December 2006

Friday 01- Welcome to the month of December- did my stretches, lifted weights, and rode my bike- just goofed around outside watering plants and on the computer and just enjoyed the day- lots of folks emailing or calling telling how happy they are for me and asking when I am going to Tucson to visit my family and offering their help. Thanks everyone!- Joel came by with a broke computer that beeps when he turns it on. I will look at it tomorrow- went for my evening walk- watched “Vegas” on NBC (“Numbers” was a rerun).
Saturday 02- did my stretches and jogged a mile- Stoney came by with some breakfast for me from the community center- fixed Joel’s computer. I think the CD ROM is going out on it, did a clean and defragged it. He came by and picked it up and we jawed for a bit- went for my evening walk- did a lot of thinking and planning- called and talked to Shiela for an hour.
Sunday 03- did my stretches and jogged a mile- went over to Stoney’s to help him find a gas leak in the trailer. Plugged up two lines and it still leaked, so he had me connect the heater back and will check the stove’s pilot tomorrow. We had TV dinners and ate the rest of the pecan pie- went for my evening walk- Jerry and Barb called to say hi and congratulations- Katherine called and said she wants to bring her computer over to be reloaded; I told her after the holidays- Andrew called and we yapped a few minutes- thinking, planning, and working on “Project Tucson”.
Monday 04- did my stretches and jogged 3 miles- filled with dirt any place that a draft can get into the battery room where the Fat Cat sleeps- called Ruth T. and asked her for some info on Trudy Poe- left a message for Mary Helen to call me about Sandra’s email I had forwarded to her- started doing them Christmas cards I need to get out soon- Mac’s computer died and will lend him an old one when I get it back from Andrew- went for my evening walk- called Stoney and we yapped for a while about some history in these here parts. He told me of the lake down on Sunfair that they was building in the early seventies that held 60 million gallons of water supplied by to wells with big pumps. There were supposed to be two lakes; one for boating and fishing, and one for swimming. The Corp of Engineers were doing the digging, and the local Grange that was in the old bar was collecting donations by selling trees to folk and putting their names on them. It all came to an end when an earthquake hit and a big hole opened up draining the 60 million gallons in 20 minutes! They say it sounded like a freight train when it sucked all the water up- Mary Helen called and we got it squared away- wrote my column and sent it to the newspaper- continued to write them Christmas cards and seeing if a laptop can fit in a backpack.
Tuesday 05- did my stretches, rode the bike, and lifted weights- Stoney called and needs my help lifting his broken 37 inch TV out to Lee’s truck to take down to the repair shop. Lee picked me up on his way to Stoney’s and when we tried to lift the TV Lee had problems, so we called Andrew to come help. Afterwards Andrew drove me home and we downloaded some DMV forms he needs. Lee came by and has some kind of virus on his computer and Andrew went to Lee’s to fix- went for my evening walk- Andrew and then Mac came by. I had the laptop from Andrew to give to Mac all setup- Seimi called and we jawed for a while- watched “NCIS” on CBS- Joel called and I told him how he could help me with my project- the rest of the night I spent preparing for “Project Tucson” going through some pics and other memorabilia for my parents.
Wednesday 06- did my stretches and ran a mile- finished packing for the trip to Tucson and called my friends who will take me there to pickup backpack. and he came and picked up backpack- went to Stoney’s for a hot shower- went for my evening walk- watched “Bones” on CBS and finish putting everything together for tomorrow’s trip- went to bed early.
Thursday 07- woke up at the un-godly hour of 6:45am and was outside waiting for my friends to pick me up by 7, they didn’t show till 7:40- then I was wedged into the backseat on their small truck with the their nice dog who had bad breath for an 8 hour drive to Tucson. The route we took went through the Joshua Tree National Forest to Interstate 10 and pass the beautiful mesas and cactus covered hills of Arizona. A little into the state we hit smog and for the rest of the whole trip it spread as far as the eye can see, and I thought to myself what a shame it is for such a magnificent land that Arizona is to have such a sick veil covering it’s scenery. We made two stops on the way; one to eat breakfast at a rest stop, another to fuel up- we arrived Tucson at 5pm Az. time which is one hour ahead of us and hunted for the motel my big sister told me to go to. It was supposed to be an easy off ramp drop off but we ended up almost getting lost. For some reason I felt that this wasn’t right because Shiela said there was a Denny’s near it; there wasn’t, but there were strange people hanging about. My friends dropped me off and went on their way to Texas and I called Shiela who wouldn’t be getting off till 5:30pm I found out; so I waited, and waited. At 5:40 I get a call from her, “where are you!” she asked. “At the motel you said to go to” I says, “I’ll be there in a flash” she says; so I waited, and 10 minutes later she finds the motel and we hug and greet each other and for the first time ever I have touched my own flesh and blood kin! We went to Denny’s and I had some dinner and we jawed for a while and tried not to cry, then on to Paula’s home. Got big hugs there, met her husband Mark; who is a really nice guy, and their Daughter Laura and Granddaughter Isabel. Paula gave me a notebook she had put together on our family’s genealogy that she had updated to include me. She also brought out her picture album, that we jokingly called her “Me” album, she is so sweet! Paula has a very thoughtful and kind soul. My little Brother Kevin came over and I found that I immediately liked him and started picking on him like all Big Brothers do! Then on to Mom and Dad’s home. Shiela and Kevin went with me to their home, Shiela more for support because I really trust her, except for her navigation skills, she is very wise and caring. This first acquaintance with Mom and Dad was a really significant experience for me, and kind of awkward for me and Dad at first because we where both told that we were dead; just one more twist in this strange episode of my birth, but I soon felt welcomed and felt comfortable. I gave Mom a big hug and gave her that gift that I had be keeping since I was a child, my baby shoe. Mom says that she never got the chance to see me as a baby cause the nurses took me from her. Dad, I gave a handshake to, and found that his grip is firm and strong, and he has a good sense of humor, kind of like mine. Audrey soon showed and we had more hugs! Audrey is very intelligent and has an easy going personality that I like. Shiela and Audrey left and after Mom and Dad went to bed, me and Kevin stayed up and jawed late into the night. When he left I went to my room and found the “family” picture albums and spent some time going through them. I am finding that I have a little bit of each of my family in myself and that they have a bit of me in each of them, too. A whole new experience for me for sure!
Friday 08- did my stretches- got up and cooked myself some oatmeal when Paula and Shiela came by and we all yapped for a while- Shiela, Mom and Dad, and I went for lunch at the Village Inn. Shiela had her own "ME" album and we paged through it looking at pics of places in the world she has been then afterwards Shiela had to go to work at a special education class where 8 year olds beat her up. I had a moment alone with Mom and Dad and told them the they ought to feel mighty proud for the family they razed. Then I went with Mom to her studio where she showed me her paintings; she is very talented artist and she let me pick out two for myself to take home- Kevin came by and then his Daughter Crystal showed up a little later and gave me a big hug; she seemed truly excited to meet me. Crystal is 21 years old and is married and has 4 dogs (her kids). She is highly energetic, kind of a brat but in a good way. Kevin and Crystal went on a walk with me through the neighborhood showing me the houses which gave out bad treats (Coco puffs, apples, and raisins) and to avoid them during Halloween. Our family has been living in this neighborhood since 1970. We met up with John who is Audrey’s fiancé and a big guy, knows about wireless networking, has his own business installing wireless, and has been to many third world countries setting them up- Kevin and John went to get Audrey’s mouse and drink some beer. Crystal stayed for dinner with me her uncle, Mom and Dad. Crystal was mostly brought up in this house and showed me where she sat in a chair in front of the Grandfather clock when she had chickenpox as a child. She knows web design, goes to college, and works at a pizza shop, she is a good kid and very outspoken like her Dad! Kevin showed up a little after Crystal left and we listened to Dad tell a stories about when he was on a Liberty ship in the Pacific working in the boiler room where the temp stayed a constant 110 degrees! We all swapped stories about sharks in the ocean and our travels in Europe- Candy a friend of Kevin’s for Intuit drops by and her and Kevin go out for Chinese food- Mom and Dad retire to the living room to watch TV and read (Mom) and do puzzles (Dad) from the day’s newspaper. I can only limit my attention and focus on one thing at a time, so I ended up watching bits of the shows and having bits of conversations with Dad. Read a little more of Nathaniel Philbrick’s “Mayflower” which one of our Ancestors arrived at Plymouth on. Ok, I know this sounds too dang good for a guy who just the day before Thanksgiving didn’t have “flesh and blood” kin, to a guy who has Ancestors from the Mayflower and a wonderful family! Yup, dang weird but true! And right now is the luckiest man on the face of this here planet!
Saturday 09- did my stretches- went into Dad’s study to yapped some and he showed me his collection of plates and miniature paintings on tiny easels; which was a surprise! My Dad is a man of few words until you get him talking about something he is passionate about, and then he opens up. He is very knowledgeable on many subjects- went on a 3 mile walk- stopped off at Audrey’s home on the way back. She said that Mom and Dad are going for a car drive after lunch and that she is going too. Audrey introduced me to her Daughter (my Niece) Stephanie and I got another hug. Stephanie is going to college and is very passionate about music- got back and had lunch. Dad showed helped me with the computer connection so I could get online. He told me about Hank the family hound dog of many years ago, who jumped at a June Bug and landed in the pool that they have in the backyard; he saw the dog sink to the bottom while still barking at the June Bug! Then we and Mom drove over and picked up Audrey and set out to go to Mount Lemon which is about 40 miles away and some 9,000 feet high. Lots of sharp curves going up to the top but a very nice view of Tucson.
Spent most of the time getting to know a lot more about my sister Audrey, in that we had some of the same problems as we grew up and had solved them about the same way. We had some wild tales to tell each other! I got some really nice pics of the folks at Marshal Gulch and Windy Point- Mom cooked tacos for dinner and Kevin, Crystal an her husband Mark (who is a really huge and nice guy), Shiela and her Daughter Susie showed up to jaw a while- after everyone left Dad put on one of his collections of the “The Dean Martin Show” and we watched “Law and Order” afterwards- got online and did my weekend update and answered my emails finally and one was an email from Shiela which contained a forward from my sister Donna.
Sunday 10- did my stretches and went on a 2 mile walk and stopped at Jesse Owens Park to watch a baseball game between the “Astros and the Read Socks“ (the Astros were wining)- Shiela and Kevin came by and we yapped some- had spaghetti or dinner- went for my evening walk- me and Dad went to the store for groceries- watched “Cold Case” and then some other show- went online to checked my emails and then settled down to read “Mayflower”.
Monday 11- went to Paula’s home where Laura and her Daughter Isabel; Cassandra and her Daughter Holly and Son Mark, were there. I got to play outside will the kids for a while and then Laura went to Jack and the Box to pickup some lunch for everyone. After we left me and Dad dropped Mom off at home and we went to get me some new shoes that I needed very badly- Went on a walk to Jesse Owens Park and had a quick talk with a crossing guard named John Wilber Smith who is seventy five and used to teach Little League until his knees gave out. He was said he was present when the League first started in Tucson- had the leftover spaghetti from last night and went for a walk. When I returned Shiela was there in the kitchen and we sat for a bit and yapped until she had to leave- watched TV with the folks until Audrey came by and we jawed for a while and then we went over to her house to meet her sons (my nephews) Clint and Troy, who are very intelligent, and athletic twins. They were on the computer and I was able to finagle it from them to show them my website and a few other things I have online. Then John lead me into what Audrey calls the “Pit” where he has all kinds of computer equipment! Yes! I would have stayed longer but I had to get home before the folks went to bed and I was locked out. I have so much in common with my little sister Audrey- started writing my column and finished it; sent it to the newspaper.
Tuesday 12- did my stretches- drove with Dad to take Mom to her friend Babe’s home for coffee, we went home and then picked her up an hour later. We went shopping at Fry’s, a supermarket in Az. where I mailed off my Christmas cards and bought pizza- talked to Paula who is upset about Cassandra and the kids, who when they arrived in Phoenix on their way to Montana, found that the mother of her boyfriend had left the door locked and Cassandra had to leave her belongings in the backyard. Me and Paula (and about everyone else) think that Cassandra‘s boyfriend should had got a job first before he brings the rest of the family up to a very cold Montana- we had lunch of leftover tacos, went for a walk to the park, and continued to read the “Mayflower” when I got back- we had pizza dinner and Kevin dropped over to talk to Dad, so I went for another walk- read some more of the book when I got back and then I went for one more walk; to do some thinking and look at the Christmas lights that decorate the houses near by- got back in time to watch “NCIS” on CBS with Mom and Dad. I like watching TV with them because I wont be seeing them for a while and will dearly miss them when I leave on Thursday. I made the decision on my walk. I really don’t want to leave my “Family” but I feel that if I leave now it would be best so that everyone can come to grips with the situation and have some breathing room until my next visit, and the fact that I‘d never leave if given the chance- called up Crystal to find out how her day went because I had heard she had some excitement the night before and I asked her if she had gotten any new tattoos (inside joke)- read more of the “Mayflower”- got a lot of thinking to do.
Wednesday 13- Dad had to take Mom to the doctor so I hung around the house cause I haven’t a key to get back inside, so I postponed my walk and read “Mayflower” till they came back which was suppose to be around 9 but they came back at noon and Mom missed her weekly lunch with her friends that was at 10am- Kevin, Crystal, Mark her boy friend, Shiela and her daughter Suzy showed up as we were eating dinner- later on after dinner when it was dark I went for a walk with Mom to look at the Christmas lights on the neighborhood houses and then we stopped over at Audrey’s house and jawed with John, Kevin, and Clint for a while, took some pictures and went in the “Pit” and talked a bunch of computer talk. Then John took me and Kevin out side to his barn where he has a machine shop and he showed us more of his “Toys”- got back home and watched some TV with the folks- started packing for the trip tomorrow.
Thursday 14- got up at 7am so Dad could take me to the Greyhound Bus terminal. It was tuff to say goodbye to Mom and she kept on waving to us as garage door slid shut. When we arrived I had my bags searched and myself scanned with a wand by security guard who spoke very bad English and probably was from some Caribbean island. Dad sat we me at the terminal till I was loaded on the bus and we talked about many things and got to know each other a little bit more- on the bus there was no room except all the way in the rear where I sandwiched myself between two guys whose names were Armando and Michael. Armando was on the bus for four days out of Miami and was heading for Los Angeles. Michael got on when I did and is headed for Portland via Los Vegas. Armando conversed with some fellow Latino travelers in the seats in front of us and they shared some sort of alcohol concealed in a bag which they’d pass back and forth yapping and laughing while Michael fell asleep and stayed that way for most of the two hour trip to Phoenix- transferred to a new bus and was on the way to Palm Springs with a seat of my own! We made two stops; one to pickup a gal, and the other for a rest stop for our driver. At the rest stop we were aloud to get off the bus and get food at Mc Donald’s and had to be back at the bus by 2:35pm. I had a Big Mac and fries and sat by the bus so as not to miss it. Some short heavyset fellow passenger smoking a cigarette came up to me and asked how much longer we had till the bus left. I told him we had 10 minutes left. He turned around and walked into the city of Blythe, Ca. and I never seen him again. I started calling Stoney, to arrange pickup in Palm Springs bus station, and when I couldn’t get a hold of him I talked to Andrew on his cell and he said he’d pick me up if Stoney wasn’t available. Two new passengers boarded, and older couple, who were headed down to San Diego and then Cabo San Lucas for a twenty two hours bus ride! They said it will cost them $180 each one-way. For many miles as we approached Indio and Palm Springs we could see a thick smog drape over the horizon. We arrived in Indio where the restrooms are filthy and the neighborhood is in decay; for a 20 minutes driver’s rest. I finally got a hold of Stoney and he said he is on his way to Palm Springs now. Arriving at Palm Springs I retrieved my backpack from the luggage compartment of the bus, thanked the driver, and only waited 20 minuets for my friend Stoney for the drive back home and the comforts of my own bed. My Fat Cat was really glad to see me and met me at the gate with a meow.
Friday 15- just got up and Stoney, Lee, and Andrew were honking for me to come with them to help carry Stoney’s 37inch TV into his home. That dang TV is very heavy but we got it in, hooked it up, turned it on, and sat around jawing about my trip- did my stretches and jogged a half a mile- watered the plants and stated getting my house in order after the chaos I had left it in when I left for my trip- went for my evening walk- Andrew dropped by and then Joel with my mail. Joel took care of Fat Cat while I was gone and I thanked him for that- worked on the weekend update and sent out the newsletter- watched “Numbers” on CBS- continued to work on computer and my blog the rest of the night.
Saturday 16- really windy and cloudy today, so I did my stretches and lifted weights- called Mom in Tucson to let her know I made it home alright- did some work around the house- went over to Stoney’s for fried chicken and gravy. It was mighty good- worked on catching up on some computer work I need to get done- I think I have caught a bit of a cold today.
Sunday 17- found my fiberglass septic tank on the side of the road when I woke up and had to roll it back on to my property and secured it down. The winds yesterday night where gusting to about 50mph- I wanted to run today but I have a little bit of a cold so I just did my stretches- had my breakfast and had just gotten off the computer when Stoney called for some help moving Sue’s trailer over to Gail’s yard. It took a couple of hours and when done we had some leftover chicken and gravy from yesterday. I tagged along with Stoney when he went to Staters and I picked up some more supplies I needed- will continue to read “Mayflower” tonight.
Monday 18- really chilly and windy and I’m still getting over a cold, so I just did my stretches- mostly read “Mayflower” and wrote my column and sent it to the newspaper- recorded another version of “Love Will Find A Way Home” and downloaded it to my website. I will release the song under a Creative Commons license so that others may share it, perform it, but not change it, or make money off of the song. (That’s if folks like it or even care to listen to it) Meaning that I reserve all rights to it.
Tuesday 19- still dang chilly (39 degrees) and the wind are still blowing but not as bad as yesterday. I’m feeling much recovered from my cold and decided that I’d better start my routine again, so I did my stretches, jogged a mile and lifted weights (I don’t think that I’ll exercise tomorrow)- called Stoney and he said there was snow on the ground when he went outside at 8am. I went to his house to help him cover his swamp cooler so the cold air doesn’t blow into his kitchen- Dale from Landers called- went for my evening walk- read more “Mayflower” (I’m a slow reader)- watched “NCIS” on CBS, then spent the rest of the night updating some files on the computer.
Wednesday 20- did my stretches- I’m still feeling a little under the weather so I’ll stick around the house today- Joel dropped off my mail and left some donuts; Yumm- worked around the yard and did some clean up- Stoney came by with some home made peanut butter cookies- worked on my conked out Dell 733 computer and replaced a ribbon that had broken and was the reason the hard drive was not recognized by the BIOS- went for my evening walk- watched “Bones” on CBS- Mike from Hermosa called- My dear friend Lenore Gross call and we caught up on the events in our lives.
Thursday 21- did my stretches, ran a mile, and lifted weights- Andrew came by on his run and we jawed for a bit and I printed out some tickets he bought his Mom. He asked me if I’d come over later and help him pull some stitches out of Monica’s paw; I said ok- called Mary Helen and left a message about Sandra’s check for the Christmas food basket. Called Stoney and he said Mary Helen was doing the shopping for it today and would probably cash it then- Went for my evening walk- Andrew came by and picked me up and pulled some stitches from Monica and then we watched 4 episodes of “Cosmos” and then a movie called “The Red Planet” staring Val Kilmer, and I got home around 12:30- started doing the weekend update for the website.
Friday 22- did my stretches- I’m still having remains of the cold and decided to just spend the day reading and doing nothing; which I did.
Saturday 23- did my stretches and ran half a mile- called Dan A. and wished him a happy holiday- Dale from Landers called and we yapped some- Jimmy Stonebraker called to tell me he’d be down at Stoney’s house on Wednesday- a Bob Ascherin called about a story I wrote a few weeks ago of the lakes down on Sunfair, and he has an article from the seventies with pictures he is willing to lend to me!- called Stoney and he invited me over for chicken and dumplings- Andrew called and I went over and pulled the rest of the stitches out of Monica’s paw and watched some science programs and then “Rosemary and Thyme” on PBS.
Sunday 24- woke up at 5:20am with a really bad stomach ache. Must have ate to many dumplings. I ended up taking caster oil for it- Scott and Anita called to wish me a merry- Roger T. called to tell me he got a laptop from his brother- Stoney called and invited me over for dinner, but I told him I’ll pass on it because of my stomach ache- did my stretches, run half a mile, lifted weights, and rode the bike- spent a few hours calling friends and family to wish them a merry- went for my evening walk- Jerry and I finally connected on the phone and yapped about the old grave he found. He went up there today and filled in the 2 foot hold the Police dug into it. Seemed like the proper thing to do on Christmas Eve, Jerry said- watched the new version of “Miracle on 34th Street” which was pretty dang good, and then caught the last half of “It’s a Wonderful Life” where George saves Clarence who jumped over the bridge to save him from suicide, to the end.
Monday 25- Merry Christmas- I did my stretches and ran 3 miles as a present to myself- Started calling some more friends and family to wish them all a Marry. Got a hold of Audrey and we had a very nice talk- dropped by Roger T’s home to jaw and have eggnog- hopped up on my “trusty” scooter and rode the six miles to my mailbox only to discover that I had the wrong set of keys- went to Stoney’s where we had Christmas dinner (TV dinners) and then he was very kind and drove me to my mailbox where I found many a Christmas card from my Family waiting for me there- left messages for my family who were at Audrey’s for dinner. Called Kevin who was at home with Crystal- went and checked on my friend’s dogs while he is away- called my Dad and Mother in Tucson- my dear friend Linda Clark called and we chatted about old times where we use to live- Paula my sister called and we talked about family and what it means- stoked up the wood stove and started writing my column for the newspaper.
Tuesday 26- did my stretches, ran 3 miles, and lifted weights. I don’t usually run 3 miles back to back but the weather report says it going to be really windy tomorrow- stopped and talked to Biker Ron while on my run. Look like he’s moving in for a long stay- did some work around the house and cleaned the dirt off my solar panels- went for my evening walk- watched “Nova” on PBS- continued to read “Mayflower”.
Wednesday 27- yup it’s real windy just like the Weather Service said in their report yesterday. My outhouse was almost blown over and I had to prop it up with 2by4s, everything else is ok except a roll of toilet paper escaped from the outhouse and unraveled in the yard and I had to round it all up! So I just did my stretches today- called AAA and cancelled my insurance for the truck until I get it fixed- continued to read “Mayflower”- went for my evening walk- watched “Bones” on CBS-finished reading “Mayflower”.
Thursday 28- still very windy- did my stretches and lifted weights- went over to Stoney’s where Jimmy and his family are visiting. When I pulled up on my “trusty” scooter, Jim was working on an old Honda 90 that had been sitting stored in a shed for 15 years or so. I was handed a ham sandwich by Angela and started helping fix the Honda. I went for my evening walk by pushing Jim up and down the driveway trying to get the Honda started, which turned out to be a no go. Had dinner at Stoney’s and watched Jim play with his new toy helicopter. Everyone got a hand piloting it and it got pretty torn up in the process- I went home and found my friends Mac, his son Dennis, and Stuart in my driveway checking to see if I was ok because they haven’t heard from me for a few days. I thought that was very nice of them and took some pics of Mac’s bunny slippers- was just settling down and about to light the wood stove when Jim called and said Stoney’s computer was logging into a remote computer when it went online! Well I jumped on my “trusty” scooter to check it out but it turned out to be nothing. So they all had to sit around (I love a captive audience) while I showed them my websites and blog and downloaded my song and played it for them! Afterwards we drove to my house and brought my telescope over, trained it on the Moon and Orion, and everyone took turns looking into the eye piece- worked on my website for the weekend update and sent out the newsletter.
Friday 29- did my stretches and ran 3 miles- Barb and Jerry came by and brought me a nice clock that even tells the temperature as a gift- Linda S. dropped by an borrowed 5 gallons of gas so she can get to town and will replace it later- a neighbor, Annalice, called and needs some help on her Dell 2100 computer. Spent the better part of the day working on it only to find that it has more Trojans, worms, and viruses on it than any computer I have ever worked on! Supposedly Dell is sending her a disk with XP on it, MS98SE is running on it now, and I told her that it would be better to wait till she gets the disks and load the new OS. Met her husband Jim, and friends Rob and Butch. All are musicians and Annalice writes books. She autographed one for me but I forgot it and will pick it up later. They all seem like mighty nice folks. Went for my evening walk while at Annalice’s home and the anti-virus program was running- Joel left an apple pie in my mailbox, cool- called Stoney’s and talked to everyone and heard that Jimmy fell off the Honda 90 while trying to start it being towed by Stoney in his SUV. He has all kinds of abrasions over his body and pain in his ribs. I bet that hurts- Ron and Linda called to say hi and we yapped for a while- watched “Numbers” on CBS, “South Park” on KCAL, and rapped up the evening with “Charlie Rose” talking to some IT bigwigs.
Saturday 30- did my stretches, ran a mile, rode the bike, and lifted weights- Linda S. returned the gas she borrowed yesterday- went over to Stoney’s and jawed with Jimmy and his family while their two little dogs, Aggie and Mickey, yapped and played. They are leaving tomorrow and invited me to go to potluck with them and it was hard to turn them down; so I went. Took some pics while I was there, saw some old friends, and ate way too much. I think I’ll need to run 3 miles tomorrow to burn it all off- went for my evening walk- watched “Rosemary and Thyme” on PBS- messed around on the computer some.
Sunday 31- did my stretches and ran 3 miles- called up a few folks to wish them a happy New Year- backed up files and then reloaded MS XP on my Toshiba laptop. It was running sluggish probably because of the two Linux OS I have and all the other programs I test out. I do this a few times a year so it ain’t no big deal- went for my evening walk- Linda D. picked me up to get some pieces of broken cement slab that someone had dumped, that she wants to use as pavers in her backyard- watched “60 Minutes” on CBS- updated the calendar on the website to Jan 2007- finished reading “365 Starry Nights” by Chet Raymo. Goodbye 2006 you’ve been a very good year!

This year I have accomplished a few goals that I had put forth last New Years: I quit chewing tobacco and now I’m addicted to nicotine gum. And I quit drinking coffee. I practice my guitar every night and have written a few new songs. I had been exercising for many years but had decided to increase them (weather permitting) to everyday, and got my running distance up to 3 miles. I go for a walk most every evening, and do my stretches too. I have been eating better, try to stay away from donuts, cookies, (at least I don’t buy them) and soft drinks. I’ve taken computer courses online (JavaScript, Servers, Intro to XML, PC Troubleshooting, and a few more). I have also been studying; Biology (I am very interested in cellular Biology, but find it mighty hard) , History, Astronomy, Meteorology, and Geology. I have cut the time I watch TV down to a few hours a week, and I don’t watch the news on the “tube” anymore but get it off the web.
What I like to do next year is continue to do these and add a few more. I would like to do: Hiking, learn Photography, a Programming Language, and some Math.
My Family has found me and this throws a new prospective on my life that I need to fully absorb, to understand, to nurture and incorporate into my being. This will take time.