11.30.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:57 am by livefood
If yesterday felt like Saturday and I know tomorrow is Sunday…what day is it? Every had one of those days that sort of gets lost somehow. I mean I got a lot done today (well…sorta maybe something got done)…but since yesterday was feeling like a Saturday I used up all of my Saturday thoughts and just kinda wandered through the day.
It didn’t help that BSU was playing yesterday…College football on Friday can help that, “it must be Saturday” feeling. But then today was the Civil War in Oregon, Alabama whooped Auburn…USC embarassed the Irish…so I do know it was really Saturday.
I think I do better with a routine…M-M-M-M-M…Weekend…M-M-M-M-M…Weekend.
But on the other hand, I’m one of those people who calculates the 4.33 weeks in a month. You would think that with that locked in Monday through Friday headset I might do the 4 weeks in a month thing. My brain just does some flip flops on logic from time to time.
My years go something like September to Thanksgiving…and then a month of nothing…January until 1/2 way through June and then Summer. Just like the way I remember the school years of decades ago. There are these blocks of months that make up a year…and it doesn’t have anything to do with the calendar year…which ever calendar you enjoy…it’s that old school year cycle. So in many ways (and on many occasions) I run a mixed up year…always in the 08/09…09/10 cycles and more-or-less constantly having to clarify is that the school year or the calendar year we’re talking about when talking about routine things like, “next year.”
So unlike some people who are looking forward to next year, I’m looking forward to the later half of this year…you know starting in January and ending 1/2 way through June.
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11.27.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:47 pm by livefood
What’s with that shift in focus in the last 2 minutes of a football game? What, like you only put in 75% or 85% effort unit the clock stikes 2 minutes to go? What if everyone did that? With 7 hours and 58 minutes clocked in…hey we can all start to really put it out.
That would make some occupations a little “interesting”…try going out to dinner where nobody cares about you until 2 minutes before the lights go out…or a bartender who only serves drinks within the last 2 minutes of closing time. Ok…so I pushed that a bit far…the bartender serves up cruddy watered down drinks until the last two minutes.
It’s a little out of wack with the person we entrust with educating our children is paid so little and those prince of men run around (at 75 or 85% effort for nearly all of the game) and get paid so much. Don’t give me some song and dance about the limited time they may be in that career…in a lifetime of teaching, those professional educators (who can usually read AND write) will never come close to the financial picture that even the minimum salaried football player will garner. But then I don’t hear of too many educators starting up in the dog fighting business either.
I’m sorry, I started out with a little tongue and cheak and then went ballistic. Hit my own nerve I guess.
Later today, there will be a lot of folks sitting around eating too much and enjoying their families. There will also be folks without families to enjoy. There will be others without food. There will be some in between the extremes, just thankful to be getting by.
In the midst of all the insanity of inequities and injustices that seem to be all around us…it’s sometimes hard to keep one’s head in the game…to say thank you when one is being helped…and to help when someone could use a little, even from someone they may not know.
Don’t wait until the last 2 minutes to give it all you got. The bulk of the points are scored earlier in the game.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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11.26.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:45 am by livefood
So what would be so wrong about having field goals…and why are they called that and not something more like “kicked goals”…what would he so wrong about having the field goals having different values. Say, 20-44 yards long would be 3 points (they’re usually a gimme anyway), 45-54 yards 4 points and 55+ be worth 5 points…you could have a required music to play during the event…something over used like “We Are The Champions” at 115 db…sort where the sound begins to hurt the ears…maybe have the cheerleaders of the opposite team stand across the goal line and shake a bit…maybe with the kickers wife (or partner…it happens) in the middle of the line.
Did you do the math…there would be a 1 point penalty for kicking a FG under 20 yards…if the team is so bad that they can’t punch it in for a touchdown from 20 yards perhaps they don’t deserve any points…and that extra point kick…nope…no points. Either do the two point routine or you get nothing.
I’ll talk about my ideas about the “2 minute drill” some other time…I have some strong feelings about that…and about those clean uniforms post game…another topic to discuss…grass vs turf, another…dome on stadiums…and don’t get me started on basketball…BBall could be another BLOG in itself.
Last night I was at a dinner with some friends I play English Handbells with. What an extremely nice (and interesting at the sime time) group of folks. There is so much “community” surrounding the group, it’s a wonder that more folks don’t just jump at the opportunity to be a part of it. When one of group is hurting in anyway, the rest of the group rallies round to help. Just amazing. It’s sort of the way you think a society should be, and act and think.
Sometimes when I get really cynical I think about the handbell group and smile a bit. With all of the crud going on in the World, it’s easy to feel like nothing is going as it should and that all people are pigs (with or without lipstick)…but it you look for it, there are pockets of great people…or could it be, if you look at stuff from the right angle, most things are going as they should and most people are amazing.
Are we creeps for 11 months so that we can be nice and gooey for the Holidays? Or are we usually pretty nice and just see it during the Holidays? Its certainly easy to get twisted about the World…maybe we over react sometimes and need a time out.
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11.25.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:16 am by livefood
I like being someplace, doing something, being with someone and having that feeling that you never want to end…but last week was too long. It was a mismash of Dr. appointments with my Dad and driving back and forth to spend time with him and them. Long week with cruddy results. The good news however is that the patches that Dad is wearing for his demensia seem to be doing some good…oK…”seem to be” are not the correct words…definitely are doing some good.
We even talked about my new concept for the professional football leagues. I get these sorts of ideas from time to time. I’m amazed that they have not been used already…some are so obvious.
Don’t you think that a team called the Vikings should be able to dress that way? I think we might stop with a few layers of leather and fur, the shield and the helmet (I mean really, the weapons would be over the top) but could you imagine what the game would be like if big wooden shield were used by the teams linemen…and those helmets with the horns would definitely be advantageous. If they really wanted to get into the character, they could skip showers for the season and that alone might open up the running and passing lanes…definitely would help with the “dog piles” during a fumble.
You can tell that this idea has some interesting possibilities. The league would more than likely have a whole lot of proposed name changes to take advantage of the new equipment…The Atheneans…although the short skirt might not work too well…but the Longhorms, The Shorthorns, the Elephants, The Bulls and on and on…oph yeah, The Huns…those would be sort of like the Vikings.
Sometimes I think I might have been dropped once too many times as a baby, perhaps from the second floor. Oh well, it’s my web site.
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11.18.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 4:20 am by livefood
Beat me and call me cheap…I didn’t have the time to post anything yesterday. Went to visit my Dad and between the drive over and back, he general work around the house the day came…went…and I have little to say about it. We did talk a bit about football…that’s easy enough.
The U that I went too was beaten by Boise State. Oh well, it was expected and being that we are all pretty big on the BSU program…nanananana. We know that BSU is going to a bowl…but will it be a big one or that local affair…The Humanitarian Bowl…oh please, give them a real bowl game. They deserve it…have earned it.
Been working on a new piece of music. Should be very cool wten it’s done…but then no one will be playing it in the near future. There are probably a lot of good tunes out there that never hit the stage…let alone that elumsive “big time.” I have no illusions about where my music might end up. At least as unpublished works, they don’t end up in the discount bin…oh great, don’t publish to avoid the dust bin. Now there’s a goal.
The challenge with my music is that is typically written for English Handbells. Handbells is a more-or-less self limiting instrument…in that they are normally played in Churches…they don’t seem to get much play time outside of that venue and of course they’re usually heard around Christmas time. So if you don’t write for those two limiting factors or don’t write the music for a standard sized or makeup handbell group, the chances of your work being played, let alone published, are quite limited.
Usually I will be putting some effort into who might be able to play a part as I write it down, but the latest piece is too unique for the choir I play in. It would take some individual practices and the group is loathe to that idea in general…so of the 13 ringers in the choir, I would have to find 7 players from the group that were willing to practice on their own in addition to the corporate practice AND (as well) have the skills to pull it off. No in this lifetime…so it will be complete next week and then go in the fil drawer.
I was reading in an email from a group I belong too that all too frequently players sigh a sigh of relief at the end of a presentation…”whew, we made it” type of thing. That’s not good. I would rather folks look to the end and smile and think, “That was cool.”
So much of music is living and preforming in the moment. If you can’t get yourself out of the rigor of the tehnical aspects of the piece, your musicality will suffer as well as your attitude. If you can relax a bit (usually occurring when the mechanics are well developed) you have a better chance of playing music rather than hitting notes. My thoughts on this kind of go along with my feeling that, “Good enough rarely is.”
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11.15.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:31 pm by livefood
I use a lot of metaphors when I’m writing or talking. It’s probably the way I see things…this is like such and such. So today we launched something. Sort of.
Way way back in the dark ages of computers I started doing web pages for groups as a volunteer. I still do web pages as a volunteers. I must admit that I had no idea what I was doing, so I basically over-wrote the copy, figured our color codes and played with a page until it was acceptable (note…not always “good”). But because the web pages were so new, most of the volunteer groups had no one to even try and everyone thought it was just plain cool to say they had a web page.
It’s changed a lot, but I haven’t. Well, that’s not exactly the truth. I do some coding now (more like remove coding from my page building software)…and can locate files in a more organized fashion. But I still have the same approach. Because the sites I work on are simple organization without a lot of streaming or anyting remotely related to that (no feeds, no transactions…nada). They pages can be organized as a coffee table book. Lucky for me, the speed of most servers is getting fast enough that I can load more pictures than in the old days, so I don’t have to think about size too much.
My first web sites for myself sort of took on a life of their own over the years and the whole deal got a little out of hand. So I decided to lump all the information from the sites into one…The Universe. So late yesterday…about 25 minutes ago I upload material onto my server and it went so smoothly I even impressed myself. The few screwy things were mostly related to capital in the extensions and silly things like that. I had to find a couple of photos that I overlooked in the rebuild, but all in all it went pretty smooth. I’ll have to go back and arrange some pictures, but I’ll do that when I do some content updates.
I still believe something that I was committed too from the beginning. Content on a web page should be the focal point. Sometimes, content IS the pictures…but content is what folks seek. They want information and get complete peeved at sites that poopoo the content and put dodads around the edges and 4 ads for each line of text.
But the new arrangement of my web material floated out on the water tonight and while it did lean to one side…it didn’t sink. We had to arrange the ballast a bit so it would sail straight…life is good. Part of the project was extremely enjoyable. I was able to relive some of the trips and experiences as I move the material around…that was worth all the trouble and missing links and files. I reset the bones of the sites a bit so that I should be able to update is on the next rebuild with less effort. Anytime I can get more for doing less…I’m in 
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11.13.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:17 pm by livefood
I celebrated 39 years old for 16 years. Then I looked at my latest BD and thought, “Wow, double nickels,” and decided that playing in a 55 year old sand box would be oK. Big BIG mistake…it was a huge, humongous mistake. This has been a year of higher colesterol, new meds, new vitamins, chiropractors, general MDs, physical therapists, physical medicine MDs, labs, xrays, MRIs and splints. I’ve been poked, prodded, bent and folded. I’ve been stuck and pinched. I’ve filled vials and cups. I am beginning to feel like a lab rat…and if I have to do another fasting blood test and I think I might waste away like a dried up leaf.
So in a few months, I will be defying gravity and going back to 39. This 55 thing sucked. I don’t like it and can hardly wait until the next BD. I just wish that someone would convince the mirror to lie to me…hey, it happened in Snow White.
I had a vivd dream a while back. It was totally weird. I have diabetes and have had it for my entire adult life…insulin dependant of course. I take between 3 and 5 shots each day…I hate those shots even after 10s of thousands of them…but the dream was so vivid, I’m sure it was in color.
I know that someday I may face the reality of loosing my feet or my legs to complications from the diabetes. I do take good care of them and will always struggle a bit with the diabetes. Part of the coping is dealing with reality and facing the future possibilites so that you can avoid them. The loosing the limb thing used to always scare me a bit. The dream was about the legs.
A few years ago I was fishing in Montana and when wading in a fairly small stream, had some difficulties wading in amongst the rocks. The water was cold so my muscles got tight and the current made me a little unsteady moving locations. It was an uncomfortable situation. So it was time for a reality check…maybe I would not be able to wade in those types of situations much longer.
The reality check was confirmed the next summer on the upper Sacramento River…bigger rocks, more moss and bigger holes to get my feet stuck into. Now, before you think you need to lecture me about using a wading staff, I do…and I have two of them. But without the feeling in the lower limbs, it’s difficult to know where the feet are and even which way they might be pointing. So freestone rivers and probably never going to happen again. Bummer…
…but that dream. In the dream I was wading in the river in Montana and didn’t feel the cold nor the current. When I looked down to move my blue anodized tubular aluminum legs…that was the dream. I had metal legs. Kinda wierd huh? It was so real at that moment. The really strange thing was I thought it was normal…but when I woke up and thought about that dream…ALL my fears of loosing the limbs went away. I was thinking that it was “no big deal” and that I could live with the possibility.
I have since had similar dreams where I was hiking and others where I am fishing with my guide in his drift boat. Same blue aluminum and always wearing shorts. Go figure.
Well truth be told, it is a big deal and I don’t want to live with it. But reality checks from time to time remind me that if it does happen, I can live with it and will do just fine…even on my favority rivers in Montana.
While I do have to work on taking things one step at a time, that dream did help me get my arms around a pretty scary situation. The dream reminded me that everything and anything is possible. Now I am taking one step at a time back to 39…it’s possible…right?
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11.11.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:26 am by livefood
Total strange day (so far). Been working on getting a new land line into my Dad’s home. His ALZ is beginning to make dialing an issue…jumbling number frequently. He just doesn’t deal with technology very well and never did. So the cell is going to get a new number and his home number for the past umpteenbazillion years will go back onto this new land line.
Now you might think that this sort of number switch would take 30 minutes or so…HA…try 2 1/2 hours. You might also think that they could switch the number (it’s called porting) withint the same telephone company within a couple of days perhaps…HA…best estimates are 5 days OR 7-10 days…they really didn’t know.
So after dealing with the phone company…and I have to say they were really nice people and seemed to do the jobs well…and then writing a couple of letters, answering business email and reading resumes…oh, and throw in that walk with Montana (the dog, but don’t tell her we’re not dogs like her)…I really didn’t think that the contractor would be coming by today to look at the remodel job. He’ll be here in about 20 minutes. I’m getting exhausted. I need to be able to say and share that I’ve had a very busy day so that when I’m at my bell ringing practice tonight I’ll have excused for screwing it up.
My best excuse for some horrific ringing is to forget my glasses at home…generally works…but I think the group is catching on.
My best excuse perhaps ever, was a while back when I was involved in too many charitible endeavors, sometimes with three meeting planned in a single evening…and frequently with two. I always told everyone about the other meetings. Most folks thought I was at the other meeting…sometimes I was at none of them I am so glad that I don’t attend one of the quilt trip Churches.
Had some disturbing news at Church yesterday. Seems that we volunteered to pack up all the food parcels for a local homeless shelter/help organization so they could focus on other issues. We always do 50-75 baskets from the Church so we were looking to utilize more of our folks and take the burden off the other group…EXCEPT…we found out on Friday that they don’t have ANYTHING for us to pack up. Their pantry is bare to the bones and they don’t think it will be much better as we are approaching Thanksgiving. When I was watching a late night new type program they were speaking to a food bank manager a bit farther down the road and same story…nada on the shelves. What’s with that.
I know it is a rocky road for lots of us. Friends and family alike are a little nervous with the economy and the near future. But is you think about it…and are able to read this…you’re pretty fortunate. When you compare your personal situation to those of others, you probably have something you can share. Please do. Ten bucks at Costco goes pretty far if you think about it.
Ten bucks…what am I thinking. Invest $20. Heck Netflicks cost just a bit less than that and going to the movies without my yet-to-qualify-for senior discount is more than $20 (with the popcorn)…It’s not a lot to you and means a whole lot to somebody else with serious problems crashing in around them.
Enough of my soapbox. Back to trying to call my Dad. I did get him one time today and something went wrong and we were disconnected and now…oh well…I cant’ win.
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11.09.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:16 am by livefood
Geeze…just when you think you will be able to have an easier day things go poorly…then bad…and get worse from there.
I started the day with a call from one of my Dad’s friends…seems she decided that he needed a land line in his house…the cell just didn’t work for her…so she convinced my Dad (he has Alzhiemer’s…so it’s not that hard to do) that he needed it. Then she went and ordered it done. Well that’s fine and dandy but she can’t sign any documents that are binding. Just not too bright that one. Her elevator goes all the way to the top…but it’s a one story building…know what I mean? I really miss my Dad’s full ability…he would chew her up and spit her back out in a new config. Now he’s at the mercy of folks who care and thankfully he has a few. She tries to care, but just now realizes that he is having memory challenges…something that was evident TWO YEARS ago. Here I thought there was a chance she could get tapped to run for the US Veep…bummer.
My handyman decided the job I’m working on here at the house was too difficult…oh great. Now I have the material all landed and no hands to put it all together…well except mine (the ones with the arthritis). Luckily I have a couple of contacts to call on Monday.
I wish my Dad’s friend was as smart as my dog…Montana, the dog, paces back and forth and puts her chin on your leg every weekday…just pressing for that daily walk. Come the weekend, she knows it’s not a walk day and doesn’t bother to bug me. How I wish some people were that smart. And can she listen or what. If you open a bag of cookies and she is four rooms away you can expect her to be at your side momentarily. Of course if you let her off lease good luck executing the “come” command…so I guess she’s really quite brilliant and only processes the information she really needs to get what she wants. Hmmm…I’ll have to think about that…who’s in control here.
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11.08.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:21 pm by livefood
Well thank goodness…if I sit here long enough the date changes and I can start my comments for the new day.
This morning I have been working on consolidating information from severl sites into “The Universe” site. Well that’s not entirely true. I’m also sitting here burning a stack of CDs for the Marin Irish Ceoiltais that I attend each week. They are practice CD. I don’t fail to note the irony of using a CD to learn traditional Irish tunes aurally…as opposed to reading “the dots” on a sheet of music.
Why would someone want to learn music by ear you say? Well from a personal point of view, there is a great deal of music lost from the tunes when they are flattened out on the paper. They are much more dimensional when heard than the sheet of music can convey. They talk about a “lilt” of the music and each player has a particular way they add that lilt to the tune. You have to hear it happening to get all the data…really quite amazing.
So in between CDs, I take a moment to do that consolidation. I’m trying to do the web work during the nights, the normal computer work during the day along with the major remodel we’re doing on the house. Next week we should be able to open the back of the house up…and hopefully get it closed back in late in the week or early next.
The way I look at the remodel, it’s a good excuse for the mess in the house. The house is normally pretty “confused” but now I have a good excuse.
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