Today is Saturday, March 31, 2012, the 26,032nd day of my life. This morning I did my yoga, my exercise ball and walked 54 minutes = 3.0 miles - my March total is 60 miles. I just made my goal of 60 miles a month. I weighed 166.4 pounds. I weighed 163.4 when I went to California and weighed 168.4 when I returned on Thursday, a five pound gain. That's what happens when a person drinks three beers before breakfast.
Here are some of my thoughts about our six days in San Francisco and California.
We stayed with brother John and wife Lorna in their time share at 750 Sutter Street. It was about four blocks from Chinatown and two blocks from Union Square, One morning I walked up to Chinatown and three times I walked around Union Square.
SURPRISES for me.
One surprise was how hilly San Fran is. I knew it was hilly but I didn't know that practically every block was a hill. I'd get in better shape if I had to walk those hills every day.
Another surprise was the number of homeless. On my morning walks I counted 3-4 homeless sleeping in the entryways of buildings and some were begging for money. In Chinatown I gave a dollar to an Asian woman who was begging outside a church on Sunday morning. I gave another dollar to an elderly man who wanted a cup of coffee. I watched to see if he went into a coffee shop - he did. Most of them laid newspapers down to sleep on - it must be s little warmer to do that. It has to be so cold to sleep outside every night - but most all of them did wear winter jackets. They all had backpacks or black plastic bags to carry their meager belongings. I wondered how they decide every morning what they are going to do that day and where are they going to sleep that night. Man, what a life - it is pretty sad to see this in the U.S. of America.
A third surprise was the cost of renting an apartment in the city. We asked several people what we could expect to pay for rent if we moved there. They said you could expect to pay $1900 a month in the poorer sections and up to $3700 a month in the nicer neighborhoods. Most were around $2700 to $3,000 a month. I think I'll stay in Anamosa and pay $220 a month for our mobile home lot.
A fourth surprise was to see a lot of little mom-and-pop businesses. They were mainly restaurant/bar combinations and pizza shops. It seemed like there were 2-4 on every block. We frequented two of them, realy liked them and the employees were so friendly and helpful. And the prices were not much more than we would pay right here in Anamosa.
More tomorrow.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG - Days 13 and 14
We got home from San Francisco yesterday about 1:15 pm. It was a great trip and will write about it tomorrow.
Yesterday was March 29, 2012 and the 26,030th day of life for me. Today is March 30,2012 and is the 26,031st day.
I'm too tired to write much today. I need to get back to my normal routine of healthy eating and common sense drinking. By that I mean brother John and I were drinking three cans of beer (each) at 9 am at the San Francisco airport -the beers were in our carry-ons and we didn't want them to go to waste when we went through security - and we hadn't had breakfast yet. I'm recovering today.
Yesterday was March 29, 2012 and the 26,030th day of life for me. Today is March 30,2012 and is the 26,031st day.
I'm too tired to write much today. I need to get back to my normal routine of healthy eating and common sense drinking. By that I mean brother John and I were drinking three cans of beer (each) at 9 am at the San Francisco airport -the beers were in our carry-ons and we didn't want them to go to waste when we went through security - and we hadn't had breakfast yet. I'm recovering today.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 12.
Today is my 26,021st day on earth. I did my yoga, the excercise ball. walked 54 minutes = 3.0 miles - March total is 45 miles. My weight is 163.4 pounds.
Ruth Ann and I are busy packing as we are headed to San Francisco for my nephew's wedding. I wrote about this wedding on Day 6, March 14.
Yesterday I read an article in the AARP Bulletin. It was about, Whatever happened to civility? It was talking about the lack of civility in the United States. The author, Sara Hacala, said that technology has forever altered the style, speed, sensational media, and polarized politics remain. People have more ugly attitudes in today's society and are more rude and crude than ever before. By the way the word civility is derived from the Old French and Latin term for "good citizen."
Sara says that reversing the current course of incivility is a challenge for our times. However. there is "greatness" in treating others with respect, compassion, kindness, and generosity. She listed five tools to do this:
1. Regardless of your age, make a habit of practicing kindness, generosity, and gratitude. Research shows that people people who regularly engage in these acts live longer, healthier, and happier lives.
2. Nurture you social relationships - this can bring your greatest happiness.
3. Establish meaningful dialogue with medical providers, asserting your right to respectful and compassionate treatment.
4. Seize "teachable moments" with your grandchildren when they are in your house. Research is showing just how important grandparents are in setting examlpes of civility.
5. Promote decency and decorum among our elected officials. Tell them to act like mature adults and not a bunch of middle school kids. Urge them to be civil to each other and be willing to compromise and be bipartisan so we avoid gridlock and get something done for the good of the American people.
I will not be BLOGGING for these days:
Day 26,022 March 21
Day 26,023 March 22
Day 26,024 March 23
Day 26,025 March 24
Day 26,026 March 25
Day 26,027 March 26
Day 26,028 March 27
Day 26,029 March 28
California, here I come!!!!
Ruth Ann and I are busy packing as we are headed to San Francisco for my nephew's wedding. I wrote about this wedding on Day 6, March 14.
Yesterday I read an article in the AARP Bulletin. It was about, Whatever happened to civility? It was talking about the lack of civility in the United States. The author, Sara Hacala, said that technology has forever altered the style, speed, sensational media, and polarized politics remain. People have more ugly attitudes in today's society and are more rude and crude than ever before. By the way the word civility is derived from the Old French and Latin term for "good citizen."
Sara says that reversing the current course of incivility is a challenge for our times. However. there is "greatness" in treating others with respect, compassion, kindness, and generosity. She listed five tools to do this:
1. Regardless of your age, make a habit of practicing kindness, generosity, and gratitude. Research shows that people people who regularly engage in these acts live longer, healthier, and happier lives.
2. Nurture you social relationships - this can bring your greatest happiness.
3. Establish meaningful dialogue with medical providers, asserting your right to respectful and compassionate treatment.
4. Seize "teachable moments" with your grandchildren when they are in your house. Research is showing just how important grandparents are in setting examlpes of civility.
5. Promote decency and decorum among our elected officials. Tell them to act like mature adults and not a bunch of middle school kids. Urge them to be civil to each other and be willing to compromise and be bipartisan so we avoid gridlock and get something done for the good of the American people.
I will not be BLOGGING for these days:
Day 26,022 March 21
Day 26,023 March 22
Day 26,024 March 23
Day 26,025 March 24
Day 26,026 March 25
Day 26,027 March 26
Day 26,028 March 27
Day 26,029 March 28
California, here I come!!!!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 11.
Today is my 26,020th day on planet earth. It is another 70 degree day.
My accomplishments so far today include doing my yoga, lifting weights, walking 54 minutes which = 3.0 miles - my total for March, 2012 is 42 miles. and I maintained my weight at 163.2 pounds. I also ordered 4 new Good Year Integrity tires at $100.00 each. The right front one went flat yesterday. This morning I called Jill, the service manager at the Wayne Hall Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep dealership. She sent out a couple of guys with an air-bomb, got the tire up and took it to the shop. They called back and said all four tires were whowing signs of tire rot. So new tires I am getting and Ruth Ann and I will feel safe again going 70 mph on the interstate on the way to St. Peter, Minnesota on Wednesday.
Now back to Darvin. Darvin has also told me about his bowling game. He has bowled over 70 years and only now, at age 92, is he having some difficulty delivering the ball. He just started walking with a cane this winter which makes bowling a very difficult sport. He said his teammates want him to come back but...maybe that won't work at this stage of his life. But as I mentioned yesterday he has the biggest hands I've ever seen on any man. With those big hands I could see him walk up to the line, grip the ball like other poeple grip a softball and deliver the ball like a softball pitcher. He could forget about the holes in the ball - he wouldn't need them - his hands are so big and his fingers so long he could practically wrap his hand around the ball. I think I'll suggest that to him at the next coffee. He has been a very good bowler over the years. He told me he has had several series over 700, which would average out to around a 235 to 265 a game. That is what you would call a very good bowler. He also told me that the one thing he doesn't like about the bowling crowd is their language. He can see no reason why people have to use fowl language when bowling - he has expressed his concerns to them about how he feels.
Then, one more thing I've learned from Darvin is it is never too late to do a little romancing. Darvin lives on the farm with son Donnie and daughter-in-law Deb. Darvin lives in his own house and Don and Deb have their own. Donnie farms full time and Deb works at Anamosa Senior High. Several years ago Darvin lost his wife. He told me that life had really gotten to be lonely. Nobody came to visit him and he spent many days seeing nobody. Finally, last year, he made a phone call to a widowed lady he had known for years (I won't use her name because she may not want me to.) He identified himself, said he was lonely, and asked her if she wanted to go out for dinner. She said yes but she also said "I have to check with my kids first to see if it was okay with them for me to start dating again at age 86." The good news is that Darvin passed inspection and she was free to go. Darvin was one happy dude that he was approved. On their first date they went to the Hale Supper Club near Olin. The both enjoyed it so much they have been going out to eat ever since. They also attend various Jones County farm banquets; last Saturday they went to the beef banquet in Monticello. And she also prepares dinners for Darvin at her house. He said she makes wonderful meals and makes enough to feed a threwing crew (but he's big enough to probably take care of a good share of it.) Anyway, on the first anniversary of the telephone call from Darvin, she sent him a note and said, "Darvin, my, what a difference a phone call can make. This past year our lives have changed -and all for the better." To celebrate their first anniversary they went right back to their first dinner together - The Hale Supper Club.
Darvin has changed for the better since that phone call. He's so much happier. I and others give him a hard time, but all in good fun. He likes it when we do - we all get some good laughs.
I'm so happy for Darvin. I'm happy bacause he's happy and he's no longer suffering from such terrible loneliness. He now has something to look forward to every week.
Darvin, I know you are happy you made that phone call, she's happy you made that call to her, Donnie and Deb are happy for you, and I and many others are happy for all of you.
My accomplishments so far today include doing my yoga, lifting weights, walking 54 minutes which = 3.0 miles - my total for March, 2012 is 42 miles. and I maintained my weight at 163.2 pounds. I also ordered 4 new Good Year Integrity tires at $100.00 each. The right front one went flat yesterday. This morning I called Jill, the service manager at the Wayne Hall Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep dealership. She sent out a couple of guys with an air-bomb, got the tire up and took it to the shop. They called back and said all four tires were whowing signs of tire rot. So new tires I am getting and Ruth Ann and I will feel safe again going 70 mph on the interstate on the way to St. Peter, Minnesota on Wednesday.
Now back to Darvin. Darvin has also told me about his bowling game. He has bowled over 70 years and only now, at age 92, is he having some difficulty delivering the ball. He just started walking with a cane this winter which makes bowling a very difficult sport. He said his teammates want him to come back but...maybe that won't work at this stage of his life. But as I mentioned yesterday he has the biggest hands I've ever seen on any man. With those big hands I could see him walk up to the line, grip the ball like other poeple grip a softball and deliver the ball like a softball pitcher. He could forget about the holes in the ball - he wouldn't need them - his hands are so big and his fingers so long he could practically wrap his hand around the ball. I think I'll suggest that to him at the next coffee. He has been a very good bowler over the years. He told me he has had several series over 700, which would average out to around a 235 to 265 a game. That is what you would call a very good bowler. He also told me that the one thing he doesn't like about the bowling crowd is their language. He can see no reason why people have to use fowl language when bowling - he has expressed his concerns to them about how he feels.
Then, one more thing I've learned from Darvin is it is never too late to do a little romancing. Darvin lives on the farm with son Donnie and daughter-in-law Deb. Darvin lives in his own house and Don and Deb have their own. Donnie farms full time and Deb works at Anamosa Senior High. Several years ago Darvin lost his wife. He told me that life had really gotten to be lonely. Nobody came to visit him and he spent many days seeing nobody. Finally, last year, he made a phone call to a widowed lady he had known for years (I won't use her name because she may not want me to.) He identified himself, said he was lonely, and asked her if she wanted to go out for dinner. She said yes but she also said "I have to check with my kids first to see if it was okay with them for me to start dating again at age 86." The good news is that Darvin passed inspection and she was free to go. Darvin was one happy dude that he was approved. On their first date they went to the Hale Supper Club near Olin. The both enjoyed it so much they have been going out to eat ever since. They also attend various Jones County farm banquets; last Saturday they went to the beef banquet in Monticello. And she also prepares dinners for Darvin at her house. He said she makes wonderful meals and makes enough to feed a threwing crew (but he's big enough to probably take care of a good share of it.) Anyway, on the first anniversary of the telephone call from Darvin, she sent him a note and said, "Darvin, my, what a difference a phone call can make. This past year our lives have changed -and all for the better." To celebrate their first anniversary they went right back to their first dinner together - The Hale Supper Club.
Darvin has changed for the better since that phone call. He's so much happier. I and others give him a hard time, but all in good fun. He likes it when we do - we all get some good laughs.
I'm so happy for Darvin. I'm happy bacause he's happy and he's no longer suffering from such terrible loneliness. He now has something to look forward to every week.
Darvin, I know you are happy you made that phone call, she's happy you made that call to her, Donnie and Deb are happy for you, and I and many others are happy for all of you.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 10.
Today is my 26,019th day of life. It is Sunday, March 18, 2012. It is another unusually nice day for the month of March.
Today I want to write about how a 71 year-old-guy and a 92 year-old-guy really brighten each other's days. I usually go to 8 am church and then go to coffee in the basement after the service. In the last year couple of years these two guys have had coffee together and have struck up quite a friendship. The 71-year-old is me and the 92-year-old is a retired farmer named Darvin Hardersen. We enjoy each other's company a lot.
Darvin has told me a lot about his 92 years and I find it very interesting. I've learned he is a former Golden Gloves boxer. In the early-to-mid 1940's he was approached by a couple of guys from Anamosa to try boxing and get involved in Golden Gloves. He said he had never boxed but decided to give it a try. He got his legs in shape by wearing five-buckle overshoes and running up and down hills out by his farm. When he did start working out above the city hall in Anamosa the local trainers had trouble finding boxing gloves to fit his monstrous hands. (He has the biggest hands I've ever seen.) He said most of his training above city hall was simply hitting a punching bag. Maybe his size (6' 4") and physical build scared all the other boxers and they didn't dare to spar with him. Anyway, when fight night came he beat some guys and that made him elgible to compete in the Cedar Rapids regional tournament. He beat one guy from Des Moines - he knocked the guy down but he kept getting up so Darwin kept hitting him - by the time the match ended Darvin had knocked him down 12 times. The second guy (from Cedar Rapids) he boxed was a tougher foe but Darvin beat him also, as a result, he got to go to Chicago to fight in the national tournament. Darvin had a tough foe in Chicago and that ended up being his one and only match. His opponent was in the navy and had had a lot of experience, in fact, he was so good he was expected to go pro. Darvin said he held his own but the referee stopped the fight in the second round because the other guy was a far superior boxer. I find his Golden Gloves story so fascinating and interesting. Here was this big raw-boned Iowa farmer, who had never boxed before, fighting on the national stage in Chicago. Even though he didn't win in Chicago it provided him with a great memory to cherish for the next 70 years. I think it brightens Darvin's day when he gets to talk about these great memories in his life - and it brightens my day just to have the privilege of listening to him talk about it and to see how much he enjoys doing so. I love to hear people tell about their life experiences, especially those who are older than me.
Tomorrow I'll write more about Darvin's experiences in life. They will be even more interesting than this one.
Today I want to write about how a 71 year-old-guy and a 92 year-old-guy really brighten each other's days. I usually go to 8 am church and then go to coffee in the basement after the service. In the last year couple of years these two guys have had coffee together and have struck up quite a friendship. The 71-year-old is me and the 92-year-old is a retired farmer named Darvin Hardersen. We enjoy each other's company a lot.
Darvin has told me a lot about his 92 years and I find it very interesting. I've learned he is a former Golden Gloves boxer. In the early-to-mid 1940's he was approached by a couple of guys from Anamosa to try boxing and get involved in Golden Gloves. He said he had never boxed but decided to give it a try. He got his legs in shape by wearing five-buckle overshoes and running up and down hills out by his farm. When he did start working out above the city hall in Anamosa the local trainers had trouble finding boxing gloves to fit his monstrous hands. (He has the biggest hands I've ever seen.) He said most of his training above city hall was simply hitting a punching bag. Maybe his size (6' 4") and physical build scared all the other boxers and they didn't dare to spar with him. Anyway, when fight night came he beat some guys and that made him elgible to compete in the Cedar Rapids regional tournament. He beat one guy from Des Moines - he knocked the guy down but he kept getting up so Darwin kept hitting him - by the time the match ended Darvin had knocked him down 12 times. The second guy (from Cedar Rapids) he boxed was a tougher foe but Darvin beat him also, as a result, he got to go to Chicago to fight in the national tournament. Darvin had a tough foe in Chicago and that ended up being his one and only match. His opponent was in the navy and had had a lot of experience, in fact, he was so good he was expected to go pro. Darvin said he held his own but the referee stopped the fight in the second round because the other guy was a far superior boxer. I find his Golden Gloves story so fascinating and interesting. Here was this big raw-boned Iowa farmer, who had never boxed before, fighting on the national stage in Chicago. Even though he didn't win in Chicago it provided him with a great memory to cherish for the next 70 years. I think it brightens Darvin's day when he gets to talk about these great memories in his life - and it brightens my day just to have the privilege of listening to him talk about it and to see how much he enjoys doing so. I love to hear people tell about their life experiences, especially those who are older than me.
Tomorrow I'll write more about Darvin's experiences in life. They will be even more interesting than this one.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 9.
Todayis Saturday, March 17, 2012. It is another unbelievable 84 degree day in the middle of March. This is day 26,018 of my life.
I'm going to be short again today so I can enjoy the weather. Something happened Thursday that was very uspetting. We were at a Happy Hour enjoying a beer while sitting by an older gentleman whom we have known for 7-8 years. We've always had good conversations with him as he is an avid Cub and Hawkeye fan. But things took a different turn on Thursday. I saw a side of him I had never seen before. His name is Bob and it all started like this.
We were watching Harvard play basketball in the NCAA tournament. They showed a clip from the 1946 NCAA tournament of Harvard playing. That was the last time they were in the tournament - 66 years ago. Then the conversation went like this:
Pete - "I see they were all white kids at that time."
Bob - It sure isn't that way anymore."
Pete - "No, it sure isn't. I believe 85% of the NBA players are now black."
Bob - "It's more than that. And they've also taken over the college teams."
Pete - "Bob, I look at this way. Thank God black kids get to play ball with white kids these days."
Bob - then he exploded, he almost screamed at me. "Now with a black president they're going to take over everything."
Pete - "Bob, I didn't think I'd hear that kind of stuff coming from you."
Bob - in a loud voice "Well, I know what kind of stuff I'll hear from you. If you like them so much why don't you go and live with them."
Pete - "You mean I should go to Africa and live with black people."
Bob - "That's what I mean."
Pete - "Oh boy, this is a shocker. By the way Bob, it is the white people that brought blacks to America. They didn't come of their own free will."
He didn't answer me on that. By that time I think everyone dining was paying attention to our unpleasant exchange.
We got up to leave and I patted Bob on the shoulder and said, "Bob. I don't think we should talk politics or about anything like this, let's talk about the Cubs and Hawks." He didn't respond to my peace offering so I don't know what he will be like next week - I hope he mellows out. Ruth Ann and I will not make an issue of it. We've had too many fun conversations with Bob over the years to let this ruin it.
Bob is 72 years old. He and quite a few others I know just can't believe or accept the fact that there is a black president of the U.S. Boy, you don't have to dig too deep to find racism alive and well in the U.S. It is pretty sad that this is still true in 2012, In my opinion, it will take several more generations for racism to subside - it will never disappear but it should lessen. I think the answer is what has happened in Brazil - over the last 4-500 years the whites, Indians, and blacks have intermarried so much that most of the population is of a brown tint. Then people like Bob couldn't accuse the blacks of taking over the U.S. because everybody would be somewhere between light brown/black to a darker brown/black - no more pure whites or pure blacks.
I'm going to be short again today so I can enjoy the weather. Something happened Thursday that was very uspetting. We were at a Happy Hour enjoying a beer while sitting by an older gentleman whom we have known for 7-8 years. We've always had good conversations with him as he is an avid Cub and Hawkeye fan. But things took a different turn on Thursday. I saw a side of him I had never seen before. His name is Bob and it all started like this.
We were watching Harvard play basketball in the NCAA tournament. They showed a clip from the 1946 NCAA tournament of Harvard playing. That was the last time they were in the tournament - 66 years ago. Then the conversation went like this:
Pete - "I see they were all white kids at that time."
Bob - It sure isn't that way anymore."
Pete - "No, it sure isn't. I believe 85% of the NBA players are now black."
Bob - "It's more than that. And they've also taken over the college teams."
Pete - "Bob, I look at this way. Thank God black kids get to play ball with white kids these days."
Bob - then he exploded, he almost screamed at me. "Now with a black president they're going to take over everything."
Pete - "Bob, I didn't think I'd hear that kind of stuff coming from you."
Bob - in a loud voice "Well, I know what kind of stuff I'll hear from you. If you like them so much why don't you go and live with them."
Pete - "You mean I should go to Africa and live with black people."
Bob - "That's what I mean."
Pete - "Oh boy, this is a shocker. By the way Bob, it is the white people that brought blacks to America. They didn't come of their own free will."
He didn't answer me on that. By that time I think everyone dining was paying attention to our unpleasant exchange.
We got up to leave and I patted Bob on the shoulder and said, "Bob. I don't think we should talk politics or about anything like this, let's talk about the Cubs and Hawks." He didn't respond to my peace offering so I don't know what he will be like next week - I hope he mellows out. Ruth Ann and I will not make an issue of it. We've had too many fun conversations with Bob over the years to let this ruin it.
Bob is 72 years old. He and quite a few others I know just can't believe or accept the fact that there is a black president of the U.S. Boy, you don't have to dig too deep to find racism alive and well in the U.S. It is pretty sad that this is still true in 2012, In my opinion, it will take several more generations for racism to subside - it will never disappear but it should lessen. I think the answer is what has happened in Brazil - over the last 4-500 years the whites, Indians, and blacks have intermarried so much that most of the population is of a brown tint. Then people like Bob couldn't accuse the blacks of taking over the U.S. because everybody would be somewhere between light brown/black to a darker brown/black - no more pure whites or pure blacks.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 8.
Today is my 26,017th day of life. It's another beauty with temps hitting 80 degrees and it's only March 16th. It's too nice to sit in my office and spend a lot of time writing on my BLOG so I'll keep it short.
I had a dental appointment at 9AM and almost forgot about it. I was out walking around 8AM when it dawned on me I had to be at the dentist in an hour. So I cut my walk short. However, I did get in my yoga, weight lifting, and a 27 minute walk which = 1.5 miles. My March total is at 34.5 miles.
I've been to the dentist three times in last two weeks. I had X-ways, a thorough prep exam, four fillings, and a cleaning for a total of $800.00. And I have to go back in April to have a stainless steel crown replaced for another $260,00. A gold crown would have cost nearly a $1000.00 so I opted for the stainless steel. They last about 4-5 years but I can get four of them for the price of the gold - by that time I'll be over 90 years old and won't remember if I have teeth or not.
I had a dental appointment at 9AM and almost forgot about it. I was out walking around 8AM when it dawned on me I had to be at the dentist in an hour. So I cut my walk short. However, I did get in my yoga, weight lifting, and a 27 minute walk which = 1.5 miles. My March total is at 34.5 miles.
I've been to the dentist three times in last two weeks. I had X-ways, a thorough prep exam, four fillings, and a cleaning for a total of $800.00. And I have to go back in April to have a stainless steel crown replaced for another $260,00. A gold crown would have cost nearly a $1000.00 so I opted for the stainless steel. They last about 4-5 years but I can get four of them for the price of the gold - by that time I'll be over 90 years old and won't remember if I have teeth or not.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 7.
Today is Thursday, March 15, 2012 and is the Ides of March. On this day in 44 B.C. Julius Caersar was assassinated by a group of nobles that included Brutus and Cassius. And in 1964 Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton in Montreal; it was her fifth marriage, his second.(Ides means the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th day of the other months in the ancient Roman calendar.)
This is day 26,016 for me. It is another beauty with an expected high of 74 degrees and sunshine all day. We are getting May weather in March this year. It is unbelievable to have this wonderful weather in the middle of March. I can't remember having this kind of March weather in my 71 years. Our golf course opened today. Hurray!
I did my yoga today, spent 10 minutes on the exercise ball and walked 54 miles which = 3.0 miles. My March total is now 33 miles.
Ruth Ann looks wonderful after her day of pampering yesterday - new hairdo, painted finger nails and painted toe nails. Plus she got a back massage from the chair she was sitting in when they did her toes. And a foot massage and calf massage as a side benefit when they painted her toes. I think she's spoiled. Men don't get to be pampered like that - life ain't fair.
This week, for the first time in my life I heard there was something in our hamburger called "pink slime." My first thought was, "What in the hell is pink lime and why is it in our hamburger?" I learned that pink slime is "lean finely textured beef," a low cost ingredient in grouind beef made from the fatty bits of meat left over from other cuts. The bits are heated to about 100 F and spun to remove most of the fat. The lean mix then is compressed into blocks for use in ground meat. Next, it is exposed to "a puff of ammonium hydroxide gas" to kill bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella.
It has been around for years, and federal regulators say it meets standards for food safety. Anyway, there is now a big controversy going on over how safe it is for our school children and the general public. It can't be too bad if we've been eating it for many years with no problems. My thought is if it was called something other than 'pink slime" there probably wouldn't be a problem.
WHERE'S THE COMMON SENSE? I can't believe some of our state legislators in Iowa. Some of these clowns have been pushing a bill to do away with traffic cameras that monitor the speed of vehicles, mainly on city highways including interstate highways. On Interstate 380 which goes through the heart of Cedar Rapids (over the last two years) these cameras have dramatically reduced the number of motor vehicle accidents and fatalities and have encouraged drivers to obey the speed limit and other traffic laws. When the camera determines that a vehicle is speeding the camera also records the license number and a ticket is sent to the perpetrator in the mail. No traffic officer has to spend time writing a ticket and can use his/her time more effectively in other areas of the city. It is a win-win situation in my estimation. The supporters of this bill say it is an issue of fairness, it goes to due process, it goes to liberty. They say people hate these cameras It's more than the fear of getting a ticket in the mail: It goes to our sense of fairness and liberty is why people don't like them.
What a bunch of BS. If these cameras prevent accidents and save lives what is wrong with that? People are supposed to obey speed limits and other traffic laws so if these cameras help people do that then let's keep them. It's simply good common sense.
This is day 26,016 for me. It is another beauty with an expected high of 74 degrees and sunshine all day. We are getting May weather in March this year. It is unbelievable to have this wonderful weather in the middle of March. I can't remember having this kind of March weather in my 71 years. Our golf course opened today. Hurray!
I did my yoga today, spent 10 minutes on the exercise ball and walked 54 miles which = 3.0 miles. My March total is now 33 miles.
Ruth Ann looks wonderful after her day of pampering yesterday - new hairdo, painted finger nails and painted toe nails. Plus she got a back massage from the chair she was sitting in when they did her toes. And a foot massage and calf massage as a side benefit when they painted her toes. I think she's spoiled. Men don't get to be pampered like that - life ain't fair.
This week, for the first time in my life I heard there was something in our hamburger called "pink slime." My first thought was, "What in the hell is pink lime and why is it in our hamburger?" I learned that pink slime is "lean finely textured beef," a low cost ingredient in grouind beef made from the fatty bits of meat left over from other cuts. The bits are heated to about 100 F and spun to remove most of the fat. The lean mix then is compressed into blocks for use in ground meat. Next, it is exposed to "a puff of ammonium hydroxide gas" to kill bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella.
It has been around for years, and federal regulators say it meets standards for food safety. Anyway, there is now a big controversy going on over how safe it is for our school children and the general public. It can't be too bad if we've been eating it for many years with no problems. My thought is if it was called something other than 'pink slime" there probably wouldn't be a problem.
WHERE'S THE COMMON SENSE? I can't believe some of our state legislators in Iowa. Some of these clowns have been pushing a bill to do away with traffic cameras that monitor the speed of vehicles, mainly on city highways including interstate highways. On Interstate 380 which goes through the heart of Cedar Rapids (over the last two years) these cameras have dramatically reduced the number of motor vehicle accidents and fatalities and have encouraged drivers to obey the speed limit and other traffic laws. When the camera determines that a vehicle is speeding the camera also records the license number and a ticket is sent to the perpetrator in the mail. No traffic officer has to spend time writing a ticket and can use his/her time more effectively in other areas of the city. It is a win-win situation in my estimation. The supporters of this bill say it is an issue of fairness, it goes to due process, it goes to liberty. They say people hate these cameras It's more than the fear of getting a ticket in the mail: It goes to our sense of fairness and liberty is why people don't like them.
What a bunch of BS. If these cameras prevent accidents and save lives what is wrong with that? People are supposed to obey speed limits and other traffic laws so if these cameras help people do that then let's keep them. It's simply good common sense.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 6.
Today is Wednesday, March 14, 2012. This is my 26,015th day on planet earth. It is another beautiful day with an expected temperature of 78 degrees - some 20-30 degrees above normal. Just maybe there is something to this global warming thing that scientists have been studying and warning us about for quite a few years.
This morning I weighed in at 163.4 pounds, did my yoga routine, lifted weights for ten minutes, and walked for 54 minutes, a total of 3.0 miles.
Ruth Ann is going to get all gussied up today with a hairdo in Anamosa and a finger nail and toe nail job in Cedar Rapids. The reason for getting pretty is we are leaving for San Francisco next week to attend my great-nephews wedding. He is also our godchild. His name is Mathew Bungum and he is the grandson of my brother Paul and wife Nellie. We will be staying from the 22nd to the 28th with my brother John and wife Lorna at their time share in Frisco. The wedding will be in Modesto on Saturday. It will a fun time.
Some interesting happenings in the nation this week.
The Girl Scouts are celebrating their 100th birthday. They have great cookies.
Yesterday Rick Santorum won the Republican primaries in Mississippi and Alabama. Gingrich came in second and Romney was third. Romney can't seem to put the knock-out punch to the other two. It will be an interesting Republican convention in Tampa this summer if things keep going the way they are.
And a Sargeant in the U.S. Army went berserk in Afghanistan and killed 16 innocent civilians, including 9 children. What a mess. We've been there for over 10 years now and things don't look good. Right after 9/11 we invaded Afghanistan. At that time we were welcomed as heroes and had the support of the Afghan people. Instead of finishing the job there we do the most stupid thing you can magine - we invade Iraq in 2003 which had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11. The U.S. has spent trillions on these two wars and what do we have to show for it? NOT MUCH. The invasion of Iraq was as stupid as the Vietnam War.
GRATITUDE TODAY. I want to express my gratitude to two more teachers - they were college professors. My freshman year at Luther I had a history prof named John Gimbel - I had him for Western Civilization. He was outstanding in that he knew so much and he made history so interesting. The other one was an education professor named Roger Anderson. I had him for several education classes and he also was outstanding. He changed my life. When I was thinking of being an elementary teacher he talked to me and said, "Pete, we need good social studies teachers. That is your interest and your strong suit so you should make that your goal." I took his advice and I'm glad I did. I taught social studies for 36 years - that is where I belonged - so I say Thank You to Roger Anderson for making that happen.
This morning I weighed in at 163.4 pounds, did my yoga routine, lifted weights for ten minutes, and walked for 54 minutes, a total of 3.0 miles.
Ruth Ann is going to get all gussied up today with a hairdo in Anamosa and a finger nail and toe nail job in Cedar Rapids. The reason for getting pretty is we are leaving for San Francisco next week to attend my great-nephews wedding. He is also our godchild. His name is Mathew Bungum and he is the grandson of my brother Paul and wife Nellie. We will be staying from the 22nd to the 28th with my brother John and wife Lorna at their time share in Frisco. The wedding will be in Modesto on Saturday. It will a fun time.
Some interesting happenings in the nation this week.
The Girl Scouts are celebrating their 100th birthday. They have great cookies.
Yesterday Rick Santorum won the Republican primaries in Mississippi and Alabama. Gingrich came in second and Romney was third. Romney can't seem to put the knock-out punch to the other two. It will be an interesting Republican convention in Tampa this summer if things keep going the way they are.
And a Sargeant in the U.S. Army went berserk in Afghanistan and killed 16 innocent civilians, including 9 children. What a mess. We've been there for over 10 years now and things don't look good. Right after 9/11 we invaded Afghanistan. At that time we were welcomed as heroes and had the support of the Afghan people. Instead of finishing the job there we do the most stupid thing you can magine - we invade Iraq in 2003 which had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11. The U.S. has spent trillions on these two wars and what do we have to show for it? NOT MUCH. The invasion of Iraq was as stupid as the Vietnam War.
GRATITUDE TODAY. I want to express my gratitude to two more teachers - they were college professors. My freshman year at Luther I had a history prof named John Gimbel - I had him for Western Civilization. He was outstanding in that he knew so much and he made history so interesting. The other one was an education professor named Roger Anderson. I had him for several education classes and he also was outstanding. He changed my life. When I was thinking of being an elementary teacher he talked to me and said, "Pete, we need good social studies teachers. That is your interest and your strong suit so you should make that your goal." I took his advice and I'm glad I did. I taught social studies for 36 years - that is where I belonged - so I say Thank You to Roger Anderson for making that happen.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 5.
Today is Tuesday, March 13, 2012. This is my 26,014th day on earth and it is an absolutely beautiful one. The sun is shining and it is 72 degrees. I'd love to have 364 more days of this.
My accomplishments today are all good. I maintained my weight at 163.6 pounds, did my yoga, walked 45 minutes for a 2.5 mile hike through the mobile home court. I'm on schedule to make my 60 mile monthly goal - today I hit 27 miles for the month of March. And I cut down Ruth Ann's old mums from last year, raked them up and got them hauled to the city garage where you can dump yard refuse. And I even took a few practice swings with my old rusted 7 iron in the back yard - I don't think I've made much improvement in my swing from last fall.
First, I want to finish my salute to my high school teachers. Some others I'm grateful to are Alyce Bernatz (junior english), Maxine Swiggum (personal typing), Curt Petersons (band), Bob Toppin (social studies), Mrs Verchota (biology). They were all good teachers and I'm grateful I had them.
Unfortunately, elementary teachers seldom get mentioned as having much influence on their students. But I disagree - they are the ones who taught us how to read, how to add, subtract, divide, multiply, how to print and then write, how to compose a sentence and a paragraph, and how to behave and treat others the right way. I can remember all my grade school teachers and I want to express my gratitude to them. In grades 1-3 at Mantorville I had Mrs Morrisett for first and second and Mrs Boyum for third. In grades 4-5 at the country school in Dodge Center I had Mrs Musoff, and in 6th grade in Dodge Center town school I had Mrs Ness. And you know what, I've nothing but good memories of all four of them - they were all good teachers and I owe as much to them as I do to my junior and senior teachers for the person I turned out to be.
There are quite a few teachers I've left off my gratitude tribute. It is not necessary for me to elaborate because the reason should be quite obvious.
And I want to express me gratitude to the medical profession. In May, 2007 I had prostate cancer surgery. My prostate was removed and the lab said it was 15% cancerous - which means that out of every 100 cells there would be 15 cancerous ones. It was originally diagnosed at a 5% level. I've been having PSA tests every several months since 2007 to see if the cancer has returned. Well, I had my latest check-up last Wednesday. I was apprehensive as I always am when I go for my check-ups but it was nothing to fear. My PSA showed no evidence of cancer - in fact, my reading was 0.0. I was one happy dude when the nurse led me into the exam room and said, "Peter, you had another perfect score." I was happily relieved to say the least. Dr. Richardson came in and said things look so good I don't have to see you for a year. Again, I'm grateful for modern medicine and to the intelligent professionals who practice it.
My accomplishments today are all good. I maintained my weight at 163.6 pounds, did my yoga, walked 45 minutes for a 2.5 mile hike through the mobile home court. I'm on schedule to make my 60 mile monthly goal - today I hit 27 miles for the month of March. And I cut down Ruth Ann's old mums from last year, raked them up and got them hauled to the city garage where you can dump yard refuse. And I even took a few practice swings with my old rusted 7 iron in the back yard - I don't think I've made much improvement in my swing from last fall.
First, I want to finish my salute to my high school teachers. Some others I'm grateful to are Alyce Bernatz (junior english), Maxine Swiggum (personal typing), Curt Petersons (band), Bob Toppin (social studies), Mrs Verchota (biology). They were all good teachers and I'm grateful I had them.
Unfortunately, elementary teachers seldom get mentioned as having much influence on their students. But I disagree - they are the ones who taught us how to read, how to add, subtract, divide, multiply, how to print and then write, how to compose a sentence and a paragraph, and how to behave and treat others the right way. I can remember all my grade school teachers and I want to express my gratitude to them. In grades 1-3 at Mantorville I had Mrs Morrisett for first and second and Mrs Boyum for third. In grades 4-5 at the country school in Dodge Center I had Mrs Musoff, and in 6th grade in Dodge Center town school I had Mrs Ness. And you know what, I've nothing but good memories of all four of them - they were all good teachers and I owe as much to them as I do to my junior and senior teachers for the person I turned out to be.
There are quite a few teachers I've left off my gratitude tribute. It is not necessary for me to elaborate because the reason should be quite obvious.
And I want to express me gratitude to the medical profession. In May, 2007 I had prostate cancer surgery. My prostate was removed and the lab said it was 15% cancerous - which means that out of every 100 cells there would be 15 cancerous ones. It was originally diagnosed at a 5% level. I've been having PSA tests every several months since 2007 to see if the cancer has returned. Well, I had my latest check-up last Wednesday. I was apprehensive as I always am when I go for my check-ups but it was nothing to fear. My PSA showed no evidence of cancer - in fact, my reading was 0.0. I was one happy dude when the nurse led me into the exam room and said, "Peter, you had another perfect score." I was happily relieved to say the least. Dr. Richardson came in and said things look so good I don't have to see you for a year. Again, I'm grateful for modern medicine and to the intelligent professionals who practice it.
Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 4
Today is Monday, March 12, 2012. It is the 26,013th day of my journey on planet earth. I weighed 163.2 pounds, did my yoga warm-ups. lifted weights for 10 minutes and walked for 45 minutes which is 2.5 miles. That's my first accomplishment for the day.
I've been expressing my gratitude to some of my teachers at Chatfield Junior and Senior High School the last couple of days - I'll continue today with some others I have positive memories of. Several of my coaches fit that category. Jerry Bernatz was my varsity basketball coach, my sophomore football coach, and P.E. teacher from seventh through tenth grade. Bob Savre was my sophomore basketball coach, baseball coach my last three years, and math teacher for geometry and higher algebra. John Houtz was my junior football coach and Bill Ziebell was my senior football coach. I wasn't the best athlete to go through Chatfield High School but I'm grateful that these coaches felt I had enough ability to let me play.
I got to play guard in basketball, quarterback and defensive back in football (I was co-captain my senior year along with Jerry Narveson and Harold Becker), and catcher in baseball(for three years.) Probably the best thing I could do athletically was be a catcher in baseball. Jerry Narveson and I were the pitcher and catcher for three years. Our sophomore year we were not very good but our last two years we were District 1 Champions and nearly made it to the state tournament - unfortunately Autin beat us in extra innings on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the 8th inning. Jerry pitched 15 innings that day - he pitched 7 innings in the afternoon when we beat Rochester 6-5 and 8 innings at night when Austin beat us 3-2. Plus he hit a two-run homer against Rochester and a two-run homer against Austin which tied the score and forced extra innings. Jerry had a hell of a fast ball, curve ball and drop ball and when he was on the hitters could hardly get a hit. When he wasn't on a lot of those curves and drops would hit the dirt and I had to try and stop them. I stopped a lot of them but definitely not all - I made quite a few trips to the backstop retrieving my misses. I wonder if some of the old timers in Chatfield today remember those great baseball teams of 1957 and 1958 and the pitcher - catcher duo of Jerry and Pete. I'd like to think they do. Anyway, what good memories Jerry and I have - our wives(Elsie and Ruth Ann)tell us that the tales of our heroics get bigger and better every year - they say they need boots on when Jerry and I start reminiscing.
I've been expressing my gratitude to some of my teachers at Chatfield Junior and Senior High School the last couple of days - I'll continue today with some others I have positive memories of. Several of my coaches fit that category. Jerry Bernatz was my varsity basketball coach, my sophomore football coach, and P.E. teacher from seventh through tenth grade. Bob Savre was my sophomore basketball coach, baseball coach my last three years, and math teacher for geometry and higher algebra. John Houtz was my junior football coach and Bill Ziebell was my senior football coach. I wasn't the best athlete to go through Chatfield High School but I'm grateful that these coaches felt I had enough ability to let me play.
I got to play guard in basketball, quarterback and defensive back in football (I was co-captain my senior year along with Jerry Narveson and Harold Becker), and catcher in baseball(for three years.) Probably the best thing I could do athletically was be a catcher in baseball. Jerry Narveson and I were the pitcher and catcher for three years. Our sophomore year we were not very good but our last two years we were District 1 Champions and nearly made it to the state tournament - unfortunately Autin beat us in extra innings on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the 8th inning. Jerry pitched 15 innings that day - he pitched 7 innings in the afternoon when we beat Rochester 6-5 and 8 innings at night when Austin beat us 3-2. Plus he hit a two-run homer against Rochester and a two-run homer against Austin which tied the score and forced extra innings. Jerry had a hell of a fast ball, curve ball and drop ball and when he was on the hitters could hardly get a hit. When he wasn't on a lot of those curves and drops would hit the dirt and I had to try and stop them. I stopped a lot of them but definitely not all - I made quite a few trips to the backstop retrieving my misses. I wonder if some of the old timers in Chatfield today remember those great baseball teams of 1957 and 1958 and the pitcher - catcher duo of Jerry and Pete. I'd like to think they do. Anyway, what good memories Jerry and I have - our wives(Elsie and Ruth Ann)tell us that the tales of our heroics get bigger and better every year - they say they need boots on when Jerry and I start reminiscing.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 3.
Today is Sunday, March 11, 2012. It is the 26,012th day of my journey on planet earth. I weighed in at 163 pounds. My goal is to remain between 159 and 165 pounds so I accomplished that goal today. Another goal I have is to wear a 32" belt for the rest of my life. In 2002 I was only five pounds shy of 200 pounds and was up to a 34" belt. On my birthday(November 20)that year I made the decision to lose weight - I wanted to get below 170 and back to a 32 belt. For the next 8 months I increased my daily excercis time to over an hour and started eating 5 small meals a day - I'd eat about every 3 hours (I learned that from the Mayo Clinic newslatter I was getting at that time.) By July, 2003 I finally saw the scale register 169 pounds. I've pretty much stayed at the 166-169 range until 3 months ago. When I crept over 170 pounds in November I told myself I should lose 5-10 more pound so I don't ever hit 170 again. So in the last 3 months I've finally gotten below 165 and intend to stay there. I'm tempted to shoot for 159 or less and see what I look like and how I feel. My doctor told me to not lose too much.
In my introduction to this new BLOG I said I wanted to continue expressing my gratitude to certain people or things. Yesterday I did Miss Barton from my seventh and grade math class in Chatfield, Minnesota. Today I want to mention several other teachers who made an impression on me. Some other junior high teachers I had were Miss Antonson (english and social studies) and Miss Flynn (english). I simply have good memories of them because they were good teachers and nice people. I enjoyed going to their classes. The third one was the music teacher, Miss Fawcett. She was another kind, caring person and made music class fun. And one more I'm grateful to is Wayne Stephens, my industrial arts teacher for seventh and eighth grade. He was simply s good teacher - that's why I remember him. I'm grateful to all four of them for giving me good memories of junior high.
One funny memory I have from eighth grade art class is because of Joe Hackett, the teacher. In his art class one day we weren't paying close enough attention. I was sitting next to my friend, Bob Lynch. Bob was turned sideways in his desk when all of a sudden his face was full of chalk dust. Mr. Hackett had thrown a dirty eraser at Bob and had a perfect hit to the side of Bob's face. He was covered with chalk from his left temple to his chin. That was realy a good throw - it was perfect. I don't know if Joe was a pitcher in baseball - if he wasn't he should've been. By the way, Bob quit talking and paid attention for the rest of period. I still laugh about that when I think about it. (I think Joe left after one year.)
That's all for today.
In my introduction to this new BLOG I said I wanted to continue expressing my gratitude to certain people or things. Yesterday I did Miss Barton from my seventh and grade math class in Chatfield, Minnesota. Today I want to mention several other teachers who made an impression on me. Some other junior high teachers I had were Miss Antonson (english and social studies) and Miss Flynn (english). I simply have good memories of them because they were good teachers and nice people. I enjoyed going to their classes. The third one was the music teacher, Miss Fawcett. She was another kind, caring person and made music class fun. And one more I'm grateful to is Wayne Stephens, my industrial arts teacher for seventh and eighth grade. He was simply s good teacher - that's why I remember him. I'm grateful to all four of them for giving me good memories of junior high.
One funny memory I have from eighth grade art class is because of Joe Hackett, the teacher. In his art class one day we weren't paying close enough attention. I was sitting next to my friend, Bob Lynch. Bob was turned sideways in his desk when all of a sudden his face was full of chalk dust. Mr. Hackett had thrown a dirty eraser at Bob and had a perfect hit to the side of Bob's face. He was covered with chalk from his left temple to his chin. That was realy a good throw - it was perfect. I don't know if Joe was a pitcher in baseball - if he wasn't he should've been. By the way, Bob quit talking and paid attention for the rest of period. I still laugh about that when I think about it. (I think Joe left after one year.)
That's all for today.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Pete's new BLOG - day 2.
Today is the 26,011th day of my life. I weighed in at 164.4 pounds. I accomplished my physical fitness goal for today by starting off with 5 minutes of yoga breathing, 5 minutes of yoga stretching, 10 minutes on the exercise ball and a 50 minute walk. (I do the exercise ball on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and lift weights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.)
My philosophy is that every morning when I get out of bed at 6:15 I have been blessed with another 24 hours of life. So I'm going to do something healthy and postive with my body for at least one of those 24 hours. I like to do my hour long work-out in the morning as it makes me feel good physically for the next 23 hours and it makes me feel good mentally for having the self-discipline to "git 'er done." (That's Larry the Cable Guy's favorite expression.)
Today in history James Earl Ray pleaded guilty in Memphis Tennessee, to assassinating Martin Luther King. (Ray later said he didn't do it.)
Jerry and Elsie Narveson, our lifelong friends from Chatfield, Minnesota, emailed yesterday to inform us that Bob Hurley had died of lung problems. Bob was one of our teachers in junior and senior high at Chatfield. His death got me to thinking of my old teachers. There are some that stand out as really good ones. One that deserves my gratitude is Joan Barton - Miss Barton was my math teacher in seventh and eighth grade. She knew her math, was strict (she had a hell of a temper), and expected her students to learn math. I learned a lot from her and I'm grateful to have had her for a teacher. I can remember more from her class than any other junior high teacher. A sign of a good teacher.
That's all for today.
My philosophy is that every morning when I get out of bed at 6:15 I have been blessed with another 24 hours of life. So I'm going to do something healthy and postive with my body for at least one of those 24 hours. I like to do my hour long work-out in the morning as it makes me feel good physically for the next 23 hours and it makes me feel good mentally for having the self-discipline to "git 'er done." (That's Larry the Cable Guy's favorite expression.)
Today in history James Earl Ray pleaded guilty in Memphis Tennessee, to assassinating Martin Luther King. (Ray later said he didn't do it.)
Jerry and Elsie Narveson, our lifelong friends from Chatfield, Minnesota, emailed yesterday to inform us that Bob Hurley had died of lung problems. Bob was one of our teachers in junior and senior high at Chatfield. His death got me to thinking of my old teachers. There are some that stand out as really good ones. One that deserves my gratitude is Joan Barton - Miss Barton was my math teacher in seventh and eighth grade. She knew her math, was strict (she had a hell of a temper), and expected her students to learn math. I learned a lot from her and I'm grateful to have had her for a teacher. I can remember more from her class than any other junior high teacher. A sign of a good teacher.
That's all for today.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Pete's Revised BLOG
When I finished researching and writing about the 56 U.S presidential campaigns/elections on February 20th I decided to take a break from blogging. I've had nearly a three week vacation and now feel refreshed so I'm ready to start blogging again with a new format.
I turned 71 on November 20, 2011. When I was walking that day I thought to myself, "Ya know, Pete, you know how many years you've lived but how many days is that." When I got home I got my calculator and did some calculating. I multiplied 71 years times 365 for a total of 25,915 days. Then I added 17 leap year days for a total of 25,932. As I write this on March 9, 2012 I need to add 78 more days (since November 20) for a total of 26,010. That's how long I've been a resident on planet earth.
Looking ahead to the rest of my days I did some more calculating. If I make it to 80 years I will live 29,202 days, 85 years will give me 31,026, 90 years years will be 32,851, 95 years will be 34,676, and 100 years would be 36,501. Do I really want to live to be a 100 years old? The only way I would want that to happen is if I'm HEALTHY. I grew up in nursing homes from age eight to seventeen. I have some terrible memories of some of the patients we had. I don't want to live like many of them did. When my days are at an end I hope to go peacefully and fast.
Having said that I want to explain what ideas I have for my revised BLOG.
When figuring the number of days for the different ages I said to myself -"I've lived close to 75% of my days on earth and I hope the remaining 10%, 20% or 25% will be healthy and enjoyable ones. So why don't I do something to make my remaining days as fun, enjoyable and enlightening as possible - and this led me to thinking of the year 2009, which is the year I wrote my GRATITUDE JOURNAL. For each of the 365 days of 2009 I expressed my gratitude to a person who or a thing that enhanced my life in some way, shape or form. I can honestly say it was the best year of my life - every day I had to think of somebody or something to be grateful for or to. It was fun, enjoyable and enlightening in that it made me think positive every day plus I learned so much by having to research many of the people and things I was grateful for/to.
In my new revised format my goal is to appreciate and relish each of my remaining days on this earth (and I hope that I'll be of sound mind and body for 99.9% of those days). So in this new format I want to continue expressing gratitude but I also want to include several other things that will keep my mind active.
Here are some of the other things I will touch on.
-I'll keep track of how many days I've lived
-What did I accomplish today? Did I do anything to keep myself physically fit? Am I controlling my weight?
-What person or thing should receive my gratitude today?
-Did I learn anything new today?
-Did I do anything to brighten someone else's day?
-What made me laugh today?
-How do I feel mentally today?
-What concerns me or upsets me about what's going on in this world?
-What were some of the happy/positive happenings in the world today?
-What's a good memory for me?
-What's a bad or ugly memory I'd like to forget?
-Did you know?
-What if?
-What memorable events happened on this day in history?
-(And I'll probably think of other things.)
I turned 71 on November 20, 2011. When I was walking that day I thought to myself, "Ya know, Pete, you know how many years you've lived but how many days is that." When I got home I got my calculator and did some calculating. I multiplied 71 years times 365 for a total of 25,915 days. Then I added 17 leap year days for a total of 25,932. As I write this on March 9, 2012 I need to add 78 more days (since November 20) for a total of 26,010. That's how long I've been a resident on planet earth.
Looking ahead to the rest of my days I did some more calculating. If I make it to 80 years I will live 29,202 days, 85 years will give me 31,026, 90 years years will be 32,851, 95 years will be 34,676, and 100 years would be 36,501. Do I really want to live to be a 100 years old? The only way I would want that to happen is if I'm HEALTHY. I grew up in nursing homes from age eight to seventeen. I have some terrible memories of some of the patients we had. I don't want to live like many of them did. When my days are at an end I hope to go peacefully and fast.
Having said that I want to explain what ideas I have for my revised BLOG.
When figuring the number of days for the different ages I said to myself -"I've lived close to 75% of my days on earth and I hope the remaining 10%, 20% or 25% will be healthy and enjoyable ones. So why don't I do something to make my remaining days as fun, enjoyable and enlightening as possible - and this led me to thinking of the year 2009, which is the year I wrote my GRATITUDE JOURNAL. For each of the 365 days of 2009 I expressed my gratitude to a person who or a thing that enhanced my life in some way, shape or form. I can honestly say it was the best year of my life - every day I had to think of somebody or something to be grateful for or to. It was fun, enjoyable and enlightening in that it made me think positive every day plus I learned so much by having to research many of the people and things I was grateful for/to.
In my new revised format my goal is to appreciate and relish each of my remaining days on this earth (and I hope that I'll be of sound mind and body for 99.9% of those days). So in this new format I want to continue expressing gratitude but I also want to include several other things that will keep my mind active.
Here are some of the other things I will touch on.
-I'll keep track of how many days I've lived
-What did I accomplish today? Did I do anything to keep myself physically fit? Am I controlling my weight?
-What person or thing should receive my gratitude today?
-Did I learn anything new today?
-Did I do anything to brighten someone else's day?
-What made me laugh today?
-How do I feel mentally today?
-What concerns me or upsets me about what's going on in this world?
-What were some of the happy/positive happenings in the world today?
-What's a good memory for me?
-What's a bad or ugly memory I'd like to forget?
-Did you know?
-What if?
-What memorable events happened on this day in history?
-(And I'll probably think of other things.)
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