Dad
AUGUST 31, 2022
08/30/22 12:35 PM
I posted this picture of dad and blogged about it back in January of this year. That's a very young Noah Snow (his great grandson) sitting with him.
If my math is right, today would have been dad's 93rd birthday. We lost him about nine years ago at age 84.
Dad was fit as a fiddle up until he wasn't. I don't think I had any idea back then what he must have been going through as his decline came so suddenly and dramatically.
Dad was pretty much a go it alone kind of guy, both in life and at life's end. Only as I get older do I begin to understand what he must have been going through.
He often said, getting old is not for sissies and those words have rung more and more true with me as I enter my senior years. As I get older, remaining grateful for God's blessings always trumps complaining about the challenges. The former He served to bless me and the latter He allowed both to strengthen me and to provide me with a great appreciation for the former.
Footnote
More Tennis Stuff
08/31/22 08:50 AM
Well, day two is finished at the US Open and with it all 64 men's single matches
in round one are done or are close to it. Today we begin with the first half of
round two and will see 16 of the 32 men's singles matches slated for this round.
It will be the same with the women's rounds. We're down to the first half of round
two for them as well, not to mention men's, women's, and mixed doubles.
Serena plays the number 2 seed tonight, so I'm guessing that will be her exit from
the event and the end of all the hoopla surrounding her finale. We'll see...
Serena Williams
08/31/22 08:45 PM
I've got to give credit where credit is due. That was a different Serena Williams
who defeated the #2 player in the world. Serena's been playing poorly lately which
led many of us to believe she wouldn't even make it out of the first round. But,
to her credit she won her second round and continues onward. Good for her!
Noah Snow
AUGUST 30, 2022
08/29/22 09:15 AM
Got this awesome picture in an email from Noah, my grandson. He's playing the French Horn in his school band. Way to go, Noah!
I'm so grateful for the opportunity to see these two young men (grandsons) growing up and making a difference in my life. As to their age, once is barely in double digits and the other is rapidly approaching them.
However, from what I've personally witnessed, they are both way ahead of their years. Both are bright beyond description and quick studies at everything they grab hold of. Of course, I'm not proud. I'm just sharing the facts!
Like their parents, I mean it when I say they are all making a difference in my life. They're all building something new to each of them and to me. But, with God as the designer, (and they have definitely left that role in His hands!) how can they go wrong?!!!
Like I said, what an amazing blessing to have them make such a difference in my life! All I can do is stand back and watch in awe as two parents follow God's lead and take our grandsons around the world on an amazing adventure!
Way to go, y'all!
Footnotes
Tennis Stuff
08/30/22 07:50 AM
What a great day one I enjoyed at the US Open Tennis tournament on Monday
via both ESPN and the Tennis Channel. I wasn't much into the Serena celebration,
but really enjoyed the matches that were featured.
I must admit I was a bit disappointed in the Tennis Channel and their tendency
toward over celebrating Serena. Even more disappointed with the fans celebrating
any mistakes from Serena's opponent. But, ESPN more than made up for it and did a
great job, for the most part, of covering the rest of the matches.
I didn't stay up for the Kyrgios/Kokkinakis match but figured Kyrgios would
ultimately prevail, and he did. I hope I get to see a match between him and Wolf.
That would be great match up if both win their next match and wind up facing each
other in the following match.
The only 'big' name I see in the men's draw is Nadal and he plays his first round
match tonight. In the past I would have feasted on all of the matches between the
big names, but Nadal is it this year. As such, I'm glad that I've had an opportunity
to watch the others play (men and women) in the lead up to the Open because that's
where all the action seems to be.
So, bring on Day two. Play looks to start around 12 noon with the second half of
round one. Should be some good stuff!
_______________________________________________________________
Allie
08/30/22 10:50 AM
Yesterday, I received two pictures from Allie of the crates that have arrived
on the island with all of their furniture. I know they are really looking forward
to having all of that in the house with them and the real sense of home that will
come with all of that.
It's Monday!
AUGUST 29, 2022
08/28/22 06:30 PM
What a great day we had yesterday. Got a little rain, watched some sports and YouTube, did some cleaning inside and out, got in a good run, and had a great Chinese dinner prepared by Patty. She sure is a Master Chef!
It's still Sunday the 28th as I type even though this will be published on Monday the 29th. The political landscape continues to defy logic, but my focus starting today and for the next few weeks will be the US Open Tennis Tournament up in New York.
It's been interesting to have the opportunity to watch the Tennis Channel and see all of the matches leading up to the big event. And, as a result, it's really fun to go into the tournament familiar with more of the players (men and women) than ever before. Not only do I know the names, but I'm also more familiar with their level of play as well.
I'm still surprised that we will not be seeing Novak Djokovic at this year's US Open, although I certainly understand what's driving that. It's just a shame that such a key player will be missing from the lineup.
Well, here we go!
US Open Tennis
AUGUST 28, 2022
08/27/22 08:20 AM
As I publish, today is Sunday, August the 28th, and tomorrow kicks off the US Open Tennis tournament at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, in Flushing, New York. It's a big event and the last major event of the tennis season.
Tomorrow also kicks off my first visit to my new Dermatologist. The practice comes very highly recommended and the Google reviews are all quite stellar. I have a full body scan scheduled, and if all goes well I'll be clean for another six months. I haven't had anything to follow up on for over a year now.
With the sports add-on package to my streaming Sling account, I've been enjoying the tennis run-up to the tournament and am all set for the big event. The matches run pretty late, so it's likely I'll be short on sleep for a season.
As the tennis and golf seasons come to a close, I look forward to more time spent on Sling's Fox News as we approach the election seasons. The upcoming 2022 elections and the 2024 season promise to be big events and with the lengthy lead-up, the 2024 event will be here before we know it.
Footnote
08/27/22 11:45 AM
More on Alabama Voters
I found this interesting graphic and thought it had a lot to offer in terms
of a county by county report for the 2020 presidential election in Alabama.
Alabama Voters
AUGUST 27, 2022
08/26/22 06:10 PM
I find it interesting that Alabama has 3,708,804 registered voters and that 2,329,114 of those individuals voted in the 2020 election. Those numbers suggest a 62.8% registered voter turnout, or roughly 2 out of 3 registered voters.
I also find the trend toward Absentee voting to be interesting. In the 2020 election, 305,663 absentee ballots were cast and that's up from 87,553 in 2016. In 2016, 4.1% of ballots cast were absentee and in the 2020 election absentee ballots represented a whopping 13.1% of all ballots cast, over three times the numbers from only four years earlier.
Also of interest is the fact that since Jan 19, 2015 1,890,152 people have registered to vote and 1,282,990 people have been removed from voter records as a result of being deceased, having duplicate records, or leaving the state.
Image source: NBC affiliate WVTM, Channel 13, in Birmingham, AL
Other Data Source: sos.alabama.gov
Footnote
08/27/22 11:11 AM
Diet and Workout
I've really gotten lazy with my diet. My casual attitude toward the intake of
sugar has been one of several factors that has sent my weight in the wrong
direction.
Once one thing gets casual, it's so much easier for everything to get casual.
While my weight has tracked upward, I have still found it easy to consider
changing my running and workout schedule to a lighter load with an underlying
lazy attitude.
I'm not sure how that happens, but it sure is easy to get there. And then it's
so much work to get back where I belong. Why do I keep doing this to myself?!!!
I'm not sure I know the answer to that question, but I've thrown away the idea
of the lighter load workout and I'm back to where I belong on all three items
including running, weight training, and that all important diet.
And now to keep up my focus!
Staple Removal
AUGUST 26, 2022
08/25/22 04:00 PM
The picture is of a staple removal tool. Not the kind that removes staples from paper, but the kind that removes skin staples used instead of stitches.
I was told last Friday, when I had eight staples added to the back of my head, that I could come back next Friday to have them removed. That's today!
When they added the staples, one did not go according to plan so they had to remove it. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly and painlessly that happened.
I just finished watching a YouTube video of staple removal and can see why the event was so painless. The staple remover tool crimps the middle of the staple and that action is what 'unhooks' the staple or withdraws the staple's claws from the skin.
I'm impressed that someone came up with that idea, and that it works so well.
I'm looking forward to being staple free.
Footnote
08/26/22 10:10 AM
Ouch!
I only said it once, but apparently once was enough to catch the technician's
attention and inform me that what I was feeling was hair being pulled as the
staples were being removed and not the staple removal.
I'll take the hair pulling and remain grateful that they didn't have to shave
the spot, as would have been the case with stitches. Nice to be staple free!
PHP Code
AUGUST 25, 2022
08/25/22 06:55 AM
The problem with making changes to the PHP code on this website is that I don't do it often enough to recall everything I've learned. Also, there is so much more to learn and figuring out how to use those new things takes time.
Yesterday's code changes are a good example of what I'm talking about. I somehow forgot that the = (equal sign) in PHP is actually a == (double equal sign) and it's the same for the !== (not equal sign.)
Worse yet, when PHP fails it generally results in a blank screen. So, you have to change or delete code and retest until you find the problem. This can be a real pain and a minor problem related to a simple code change can take quite a while to diagnose and correct.
This was the case in yesterday's changes to my search logic. Putting in the double equal signs fixed one of my two problems.
The second problem was a bit more subtle. It was not a code error, but rather a logic error. By testing several conditions, I found one that did not respond properly to my logic and had to rewrite my code to include that particular scenario.
Turns out that with the high number of posts I have, I can hit a condition where my search finds a hit but the percent of total still remains at zero. I wound up having to hard code for that scenario by injecting a statement that displayed a less than 1% to cover the situation.
I wonder if my logic failed to account for any other unique scenarios like that one?
Footnotes
08/25/22 07:55 AM
PHP Logic Example
If you want to see a realtime example of what I'm talking about, try typing in
the word the in the search box in the upper right-hand corner of your
screen and then press the search button. Scroll down to the bottom and it will
reveal the condition I anticipated.
Now type in hello and press the search button to see a realtime example
of the other condition that I failed to anticipate and where I had to hard code
the less than 1% PHP statement.
The logic I wrote into the code checked for two conditions. (First) the average
had to equal zero and (second) the number of hits must not equal zero.
New Lunch Hangout
Patty and I rode over to our Walmart for grocery pickup yesterday, and went
searching for a good place close by where we could eat lunch. We are big users
of Google Reviews and almost missed our new favorite hangout due to a couple
of bad reviews among many good reviews.
We were thinking Mexican and had tried Old Mexico and took a risk and
tried El Patron. The place was nice and clean and while not quite as
new as Old Mexico, the food was much, much better. I think we've found one
of our new lunch hangouts!
Two More Logic Problems
08/25/22 11:55 AM
I found two logic problems with my PHP code. After the PHP checks for the
two conditions I mentioned above, it should also check for one condition (were
there any hits on the search) and if the condition is not met, the message I
added (with the percentage) should not be displayed.
For the other condition, even if no hits were found, I would still like the
user to be informed of the search duration that is not showing up.
Problems fixed!
Time Flies
AUGUST 24, 2022
08/24/22 07:15 AM
Wow, where does the time fly? It's already Wednesday and only a week away from September!
I can't say enough about the great job the guys did in the yard yesterday. Sounds like every other Tuesday will be our yard day from now on.
Looking forward to a lunch out with my soul mate and picking up the groceries, especially since we're buying some new plastic utility shelves for the carport to get everything up and off of the ground. Should be a very nice change.
Will be interesting to see what we choose for our lunch out today. Not much else to report.
Footnotes
08/24/22 07:45 AM
Monster
I think we've converted our cat into a monster. We've let her become a part-time
outside cat and I think she wants to go full-time. All she does now is fuss
about wanting to go outside, even if we're both inside. What to do?
Facebook
I got off of Facebook (again!) about 3 or 4 days ago. It started out as a way
to avoid any response to my upcoming birthday, and finished as a means to get
away from posts for the upcoming 50th class reunion, not to mention our
neighborhood facebook account. I just don't care for being social in those
arenas.
Just read on Twitter that Facebook has experienced a major hack and it is
affecting many of their most followed accounts. Interesting!
Search Function
08/24/22 03:30 PM
Just modified the search function to provide a percentage of total posts where
the search string was located, in addition to the total number of posts where
the search string was located.
God is Good...
AUGUST 23, 2022
08/22/22 06:15 PM
I'm delighted to report that the healing I mentioned yesterday continues and the first day back for weights and running was a great success. It felt good to get back in the swing of things.
We dropped by our eye doctor so Patty could order some contacts and I could get adjustments to the frames for my glasses. The men on my dad's side of the family all have a wonky ear which makes one ear a tad lower than the other.
As a result, glasses never sit quite right when I put them on. But, after a bit of tweaking, the doctor's assistant had things working for me.
How level my glasses sit on my face has never been that important in the past, but with a small amount of prism added to reduce the tendency toward double vision, it seems much more important now. The prism that has been added also further reduces my ability to look at anything unless my head is upright. It's nearly impossible to describe the effect that it has on my vision, but it's not pretty!
Still, I'm so grateful to have found a good eye doctor and eyecare center, and even more grateful for the provision that affords us the opportunity to utilize their services. I'm the first to admit that the contemporary quote I hear these days seems a bit corny and over-used, but it's still true:
God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good!
Footnote
08/23/22 01:45 PM
Yard Guys
We have a great group of yard guys and they do a superb job! Monday used to be
their day but they come on Tuesdays now since they have a new and large project
on Mondays.
They came today and did their normal job plus they hauled off some stuff I wanted
carried away. I was glad to pay a small price for that since we no longer have
a service that does those kinds of pickups, like they did in Spanish Fort.
On the other hand, our second solar light has also gone missing. We replaced the
first one after it went missing, but I'm not going to replace another one. I
guess that address sign it was shining upon will have to be a daytime only sign.
Healing
AUGUST 22, 2022
08/22/22 07:20 AM
Well, if you saw my post on the 20th of this month, which was actually written on the 19th and the day it occurred, then this post will make more sense. If you missed it, then not so much.
Essentially, I took three days off from my regular routine of weights and running in order to allow some healing to take place. And, as I reapproach my weights and running, I'm doing so on a new and different schedule.
It's a schedule that I think will work better for me for a lot of reasons, and it's a schedule change that just seems to make sense. I took the weekend off and, as Monday has arrived, I'm looking forward to getting back in the fitness groove.
We're supposed to get a couple of other things done today, but the weather may turn out to be a factor for some of those things.
We'll see...
Yesterday
AUGUST 21, 2022
08/22/22 06:55 AM
Yesterday.
It sounds like a post about a Beatles song, but it's far from it.
Yesterday's post for 8/21 was a manufactured post that I neither liked nor agreed with when I read it again. And so, I removed it.
And, I'm replacing it with this post which will be short and to the point.
So much for that manufactured and pointless post.
Lesson learned!
Staples
AUGUST 20, 2022
08/19/22 01:45 PM
Well, everything was going so well with the back yard until I stepped out into a dew covered yard from the concrete slap off of the back of the house and slipped into the yard and hit the back of my head on the concrete. That was not fun!
What followed was a long day of efforts to get things back to normal. And it was indeed a long and eventful day.
After my fall, I got up immediately with a sore head and went out to weed eat one last small patch of grass. Then, I went in the house and wiped off the back of my head with a napkin (to see if I was bleeding) and was quite concerned when a blood soaked napkin presented itself.
Patty investigated the damage and indicated a gash on the back of my head. I took a shower, but could not get my head to stop bleeding. As a result, made our way to our doctor over in Gadsden and they applied a bandage and a wrap and had me wait in the waiting area.
Next, they called me back and cleaned the wound. Afterward, they applied 8 staples (pictured above) to close up the gash and stop the bleeding.
They mentioned that a shot to numb the area would most likely hurt more than the staples, so I went without the shot. (I think if there's a next time, I might opt for the shot before the staples are added.) One shot versus 8 staples? Hmmm...
We made our way to Jacks for lunch and upon leaving Jacks, Patty indicated I was bleeding again. We called the doctor and they wanted us to come back. This time they applied a 24 hour bandage and a wrap to keep the bandage in place.
Well, we're finally home from all of the excitement. And, here I sit typing about this morning's adventures and looking forward to a quiet and restful afternoon.
Back Yard
AUGUST 19, 2022
08/18/22 05:20 PM
Well, I blogged about choices two days ago. I was referring to the choices I have before me to get the back yard cut, considering the serious slopes.
The lowest area of the back looks pretty manageable, so I decided to start there with the standard self-propelled mower. Figured I would work my way upward and do as much as I could, and then finish up with one of my weed eating options.
Turns out I was able to cut the entire back yard including some of the thick stuff and especially the thick stuff on the serious slopes. I was amazed at what a little creative cutting, slipping and sliding, and walking at odd angles could accomplish on some of those slopes. The picture just doesn't do those slopes justice and neither did the view from the back deck when I first came to see the place.
Tomorrow, I plan to do some touch up with the mower and the weed eater. Hopefully, I can stay on top of this job without it ever getting to the point it was at. The good news is that I was able to do the job with what I had and didn't have to make any purchases like I feared might be the case and shared in a previous post.
Old Mexico
AUGUST 18, 2022
08/18/22 07:11 AM
The good news is that yesterday we discovered a new Mexican restaurant that we really like. The bad news is that yesterday we discovered a new Mexican restaurant that we really like.
We decided to make Wednesday a day of shopping, eating out, and then picking up the groceries at the Walmart in Attalla, Alabama. The shopping part went very well at the Amish Market. What a cool place!
The Old Mexico Restaurant is just down the street from our Walmart so that also works out very well with the schedule. That's especially true since there's no rush to make a deadline when picking up the groceries.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work out at all well with the desire to manage weight gain. I'm up a bit after a great lunch out so I'm going to need to plan and prepare better in the weight management category for these eat out excursions.
Choices
AUGUST 17, 2022
08/17/22 07:30 AM
When we stood out on the back deck to see the back yard during our visit to consider this property for purchase, the back yard looked quite manageable. At least it looked like it could be easily managed by a landscaping crew.
Well, now that we've purchased the property and I've been down in the back yard, it's a whole different ball game. The slope is steeper than I ever imagined and, to be honest, it seems our landscaping crew is as afraid of that steep slope as I am.
I'm looking at all sorts of options for managing the growth of weeds and grass on that slope including string trimmers, string trimmer mowers, brush hogs, and even letting it go and grow or spreading ground cover seeds or wildflower seeds. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I'm sure it's a problem with a solution!
Stay tuned...
First Storm
AUGUST 16, 2022
08/16/22 07:00 AM
Yesterday, I would say we experienced our first windy, rainy, storm up here in Ohatchee. It came in from the north which is generally the back of our house and there was enough wind to drive the rain onto our back deck and up against the windows.
The wind was strong enough to move the back deck furniture all around and in different places from where we had set it. A few of the times I looked out the window, it truly looked like white-out conditions.
Fortunately, as quickly as it moved in, in moved out. We've all heard of the quiet before the storm, but this was the quiet after the storm. Patty and I went out and set the furniture back where it belonged and marveled at the amount of water the storm left on the back deck furniture.
I guess I'll have an opportunity today to see how effective the new gutter hose was in moving the water away from the house. Should be interesting.
Rainfall
AUGUST 15, 2022
08/15/22 07:33 AM
I'm not quite sure what we were expecting in terms of weather with our move up to this area in more northern Alabama. I suppose a reduction in rainfall would be accurate, but we've still had quite a bit of rain in the forecasts as well as in the real weather.
I noticed the current ten day forecast has us looking at nine days of rain. That probably won't be our reality, but that is what is in the forecast presently.
We moved from Spanish Fort, Alabama and the annual rainfall there is forecast at 66.8 inches. Just across the bay, Mobile, Alabama comes in at 67 inches, which is supposed to be the rainiest city in the United States.
We also lived in Crawfordville, Florida which is forecast at 53 inches per year. I think living on the water provided us with a more similar rainfall to our neighbors in St. Marks, Florida with 58 inches.
In line with our expectations for a reduction in rainfall and accompanying our move to this area, Ohatchee checks in with a forecast of 52 inches annually. Not much of a reduction, but (as they say) it is what it is, so we'll take it.
The View
AUGUST 14, 2022
08/14/22 07:50 AM
Interesting how the view changes from moment to moment. I really thought of a mountain view as a more static thing, but it's proving to be quite otherwise.
This picture was taken this morning from the back deck and the fog cover in the distance was quite unexpected. But, at the same time it was new and amazing to see.
I'm still very thankful that the Lord saw fit to move us to this new and beautiful area, and also to move us closer to Jonathan and Amy.
Sunset
AUGUST 13, 2022
08/13/22 06:11 AM
Last night, Patty and I enjoyed a beautiful sunset out on the back deck. We're blessed with a beautiful view of the lake and the island located just above the power dam.
After a busy and eventful day, it sure was nice just to rest out on the back deck and enjoy the wonderful view and some time together.
We're looking forward to having Jonathan and Amy over tomorrow and trying out the Little Bridge Barbecue Restaurant just north of us on highway 77. It will also be their first visit to our new place.
Bush Hog
AUGUST 12, 2022
08/12/22 08:15 AM
I got quite a workout trying to bush hog our remaining fenced in area with a regular lawn mower. There was a lot of grass to cut and it was high and thick.
Fortunately, I managed to do it and the lawn mower was still working afterward. I'm hoping that means the mower is okay. It bogged down and cut off on me a number of times yesterday but, after ensuring the blades were clear, it cranked right up.
We're still trying to figure out what is going to go where out in the yard area and I think we're close. It's not quite what we anticipated, but honestly it never really is.
Sling TV
AUGUST 11, 2022
08/10/22 08:04 PM
Some time ago we had a Sling account and really enjoyed it. We were watching a hurricane's progress as it made its way toward our home while we were in the car running from it. As silly as it may sound, that was fun and interesting, even if a bit scary.
Well, one thing we're really enjoying in our new place is rock solid high speed internet and we've once again subscribed to Sling TV to take full advantage of the streaming capabilities it provides. We're subscribed to both of the major packages and the sports add on, which provides me with plenty of tennis and golf.
I'm really looking forward to the upcoming US Open Tennis tournament, held each year in September and located in New York City. It's always interesting even if I'm still getting used to the unruly crowds at most tennis events that used to be so unique to New York's event. What a culture shift!
Speaking of culture shirts, I also enjoy Fox News and am looking forward to all of the election returns (and the political activities leading up to those elections) coming up this November, as well as the lead up to the 2024 election season, and in particular the presidential campaign and election.
Should all prove to be very interesting!
Phillips 2200
AUGUST 10, 2022
08/10/22 06:05 AM
Up early today after a nice rain last night and crashing relatively early. As usual, Lily's up early and hanging out with me as I write.
Wanted to expand on my doctor's visit yesterday. Dr. Morgan is exactly the kind of doctor we were looking for and hoping for. I suppose different people are looking for different things from their doctor, based on the reviews. However, I'm quite satisfied with the way things worked out and my expectations were certainly met for our new doctor, the facility, and the practice as a whole.
On a different note, it's sort of ironic that Amazon shipped me the wrong coffee maker. After further review of the features that didn't come with our down level machine, I'm quite satisfied with what we got and the refund that was applied by Amazon.
We ordered the Phillips 3200, but received the 2200. I already had it out of the box, put together, and was testing when I discovered the difference. In fact, I feared that I had ordered the wrong one until I checked. Had I better understood the selections, I would have probably ordered the 2200 so things worked out well. And, it was nice to see a $150 refund added to our account for the difference between the two.
Another Busy Day
AUGUST 09, 2022
08/09/22 07:40 PM
So much going on today that here is quarter 'till 8 PM and I'm just now sitting down to blog, while I squeeze in my weight training. Bench presses done, curls next!
Got in a visit to my new doctor up in Gadsden, worked with the guys doing the yard, got in a run, ate supper and set up the new cappuccino machine and tried it out! Stuck a shower in there somewhere.
Looks like we've got some 'figuring' to do on cutting the back. Seems it's just too steep, even for the pros. Will have to figure that one out!
Great find on the new doctor. She also had a good recommendation for me regarding my search for a dermatologist. Hope to get that scheduled soon!
Running Log
AUGUST 08, 2022
08/07/22 06:06 PM
When today's run is complete, it's a ten mile countdown until I hit the boundary for 8,000 miles logged in my running log. I started the log when I started blogging about running back in September of 2005.
For anyone so motivated, I suppose my average miles run per year can be calcualted. I'm also guessing this means I'll hit the 8,000 mile mark this coming weekend, if everything goes according to plan.
I have often wished I had started my running log when I started running, back in September of 1990 right after I completed my MBA at Georgia State. I estimate I would probably have over twice the number of miles logged if that had been the case.
Footnote
08/08/22 7:41 AM
Yard
Today we are scheduled to have our back yard bush hogged and cut. I'm not sure
the picture does justice to just how high some areas have grown, but I'm looking
forward to getting the job done along with several other things.
Just got a call from the yard guys and they pushed our project out one day.
08/08/22 1:33 PM
Eyes
Got a call from the eye doctor that they had a double cancellation and could
take us both this morning. Got that done and new contacts ordered for Patty
and new glasses for me. Should be in in less that 2 weeks. Woohoo!
Fitness
Also, just got in my 2 miler at a 9:09 pace (6.6 on the treadmill.)
Still sweating!
Off day on the 3 day weight rotation.
We the People
AUGUST 07, 2022
08/07/22 07:25 AM
With our new Sling account, I've been watching a lot of golf and tennis. Took a break from all of that last night and watched God's Not Dead: We the People. That's one I'm delighted to have in my DVD library and I watch it when I'm looking for inspiration.
The writing on the God's Not Dead series is quite good in my opinion. Of course I'm no expert at writing a screenplay, but I do know what works well for me and that entire series has been an inspiration on all sorts of levels for me personally.
I have quite a lengthy list of DVD's in my library that have a strong spiritual component and it is always inspiring to spend an evening engrossed in one of the stories. I suppose I'm like those readers who don't mind going back to the same book over and over again, except for me it's movies.
Footnote
08/07/22 9:50 AM
Weight Training
Well, yesterday I added a bold title for my footnotes topic. Pretty cool.
I also got in day 2 with my 3 day weight rotation. Day 2 also works out good
with the missing 15 pounder. I'm doing two exercises with 20 pounders and two
more with 10 pounders. Day 3 will be a rest day.
I like the intensity of the the Day 1 and Day 2 workouts and also the short
length of only 10 reps x 3 sets x 4 exercises. I also like looping in a rest
day to give me a day off even though I'm not taking any days off with cardio.
Focus on Fitness
AUGUST 06, 2022
08/06/22 12:51 PM
With the move and the cataract surgery behind me, I started back with weight training today. Oddly enough, I'm missing one of my 15 pound dumbbells after the move, so I bumped everything up to 20 pounds and reduced the reps. Overall, that should improve muscle growth, so no problem with the change other than a bit of additional muscle fatigue.
It was day 2 on the treadmill, and I managed to take what I learned yesterday about the new treadmill and apply it today. I ran at 6.0 but adjusted to 6.2 early on to account for the slow acceleration to 10 minute miles. When all was said and done, I completed 2 miles at 19:38 and went an extra 10th to get my calorie burn to 200.
As I alluded to yesterday, it's great to have a focus on fitness once again and after a much needed break during the move. Super proud of my better half who is also focused on her fitness and to whom I am grateful for our new treadmill.
Footnote
08/06/22 2:30 PM
Google comes through again!
Two of our four back deck electric sockets quit working. I tried every switch
in the house and on the back deck to see if I had inadvertently turned off
power to those sockets.
No success!
A quick visit to Google revealed several potential problems and we were okay with
each until I got to the last one.
Voila! There it was!
If a GFCI socket has tripped and needs to be reset, and it is on the same circuit
as the sockets without power, resetting it's tripped state will once again provide
electricity to the sockets that are on that circuit.
The tripped GFCI socket was a long way from the two failing outdoor sockets, but
it was tripped and resetting it provide electricity, once again, to the two
failing sockets.
Fixed!
Cool!
Treadmill
AUGUST 05, 2022
08/05/22 07:05 AM
Our treadmill was delivered by Fedex yesterday, so I guess today is the day it get's assembled and placed in a strategic spot. Don't know yet where that will be exactly, but it will have a new home soon enough.
I looked at those hills once more outside and I'm thinking that I may soon become a treadmill guy. Besides, a flat running surface there's always the environmental conditions to consider. Avoidance of rain, cold, heat, and everything in between will be a real benefit. Yeah, treadmill is sounding pretty good all of a sudden.
Decision made.
That was easy!
Footnote
08/05/22 11:40 AM
Well, treadmill is set up, box is cut up and in the garbage, weedwacked around our
mail box across the street, got in a 2 mile run at a 10 minute pace on our new
treadmill, and logged the running data.
Worked up a good sweat and the treadmill registered right at 200 calories. Patty
tells me there's a heart rate monitor on the treadmill, but I think I'll try my
watch next time just to see what it indicates over the course of two miles.
It sure feels good to be back at running again!
08/05/22 01:37 PM
Got a response to my QRZ issue and have deleted and rebuilt my log as requested.
Good to have it working again.
More Ham Stuff
AUGUST 04, 2022
08/03/22 06:05 PM
Been really enjoying the world of 2 meter FM in the Ham Radio arena. It's nice to carry on QSO's with locals and learn more about the people and the area, unlike what I was experiencing in the HF digital world of FT4 and FT8.
Digital was fun, but I've been ready for a change and the move just sort of fostered that desire and turned it into a reality for me. It's been nice to meet all of the hams, check into some of the nets, and generally get a station put together and active on the air.
Fence Removal
AUGUST 03, 2022
08/03/22 09:09 AM
I wasn't sure what time Craig and his team were coming to take down the fence, so I got up early. It worked out well as they arrived around 7:15 AM and I had already consumed my first cup of coffee.
Robert, an older fellow, came along with the team to carry off (and sell) the removed fence materials. Unfortunately, he started loading before taking on our steep driveway to get back on the street. I urged him to get up on the street and take his chances as to what might slip off the truck on the way up our steep driveway.
He went up and most of the posts that were in the back slid off the bed and onto our driveway. Once he got up the hill, I helped him carry the spilled posts up the hill and put them back on the truck. From there on, the two fence removers kindly carried the chain link up the driveway and Robert and I got the rest of the posts picked up and placed back on the truck bed.
Those guys worked hard and earned their money and were leaving by 9 AM with over 200 feet of fence removed from the property, including fence posts etc. I didn't envy them working in a field on a very steep slope with no idea if any snakes were in that tall grass. I had enough trouble just removing the pumpkin vine only a day earlier.
Rooms To Go
AUGUST 02, 2022
08/02/22 09:25 AM
Well, it's probably been over a month since we placed our order, but it sure was good to get our Rooms To Go delivery this morning. We ordered a new sofa and coffee table and Patty did a great job picking it all out.
We were supposed to get a new treadmill yesterday, but it didn't arrive and we're hoping it will show up today. There's just no way either of us can run on these serious slopes we have for 1.4 miles between here and highway 77.
If the slopes aren't bad enough, there's a serious drop off on either side of the two lanes. That means there's no place to retreat in those seemingly more frequent instances when there are vehicles on the road.
Oh well, treadmill it is.
Sigh.
Time
AUGUST 01, 2022
07/31/22 07:44 AM
Wow! Time sure is flying by this year. We moved in the new home on July 9 and we're already into August.
How did that happen?
We're getting settled and that's a good thing. We've got a pretty good to-do list but everything on it seems to be somewhere downstream. As I've said before, I'm learning to patiently wait on things. No need to rush.
Biggest challenge is probably learning how to navigate my way through this new season. It's definitely different and brings with it a lot to learn.
Meanwhile, it's fun to dabble with the small things while waiting on the big things.
One step at a time...
Footnote
07/31/22 01:00 PM
Speaking of dabbling, Patty and I hated to remove a strong and healthy pumpkin
vine from the fence, but we're having the fence removed and had no choice. The
vine was so pervasive that we couldn't tell where the roots were located and
had to sacrifice further growth of the 3 pumpkins.
Just figuring out what these things were was tricky enough, considering watermelons,
cantaloupes, squash, and gourds all come from the same family and all look quite
similar, especially when still connected to the vine.
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