Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,061 in my journey through life.

Today is Sunday, April 29, 2012 - another cool and cloudy day - and I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV."

All I did this morning was walk for 18 minutes = 1 mile for an April total of 67.5 miles. My weight was at 164.0 pounds.

I went to 8 am church and to 9 am coffee. I talked to 92-year-old Darvin again today but no new news on his love life with his 87- year-old girlfriend. They did go out to eat last night at the Wagon Wheel in Monticello but they are doing nothing today as he is taking a break (his words).

Ruth Ann and I are going to the Starlighter's production in downtown Anamosa at 2 pm this afternoon. It is a comedy entitled "Self-Help for Dummies." For a small town we have some terrific actors/actresses plus we import some from neighboring communities. It is great entertainment for 12 dollars.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,060 in my journey through life.

Today is Saturday, April 28, 2012 - a cool  cloudy day. I'm grateful for another day of  "I'm HIV."

This morning I did yoga, the exercise ball and walked 36 minutes = 2.0 miles for an April total of 66.5 miles. My weight went down to 163.6 pounds.

I've been reading a book entitled - "BE THE MIRACLE: 50 Lessons for Making the Impossible Possible" by Regina Brett. It is a real inspiration as I love stories about humans doing wonderful loving things to their fellow humans and doing great things to help themselves. Every lesson is great but some have caught  my attention more than others.

Lesson 32 really hit me, I wish I had read it in high school. Lesson 32 was entitled, "Be an original. Forge your path." The basic message is create your own path in life -  you don't have to take the path your parents laid out for you, or your friends or grandpa and grandma, or your teachers etc.

How do you follow your own path? By learning from your experiences in life. What worked and what didn't work for you -  but you have to learn from it and apply these learnings to your life now. The author said love the work in progress that you are right now. You aren't a finished product. You are constantly evolving. Be creative. Daring. Outlandish. Outrageous. Be an original. Be you. I remember hearing about the man who was so enamored by the work of Mother Teresa that he wrote her often about coming to Calcutta to make her work his life's work. One day he finally got a letter back. Her words stunned him: "'Find your own Calcutta." The author went on to say - Create your own map. Instead of finding your place in the world, design one. Don't use someone else's map. The problem with maps is that they only take you to where someone else has already been. That's why there is no map for the rest of your life. There's a true place for everyone on this earth. Your place in life doesn't belong to anyone else. If you aspire to be someone else, you will fail. The world already has them. The world needs you.

I feel the most satisfying years of my life have been the last 10. I finally have become the person I want to be:

I've learned to say "NO"
I've quit worrying about what other people think
I've become more outspoken towards bigoted, ignorant and racist people
I've finally had time to do what I always wanted to do and that was to write my autobiography
Writing that led me to write two other books 
Which led me to start a BLOG
I've always enjoyed doing research and learning new things and I now have the time to do it on a daily basis
I've learned how to look forward to each day by starting with a prayer and being grateful for my health and rewarding myself every three hours with something I enjoy (like chocolate and nuts and herring and my pipe and a beer at Happy Hour)
I've learned to look at the negative and positive aspects of situations
I've learned I don't have to associate with people I do not especially like and not feel bad about it
I'm proud I  had the will power to lose 30 pounds and get back to the 32" waist I had in high school, those 5 small meals I eat every day help keep my weight at 164 pounds
And I'm also proud to say I have the self  discipline to take one hour out of 24  each day to exercise -
I do it from 7-8 am. It is a great way to have good physical health and good mental  health.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,058-9 in my journey through life.

Today is Thursday, April, 26, 2012 a nice sunny day. I'm grateful for another day of "I.m HIV."

This morning I did yoga, the exercise ball and walked 60 = 3.4 miles for an April total of 62 miles. My weight was 164.6 pounds.


DAY #26,059 IN MY JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE.

Today is Friday, April 27, 2012 - a cold 50 degree day with wind. I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV."

This morning I did yoga, lifted weights and walked 45 minutes = 2.5 miles for an April total of 64.5 miles. My weight remained at 164.6 pounds.

I'm making these two days  short as I have a project I'm working on plus I'm upset. I've been working on it for 4 hours and all of a sudden it disapeared from the computer screen - nowhere to be found. So I guess I start over.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,057 in my journey through life.

Today is Wednesday,April 25, 2012 - a windy day but expected to reach the 70s this afternoon. I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV."
This morning I did yoga, lifted weights and walked for 36 minutes = 2.0 miles for an April total of 58.6 miles. My weight went down to 163.8 pounds. The Cubs beat the Caridnals last night with a RBI single by Soriano in the 11th inning. Go Cubs!!

Today I;m going to try and put the finishing touches on my "Like or Hate Obama Poll". I laid the groundwork on April 15, 16 and 17. My entry today will be on how I'm going to end  the poll and it will  explain what that person's TOTAL RATINGS mean as far as the election in November.

Now that you've finished your 1 - 5  ratings for each of the 35 statements  ADD up the numbers and get a total. Then look below to see what your "total"  means as far as the general election in November.

MY TOTAL IS:                                               IT MEANS:

35 - 50                                  It means you will definitely vote for Obama - you LOVE this guy.

51 - 80                                It means you will most likely vote for Obama.

81 - 115                              It means you are probably an "independent" and you folks will be the
                                           deciding factor in the election.

116 - 140                            It means you really don't LIKE Obama and will most likely vote for
                                           Romney.

141 - 175                            It means you are a TRUE OBAMA-HATER and a TEA PARTY member
                                           ( or should be if you aren't.)

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,056 in my journey through life.

Today is Tuesday, April 24, 2012 - another nice day and a special in the life of Ruth Ann and Pete. I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV."

This morning I did yoga, the exercise ball and walked 50 minutes = 2.7 miles for an April total of  56.9 miles. My weight went up to 165 pounds.

The Cubs beat the Cardinals yesterday by a score of 3-2 with a two run single in the bottom of the 9th. There were two outs and a guy named Mather, a former Cardinal, got the winning hit. There record  now is 5-13.

Today is a special day for us as 49 years ago at this time in the morning (9:30) RuthAnn was in the Anamosa hospital with labor pains, Twelve hours later she gave birth to a baby girl with a head covered with black hair. The black hair was a surprise because at that time I had red hair and Ruth Ann had blond-brown hair. The black hair must have come from my side of the family as I have 3 siblings with black hair. Ruth Ann was age 23 and I was 22  We named her Carron Sue because I had a sister, named Karen,  who died in 1944 in her first day of life from a heart condition. Carron sounded a lot like Karen so we thought it would be nice to have another Karen/Carron Bungum.

Anyway, Carron is 49 years old today. She has to work until six tonight so we are going over to her place this morning to bring her a birthday meal of ribs, party potatoes, salad and some pineapple cake for dessert. She will have to warm it up tonight. We will also have a card with some $ in it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARRON.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,055 in my journey through life

Today is Monday, April 23, 2012 - a nice day - sunny and temps will get close to 70. I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV." This morning I did yoga, lifted weights and walked 50 minutes = 2.7 miles for an April total of 54.7 miles. The Reds beat the Cubs again yesterday by a score of 4-3. Their record is now 4-12. This will be short today as I bought a new printer and am trying to install it. I'll let you know how siccessful I was tomorrow. I'm definitely not a computer whiz.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,054 in my journey through life.

Today is Sunday, April 22, 2012 - a nice sunny day - high in the 60s.

This morning I walked for 20 minutes = 1.2 miles for an April total of 51.5 miles. Sunday is my day to do a little less exercise and just walk 1-2 miles. My weight was 164.4 pounds. I'm grateful again to get to say "I'm HIV."

The good news is the Cubs won a game yesterday - they beat the Reds 6-1. They are in last place in the Central Division with a 4-11 record, 6 games behind the first place Cardinals, but they do not have the worst record in the Major Leagues - Kansas City is 3-11 and San Diego is 4-12. Way to go Cubs!!!!

I went to 8AM church and had coffee with Darvin, my 92-year-old friend. He's still in love with __?__, his 87-year-old girlfriend. Good for him and good for her. That's all for today.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,053 in my journey through life.

Today is Saturday, April 21, 2012 - another chilly April day - high in the 50s today.

This morning I did yoga, the exercise ball and walked 54 minutes = 3.0 miles for an April total of 50.4 miles. My weight was at 163.6 pounds.

GRATITUDE TODAY: I'm grateful again today to say "I'm HIV." The last couple of weeks have been good ones for daughter Carron and her friend Dave Thiher. Ruth Ann and I are grateful that they both got jobs and I know they're really grateful to have jobs. Things are looking up for the two of them and we're happy for them. And we're gratful that Dave seems to be a good and decent man. Carron deserves a man who isn't a controller and jealous - Dave seems to be the one.

SOME GOOD NEWS IN THE PAPER THIS MORNING - GAS PRICES FALL.

After a 4-month surge, gas prices have started to fall. The worst appears to be over. Pump prices dropped 6 cents over the last two weeks and could fall another 5 cents or more next week. Gasoline prices are lower than they were a year ago in 11 states. A 10 cent drop means that American drivers would have an extra $37 million per day to spend on other things.

What things have happened to bring down the price of gasoline?

1. Oil prices have fallen.
2. Iran and the West are negotiating.
3. The growth in demand for oil has moderated.
4. The world oil supplies are rising again thanks to more production from Saudi Arabia. Libya and the U.S.
5. Oil has fallen to $103.05 per barrel, down from a peak of $110.55 on March 1.
6. U.S drivers have gotten frugal at the gas pump. Gasoline demand has dropped by about 6%, compared with the same period last year.
7. In response, gasoline futures have since dropped by 8%. That's expected to cut the price of wholesale gasoline, and those savings will be passed on at the pump.
8. Potential buyers for two East Coast refineries have emerged, so they are expected to stay open.

However, things could be reversed if: We have hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, there are inflamed Middle East tensions or there is fighting in a major oil-producing country like Iran or Nigeria - that would reduce supplies.

Let's hope those things don't happen.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,052 in my journey through life.

Today is Friday, April 20, 2012 - it is not raining but will be a cool day with a high of 53 degrees - no golf today.

This morning I did yoga, lifted weights and walked 45 minutes = 2.5 miles for an April total of 47.4 miles. It was hard walking this morning as the wind was blowing around 20-25 mph. I weighed 163.4 pounds - a loss of 8/10 of a pound.

MY THOUGHTS TODAY:

I feel much better today compared to the last two days. I slept better and have more energy. I really had to push myself the last two days to get my exercise routine done.

Two very ugly and sad things happened on April 20.

First, on this day in 1889 Adolf Hitler was born at Branau an Inn, Austria. He was to become the dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and would be responsible for over 50 million deaths.

Second, on April 20, 1999, The Columbine High School massacre took place in Colorado as two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, shot and killed 12 classmates and one teacher before taking their own lives.

I read once that there was a connection between the two - Harris and Klebold picked April 20 as the massacre day because it was Adolf Hitler's birthday. Can you imagine anyone having a hero like Adolf Hitler?????

The good news today is that I'm still HIV - which means "I'm healthy and I'm vertical."

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,051 in my journey through life.

Today is Thursday, April 19, 2012 - it is raining and it is cold. Regardless of that I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV."

This morning I did yoga, the exercise ball and walked 50 minutes = 2.7 miles for an April total of 44.9 miles. I weighed in at 164.2 pounds.


Today is going to be a lazy day. I'm going to watch the Chicago Cubs get beat again by the Miami Marlins - there record is now 3-9. It's looking less and less like 2012 will be the year. Sometimes I think the definition of "stupid" is "being a Cubs fan."

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,050. Obama Poll Part IV

Today is Wednesday, April 18, 2012 and I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV."

This morning I did yoga, lifted weights and walked for 45 minutes = 2.5 miles for an April total of 42.2 miles. My weight was at 164.8 pounds. I had a terrible time sleeping last night - I was awake from 2:30 to 6:00 - so I'm tired as I type this - don't know why I couldn't sleep.

Today, I'm writing more statements about the Obama presidency.


DIRECTIONS: The following 15 statements all have something to do with the Bush Administration. Obama took office on January 20, 2009. Put a + in the blank if you are thankful to President Obama for sparing the American people this kind of stuff.

36._____No more talk of WMDs = Weapons of Mass Destruction.

37._____No more Abu Ghraib.

38._____No more photos of our President declaring "Mission Accomplished" -
eight years before it was actually accomplished.

39._____No more words from our President saying "I don't know where bin
Laden is and I don't really care."

40._____No more video of our President jokingly looking around the Oval
Office for weapons of mass destruction.

41._____No more waterboarding.

42._____No more ill-advised words like "Invading Iraq will be a slam dunk."

43._____No more words like "Good Job Brownie."

44._____No more words like "You are either with us or you are with the
terrorists."

45._____No more words from Scooter Libby about Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson.

46._____No more talk about Yellowcake in Africa and the mushroom cloud.

47._____Not hearing many words anymore about Halliburton and Blackwater.

48._____No more shoes being thrown at the U.S. President.

50._____No more hunters getting shot by the U.S. vice-president.

51._____No more Terry Schaivo.

52._____No more books about our President's brain.

53._____Having a President who knows the difference between a Sunni and a
Shiite.

54._____We have a President who actually got elected without the help
of the Supreme Court.

55._____We have a President who can speak fluent english.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,049. Obama Poll Part III

Today is Tuesday, April 17, 2012 and I'm grateful again for another day of "I'm HIV."

This morning I did yoga, the exercise ball and walked 50 minutes = 2.7 miles for an April total of 39.7 miles. My weight was 164.0 pounds.

Today I will identify more "decisions" and "positions" taken by President Obama in his first three years in office.

31. Obama has enacted tax credits to encourage businesses to hire unemployed and disabled veterans.______

32. Obama's position is that he didn't create the housing mess, the 8-9% unemployment rate, the 1.2 trillion dollar annual deficit he inherited on January 20, 2009, the 11 trillion dollar national debt he also inherited on January 20, the auto crisis, etc. His position is that they were created by Republican policies the past thirty years (especially under Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush.) Obama believes these Republican policies of TAX CUTS AND DEREGULATION led the U.S. to the greatest economic disaster since the Great Depression._____

34. As a result Obama's position is that he doesn't want the U.S. to repeat the same mistakes that haven't worked the past thirty years. Therefore, his position is that there is a need for the government to raise taxes on the wealthiest and to restore financial regulations for Wall Street banks and the entire financial industry to prevent future economic disasters._______

33. Obama has made a serious and sincere effort to work with Congressional Republicans in solving our nation's problems.______

34.Obama appointed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.______

35. Obama beleives that by investing in new technologies and clean energy, we can create not only millions of good middle-class jobs, but entire new American industries.______

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,048. Obama Poll Part II

Today is Monday, April 16, 2012 - it is cold and very windy for a mid-April day - but I'm grateful again for another day of "I'm HIV."

This morning I did yoga, lifted weights and walked 42 minutes = 2.3 miles for an April total of 37 miles.

Today I will continue creating my poll about the "actions" and "positions" taken by President Obama in his first three years in office. If you HATE this "action' or "position" put "H" in the blank.

16._____ Under Obamacare parents can keep their kids on their own health insurance plan until
                 age 26.

17._____ President Obama has come out against the Supreme Court decision to allow corporations, businesses, and unions to create SuperPacs which allow them to give unlimited amounts of money to the campaigns of their chosen candidates.

18._____ President Obama has made college education accessible to hundreds of thousands more students by ending billions of dollars in subsidies to banks and using the savings to double funding for Pell Grants.

19._____ President Obama's "stimulus" plan saved as many as 3.6 million jobs by cutting taxes, investing in clean energy, roads, and bridges, and keeping teachers in the classroom.

20._____ President Obama inherited these tough economic times but has protected unemployment benefits for millions of the unemployed.

21._____ Despite strong opposition President Obama courageously went to the aid of General Motors and Chrysler saving 1.4 million jobs - both are now profitable thanks to his actions.

22._____ Under President Obama the private sector has created nearly 3 million jobs during 21 straight months of private sector growth.

23. _____President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Bill to protect American families from unfair lending practices, rein in excessess on Wall Street and prevent future financial crises.

24._____ President Obama is pushing Congress to pass the Buffett Rule which will
close tax loopholes and ensure that millionaires and billionaires don't pay less in taxes than their secretary or other middle class taxpayers.

25._____ President Obama kept his word by bringing the war in Iraq to a responsible end and bringing home our troops.

26._____ President Obama ordered the Navy Seals to capture and kill Osama bin Laden.

27._____Under Obama's orders many of the other top Al-Qaeda leaders have been killed.

28._____ Obama got "Don't Ask Don't Tell" repealed which has established some fairness and justice for the thousands of gay and lesbian soldiers who are so loyally serving our country.

29. _____On May 19, 2009, President Obama announced new fuel ecomomy rules for U.S. automakers. The new rules are 39 mpg for cars and 30 mpg for light trucks to be achieved by 2016.

30._____One of Michelle Obama's projects for America is to get off our butts and get moving.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,047. Obama Poll - Part I.

It is Sunday, April 15, 2012 - a gloomy rainy day - but I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV."

On Sunday's all I do for physical fitness is take a walk. Today I did 36 minutes = 2.0 miles for an April total of 34.7 miles.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Today I'm going to start creating a poll about President Obama. The TITLE will be:

                                  I LIKE OBAMA - I HATE OBAMA - 35 REASONS WHY

It has been over three years since Barack Obama took office as President of the U.S. In those years I have received numerous emails concerning people's feelings towards this man. Some have expressed how much they LIKE and admire the President but many more have been  filled with words of HATE.  This poll will be a way for readers  to determne why they LIKE this man or HATE this man  and IDENTIFY 35 POSSIBLE REASONS WHY.

DIRECTIONS: Each statment below will state a "POSITION" Obama has taken on an issue  or a "DECISION" Obama has made since he took office. For each POSITION or DECISION listed put a number in the blank from 1 to 5. The numbers mean the following.

1. I agree with this POSITION and really like the DECISION Obama has made - I approve at a 100% level.

2. I generally agree or like it but not at a 100% level.

3. I'm not so sure about this one - I guess I feel I don't know enough about it to give an intelligent answer -  it may have some good or bad things I'm not aware of.

4. I'm in general disagreement with this one but not quite at a 100% level -  but I'm not to the point of HATING him.

5. I disagree 100% and I HATE Obama for believing this or making this decision.

___________________________________________________________________________________

1. _____ President Obama is NOT a socialist or a communist and was born in Hawaii, not Kenya.

2. _____President Obama is trying to keep Medicare from being privatized.

3. _____President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act in 2009 which insured that women get paid the same as men for the same work.

4. _____ In President Obama's Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) new health insurance plans starting in 2012 will be required to cover preventive services such as mammograms without charge.

5. _____In the same Act these new health insurance plans will also have to cover preventive services for domestic violence screenings without charge.

6. _____In the same Act these new health insurance plans will also offer contraception services without charge.

7. _____President Obama "reversed" the Global Gag Rule which banned the U.S. government from providing contraceptive aid to international family planning groups in Third World countries.

8. _____President Obama has stood up to Republican attempts to roll back a women's right to choose.
9. _____President Obama is standing up to Republican attempts to defund Planned Parenthood.

10._____ In 2012 Obama's new health care bill (Obamacare) will prohibit health insurance companies from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions.

11._____In 2012 Obamacare will also prohibit health insurance companies from cancelling coverage when someone gets sick.

12. _____ Obamacare will require health insurance companies to justify rate hikes and provide rebates if they don't spend at least 80% of consumers' premiums on care instead of overhead, marketing and profits.

13. _____Under Obamacare, for the first time in our history, 95% of Americans under the age of 65 will have health insurance.

14._____ So far, under Obamacare, over 2.6 million senior citizens have saved an average of over $550 each on their prescription drugs.

15. _____By 2020. under Obamacare, the Medicare "donut hole" will be completely closed.







6.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,046 in my journey through life.

It is Saturday, April 14, 2012 - I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV."

On this day in 1865 Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, in 1902 J.C. Penney opened his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in 1912 the Titanic hit the iceberg at 11:40 PM, and in 1910 President William Howard Taft, was the first president to throw out the firat ball at a major league baseball game.

My fitness goals were accomplished this morning: I did yoga, the exercise ball and walked 50 minutes = 2.7 miles for an April total of 32.7 miles.
My weight was at 164.0 pounds.

FRIDAY THE 13th.

Yesterday was Friday the 13th and it is considered an unlucky day. It will be the only one in 2012. I did a little research to find out some reasons why. There were many explanation given but the three most frequently mentioned were:

1. At the Last Supper there were 13 people - Jesus and the 12 disciples and Jesue was crucified on a Friday.

2. This one was new to me but the second most frequently mentioned had to do with the KNIGHTS TEMPLAR in 14th century France. The Knights Templar were the soldiers/militia who protected the Crusaders when they went to Jerusalem to fight the Moslems in the 1100s and 1200s. In the 1300s they had become so strong militarily and economically in France that the king of France (Philip IV) decided they were getting so strong that they were becominga threat to his power. So in association with the Pope he decided to arrest them all and charge them with heresy. They were rounded up and most of them died in the next couple of years. They were tortured in order to make them admit to their heresies - many died from the torture and some were burned at the stake. So what does this have to do with Friday the 13th? The order to arrest them and round them up was given on Friday the 13th. As I said, I had never heard this reason before.

3. A third reason mentioned had to do with Norse mythhology. According to the myth the 12 main Norse gods were meeting at Valhalla . Some how a 13th dude appeared and caused one of the 12 gods to murder another god - in other words he messed things up pretty bad. There is more to the story but that is the essence of it. So number 13 was the cause of the problem.


Hee are some examples of the sordid history of Friday the 13th.

- In March, 1964: The "The Good Friday" earthquake wasn't so good. It remains the largest earthquake in North America history, killing 131 people near Prince William Sound in Alaska.
- In a traditional hangman's noose there are 13 twists of the rope and 13 steps to the gallows.
- There is no 13th Avenue in San Francisco.
- In Formula 1 racing, there is no car with the number 13.
- Hotels and many other buildings do not have a 13th floor.
- Killers Charles Manson, Saddam Hussein, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Theodore Bundy, and Jack The Ripper each have 13 letters in their names.
- Al Capone was sentenced to prison on Friday the 13th.
- Benny Goodman, the King of Swing, died on Friday the 13th.
- Hubert Humphrey. 38th vice president of the U.S. and Senator from Minnesota, died on Friday the 13th.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,045 in my journey through life.

It is Friday, April 13, 2012 - it is cold and rainy.

My accomplishments this morning: I did my yoga, lifted weights and walked 52 minutes = 2.8 miles for an April total of 30 miles.
And I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV."
My weight was even better today - 163.6 pounds. I've lost the five pounds I gained in San Francisco - Way to go Pete.

I need to retract my words from yesterday about the Chicago Cubs - they actually won a game and looked good doing it - they beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-0 (Matt Garza was the winning pitcher.) They play the St. Louis Cardinals at 2:05 today. Go Cubs because "this is the year" you're going to the World Series. (That should be good for a laugh.)

CAN YOU IMAGINE? and WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

I've been reading the May, 2012 edition of the Reader's Digest. I ran into a story that made me think of the words "Can You Imagine?" and "What would Jesus do?" The story was about a husband and wife in Utah who bought an older house with a garage. One day the husband was inspecting the workshop in the garage when he noticed a scrap of carpet sticking out of the ceiling. He thought that was strange so he pulled on it and an access panel to the attic pulled open. Then he grabbed a ladder and went up to see what was in the garage attic. He noticed an old WWII ammo box, opened it, and freaked out at what he saw: several rolls of money tied up in orange twine, like $800.00. He kept investigating and found seven more ammo boxes plus two big trash bags full of cash. He added it up and it came to $45,000. His first thought was that this was a blessing from God - it was the means to fix up this run-down house, to adopt a child, or to make life easier for his two kids. But he got rid of those fantasies and he and his wife knew the right thing to do was to return the monsy to the prior owners.

So he called the previous owners and told them to come over to the house as he had something to show them. The couple came over and they were shocked, of course, not only about the money but that he was returning the money. The previous owners (a brother and sister) had recently inherited the house and said it must have been their father who had hidden the money.

Can you imagine finding $45,000 in a house you just bought? I think my first thoughts would have been similar to his. But I'm positive I would have done the same thing he and his wife did - give it back. I'm a believer in the teachings of Jesus Christ. So what would Jesus do? - he would give it back.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,044 in my journey through life.

It is Thursday, April 12, 2012 - still another chilly day.

My physical fitness goals were accomplished this morning - I did yoga, the exercise ball and walked 45 minutes = 2.5 miles for an April total of 27.2 miles. And I'm grateful for another day of "I'm HIV." My weight was down to 164.2 pounds. I finally reached 164 after being stuck on 165 for two weeks. The trip to San Francisco added five pounds - so far I've lost four of them and have one to go to reach my pre-Frisco weight.

WHAT IS MAKING ME LAUGH TODAY?

What is making me laugh today is a team called the Chicago Cubs. They and the Red Sox are tied for first place in total number of losses with identical records of 1-5. That means they have each won one game and lost five. I know they have 156 games left to play but what a way to start. The Cub closers are Kerry Wood and a guy named Marmol. Wood usually pitches in the seventh and eighth innings and Marmol in the ninth. Those two guys lost the first two games for the Cubs last week. The starters, Dempster in the first game and Garza in the second, were taken out in the eighth inning with the Cubs leading and then Wood and Marmol blew the games. The Cubs would be 3-3 if it wasn't for those two. Being a Cub fan means you have to be an eternal optimist or else you would go nuttier than a fruit cake. Thank God Ruth Ann and I aren't too serious about the Cubs - it allows us to laugh a lot about their futility. What else can a Cub fan do???

I used to be a Minnesota Twins fan but they are as hopeless as the Cubs. So I'm not going to double my troubles by rooting for the Twins.

WHAT MEMORABLE EVENT HAPPENED IN HISTORY TODAY?

Everyday I read the TODAY IN HISTORY column and this item caught my this morning.

On April 12, 1877: 'The catcher's was first used in a baseball game by James Tyng of Harvard in a game against the Lynn Live Oaks."

I could really relate to this bit of historical trivia because: At Chatfield, Minnesota, I was the catcher for Jerry Narveson in high school for three years. I would like to thank Harvard and Mr. Tyng for the mask as it was a life saver for me - especially for the foul ticks that would bounce off my mask and, many times,for the dirt balls I tried to catch/stop.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,043 in my journey through life.

It is Wednesday, April 11, 2012 - another chilly day - it was 26 degress when I went walking at 7:30 this morning.

I did my yoga, lifted weights and walked 50 minutes = 2.7 miles for an April total of 24.7 miles. My weight was 165.4 pounds. And I'm grateful that I'm HIV (Healthy and I'm Vertical) for another day.

Mentally, I feel real good today. Yesterday, I got my annual financial report from IPERS (Iowa Public Employees Retirement System) and it was good news. When the financial crisis hit in 2008-2009 IPERS took over a 4 billion dollar hit in its total assets. I was worried that it could go under and we'd lose some or all of our monthly IPERS income. It has steadily recovered and we have been assured that we will receive our guaranteed benefits, with no deductions, for the rest of our living days. This is a good feeling as both Ruth Ann and I get IPERS checks every month and they amount to about 60% of our monthly income. It is one less worry for us as the days, weeks, months, and years pass by.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,042 in my journey through life.

It is Tuesday, April 10, 2012 and the wind is blowing 15-30 mph.
I did mow the lawn today with my Hawkeye scarve, my Hawkeye sweatshirt, and a jacket - that's how cold it was.

I did my yoga, the exercise ball, and walked 54 minutes = 3.0 miles for an April total of 22 miles. My weight continued at 165.8 pounds.

As usual, I'm grateful I'm HIV for another day.

I REMEMBER April 10, 1973 - it was THE STORM OF THE CENTURY for an April. Ruth Ann and I and the kids were in Cedar Rapids with Bob and Grace Story and their two kids at a grocery store when we decided we better get back to Anamosa. It was starting to rain and it was getting colder by the minute. By the time we got home it had turned to a heavy snow and the wind was howling. By Monday morning we had 15-20 inches of snow, drifts 8-10 feet high, and cars were buried. Needless to say we didn't have school, in fact, we didn't have school until Thursday. It was one of those storms you never forget - you don't forget where you were when it started and you don't forget how much work you missed. The kids loved it.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,041 in my journey through life.

It is Monday, April 9, 2012 and it is windy and chilly.

I did my yoga, lifted weights and walked 54 minutes = 3.0 miles for an April total of 19 miles. My weight stayed at 165.8 pounds.

And I'm grateful that I'm HIV for another day.

Mom and I cleaned house today including vacuuming, dusting, the bathrooms, mirrors, kitchen, and the wood floor in the kitchen - it was an A+ cleaning.

The best news of the day is that Carron got a job at Tapken's Convienence in Anamosa. Her friend Dave started work at the Family Foods grocery store in Anamosa a month ago. So they should be able to make ends meet with some left over for fun.

Q. DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED ON THIS DATE IN 1865?
A. General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

Q. DO YOU KNOW WHAT BLACK LADY GOT TO PERFORM A CONCERT (ON THIS DATE) AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL IN D.C., AFTER BEING DENIED THE USE OF CONSTITUTION HALL BY THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION?
A. Her name was Mirian Anderson and Eleanor Roosevelt came to her aid when the Daughters of the American Revolution refused her.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26.040 in my journey through life.

Today is Sunday 8, 2012 - it is Easter Sunday and my 71st Easter.

I walked for 20 minutes this morning = 1 mile for an April total of 16 miles. My weight finally got down to 165 pounds. I'm grateful for another day of HIV.

I went to 8 AM church and had coffee with Paul, Darvin, Pastor Katie and husband John. Paul and I gave Darvin a hard time about eating Easter dinner with his son Don and Deb and then going over to his 88 year old girlfriend's house in Onslow for some sweet dessert. He had a big laugh.

For Easter brunch we went to Hale Supper Club with Carron and friend Dave Thiler. It was all you could eat with ham, beef, chicken, fish, masked potatoes, gravy, salad bar and brownies. WONDERFUL.

I'm going to relax today and watch the Master's. I'm rooting for Phil Mickelson to win, he is -6 going into the final round - the leader is Peter Hanson from Sweden at -7. GO PHIL. Zach Johnson of Cedar Rapids is +3 along with Tiger Woods and they are tied for 37th place.

Pete's Bungum's BLOG - Day # 26,039 in my journey through life.

Today is April 7, 2012. I did my yoga breathing and stretching exercises and walked for 45 minutes = 2.5 miles for an April total of 15 miles.

And I'm grateful that I have another day in which I'm HIV. (It means that I'm Healthy and I'm Vertical.)

MY THOUGHTS TODAY:

I read an article in the paper this morning entitled "Keeping an eye on political ads, lies." So my mind today is thinking about the campaign of 2012.

2012 is a presidential election year. Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court decision called CITIZENS UNITED we are going to see one of the dirtiest, nastiest and most untruthful campaigns in our 221 year history. CITIZENS UNITED allows corporations, businesses, and unions to pour millions and billions of dollars into the campaigns for the candidates they support. These campaign organizations are called Super Pacs. They are allowed to run political ads without the consent of the actual candidate. They are usually nastier and more untruthful than the ads run by the candidate himself/herself.

In my opinion the Supreme Court decision is the worst thing that can happen to our political system and to our democracy. The corporations already own most of our politicians and now they will have even more influence on and ownership of these politicians. What it means is that future laws passed by Congress will be pretty much what the corporation want in order for them to make more money and get more favors from the government. The middle class and the poor are the ones who are going to suffer the most as we see a bigger and bigger gap between the haves and have-nots. Corporate profits will soar while salaries/wages for the middle class and the poor will stagnate or even go down.

So, what should we do about the political ads we will be bombarded with for the next seven months?

My first suggestion is be smart enough to know many of the ads will play on the ignorance of the average American. Most all of the ads tell only half the story or they are outright lies.

My second suggestion is to get acquainted with SNOPES and FACTCHECK on your computer - these two do a good job of researching the ads and determining what is truth and what is fiction.

My third suggestion is be sure you know how to use the "mute" button on your remote.

The lady who wrote the article was Jennifer Hemmingsen. Jennifer had talked to a lady at FACTCHECK named Kathleen Hall Jamieson who offered these hopeful words. She hopes that FACTCHECK.org and FLACKCHECK.org can bring some reality back to political discourse by calling on candidates to stand by their claims and they intend to pressure broadcast stations to turn down false SUPER-PAC ads.

Pete Bungum's BLOG - Day #26,038 in my journey through life.

Today is April 6, 2012. This morning I did my yoga, my exercise ball and a 40 minute walk = two miles - my April total is 13.5 miles.
My weight stayed steady at 165,8 pounds.

I'm grateful I'm HIV again today.

Today was a lazy day for me. I filled up the gas tank on the golf car and got a new p[adlock for the car shed.

Ruth Ann got a call from United Airlines direct from the CEO's office. His secretary called and we are getting compensated $250.00 each for them cancelling our flight to San Francisco on Thursday, March 22nd. We had to stay in a Minneapolis Hotel due to engine trouble. It pays to complain - United Airlines does not want a bunch of unhappy customers - as a result we will fly United again. In fact we have to as the $250.00 has to be used on a United flight.

Pete's BLOG - Day #26,037 in my journey through life.

Today is April 5, 2012 - it is a chilly 50 degree day - we're getting March weather now in the month of April.
This morning I did my yoga, the exercise ball and walked for 54 minutes = 3.0 miles for an April total of 10.5 miles. My weight continues at 165.8 pounds.

A new addition to my BLOG will be a HIV notice on a daily basis. Don't get excited as HIV neans "I'm HEALTHY and I'M VERTICAl." I'm not on the horizontal yet and hopefully won't be for quite some time.

MY THOUGHTS TODAY.

On the way home from San Francisco I picked up a USA TODAY newspaper and came across an article entitled INCOME INEQUALITY does MATTER. Below is a summary of what the author (Philip Meyer) had to say.

So my thoughts today deal with the "income inequality" in the U.S. as explained by Philip Meyer. The shift to income inequality in the U.S. began when the Reagan administration started a systematic tranfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to the privileged few at the top - and little has changed since that time. The Central Intelligence Agency posts estimates of income inequality for 140 nations in its WORLD FACTBOOK. Some examples of severe inequality are South Africa in third place and Brazil in 13th place. The U.S. ranks 42nd. Some nations with the least income inequality are Canada at 96th, Austria at 133rd and Sweden is the least unequal at 140th. In the U.S. the latest figures show that the top 20% of Americans own 85% of the wealth in the U.S. while the bottom 40% of Americans own 0.3% of the wealth in the U.S.

What's wrong with this picture? I predict that as this trend continues and more and more Americans finally realize what has happened we could have big troubles in this country. It could create instability as the stability of any democracy depends on its legitimacy, a general sense that the system is FAIR. And that is what is at risk today.

The remainder of these words are mine. I do not like what has happened in the U.S. since 1981 when the Reagan administration took over and conservative policies were implemented. We are seeng the results with income inequality. And we are seeing the results of conservatives being appointed to the Supreme Court. Read below:

And one more thing happening in the U.S. with the income inequality we now have is the dependence of presidential and congressioal campaigns on a handful of billionaires. We can thank the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court in 2010 for this. Again it comes down to money, greed and the desire for power by our corporations. It looks like we are going back to the Gilded Age of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The corporations controlled everything at that time and there were no unions, no middle class, no health care, no safety provisions for workers, no workman's comp, no unemploymant insurance, no minimum wage, no overtime pay, no paid vacations, 50-70 hour work weeks, no Social Security, no Medicare, etc. I sometimes think this is where the Koch Brothers and the other conservative billionaires want this country to go. As the years go by I predict more protests from the 99% like we saw this past year in New York and all over the U.S.

Pete's 26,036th day - a special day in my life.

Today is April 4, 2012. It is the 26,036th day of my journey through life. This morning I accomplished my physical fitness goals: I did my yoga breathing and stretching routine, lifted weights, and walked for 64 minutes = 3.5 miles - for an April total of 7.5 miles. My weight was steady at 165.8 pounds.

DID YOU KNOW?

Today is a special day in the lives of Pete and Ruth Ann. Ruth Ann turned 72 years of age today. On April 4, 2009 I wrote the following in my GRATITUDE JOURNAL.

I'm grateful for April 4, 1940, because that is the day my wife, Ruth Ann Rain, was born in the bedroom of her parents farmhouse. The farm is located five miles north/northeast of Fountain, Minnesota. Fountain is located 27 miles south of Rochester on Highway 52, 25 miles north of the Iowa border. Ruth Ann was the third child born to Cyrus and Myrtle Rain - the first two were boys and the fourth was a boy - so that made her the only girl. The older boys, Bud and Maurice, said she was the spoiled one - a view she vehemently disagrees with. Anyway, Ruth Ann and I met in seventh grade, started dating in 1956 at the age of fifteen and have been together ever since. We have spent our life as a couple and our relationship has gotten stronger as the years have rolled by. We've had our ups and downs but we worked through them and are so grateful that we did - our senior citizen years have been great. We have so many joyful and happy memories from
nearly 56 years of togetherness. So what a difference maker April 4,1940 turned out to be for me - my soul mate was born that day.

Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 26

Today is Tuesday, April 3, 2012. It is the 26,035th day of my life. This morning I did my yoga, excercise ball and walked for 36 minutes = 2.0 miles - for an April total of 4.0 miles. I weighed 165.8 pounds - I've lost three pounds since San Francisco but want to get at least two more off.

Today we made the decision NOT to go to Denmark in June for Alexandra's graduation from gymnasium. The reason is Ruth Ann'a hip hurt so bad for the six days we were in San Francisco. It was due to the 4-5 hour plane ride and the hassle of walking through the airport teminals to our departure gates (we used wheelchairs several times.) She will be seeing a specialist to see what the problem is and if she needs to have surgery again - it has been five years since she had the femur and hip ball replaced.

I read a funny article the other day by Lenore Skenazy of Creator's Syndicate. It was entitled: WATCH OUT: APRIL IS ONE OF THE SCARIEST MONTHS.

Spring is officially here as of March 21. Here are some warnings with warm weather coming.

1. Be sure and wear sunblock to prevwnt skin cancer.

2. Except that sunblock prevents the body from making Vitamin D. And Vitamin D prevents cancer. So for every cancer death the sunblock is blocking, it's blocking the Vitamin D from preventing other deaths. Got that?

3. If you drink water while outside in the warm weather be sure and drink all of it or else it will become nothing more than stagnant water. Then it will become a pool party for mosquitos who not only can carry West Nile virus but they also bite, causing itching, which must be addressed with extreme caution.

4. Then when you scratch your itches be sure your nails are trimmed and clean or you could cause an infection.

5. Now if the water has scared you off just bring food to eat but nothing with mayonaise as that can give you salmonella poisoning.And the same for undercooked chicken and don't bring overcooked chicken as that is carcinogenic.

6. And don't bring anything to eat that has carbs, fats or sugars. The reason is obvious - they can cause obesity, heart attack, diabetes.

7. And nothing with salt as it causes hypertension.

8. And no red meat as that causes strokes and heart attacks from plugging your arteries.

9, And to save your eyes be sure and wear sun glasses with 100% ultraviolet protective lenses tht extend at least to the sides of your eyes, but preferably all the way back to your ears.

10. And just to be safe this summer avoid lawn mowers, tree pollen, dogs, bees, boys and soda.

11. As dangerous as life is outside in the warm weather I think it would be a good idea to just stay in the house and drink a cold one.

Pete's Revised BLOG - Day 24 and 25.

Sunday, April 1, 2012, was my 26,033rd day of life. Took the day off from exercising and went to church (Palm Sunday.) In the PM Ruth Ann and I went to Chameleons in Mt. Vernon. Today is brother Mark's 66th birthday. I gave him a call in Hudson, Wisconsin, but no answer, so left him a Birthday Greeting.

Today is Monday, April 2, 2012 and my 26,034th day. I did my yoga, lifted weights and walked only two mmiles. I had to be at the dentist by 9:50 so I cut my walk short. The dentist replaced a worn our stainless steel crown and replaced it with another steel crown for $281.00 - a gold one would have been $1000.00. My dental bill is now at $1,050.00. Uffda!!

A few more words about San Francisco.

On Sunday, March 25, we took a three hour bus tour of San Francisco. The guide was super and had a good sense of humor. Some highlights were:

-Golden Gate Bridge. There is an old (built in 1860) army fort underneath the south end of the bridge. We got to go in the fort and see the bridge from underneath. Man, there is lots of steel holding that bridge together. We drove north across the bridge, went up a small mountain and got out of the bus for a beautiful view of San Francisco Bay and the city. We could easily see Alcatraz Island in the middle of the Bay. It has been closed since 1962 because it was twice as expensive to operate as any other federal prison - so Attorney General Bobby General ordered it to be closed.

-Haight-Asbury. We drove through the famous district on Asbury Street. This was "Hippie Heaven" in 1967. Young people came from all over the U.S. to hang-out, drop-out, protest the Vietnam War and to get higher than a kite on drugs. It lasted less than a year but it made headlines throughout 1967 on the evening news. It was fun to see.

-Chinatown and Little Italy. We drove through Little Italy and Chinatown. They border each other. Little Italy is shrinking as it is being gobbled up by Chinatown. The Italian population is moving to other places and the Chinese population is increasing so the Chinese are buying Little Italy properties as they expand. Chinatown is just what it says, it is solid Chinese, there are few, if any, Caucasians living there.

-One other piece of historical trivia I learned on the tour is this story:

There was a statue of a woman in Union Square Park. The guide said she lived in the early 1900s and was an absolutely beautiful twenty-year-old woman. There was this rich sugar plantation owner near San Francisco who had his eye on her. The only problem was he was in his fifties. But he was a millionaire and with his sugar money he was not about to give up. He pursued her for five years and she finally said "YES." The gist of the story is this - he was old enough to be her "daddy" and he made his millions in the "sugar" business. Today, when we see younger women marry rich older men we'll probably say - "Boy, she sure found her 'Sugar Daddy.'" Now you know the rest of the story - San Francisco is where this saying originated - and it is true.