  

2018 Summer July 11 Wednesday

77 degrees this morning, walk 35:27 minutes

Walk this morning was kind of like walking through heavy wet air.  No rain, just a very high moisture contact.  

Moon was not out again, although it was clear and I can see the stars.  

Makes me wonder why people say “reach for the stars”?  No one really knows what a star is (although we have a good guesstimate, I am sure).  However, to say “ reach for the stars” kind of means trying for something that is unattainable and unknown.  

Kind of like a dog chasing a car, what do you do with it when you catch it?

I always liked the Kansas State Motto, “Ad Asper Per Aspera”, or “To the Stars Through Difficulty”.   I always thought it meant the struggle to become a state, but probably also refers to the difficult times of the early settlers in Kansas who are trying for a better life.  

The motto has a feeling of flow and action that i like. 

Like a lot of things, I doubt that anyone takes “reach for the stars” literally, but I was looking at the stars, small and a distance I can’t even imagine and the idea of “reaching for the stars” seemed rather strange.  

Pace this morning was 16 seconds slower than my goal. I am trying to figure out the different circumstances and find a  reason for why my pace is fast or slow.  I don’t think heat bothers me, but humidity does.  

I love this time of year when the Crepe Myrtles are “in bloom”.  I especially like the red ones, although the red ones need the white, pink, and purple ones to frame it’s color, so they all are important.  

I don’t  recall there being so many Crepe Myrtles in the past, maybe I just didn’t notice or there are probably a lot more in the City I live in.

One thing the local city I live in I really like is the “public art” throughout the City.  I understand there are soon to be 200 pieces of “public art” in the City.  Citizens can donate on their utility bill, or I believe there is a 1% dedication of capital improvement projects to “public art”.  

Anyway it really enhances the quality of life in the City, much more than the costs of the  actual art. (Not counting a very few “clinkers” that I don’t consider “art”.  Art is in the eye of the beholder! )

I always thought that was something that is missing in recent municipal and county (and state) buildings.  While I don’t believe in being wasteful, somehow I feel like major municipal, county, state or federal buildings should have special significance and not just look like run of the mill office buildings.  Cost is a factor, but somehow I feel a compromise can be reached where an important municipal, county, state of federal office building doesn’t look like a jail.  (Unless it is a jail.)

Gradually eating meat again, so far with no ill effects, although I am really practicing “moderation”!  Of course, along with eating meat comes the equal important step of  low carbs, so goodby to pancakes, bread, potatoes etc!  

I never worried about the carbs in fruit and I never intend to!

That’s it for now, Wednesday, July 11, 2018. 
#Summerof18

2018 Summer July 10 Tuesday

77 degrees this morning.  walk 34:45 minutes

Air seemed heavy this morning, perhaps because there is no breeze, or there is a slight chance of rain.  

Didn’t see the moon tonight.  The stars were visible, so I’m not sure why I couldn’t see the moon.  I’m going to have to study the phases of the moon and when the moon is visible and in what form. 

I had hoped to see the “man in the moon” I saw yesterday.  As I have mentioned previously, astronomy was always interesting, but not a strong point with me as far as understanding it.  

I have found I learn when I have to learn something to do something I want to do (if that makes any sense) and I have probably never had no use for astronomy even if I am interested in it.

Best example is I never learned Excel until I needed to do a spread sheet etc.  Then I learned it fast. I also learned “Keynote”  (Apple version of Powerpoint) but then realized I didn’t really need it.  I made a few shows to learn it (they are still on You Tube, I check occasionally), but I haven’t really had any use for it.  Same with Garage Band, although I hope to get back into that.  

As I have bemoaned several times, I want to learn “Evernote” more, but I think I haven’t learned it extensively because I learned the parts I needed to, but I hate to waste time learning something I won’t use.  

Ditto with any computer program, I realize I only use a small percentage of the potential of a computer program, but maybe that is all I need.

For about the past month I have noticed a wide usage of the term “Back in the Day”.  I first noticed it in the  Bosh series, but have also noticed it used by news casters, canal conversation etc.

It is one of those terms that suddenly pop up for a while, like “thrown under the bus”, “drink the kool aid”, “you know what I mean”.  etc.  

I could probably think of a bunch of them if I concentrated on it, and I will try to write down such sayings when I think of them.  

They usually stick around for awhile (I never am really sure, but they seem to quietly disappear eventually).  

What I was wondering was, “how to they start”?   I’m not talking about commercial slogans such as “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” etc. but those cultural sayings that suddenly pop up.  

I searched for “back in the day” and of course found out it has been in fairly common use since the 1980’s or before, but with a wide variety of guesses as to it’s origins. 

Of course I know the origins of “drink the kool aid”, which is very descriptive.  

I have gradually introduced some meat into my diet (I had some meat loaf last night and have no reactions to it).  However, I expect I will never eat meat like I used to do.  

I am learning “moderation in all things” is an excellent practice!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, July 10, 2018.