It's That Time
APRIL 30, 2023
04/26/23 07:30 AM
It's that time! I'll start this post the same way I did near the end of a recent month by saying it's time to do those end-of-the-month tasks here on the blog.
Time to update the menu, time to update the archives, time to create a new blog page, time to update the search function to include the new post, and time to build out the necessary infrastructure to support the aforementioned. Hard to believe we're already approaching the midpoint of 2023. Even more difficult to believe as of July 10th we will have been in our new home here in Ohatchee for a full year.
Had a wonderful chat with my daughter all the way from the Marshall Islands. It was about 4 PM on Thursday here which means it was about 9 AM Friday there. She mentioned she had just got the kids away for school and we settled in on a long chat.
Allie runs deep and my calls with her are always special. And, today was no different. I'll leave it at that.
Our handyman had a tragic mishap with his rental property so I had to wave him off of our appointment. Thankfully my son will be swinging by to help pick up the slack.
What a blessing to have such an incredible daughter and son. My calls, chats, and time with each are always amazing!
Blessings
APRIL 29, 2023
04/27/23 12:45 PM
There's hardly a day that goes by where Patty and I don't mention just how blessed we are and the countless ways in which God has blessed us. What a joyful place to be in life.
I look back to Patty and Allie choosing a new word to focus upon for any given new year and I keep coming back to the same word (Grateful) and the difficulty I have in finding a better term to describe where I find myself at any given time.
In the same way, I have wondered more than once if I should change my blog and just focus on one topic to garner a more substantial readership. After all, that's how I started and running was always the topic du jour. Perhaps I should be writing about spiritual matters since they are such an important part of my life.
My problem is that life has so many wonderful flavors to offer and I want to be free to write something about any one of those at any time. It may not be very trendy to manage this blog in that fashion, but it sure does seem to suit my purpose.
In fact, if I was going for trendy, I would probably convert things over to a video feed and amass the associated equipment needed to support such a direction. But God seems to have a different plan and direction for me and I like it most of all.
So, here I am writing about whatever God places on my heart and mind. It's almost always one of several topics that really means something to me.
Speaking of things that mean something to me, I'm enjoying the subscriptions to streaming services that I have for both commercial-free movies and news. And the ability to watch them on my iPad with my wireless earbuds is an extra blessing.
I suppose that's about as trendy as it's going to get around here. With that approach, vision and sound are both crystal clear (to these eyes and ears that are only getting older) and there's no disruption to Patty and what she might want to do at any given moment if she is also inside.
A long time ago, and at a very different season in life, I remember working to develop a priority list for my life. One of the things I felt the Lord show me was that He should not be on that list, but rather the one guiding me in the development of that list.
After all, if God was on that list, He would be number one and how could there ever be any room for a number two? In the same way that a symphony orchestra is made up of different instruments and a meal is made up of different dishes, life seems to present us with choices.
And what a blessing in my senior years to be able to focus upon those choices including the things of God, time with my wife, time with family members, my health, my fitness, ham radio, movies, weather, managing this blog, and even politics.
I am so grateful! Thank you, Lord, for these wonderful blessings and for the time and provision to enjoy them all.
Running
APRIL 28, 2023
04/26/23 07:30 AM
Well, I think I've turned a corner with the healing of my toes. It seems like the best medicine was indeed what that Walmart pharmacist suggested - time.
The big toe on my right foot started showing signs of a more normal color a few days ago and the pain left as well. The big toe on my left foot was different.
The good news is that yesterday that slow healing toe on the left foot started showing signs of a more normal color and last night was my first pain-free night as well.
I'm glad that pharmacist went out on a limb and suggested time as a great healer. He was right! I could tell he offered the advice quite cautiously, but I'm still glad he did because it turned out to be correct and saved me a lot of trouble, time, and expense, finding and utilizing the services of a podiatrist.
There's still more healing to be had, but the tough part seems to be behind me and I think the rest is going to be a cake-walk in comparison. That's good news!
Even though the picture above was pulled from the internet, it is an accurate reflection of the fact that I'm holding on to the treadmill while I run. That has pretty much become a requirement if a successful run is to be had.
My wonky balance won't let me do like I used to do and run with hands swinging by my side. In some ways I miss that, but in other ways I've grown quite used to holding on and it sure prevents any problems resulting from my wonky balance.
Warren's Nursery
APRIL 27, 2023
04/25/23 07:20 AM
Patty has been looking for some Beauty Berry plants and I asked the guys about them this past Saturday on our 2 meter 6 PM hangout. I was pointed to Warren's Nursery, so today she and I are going to check it out.
It's a bit of a drive from here to there but good things are worth the drive. No telling what else she might find for her garden and garden area. I hope she finds a lot!
Online, the pictures of the place are beautiful. Should make for a full day of looking and plant shopping. Sounds like it's going to be a fun day.
Stay tuned for a report...
Addendum:
04/25/23 03:05 PM
We made it to Warren's and the place was amazing! I had no idea of the size of the place and cannot imagine what it takes to keep everything alive and watered. The crew was large and each an expert in his or her own right. They had a rock-solid answer to every question we asked.
We decided to grab lunch on the way back and stopped at the new River Grill here in downtown Ohatchee. The great food and the old-time atmosphere were everything we hoped they would be. In fact, we ran into some of our friends when we walked in and wound up sitting at the table next to theirs. It was fun to say hi and catch up a bit. And Abbie, our server, did a top-notch job!
I just finished my 3 miler for the day and am so grateful that my feet are still doing the job. They are not doing so well in bed at night, but are holding up just fine during the day - even when wearing shoes and socks. I must say that when the toes are exposed at night in the bed, the pain I experience makes for some very strange dreams. I'll have to save that for another post.
Just helped Patty further deepen two holes for the Beauty Berry bushes. She placed them strategically so that as they grow taller, they will also provide some excellent privacy to our west on the lower porch.
Post Number 700
APRIL 26, 2023
04/23/23 01:40 PM
Well, I just wouldn't be consistent with my counting if I didn't take a pause here and celebrate my 700th post. I'm real bad about counting things and as I understand it, that's a good indicator of my being somewhere on the spectrum.
I'll claim it as my super power so you'll get no argument from me. It seems to be the way that God designed me and I'm quite content that he wired my DNA in that way.
When asking the question:
Is counting a symptom of autism?Google answers this way:
Children with ASD may perform repetitive or ritualistic behaviors, such as ordering, arranging, counting, or touching/tapping.
I tend to do all of those things although, since I'm an adult who understands the problems with being labeled, I tend to do most of them privately most of the time. Not always, but most of the time, LoL!
Counting (and a good playlist) get me through my three mile runs each day. I've learned that I take about 140 steps per 1/10 of a mile. That's about 1,400 steps for a mile. And, since I'm running in my socks to let my toes heal, I take extra steps and wind up around 154 steps per 1/10 of a mile or around 1,540 steps per mile.
It's amazing how consistent I am with those numbers and I find it quite entertaining to count in twos (e.g. 2,4,6,8, etc.,) to see how consistent I am with my stride. The consistency amazes me and the counting makes the run go much faster for some odd reason. I guess counting just keeps me busy and makes the run feel like I finish it much quicker.
I run on a treadmill for safety's sake and to avoid the treacherous hills around here. But even when I used to run outside, I counted and my stride was as consistent as ever. It was a shorter stride with more steps (170 per 1/10th mile) but was still very consistent.
Interesting... to me, anyway.
Addendum:
04/25/23 07:55 AM
Today's bible chapter was Psalm 39 and did it ever speak to my heart. What an amazing chapter!
My take-away was twofold. First and foremost, was the idea that our lives are so short and fleeting. The end of verse 5 says that each man's life is but a breath. Wow, that's profound. Echoes of Ecclesiastes.
Second, and equally important was the idea of keeping my tongue from sin. It's so easy to go from listening to speaking and from speaking to giving unwanted advice.
So, who am I to share anything of importance? After all, I'm here now and gone soon enough. But His ways and words will last forever.
Time
APRIL 25, 2023
04/24/23 07:20 AM
Back on April 19th I offered a post about running with sore feet. My big toe on my left foot started hurting even more so I decided to check in with a doctor.
I called several podiatrist and none could see me any sooner than May or June. I decided that wasn't going to work and that I should probably take matters into my own hands.
With that in mind, I spoke with one of the Pharmacists at Walmart today. I explained my situation and asked what he recommended. His answer was: time. Clearly he was talking about the type of time you measure with a calendar and not a watch.
I went ahead and purchased some anti-fungal medicine just in case, but decided to take his counsel and go with it. Everything I see online confirms the need to wait it out, even up to 9 months for a complete healing.
As long as the blood beneath the toenail doesn't develop a fungus I should be okay. And even if it does, I'm prepared and plan to go ahead and start treating the toenails with the medicine I purchased today. Our insurance provides us with u-cards that cover $80 per quarter to spend on medical related things, so I used my U-card to pay for the medicine. Not a bad deal!
I also asked him about running, and he said that as long as it doesn't hurt I should be okay. As I already mentioned, I'm being proactive to avoid any pain so I plan to keep up with my running until and unless I can't. It's just one of those things that I have to do if at all possible.
Psalms
APRIL 24, 2023
04/23/23 06:55 AM
I'm reading in the book of Psalms. Today was Psalm chapter 37, a Psalm of David, as are so many in this book.
As with so many of David's Psalms, this one was full of encouragement. It spoke of righteousness, trust, desires of the heart, justice, wisdom, faithful ones, and those who will inherit the land.
So much in which to place our trust and so many promises that result. I live my life fully expecting the rain so that I am not disappointed when I get wet, but I am continuously grateful for so many blessings along the way.
His promises have been true in my life. And even though I do not always understand his plans, I will remain grateful. For my life is full of promises fulfilled despite any raindrops that have fallen upon me along the way.
And after all, he promises rain will fall on the just and the unjust and in the same way the sun will rise on both. (Mt. 5:45) Lord, thank you for the raindrops that water my wife's garden and thank you for those sunny days.
Breakfast
APRIL 23, 2023
04/21/23 08:30 AM
Most mornings I don't eat a breakfast. It's more typical that I start my day with a large cup of cappuccino fresh from our Phillips machine. What a nice way to start my morning and what a blessing to enjoy.
This morning was different. The order of the day was scrambled eggs with some Texas Pete hot sauce and a biscuit with sausage and mustard. I was also able to scarf down 32 ounces of water in bottle number one of two for the day.
I would like to be a bit further down in my weight range but am learning to be okay with just being in that range. In a five pound range, I was up 3 from the bottom and down 2 from the top.
Better yet, I was down 1.5 pounds for the day and intend to shed a bit more by tomorrow. I like having a range for a goal. It suits me better although I admit I still tend to set goals for the bottom of that range. I need to shift my focus away from that and more toward the success of staying in that range.
I still believe that measuring and setting goals are important, but admit those are difficult to maintain in a healthy fashion.
More About Running
APRIL 22, 2023
04/20/23 11:35 AM
I would have never believed it if you had told me, but I finally found a comfortable way to run without shoes. Not sure if I'll stay with it when my toes heal up, but I can honestly say that this is working and works well.
I have a number of short white running socks and some long white athletic socks similar to what we used to wear in high school gym class. I've run with each, and without shoes, but didn't have the kind of experience for which I was looking.
Today, and for some reason, I decided to put a pair of the long socks over a pair of the short white running socks. The thought was that if any rubbing was going to take place it would be one sock against the other. And with the extra cushion of two pairs of socks, I was thinking it just might work.
Well, much to my pleasant surprise, it did indeed work and worked well. I did my usual 3 miles and my feet felt as fresh as if I had worn shoes. And, no toe pain at all.
I may be onto something here, LoL!
Romantic Spread
APRIL 21, 2023
04/19/23 04:05 PM
Several days ago, my dear sweet wife made a romantic spread for us. Some of it was inspired by, and even provided by (the wine) our daughter-in-law (Amy) but the rest was right out of my my love's original thoughts and boy was it ever good.
I can't wait to do it again!
QRZ.com
APRIL 20, 2023
04/18/23 05:45 PM
The web page below is provided by qrz.com and is pulled from that site to display the current data for my most recent 15 ham radio contacts. The total number of contacts made and confirmed here in Ohatchee, AL are also displayed down at the bottom.
I'm so excited to have finally completed my Master of Africa award. I received it on the evening of 04/19/23 - well ahead of when I thought it would be awarded. Oh, and the yellow stars on the chart below represent confirmed QSO's (or contacts.)
Running With Sore Feet
APRIL 19, 2023
04/18/23 12:55 PM
Working on a highly sloping yard with loose shoes, I did some serious damage to my big toes and particularly the toenails. Within a day or two of that work the toenails on my big toes were blood red underneath and very sore.
Running on the treadmill for a few weeks since and with loosely tied running shoes only seemed to make the problem worse. My feet were hurting so two days ago I decided to run in my socks. That was okay for my toes but if I had gone beyond my 3 miles I fear the socks would have rubbed some blisters.
So, today I tried running completely barefoot on the treadmill. Again, that was okay for my toes but I could tell it wasn't going to work either in terms of creating blisters so I finished up the run and started trying to figure out what I should do.
Not running is not yet an option. I may get there, but I'm going to try everything else I can think of before I take that option.
I wasn't able to tell if my toenails were giving me problems or if there was something else going on. As such, I did a bit of trimming, but to no avail. I even tried to tie my shoes tighter but that didn't help either.
I also noticed that my socks have seams right where the soreness tends to be, so trying to work around that issue could be an option if I can come up with an idea to fix the problem.
Meanwhile, I found another pair of old K-Swiss non-running shoes and the toe cavity in each shoe has much more space. I put them on over my socks and laced them up very tight and went for another mile. It appears that solved my problem. I guess I'll be running in some old and tightly laced shoes until my toes heal.
Africa Ham Radio Contacts
APRIL 18, 2023
04/17/23 01:45 PAM
I opened up 30, 40, and even 80 meters last night. All three seem to tune-up just fine on my hexbeam for some strange reason. I'm sure it's not as efficient on the transmit side, but seems to be effective enough to offer a solid connection with the African continent.
I made a new Africa contact on 30 meters and was pleasantly surprised. I hadn't even thought of that possibility until I tried it last night. And opening up those bands open up new possibilities for contacts on that much sought after continent.
40 meters converts from a local band to a operation involving great distances when the evening hours roll around. I may spend some time there tonight and see if some of my ham friends are staying up late in Africa. Should be interesting.
As for the Master of African award that I'm chasing, I've got 71 contacts made and only 5 to go. At an average rate of less than one Africa contact per day, there's no telling exactly when it will happen. Still, I'm looking forward to it.
Clublog
APRIL 17, 2023
04/16/23 08:25 AM
I spent quite a bit of time yesterday trying to teach myself how to use the Clublog system. A good number of DXCC entities use it to verify their contacts and if I intend to use it to confirm mine, I was going to have to study it and figure out how to use it.
Fortunately I found a good YouTube video that shows how to sync up Log of the World (which I do use) with Clublog so I spent most of my time with that video.
I remember being presented with a lengthy encryption key when I first tried to get started with Clublog. Unfortunately, I didn't know enough about the system to realize I would need that key in the process. As such, I didn't save it and didn't realize I would only see it that one time.
Well, I had to delete my ARRL certificate from Clublog and reload it. This time, as I went through the process, I saved the encryption key. And, I used it in the sync process when it was called for.
Little did I know that my Log of the World (LoTW) account already contained everything in my Clublog account so there was no gain there after I figured out how to use it. Libya will confirm in Clublog and I will use that to sync up with LoTW and then pass that confirmation on to qrz.com where the awards are presented.
Libya will result in 69 Africa confirmations and only 7 more needed for the Master of Africa award. After that, it's on to the Master of Oceania award for a full focus on that last award. I'm presently 32 of 60 entities toward the earning of that award, and it's a very slow-go process, so that may take some time.
There's always something new that must be learned to keep up with the hobby. I guess that's part of what makes it interesting (and a little bit scary, LoL.)
Love Never Fails
APRIL 16, 2023
04/15/23 08:55 AM
Love Never Fails. It's a strong quote for which my wife is known.
Never was there a more appropriate quote for which to be known. The power in it is only surpassed by the entire passage in God's word that precedes it.
I read that passage this morning in my bible reading. It's from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love never fails is the first part of verse 8 in that same passage.
My wife is a true example of those three simple words and the entire passage. Her love is a shining example to all around her. It seems wired into her DNA but I know the truth - that it is something she adopted due to her deep wisdom. Thank you, Lord, for providing me with a wife of such wisdom.
The entire passage is worth publishing here:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not
easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in
evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
What a beautiful portion of scripture. It presents a clear picture of that which I see in my wife.
170 Degrees
APRIL 15, 2023
04/14/23 11:00 AM
I think I mentioned it before but my antenna rotor is no longer working. It was swinging freely in the wind and I had no idea where it was pointed from one moment to the next.
I had handyman Mike climb up on the roof and tape the box to sort of lock it down so that it would not turn freely. I asked him to lock it on about 70 degrees (actually to point it toward a tree that is located about 70 degrees from the antenna.)
Mike left town for about 2 weeks and the day after he left, a big storm swept in and rotated the antenna, despite the tape. Now it's locked down on about 170 degrees. That's okay if I'm trying to work South America (I'm not!) but it's not okay for Africa, the location I am trying to work.
Just sent Mike a txt and he returned it with a phone call. It seems he just got home today and said he would be glad to drop by this afternoon and make the antenna adjustment. He also mentioned something about 35 inches of snow that fell where they went and only the day after they arrived.
Wow!
Picnic
APRIL 14, 2023
04/13/23 08:45 AM
We received an invitation to a picnic from the HOA and have confirmed our intention to attend. The picnic is next month and should provide a nice opportunity to meet some of the neighbors we have not yet met.
It should also provide a nice opportunity to meet some of the board members for our HOA and see if anything is going on about which we need to be informed. I'm still wondering about any provisions for water access. We've heard rumors and perhaps we will be able to confirm one way or the other while we're there.
We've got some light rain today (Thursday) and it looks like we're expecting more as we head into the weekend. I guess a rain gauge report will be in order.
More Politics
APRIL 13, 2023
04/12/23 08:40 AM
I'm amazed at how much the Epoch Times is able to present in terms of new research. Whether the topic is old or new, they are constantly updating those topics with new material.
I like being able to be informed. I like the email notifications that I receive multiple times per day on those refreshed topics.
I do try to go to liberal sources for objectivity's sake but I am an honest believer that most all of those sources are filled with propaganda. I attempt to be objective but the propaganda is often overwhelming.
So, what is propaganda? Here's the Google definition taken from the Oxford Languages dictionary:
Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.
So, does that definition apply? It seems to me that it does. I'm fearful of how effective the liberal left has become in terms of using their propaganda on an unsuspecting community that has a preference toward being spoon-fed.
In the past, I had to make value judgements on the values of a candidate. I'm not so sure any of us are capable in that area so now I tend to lean more on the candidate's platform for that concern. I want conservative candidates with conservative values.
I also find many conservative thinkers to be trustworthy, although I'm the first to admit that knowing who and what to trust these days can be very difficult. Still, I have found that a number of conservative thinkers have proven themselves to me over the test of time.
I'm willing to ride it out with them unless and until they prove otherwise. The things that I see coming back as a defense from the liberal left (even the media) have not passed muster in the court of my opinion.
Of equal importance to strong conservative values is the capability to perform the job. That's especially true in the area of appointments.
In fact, that's what troubles me a lot about Biden's appointments. They have what he wants for areas like trans-gender and wokeness support, but they also seem to have literally no experience in doing the job to which they have been appointed.
Update
APRIL 12, 2023
04/11/23 11:35 AM
I guess Update is a blog post title I use when nothing major has been going on, but a bunch of small things are in the mix. That's the case for today.
I got the Property Tax letter from the Calhoun County office and it looks like the Homestead Exemption kicked in and will result in a reduced annual fee of $1,022.50 instead of the $1155.44 that we paid last year. That's a nice annual savings of $132.94 - at least for the upcoming year anyway.
I guess the only thing better than low property taxes is having our low amount reduced since we fall in the senior category. Funny thing is that the county's representative at the tax office didn't believe I was old enough to qualify and asked to see my driver's license. I actually thought she was kidding, but found out otherwise.
Well, today is going to be a yard day and specifically a dirt day. The yard guys did their thing yesterday and it looks really good out there. I'm going to put out some dirt to fill in some holes and gullies and I'm also going to put out some landscape fabric and mulch around one of our trees next to the house. It's in dire need of some kind of bed around it.
Well, as I type it's now a bit later and the dirt and mulch are in place. Got my run in before lunch and looking forward to some down time.
A comfortable retirement sure is a blessing. Thank you, Lord, for your wonderful provision.
Climbing Out On A Limb
APRIL 11, 2023
04/10/23 05:45 PM
Reuters reports that Biden said today he intends to run for reelection in 2024 but is not prepared to announce it. Both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have said they will run together.
I'm going to climb out on a limb and say that I think Trump can and will defeat him. That also means I'm predicting Trump will quickly and easily win the nomination for the Republican party.
If I'm right, we'll never know if Trump might have lost the nomination and retreated to an independent ticket. From there I fear he would have selfishly split the conservative vote and placed Biden back in the White House. Hate to say it, but I think if push came to shove, he would indeed go that route.
Biden got a lot of spill-over in 2020 from a very disgusted block of voters who were tired of Trump's antics and were ready for a change.
My gut tells me, that group of voters and others got more than they bargained for. Their cause(s) may have aligned with Biden's but too much came with the package which I believe they opposed.
Methinks they will be ready for another change or, in this case, a change back to a tried-and-true conservative approach with all of the madness that Trump is sure to bring to the table. We'll see if I'm right but somehow, I don't feel there is much risk associated with this prediction.
Then again, I predicted a Trump win in 2020. However, I'm one of the hold-outs who believes Trump would have won an honest election. I'm a firm believer in that which was presented in Dinesh D'Souza's film, 2000 Mules, which provided a strong case for the still popular Stolen Election theory.
It's amazing what a liberal press with a persuasive narrative can make people believe about an election result.
Easter
APRIL 10, 2023
04/09/23 07:05 PM
Well, our Easter celebration was amazing. We got to see or speak with everyone!
It all started with a trip over to Jonathan and Amy's. We arrived at 11 AM and left promptly to be treated out to a wonderful Mexican extravaganza.
We arrived back at Jonathan and Amy's place and were further treated to a wonderful spread of munchies (pictured above) and an equally wonderful afternoon of fellowship.
On the way home Patty called Allie and we got to speak with her, Josh, and the grandsons. Allie filled us in on the Easter music at the church and we asked Josh about the basketball competition. Apparently, the season is over and the team Josh played on won the whole thing. Wow! That's cool!
The grandsons filled us in on all that is going on with them. It included a beautiful story about how Noah fixed some cell phones for the neighbors and how Gabe is waiting on a friend to get online so they can play video games.
They even gave Patty a virtual ride on their new zip line. I had to focus on the driving but really enjoyed the videos they sent over yesterday of the kids and the zip line. We finished our ride and just walked into the house a few minutes ago.
What an amazing way to celebrate Easter. We are so blessed.
Rain
APRIL 09, 2023
04/08/23 07:45 AM
I didn't hear any rain last night. And I wasn't sure when it was supposed to move in today. However, I knew we were expecting lots of it today.
I woke up a couple of times last night - each time to no rain. Then, sometime between 5 am and 6 am this morning I heard it arrive. And arrive it did!
The screenshot above was taken just a few moments ago and not only is it still raining, but it's expected to continue up until early evening.
Fortunately, the forecast is clear for tomorrow. That means our drives to and from Jonathan and Amy's, to join them for lunch and an Easter afternoon, should be nice and dry.
I decided to start tracking our rainfall last month and this month we've had one half inch plus whatever we get today, which should be a pretty good bit. In fact, I just checked the rain gauge and we've already had 1.5 inches as I type.
I actually started tracking the last week of last month and we had 1.75 inches that fell over two days during the first part of that week. I know what you're thinking. I guess tracking data is just one of my things, LoL!
Weight Training & Running
APRIL 08, 2023
04/07/23 01:50 PM
I ordered another weight rack and two 25 pound dumbbells. Besides the Kettle Ball, that means I now have a pair of 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10 pound dumbbells (not to mention the 5 pounders that belong to my wife.)
I'm doing 3 workouts per week (Mon, Wed, and Fri) with a specific focus on the upper body since I'm also doing daily 3 mile runs to account for the legs and lower body.
Monday and Friday focus on Pecs, Forearms, Shoulders, and Biceps. My Wednesday workout provides a secondary focus on Forearms, Shoulders, with a primary focus on the Triceps.
As of this morning, I'm down exactly 30 pounds from my all-time high. And with the workouts and the daily runs (as the old Chicago song says) I'm feeling stronger every day!
Diet
APRIL 07, 2023
04/06/23 06:40 AM
Giving up stuff to eat and drink at this ripe old age (68) is more work than I ever anticipated. Still, it needs to happen. And I need to stay with it when I make a move in that direction.
I've proven to myself over and over that I am a snacker and an over-eater. Like so many other things in my life, I simply don't know when to quit. And the volume of sugar I am able to consume, even in one day, is quite scary!
I would like to get to a place where I've removed processed sugar from my diet entirely and where I only drink water - other than a most enjoyable cup of cappuccino in the morning. A move in that direction would be an incredible accomplishment.
I am seeing that trying to do those two things and to remove snacks and limit my calories and continue my workouts and daily 3 mile runs is simply too much to ask. Even as I type it, I can see the problems.
But I also know when it comes to eating, drinking, and exercise that if I give myself an inch, I will take a mile. I'm an all or nothing kind of guy and that has both advantages and disadvantages.
What I need to do is to find a balanced life in all of this. That may sound good on the surface but, for this all or nothing guy, that will be a potentially difficult goal.
Let's see.
Trump's Speech
APRIL 06, 2023
04/05/23 07:35 AM
Yesterday I watched the proceedings for both the arraignment and the post arraignment speech given by former president Donald J. Trump. I thought the speech was excellent.
However, I must admit that the arraignment did not bring the closure I expected. Apparently, that was the case across the board for everyone involved.
Nothing seems to be what anyone expected. I think Trump's lawyers were expecting to have the case dismissed and I think they were also expecting to be presented with a clearer picture of the charge.
Apparently the prosecutor did not have to specify some of details for the ultimate charge in the arraignment according to his take on New York law. And this left everyone wondering what the actual charge was. Even now we don't know and are left hanging for potentially months before we will be presented with an answer.
Have things become so corrupted that the judge has not already tossed this case and is letting things move forward or have we been given bad information by Trump's legal team? Something smells very fishy here.
Danger Ahead?
APRIL 05, 2023
04/04/23 07:05 AM
I remember when I took my 16 mile kayak trip from the edge of the Wakulla Springs to the house. I was quite innocent if not a bit naive about the whole thing.
Well, that's exactly how I feel about Trump's arraignment and particularly the entire political landscape. Some pretty dangerous things are going on and I'm wondering if I should be a bit more concerned about all of it.
I've seen Trump's lawyer (Joe Tacopina) on Sean Hannity's Fox News show and I've even noticed that Trump, on the eve of his arraignment, brought in white collar defense attorney Todd Blanche. His role is to serve as 'additional firepower' to Trump's legal team.
But when I think of the idea of a dangerous political landscape, I'm thinking of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and all of the other countries that are now taking a very different view of the USA. How far can we go down a very dangerous road with the present administration before we've gone too far to turn back?
Correction
APRIL 04, 2023
04/03/23 11:35 AM
You know, the scritures have a lot to say about correction and the importance of it in our lives. That's especially true of the book of Proverbs.
And I've always seen myself as a person open to correction and open to both its importance and value in my life. Lite and lively lessons are always an easy pill to swallow. But that wasn't so true of today's lessons.
They were very big pills and very difficult to swallow, even though I know it was the Lord who was the instigator. I've seen correction taking place in The Chosen which I have been watching with great interest, but it's always so easy to hear it when it applies to someone else and so difficult to hear it when it's aimed at me.
Proverbs 12:1 says it quite clearly:
Anyone who loves correction love knowledge.
Anyone who hates to be corrected is stupid.
Binge-Watching
APRIL 03, 2023
04/02/23 07:50 PM
Binge-watching. It's a popular trend these days. The term comes from watching multiple (often many) back-to-back episodes of a good show.
I binge watched Season one of The Chosen yesterday. Patty and I binge watched it again today along with a number of episodes from Season two.
That's why I'm posting so late. Patty sits behind me watching the next episode from Season two while I write and publish this post.
We're watching it on a streaming service called Pureflix. Between that and the streaming service for Hallmark Movies, I've found a number of movies and series that I've come to enjoy. Combined with Epoch Times, Fox News on Sling, and YouTube, I've been able to find just about everything that is of interest to me from both an entertainment and news perspective.
The Chosen
APRIL 02, 2023
04/01/23 08:15 AM
Everyone I know, and especially my daughter and son-in-law, like The Chosen. Unfortunately, I don't think I gave it a fair chance.
I'm not sure what it was that sort of turned me off to any interest in it. The people I had spoken to about it really loved it!
Well, I happened across the woman at the well scene on YouTube and I was hooked. I went and found the series on my Pureflix account and watched the first four episodes of Season 1 and I was suddenly all in.
In fact, I went searching to discover that Season 1 included 8 episodes and that late in the last episode was the woman at the well scene. I cheated and jumped to that portion of that episode just to watch it again. All I can say is, wow! Such a beautifully executed scene with both the writing and the acting.
I look forward to binge-watching the rest of Season 1 and then moving on to Season 2 and beyond as it becomes available. As my daughter indicated, it just gets better and better.
More About Donald Trump
APRIL 01, 2023
03/31/23 07:45 AM
I never thought I would live to see the types of political shenanigans that we are all witnessing today. It truly boggles the mind.
Let's put aside the efforts to prosecute Trump by the liberal left. Truly, they are acts performed by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
What looks like blind support for former president Trump may not be as blind as we might tend to believe. In his four years of service to our country, former president Donald Trump produced strong results despite his personal issues.
There's still the concern of a split ticket between Trump and DeSantis. If both run, the downstream debacle could put a democrat back in the white house. And, if Trump is not going to step aside (and I do not believe he will) we better get behind him or we are going to be in trouble.
Do I think DeSantis would be a better choice? Yes, I do. Do I think he is as competitive as Trump? No, I don't. Do I think DeSantis is going to have an opportunity to run without Trump in the picture? No, I don't.
Do I think that Trump can do the job? Absolutely! Do I think we could wind up with another four or eight years of tolerating his personal issues? Yes, there's not a doubt in my mind. Am I willing to go that route? Again, the answer is yes.
The problem we all face is that Trump is a known quantity but DeSantis is untested on the national stage. That alone could put Trump in the white house or at least provide him with the Republican nomination.
I hope DeSantis has the wisdom to step aside if Trump stays the course. And, if DeSantis stays in and wins the Republican nomination, I fear Trump might go independent and split the conservative vote. That would be a tragedy.
The only way I see we might have a win is to put Trump in and ask DeSantis to wait.
Copyright © 2024 Hutch DeLoach