Monday, January 06, 2014

January 2014


Wednesday 01- a nice sunny day again.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
My friend Kelly’s dog Taya passed on New Years Eve and she is really distraught so I won’t be going over to celebrate at her house.
I called Friends and Family. I am getting mixed signals from Tucson about the health of a family member and may have to make the trip out there.




Thursday 02- nice day but cold at night.
I did my stretches, yoga, deep knee bends and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists.
I am still getting mixed signals  from Tucson on the health of my biological Dad so I got everything thrown in the car that I may need; I even took a load of dirty  laundry with me to wash while I was at it cause I had no clean clothes while I was there.




Friday 03- I woke up at 8am and was on the road to Tucson arriving there six and a half hours later. My brother, who the hospital has a bed for him and lets him stay there, picked me up to take me to see my biological father who is in poor condition at the hospital. He was sleeping and we decided to come back later the next day. We had our traditional hamburgers at Carl’s Jr. and ate most of the ice cream in the fridge at home.




Saturday 04- Kevin picked me up and we went to see Dad at the hospital. He was awake this time and in good humor. Paula and her husband Mark were also there. We spent a few hours talking to Dad and then went down to the basement restaurant for lunch which tasted lousy and was expensive. We went back up to his room to say goodbye. He had a good grip on my hand when we shook hands. I left with Paula and Mark and went to their house for a spell to yammer for a spell and then they drove me home. I was tired and took a nap for an hour or more. Paula called asking if I wanted to have dinner with them and I said Kevin and I had planned to do something. They then called Kevin who would pick me up and take me to some taco joint where we would all meet; it had mighty fine food there!
Kevin took me to the family home where we yapped and ate more ice cream.
I went to sleep at 10pm Az time and awoke at 4am Az time. I had the car already packed and climbed inside to drive the six and a half hours back to my home in the desert. I slept most of the day after eating oatmeal for lunch.
I watched the new season 3 episode 2 of “Sherlock”.....



***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******


I have drank deeply the whole night sky, taking in all the galaxies, planets and globular clusters; I stand in awe at the edge of infinity within the majestic starry veneer of our Milky Way to become one with the Universe and I have never felt alone since. ~Robert DeLoyd



Words to a Friend:

May your journey zipping through the cosmos be as deep as your thoughts and inspiring as your words. ~Robert DeLoyd

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Sunday 05- sunny day!
I awoke at 4am Az time. I had the car already packed and climbed inside to drive the six and a half hours back to my home in the desert. I slept most of the day after eating oatmeal for lunch.  I watched the new season 3 episode 2 of “Sherlock”..... I already wrote all this on Saturday’s entry, but that would leave Sunday’s blank. The picture above is my sister Paula and her husband Mark; two of the nicest folks you could meet.




Monday 06- another sunny day!
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
Was waiting to take Kelly to town to do her shopping but she had some problems and needed to be close to a bathroom; I think the Christmas turkey went bad.
I read through the long preface of “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition” (2006) This is one of the books I will be studying this year; trying to get back on track with my studies.



Tuesday 07- sunny with a few clouds.
I did my stretches, yoga, and ran a mile; forgot to wear the 1.5lbs around each wrist.
Linda H. came by to collect her mail I picked up for her while she's been away on retreat.


Wednesday 08- sunny!
I did my stretches.
I took Kelly shopping; Pet Plus, we ate dinner at Carrows Restaurant, Vons and then Walmart. I was kinda mighty tired when I got back home.



Thursday 09-   sunny and nice with a strong breeze in the evening..
I did my stretches.
I had lunch with my good Friend Sherry at the Sizzler. She had a bunch of firewood for me and also made me some fruit and banana jello to take home.
I found (with Kelly's help) a new show I really like called "Person of Interest"... has all the stuff I like: computers, helping people, computers....



Friday 10- nice beautiful day with into the mid 60s with lows tonight down into the mid 40s.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I read through half of chapter one of “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition” mostly the basics so far.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
Practiced my guitar.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I finished the first section of unit 1 of Rosetta Stone Spanish course.



Saturday 11-wonderful weather we’re having.
I did my stretches and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists.
I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.
I called Family and Friends; most weren’t home or hiding from me. I did have a nice jaw with Robert VanDenburgh about our wild and crazy youth.
I read the rest of chapter one of “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition”. I answered all the questions for the quiz. I still mostly the basics. Now I have the audio visual to do.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
Practiced my guitar.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I did the the second section of unit 1 of Rosetta Stone Spanish course.




***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******


I will have to cut down on time spent on FaceBook. I am trying to get back on track with my studies and do a little editing of my books to get them published. I’ve been too distracted by too many problems of some sort or another for some time now. Though I have made many friends here I want to keep in touch with. My Friends can always leave me a chat message here on FB and I will respond. I must limit my time to those who motivate me and those I have motivated; no more funny cat pictures, hoaxes about onions or political junk for me! I love you all but must do something with my life to account for my time spent above ground.


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Lunch at Bonnie and Larry's



Sunday 12- cloudy with a bit of a cool breeze.
I did my stretches.
Late last night as I was coming back from my evening run I noticed the light was on in Cougar. I went to open up the car but it was locked which was weird cause I don’t usually lock it and I remember checking the light to make sure it was off the last time I used it. It could have been the Marine Base trying something new out; don’t worry I am not paranoid. I got the keys and tried to start the engine, but the battery was dead. So this afternoon I went and started my truck the Gross Polluter and pulled it around and connected jumper cables that barely reached after pushing the Cougar out of the garage as far as I could and maneuvering the truck just so, that it was only inches I had to work with. I let it charge for a few minutes and drove it down to collect my mail and give the battery a good charge.
Today I designate it be cleaning day for the mess and dingyness I call my home. Though I didn’t get very far I did manage to open old mail and put a few things away.




Monday 13- temps of 64 to 43 degrees.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I did audio visual and found a bunch more quizzes for chapter one of “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition”. Again I answered all the questions, got a few wrong and that’s a good thing because I can go back and study what I didn’t understand.




Tuesday 14- temps to 69 to 46 degrees.
I did my stretches, yoga, deep knee bends and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrist.
I started reading chapter two of “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition” about different seismic waves and how they travel at different speeds through different layers of the Earth.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I helped my friend Bonnie with her laptop.
I watched a couple of episodes of “Person of Interest”, great show!




Wednesday 15- nice day!
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
Went over to Kelly’s to dig a resting place for her beautiful dog Taya and put her in the ground and said our goodbyes at Moonrise.




Thursday 16- windy in the morning, but nice throughout the rest of the day.
I did my stretches. I think I’ll lighten up on my exercises for the next couple of days.
I worked for a spell on the Harley and finally got her up and running!
I went for an evening walk.




Friday 17- beautiful outside!
I did my stretches and later in the day I went for a short walk.
Kelly finally found a place to get her meds and we zipped right on down to Rite Aid and picked them all out. Then we stopped at Staters and I got a few things and some chicken that we ate at her house.




Saturday 18- another bright and sunny day outside.
I did my stretches.
I took the Cougar over to visit Bonnie and Larry. Bonnie made us some barbecue sandwiches and Larry and I watched “Wall-E” (2008) and animation movie about the last cleanup robot on Earth who falls in love with a robot sent by an Earth ship that is on its 700th anniversary of a five year voyage waiting for plant life to be found on Earth again so the ship can return. I thought it was a fun film.


I watched a couple of episodes of “Person Of Interest” here and there throughout the week....



***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******


Part of being creative and innovative is going out on a limb by yourself with your work held high, jumping up and down saying, “See what I did!” If the branch breaks only you will be the one to fall. So to hell with everyone else who seems to be a critic! They're still on the ground looking up while you are reaching for the highest thinnest branch! ~Robert Deloyd



A perspective: Isn't it interesting how some of us can turn our internal strife into material items which holds our minds perpetually spellbound and planted in some superficial clutter unable to escape for fear of losing such and then continuing on with this cycle of collecting more ostentatious items to satisfy our vanity or some imagined conflict we are having within ourselves. It is also amazing to me how some of us can turn our internal strife into things of beauty. ~Robert DeLoyd



Paintings, sculptures or words can render the moment of such a sweet lass, but only a poet’s heart or an angel’s touch could ever come near to knowing such a beautiful soul as thee. ~Robert DeLoyd


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Sunday 19- cloudy but nice. (First Flower I've seen since September or so)
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for seven minutes.
I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I called Family and Friends... I think they're still in hiding from me.
I finished the final edit that I got from Bonnie and will have her make a little change on the book cover and it goes up on Amazon.com...
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I got caught up on my astronomy reading.


Monday 20- temps of 64 to 43 degrees.
I did my stretches, jumping jacks, deep knee bends and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrist.
I helped a person with their for almost an hour over the phone.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I updated Bonnie’s laptop to Win 8.1 from 8.0. Took a long time to download and install. I also talked to her about rewording the cover on two of my books.
I continued reading chapter two of “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition”
I started rereading “The Cell: A molecular Approach”.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I practiced my guitar.




Tuesday 21- overcast but a nice day. (Picture of me waking up)
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for eight minutes.
Seems like I worked on computers and getting my book ready to publish on Amazon.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I did more reading of chapter two of “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition”.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.




Wednesday 22- overcast!
I did my stretches.
I got Bonnie’s laptop all fixed and took it to her home to install it on my way to Yucca Valley to do some shopping for a very sick Kelly.
Setting up the laptop for Bonnie took a short time once we figured out how the HDMI hookup worked and installed Google Browser on the desktop instead of  on the the dang start screen on Win8.1 which I uninstalled.
Then I went to Pet Plus to get meds for Kelly’s cats, Vons, WalMart, and then onto Kelly’s where we ate some chicken after getting some bread in her to settle her stomach. We watched a new series called “Intelligents” what I thought was kind of a little/lot like “Person of Interest”...
I got home early to read a little more of chapter 2 of  “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition”; and watched some videos of cell functions trying to get my head around DNA and Chromosomes.
I watched the last episodes of “Merlin” and was saddened by the ending of the show.



Thursday 23- still cloudy today.
I did my stretches, jumping jacks, deep knee bends and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrist.
I got caught up in writings with my sister Pauls. She sent me an email on something she is submitting and made the unfortunate mistake of asking for my advice. But to be fair I submitted something to her I wrote so she can get back at me.
I went for my evening walk with my backpack.


Friday 24- beautiful outside!
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for seven minutes. I went for a cool down walk after all this.
I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I spent all day working on the revision of “Rainbow at the End of Tomorrow” and uploaded what I revived and the new cover that Bonnie did for me to Amazon. Once that was all done I uploaded book 2 of the series called “The Water’s Edge” and its cover also done beautifully by by my artistic friend Bonnie. I am still waiting for Amazon to change the cover to book one; it’s still showing the old one that will be used on book 3 “The Dolphin Queen”, but I was told it may take time for it to filter down through their system.








Saturday 25- another bright and sunny day outside.
I did my stretches.
I woke up late and had just enough time to cook up my Mystery chile and rice casserole for potluck. I’d say there were around fifteen hungry desert folks showing up to have a jaw with their friends and neighbors. Dyan Carroll and Dorothy Jacobsen  pushed the limits of culinary art with their delicious chicken divan, cauliflower in cheese sauce, acorn squash in rosemary butter and bread pudding. Chris Jonas made his world famous award winning tummy filling macaroni salad. Newcomers to our little community Susie and John brought a marvelous chile relleno casserole we all helped to devour. Mary and Chris Koval slaved all day over a hot wood stove cooking us turkey vegetable soup, a bean chile delight, corn bread and mounds of cake that tasted mighty fine. Shyonna and her Mom brought love, happiness and cheer to all of us there.
I watched a movie on Netflix call “Jack Reacher” (2012) starring Tom Cruise; ex-Army sniper turned kinda detective.

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Sunday 26- cloudy all day and it rained a bit in the evening.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for eight minutes.
I watered the plants and started up the Harley, truck and little scooter and let them run for a spell.
I went for a short walk... thinking.



Monday 27- mostly sunny.
I did my stretches.
I went to doctor’s appointment and then picked up my meds. I noticed that the people sitting around in the waiting room had tablets or smartphones. I got into a conversation with the guy next to me on my left who was playing some kinda game on his; he told me the name of the game when I asked but I didn’t recognize it I guess because I don’t play game. The guy on my right was busy working on his ten inch tablet which looked more interesting to me, but I didn’t want to bother him; I also noticed a smartphone on his lap. The lady across the room had a tablet too. I thought it kinda funny that here are all these folks with their tables and I have a few at home, one being just released a month ago and here I sit with an old cell phone that only makes telephone calls.
I stopped off at WalMart to buy a few things for Kelly who is still sick in bed. I bought us a broiled chicken and red potato salad to eat and watched a few episodes of some show she liked.



Tuesday 28- nice day.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for eight minutes. I went for a short cool off walk; I think I’ll be doing these for now on.
I got caught up with my astronomy readings.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack. I did the core trainer when I got back; I’ll be doing this too after my walk.
I did more reading of chapter two of “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition”; Gravity measurements using a gravity meter: Newton’s law of gravitation= the force of gravity between two objects and the distance between them, but I think this here sounds better than what I wrote: "law of gravitation: (physics) the law that states any two bodies attract each other with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them"... Underground dense metallic ore would pull the down spring more on the gravity meter than a cave would. Also if the the area is being held in or out of isostatic equilibrium. A positive than normal isostatic reading means that an area is being held up by tectonic. Oceanic trenches have the most negative isostatic readings means they are being held down and out of isostatic balance.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run. I did the core trainer when I got back; yes it feels good!
I studied “The Cell: a Molecular Approach”; the development of multicellular organisms.
I watched  season 6 episode 13 of “Castle”; a rockstar is found murdered, but not.
I finished lesson 1 unit 2; pronunciation of Rosetta Stone Spanish course.
I practiced my guitar.
I decided to start rereading “Astronomy Today; Fifth Edition”; just a few pages. I felt I am getting a little rusty on the subject. I figure I can read and learn a little bit of each of these books almost every night.



Wednesday 29- overcast!
I did my stretches, jumping jacks, deep knee bends, core trainer, and ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrist.
I cleaned a little inside the house; I swear there’s someone else living here making all this mess.
I reading chapter one “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition”; Earth’s Magnetic Field.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells, core trainer and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I reading chapter 1 of “The Cell: a Molecular Approach”; Cells as Experimental Models: E. coli.
I read chapter 1.1 our place in the universe in “Astronomy Today; Fifth Edition”



Thursday 30- a bit overcast and windy today.
I did my stretches; kinda rest day.
UPS delivered my Aims 1250 watt inverter. I hooked it up with little problems and had the refrigerator up and cooling down in no time.
I finished my 100 word story for the Readers Digest contest my sister Paul and I both entered. I usually don’t do these contests because there must be tens of thousands of entries and I really doubt the editors have the time or patience to go through them all; I wouldn’t.
I went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I reading chapter one “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition”; Geothermal Gradient.
I reading chapter 1 of “The Cell: a Molecular Approach”; Cells as Experimental Models: Yeasts, Dictyostelium discoideum (slime mold) and Caenorhabditis elegans.
I read chapter 1.2 Scientific theory and the scientific method in “Astronomy Today; Fifth Edition”
I finished unit 1 lesson 2; Grammar of Rosetta Stone Spanish course.
I started work on the poetry book some folks want me to do. I also worked on a new book that’s been lingering around on my laptop called “The Girl in the Cellar” that Bonnie created a most hideously haunting cover for.



Friday 30- very windy and colder today with clouds blackening the sky!
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs dumbbells in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for eight minutes. I went for a short cool off walk afterwards.
I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack. I did the core trainer when I got back.      
HA! Something I forgot I was doing last year and stopped in March when there was some problems in my Family: I did my studies; an English workbook on grammar, and another in “1100 words you need to know workbook” and I drew something: two male faces.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack. I did the core trainer when I got back.
I am reading chapter one “Physical Geology: Earth Revealed 6th edition”; Summary of the chapter.
I am reading chapter 1 of “The Cell: a Molecular Approach”; Cells as Experimental Models: Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), Arabidopsis thaliana (Some kinda flowering plant) and Vertebrates (Frogs, Zebrafish, monkeys, humans and transgenic rats).
I read chapter 1.3 The Obvious View in “Astronomy Today; Fifth Edition”; describes the different measurements like light years, how we divide cosmos into 360 arc degrees; One degree equals 60 arcminutes and a arcminute into 60 arcseconds, Declination and Right Ascension, and a little bit on constellations.
I thought I finished unit 1 lesson 2; Grammar of Rosetta Stone Spanish course, but it made me take it over again. Plus I think I answered the different kinds of question sets the wrong way. I will persevere.
I practiced my guitar.
I watched season 2 episode 14 of “Elementary: Dead Clay Walking”. Also watched a couple of episodes of “Unforgettable” about a woman police office who doesn’t forget anything... I’m not sure I care for it because it’s too predictable so far.





***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******

Part of a song I've updated and been writing for many years:
Whatever happened to the young girl we used to know who was the breath of early spring.
With flowers in your hair we danced on a moonbeam and watched the stars as they go by. ~Robert DeLoyd




My Readers Digest- 100-Word True Story Contest Entry:

Whimpering, an abandoned puppy collided with obstacles while picking his way through the scorching desert. Noticing he was blind I made sounds so he could follow me home. After a week he had my whole backyard mapped in his mind. Hide and seek was his favorite game on our walks. He didn’t know he was blind and would sniff me out and jump with joy upon finding me. I couldn’t keep him, shelters weren’t taking blind dogs, but one found a couple whose blind dog recently died. Tears came that evening walking without my buddy sniffing the air behind me.




Dreams of opulence oh slender maiden, who rests before me so frail and timid. Shall I take a chance and hold thee in arms so strong, this lovely soul I have shied away from for so long? To breathe a breath of delightful relief if accepted or wallow in the darkest depths of self pity not ever knowing, to be alone until my demise. If only to rise again to meet the challenge, a quest I seek till my journey's end, a love, a loss I may never defeat.
~Robert DeLoyd


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