When I'm 63

Three years ago, I wrote, on becoming 60, that in 10 years I will be 70. Next week, I will be three years into that 10 years!

I have found aging relatively simple thus far! While I can’t say I am looking forward to it, I am comfortable with the notion that I will be 63, which seemed, it seems only a short time ago, as impossibly old!

I can’t say I would accept the offer to do my life over again, if it was possible. I think what I didn’t know when I was younger and wonder how I survived!

I think the worst thing about growing older is the knowledge that your options are closing on you each day, each month, each year and each decade. I enjoy the fact that I enjoy walking and bicycling every day, but I dread the day I realize I can not longer bike or briskly walk everyday and, the worst in our world, not being able to drive.

I accepted the fact I would not have a full head of hair almost 4 decades ago, although I’m not sure what I would have done (no, I know!) if some of the treatments that grow hair had been available to me in my twenties. I remember how I felt when I realized I would have to give up running in 5 K races (due to a heel problem) almost 15 years ago and when I had to give up weightlifting and the punching bag (due to a shoulder problem) several years ago, although I still have hopes of that.

As I grow older, I realize there will be books I always wanted to read, movies I wanted to see, experiences I wanted, places I wanted to visit that I will never do it. So far, it is a feeling of acceptance rather than sadness. I always think of an experience years ago, when a man in his seventies told me how much he had always wanted to travel. He thought he would do it “sometime” but he hadn’t. I was saddened two weeks later when I read of his death. In the next few years, I gradually learned to enjoy the journey and not worry so much about the destination.

The punching bag. I truly loved the punching bag when I was younger! I remember going at the punching bag and imagining a person on the other side! I worked off a lot of anger that way.

Strangely enough, I seldom feel such anger anymore. Some time ago, I think I decided that life was too short to worry about such things, although I still occasionally get angry, I usually take a deep breath and forget it.

I have discovered the frustration of attempting to convey my experience to younger persons and realize they aren’t following my good advice any more than I did the good advice of my parents, teachers, other older persons when I was their age! I guess it take a certain amount of experience to learn to try to avoid foolish mistakes! I will make enough mistakes already without making foolish mistakes!

On the other hand, thinking about aging, it can be a very sad experience. I can remember thinking returning after my Mother’s funeral 13 years ago (in the fall) and looking at the falling leaves and thinking that it is too bad that our (human) passing from this life can’t be as beautiful as the leaves of the death of summer.

63 is one of “those” ages. It isn’t a landmark age and doesn’t qualify you for anything (driving, social security etc.), it simply means I am a year older. Next year will be fun when I can reflect on “When I’m 64”. When that song was popular, I can still recall never really believing that I would someday be 64!

Actually, I do enjoy the “senior citizen discounts” . I don’t feel any sense of entitlement for them, but I do enjoy them. As I just mentioned to someone today, I was offered my first Senior Citizen discount when I was 41 years old. It was at the Shoney's in Nashville, Tennessee. I guess it must have been quite a shock, since I still can picture the scene!

I am glad that I can still jump in the car and drive on a journey, that I am still interested in new events and places, that I can still ride my bike and walk, that I still can work and not even think about retirement, obviously most of all I am glad I am still healthy (even if I could lost some weight)-63 isn’t that bad after all.

Mid-Summer

July 4 marks the middle of the Summer (more or less) and the days are definitely getting shorter as the return to winter starts.

It's actually been a great summer-hot and dry! I'm currently doing my favorite part of my day, sitting out on the back yard drinking coffee and enjoying the morning. Usually I am listening to music on my ipod, although sometimes I just enjoy the sounds of nature. There are a lot of bird and insect sounds. (Any snake sounds and I scurry inside!) When I sit out here in the evening, I don't listen to anything but the cicadas, birds etc.

(Later evening): Sitting outside tonight on my back yard, I just saw a deer feeding among the trees! Also, the birds have finally gotten used to me sitting outside and come to feed at the bird feeder as long as I don't make any sudden moves.

Summer Day 2

June 22, the second day of Summer and I am loving the hot Summer!

One thing I really like about Summer in Lakeland is the Crepe Myrtles. They start blooming about this time of year and normally bloom until September or so. I like the fact that they keep their blooms so long and look so pretty.

According to the dictionary, a Crepe Myrtle is a "shrub or small tree". I am surprised they didn't settle the argument and call it either a shrubOR a small tree.

The weather has truly been "Summer" weather, anywhere from 81 to 87 degrees when I get up in the morning. It is still cooler than the rest of the day.

Summer!

Summer is officially here and this is the "longest day of the year". While I love Summer, June 21 is always a little bit sad because the days (hours of daylight) will become shorter, which means Winter will return!

CMA Fest

Just got back from our 5th "CMA Fest" in Nashville. We really enjoyed it, in spite of Aliene having to walk around in a "boot" resulting from a sprained foot.

What makes the CMA Fest so much fun is the range of the performers and the range of activities. Performers range from beginners trying to break in, to the experienced performers who are now well past what many people consider retirement age (and still great performers).

One of my favorite places is the Exhibit Hall, where performers sign autographs, post for pictures, and businesses and performers have booths with freebies and information on products etc. I'm not really into getting autographs but I like to get pictures.

Also in the Exhibit Hall they have the "acoustic" performing area where you can listen to both beginning and well know performers. I especially like it since many of the acts have fiddlers who are excellent.

Heat continues. Most mornings when I get up it is in the mid 80's already and forecasts fare for 100 degree temperatures. Actually, I love it and I hate to think of it ending.

I will probably note on June 21, how much I hate to think of the days getting shorter and the coming winter!

Birds are back!

The birds have returned, at least until the next time we are away for several days! All of them came back, including the yellow ones, the blue ones, the red ones, the stupid woodpecker (who scares off the other birds) and the squirrels. It is good to have them back!

Summer is here, or at least the spirit of Summer. I always think it is such a shame that June 21, the official start of Summer also marks the beginning of the end of Summer with shorter days etc!. I have learned to enjoy Summer because it is so fleeting!

It seems like this was a long hard winter, and a long cold Spring, although it has been a lot better here than other places-it is all relative! I EXPECT it to be warm here so am disappointed if it isn't.

It has really been busy, although it is always busy. Taxes are over, the budget is complete and other major projects are underway. Some time I am going to have to tackle the squeaking door problem in our house. I understand the best way is to take each hinge off and soak it in motorcycle gear oil. It sounds strange enough it probably actually will work. One of these weekends, I will get after it.

We built a new addition to City Hall, which is nice, but is also means I have spent a lot of time moving and trying to decide what goes where! I have a larger office, in fact it is a wonderful office, although I wish it had a few more windows.

Angela and Kali and Katherine went to to Orlando to see Disneyworld and related attractions. They report they are tired, but they had a lot of fun. (They are back in OKC).

Aliene twisted her foot, so isn't walked well, although thank goodness she didn't break anything or hurt her back. Her back is hurting again, although in a different way, so the Doctor is starting "pain management" with her.

We don't have a lot of plans this summer other than to enjoy the summer. We are going to the CMA Fest (in Nashville) and maybe a couple of trips to OKC and then to the Courter Reunion. Angela is going to an acting school in Las Vegas (it is free, she won it) for a week. Unfortunately it is the week before the Courter Reunion so she will miss Friday night but be there for the reunion Saturday morning. The good part is we are going to pickup Kali and Katherine and have them visit with us for a week prior to the Reunion and take them to the Reunion.

I'll get this posted. I guess between Facebook, Twitter and my normal writing, I didn't realize it had been over a month since I posted!

An Hour in Downtown Memphis

An Hour in Downtown Memphis. The other day, I attended a meeting in downtown Memphis and got out an hour prior to another meeting I had scheduled in the same building.

Suddenly, I had a "problem":

-Not enough time to return to the office (by the time I got there it would be time to return to the next meeting)

-No car (I wasn't about to give up my parking space!)

-No reading material

-The chance to walk around historical Memphis!

-I had just had lunch, so I wasn't hungry

-It was cool enough to walk, but not too cool or hot

I thought about my alternatives, which included sitting on a bench and taking a nap, stopping somewhere for some wonderful "sweet tea", visiting museums, taking the "riverfront" street trolley, walking over and gazing at the Mississippi River, soaking up the history of Memphis by just walking around or ?

Thinking of when I was a child and I got a gift of a "cotton bale", I decided to walk to the "Cotton Museum". Although I didn't have a lot of time, I enjoyed it and actually became a member! (Yes, I made it to my other meeting on time.)

It was a strange feeling to suddenly, for an hour even, have "nothing" to do, "nothing" to read (for some strange reason, downtown Memphis does not have a library) and the opportunity to just explore!

Ah, the feeling of freedom I felt!

My Birds Done Left Me

My Birds Done Left Me (Thoughts During my morning walk and bike ride)

After an recent weekend trip, all of the birds and assorted hangers on haven't returned to the bird feeder. Only an isolated sparrow (or something like that) come by. Even the squirrels have left.

I blame the weasel (probably actually a raccoon or possum, but weasel sounds better) that started pulling the bird feeder down each night, so I had to bring it in every night and can't leave it out while I'm gone out of town.

Several months ago, I had golden birds, blue birds, redbirds, woodpeckers, doves, and other assorted birds to watch. Now, nothing.

I was thinking this morning (one reason I love my early morning walk and bike ride) that "My Birds Done Left Me" would make a good Blues song. I could even throw in Memphis somehow, the Home of the Blues and somehow blame the "weasel man".

I'll start it off "My Birds Done Left Me" and try to compose a decent Blues song. Or maybe a poem.

However, it still doesn't make up for the fact that My Birds Done Left Me and I only have a bird feeder to look at. Such are my thoughts during the early morning hour.

To iPad or not iPad? (The only question is when!)

Up until last night, my thoughts about the iPad were simple. I wasn't going to even consider buying a new product. I'd wait at least a year, maybe two. I'd wait for the upgrades (perhaps a phone etc.) before I bought it, make sure all the bugs were out etc.

Then, last night, through the crowd around the table, I saw the iPad.... I couldn't get in to actually touch it, but I had better leave all my credit cards at home when I do get a chance to play with it.

It is difficult for me to describe a pile of plastic and metal as "beautiful", but it is as near to that as it will ever get.

Spring has Sprung! (I wear shorts and a t-shirt)

Although March 21, the first day of Spring was beautiful in Lakeland, the weather quickly cooled into "unSpring" like weather, although it wasn't really any worse than any year.

Yesterday, I actually wore shorts and a t-shirt and was comfortable, so I feel Spring is finally here! The trees leafed (it seems like almost overnight), the grass is starting to grow and flowers are blooming! A wonderful time of year! It is also nice to sit in our living room with the windows open and be comfortable and enjoy the outside air.

One think I really like about Spring is that it takes a lot less time to prepare for my walk and my bicycle rides! In cooler weather I put on a bunch of layers, from now through November, I can just toss some clothes on and enjoy my exercise!

I am reading Michael Lewis, "The Big Short", about the crooks at the banks, mortgage insurance companies etc. It is unbelievable how crooked they were and how the persons who were the watchdogs simply let them do it. What is worse is how gullible everyone was and how much money they literally stole. Enough said, I don't want to get started on THAT!

I did note something rather interesting while researching how to quiet some squeaky doors. WD 40 stands for "water displacement". The "40" is the successful formulation after 39 failures. WD 40 is not a lubricant. The best oil for squeaky doors is motorcycle chain oil and take the bolts out of the door one at a time to treat the bolt. I'll try it. Hopefully, bicycle chain oil will work as good as motorcycle chain oil. Never give up!

Barbara is 50

My youngest little sister was 50 years old yesterday, which means all of my bothers and sisters are officially "senior citizens" of some sort! Strange, I don't even feel 50 and the youngest of us is 50! My next youngest sister is 55 next week. (I wouldn't have mentioned Barbara by name, but there is no way anyone who doesn't already know it can identify her!)

It started me thinking about how time passes. Many years ago, I started to understand why, when I was a child, my parents friends always commented about "how fast we (my brothers and sisters) were growing! Even when I see my Granddaughters every six weeks, I am amazed at how much they "age" in that time, much less a year or years.

I recently realized it has been 8 years since I washed/cleaned out my gym bag (which may be a story in itself). My favorite sports jacket is 17 years old, I have a "gimme" hat that is approaching 30 years old (I still wear it as a "walking hat" and it actually looks pretty good!), the t-shirt I got at my first 5k run (ok, I really ran the one mile "fun run") is almost 25 years old etc.

I'm not sure what it all means, except time passes, and it gives some meaning to the saying that goes something to the effect "Life is what happens while you are waiting for life to happen" .

Anyway, I can't say I regret getting older, I can't do anything about it anyway and "experience" is nice to have sometimes!

Anyway Happy Birthday to Barbara and Eleanor! Enjoy your youth! You are ONLY 50 and 55!

First Crocus!

March 15, 2010: Saw my first Crocus of 2010, actually a number of them. Spring is coming!

The First Crocus

This is the time of year I start watching for the first "Crocus" (actually any bright yellow flower that indicates Spring it near, I just call it a "Crocus").

At least it means Spring is not far behind, although sometimes it seems to take forever for Spring to come.

When I think of the "Crocus" (which probably is a Lily here), I think of my house where half of the backyard was Day Lilies. They were beautiful with a wide variety of colors. I always wish I'd taken some of each variety with me.

This has been the worst winter since we moved to Lakeland. It snowed more times, and even worse, the continual cold that was "below normal" temperatures. Overall, the winter hasn't been that bad, at least even when it is cold I don't have to contend with the wind very often!

For some reason, the birds are mobbing the bird feeder. Maybe they are feeling the weather in other places or the earthquake! Or maybe they are just hungry and just found the bird feeder!

Longer Days and Shorter Nights!

I am pleased to the daylight get longer a little each day! In spite of the weather, it provides hope that Spring is coming soon!

The "Winter" continues as snow is on the ground. Fortunately it's not a problem as the snow is just on the grass and there was never any problem with the roads this time. However, the temperature remains cold enough that the snow stays longer than I have seen before!

The birds in the back yard feed almost obsessively as they apparently feel the snow and cold weather approach. They are eating at least 3 times what they normally eat each day. The only bad part is that I feel guilty when I am out of town and can't bring the feeder out! Each morning there are birds literally waiting for the food to come out. I feel rather guilty for making them so dependent, although I'm sure in reality they have alternate sources.

I heard coyotes howl the other night, right before I take my early morning walk. While I know in theory coyotes are scared of humans ....

I recently realized (due to the illness of an employee) that my allergies may not be allergies, but rather symptoms of "GERD". I remember how the nagging cough I had for years stopped after I stopped drinking carbonated beverages. I "rewarded" myself with one after about 3 months and was "rewarded" with a hacking cough for several hours! I didn't need any more proof than that.

I have always had hoarseness after a while and I think it must be the GERD.

I am having a tougher time stopping coffee (I really don't try to be honest) and the Memphis area "sweet tea". (I don't have any problem with regular tea, even with sweetener or sugar, I really don't care for it). Both of these are not good for "GERD".

Other factors are losing weight (groan, I know, I'm trying), eating smaller meals (I'm trying) etc. I do get exercise (although the weather has hurt my bike riding).

I am listening to "1864" while I walk in the morning. It is about Lincoln in 1864 and is fascinating. I failed to mark Lincoln's actual birthday as I intended to. The more I read about Lincoln and his life, the more fascinated I am with him. Sometime soon, I want to take a "Lincoln Tour" and visit Springfield and Washington DC and the areas associated with Lincoln. Several years ago, I was fortunate to visit Gettysburg and visit the actual site of the Gettysburg Address.

Another cold morning, but I just think of it as one more day towards Spring!

Trudging through Winter

Sometimes I wonder what processes are involved in going from living in our house "over 4 years" to "almost 4 1/2 years" to "almost 5 years" (same with length on the job, or when the "new car" suddenly becomes an "old car". Or for that matter, when Winter becomes "almost Spring"!

The cold weather continues and it is that time of the Winter when I wished I had made arrangements to go someplace warm (or rather hot) just for a weekend or something to get out of the cold weather. (Although I have to admit the Winter in Lakeland isn't all that bad. All I need is to visit family in Oklahoma City and feel the wind and I don't feel I have it so bad in Lakeland!).

This is one of the first Winters where my bicycle riding has been disrupted a lot. Normally, I am able to continue riding even in the cold, but the snow and rain has interrupted my riding more than usual. I have been able to continue walking for the most part without any problem. I used to listen to music during my walks, I have also started listening to books and podcasts while I walk.

The birds have been eating up a storm the past month, especially a day or so before the snow arrives. I had to bring them in while I was in Oklahoma City (to avoid the Possum or Raccoon that tries to eat the bird feed at night), so I'll see if they come back. I feel bad about making them dependent on me feeding them and then not be here for several days to feed them! They even gather around in the morning waiting for me to bring out the feeder!

Down the hill of winter!

I can feel the days start to get longer, even though it is still cool (although a lot warmer than a few days ago)! That means Spring is coming, although I'm sure Winter will still have a few blows.

It has been a rather unusual winter. We got caught in a 14 " snow storm/blizzard on Christmas Eve in Oklahoma City. We were caught in our motel room (with nothing to eat except some food from the vending machine). It started with frozen rain, then sleet and then snow.

David and Michelann came and got us in their 4-wheel drive Christmas Day and took us over to eat. We still didn't dare drive in the snow. We finally drove some Saturday, but even when I drove to the airport Monday there were still icy spots.

Aliene stayed to help her mother move to Assisted Living. Not a pleasant task.

The birds who had disappeared seemed to have come back to the bird feeder, although the Golden Finches haven't come back. I need to learn more about birds and what they like to eat. One of my "Tu'it"s! (Someone once sent me a round coin marked "Tuit" with an enclosed message it was time to take action since I had " a round tuit".

We have been busy with work and other activities. Aliene is still taking Physical Therapy for her foot. At least she doesn't have any pain. Work has kept me busy and I am still working on learning computer programs and reading when I get a chance!

Angela is going back to school (working on a degree in Theater). She decided to quit at Walgreens, since she felt she needed to concentrate on school. Kali and Katherine are both enjoying school. Kali is learning to play the violin.

I have continued my early morning walk, but the weather and cold have limited my bicycle rides and I can feel not riding the bicycle! Since Aliene is able to go back to the gym now, I do have a chance to ride the stationary bicycle, but it's not the same.

Speaking of "its not the same", the Commercial Appeal (the Memphis daily paper) has a "digital edition" (exact replica of the paper) that I can read on-line. It is nice when I am out of town. Sometimes my "real" paper runs late and I try to read the 'digital edition" here to keep up with my time, but it really just isn't the same. I doubt if I will get a digital book reader in the near future, since it just isn't the same as reading a book. Maybe the Apple "iSlate" or "iPad" or whatever they decide to call it will change my mind. I have read books on my iPhone and it actually isn't too bad.

Hope the good weather continues and Spring weather comes soon!

December 2009

It seems just a short time ago that I put on a jacket for the first time and now Winter weather is here. (Actually today it is relatively nice (48 degrees with a high of 59 degrees), once cold weather hits, I feel it is Winter. Of course, today is December 13! Rain, but no snow or ice thus far!

Christmas of 2009 and 2010 loom unexpectedly fast. I just realized that next weekend is the last weekend before Christmas! We have pretty well got all the Christmas activities done (except for Christmas/Holiday cards, which I traditionally for some reason always send out right before Christmas).

I was amused to learn that my ten year old Granddaughter (who just had her 10th birthday in late November) is saving for a laptop computer. She made a point of telling me how much money she had saved towards it! I am actually impressed by her diligence! I am sure she will have her computer by January 1, 2010.

I like to take pictures of my back yard at different times of the year. I always wonder what it would be like to take a picture every day at the same time, but I haven't done it. Maybe I could do once a week on the same time and day.

Angela is following her dream of being involved in the theater (she just advised she has a small part in a play at Carpenter Theater) which is a good way to get involved. She also has taken small jobs in the backstage. She is going to school and majoring in Theater. I am really pleased to see her take action to reach her goals!

Although it frequently slows down this time of year, it seems to have gotten busier, as everyone seems to be preparing for 2010.

Currently reading Stephen King, "The Dome", which could be considered a study in emergency management for City Managers and "Lincoln on Leadership" and "Chronicles of the Civil War". My "breakfast notes" book (I read the "Cliff's Notes versions of books/authors) is F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night". Another book I always planned to read, but probably never will, so I will at least have some idea of what it is like. My reading time has been drastically limited as Living and Work intrude! It doesn't help I love to read two daily newspapers and a number of magazines, plus the lure of the Internet!

Aliene and I saw the movie "The Blind Side" this week (I read the book about a year ago) and enjoyed it. The last movie we saw was "The Kite Runner" (we also ready that book), so it has been awhile. I have a problem with falling asleep in movies, but I didn't get sleepy in either one of them. We thoroughly enjoyed both movies.

We realized in the past eight years we have been to 4 movies (the other two were a Harry Potter movie and "Black Hawk Down", which we probably saw eight years ago.

We decided we would try to go to several movies a month, fueled by a gift of a gift card and passes for the movies. Whether we do or not.... we'll see. I'll keep you advised.

35 years

I suddenly realized it has been 35 years since I first started my career in City government as of October 21, 2009, when I started with the City of Liberal, Kansas on October 21, 1974 as Administrative Assistant to the City Manager. There is no way I could have even imagined the next 35 years (of which approximately 26 years are as a City Manager/Administrator).

The City Manager showed me to my office and told me he wanted me to concentrate on redevelopment of a part of the City that had been deteriorating.

I realized I was in the right profession several months after I started when I was standing in line at a movie theatre and looked at the line and realized I played an important role in whether the persons in line had a good quality of life or not. I felt a chill of excitement go through me as I realized the role a city plays in the quality of life of the residents and visitors and that, even with my limited role, I was a part of the process.

I am lucky that the thrill has never gone and I still feel the excitement involved in City government.

On November 1, 2009, I also marked 8 years as a resident and City Manager of Lakeland. Aliene and I marked the date with a discussion about how we enjoy living in Lakeland and how this was good move for both of us. I moved to Lakeland because I was looking for a challenge and a City that was unique. I found both in Lakeland!

In spite of growing up on a farm, I enjoyed cities from when I was young. I can remember playing "City Manager" when I was a child. I had a major City set up with all of the normal elements of a City including Police, Fire, Ambulance, a City Hall, major streets, an airport etc. I probably didn't have a sewer system and the water system may have been rather vague! As was common at the time, I didn't have a lot of toys, but I found that sticks, stones etc. could be imagined into cars, trucks, airplanes etc.

Perhaps that is the reason I bought my first "Hot Wheels" car for my daughter when she was about six months old and have amassed a collection of "Hot Wheels" type vehicles that I don't even begin to count!

One thing I have found for the past 35 years is that the more I know, the more I need to learn and that there will NEVER be a time with "things slow down so I can finally catch up". At some point in my career, I realized I could never do everything I wanted to do, so I had to set priorities!

It is a wonderful career for me and I have never regretted accepting that first position that eventually led to our move to Lakeland.

Digital divides and other thoughts

November 11, 1986, in addition to being Veterans Day, also marks my first "real" (IBM compatible they called it back then) computer. It didn't have a disk drive (I bought a 10 MB hard drive in a few months and thought I was truly high-tech!)

I had purchased a VIC 20 and Commodore 64 in the early 80's, and enjoyed them, although I was not then, nor now, a computer geek in any sense of the word.

Oddly enough, on November 11, 2005, I bought my first "Apple" computer, an iMac G5 (which of course I still have).

If it wasn't for the Apple store and their extensive training/assistance program, I'm sure I wouldn't have purchased an Apple computer, or at least kept up with it to the point I purchased a "Macbook" last year. (I purchased this on the "sales tax holiday", not November 11.)

I found the Macs' to be wonderful for music, photos, and presentations. It took a while, but I also learned to operate the other programs (and find them) to where I can truly appreciate the capability of the Mac, but I still use PC's and appreciate the absolutely unbelievable advancement in computers from my first computer.

I have read about Steve Jobs, Bill Gates etc., and think about something I was told in high school that "no individual will get rich anymore"! My poor high school teacher has been proven wrong many times over! In fact, now the individual is perhaps the biggest innovator.

While I talk about the "digital divide", I am normally talking about people who don't have Internet access (or use the Internet) and those who do and how to provide information to the persons who don't have Internet access.

However, I think perhaps a bigger "digital" divide is the "geeks" who can make a computer fly to persons like me who can kind of make them work to persons who can use some basic aspects of the computer, but really use probably 1% of the capacity of the computer and make it really a glorified typewriter.

I wonder why there aren't more "Apple stores", in the generic sense that companies offer "1 on 1" training instead of classes where the talent is so varied that usually 25% of the class is bored and 25% are lost (percentages are approximate).

I was lucky in high school, I loved to type for some reason (I even have a 100 word per minute pin around her someplace!) in the era when the electric typewriter was just becoming popular, so I didn't have any problem adjusting to typing in the computer age, which helped some.

I assume that widespread computer use in school is helping some, since children literally grow up with computers, but I think there is still a widespread gap in the technologically advanced versus the technologically challenged, like me.

Sometimes I speculate, is there a market for 1 on 1 workshops? My biggest problem is I am working on a project and then I hit a snag (usually a simple snag) and I am completely blocked until I resolve the snag!

I recently noticed the Apple Store started a program even for that-a group of customers work on their projects in the Apple Store and then a "Genius" is available if a customer runs into a snag. I could get the small problem resolved and keep working on my project without becoming frustrated and quitting!

Not to push Apple over any other computers, but I feel this is a wonderful program and I hope other companies or schools start to offer it.

Does anyone see an opportunity here to prove my high school teacher wrong again?

October 2009

Wonderful to have a few nice days after all the rainy days.

Aliene's surgery (2nd on her back) seemed to go well and we are "cautiously optimistic" that it may have fixed the problem. Her daughter came out before the surgery and stayed until Saturday morning (believe me, her help was a real blessing-it was wonderful to have her her.)

Our sister-in-Law (Aliene's brothers wife) passed away Saturday and Aliene was torn between "taking it easy" and not going, and going to the services. We both like her and obviously she also wanted to be with her brother and mother. She decided to go (I have a meeting that I felt I just couldn't miss. Fortunately it doesn't happen often.)

Flying out of Memphis is nice, but it is simply too expensive to do on short notice (say, $1200 plus they still charge you for your luggage!) so I drove her to Little Rock to catch a $300 flight on Southwest.

We got their late and noticed a LOT of traffic. We got to the hotel and found out there had been a Miley Cyrus concert! By chance, I passed what I'm sure was her tour bus after I dropped Aliene off at the Little Rock Airport. the Little Rock Airport is probably the best airport I have ever visited, as far as being easy to get to, well organized, speedy and most of all, the staff is always friendly and helpful.

When Miley Cyrus was mainly "Hannah Montana", I met Billy Ray Cyrus at the CMA Fest. (We took our picture with him.) I had a lot of fun telling my granddaughters that I had met Hannah Montana's father and seeing the look of awe on their face!

Driving back, I watched the sun come up and wished I could get out and take a picture-I already had a title "Back Home to Tennessee", but I never found a good spot to take the picture.

Aliene called on the way and she was in OKC fine. I had had visions of the air pressure of the jet causing problems for her surgery, but she was fine.

Returned home, did some work and then made some hard boiled eggs. Sounds easy, but if you don't do it right, they aren't any good. (I have blown up eggs before trying to hard boil them when I let the water boil dry-with the result of a spattered up kitchen and microwave-so I had stopped making hard boiled eggs. However Aliene had recently made some and it reminded me how much I like them.

I made the hard boiled eggs the way Aliene told me to make them (put 8-9 eggs in cold water, bring water to a boil, cover the pot, remove the eggs and let set for 18 minutes, then put the pot under cold water and peel the eggs. I even discovered one improvement, to stop the cold water sooner so the last eggs didn't become difficult to peel.

It has really been a busy time for us and I hope Aliene recovers to where she can walk well and hopefully dance again. I know she is ready to go back to her walking and exercises.

I haven't walked or biked in the early morning for several days and I keep feeling like I missed something! I did walk some today after I got back from the airport.

October of 2009 already! It is hard to believe 2010 is almost here!. Here, the leaves are beginning to turn a beautiful color. I enjoy fall, except I know that winter will follow. Some day, maybe I will have the time and money to take a vacation to a warm spot in mid-February!