I want to see your face in every kind of light
In fields of dawn and forests of the night
And when you stand before the candles on a cake
Oh, let me be the one to hear the silent wish you make
What are you doing the rest of your life?
North and South and East and West of your life
I have only one request of your life
That you spend it all with me
All the seasons and the times of your days
All the nickels and the dimes of your days
Let the reasons and the rhymes of your days
All begin and end with me
I want to see your face in every kind of light
In the fields of dawn and the forests of the night
And when you stand before the candles on a cake
Oh, let me be the one to hear the silent wish you make
Those tomorrows waiting deep in your eyes
In the world of love that you keep in your eyes
I'll awaken what's asleep in your eyes
It may take a kiss or two
Through all of my life
Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall of my life
All I ever will recall of my life
Is all of my life with you
(Originally sung by Frankie Sinatra)
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Making work
Well, we finally found out why Jonnene hasn't received her visa from the US Consulate yet. They don't have the official envelope to mail it in! Back when she went to Sydney for the interview, she forgot to bring the envelope that had been provided. No worries, when informed that she needed that envelope she went to purchase one, returned to the consulate with it, and turned it over to the security staff to deliver to the official who had interviewed her. So she returned to Perth after being told that it should arrive on Friday (12 January). Well, it's now 18 January and a few inquiries had been left with the consulate on where the visa was...the post office said that such a package had not even been mailed yet! Jonnene had the tracking number but there was no such number in the system. Well, the consulate left a message on the phone today saying they had not sent the package yet because they still didn't have the envelope! Apparently, the security staff at the consulate had not delivered it like they were supposed to! Jonnene will call them on Friday and try to straighten things out. This is quite frustrating in that she did what she was supposed to do and we have no results because of it. I'll be waiting to see how it turns out. She only leaves for America on 30 January and it would be quite nice to have that visa!
We're still stuck with the possibility that it could be as long as 90 days before Jonnene can officially work in the States. Like most beauracracies in most countries but especially in the USA, there's a love affair with "make-work", almost a culture of creating unnecessary work to justify keeping a job within the immigration community. It's one of the reasons why it's so difficult for people who want to come here legally, yet Congress and other "do-gooders" trip over themselves to make things easy for those who illegally slip into this country. Since the legals are doing things right, they pay the penalty of huge amounts of paperwork, legal fees, application fees, and waiting, waiting, waiting. Then they do it all some more. Legals follow the law and suffer greatly....illegals knowlingly break the laws but appear to suffer few consequences.
The main thing is that she'll be here soon. We'll deal with everything else and make it all work. I feel that we've been through too much already that we can't let the little things in life mess with us. This should make us put our priorities in order and appreciate what we have, and make us stronger as a couple. Things will get better because we'll make them better.
The truck's at the shop getting some repairs done and getting a look-over for the trip. It's got over 187,000 miles on it and after we're back certainly some additional things will need to be tended to. Jonnene will get her own vehicle shortly after she arrives, making her independent and way more active around here.
My friend Paul is driving down from Little Rock Friday night to visit and drop off the luggage carrier that I'll be using for the Cali trip. He'll head back on Sunday morning. It'll be fun to hang out with him for a while and I might talk him into going to Monroe for the Warhawk's mens and womens basketball games on Saturday night. There'll be a reunion of the squads from 1981 thru 1985 there as well as a big crowd so I think we could have a good time touching base with people we know.
We're still stuck with the possibility that it could be as long as 90 days before Jonnene can officially work in the States. Like most beauracracies in most countries but especially in the USA, there's a love affair with "make-work", almost a culture of creating unnecessary work to justify keeping a job within the immigration community. It's one of the reasons why it's so difficult for people who want to come here legally, yet Congress and other "do-gooders" trip over themselves to make things easy for those who illegally slip into this country. Since the legals are doing things right, they pay the penalty of huge amounts of paperwork, legal fees, application fees, and waiting, waiting, waiting. Then they do it all some more. Legals follow the law and suffer greatly....illegals knowlingly break the laws but appear to suffer few consequences.
The main thing is that she'll be here soon. We'll deal with everything else and make it all work. I feel that we've been through too much already that we can't let the little things in life mess with us. This should make us put our priorities in order and appreciate what we have, and make us stronger as a couple. Things will get better because we'll make them better.
The truck's at the shop getting some repairs done and getting a look-over for the trip. It's got over 187,000 miles on it and after we're back certainly some additional things will need to be tended to. Jonnene will get her own vehicle shortly after she arrives, making her independent and way more active around here.
My friend Paul is driving down from Little Rock Friday night to visit and drop off the luggage carrier that I'll be using for the Cali trip. He'll head back on Sunday morning. It'll be fun to hang out with him for a while and I might talk him into going to Monroe for the Warhawk's mens and womens basketball games on Saturday night. There'll be a reunion of the squads from 1981 thru 1985 there as well as a big crowd so I think we could have a good time touching base with people we know.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Cold, windy, all that stuff
It's freakin' cold around here! I doubt the temps will get above freezing today. As a result I can't get the engine in my truck steam-cleaned because it's too cold. I need to get that oil sensor fixed before I leave for Cali and we can't confirm that it's the problem until the engine is cleaned of all the sprayed oil on the side of it, and then we can look for any new leaks. But that's a minor problem...we'll get 'er done on Thursday when it's warmer. In the meantime, the oil has been changed and I hope to have everything else done by the weekend.
As bad as it is here in Louisiana, with a few closed roads and some sleet, it's definitely worse in places in Oklahoma and parts of Texas along with a few other states. But it's a typical winter in the middle states and the news media is making it out to be the end of the world. The snow and ice isn't the real problem...the coming floods will be. There's been so much rain at the beginning of the year that most of the ground around here is soaked to the gills. And, you know, this is pretty much typical, too. It's a big deal to the people who are affected but it's what weather does and there's nothing unusual about that.
Los Angeles got nuked on the show "24" last night! It's still being debated as to whether that's a loss or not....joking. After 5 seasons, Jack Bauer finally wasn't able to stop the disaster. This is one of my favorite shows so you know where I was Sunday and Monday night for 4 hours total. I hope Jonnene lets me keep watching! I heard that "24" was very popular outside the United States, especially in the Middle East, for one primary reason: everyone likes watching the USA getting blown up and having all these disasters! Ha! Of course, the meaning of the show is way deeper than that but, hey, if you're watching it then you must have a reason. I like it because of the character that Keifer Sutherland plays, Jack....the character understands quite clearly what his role is and is willing to do what he has to do to accomplish the right thing. It's not always clear-cut for him but he tries to see the big picture and how even the smallest thing he does can affect so many people and situations. I'd like to think I'm like that but I'm not nearly as brave as Jack!
As bad as it is here in Louisiana, with a few closed roads and some sleet, it's definitely worse in places in Oklahoma and parts of Texas along with a few other states. But it's a typical winter in the middle states and the news media is making it out to be the end of the world. The snow and ice isn't the real problem...the coming floods will be. There's been so much rain at the beginning of the year that most of the ground around here is soaked to the gills. And, you know, this is pretty much typical, too. It's a big deal to the people who are affected but it's what weather does and there's nothing unusual about that.
Los Angeles got nuked on the show "24" last night! It's still being debated as to whether that's a loss or not....joking. After 5 seasons, Jack Bauer finally wasn't able to stop the disaster. This is one of my favorite shows so you know where I was Sunday and Monday night for 4 hours total. I hope Jonnene lets me keep watching! I heard that "24" was very popular outside the United States, especially in the Middle East, for one primary reason: everyone likes watching the USA getting blown up and having all these disasters! Ha! Of course, the meaning of the show is way deeper than that but, hey, if you're watching it then you must have a reason. I like it because of the character that Keifer Sutherland plays, Jack....the character understands quite clearly what his role is and is willing to do what he has to do to accomplish the right thing. It's not always clear-cut for him but he tries to see the big picture and how even the smallest thing he does can affect so many people and situations. I'd like to think I'm like that but I'm not nearly as brave as Jack!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Rainy updates
1. The Saints won last night. For the first time in the history of the franchise they'll be in the NFC Championship game next weekend. It should be snowing in Hell, Michigan right now.
2. Jonnene comes to America on January 30th! I leave on the 26th to pick her up and bring her back. This weekend has consisted of getting the junk/bike room in managable shape. The coming 12 days will consist of working the rest of the house, too. The bad part is that it could take as long as 90 days after she gets here before she will be able to work due to the type of visa she has. I hope we can shorten it (and that's very possible) and get her busy!
3. We've had 4-5 great days of warm weather here in Louisiana. It's been nice not to use the heater. But now a storm front has moved in and the temps are dropping. The same system has left snow and freezing rain in Oklahoma and Texas but it's too warm here for us to worry about that. I'm more concerned with the weather when I prepare to drive to California.
4. Haven't done much riding. I went out Saturday and knocked out 30 hard miles but my legs didn't show up. I'm encouraged that I can average over 20 mph for the distance with dead legs. I'd ride today since we have an obvious break in the rain but I'm too lazy to load up the truck for a 20-minute drive (one-way) and then have to deal with a wet, dirty bike (and clothes) when I come back, along with the chill. I'll just have to be a serious bike rider when February gets here since the next three weekends are jammed. Rouge-Roubaix is looking more and more like a lost cause....I just won't be ready for it.
5. Looks like I'm going to be doing ads and publication layouts for Blackwell Research this year! BR is a company that makes and sells bicycle components like various types of wheels, seats, handlebars, cranks, and other parts. Their website is at http://www.blackwellresearch.com/ and I hope it's a lot of fun and pays well. It'll be something I'm interested in. I'm still free-lancing, though...this is not a regular job but another client. That's good since I don't have as many of them as I used to. I've lost several through retirement, closing the business, moving, whatever. At least I can say that it hasn't been because of ME!
6. Finally got some money! Paid some bills! Bought some food! Now I can get some work done on the truck before my trip. I have to get the tires rotated, state vehicle inspection, a tuneup, an oil change, clean the inside/outside, and fix a leaky oil sensor. Unfortunately, I have quarterly tax payments and car insurance to pay this coming week. I hate doing that but, you know the drill, it has to be done.
Like the song says, there's never been a day when money didn't get in my way.
2. Jonnene comes to America on January 30th! I leave on the 26th to pick her up and bring her back. This weekend has consisted of getting the junk/bike room in managable shape. The coming 12 days will consist of working the rest of the house, too. The bad part is that it could take as long as 90 days after she gets here before she will be able to work due to the type of visa she has. I hope we can shorten it (and that's very possible) and get her busy!
3. We've had 4-5 great days of warm weather here in Louisiana. It's been nice not to use the heater. But now a storm front has moved in and the temps are dropping. The same system has left snow and freezing rain in Oklahoma and Texas but it's too warm here for us to worry about that. I'm more concerned with the weather when I prepare to drive to California.
4. Haven't done much riding. I went out Saturday and knocked out 30 hard miles but my legs didn't show up. I'm encouraged that I can average over 20 mph for the distance with dead legs. I'd ride today since we have an obvious break in the rain but I'm too lazy to load up the truck for a 20-minute drive (one-way) and then have to deal with a wet, dirty bike (and clothes) when I come back, along with the chill. I'll just have to be a serious bike rider when February gets here since the next three weekends are jammed. Rouge-Roubaix is looking more and more like a lost cause....I just won't be ready for it.
5. Looks like I'm going to be doing ads and publication layouts for Blackwell Research this year! BR is a company that makes and sells bicycle components like various types of wheels, seats, handlebars, cranks, and other parts. Their website is at http://www.blackwellresearch.com/ and I hope it's a lot of fun and pays well. It'll be something I'm interested in. I'm still free-lancing, though...this is not a regular job but another client. That's good since I don't have as many of them as I used to. I've lost several through retirement, closing the business, moving, whatever. At least I can say that it hasn't been because of ME!
6. Finally got some money! Paid some bills! Bought some food! Now I can get some work done on the truck before my trip. I have to get the tires rotated, state vehicle inspection, a tuneup, an oil change, clean the inside/outside, and fix a leaky oil sensor. Unfortunately, I have quarterly tax payments and car insurance to pay this coming week. I hate doing that but, you know the drill, it has to be done.
Like the song says, there's never been a day when money didn't get in my way.
Monday, January 08, 2007
The End Game
At the time I'm writing this, Jonnene and her Mum should be in their last hour of flying to Sydney. At 5pm Tuesday (my time), she'll be at the US Consulate downtown at her appointment. I'm hoping that sometime Tuesday night I will hear some good news from her. Then in 20 days she'll be here in the USA!
Busy day today....several things to do work-wise, sent off the first invoices of 2007. Picked up two new jobs, one was just a revision of some copy on an ad I did 18 months ago but I still get to charge for it! I'll be busy for most of this week and that's okay with me.
Here's a question that's plagued mankind from the beginning: "Why am I surrounded by so many stupid people?" This question usually pops up when you're driving or at Wal-Mart. I say Wal-Mart because most of the bad driving habits people have are transferred to what they do with their shopping carts at Wal-Mart. It doesn't seem to happen as much at other stores and I don't know why. But people have no problem pushing their carts out from side aisles into main traffic areas without looking....they don't mind blocking an entire aisle with the cart on one side and their bodies on the other, all the while studying what item they want as other shoppers stack up behind them....or, as they make a sharp turn into an aisle, hitting a product on a shelf, knocking it to the floor, and continue on as if nothing has happened. Yeah, pretty much like going down Youree Drive or Airline Drive. I like going to Wal-Mart but I have absolutely no problem ripping the kind of "other" people who also go there. I guarantee that at any one time, about 33% of the people under the roof have no functioning kind of IQ level that allows for attending a secondary school. What's bad is these "normal" people have no excuse for not having a clue as to what's going on. I think I remember the term that a columnist on Fox uses...an "obliviant". I do whatever I can to not be one...I have failed before and will fail again in the future but at least I'm aware of the possibility and do what I can to avoid being one. At least I'm trying in some small degree to improve....it's those OTHER people. As Charlie Brown says, "Aaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhhh!"
Busy day today....several things to do work-wise, sent off the first invoices of 2007. Picked up two new jobs, one was just a revision of some copy on an ad I did 18 months ago but I still get to charge for it! I'll be busy for most of this week and that's okay with me.
Here's a question that's plagued mankind from the beginning: "Why am I surrounded by so many stupid people?" This question usually pops up when you're driving or at Wal-Mart. I say Wal-Mart because most of the bad driving habits people have are transferred to what they do with their shopping carts at Wal-Mart. It doesn't seem to happen as much at other stores and I don't know why. But people have no problem pushing their carts out from side aisles into main traffic areas without looking....they don't mind blocking an entire aisle with the cart on one side and their bodies on the other, all the while studying what item they want as other shoppers stack up behind them....or, as they make a sharp turn into an aisle, hitting a product on a shelf, knocking it to the floor, and continue on as if nothing has happened. Yeah, pretty much like going down Youree Drive or Airline Drive. I like going to Wal-Mart but I have absolutely no problem ripping the kind of "other" people who also go there. I guarantee that at any one time, about 33% of the people under the roof have no functioning kind of IQ level that allows for attending a secondary school. What's bad is these "normal" people have no excuse for not having a clue as to what's going on. I think I remember the term that a columnist on Fox uses...an "obliviant". I do whatever I can to not be one...I have failed before and will fail again in the future but at least I'm aware of the possibility and do what I can to avoid being one. At least I'm trying in some small degree to improve....it's those OTHER people. As Charlie Brown says, "Aaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhhh!"
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Somewhat busy day
Three days in a row on the bike...I haven't done that since September! Today we were back doing the Rocky Mount ride in the north hills. It was supposed to be a recovery ride but it turned into something a little faster and there were numerous attacks on the hills (not from me!). I'm slowly getting back into shape as I did this ride a little better than last Sunday. I hung in for a longer time, was able to catch back on if I got dropped, but I still have a long way to go. We did about 40 miles, so I was able to total about 120 miles from Friday to Sunday. I hope to get to a point soon where I get many more miles than that in just the Saturday and Sunday rides. I am definitely taking Monday off!
I spent much of the morning sorting through the closet of my junk/bike room. I got rid of so many T-shirts today, many of them to be donated, others as cleaning rags. I kept anything that had been designed by me (about 25 years worth of T-shirts right there) or had significant memories attached to them. But I must have tossed out over 50 shirts. Then I moved a lot of my clothes, the more casual stuff, to that closet. I'm emptying out the bigger part of the bedroom closet for Jonnene to put her stuff when she gets here as I move my better clothes and boxes to the smaller section. But the junk room closet looks good! Hopefully the rest of the room will follow suit.
Jonnene has her interview with the US Consulate in Sydney this Wednesday. She arrives there on Tuesday and returns to Perth on Thursday. Hopefully the return to the west coast will be one to celebrate because she should have her visa number and approval by that time if some beaurocrat (sp?) doesn't screw it up. I'm already working the plans to drive out to California to pick her up and bring her back to Louisiana. There's so much to do...it seems even more involved than the wedding was, at least from my point of view. I'll get into more of that as time goes on. I'm just ready to get her here!
I spent much of the morning sorting through the closet of my junk/bike room. I got rid of so many T-shirts today, many of them to be donated, others as cleaning rags. I kept anything that had been designed by me (about 25 years worth of T-shirts right there) or had significant memories attached to them. But I must have tossed out over 50 shirts. Then I moved a lot of my clothes, the more casual stuff, to that closet. I'm emptying out the bigger part of the bedroom closet for Jonnene to put her stuff when she gets here as I move my better clothes and boxes to the smaller section. But the junk room closet looks good! Hopefully the rest of the room will follow suit.
Jonnene has her interview with the US Consulate in Sydney this Wednesday. She arrives there on Tuesday and returns to Perth on Thursday. Hopefully the return to the west coast will be one to celebrate because she should have her visa number and approval by that time if some beaurocrat (sp?) doesn't screw it up. I'm already working the plans to drive out to California to pick her up and bring her back to Louisiana. There's so much to do...it seems even more involved than the wedding was, at least from my point of view. I'll get into more of that as time goes on. I'm just ready to get her here!
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Saturday, Today is
Long ride today.....for me at this stage of getting back into shape. Fifty-six miles in 3 hours....hope my legs will forgive me. Tomorrow is another day in the hills of north Bossier Parish. For now, I have earned my nap.
Finally got a check today! Unfortunately it wasn't one of the bigger ones but this one will keep me good for a couple of days and pay a handful of bills. Hope the others get here sooner than later. 2006 just wasn't good for me work-wise and it really put me behind. I hope 2007 is better and lets me catch up.
Finally got a check today! Unfortunately it wasn't one of the bigger ones but this one will keep me good for a couple of days and pay a handful of bills. Hope the others get here sooner than later. 2006 just wasn't good for me work-wise and it really put me behind. I hope 2007 is better and lets me catch up.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Power...more power, Scotty!
I replaced one of my 128mb RAM sticks in my computer with a 512mb (half-gig, baby!) to go with the other 128mb and 256mb sticks in my Mac G4. Now I'm stocking 856mb of raw RAM...yeah, it's not much by today's standards but I'm replacing the other two sticks with two more 512's in another week or so, and then I'll have 1.5 gigs which is the max this model G4 (circa 2002) can handle. When I get this bad boy upgraded in another couple of weeks I'll need to have as much RAM in it as possible to handle the new operating system (finally getting into the 21st century with Mac OSX...lovingly known as System Ten) and the new software that Dan will be installing for me. He'll also be putting in a second larger hard drive and a DVD/CD player/burner. That should keep me going for at least two more years before I need to actually get another computer....the G5 will probably be totally replaced by then and all the Intel bugs will have been worked out.
The nice thing about having the 856mb is that I can already tell my G4 is FASTER. Programs are opening up a bit quicker and, even with dialup, the internet is popping up quicker. I should have done this years ago! Even the monitor looks brighter and happier. By the first full week of February, this will be almost a competely different machine. Of course, I'll have to learn System X and I've heard the learning curve is in the 2-3 month range. I'll still be able to do work but maybe not as fast until I figure it all out. But everyone tells me that once I "get it" I will be in love with the OSX and will never go back. I'm excited already!
I knocked out 25 solo miles on the bike late this afternoon before it got dark. Mostly I did some power work, lots of standing on the pedals, pushing the big gears....no fast cadence or easy stuff...all on the flats. That was my first ride outside this year although I've already put in a bunch of time on the wind trainer since New Year's. Hope to ride both Saturday and Sunday if the weather permits. I'm using my "slow" wheels, a couple of 15-year-old Wolber 32-spoke triple-cross rims with Campy hub on the front and Shimano on the rear. The thinking is that if I can move these wheels fast in a couple of months, my faster wheels will be easier to push come race day and on the fast training rides. The funny thing is that they are my lightest wheels but they're aerodynamically slow.
The nice thing about having the 856mb is that I can already tell my G4 is FASTER. Programs are opening up a bit quicker and, even with dialup, the internet is popping up quicker. I should have done this years ago! Even the monitor looks brighter and happier. By the first full week of February, this will be almost a competely different machine. Of course, I'll have to learn System X and I've heard the learning curve is in the 2-3 month range. I'll still be able to do work but maybe not as fast until I figure it all out. But everyone tells me that once I "get it" I will be in love with the OSX and will never go back. I'm excited already!
I knocked out 25 solo miles on the bike late this afternoon before it got dark. Mostly I did some power work, lots of standing on the pedals, pushing the big gears....no fast cadence or easy stuff...all on the flats. That was my first ride outside this year although I've already put in a bunch of time on the wind trainer since New Year's. Hope to ride both Saturday and Sunday if the weather permits. I'm using my "slow" wheels, a couple of 15-year-old Wolber 32-spoke triple-cross rims with Campy hub on the front and Shimano on the rear. The thinking is that if I can move these wheels fast in a couple of months, my faster wheels will be easier to push come race day and on the fast training rides. The funny thing is that they are my lightest wheels but they're aerodynamically slow.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
If
If I had words to make a day for you,
I'd sing you a morning golden and true.
I would make this day last for all time,
Then fill the night deep in moonshine.
If I had words to make a day for you,
I'd give you a day both golden and true.
I would make this day last for all time,
And fill your night deep in moonshine.
I'd sing you a morning golden and true.
I would make this day last for all time,
Then fill the night deep in moonshine.
If I had words to make a day for you,
I'd give you a day both golden and true.
I would make this day last for all time,
And fill your night deep in moonshine.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy New Year!
I didn't get to bed until 2 am this morning but it wasn't all due to celebrating the new year. I called Jonnene to share the passage of one year to another, just as she called me about 15 hours earlier when the new year passed through Perth. Both calls lasted quite some time and I'm dragging about the house now. I'm trying to get motivated to do a relatively short bike ride later and then go to a friend's house for a chili party he's putting on...something he's done every New Year's for about 17 years. This will be the first time I've been able to attend.
I got in my last ride of 2006 yesterday and it was up in northern Bossier Parish, or as we call it: the Rocky Mount Ride. This was my first foray into the hills since I did the road race in Monroe back in September and it was painful, just as I thought it would be. By the time it was over I felt like I'd been hit in the thighs with sledgehammers. On a couple of hills I climbed pretty well but the rest were pretty ugly. Ten of us started and I managed to hang on for the first 26 miles through crossed eyes and scrambled brains. Then I had to give up and let the group go....I had warned them this might happen and to go on without me since I knew my way around the countryside. I turned onto Highway 2 and about 200 meters later my rear tire blew out, so forcefully that I felt the air rushed past my legs with a sound that was similar to a gun shot. That was fine with me, since it gave me a chance to rest a bit while I removed the damaged tire and installed the spare. Then I limped back to where we all had parked, put everything up, and left a note so that everyone would know what had happened. I covered 41 miles all told but the last 15 were pretty weak since the hills had taken a lot out of me. I still had to climb those hills on the return! Personally, I think downhills should be equal in time to the uphills but they go by way too quickly.
So, for the year I totaled 4,126 miles which is about 3,000 less than I would like to do but this year was interrupted so much by a lenghty illness in March, the wedding in May (which was fine by me), and my time off in November. After each of these times I had to practically start over from scratch to get back into race shape again. But if you take in both 2004 and 2005 when I rode a combined 7,483 miles, when I had this constant, irritating pain in my legs every time I rode (which, by the way, disappeared last March and hasn't returned), 2006 doesn't look so bad. I think 2007 will have an increase in miles and some better results in my races. My only interruption will be traveling to California to pick up Jonnene and Sophie (the dog) in late January or early February, and I'll probably be needing a brief break by then anyway.
And.....I put in about 164 total miles of running in 2006, including my half-marathon trail run last November. After a weak 69 miles in 2005, preceded by 237 miles in 2004, that was quite an improvement. I'll try to go for 200 again.
Resolutions for 2007 (that I think I can actually keep):
1. Be a good husband.
2. Eat better.
3. Read more.
4. Attempt to improve in everything else.
5. Constantly be amazed. When you think about it, everything is pretty darn amazing.
I got in my last ride of 2006 yesterday and it was up in northern Bossier Parish, or as we call it: the Rocky Mount Ride. This was my first foray into the hills since I did the road race in Monroe back in September and it was painful, just as I thought it would be. By the time it was over I felt like I'd been hit in the thighs with sledgehammers. On a couple of hills I climbed pretty well but the rest were pretty ugly. Ten of us started and I managed to hang on for the first 26 miles through crossed eyes and scrambled brains. Then I had to give up and let the group go....I had warned them this might happen and to go on without me since I knew my way around the countryside. I turned onto Highway 2 and about 200 meters later my rear tire blew out, so forcefully that I felt the air rushed past my legs with a sound that was similar to a gun shot. That was fine with me, since it gave me a chance to rest a bit while I removed the damaged tire and installed the spare. Then I limped back to where we all had parked, put everything up, and left a note so that everyone would know what had happened. I covered 41 miles all told but the last 15 were pretty weak since the hills had taken a lot out of me. I still had to climb those hills on the return! Personally, I think downhills should be equal in time to the uphills but they go by way too quickly.
So, for the year I totaled 4,126 miles which is about 3,000 less than I would like to do but this year was interrupted so much by a lenghty illness in March, the wedding in May (which was fine by me), and my time off in November. After each of these times I had to practically start over from scratch to get back into race shape again. But if you take in both 2004 and 2005 when I rode a combined 7,483 miles, when I had this constant, irritating pain in my legs every time I rode (which, by the way, disappeared last March and hasn't returned), 2006 doesn't look so bad. I think 2007 will have an increase in miles and some better results in my races. My only interruption will be traveling to California to pick up Jonnene and Sophie (the dog) in late January or early February, and I'll probably be needing a brief break by then anyway.
And.....I put in about 164 total miles of running in 2006, including my half-marathon trail run last November. After a weak 69 miles in 2005, preceded by 237 miles in 2004, that was quite an improvement. I'll try to go for 200 again.
Resolutions for 2007 (that I think I can actually keep):
1. Be a good husband.
2. Eat better.
3. Read more.
4. Attempt to improve in everything else.
5. Constantly be amazed. When you think about it, everything is pretty darn amazing.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Cloudy - full, partly, otherwise
The day was not very exciting...the only time I got out was to drop stuff off at the recycling place. The weather was too iffy to get a ride in. If it wasn't raining, then it was too dark because of the heavy cloud cover. The temperatures were perfect but I wasn't going to drive all that distance to get rained on! Some day when Jonnene and I move to a new place, we'll move to where it's easy to travel a short distance for a good bike ride, maybe even ride from the house! I can hope we'll be that lucky.
Spent more time on the house....again, it's nothing you'd notice right off the bat but I know it'll make things easier when Jonnene gets here. The closets need to be attacked and to allow her the room she will be needing...I was warned that my closet space would get smaller and smaller! There's still so much to do.
I also have to prepare for my trip to Los Angeles to pick her up in the next 3-5 weeks. Got to get the truck worked on, rotate the tires, and loaded with provisions, like blankets and food, since we'll be traveling in the winter. I'll also be looking at other travel options, mostly comparing time, cost, and the like. The last time I drove long cross-country was a trip to Albuquerque back in the Fall of 2001. I used to do stuff like that all the time but haven't had as much reason to do so since then. Most of my drives now seem to be to bike races and that's about it. I like to drive to interesting places but I've gotten tired of doing it by myself. Now that I'll be having company maybe I'll get back into it again!
Spent more time on the house....again, it's nothing you'd notice right off the bat but I know it'll make things easier when Jonnene gets here. The closets need to be attacked and to allow her the room she will be needing...I was warned that my closet space would get smaller and smaller! There's still so much to do.
I also have to prepare for my trip to Los Angeles to pick her up in the next 3-5 weeks. Got to get the truck worked on, rotate the tires, and loaded with provisions, like blankets and food, since we'll be traveling in the winter. I'll also be looking at other travel options, mostly comparing time, cost, and the like. The last time I drove long cross-country was a trip to Albuquerque back in the Fall of 2001. I used to do stuff like that all the time but haven't had as much reason to do so since then. Most of my drives now seem to be to bike races and that's about it. I like to drive to interesting places but I've gotten tired of doing it by myself. Now that I'll be having company maybe I'll get back into it again!
Friday, December 29, 2006
Last Weekend of the Year
Late evening and it's raining....100% chance tonight and most of Saturday, so I don't know if I'll be able to squeeze in a ride in the afternoon and get some kind of mileage in my legs...and work off some of this holiday weight. I'd hate to climb a sizable hill right now!
I'm letting The Gray stay in the house tonight. Besides the pounding rain outside, he has torn the "thumb" on his right front leg, probably in a fight or caught it on something, and it looks like a bloody pulp on there. He looks exhausted so I'm letting him sleep on the cushion I have propped up on the coffee table. He's out like a light. If I had the money I'd get him fixed up and then I'd get him fixed. His owners don't seem to think that's an important thing to do. Taz is in my lap as I type this and he's in Neverland himself. I got to take Farley out into the playground behind my house before the rains came to give him a good walk and I think he enjoyed himself. He turns 11 on New Year's and that's getting old for a Labrador. I'd like to get two more years out of him and then he will have rightly earned his rest. He's been a good boy all this time.
I'm still trying to decide how to approach Dad since I've been ignoring him all week. His birthday is this Sunday and I know I need to acknowledge it. I have to tell him how much he upset me last weekend. I couldn't come down on him because I wanted to preserve the quiet of the holiday but I have to let him know he can't ever talk to me in that fashion again. I won't allow it. And he will NOT do that in front of my wife or there will be a coming-to-Jesus meeting like he's never seen before.
It will be a busy weekend work-wise which is a good thing but I'm getting concerned that no checks have come in yet and I have bills to pay. But then, that's par for the course....the life of a free-lancer, to have money but to not have money at the same time.
Jonnene has booked her flights for Sydney for her interview. It's quite possible I'll be seeing her by the end of January or first week of February. I am very excited about it all and I'm ready to be a full-time husband for her. When it comes down to it, everything I do is for her and I'm trying to do the best I can.
I'm letting The Gray stay in the house tonight. Besides the pounding rain outside, he has torn the "thumb" on his right front leg, probably in a fight or caught it on something, and it looks like a bloody pulp on there. He looks exhausted so I'm letting him sleep on the cushion I have propped up on the coffee table. He's out like a light. If I had the money I'd get him fixed up and then I'd get him fixed. His owners don't seem to think that's an important thing to do. Taz is in my lap as I type this and he's in Neverland himself. I got to take Farley out into the playground behind my house before the rains came to give him a good walk and I think he enjoyed himself. He turns 11 on New Year's and that's getting old for a Labrador. I'd like to get two more years out of him and then he will have rightly earned his rest. He's been a good boy all this time.
I'm still trying to decide how to approach Dad since I've been ignoring him all week. His birthday is this Sunday and I know I need to acknowledge it. I have to tell him how much he upset me last weekend. I couldn't come down on him because I wanted to preserve the quiet of the holiday but I have to let him know he can't ever talk to me in that fashion again. I won't allow it. And he will NOT do that in front of my wife or there will be a coming-to-Jesus meeting like he's never seen before.
It will be a busy weekend work-wise which is a good thing but I'm getting concerned that no checks have come in yet and I have bills to pay. But then, that's par for the course....the life of a free-lancer, to have money but to not have money at the same time.
Jonnene has booked her flights for Sydney for her interview. It's quite possible I'll be seeing her by the end of January or first week of February. I am very excited about it all and I'm ready to be a full-time husband for her. When it comes down to it, everything I do is for her and I'm trying to do the best I can.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Amazing, simply amazing
I don't know how much longer I'll be able to keep using this blog. Blogger is switching to a new system (but still leaving the old one up for those who don't want to switch yet) and they're really trying to convince everyone to go to it. To change you have to register for a Google account and I refuse to do it. I don't want a Google account to access my blog and I'm totally convinced that getting that Google account opens me up to receiving even more junk email. Sorry, Blogger, can't do it. But lately, my Netscape program shuts down nearly every time I've tried to log on....which is why you haven't seen any posts from me the last few days....and that tells me that Blogger is screwing with me by overloading my browser.
I AIN'T GONNA CHANGE! Accept it...move on. I may have to find another blogging service eventually.
Christmas was good overall. Except for being hacked off at my Dad right now, things went pretty well. Saw all my nieces and one nephew, plus some other family members and I enjoyed that. I missed having Jonnene here for the festivities and I heard from her that things went well at her family Christmas celebrations, too. We're going to call each other at New Year's as each of us transistion over to the next year. We're 15 hours apart (she's ahead of me) so having two phone calls in that time will be twice as nice!
Speaking of, Jonnene finally got her interview scheduled! Mark down January 10th at 8 am (3 pm the day before for me) for her to get a spotlight shown on her...."awright, sister, where were you on Tuesday morning? And don't be telling any fibs if ya know what's good fer ya"....and she'll have a few questions of her own, especially regarding how soon she can expect to work in the USA. Should she be found eligible and have her paperwork in order, she should be issued her visa within 24 hours and she can start the process of coming over the big water!! This whole ordeal will be coming to an end soon.
I was not expecting to work much this week but I was surprised. I've been at the computer all week working on several jobs and I think it'll keep on for a couple more weeks. Nice!
Now if I can get back on track and start getting some of this weight off from the holidays. I'll be doing a lot of bike riding and running this weekend....there's a duathlon next weekend I'm going to try to do. Always need the motivation.
I AIN'T GONNA CHANGE! Accept it...move on. I may have to find another blogging service eventually.
Christmas was good overall. Except for being hacked off at my Dad right now, things went pretty well. Saw all my nieces and one nephew, plus some other family members and I enjoyed that. I missed having Jonnene here for the festivities and I heard from her that things went well at her family Christmas celebrations, too. We're going to call each other at New Year's as each of us transistion over to the next year. We're 15 hours apart (she's ahead of me) so having two phone calls in that time will be twice as nice!
Speaking of, Jonnene finally got her interview scheduled! Mark down January 10th at 8 am (3 pm the day before for me) for her to get a spotlight shown on her...."awright, sister, where were you on Tuesday morning? And don't be telling any fibs if ya know what's good fer ya"....and she'll have a few questions of her own, especially regarding how soon she can expect to work in the USA. Should she be found eligible and have her paperwork in order, she should be issued her visa within 24 hours and she can start the process of coming over the big water!! This whole ordeal will be coming to an end soon.
I was not expecting to work much this week but I was surprised. I've been at the computer all week working on several jobs and I think it'll keep on for a couple more weeks. Nice!
Now if I can get back on track and start getting some of this weight off from the holidays. I'll be doing a lot of bike riding and running this weekend....there's a duathlon next weekend I'm going to try to do. Always need the motivation.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
A Nice Dream, Sad Ending
Last night I had one of those amazingly realistic dreams. One of those you almost could swear actually happened. I could see details, have conversations with people, interact completely with my enviroment, the interior of buildings made complete sense and could be entered and exited normally, sound effects were normal (even heard a brand new song and the words were really funny...but, sorry, can't remember them). It featured Jonnene and I throughout the entire dream and it was great. We were spending the weekend somewhere, I know it was along a river since I remember seeing levees near our hotel. We drove there, checked in...the place had a nice interior lobby with columns and curtains along the walls. We had gotten a 2-room suite. I remember a washer-dryer in a pantry area. We did things like go to a park, plenty of walking to places I can't remember now, and we definitely had a meal at some restaurant nearby. It was great to spend time with her even if it was a dream. It felt like she was really there. So it was a great two days vacationing somewhere...wish I knew where!
My animals came with us (sorry, Jonnene, I didn't see Sophie anywhere). Farley, my black Lab, was his usual self, walking around, sleeping, getting lots of love from the two of us, of course! But here was the odd thing: my black cat, Taz, wasn't there. My old yellow-tab, Toulouse, was there instead. I had had Toulouse for 10 years before he disappeared in June of 2001. He didn't come with us to the hotel though. I was out with Farley in this semi-wooded field near the hotel when I looked over and there he was, just sitting there, scratching his shoulder with a hind leg. I recognized him immediately and said, "Toulouse, what are you doing here?" He meowed and walked over to me, and I picked him up to my shoulder like I always did where we were eye-level to each other. He just had that look that said I've just been catting around as usual. Even Farley came over, gave him a sniff, and wagged his tail as he recognized him, too. I introduced him to Jonnene and we got to hang out for a while. It was nice to see him again. He hadn't changed a bit, still had that attitude, the crooked tip of his tail, those gray-green eyes....all of his characteristics were there.
Then the alarm went off, I woke up, and I was sad that the dream was over. I cried. I miss that stupid cat.
My animals came with us (sorry, Jonnene, I didn't see Sophie anywhere). Farley, my black Lab, was his usual self, walking around, sleeping, getting lots of love from the two of us, of course! But here was the odd thing: my black cat, Taz, wasn't there. My old yellow-tab, Toulouse, was there instead. I had had Toulouse for 10 years before he disappeared in June of 2001. He didn't come with us to the hotel though. I was out with Farley in this semi-wooded field near the hotel when I looked over and there he was, just sitting there, scratching his shoulder with a hind leg. I recognized him immediately and said, "Toulouse, what are you doing here?" He meowed and walked over to me, and I picked him up to my shoulder like I always did where we were eye-level to each other. He just had that look that said I've just been catting around as usual. Even Farley came over, gave him a sniff, and wagged his tail as he recognized him, too. I introduced him to Jonnene and we got to hang out for a while. It was nice to see him again. He hadn't changed a bit, still had that attitude, the crooked tip of his tail, those gray-green eyes....all of his characteristics were there.
Then the alarm went off, I woke up, and I was sad that the dream was over. I cried. I miss that stupid cat.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Mid-week
Well, I'm settled down a bit with this whole immigration thing. I talked to Jonnene last night and we agreed that the main thing was to get her here one way or the other. We both can deal with the other stuff later and we'll be fine in the end. Our lawyer is inquiring about which visa would be more useful to us since both were approved at approximately the same time. Either one will get her into the country...we just want to make sure we use the proper one and in the right order! I'd like for her to use only one of them, the permanent immigration visa, and cancel out that K3 visa.
I received a reply from my Congressman today (two days after I hand-delivered my letter to him) and his office had contacted the proper authorities at the US Consulate in Sydney, asking that they look into the matter and to send a report on their findings. His letter promised to keep me informed if any information comes up. I have rarely had to contact him (the only other time was to buy US flags that had actually flown over the Capital) during his terms in office but his office always replied promptly. You can't beat that kind of service....after all, I AM paying for it!
Started going through my chest of drawers to see what old stuff I need to throw out or turn into bike cleaning rags. I think I got rid of half the stuff in there! Some is actually being tossed away, saved as rags for cleaning stuff (did I mention my bike?), bagged to give to Goodwill, or bagged to give to the Salvation Army. I kept all my old LaS'port uniforms for historical reasons although the elastic in the legs of the shorts is dried up or melting/sticking to itself, making them useless for wearing unless you replace the elastic....that ain't gonna happen. There's still so much I need to get through before Jonnene gets here but it's good to do it. I'm at that point where I want less stuff around here to keep up with. Sometimes I'll have to be ruthless and when she gets here, more stuff might get tossed. I'm for that but I might have to fight for something at some point, I'm sure.
I'm hoping to get some upgrades to my computer sometime next week or the week after. I need about 1.5 gigs of RAM installed plus a CD/DVD player/burner (I bought it on Ebay) to be installed, along with a larger second hard drive to use as backup to my main hard drive. A guy I've known for several years will do the installation along with updated software, including System 10 for my Mac! I'll finally be in the 21st century!! The good thing is that my Mac G4 will be useful for two more years before I'll have to get a new machine with the Intel chips. I can spend time saving up the money during those two years.
I received a reply from my Congressman today (two days after I hand-delivered my letter to him) and his office had contacted the proper authorities at the US Consulate in Sydney, asking that they look into the matter and to send a report on their findings. His letter promised to keep me informed if any information comes up. I have rarely had to contact him (the only other time was to buy US flags that had actually flown over the Capital) during his terms in office but his office always replied promptly. You can't beat that kind of service....after all, I AM paying for it!
Started going through my chest of drawers to see what old stuff I need to throw out or turn into bike cleaning rags. I think I got rid of half the stuff in there! Some is actually being tossed away, saved as rags for cleaning stuff (did I mention my bike?), bagged to give to Goodwill, or bagged to give to the Salvation Army. I kept all my old LaS'port uniforms for historical reasons although the elastic in the legs of the shorts is dried up or melting/sticking to itself, making them useless for wearing unless you replace the elastic....that ain't gonna happen. There's still so much I need to get through before Jonnene gets here but it's good to do it. I'm at that point where I want less stuff around here to keep up with. Sometimes I'll have to be ruthless and when she gets here, more stuff might get tossed. I'm for that but I might have to fight for something at some point, I'm sure.
I'm hoping to get some upgrades to my computer sometime next week or the week after. I need about 1.5 gigs of RAM installed plus a CD/DVD player/burner (I bought it on Ebay) to be installed, along with a larger second hard drive to use as backup to my main hard drive. A guy I've known for several years will do the installation along with updated software, including System 10 for my Mac! I'll finally be in the 21st century!! The good thing is that my Mac G4 will be useful for two more years before I'll have to get a new machine with the Intel chips. I can spend time saving up the money during those two years.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Bit o' frustration? Oh, yea.....
No good deed goes unpunished. That seems to be the catch-phrase for trying to be a LEGAL immigrant in the USA. No matter how many t's you cross and i's you dot, there's some beaurocrat (and maybe a lawyer or two) who finds a way to extend a process that is already taking longer than it should.
It may take four more weeks before Jonnene is able to even schedule an interview at the US Consolate in Sydney. Even though the visas have been approved by the CIS, it seems the interviewer has the final say (understandable, but don't tell us the visas are approved before the interview even happens and then throw an "if" at us). I'm quite sure Jonnene will sail through the interview and, with the later date, she might get a cheaper airfare to Sydney instead of the current holiday rates.
But I'm getting more frustrated because both the K3 and I-130 visas are arriving at more-or-less the same time. That's not suppposed to be the case. The K3 was to allow her to enter the USA while the permanent immigrant visa was being processed, and we were told that it shouldn't take more than 4 months. We're now seven months into the process and the other visa is ready. Now we need to find out which one we need to go with at this moment. I prefer the I-130 to get the permanent immigrant thing going. In doing that, it makes me feel like the K3 was a waste of time and money. I'm annoyed by this and I'm not sure who I want to kick in the butt for it.
I'm sure there are plenty of countries on this planet that make things hard on people trying to immigrate, and probably make it way worse, but it really gets to me when I read in the news about illegals here easily getting work permits in less than a month (when Jonnene may have to wait up to 90 days!), getting drivers' licenses, housing, and such....sometimes due to obviously sham marriages. They overstay student visas, they sneak in past the borders and we coddle them for the money they're costing US. And they'll sue (with the ACLU's support) if we try to kick them out!
Meanwhile, we're doing everything right/legal and now seven months later we're still waiting for people to get off their hind ends to let a perfectly good person come to the USA and contribute her experience and vitality to a community that could use it. Oh, and she would be paying taxes as a working member of society....you'd think somebody in a position of authority would take THAT into consideration!
It may take four more weeks before Jonnene is able to even schedule an interview at the US Consolate in Sydney. Even though the visas have been approved by the CIS, it seems the interviewer has the final say (understandable, but don't tell us the visas are approved before the interview even happens and then throw an "if" at us). I'm quite sure Jonnene will sail through the interview and, with the later date, she might get a cheaper airfare to Sydney instead of the current holiday rates.
But I'm getting more frustrated because both the K3 and I-130 visas are arriving at more-or-less the same time. That's not suppposed to be the case. The K3 was to allow her to enter the USA while the permanent immigrant visa was being processed, and we were told that it shouldn't take more than 4 months. We're now seven months into the process and the other visa is ready. Now we need to find out which one we need to go with at this moment. I prefer the I-130 to get the permanent immigrant thing going. In doing that, it makes me feel like the K3 was a waste of time and money. I'm annoyed by this and I'm not sure who I want to kick in the butt for it.
I'm sure there are plenty of countries on this planet that make things hard on people trying to immigrate, and probably make it way worse, but it really gets to me when I read in the news about illegals here easily getting work permits in less than a month (when Jonnene may have to wait up to 90 days!), getting drivers' licenses, housing, and such....sometimes due to obviously sham marriages. They overstay student visas, they sneak in past the borders and we coddle them for the money they're costing US. And they'll sue (with the ACLU's support) if we try to kick them out!
Meanwhile, we're doing everything right/legal and now seven months later we're still waiting for people to get off their hind ends to let a perfectly good person come to the USA and contribute her experience and vitality to a community that could use it. Oh, and she would be paying taxes as a working member of society....you'd think somebody in a position of authority would take THAT into consideration!
Sunday, December 17, 2006
On the road....again and again
This turned out to be a great weekend to ride the bike....warmer than usual temperatures and very pleasant weather all around. The riding would have been even greater if I was in the shape I was in last September. But I'm not. After essentially six weeks off the bike, I have climbed back onto the saddle to get ready for the upcoming racing season. It won't be easy and it won't be that much fun for a while, but that's the price you pay for taking time off.
Got in 30 miles on Saturday and 49 on Sunday, all at an easy pace, keeping my heartrate below 160 to keep the rides at what is called a "fat-burning" ride. Nothing to burn up the muscles but to use the fat that's collected in me for fuel instead. Saturday's excursion was similar to last week's ride but Sunday was different. Eight of us left Waskom, Texas to go exploring whatever side roads we found in the East Texas countryside and we found a lot of them. Probably about half of the ride was on poorly maintained roads with potholes, plenty of road acne, cracks, gravel...we spent miles bumping and bouncing our way along. I think most of my internal organs have rearranged themselves! There's no doubt that my upper arms, shoulders, and neck will be sore tomorrow. Having been off the bike for so long I have lost being immune to all that stuff and everything in me was feeling all the shocks that were running thru me. My hands and butt will probably hurt some, too. I did put in a hard effort at the end of the ride to catch Terry, who had drifted off the front with a couple of miles to go, and I got the HR up around 183! It'll still be a while before I can do those efforts with a lower heartrate but here's where all that starts. My front tire flatted with 1/2 mile to go so if I had to flat, that was one of the best places to do it! I rolled in, tossed the K2 in the back of the truck, and ate out at a local diner with the rest of the bunch. I want to get in 500 miles before I go riding with the team and before I shave my legs!
Got in 30 miles on Saturday and 49 on Sunday, all at an easy pace, keeping my heartrate below 160 to keep the rides at what is called a "fat-burning" ride. Nothing to burn up the muscles but to use the fat that's collected in me for fuel instead. Saturday's excursion was similar to last week's ride but Sunday was different. Eight of us left Waskom, Texas to go exploring whatever side roads we found in the East Texas countryside and we found a lot of them. Probably about half of the ride was on poorly maintained roads with potholes, plenty of road acne, cracks, gravel...we spent miles bumping and bouncing our way along. I think most of my internal organs have rearranged themselves! There's no doubt that my upper arms, shoulders, and neck will be sore tomorrow. Having been off the bike for so long I have lost being immune to all that stuff and everything in me was feeling all the shocks that were running thru me. My hands and butt will probably hurt some, too. I did put in a hard effort at the end of the ride to catch Terry, who had drifted off the front with a couple of miles to go, and I got the HR up around 183! It'll still be a while before I can do those efforts with a lower heartrate but here's where all that starts. My front tire flatted with 1/2 mile to go so if I had to flat, that was one of the best places to do it! I rolled in, tossed the K2 in the back of the truck, and ate out at a local diner with the rest of the bunch. I want to get in 500 miles before I go riding with the team and before I shave my legs!
Friday, December 15, 2006
End of the Week
Last night I attended a dinner put on by a group I'm associated with - TOTS, "Times Old TimerS" - composed of retired and former employees at The (Shreveport) Times newspaper. I used to work at The Times 1979-1985 as an illustrator and page designer, and those were some good times. I quit in '85 because I was getting burned out and I started my free-lance career, which I'm still doing to this date. Not sure how long I'm going to keep doing it....I'm starting to get rather worn with the idea and I'm looking to other paths.
Anyway, a former Times employee is now the editor of the Biloxi (Mississippi) SunHerald and was our speaker. His paper managed to keep publishing during the hurricane Katrina disaster in '05 and he told us how they did it and the problems they had to solve...all the while as the staff was trying to keep their own lives in order with destroyed houses and property and everything else. Southern Mississippi was hit way harder than New Orleans was but NO got all the attention in the media and in Washington. The SunHerald won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage and Stan brought the medal, in its wooden box, with him for us to see. Yeah, I got to hold a Pulitzer and it was neat. Definitely the Holy Grail of the newspaper world.
Today was just a crummy day weather-wise, foggy and cloudy, but the temperatures were pleasant. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and about 20 degrees F above normal so I plan to get some riding in Saturday and Sunday.
Anyway, a former Times employee is now the editor of the Biloxi (Mississippi) SunHerald and was our speaker. His paper managed to keep publishing during the hurricane Katrina disaster in '05 and he told us how they did it and the problems they had to solve...all the while as the staff was trying to keep their own lives in order with destroyed houses and property and everything else. Southern Mississippi was hit way harder than New Orleans was but NO got all the attention in the media and in Washington. The SunHerald won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage and Stan brought the medal, in its wooden box, with him for us to see. Yeah, I got to hold a Pulitzer and it was neat. Definitely the Holy Grail of the newspaper world.
Today was just a crummy day weather-wise, foggy and cloudy, but the temperatures were pleasant. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and about 20 degrees F above normal so I plan to get some riding in Saturday and Sunday.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Pet Meds
Taz got his shots and Farley got his resupply of heartworm prevent meds. All is well with the world.
Sudden job today when a client called to see if his Christmas cards were ready. Uhhhh, no. After all, we had last talked about it in September! So I'm knocking it out tonight (client approved the sudden idea that I sent to him later in the day), send it to him in the morning, upon approval I color the illustration and get it to a quick printer for mailing on Friday. Another nice check to come that I wasn't really expecting.
I'm good. That's all there is to it.
Sudden job today when a client called to see if his Christmas cards were ready. Uhhhh, no. After all, we had last talked about it in September! So I'm knocking it out tonight (client approved the sudden idea that I sent to him later in the day), send it to him in the morning, upon approval I color the illustration and get it to a quick printer for mailing on Friday. Another nice check to come that I wasn't really expecting.
I'm good. That's all there is to it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)