Day Seven
JANUARY 31, 2022
Busy day! Today is day seven with Allie and here at 3:10 PM we've already done quite a bit. The ladies started out the day with a bunch of shopping, so that Allie could find the things she can't find in Germany and so that Patty could pick up one more piece of art for our bedroom. (See picture above)
From what I'm told, Allie actually found the exact thing Patty was looking for. It's a graphic mosaic piece that sort of goes along with the one we already have on another wall (see picture below.) We just finished mounting the new piece and it looks great and really fits in.
Allie found what she needed and she's trying to figure out how she will get everything packed in her limited space for the trip back to Germany. It looks like she has a good plan that will work for her.
Allie picked up a supply of Chic-fil-a sauce for the boys and a meal for herself for lunch. Patty and I picked up a salad from Rouses Market. They are our go-to place for anything and everything when it comes to good food and drink.
The girls got in a walk and I got in a run and had time to paint over the white lines out on the street where the basketball court used to be defined. I did it with some black paint that I picked up from Ace Hardware today while we were out and around.
I guess we'll do some left-overs tonight from Patty's birthday meal that we enjoyed yesterday, and I'm sure the evening will include another movie or two.
Happy Birthday Patty
JANUARY 30, 2022
I can't think of anything I'd rather write about than my wife, Patty; and, today is her birthday so it seems like the perfect time!
I've blogged before about Patty and Allie choosing a new word each year as their primary focus, and I've included a mention that my word, from year to year, has continued to be grateful.
I suppose it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that my wonderful and amazing soul mate tops the list of things for which I am grateful. What am incredible gift from God I've been given! And what a joy it has been to walk together!
On a different note, today is also Day 6 with Allie. The three of us enjoyed two Christ-focused movies last night and we've been swapping notes about our respective take-aways from each. What a wonderful thing it is to have our walks enhanced by true stories to which we might otherwise have not had access.
Speaking of grateful, I'm glad that warmer weather is on the schedule and am looking forward to a more comfortable run this afternoon. And, as I've said before, what good things are in store beyond that is anyone's guess.
Day Five
JANUARY 29, 2022
Another wonderful day with Allie. I chauffeured the ladies around as they took in some shops and then we had a nice lunch at the Mediterranean Sandwich Shop. I couldn't resist the Greek Salad with the Gyro meat on top and it was just as good as I hoped it would be.
Next step will be to see if I can brave the 45 degree temps and 10 mph winds to get in a run. It sure is tempting to wave it off, but then I would have to deal with the regrets and that tends to be worse (and lasts longer!) than the cold run.
After tonight, we won't have any more freezing or below freezing temps for the rest of Allie's stay with us. That means I can add the cut-on and cut-off switches back to the pool pump/filter timer tomorrow and get things running on a more regular and automated basis.
I've really been enjoying my Radical Wisdom and my 52 Hebrew Words books that I purchased while we were down in Fairhope with Allie recently. She also purchased the 365 Devotions book for Josh and the 52 Hebrew Words for herself, which she has also been reading. I love Regi Campbell's Radical Wisdom in his 365 Devotions. The Lord really uses that book to speak to me!
Looking forward to the rest of the day!
Day Four
JANUARY 28, 2022
We're entering day four with Allie and what a wonderful time it's been so far! Allie and I rose early as usual and had a very nice time sharing deep things with each other. What a blessing to have her here and to receive such a detailed update on all that is going on with Josh, Noah, and Gabe and life in Germany.
I got some chores (and this blog post) done while Allie and Patty spent time together. It was fun to hear Patty sharing some of her favorite Youtube sites with Allie. And, it was fun hearing them both swap notes and ideas specific to what they were watching.
It will be lunch time soon and I suppose we'll get a run/walk in shortly after. From there, it's anybody's guess as to what the day will hold for us. We'll see!
Day Three
JANUARY 27, 2022
Today is Fairhope day! In other words, today is the day we took Allie down to see and do all there is to see and do in the city of Fairhope, Alabama. Well, maybe not everything, but we did take in a lot of the shops and found a very good place for lunch. If you make it to lower Alabama, it's definitely worth going just a bit out of your way to take in everything that Fairhope has to offer.
The picture is of the Fairhope pier there on the Fairhope coast. That's where we started our day before making our way up to the shops and to a great restaurant for paninis, burgers, and a salad with grilled tuna.
We made our way back home just in time to get in our walks and runs. What we do for the rest of the evening is anyone's guess. Hope you're having an equally wonderful day wherever you are and whatever you're doing.
Day Two
JANUARY 26, 2022
It's day two and we are so excited to have Allie with us. We've gotten into a routine but also know that routines seem to have been created just so that we can break out of them and do something different. Less eating may be just such an example.
Today was a Rouses day with a lunch-time salad bar and a pickup of some take-out sushi to place in the fridge until supper time. We set pennies aside just for the possibility to enjoy such opportunities and have not been disappointed with the way things are turning out for us.
Last night I was able to swing back by the airport and pick up Allie's bag. It was an unexpected treat to see all that she had brought us from Germany and that was stored up in her bag. What a blessing!
More tomorrow!
Day One
JANUARY 25, 2022
Well, as expected we picked up Allie last night at the airport. Her flight was delayed and her bags didn't make it from Houston, but all in all it was still a good thing since we got to host our daughter.
We had a wonderful time talking on the one hour ride back to the house and we crashed when we got home - at about midnight. Allie and I were up our early and enjoyed chatting until Patty joined us. We also got to enjoy a nice video call with Josh and the boys and Allie.
Allie's bag should arrive today from Houston and I'll probably confirm that by phone and then head over to pick it up. Otherwise, it's probably going to be a pretty easy-going day. We'll take it as it comes and the posts will be short and to the point while Allie's here.
Big Day
JANUARY 24, 2022
Well, today's a big day! Our daughter Allie is flying in (alone) from Germany to spend some time with us. It promises to be a wonderful time together and I'm sure we'll talk until we solve all of the world's problems.
I've been grateful that this is the only night where temps are not projected to be at or below freezing since it's also the night we pick up Allie from the Mobile airport. Unfortunately, I discovered why the temps are not going down too far - it's supposed to rain. Ugh!
Oh well, a little rain never hurt anyone. It will make for less than exciting driving conditions from the airport back to the house (rain and dark) but, as I've said many times before, if that's my biggest problem in life, I've got it made!
Josh and Allie and the grandsons are all big fans of Chic-fil-a so I'm sure we'll hit that a few times while she's here. In fact, I think she has plans to do a carry out on her last night and take some home for the family. I'm sure that will be fun for the boys!
We want to take Allie down to Fairhope since it's such a cool place to shop and eat. Beyond that, we don't have any big plans. We'll just take things as they show up on our radar.
It's my understanding that the boys (Josh, Noah, and Gabe) are going to be doing a lot of guy stuff while Allie's over here. I hope they have a great time and enjoy a wide variety of guy stuff, which I'm sure will include cooking out on the grill, wrestling matches, outdoor stuff, and whatever else those guys like to do.
Get Obsessive
JANUARY 23, 2022
I wrote about this topic under the same title some years ago in my old blog. And, I keep circling back to it again and again.
If I am going to get something done, I don't know any other gear except obsessive. Anything less becomes casual and casual won't get it done. There are just too many ways to let myself off the hook in casual mode. Obsessive may look funny, but it gets results for me.
I wrote sometime back about dropping 30 pounds. That was hard work! And like so many stories that don't end well, I kept it off for about a year and then started putting it back on.
My soul mate and I were talking about this yesterday and how we tend to build a new long-term plan way too often. There's something wrong with that and for me it means that I haven't really made a decision. Or better said, I haven't become obsessive about my decision and put a plan in place to ensure I succeed at it, and for the long-term!
So the real question is whether I want the easy/lazy/eat what I want life or the challenging/focused/manage my eating life. I've always thought of that first group as The Good Life but I'm learning that The Good Life really comes from that second group.
There's more motivation to live that life now because successes and failures are amplified here in my senior years. I could get away with slacking off in my younger years, but in these senior years, not so much.
So, pardon me while I get obsessive.
Still More on Running
JANUARY 22, 2022
It looks like the highs for next week are going to be right about at 51°F. That's warm enough to run! Now as for the lows, they will be coming in during the night and will be in the 20's. That's cold enough to ensure the pool pump is running all night to avoid freezing the pipes.
Back when I was a regular on Facebook, or for that matter back when I was simply on Facebook, I used to beat up on myself when I read about all of the running my former students were doing up north in the snow. Not anymore! Anything below 40°F or with a windchill that drives it below 40°F is my cutoff point. Below that and I'm down for the day and staying inside if at all possible! That also includes any real threat for precipitation, frozen or otherwise.
As a senior runner, and with my purpose now for running, I'm done with all of the crazy weather runs and am seeking to pursue the running game with some level of sensibility. The goal is fitness for the long term and that can be accomplished with a much more reasonable approach. This is no longer about how many training miles I can squeeze in within the span of a year.
500 miles a year seems pretty reasonable to me. That's five runs a week of two miles each, for every week of the year. I'll probably (hopefully) do better than that but it's going to be the goal for the time being. And, I've decided to stick with the two milers for the time being since 1) the time factor is better, 2) the recovery is better, and 3) the workout is quite adequate if I'm doing it almost every day.
I'm the worlds worst (best?) at changing up the plan, and that may happen, but for now this is it!
More on Running
JANUARY 21, 2022
It's killing me not to have some reasonable running weather and to be able to get out in it and hit the streets. Still, I'm just not ready to get out in some hit or miss rain with temps at or near freezing and winds between 10 and 20 mph.
Sometimes I can get out and start a run and think to myself that it's going to be a good day for running. Then, a moment later, I turn a corner and get hit in the face with a blast of cold wind and change my tune. Things go from getting in my running groove to getting into the mind-trick filled environment of endurance mode.
I have decided that I'm just not that interested in running in what I going to call non-running weather. I've also decided that I'm not going to run races because I know where that's going to take me, and I don't want to go there. I'm done with speed running. And I particularly don't want to take a day off just to prepare for that whole thing, not to mention paying money and getting out and traveling to an early start.
That I'm running is good enough and that's where I want to keep things. Long gone are the days of half marathons and (God-forbid) the one and only full marathon that I was crazy enough to train for and run. Training for the 1993 Atlanta Marathon brings back some funny memories, but they're only funny in retrospect - they weren't funny back then.
I remember running a training loop where I passed McDonald's several times and I remember on the first pass thinking that they were closed and on the last pass thinking to myself that now they were open for business. I remember the other times I passed by thinking that they were in various stages of opening for business and seeing the crowd build with each pass.
I can't remember why that seemed funny at the time. Clearly the mind goes into some strange places when trying to stay busy during a four hour training run that started around 4 AM in order to beat the heat and humidity! People told me I would do that and I didn't believe them. I had to learn that lesson the hard way!
More on Weight Maintenance
JANUARY 20, 2022
It's really hard for me to determine the difference between a legitimate desire and something compelled by OCD. And, I would include in that thought something that started out in a legitimate fashion and became an OCD driven task.
I think first and foremost each person (including me) has to decide 1) what they believe and 2) what they think is wired into their DNA. Both have a dramatic effect on decisions and choices. And. the challenges associated with these questions can easily become more difficult as we grow older.
I suppose that's because it's so easy to take the new found freedoms that come with retirement and provide ourselves with freedoms that we would have never chosen in the earlier years of our lives. That's a tough one to process.
For me, weight maintenance or management is just such a task or freedom. On one end of the scale, I want to enjoy eating and don't want to be obsessive about watching my weight. On the other end of the scale, I don't want to be overweight. Then again, what should I consider normal or acceptable and what is overweight? And, how does my age and retirement status affect my answers to these questions? And, should it?
Website Video Test
JANUARY 19, 2022
Nice Problem
JANUARY 18, 2022
Well, Christmas has come and gone but I'm still left with a nice problem. I've got money to spend!
I should probably be embarrassed to share that we tend to swap gift cards with our son and daughter-in-law, but hey, why not? After all, giving money tends to allow everyone to buy what they want. And, who doesn't enjoy that?
I have often suggested that when I do the same for my wife I'm providing her with the gift of shopping. And, as much as she used to enjoy that it seemed like a wonderful thing to do. But, now my wife and I just tend to buy what we need and with our focus on simplicity (mentioned in yesterday's post) we occasionally but still rarely will buy what we want, whether it's Christmas or Birthday or none of the above.
And, now I truly feel like the proverbial man who has everything and doesn't know what to buy with any gift money. My mom and dad used to talk about having everything they want and I didn't understand, but I sure do now! I used to buy DVD's but now that we've moved and have decent internet I'm not purchasing those DVD's anymore. So what to buy?
As I mentioned in the title, it's a nice problem to have. I've already purchased a new set of high-tech and easier to read bathroom scales and a couple of very cheap DVD movies, but still have over half the money left. I'm sure something cool will come along.
Maybe a webcam?
Retired Life
JANUARY 17, 2022
I went in search of online images to use for the Retired Life theme for this post. I found all the pictures I had imagined with the nice looking gray haired couples walking on the beach as if they had not a care in the world.
Initially, that was exactly what I was looking for. Back when I was much younger, I prayed for an intelligent, loving, kind-hearted, feminine, and extremely beautiful wife and that she and I would age well (like those pictures) as we got into our senior years.
Well, from my perspective that's exactly what God delivered and I couldn't be more grateful. I don't have to look any further than the incredible soul mate that God provided for me to realize just how grateful I really am. Anything and everything else is just icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned.
One of the things I had not anticipated, but for which I am equally grateful is my wife's passion for the Simple Life. She has taught me an entirely different way to look at life and I'm all in on it. She even has, and often enjoys, her rocking chair outside by the pool. It's just like the one in the picture. From my sweet wife I have learned that simple is simply better.
Simple is downsizing. Simple means taking in more than you spend. Simple is debt-free. Simple is a quiet day with time together. Simple is my wife's passion in the kitchen and the simple but restaurant-quality eating it affords. Simple is living in the moment and simple is enjoying the variety that life has to offer.
Simple is also putting God first in everything. Simple means quietly listening to Him and walking His walk, not just talking His talk. Simple is being a student of life and living to learn while learning to live. Simple is loving our grown children and their children, and letting go and letting God take the lead.
Lord, help me to keep my focus on the many simple things in life.
More Weather
JANUARY 16, 2022
Looks like things on the weather front are going to be more interesting than originally anticipated. We're going to have several nights with well below freezing temperatures this week. Mid to upper 20's will be nothing to sneeze at.
We welcome Allie a week from tomorrow and I can't say that the forecast has anything tropical in store for her as we had hoped. Still, we're looking forward to our time with her and a little cold and wet weather won't slow down anything we want to do.
We're picking up groceries this morning and there's a small chance that we may see a flurry or two while we're out. The weather pattern is interesting with a rotation centered on Birmingham and below freezing temps on the outside of that system. That's the one that might hit us with a flurry or two while we're out.
We'll see!
SIDE NOTE
Ran today, but between the cold temps and the wind the run was pretty brutal. The temp
was 42°F and with the wind chill the online report said it felt like 36°F.
I decked out in some pretty warm clothes, which for me is very unusual even in the coldest
of temps. I'm typically a short (running) pants kind of guy but today I opted for a cozy
jogging suite and was not disappointed when I got out and started running.
So, running shoes, long pants, long socks, long sleeve shirt, jogging suit, ball cap, and a
hoodie on the jogging suit top that I used for over 75% of the run. Needless to say, I didn't
see anyone out walking or running. I was the only fool out on the road today!
Weather
JANUARY 15, 2022
Among other things, my Twitter profile says all things Geek and that includes the weather. I'm a big fan of anything weather related and especially unusual weather.
We've got a forecast for rain today and even that seems a bit unusual these days. We've also got a forecast in the week to come for some below freezing nighttime temperatures.
That means my dear wife will be covering up her plants and I will be running the pool pump in the evening in order to keep the water moving and avoid frozen pipes. The cost of a little electricity winds up being a very small price to pay in order to avoid larger expenses for repairing a frozen pump and/or pipes.
MLK/FBI
JANUARY 14, 2022
I've always been interested in the civil rights era. And, I've always found it interesting when I lived in Albany, Georgia that so much of what happened, actually occurred in our little town not that many years before we moved there.
Even when I was working on my MBA at Georgia State University, we had marches going on right outside of our classroom windows. It was quite interesting, but I have to admit it was also a bit frightening to witness the anger and the associated violence.
iTunes often runs 99 cent rentals on some of their films and yesterday they were running such a special on a documentary entitled MLK/FBI. I rented it and started watching it last night late and hope to finish it up today.
Common to so many other stories I've seen lately, I am quite amazed at the level of corruption that is present in our government and in the governments of so many other countries. I'm also amazed at the threat that MLK's power presented to some of the leaders of our country, especially in the early years of his rise to power.
I keep thinking that we live in very different times from anything that anyone has ever seen before. But I don't have to look back much further than the civil rights era to realize just how many back then must have felt the same way.
MRI
JANUARY 13, 2022
I had my first and only MRI recently and received an all clear, which was good news. However, the experience was far from what I expected.
Of course, I had no idea what to expect but the experience was quite different from anything I might have been anticipating. And while the all clear was good news, I'm still scratching my head a bit on how the experience related to what was being done in terms of the scanned image.
I changed into the typical medical robe (you know, the one with the back that is wide open) and was escorted into the room with the MRI machine. A nice spread had been draped over the place where I was to lay and the doctor had me lay down and began to share a bit of what I would be experiencing. Compared to what I experienced, he sure left a lot out in the description of events that were to unfold as the scan took place.
He asked what kind of music I liked and after a moment I asked for some easy listening rock music. He then handed me a squeeze bulb and said to squeeze it if I needed him during the process, since he indicated he would not be able to hear me with all of the noise.
I was supposed to have two scans performed, one with contrast and one without. With a bit of earlier research I discovered that the scan with contrast would include an injection of gadolinium to sharpen images. The technician indicated that when the first scan was complete, he would have me remain in place and set up the IV to inject the gadolinium.
He then gave me some ear plugs, which I inserted, and then he put a set of headphones on top of that and asked me to be very still. What followed was a combination of beeps, roars, and rumbles as well as a few other odd sounds. I'm not sure exactly how long it all took but I think it was somewhere around 30 minutes with both scans since it was just a brain scan.
90 Minutes in Heaven
JANUARY 12, 2022
I watched 90 Minutes in Heaven last night. I must say that was quite a story!
I had seen previews of it long ago, but never paid it much attention until I came across it on Pureflix last night. I decided to give it a try and it was all that I had hoped for.
Based on a true story, I suppose only God could weave a tale like that one. It had everything on a scale from tough and gritty to touching and inspirational. And, it seems that while watching the story I felt as if I had experienced all of the pain and trials the lead character was going through.
Of course that's far from true when I look at all he had to go through, all of the pain he experienced, and the length of his journey in the midst of all of that. Knowing that he and his wife made a conscious decision to travel that difficult road with no guarantee of a positive outcome was sobering to say the least.
His wife, who stood by him through it all, reminded me of my wife and the amazing support and devotion I have received from her on our journey. Thank you Lord for using this movie to remind me just how blessed I am in so many ways!
Eat Like the French
JANUARY 11, 2022
Eat like the French. It's what my wife mentioned a few times over the years. To her point, she's talking about cutting back when one's weight gets high, and enjoying more when the weight is down and in a good place.
I Googled eat like the French and found the following:
- Eat Whole Foods. While a French diet is not always healthy, choosing whole food and ditching some of the highly processed options would be highly beneficial to anyone.
- Be Scared of Sugar, Not Fat.
- Don’t Snack in Between Meals.
- Have an Apéro. (A pre-dinner drink)
- Shop at Farmer’s Markets.
Combining my wife's version of French eating with what Google presented probably makes good sense. However, I have to admit that what tends to work best for me is lots of protein, some fat, and little or no carbs. Of course I need to stay away from sugar and snacking, which are the two things where I tend to struggle most - especially snacking!
Weight Maintenance
JANUARY 10, 2022
Weight management or maintenance was, is, and continues to be a battle for me. Considering how much I like to eat and particularly how much I like to eat things I shouldn't (like sweets), I have a feeling the war will rage on for the rest of my life.
I go through seasons of great strength where I eat well and drop weight. I go through other seasons where I do the opposite, eating anything and pretty much everything I want.
As I get older, it becomes easier to be lazy about anything to do with food and eating. I'm delighted with how my running is going, and I sure wish I had the same level of determination for weight maintenance. Unfortunately for me, the two are as different as night and day.
It's time to get going and drop some weight. I dropped a bunch of weight a year or more ago, but I've since put about half of it back on. I carry what I have pretty well, but I tend to use that as an excuse when I feel like a snack.
We dumped our old digital scales (since they weren't very accurate) and purchased a more accurate set. Unfortunately, with our diminishing eyesight, we couldn't read the position of the pointer on the scale to determine our weight.
So, I took some of the Christmas money that I received from my son and purchased another digital set that was more accurate and had a lager readout. It sure is good to have something that works for us!
With all of that said, I have no more excuses.
It's time to get focused!
Molinism
JANUARY 09, 2022
My family and I have walked in a Reformed Theology for quite a while. When I lived up in the Atlanta area, I used to be a regular in a men's Bible study. It was a small group of about 6-10 men on any given early Monday morning and I think we were all pretty much reformed in our theology.
There's no doubt in my mind that we all struggled with the conflict between God's sovereignty and the free will of man. Reformed theology favors the sovereignty of God, which lead to our second struggle. If the sovereignty of God wins in that proposed debate, doesn't that also suggest that God must be the author of sin since evil takes place here on earth during God's watch?
I remember attending my last Monday morning Bible study before my family and I moved to Florida. I remember mentioning to our host, PB (his initials), that I hoped we might one day discover a solution to our sovereignty of God / man's free will struggle.
Well, I confess that I haven't totally bought in yet on Molinism, but it sure goes a long way toward resolving that difficulty. I like what is being said by some of the contemporary supporters of Molinism, but I also find myself supporting the Reformed theologians and their comments critical of Molinism.
I've got a lot of study ahead of me if I am ever to make a decision on this one.
More Cobra Kai
JANUARY 08, 2022
Patty and I have been binge watching Kobra Kai. We finished episode 3 of season 4 last night and have 7 more episodes on season 4 before we get caught up.
I read that season 5 wrapped filming recently and, if I read correctly, should be out sometime this year. It will be interesting to see where the writers are going to take the rest of this season and next season. It will also be interesting to see how far it goes before they wrap production.
I think one of the more interesting aspects of the episodes is how many of the original cast members the producers have been able to reintroduce and insert into the storyline. I've been amazed at how many they've brought back and how well they've been blended into everything that is going on.
While I really enjoyed seeing Elisabeth Shue (Ali) and Tamlyn Tomita (Kumiko), I was particularly surprised and interested when I first saw Yuji Okumoto (Chozen [the bad guy that fights Daniel at the end]) being introduced. I became very curious as to whether he was going to remain a bad guy or turn the corner and become a good guy.
Ham Radio & FT4
JANUARY 07, 2022
I've done most of my digital on 20 meters, primarily because the 20 meter dipole is the only antenna I have. Well, I have a 40 meter ham stick dipole (and a 20 meter ham stick dipole) but neither has been installed so band choices are limited.
Months later after a battle with bronchitis, I'm still coughing just enough to dissuade me from jumping on voice and encourage me to stay with the digital route. Honestly, I've simply grown to enjoy it more just for the sake of wondering which states or countries I'll be able to contact when I jump on the radio. With the current band conditions, I'm lucky if I can make a voice contact just down the street.
We're still low on the sunspot cycle which means low power operations are going to be the preferred mode and digital definitely covers that base. Just a few short months ago even digital didn't have much to offer with the horrible band conditions. I was lucky to make 5 contacts in a day. But lately, band conditions have been good enough to easily pull in 15, 20, or even 25 digital contacts in a relatively short period of time.
Ham Radio is such a cool hobby and has so much to offer between the cool technology and an awesome community of great people all over the world!
Cobra Kai
JANUARY 06, 2022
I'm trying to catch up on my Cobra Kai episodes. I just finished episode 3 of Season 2 and have a long way to go to get to season 4.
Season 1 was great and season 2 has kicked off with a lot of promise to bring everything that I enjoyed in season 1. I'm sure 3 and 4 will be equally great and I can't wait to get there.
It's interesting that the series continues. I guess that's what happens when you take a great idea, with a lot of apparent pent up demand behind it, and make it happen. I'm glad that Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg all believed in their idea. And, it's great to see Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence.
The series kicked off on YouTube until YouTube decided to abandon scripted original programming. At that point (season 3) Netflix picked it up and renewed the series for season 4. Hope we have many more seasons to come!
SIDE NOTE
As I mentioned, I've been working to replace all of the technology I removed and have
been able to get everything done. I replaced the search feature and updated all of the
content for it. I also added back the most recent posts technology and provided
the new content for that as well.
Finally, I was able to get the spell checking performed back to December 1 of 2021. If
I missed anything before that, it will just have to remain as it is. I used an online
spell checker to avoid the expense of adding Microsoft Word to my system. I don't really
need Word for anything else, at this point anyway.
On an unrelated note, I was not able to get a run in yesterday, but did today and I
sure am going to miss this cool weather when spring and summer arrives. On the other
hand, when warmer weather arrives I'm looking forward to taking advantage of the pool,
especially taking a dip after a full afternoon of yard work.
Grateful and Happy
JANUARY 05, 2022
That's him with Noah Snow, his great-grandson.
Dad used to say that getting old is not for sissies. Still in my mid-sixties, I sure do know what he meant. I'm amazed at how many things about the human body can become so demanding here in my senior years.
I'm not really interested in getting online and sharing all of my struggles, but I am grateful for the wonderful insurance we have and I do intend to take full advantage of my doctor's expertise, if for no other reason than to do everything I can to enjoy these senior years as much as possible.
There's another saying I like that says attitude determines altitude. Boy, is that one ever true. I think Lincoln put it best when he said you're about as happy as you decide to be. As long as God gives me strength to be happy, I fully intend to stay headed in that direction.
As I've said so many times before, I'm grateful for everything God has done in my life. And, I've become convinced that remaining grateful is the key to happiness.
Still Under Construction
JANUARY 04, 2022
Yesterday, I finished adding back all of the entries in the archives and also finished updating the posts in the categories and the related menu work.
Here forward, I am working on the search feature and hope to spend some time editing my spelling and working on the most recent posts.
It's not like I have an audience that will use these features, but working on them (even if just adding them back) is what I enjoy most about working with this website. I look forward to dabbling with the other ideas I might be able to bring to the table.
Under Construction
JANUARY 03, 2022
The website may look a bit wonky for a while since I'm working to add some technology back that I had removed a short while ago. I'll have to put the stuff back and add the technology updates that fall between the time I removed everything and the present.
I haven't decided how much of the technology I want to put back of everything I removed. I'll try to figure that out along the way, or quit when I get tired - which ever comes first.
LOL!!!
Running Weather
JANUARY 02, 2022
Patty and I were eating our sandwiches for lunch when I saw her look out the front window with a surprised glance. It was pouring down rain and she saw a runner on the front sidewalk who must have been caught in it. Clearly, she felt bad for the guy and so did I.
Patty and I both know what it's like to get caught in the rain on a run. In fact when we lived in Pensacola we both got caught in a rain storm on one of our walks together. I gave her my ball cap to keep the rain out of her eyes and for a while thereafter, I think we both wore ball caps on our walks.
By 2:00 PM today the weather map was providing an all clear until around 6:00 PM so I put on my running clothes and headed for the front door. My sweet wife asked if I wanted her to pick me up if it started raining and I assured her I had checked and rain wasn't in the near-term forecast. A simple, "Sure, thanks!" was probably more appropriate than a lengthy explanation, but I didn't think of it in time.
I hate it when I do that!
More on Running Races
JANUARY 01, 2022
It's tough to admit it, but sometimes I think I make things much harder than they are or need to be. Running provides just such an example.
Whether or not I've been faithful and true to it, running was always supposed to be about good health. Anything that ran counter to good health (no pun intended) was never meant to be included in the regimen.
So, if that is the case, why am I working so hard to move up to the 5k distance and spend money to run 5k races? Why am I trying to squeeze a 5k distance out of a neighborhood filled with hills when a 2 mile course was not such a big problem to establish? And, why am I trying to get to 3+ miles when I haven't honestly mastered 2 miles with hills?
Most importantly, things aren't like they used to be. I don't need races to motivate me to train. In fact, races tend to be a deterrent to good fitness in that they actually reduce my total miles and provide an unnecessary expense on top of it all.
Clearly, this needs a lot more thought...
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