Yes, I know it isn’t technically “summer” yet, but I celebrate it anyway. I figure summer is here when I can sit out on my patio in the morning, and spend the weekend in shorts, t-shirts or polos and scandals (depending on what I am doing).
I recently discovered “Next Issue” which is an “app” that includes a wide range of magazines for “one low monthly fee” ($9.99 for basic, $14.99 for “premium”). I am trying it for one month free. Probably won’t have time to really use it.
May be rain today.
My oldest brother’s birthday (Vincent) is today.
Enjoying another morning of sitting on the patio, finishing reading the paper etc.
I think about my journals sometimes. The written ones are packed in a box somewhere and the computer entries are somewhere in cyberspace. Probably never to be seen again.
With some reluctance, I have gotten used to reading e-books on my iPad. I use my original iPad one and have a Nook and Kindle apps.
I also have gotten used to listening to audio books while we drive and on my morning walks. Still have bouts of inattention, but overall enjoyable and another way to actually multitask and “read” the many books on my list to read. The books certainly make the time go faster when we are traveling. I keep a list of books I want to read on “Evernote” and the list just keeps growing, with my pathetic attempts to whittle it down by reading the books on it! Just too much to do!
Still trending up to the “longest day of the year”!
A weekend, thank goodness. First day of sitting out on my back area enjoying coffee and working etc. I’ll try to get a picture of the back yard on there. (I do post in on my Tumblr and twitter pages.)
This is the summer I will actually turn 66, an age I couldn’t imagine not too many years ago.
Enjoying the weather and thinking about how to celebrate the “longest day of the year” (not really, because the longest day of the year also means the descent into winter! Or something like that.
Didn’t get my Wall Street Journal for some reason this morning. I miss it when it doesn’t come. It is a real blessing to be able to the the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times delivered to my door! (I only get the Times on Friday, Saturday and Sunday since I literally don’t have time to read it during the week.).
My typical morning is to get up about 3 a.m., usually piddle for about 10 minutes, walking for 30 minutes, than bicycle to the gym, where I am on the stationary bike (really the newspapers!) for about 34 minutes, bicycle back, shower, take a 27 minute nap (why 27 minutes? I don’t know either!). Then I work for about an hour and a half (reading, sending e-mails, updating things, writing memos I don’t get time to do during the day etc.), than eat my breakfast of Oatmeal, blueberries, and (lately) and apple with peanut butter and then head to work.
Somehow it all works out and I love my routine. I also drink about 8 cups of coffee (as measured by Starbucks, which is about 3 real cups of coffee!)
June 13, 2013:
This is the time of year that I love, the days are getting longer, hot weather is coming and on weekends and evenings I can enjoy the weather (barring rain or storms).
It is somewhat bittersweet each year to realize that at the height of Summer (June 21), the days start getting shorter and it is a sure thing that Winter is coming again! However I enjoy the summer while it is here.
We just got back from CMA Fest in Nashville last weekend. It is always fun and relatively inexpensive. We get to see the “legends” as well as newcomers and the established stars (such as Taylor Swift, Brad Palsy, Derick Bentley, Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band, Little Big Town, Kenny Rogers etc.
I always realize how courteous and friendly Memphis is when I go out of town.
We have been really busy, which is nice in a way, but it is difficult to keep up with everything. I still get up around 3 a.m. and walk and ride my bike etc.
I started a “written” journal in 1988 and now don’t have a written journal with all of the electronic alternatives. I miss writing on paper, but not so much that I insist on writing in a paper journal!
Recently, I was asked to write what I did each day in six words. I assume I was supposed to write some pearls of wisdom on may job. However what I wrote was:
Exercise, Newspaper, Coffee, Listen, Resolve Conflicts
That actually does describe my day. My morning exercise routine is extremely important to me. Almost as important is my daily newspapers (I actually get two Monday through Thursday, three on Friday and Saturday and two Sunday newspapers, not counting subscriptions). Coffee is also a big part of my early day.
Listening is probably one of the biggest parts of my job and is the essential part of it. Really listening, not just hearing.
As some know, my routine was disrupted when my newspapers started arriving at 5:00 a.m. or so instead of 3:30 a.m. or so.
I normally get up about 3:00 a.m. or so (no clock, I just wake up). I walk several miles and then bike to the gym where I ready my daily newspapers while I ride the stationary bike.
The late delivery of my newspapers severely disrupted by schedule since I need about an hour to answer e-mails and prepare my day before I go to work, plus I absolutely have to have my 27 minute nap before I go to work! Not getting the newspapers by 3:30 a.m. means I had to go to the gym and THEN read the newspapers after I got back from the gym, which didn’t leave me time for the hour to prepare for my day at work.
Due to a wonderful person at the Commerical Appeal and my news carrier, he changed his delivery times and I now get my newspaper at 3:30 a.m again. It is hard to believe a small thing means so much, but I feel so much better now!
I recently spent some time in Nashville.
Taking a walk downtown looking for a place to eat. Inspired by fiddle music, I entered the “Broadway on Second Street”. They had food, so I ordered and listened to “Katie and Mark” play County Western music, at times with the fiddle playing.
Fiddle/violin music for some reason has always had a special attraction for me. My Mom told me that even when I was a child, I’d stop what I was doing and listen when I heard the violin or fiddle.
I remember attending a small festival in some small city in Kansas years ago (I forgot the name of it) and I watched a fiddle player and I literally got lost in the music. He noticed my attention and it was like we developed a special bond as he suddenly broke into one of the my favorites, “Orange Blossom Special” Chills went down my back as I felt myself riding on the music and the fiddler played directly to my attention.
Some time later, I say Jana Jay play fiddle at a Cowboy Hall of Fame festival. Again, the music moved me to the point that I started taking violin lessons. I bought many of her albums and to this day I listen, to her music and chills go down my back.
I practiced violin about 10 years (note, I never said I played it!), I finally quit due to some skin problem on my hand and time limitations.
Walking down Nashville streets have a special attraction for me as I hear the fiddle music and want to go in to listen. I listened to “Katie and Mark” for about an hour as I slowing finished my food. I found the servers at “Broadway on Second Street” especially attentive and nice.
I feel a little frustrated as I walk down the streets of Nashville, hearing the fiddle music. While I want to hear the fiddle music, since I don’t drink alcoholic beverages for carbonated beverages, and I can only eat so much, my options are limited for listening. I found very few places offer anything else (such as coffee or bottled water), so I am limited. Maybe I can ask for a glass of water and give a big tip to listen!
73 degrees this morning when I got up. I feel like Spring is FINALLY here! It has been either cold and/or rainy (usually both) until recently, making it a long wait for Spring.
The Commercial Appeal is still being delivered “late”, so I really don’t have a chance to read it and it completely messes up my routine of reading the papers (I also get the Wall Street Journal) while I am on the stationary bike. I ride my bike up to the gym.
The late delivery of the Commercial Appeal costs me about 40 minutes per day in the morning. At least I will save on any tip for the paper carrier, since he/she doesn’t seem to care about providing good service.
On the other hand, I am catching up on my magazines and books!
I really have a hard time believing that it is April already! April of 2013 yet! I can’t believe how fast time is going.
Aliene’s wrist is doing better, it still hurts or rather aches.
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