Today is Thursday, January 31, 2013. My stats today; 10 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes on the exercise ball and 43 minutes of walking = 2.4 miles for a January total of 65.6 miles. My weight was 163.4 pounds.
QUOTE from Ann Curry: "Maybe the best thing you'll ever do, you haven't even thought of yet."
My THOUGHTS today: Last week I sent Senator Grassley and email urging him to vote for banning assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. Yesterday, a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing was held to hear different viewpoints on the issue of gun control. Gabby Giffords valiantly said her piece that she had written herself on notebook paper. It nearly brought tears as I listened to her. Grassley was there and after the hearing his comments were as follows.
"We all want sensible solutions."
"The deaths in Newtown should not be used to put forward every gun control measure that's been floating around for years." (Grassley, what in the hell should it be used for?_
"The problem is greater than guns alone."
"We need to re-examine mental-health laws and violent video games."
"Limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines can be circumvented by carrying more guns."
I interpret his words as meaning he will do nothing but maybe vote for some kind of mental-health checks.
In my opinion the only thing that will change the minds of anti-gun control freakos is if someone attacks them or their family and kills all of them with a 70 bullet magazine clip. Then maybe they'll think differently (maybe!!!!) about assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. I don't, and I never will, understand why any civilian needs an assault weapon. They are made for the military to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time.
As Gabby Giffords said yesterday; "It will be hard, but the time is now. You must act. Be bold, be courageous; Americans are counting on you."So Grassley, think about her words - they make sense - Americans are counting on you.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Pete BLOG-Day 26,371. Good day yesterday.
Today is Wednesday, January 30, 2013 - we have a snowstorm today - up to 6" with wind. My stats today: 10 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes of lifting weights and 37 minutes of walking = 2.0 miles for a January total of 62.2 miles. My weight was 163.4 pounds.
QUOTE from Debbie Macomber, New York Times best-selling author: "If you love, you get love back, and that's just a simple basic truth. If you are loved, it is because you love. It's like a mirror. We get back what we give out."
My THOUGHTS today: I feel good about what I did yesterday. I agreed to be a member of our church's visitation program. My first assignment was to visit a 90-year-old lady named Lena Dirks. I called her first and told her I was with the visitation team from church and asked if it was okay if I came about 1 PM - she agreed. We had a fun conversation for over one and a half hours. I knew Lena as I had done some painting for her about 10 years ago and I had 2 of her daughters in class back in the 1960s. I've been around old people all my life so I know they like to talk about their family. The best part of our talk was when I asked her how she had met Bob, her husband of 53 years. (he passed away in 1999 from a stroke.) She met Bob when she was 13 years old while visiting her Aunt and Uncle on a Sunday afternoon. Bob was working as a hired man for her Aunt and Uncle and her cousin said he wanted to introduce her to Bob. He introduced them and her Aunt said that Lena told her "I'm going to marry him someday." Lena says she does not remember saying that but her Aunt insists she did. They started dating when she got in high school and then he went in the Navy in 1941 for 4 years - serving in the Pacific theater (he served on 2 ships that were severely damaged but never sunk). During the war she worked in the local bank and when he returned in 1945 they got married and over the next 10 years had 4 kids - one boy and 3 girls. The boy is a Lutheran minister and a college professor in California. The 3 girls got married and all are doing well living in Cedar Rapids, Colorado and California.
I found out Lena is quite a writer. She has written her own life story and done a lot of geneology books on her family and Bob's. I looked at her books and they are well done and very interesting. When we got done talking she asked me to come back and see her again because she enjoyed it so much. I gave her a hug when I left and she responded with a firm speeze for me. It was very enjoyable for me - the visit made her feel good and laugh and it made me feel just as good. I'm going back next month.
QUOTE from Debbie Macomber, New York Times best-selling author: "If you love, you get love back, and that's just a simple basic truth. If you are loved, it is because you love. It's like a mirror. We get back what we give out."
My THOUGHTS today: I feel good about what I did yesterday. I agreed to be a member of our church's visitation program. My first assignment was to visit a 90-year-old lady named Lena Dirks. I called her first and told her I was with the visitation team from church and asked if it was okay if I came about 1 PM - she agreed. We had a fun conversation for over one and a half hours. I knew Lena as I had done some painting for her about 10 years ago and I had 2 of her daughters in class back in the 1960s. I've been around old people all my life so I know they like to talk about their family. The best part of our talk was when I asked her how she had met Bob, her husband of 53 years. (he passed away in 1999 from a stroke.) She met Bob when she was 13 years old while visiting her Aunt and Uncle on a Sunday afternoon. Bob was working as a hired man for her Aunt and Uncle and her cousin said he wanted to introduce her to Bob. He introduced them and her Aunt said that Lena told her "I'm going to marry him someday." Lena says she does not remember saying that but her Aunt insists she did. They started dating when she got in high school and then he went in the Navy in 1941 for 4 years - serving in the Pacific theater (he served on 2 ships that were severely damaged but never sunk). During the war she worked in the local bank and when he returned in 1945 they got married and over the next 10 years had 4 kids - one boy and 3 girls. The boy is a Lutheran minister and a college professor in California. The 3 girls got married and all are doing well living in Cedar Rapids, Colorado and California.
I found out Lena is quite a writer. She has written her own life story and done a lot of geneology books on her family and Bob's. I looked at her books and they are well done and very interesting. When we got done talking she asked me to come back and see her again because she enjoyed it so much. I gave her a hug when I left and she responded with a firm speeze for me. It was very enjoyable for me - the visit made her feel good and laugh and it made me feel just as good. I'm going back next month.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Pete BLOG-Day 26,370. The Golden Years
Today is Tuesday, January 29, 2013. It was 56 degrees this morning when I went walking - a record in some areas of Iowa. My stats today: 10 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes on the exercise ball and 45 minutes of walking = 2.5 miles for a January total of 60.2 miles. My weight shot up to 164.6 pounds.
QUOTE from Life's Little Instruction Book: "Be cautious about lending money to friends. You might lose both."
My THOUGHTS today have to do with living in my Golden Years. Sister Jan sent this to us last week. There is some truth in some of the words.
I cannot see - I cannot pee - I cannot chew - I cannot screw.
Oh, my God, what can I do?
My memory shrinks - My hearing stinks - No sense of smell -
I look like hell.
My mood is bad - can you tell?
My body's drooping - Have trouble pooping
The Golden Years have come at last
The Golden Years can kiss my ass!!
Actually, so far, the Golden Years have been good to the two of us. The only two that I can relate to are a little diffuculty peeing and my memory has done some shrinking but the rest of them have not been a factor. Life is good so far and we're enjoying life.
QUOTE from Life's Little Instruction Book: "Be cautious about lending money to friends. You might lose both."
My THOUGHTS today have to do with living in my Golden Years. Sister Jan sent this to us last week. There is some truth in some of the words.
I cannot see - I cannot pee - I cannot chew - I cannot screw.
Oh, my God, what can I do?
My memory shrinks - My hearing stinks - No sense of smell -
I look like hell.
My mood is bad - can you tell?
My body's drooping - Have trouble pooping
The Golden Years have come at last
The Golden Years can kiss my ass!!
Actually, so far, the Golden Years have been good to the two of us. The only two that I can relate to are a little diffuculty peeing and my memory has done some shrinking but the rest of them have not been a factor. Life is good so far and we're enjoying life.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Pete's BLOG-Day 26,369 - Governor Braindead
Today is Monday, January 28, 2013. My stats today: 10 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes of lifting weights and 45 minutes of walking = 2.5 miles for a January total of 57.7 miles. My weight was 162.4 pounds.
QUOTE from Heidi Grant Halvorson, motivational psychologist: "Self-compassion rather than self-esteem may be the key to unlocking your potential for greatness. Self-compassion is a willingness to look at mistakes with understanding - embracing the fact that to err is indeed human."
My THOUGHTS today have to do with Governor Braindead, sorry, I mean Governor Bumstead or is it Governor Branstad -it has to do with eight appointees he recently made. I see by the Sunday paper that our wonderful governor's eight picks for people who choose Supreme Court judges include a former gubernatorial candidate, a Presbyterian Church elder who runs a consulting business and a hospital foundation director. It sounds great until you continue reading - all are self-identified Republicans who, among them, have given thousands of dollars to Republican campaigns and causes. And state election records show that of all eight appointees seven have made contributions in their name to Republican candidates and Republican-leaning political action committees. The article didn't say anything about the lone eighth person.
Once confirmed by the Senate, the eight appointees will join eight attorneys elected by the Iowa State Bar to form the State Judicial Nominating Commission and play a key role in deciding who sits on the state's appellate courts.
Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progess Iowa said, "It's typical of Branstad's appointments. He typically gives these jobs to political supporters, It call into question whether he's picking the best person for the job. I would like to see a system in which candidates for commissions have to make their party affiliation and their political contributions public when they apply for any government board or commission."
This is one more reason I don't like Republicans. If they can't win at the polls they'll do anything to get their way - like voter suppression and and now changing the electoral college. Our judicial system is supposed to be non-political - but the general elections of 2010 and 2012 in Iowa have shown the line between judge and politician is blurring.
QUOTE from Heidi Grant Halvorson, motivational psychologist: "Self-compassion rather than self-esteem may be the key to unlocking your potential for greatness. Self-compassion is a willingness to look at mistakes with understanding - embracing the fact that to err is indeed human."
My THOUGHTS today have to do with Governor Braindead, sorry, I mean Governor Bumstead or is it Governor Branstad -it has to do with eight appointees he recently made. I see by the Sunday paper that our wonderful governor's eight picks for people who choose Supreme Court judges include a former gubernatorial candidate, a Presbyterian Church elder who runs a consulting business and a hospital foundation director. It sounds great until you continue reading - all are self-identified Republicans who, among them, have given thousands of dollars to Republican campaigns and causes. And state election records show that of all eight appointees seven have made contributions in their name to Republican candidates and Republican-leaning political action committees. The article didn't say anything about the lone eighth person.
Once confirmed by the Senate, the eight appointees will join eight attorneys elected by the Iowa State Bar to form the State Judicial Nominating Commission and play a key role in deciding who sits on the state's appellate courts.
Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progess Iowa said, "It's typical of Branstad's appointments. He typically gives these jobs to political supporters, It call into question whether he's picking the best person for the job. I would like to see a system in which candidates for commissions have to make their party affiliation and their political contributions public when they apply for any government board or commission."
This is one more reason I don't like Republicans. If they can't win at the polls they'll do anything to get their way - like voter suppression and and now changing the electoral college. Our judicial system is supposed to be non-political - but the general elections of 2010 and 2012 in Iowa have shown the line between judge and politician is blurring.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Pete's BLOG-Day 26,368. Republicans don't study history
Today is Sunday, January 27, 2013. No stats today. My weight was 162.6 pounds.
QUOTE from 1000lifelessons.com: "Five Simple Rules for Happiness: Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less."
My THOUGHTS today have to do with politicians not knowing history. Iowa has a 800 million dollar surplus in the state treasury. The Republicans in the legislature want to give nearly all of it back to the people of Iowa to the tune of about $750.00 per household in Iowa. The Democrats want to invest some of it in education, mental health and health care and some tax relief for lower-income Iowans. Branstad wants to use it kick-start his K-12 school reforms and to reduce property taxes.
Todd Dorman writes a column in the CR Gazette - he had some pretty thoughtful words. He said the lawmakers record of dealing with surpluses is not good. They usually end up blowing the whole thing and then when things get tought again and tax revenue drops we don't have any left for emergencies. Dorman suggested the state send every Iowa household a menu of surplus options and we could choose what we want. His final words were: "If the state is going to play Santa, the least you can do is ask us what we want. Just pretend we're lobbyists."
I remember the last time we had a big surplus, it was in the late1990's - the Republican controlled state legislature gave it all back to the taxpayers of Iowa. So when the financial crisis hit in 2008-09 we had to lay off teachers, cut school programs, cut funding for our 3 state universities, cut funding for our 15 junior college-vocational schools, etc. And now the Republicans want to do the same thing. Why don't they learn from our history? They don't learn because I swear they never read anything or don't want to know the truth.
It reminds me of the Republicans in Congress. Reagan and his wonderful tax cut, trickle-down economic theory in the early 1980s did nothing but triple the national debt - from less than one trillion dollars to 3 trillion dollars. (By the way, his key economic theorist was a guy named Professor Laffer - quite an appropriate name, wouldn't you say?) So what does Bushy Boy and Cheeney and the Republican controlled Congress do in the early 2000s? Clinton handed them a quarter of a trillion dollar surplus. So "W" and Cheeney and the Congress believe that tax rates must be cut in order to simulate the economy. They were repeating the same economic theory as Ronnie Reagan. And the results were the same - massive deficits. "W' and Cheeney increased the national debt from around 6 trillion to nearly 12 trillion. And when Obama and Biden took office, instead of receiving a quarter of a trillion dollar annual surplus they were handed a 1.2 trillion annual deficit from "W" and Cheeney. Those tax cuts really worked, didn't they?
Do any Republicans read the history books? I don't think so. For some reason they think their economic theory is right and it is going to work this time around. Like Romney and Ryan promised in the campaign.
QUOTE from 1000lifelessons.com: "Five Simple Rules for Happiness: Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less."
My THOUGHTS today have to do with politicians not knowing history. Iowa has a 800 million dollar surplus in the state treasury. The Republicans in the legislature want to give nearly all of it back to the people of Iowa to the tune of about $750.00 per household in Iowa. The Democrats want to invest some of it in education, mental health and health care and some tax relief for lower-income Iowans. Branstad wants to use it kick-start his K-12 school reforms and to reduce property taxes.
Todd Dorman writes a column in the CR Gazette - he had some pretty thoughtful words. He said the lawmakers record of dealing with surpluses is not good. They usually end up blowing the whole thing and then when things get tought again and tax revenue drops we don't have any left for emergencies. Dorman suggested the state send every Iowa household a menu of surplus options and we could choose what we want. His final words were: "If the state is going to play Santa, the least you can do is ask us what we want. Just pretend we're lobbyists."
I remember the last time we had a big surplus, it was in the late1990's - the Republican controlled state legislature gave it all back to the taxpayers of Iowa. So when the financial crisis hit in 2008-09 we had to lay off teachers, cut school programs, cut funding for our 3 state universities, cut funding for our 15 junior college-vocational schools, etc. And now the Republicans want to do the same thing. Why don't they learn from our history? They don't learn because I swear they never read anything or don't want to know the truth.
It reminds me of the Republicans in Congress. Reagan and his wonderful tax cut, trickle-down economic theory in the early 1980s did nothing but triple the national debt - from less than one trillion dollars to 3 trillion dollars. (By the way, his key economic theorist was a guy named Professor Laffer - quite an appropriate name, wouldn't you say?) So what does Bushy Boy and Cheeney and the Republican controlled Congress do in the early 2000s? Clinton handed them a quarter of a trillion dollar surplus. So "W" and Cheeney and the Congress believe that tax rates must be cut in order to simulate the economy. They were repeating the same economic theory as Ronnie Reagan. And the results were the same - massive deficits. "W' and Cheeney increased the national debt from around 6 trillion to nearly 12 trillion. And when Obama and Biden took office, instead of receiving a quarter of a trillion dollar annual surplus they were handed a 1.2 trillion annual deficit from "W" and Cheeney. Those tax cuts really worked, didn't they?
Do any Republicans read the history books? I don't think so. For some reason they think their economic theory is right and it is going to work this time around. Like Romney and Ryan promised in the campaign.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Pete's Blog-Day 26,367 = I'm grateful to be HIV.
Today is Saturday, January 26, 2013. My stats today: 10 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes on the exercise ball and 45 minutes of walking inside Walmart = 2.5 miles fo a January total of 55.2 miles. My weight was163.6 pounds.
QUOTE from Oscar Pistorius, Olympic sprinter and double amputee: "My mother used to tell us, 'Carl, put on your shoes; Oscar, put on your prosthetic legs.' So I grew up not thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes."
My THOUGHTS today are about being grateful. Ruth Ann and I spent 3 days at the Isle of Capri Casino in Waterloo.It is so relaxing even if I don't win but this time it was more relaxing because I came out $130.00 ahead. I played video poker and was lucky enough to hit 4 aces with a deuce for the 5th card (called a kicker) - that was good for 2000 quarters which = $500.00. So why didn't I come home with $500.00 to the good? It is because you have to spend money to make any. Anyway, I'm grateful for the win.
I like to people watch at the casino - it makes me grateful for so many things. I'm grateful I'm not in a wheelchair or getting around with a walker or a cane. I'm grateful I don't eat like a pig - such as loading my plate up with 2,000 calories (AND THEN GO FOR SECOND HELPINGS) and then having a Diet Coke so I won't have so many calories (Ha! Ha!). I don't think I've ever seen so many women with big asses and so many men with big guts all in the same building at the same time. And that isn't just older people but younger ones also. At the Lone Wolf Sports Bar there were some young gals working that had huge butts, and I mean very very huge. It was unbelievable to see those on 20-25 year-old females.
When we got home yesterday we got a phone call from a lady at the church saying wee had 3 deaths in the last 3 days. One of them was Joan Capron Decious. Joan died from cancer at the age of 62. Joan was in my first class in Anamosa in 1962. After I had my prostate cancer surgery in 2007 Joan and I had many talks during coffee hour at church about how we were doing fighting cancer. She always asked me how I was doing and I would do the same with her. She was a fighter and was supposed to be dead 2 years ago but she lost her battle with lung and brain cancer on Thursday. I'm doing okay with mine. It has not reoccurred in 5 years. I go for my next check-up next month. Anyway, I'm so grateful that my cancer was in the prostate and not in the lungs and brain. God Bless Joan and may she RIP.
I'm so grateful that at age 73 I'm HIV. Of course, that means "I'm HEALTHY, I'm VERTICAL."
QUOTE from Oscar Pistorius, Olympic sprinter and double amputee: "My mother used to tell us, 'Carl, put on your shoes; Oscar, put on your prosthetic legs.' So I grew up not thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes."
My THOUGHTS today are about being grateful. Ruth Ann and I spent 3 days at the Isle of Capri Casino in Waterloo.It is so relaxing even if I don't win but this time it was more relaxing because I came out $130.00 ahead. I played video poker and was lucky enough to hit 4 aces with a deuce for the 5th card (called a kicker) - that was good for 2000 quarters which = $500.00. So why didn't I come home with $500.00 to the good? It is because you have to spend money to make any. Anyway, I'm grateful for the win.
I like to people watch at the casino - it makes me grateful for so many things. I'm grateful I'm not in a wheelchair or getting around with a walker or a cane. I'm grateful I don't eat like a pig - such as loading my plate up with 2,000 calories (AND THEN GO FOR SECOND HELPINGS) and then having a Diet Coke so I won't have so many calories (Ha! Ha!). I don't think I've ever seen so many women with big asses and so many men with big guts all in the same building at the same time. And that isn't just older people but younger ones also. At the Lone Wolf Sports Bar there were some young gals working that had huge butts, and I mean very very huge. It was unbelievable to see those on 20-25 year-old females.
When we got home yesterday we got a phone call from a lady at the church saying wee had 3 deaths in the last 3 days. One of them was Joan Capron Decious. Joan died from cancer at the age of 62. Joan was in my first class in Anamosa in 1962. After I had my prostate cancer surgery in 2007 Joan and I had many talks during coffee hour at church about how we were doing fighting cancer. She always asked me how I was doing and I would do the same with her. She was a fighter and was supposed to be dead 2 years ago but she lost her battle with lung and brain cancer on Thursday. I'm doing okay with mine. It has not reoccurred in 5 years. I go for my next check-up next month. Anyway, I'm so grateful that my cancer was in the prostate and not in the lungs and brain. God Bless Joan and may she RIP.
I'm so grateful that at age 73 I'm HIV. Of course, that means "I'm HEALTHY, I'm VERTICAL."
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Pete's BLOG-Day 26,363 = Great day yesterday.
Today is Tuesday, January 22, 2013. My stats today: 10 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes on the exercise ball and 45 mintues of walking = 2.5 miles for a January total of 45.6 miles. My weight was 161.4 pounds.
QUOTE from Church Signs: Little Sayings to Help You on Your Way:
"In trying times, don't quit trying."
My THOUGHTS today: What a day yesterday was. We watched all day as Obama and Biden were sworn in for their second term. It made us feel so good to hear Obama'a speech about including all Americans in the dream and not just have a nation of a few rich while the rest have to struggle. He laid it on the line on what his beliefs and goals are for America's future. My hope is that the Republicans will feel the same way as far as contronting some of our problems. I won't bet the farm on it but maybe a few of them will be willing to compromise and get something done in a bipartisan way. Let's HOPE and PRAY this second term will be different. The Republican goal of making Obama a one-term president didn't work so what will be there excuse this time for not working together and compromising?
QUOTE from Church Signs: Little Sayings to Help You on Your Way:
"In trying times, don't quit trying."
My THOUGHTS today: What a day yesterday was. We watched all day as Obama and Biden were sworn in for their second term. It made us feel so good to hear Obama'a speech about including all Americans in the dream and not just have a nation of a few rich while the rest have to struggle. He laid it on the line on what his beliefs and goals are for America's future. My hope is that the Republicans will feel the same way as far as contronting some of our problems. I won't bet the farm on it but maybe a few of them will be willing to compromise and get something done in a bipartisan way. Let's HOPE and PRAY this second term will be different. The Republican goal of making Obama a one-term president didn't work so what will be there excuse this time for not working together and compromising?
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