3 is off to NYC again tomorrow for another bulge-bracket interview. I'm worn out and I've just been talking about it. Good luck girl!
My experience with radio advertising has been less than stellar. When I tuned in to a game a couple weeks ago where my spot was supposed to be aired twice, I never heard it played. I called my sales rep to report my findings and, sure enough, the ad had not been played. Last Friday, I did hear the spot, by chance, but it sounded like the first draft which was re-cut in early September to fix a couple of smalls mis-pronunciations. When I again called my sales rep, she emailed me the spot that they had been using all season, and it was, in fact, the original rendition. I sent her back the email message that she had sent to me in early September with the corrected pronunciations. And she is saying that they need to re-cut it again? Whose on first?
The NBA season opens tonight. Do any games before April matter? At least the players now know that they are not supposed to carry guns anymore. I feel so secure.
The PGA has the season-ending tournament this weekend in Atlanta. It's for only the top 30 players, with no cut, and a $100,000 payday for the last place finisher. And Tiger and Phil are both no-shows, citing personal reasons. $25K a day (at a minimum) just isn't enough to get my attention.
So what's the right length for a season? College football is basically 5 months. The same for college basketball. Pro football runs about 6 months with the play-offs. Baseball is almost 7 with the play-offs. The NBA is probably close to 8. NASCAR is 10. Golf 10-11. Who cares about hockey? This is a rhetorical quiz.
For the religious among us, tomorrow, November 1st, is All Saints Day, a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church. And while on the topic, All Souls Day is November 2nd. And the difference is...? I think that they are fewer saints, while all of the departed are considered souls.
I hate to agree with SI's Rick Reilly, but his back page column in last week's issue was pretty well on point. The topic was the irony that the San Francisco reporters who broke the baseball steroid story a couple years ago may end up in jail for contempt of the court if they don't reveal their sources for the story to the judge. This outcome for the messengers while among the abusers and their providers, one individual did a total of 4 months behind bars. As is well-documented on this blog, I don't like reporters. But this seems like a lousy result.
I'm off to avoid the goblins and street urchins.
Be extra careful out there.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Monday PM
This has been a typical Monday. And I don't like Mondays.
The moon and stars were out of whack from the start this AM when a lone stranger took my chair at SB's and we had to sit at a different table. Everybody who came through gave the same, "What's the deal here?" look to us.
Tomorrow is Halloween, my most detested "holiday" of the year. It was ok for the girls when they were little, but I became pretty jaded once the junior high, and older, kids made their way through the neighborhoods. And the visits by total strangers from other parts of the city, or other states took any remaining fun or cuteness out of the event. I do remember an Indian Princess parade float (the Sioux tribe with 4) in the blue truck with 3 as my co-pilot as being a good time and kind of cool.
A teacher at Bettendorf said at coffee today that the Bettendorf elementary schools had some internal discussions on how to celebrate Halloween (or not), and the ultimate decision was to take a 2 day Fall Break and simply not have to deal with the political correctness of any conclusion. Who wins there?
We had a discussion at coffee last week one day about the vamp character, "Elvira", who I thought was a pretty hot babe years ago. She did mostly beer commercials. And lots of Holloween stuff. Most of the people in the coffee group had trouble figuring out who she was, and I couldn't remember what brand she represented. Coors, I think. She's probably pushing 60 these days. Aren't we all.
I registered for the TT today. $20 entry fee through 11/10/06. Then it goes up to $22. It's $25 on race day. T-shirts to the first 1500 registrants.
The Marine Corps Marathon in DC yesterday drew around 30,000 runners. One heart attack death on the route, and at least one other close call. That race might be a fun one to do one day, ladies. I think the route makes it's way around lots of the historical stuff in DC.
The 24 survived a couple of wrecks to finish 6th yesterday at Atlanta. He basically has no chance at the championship, but he's been competitive these last couple of weeks. If he doesn't get crashed out, or the motor doesn't fail, the car will normally be in the top 5. Luck has a lot to do with the finish order.
I have made contributions the last couple of years to The Victory Junction Gang camp, initially set-up by the Petty family. The camp is designed to be a true camping experience for terminally ill kids or kids with severe disabilities. It has become a major charity for all of NASCAR. Check it out.
So I'm off to do a run with 2. Hope your weeks are starting well.
Be careful out there.
The moon and stars were out of whack from the start this AM when a lone stranger took my chair at SB's and we had to sit at a different table. Everybody who came through gave the same, "What's the deal here?" look to us.
Tomorrow is Halloween, my most detested "holiday" of the year. It was ok for the girls when they were little, but I became pretty jaded once the junior high, and older, kids made their way through the neighborhoods. And the visits by total strangers from other parts of the city, or other states took any remaining fun or cuteness out of the event. I do remember an Indian Princess parade float (the Sioux tribe with 4) in the blue truck with 3 as my co-pilot as being a good time and kind of cool.
A teacher at Bettendorf said at coffee today that the Bettendorf elementary schools had some internal discussions on how to celebrate Halloween (or not), and the ultimate decision was to take a 2 day Fall Break and simply not have to deal with the political correctness of any conclusion. Who wins there?
We had a discussion at coffee last week one day about the vamp character, "Elvira", who I thought was a pretty hot babe years ago. She did mostly beer commercials. And lots of Holloween stuff. Most of the people in the coffee group had trouble figuring out who she was, and I couldn't remember what brand she represented. Coors, I think. She's probably pushing 60 these days. Aren't we all.
I registered for the TT today. $20 entry fee through 11/10/06. Then it goes up to $22. It's $25 on race day. T-shirts to the first 1500 registrants.
The Marine Corps Marathon in DC yesterday drew around 30,000 runners. One heart attack death on the route, and at least one other close call. That race might be a fun one to do one day, ladies. I think the route makes it's way around lots of the historical stuff in DC.
The 24 survived a couple of wrecks to finish 6th yesterday at Atlanta. He basically has no chance at the championship, but he's been competitive these last couple of weeks. If he doesn't get crashed out, or the motor doesn't fail, the car will normally be in the top 5. Luck has a lot to do with the finish order.
I have made contributions the last couple of years to The Victory Junction Gang camp, initially set-up by the Petty family. The camp is designed to be a true camping experience for terminally ill kids or kids with severe disabilities. It has become a major charity for all of NASCAR. Check it out.
So I'm off to do a run with 2. Hope your weeks are starting well.
Be careful out there.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Sunday
So Happy End of Daylight Savings Time!
It has been an outdoor day for me. Yard work. Some errands in Margret. Maybe a little run yet this evening. Tomorrow may be a warm/nice day too.
3 has yet to get home from C-town. Her re-scheduled flight doesn't leave ORD until like 10PM. I was always a little reluctant to take a late flight out of ORD because of the possibility of a flight cancellation and there then being no option but a hotel and an early AM departure. UAL was famous for finding a mechanical on a nearly empty late evening flight.
4 was successful in posting pics to her blogger blog. I'll be consulting with her to add some art to this site.
With the change in time, I think that we'll now be able to get back to Frank and Melanie. I'll have to go back and re-read some things to get up to speed. I'll maybe do a recap one day so that we can all be on the same page (pun intended).
How 'bout a little Top Ten List to make a Sunday afternoon a little lighter?
Top Ten Most Fun Things to do in late October/early November:
1. Tailgate at a college football game.
2. Watch a World Series game at a good watering hole.
3. Roast some marshmellows with 4 little girls.
4. Cruise on the weekends in Margret.
5. Later and longer at SB's on the weekend mornings.
6. Apple-picking in Hampton. With the girls.
7. Chasing the marathoners.
8. The final mowing of the yard for the year.
9. Tuscan red. Actually this works anytime.
10. A traditional pig roast. There were some wild ones in Solon. Not the pigs. They were very domestic. The attendees were not always that tame.
So add your own. Have a great week. Good luck in all that you do.
Be careful out there.
It has been an outdoor day for me. Yard work. Some errands in Margret. Maybe a little run yet this evening. Tomorrow may be a warm/nice day too.
3 has yet to get home from C-town. Her re-scheduled flight doesn't leave ORD until like 10PM. I was always a little reluctant to take a late flight out of ORD because of the possibility of a flight cancellation and there then being no option but a hotel and an early AM departure. UAL was famous for finding a mechanical on a nearly empty late evening flight.
4 was successful in posting pics to her blogger blog. I'll be consulting with her to add some art to this site.
With the change in time, I think that we'll now be able to get back to Frank and Melanie. I'll have to go back and re-read some things to get up to speed. I'll maybe do a recap one day so that we can all be on the same page (pun intended).
How 'bout a little Top Ten List to make a Sunday afternoon a little lighter?
Top Ten Most Fun Things to do in late October/early November:
1. Tailgate at a college football game.
2. Watch a World Series game at a good watering hole.
3. Roast some marshmellows with 4 little girls.
4. Cruise on the weekends in Margret.
5. Later and longer at SB's on the weekend mornings.
6. Apple-picking in Hampton. With the girls.
7. Chasing the marathoners.
8. The final mowing of the yard for the year.
9. Tuscan red. Actually this works anytime.
10. A traditional pig roast. There were some wild ones in Solon. Not the pigs. They were very domestic. The attendees were not always that tame.
So add your own. Have a great week. Good luck in all that you do.
Be careful out there.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Saturday
Good day in IC. But cold and windy. Roy and I didn't even go into the game. We saw several friends/acquaintances in the parking lot. And we could easily hear the radio play-by-play and could also watch the replays on Hawk Vision. It would have been nicer if it was warmer. Enjoyed seeing 4 and friends. Missed 1 and 3. Another time.
2 and I did 4.8 this AM in 53+. But we were both hurting.
3 is still in C-town, electing to spend the evening with summer friends after her morning interview. The Friday interviews in NYC went well, with BofA already indicating that an offer would be forthcoming. She has also received other calls, including Merrill in NYC, so her whirlwind will continue for a few more days.
Roy has the suite for next week's Northwestern game. It may be a command attendance thing.
So I'll come up with more substance tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
2 and I did 4.8 this AM in 53+. But we were both hurting.
3 is still in C-town, electing to spend the evening with summer friends after her morning interview. The Friday interviews in NYC went well, with BofA already indicating that an offer would be forthcoming. She has also received other calls, including Merrill in NYC, so her whirlwind will continue for a few more days.
Roy has the suite for next week's Northwestern game. It may be a command attendance thing.
So I'll come up with more substance tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Fiday
Typical Friday for me. Early departure and Tuscan red.
This is pretty big news. Ivan Basso has been cleared by the biking associations and is free to race. He was released from his contract with CSC a couple of weeks ago. Look for him to sign with Discovery and be their lead dog in 2007. He could win multiple TdF races in the next few years.
By the by...the 2007 Tour route was unveiled this week. The opening prologue is in London. They then cross the channel for the first stage in northwestern France. The route goes clockwise in '07 so they'll get to the Alps early for some sorting out of the players and the pretenders.
One of my meetings in Dubuque this AM was with a guy whose company had redeveloped an older downtown building for their office. I'm sure that there were rehab credits and local incentives to make the deal attractive for this company, because it is still an old building, but the interior was pretty nice. It was the original Kresge's Five and Dime Store, just like there were in most old downtowns, like Ottumwa. I had guessed to myself that it may have been a Kresge's store as I walked in, and I gave myself a little pat on the back when that proved to be the case.
The core of Dubuque's downtown Main Street had been shut off as a mall for about 30 years beginning in the early '70's. Just like Ottumwa. And they finally reopened it because the concept had failed miserably. Just like Ottumwa. The universal result of closed off streets in downtowns was the elimination of downtowns. (The planners that came up with that idea as the survival strategy for small town America are now working on that wall at the Mexican border.) Dubuque at least has some redevelopment going on now, spurned on I expect by an active gaming industry. Ottumwa was unsuccessful in getting a license this last go-around.
Cardinals can close the deal tonight. Lots of sports media people, none in StL, unhappy with that fact. They say the best teams, like the Yankees and Mets aren't playing, and the Tigers were waiting too long to start the Series. Cry me a river. Looks to me like the Cards are playing the best ball at the right time.
IC tomorrow. Will miss 1.
Be careful out there!
This is pretty big news. Ivan Basso has been cleared by the biking associations and is free to race. He was released from his contract with CSC a couple of weeks ago. Look for him to sign with Discovery and be their lead dog in 2007. He could win multiple TdF races in the next few years.
By the by...the 2007 Tour route was unveiled this week. The opening prologue is in London. They then cross the channel for the first stage in northwestern France. The route goes clockwise in '07 so they'll get to the Alps early for some sorting out of the players and the pretenders.
One of my meetings in Dubuque this AM was with a guy whose company had redeveloped an older downtown building for their office. I'm sure that there were rehab credits and local incentives to make the deal attractive for this company, because it is still an old building, but the interior was pretty nice. It was the original Kresge's Five and Dime Store, just like there were in most old downtowns, like Ottumwa. I had guessed to myself that it may have been a Kresge's store as I walked in, and I gave myself a little pat on the back when that proved to be the case.
The core of Dubuque's downtown Main Street had been shut off as a mall for about 30 years beginning in the early '70's. Just like Ottumwa. And they finally reopened it because the concept had failed miserably. Just like Ottumwa. The universal result of closed off streets in downtowns was the elimination of downtowns. (The planners that came up with that idea as the survival strategy for small town America are now working on that wall at the Mexican border.) Dubuque at least has some redevelopment going on now, spurned on I expect by an active gaming industry. Ottumwa was unsuccessful in getting a license this last go-around.
Cardinals can close the deal tonight. Lots of sports media people, none in StL, unhappy with that fact. They say the best teams, like the Yankees and Mets aren't playing, and the Tigers were waiting too long to start the Series. Cry me a river. Looks to me like the Cards are playing the best ball at the right time.
IC tomorrow. Will miss 1.
Be careful out there!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Thursday
I think I wrote about this before, but I had another one of those mornings when I "knicked" myself while shaving and had one of those forever bleeders. That's one of the reasons why I hate to shave. If there were sharks out, I would have been deaded meat.
Busy day here today with many things going on. I have morning meetings in Dubuque tomorrow which will make for a very quick Friday.
Is there anything as silly as the USA building a fence along the Mexican border? Do people drink tainted water in DC and lose all rational thought? The best editorial cartoon showed the US guys erecting a 20 foot fence and a guy just across the border selling 21 foot ladders.
Another incident today of reading about the death of a client in the morning obituaries. When you work with an older clientel, this is not an uncommon event. This was an older gentleman whose wife had passed away a few years ago, and he never got over it. He had managed to live pretty independently these last several years, but he wasn't what you would call healthy. Roy and I talk at coffee about what the conversation might be like among the survivors when we make the papers, and we figure that the stories will not all be complimentary.
2 and I are headed for another run tonight. In the rain.
3 is on her way back to more interviews in NYC (NYC!) tomorrow. Go Girl! The Lt. likes the concept of well-paid, full time employment for his progeny.
Thanks to 4 for the nice, hand-written "thank you" note for the Dad's Day event.
Maybe the Card's can get a win in tonight, but the forecast is not so good. For many of my readers, a Thursday night forecast may be Grey anyway.
Be careful out there
Busy day here today with many things going on. I have morning meetings in Dubuque tomorrow which will make for a very quick Friday.
Is there anything as silly as the USA building a fence along the Mexican border? Do people drink tainted water in DC and lose all rational thought? The best editorial cartoon showed the US guys erecting a 20 foot fence and a guy just across the border selling 21 foot ladders.
Another incident today of reading about the death of a client in the morning obituaries. When you work with an older clientel, this is not an uncommon event. This was an older gentleman whose wife had passed away a few years ago, and he never got over it. He had managed to live pretty independently these last several years, but he wasn't what you would call healthy. Roy and I talk at coffee about what the conversation might be like among the survivors when we make the papers, and we figure that the stories will not all be complimentary.
2 and I are headed for another run tonight. In the rain.
3 is on her way back to more interviews in NYC (NYC!) tomorrow. Go Girl! The Lt. likes the concept of well-paid, full time employment for his progeny.
Thanks to 4 for the nice, hand-written "thank you" note for the Dad's Day event.
Maybe the Card's can get a win in tonight, but the forecast is not so good. For many of my readers, a Thursday night forecast may be Grey anyway.
Be careful out there
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Wednesday PM
Just a few lines before heading out. Running again with 2 tonight at 6.
The local water company called to have me make an appointment for them to come by and exchanged my meter, and possibly put in a remote reading device. This is a combination of new technology meets programmed retro-fitting of fixed equipment. They say that the useful life is around 15 years. No charge for any of this, but any bets that there will come a day when the customer will have to absorb this cost? The water company is a private business. My guess is that the strategic plan will have the customer paying for this stuff on the next go-around.
In that light, the water company has been seriously soliciting a water line insurance policy from me this year. Those solicitations come in very official-looking envelopes with "Urgent" types of messages in bright pseudo-handwriting on the face of the envelope. The pitch is that since the pipe coming from the street is the homeowner's responsibility, you should insure the possibility that that pipe will need to be replaced. And they have a point. If that pipe fails, it can cost several thousand dollars to replace/repair. I've seen it happen. But it galls me to no end that they want another five bucks a month to provide for that possibility. The water company will absolutely win on that game, assuming that enough homeowners bite. It's like the casino. The House wins.
The same Law of Large Numbers applies to extended warranties at Best Buy and other appliance stores. The House always wins. Unless you drop your PDA in the waste basket at SB's!
I think that the policies on cell phones may be worth the price. I've seen enough phones lost, watered, dropped, or otherwise rendered useless to convince me to buy the insurance. My pal Roy loses those things two at a time.
Go Cardinals! I'm amazed at the uproar on the Kenny Rogers "Smudgegate" by the sports media, and by some former players. It ain't cheatin' if ya ain't caught. And LaRussa gave him a pass. So move on to something else. Please!
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
The local water company called to have me make an appointment for them to come by and exchanged my meter, and possibly put in a remote reading device. This is a combination of new technology meets programmed retro-fitting of fixed equipment. They say that the useful life is around 15 years. No charge for any of this, but any bets that there will come a day when the customer will have to absorb this cost? The water company is a private business. My guess is that the strategic plan will have the customer paying for this stuff on the next go-around.
In that light, the water company has been seriously soliciting a water line insurance policy from me this year. Those solicitations come in very official-looking envelopes with "Urgent" types of messages in bright pseudo-handwriting on the face of the envelope. The pitch is that since the pipe coming from the street is the homeowner's responsibility, you should insure the possibility that that pipe will need to be replaced. And they have a point. If that pipe fails, it can cost several thousand dollars to replace/repair. I've seen it happen. But it galls me to no end that they want another five bucks a month to provide for that possibility. The water company will absolutely win on that game, assuming that enough homeowners bite. It's like the casino. The House wins.
The same Law of Large Numbers applies to extended warranties at Best Buy and other appliance stores. The House always wins. Unless you drop your PDA in the waste basket at SB's!
I think that the policies on cell phones may be worth the price. I've seen enough phones lost, watered, dropped, or otherwise rendered useless to convince me to buy the insurance. My pal Roy loses those things two at a time.
Go Cardinals! I'm amazed at the uproar on the Kenny Rogers "Smudgegate" by the sports media, and by some former players. It ain't cheatin' if ya ain't caught. And LaRussa gave him a pass. So move on to something else. Please!
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday AM
Sorry for the disconnect yesterday. I had an appointment out of the office at 4:30 and I just never got back.
Sounds like 3 had a long day to and from NYC. Missed connections coming home, scrambling to find another flight, etc. Details to follow from her at some point.
2 joined our group for coffee this AM. She needed to remind my friend Roy about a commitment at the museum tomorrow. 2 had her haired curled a la '50's style, and the only thing missing was the poodle skirt.
So I'll try to add some content later today.
Be careful out there.
Sounds like 3 had a long day to and from NYC. Missed connections coming home, scrambling to find another flight, etc. Details to follow from her at some point.
2 joined our group for coffee this AM. She needed to remind my friend Roy about a commitment at the museum tomorrow. 2 had her haired curled a la '50's style, and the only thing missing was the poodle skirt.
So I'll try to add some content later today.
Be careful out there.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Monday PM
The earlier entry was actually Monday AM. I have had a bit of a malfunction with my PC as the Sunday editing job and the Monday entry did not record on my machine. I checked the blog on another machine and it was updated. Very odd.
Running with 2 in a little while.
Interesting how the Powers That Be schedule the sporting events to minimize major conflict with the networks. No Sunday Night Football last night because of the World Series. No World Series against MNF tonight.
ND is getting no respect in the polls. They're not even in the AP Top 10 this week. Then again, they haven't looked that good either.
I have purchased an air purifier for my house. 3 was the primary motivation, but I also was interested in getting rid of the "old house" odor. Seems to have a small positive effect in the first 24 hours. We'll see. I'm a little curious about the utility costs of it.
Remember to take the Cingulair, 3. And be a star in the Big Apple.1 You are a star!!
Gotta go or 2 will be unhappy. Have a great evening/morning.
Be careful out there.
Running with 2 in a little while.
Interesting how the Powers That Be schedule the sporting events to minimize major conflict with the networks. No Sunday Night Football last night because of the World Series. No World Series against MNF tonight.
ND is getting no respect in the polls. They're not even in the AP Top 10 this week. Then again, they haven't looked that good either.
I have purchased an air purifier for my house. 3 was the primary motivation, but I also was interested in getting rid of the "old house" odor. Seems to have a small positive effect in the first 24 hours. We'll see. I'm a little curious about the utility costs of it.
Remember to take the Cingulair, 3. And be a star in the Big Apple.1 You are a star!!
Gotta go or 2 will be unhappy. Have a great evening/morning.
Be careful out there.
Monday PM
For the record, I tried several times to edit the 2 typos in the first paragraph of yesterday's posting and the system seems to want to ignore those corrections. I've made similar edits in the past with success, so I'm not sure why this time is different. It must have been the sequence used in the posting. The program probably has certain loops that cannot be re-directed.
Cool this AM. Feels like Fall.
More later. Have a great day.
Be careful out there.
Cool this AM. Feels like Fall.
More later. Have a great day.
Be careful out there.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Sunday
Great evening in IC last night. The Theta girls did a fine job of hosting their dads. I am very proud of 3 and 4. It was good to hear both of them talk about the things that they are doing now and hope to do in the future. Thanks for the evening!
The trip over and back was pretty routine. But it was a little more difficult than normal because of the rain. Sure hope we have better luck on the weather next weekend. The new Buick has been on the I-80 track 4 or 5 times in the last month. And 4 talks about coming this way a lot!
The Hawkeye's played well, but Michigan was just too good. I was surprised to see the bar/grill that we went to for a sandwich on the East side of town so empty during the game. Everybody either stayed home or were in the downtown places.
The best part of the game was when we switched channels and saw ND pull out the win against UCLA. From an economics perspective, that win was literally worth millions to ND. If they had lost, they would have most assuredly been headed to a Gator Bowl-like post season game. They could still lose a game (they do have to play USC on the Thanksgiving weekend), but if they don't, those BCS games are worth $10 mil or so. Actually, I think they changed the rules last year to limit how much ND can get since the Irish don't have to share it with other league members like other BCS schools.
The Cardinals had a good night.
Cool out there today. I have plants to get indoors and yardwork to clean up around my house. I think that the temps are a little below normal for this time of year. We should have a few nice days over the next few weeks, but probably not many in the 80's.
3 has two trips to NY this week. Good luck, girl!
4 has a new resume in draft. She's hoping to find a summer internship in broadcasting, somewhere. She'll be getting the resume out to the clan this week after some editing help from us. We need to help her dig up contacts. It's always hard for a sophomore to get the good internships because companies are usually looking at juniors who will be entering the workforce the following year.
Short track racing today. The 24 is 10th out of 10 in the Chase after 3 or 4 just awful finishes. They're still turning left!
Oh. I almost forgot. I did 4.8 yesterday in 54 minutes! I think the the TT is going to be ok as long as I stay injury-free. I doubt if 55 is in the cards, but who knows? Yesterday I had planned to do 2 runs to make up for a light week of workouts. But I didn't get started until after 10:30 and I knew I was going over to IC later, and I didn't want to shower twice. So after I had been out there about half way up Devils Glen, I was feeling ok and decided to just stretch out my distance and only do one run. I tried to avoid hills and it worked out just fine. Life is good.
Chicago marathon today. That may have been an ok race for the runners to run, but it was a high stress event for the chasers. The Chicago sports talk radio station that I listen to, and complain frequently about, was broadcasting yesterday from the race expo at McCormack Place. I remember that spot being a zoo for packet pick-up the year of 1's race. Fun, but a zoo.
2 announced Friday that she and a couple of friends might do a half in St. Louis in the Spring. Whoa! Could this be a reason for her to blog?
So I'm outta here to do some domestic things. Have a great end to your weekend.
Be careful out there.
The trip over and back was pretty routine. But it was a little more difficult than normal because of the rain. Sure hope we have better luck on the weather next weekend. The new Buick has been on the I-80 track 4 or 5 times in the last month. And 4 talks about coming this way a lot!
The Hawkeye's played well, but Michigan was just too good. I was surprised to see the bar/grill that we went to for a sandwich on the East side of town so empty during the game. Everybody either stayed home or were in the downtown places.
The best part of the game was when we switched channels and saw ND pull out the win against UCLA. From an economics perspective, that win was literally worth millions to ND. If they had lost, they would have most assuredly been headed to a Gator Bowl-like post season game. They could still lose a game (they do have to play USC on the Thanksgiving weekend), but if they don't, those BCS games are worth $10 mil or so. Actually, I think they changed the rules last year to limit how much ND can get since the Irish don't have to share it with other league members like other BCS schools.
The Cardinals had a good night.
Cool out there today. I have plants to get indoors and yardwork to clean up around my house. I think that the temps are a little below normal for this time of year. We should have a few nice days over the next few weeks, but probably not many in the 80's.
3 has two trips to NY this week. Good luck, girl!
4 has a new resume in draft. She's hoping to find a summer internship in broadcasting, somewhere. She'll be getting the resume out to the clan this week after some editing help from us. We need to help her dig up contacts. It's always hard for a sophomore to get the good internships because companies are usually looking at juniors who will be entering the workforce the following year.
Short track racing today. The 24 is 10th out of 10 in the Chase after 3 or 4 just awful finishes. They're still turning left!
Oh. I almost forgot. I did 4.8 yesterday in 54 minutes! I think the the TT is going to be ok as long as I stay injury-free. I doubt if 55 is in the cards, but who knows? Yesterday I had planned to do 2 runs to make up for a light week of workouts. But I didn't get started until after 10:30 and I knew I was going over to IC later, and I didn't want to shower twice. So after I had been out there about half way up Devils Glen, I was feeling ok and decided to just stretch out my distance and only do one run. I tried to avoid hills and it worked out just fine. Life is good.
Chicago marathon today. That may have been an ok race for the runners to run, but it was a high stress event for the chasers. The Chicago sports talk radio station that I listen to, and complain frequently about, was broadcasting yesterday from the race expo at McCormack Place. I remember that spot being a zoo for packet pick-up the year of 1's race. Fun, but a zoo.
2 announced Friday that she and a couple of friends might do a half in St. Louis in the Spring. Whoa! Could this be a reason for her to blog?
So I'm outta here to do some domestic things. Have a great end to your weekend.
Be careful out there.
Sunday
Great evening in IC last night. The Theta girls did a fine job of hosting their dads. I am very proud of 3 and 4. It was good to hear both of them talk about the things that they are doing now and hope to do in the future. Thanks for the evening!
The trip over and back was pretty routine. But it was a little more difficult than normal because of the rain. Sure hope we have better luck on the weather next weekend. The new Buick has been on the I-80 track 4 or 5 times in the last month. And 4 talks about coming this way a lot!
The Hawkeye's played well, but Michigan was just too good. I was surprised to see the bar/grill that we went to for a sandwich on the East side of town so empty during the game. Everybody either stayed home or were in the downtown places.
The best part of the game was when we switched channels and saw ND pull out the win against UCLA. From an economics perspective, that win was literally worth millions to ND. If they had lost, they would have most assuredly been headed to a Gator Bowl-like post season game. They could still lose a game (they do have to play USC on the Thanksgiving weekend), but if they don't, those BCS games are worth $10 mil or so. Actually, I think they changed the rules last year to limit how much ND can get since the Irish don't have to share it with other league members like other BCS schools.
The Cardinals had a good night.
Cool out there today. I have plants to get indoors and yardwork to clean up around my house. I think that the temps are a little below normal for this time of year. We should have a few nice days over the next few weeks, but probably not many in the 80's.
3 has two trips to NY this week. Good luck, girl!
4 has a new resume in draft. She's hoping to find a summer internship in broadcasting, somewhere. She'll be getting the resume out to the clan this week after some editing help from us. We need to help her dig up contacts. It's always hard for a sophomore to get the good internships because companies are usually looking at juniors who will be entering the workforce the following year.
Short track racing today. The 24 is 10th out of 10 in the Chase after 3 or 4 just awful finishes. They're still turning left!
Oh. I almost forgot. I did 4.8 yesterday in 54 minutes! I think the the TT is going to be ok as long as I stay injury-free. I doubt if 55 is in the cards, but who knows? Yesterday I had planned to do 2 runs to make up for a light week of workouts. But I didn't get started until after 10:30 and I knew I was going over to IC later, and I didn't want to shower twice. So after I had been out there about half way up Devils Glen, I was feeling ok and decided to just stretch out my distance and only do one run. I tried to avoid hills and it worked out just fine. Life is good.
Chicago marathon today. That may have been an ok race for the runners to run, but it was a high stress event for the chasers. The Chicago sports talk radio station that I listen to, and complain frequently about, was broadcasting yesterday from the race expo at McCormack Place. I remember that spot being a zoo for packet pick-up the year of 1's race. Fun, but a zoo.
2 announced Friday that she and a couple of friends might do a half in St. Louis in the Spring. Whoa! Could this be a reason for her to blog?
So I'm outta here to do some domestic things. Have a great end to your weekend.
Be careful out there.
The trip over and back was pretty routine. But it was a little more difficult than normal because of the rain. Sure hope we have better luck on the weather next weekend. The new Buick has been on the I-80 track 4 or 5 times in the last month. And 4 talks about coming this way a lot!
The Hawkeye's played well, but Michigan was just too good. I was surprised to see the bar/grill that we went to for a sandwich on the East side of town so empty during the game. Everybody either stayed home or were in the downtown places.
The best part of the game was when we switched channels and saw ND pull out the win against UCLA. From an economics perspective, that win was literally worth millions to ND. If they had lost, they would have most assuredly been headed to a Gator Bowl-like post season game. They could still lose a game (they do have to play USC on the Thanksgiving weekend), but if they don't, those BCS games are worth $10 mil or so. Actually, I think they changed the rules last year to limit how much ND can get since the Irish don't have to share it with other league members like other BCS schools.
The Cardinals had a good night.
Cool out there today. I have plants to get indoors and yardwork to clean up around my house. I think that the temps are a little below normal for this time of year. We should have a few nice days over the next few weeks, but probably not many in the 80's.
3 has two trips to NY this week. Good luck, girl!
4 has a new resume in draft. She's hoping to find a summer internship in broadcasting, somewhere. She'll be getting the resume out to the clan this week after some editing help from us. We need to help her dig up contacts. It's always hard for a sophomore to get the good internships because companies are usually looking at juniors who will be entering the workforce the following year.
Short track racing today. The 24 is 10th out of 10 in the Chase after 3 or 4 just awful finishes. They're still turning left!
Oh. I almost forgot. I did 4.8 yesterday in 54 minutes! I think the the TT is going to be ok as long as I stay injury-free. I doubt if 55 is in the cards, but who knows? Yesterday I had planned to do 2 runs to make up for a light week of workouts. But I didn't get started until after 10:30 and I knew I was going over to IC later, and I didn't want to shower twice. So after I had been out there about half way up Devils Glen, I was feeling ok and decided to just stretch out my distance and only do one run. I tried to avoid hills and it worked out just fine. Life is good.
Chicago marathon today. That may have been an ok race for the runners to run, but it was a high stress event for the chasers. The Chicago sports talk radio station that I listen to, and complain frequently about, was broadcasting yesterday from the race expo at McCormack Place. I remember that spot being a zoo for packet pick-up the year of 1's race. Fun, but a zoo.
2 announced Friday that she and a couple of friends might do a half in St. Louis in the Spring. Whoa! Could this be a reason for her to blog?
So I'm outta here to do some domestic things. Have a great end to your weekend.
Be careful out there.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Saturday
No real news here.
A typically nice Friday evening with friends. But an early ending.
Over to IC later this afternoon to see the girls on Dad's Day for their sorority. Should be fun. I plan to get my run in before leaving town.
3 has a couple of NY interview trips next week. Decision time will not be far behind.
So I'll have more to say after my day with 3 and 4. Enjoy the weekend.
Be careful out there.
A typically nice Friday evening with friends. But an early ending.
Over to IC later this afternoon to see the girls on Dad's Day for their sorority. Should be fun. I plan to get my run in before leaving town.
3 has a couple of NY interview trips next week. Decision time will not be far behind.
So I'll have more to say after my day with 3 and 4. Enjoy the weekend.
Be careful out there.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Friday
Go Cardinals!
Had planned to get out on a run this afternoon, but it didn't happen. I'll do a little more in the AM.
Dad's Day tomorrow in IC. Should be fun.
I'll get an entry here in the morning. Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Had planned to get out on a run this afternoon, but it didn't happen. I'll do a little more in the AM.
Dad's Day tomorrow in IC. Should be fun.
I'll get an entry here in the morning. Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Thursday PM
I had an early morning meeting so I didn't get through the papers as thoroughly as normal. So my handle on current events is a little off from normal.
There is a game 7 tonight. All you Grey's addicts will tune in, I'm sure.
2's mis-connect last night was understandable. I actually felt pretty good. The TT is 5 weeks from today.
My pal Roy is flying up to the Iowa-Michigan game on Saturday. Then back here Saturday night, and then to San Francisco Sunday, coming back Tuesday. Busy life. The deal in SF is the charity golf outing that was the site of the auction where he got my Lance Armstrong photo.
The Dow closed above 12,000 for the first time today. That means that the market may be a little over-bought and a correction may not be far away as things sort out. Earnings are good. But we're spending way too much money that we don't have on a doomed effort in the mid-East.
The US population hit 300,000,ooo yesterday. The best political cartoon I saw on that topic was one depicting a guard welcoming with open arms an illegal alien exiting a tunnel from under the border. That may be more truth than fiction, or the math may be a little off on our totals. I haven't audited the calculation at this point for inclusions and exclusions in the equation. The Seinfeld crew could make this the topic of a double episode.
Lots of stuff in the press about the melee at the Miami-Florida International game last weekend. (Why is Miami even playing Florida International Who, I mean U?) Miami's administration is coming off as apologists given their lack of punative action against the thugs participating in the brawl. Hard to reconcile their rationalizations. Most players received one game suspensions for this week's tussle with Duke. Let's see. Name a school with a weaker football team in the ACC than Duke. Name a team in DI or D2 that Duke might be able to beat. Miami is really punishing themselves. They are certainly doing nothing to counter their dark reputation. And to this problem add this side-bar: I think I heard that they drew only 29,000 to one game this year.
ND terminated the rivalry with Miami several years ago. It was just to intense. Actually, I would probably not call it a rivalry. Certainly not in the same vein as USC, Michigan State or Purdue. Miami has taken pride in being a bandit-type of program. No goody-two-shoes need apply here. We'll eat the pretty boys in their coats and ties from South Bend for lunch. They embraced an urban hip-hop culture, always testing propriety, brashly wearing their attitudes on their sleeve. It has played well with the edgier athletes. So I suppose that culture clash is more discriptive than rivalry.
The last Lou Holtz ND team played Miami in a bowl game and it got ugly. That may have been the year that Miami showed up for Bowl Week in army fatigues. Vinnie Testaverde was the QB. Holtz recruited some of the same types of players as Miami and there were lots of unsportsmanlike penalties, scirmishes among players, etc. I never liked Holtz. I thought that he was dirty when he came from Minnesota, and I didn't like the way his teams handled themselves.
I have meandered to a place where I have no glib segue to another topic. But it is time to go.
Be careful out there.
There is a game 7 tonight. All you Grey's addicts will tune in, I'm sure.
2's mis-connect last night was understandable. I actually felt pretty good. The TT is 5 weeks from today.
My pal Roy is flying up to the Iowa-Michigan game on Saturday. Then back here Saturday night, and then to San Francisco Sunday, coming back Tuesday. Busy life. The deal in SF is the charity golf outing that was the site of the auction where he got my Lance Armstrong photo.
The Dow closed above 12,000 for the first time today. That means that the market may be a little over-bought and a correction may not be far away as things sort out. Earnings are good. But we're spending way too much money that we don't have on a doomed effort in the mid-East.
The US population hit 300,000,ooo yesterday. The best political cartoon I saw on that topic was one depicting a guard welcoming with open arms an illegal alien exiting a tunnel from under the border. That may be more truth than fiction, or the math may be a little off on our totals. I haven't audited the calculation at this point for inclusions and exclusions in the equation. The Seinfeld crew could make this the topic of a double episode.
Lots of stuff in the press about the melee at the Miami-Florida International game last weekend. (Why is Miami even playing Florida International Who, I mean U?) Miami's administration is coming off as apologists given their lack of punative action against the thugs participating in the brawl. Hard to reconcile their rationalizations. Most players received one game suspensions for this week's tussle with Duke. Let's see. Name a school with a weaker football team in the ACC than Duke. Name a team in DI or D2 that Duke might be able to beat. Miami is really punishing themselves. They are certainly doing nothing to counter their dark reputation. And to this problem add this side-bar: I think I heard that they drew only 29,000 to one game this year.
ND terminated the rivalry with Miami several years ago. It was just to intense. Actually, I would probably not call it a rivalry. Certainly not in the same vein as USC, Michigan State or Purdue. Miami has taken pride in being a bandit-type of program. No goody-two-shoes need apply here. We'll eat the pretty boys in their coats and ties from South Bend for lunch. They embraced an urban hip-hop culture, always testing propriety, brashly wearing their attitudes on their sleeve. It has played well with the edgier athletes. So I suppose that culture clash is more discriptive than rivalry.
The last Lou Holtz ND team played Miami in a bowl game and it got ugly. That may have been the year that Miami showed up for Bowl Week in army fatigues. Vinnie Testaverde was the QB. Holtz recruited some of the same types of players as Miami and there were lots of unsportsmanlike penalties, scirmishes among players, etc. I never liked Holtz. I thought that he was dirty when he came from Minnesota, and I didn't like the way his teams handled themselves.
I have meandered to a place where I have no glib segue to another topic. But it is time to go.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Wednesday
Well, the current First Day of the Rest of My Life was very anticlimatic. I'll do better tomorrow.
Had a nice din-din in IC last night with 3 and 4. Pizza at The Airliner. Seats in the front window. When I was in grad school, those were prime seats to watch the world go by. Times change. 4 was not happy about such a public location.
The DM seminar was everything that I expected it to be: a litany of technical problems that the IRS and Dept of Labor could expose under different circumstances. Actually, it recalled to mind a more elaborate session at Drake's law school in DM 25 years ago when the then new law was presented to an august gathering of lawyers and tax accountants. I've spent the equivalent of several months of time (maybe as much as a year or so) in training sessions over the years to maintain current knowledge. And current knowledge is of relevance for only 3-5 years. After that, new current knowledge makes the previous current knowledge pretty much useless.
My bet is that most of the rules that I learned in my Master's of Tax courses in the '70's are of limited use today. Plus, I now have Oldsheimer's and can't remember things anyway.
The Wells Fargo Arena in DM looks impressive from outside. I wonder how long Vets Auditorium will survive? The two venues are adjacent to one another and Wells was built because Vets just didn't present a sufficiently modern arena experience. My guess is that once Wells has taken most all of the business, a developer will come in, raze Vets and build some fancy retail-hotel multi-story combination to create more attraction for the downtown area. Then again, maybe it will simply become a parking lot.
I got lost in the parking ramp in DM as I was trying to exit. Then I got lost while trying to exit downtown DM. They have enough construction on the streets and freeways of DM to make for some serious road rage. And then some obviously lost driver panic-ed while trying to make the exit from the heavily under construction Dodge Street on to I-80 East when I was leaving IC after dinner. A little more excitement than necessary.
Running with 2 tonight. Wet and chilly. Just getting ready for the TT
The Cardinals could win their way into the World Series tonight. I still have an interest in that team from the old days. I have good memories of their wins in '64 and '67 and their loss to Detroit in '68. Radio days. Mixed feelings about the McGuire seasons.
Speaking of drugs, another mud slinging book on Lance hits the press tomorrow in France. The two guys writing it are the same ones who wrote an earlier effort to expose him as a cheat. They have the lawyer mantra going; "We're not out to beat a dead horse. The public deserves to know." Lance is not a hero to me. If he was dirty, then he should be accountable. But how long do the would-be Bernstein/Woodward sleuths get to dig? And, except for the French, how long does the public care?
Thanks for reading.
Be careful out there.
Had a nice din-din in IC last night with 3 and 4. Pizza at The Airliner. Seats in the front window. When I was in grad school, those were prime seats to watch the world go by. Times change. 4 was not happy about such a public location.
The DM seminar was everything that I expected it to be: a litany of technical problems that the IRS and Dept of Labor could expose under different circumstances. Actually, it recalled to mind a more elaborate session at Drake's law school in DM 25 years ago when the then new law was presented to an august gathering of lawyers and tax accountants. I've spent the equivalent of several months of time (maybe as much as a year or so) in training sessions over the years to maintain current knowledge. And current knowledge is of relevance for only 3-5 years. After that, new current knowledge makes the previous current knowledge pretty much useless.
My bet is that most of the rules that I learned in my Master's of Tax courses in the '70's are of limited use today. Plus, I now have Oldsheimer's and can't remember things anyway.
The Wells Fargo Arena in DM looks impressive from outside. I wonder how long Vets Auditorium will survive? The two venues are adjacent to one another and Wells was built because Vets just didn't present a sufficiently modern arena experience. My guess is that once Wells has taken most all of the business, a developer will come in, raze Vets and build some fancy retail-hotel multi-story combination to create more attraction for the downtown area. Then again, maybe it will simply become a parking lot.
I got lost in the parking ramp in DM as I was trying to exit. Then I got lost while trying to exit downtown DM. They have enough construction on the streets and freeways of DM to make for some serious road rage. And then some obviously lost driver panic-ed while trying to make the exit from the heavily under construction Dodge Street on to I-80 East when I was leaving IC after dinner. A little more excitement than necessary.
Running with 2 tonight. Wet and chilly. Just getting ready for the TT
The Cardinals could win their way into the World Series tonight. I still have an interest in that team from the old days. I have good memories of their wins in '64 and '67 and their loss to Detroit in '68. Radio days. Mixed feelings about the McGuire seasons.
Speaking of drugs, another mud slinging book on Lance hits the press tomorrow in France. The two guys writing it are the same ones who wrote an earlier effort to expose him as a cheat. They have the lawyer mantra going; "We're not out to beat a dead horse. The public deserves to know." Lance is not a hero to me. If he was dirty, then he should be accountable. But how long do the would-be Bernstein/Woodward sleuths get to dig? And, except for the French, how long does the public care?
Thanks for reading.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Tuesday
On the road in DM. Pulled out of Bettendorf SB's at 5:45 this AM.
The ride over here was without incident. I thought several times about my trips to DM in the mid '80's when I was building my business. It was a regular thing for several years.
Hope to see 3 and 4 later today.
May get back on this site later.
Be careful out there.
The ride over here was without incident. I thought several times about my trips to DM in the mid '80's when I was building my business. It was a regular thing for several years.
Hope to see 3 and 4 later today.
May get back on this site later.
Be careful out there.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Monday
Happy B-day to 3!!!!
3 also reports some good news on the employment front. She will have some choices. She's a star. We are all very proud of her.
Busy day here. Still trying to figure out what happened. It feels a little like the day after mid-terms: you know that the heat is off for now, but you also know that you have a lot of other stuff that will jump up in priority in a short time. No rest for the wicked. At this point, I just hope that I didn't forget anyone or anything.
Taking a break on running tonight. Rainy and a bit nasty out. I felt a twinge in my left calf last night so another day of rest can't be all bad. 2 will have to do Gold's on her own.
Oh-dark-hundred start in the AM for the DM conference. I would like to see 3 and 4 tomorrow evening on my way back on I-80 if they are available. Give me a call after 5 tomorrow afternoon. We can at least do coffee. Decaf for me at that hour.
4 made a nice entry finally. Always glad to hear from her.
Mrs. Mahler from PV made a guest appearance at SB's coffee this AM. She remembers all you guys. She was impressed that 1 is teaching high school LA. She knew you would be good at it.
So everyone have a good evening.
Be careful out there.
3 also reports some good news on the employment front. She will have some choices. She's a star. We are all very proud of her.
Busy day here. Still trying to figure out what happened. It feels a little like the day after mid-terms: you know that the heat is off for now, but you also know that you have a lot of other stuff that will jump up in priority in a short time. No rest for the wicked. At this point, I just hope that I didn't forget anyone or anything.
Taking a break on running tonight. Rainy and a bit nasty out. I felt a twinge in my left calf last night so another day of rest can't be all bad. 2 will have to do Gold's on her own.
Oh-dark-hundred start in the AM for the DM conference. I would like to see 3 and 4 tomorrow evening on my way back on I-80 if they are available. Give me a call after 5 tomorrow afternoon. We can at least do coffee. Decaf for me at that hour.
4 made a nice entry finally. Always glad to hear from her.
Mrs. Mahler from PV made a guest appearance at SB's coffee this AM. She remembers all you guys. She was impressed that 1 is teaching high school LA. She knew you would be good at it.
So everyone have a good evening.
Be careful out there.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Sunday
Happy Tax B-day to 3!
Tough day for the Hawks, Clones and the 24 car.
3 and 4 had a successful, but brief visit here yesterday. We did lunch at Sports' Fans and listened to a jerk near us yell and cuss at every tough play for the Hawks. The Bad Fan lives.
Roy and I did a high-end dinner last night at the new steak place in Moline. The Chop House, or something like that. It was the Blue Ribbon before it closed earlier this year. Now, they have the Centro people running it. We each had a New York Strip steak and they were excellent. Sides, appetizers and the like were a la carte. With 2 drinks each, the tab was about $120 before tip.
Tomorrow is the filing date that has been the focus of most of our work over the last several weeks. Most of the work is done, but it will be a busy day.
I have a training seminar over in DM on Tuesday. That means that the rest of my business life actually begins on Wednesday.
The cold nights last week killed the tomato vines and any other flowering plants. I put the indoor plants that had been outside into my garage . They have to be cleaned and de-bugged before I bring them inside for good. My enthusiasm for my plants is waning. Too much work.
I remember this time of year was always busy at our Scott Street house. Painting. Winterizing. Putting up the storm windows. Raking leaves. I don't miss that on-going maintenance work of an older home.
This has been a pretty ordinary entry. Then again, I have missed doing entries the last couple of Sundays, so by comparison, this is brilliant literature!.
Still missing 4.
Be careful out there.
Tough day for the Hawks, Clones and the 24 car.
3 and 4 had a successful, but brief visit here yesterday. We did lunch at Sports' Fans and listened to a jerk near us yell and cuss at every tough play for the Hawks. The Bad Fan lives.
Roy and I did a high-end dinner last night at the new steak place in Moline. The Chop House, or something like that. It was the Blue Ribbon before it closed earlier this year. Now, they have the Centro people running it. We each had a New York Strip steak and they were excellent. Sides, appetizers and the like were a la carte. With 2 drinks each, the tab was about $120 before tip.
Tomorrow is the filing date that has been the focus of most of our work over the last several weeks. Most of the work is done, but it will be a busy day.
I have a training seminar over in DM on Tuesday. That means that the rest of my business life actually begins on Wednesday.
The cold nights last week killed the tomato vines and any other flowering plants. I put the indoor plants that had been outside into my garage . They have to be cleaned and de-bugged before I bring them inside for good. My enthusiasm for my plants is waning. Too much work.
I remember this time of year was always busy at our Scott Street house. Painting. Winterizing. Putting up the storm windows. Raking leaves. I don't miss that on-going maintenance work of an older home.
This has been a pretty ordinary entry. Then again, I have missed doing entries the last couple of Sundays, so by comparison, this is brilliant literature!.
Still missing 4.
Be careful out there.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Saturday
Sorry for the missed day. Too many balls in the air Friday.
Looks like a nice Fall day here. Cool, but sunny. Good football weather. I'm going to try to do 4.5 or 5 later today.
3 should be in the QC for a little while today. Most importantly, she needs to swap out her phone. Her trip to C-town yesterday went well, but was long.
US Cellular is allowing customers with older equipment to upgrade at little cost without any contract extension. 3 likes to say that her phone is so old that it runs on diesel fuel. The new units have a GPS device which basically means that CSI can track you down where ever you try to hide. So you get the new phone, but give up a measure of privacy. Which, for most people, is probably ok. Increasingly so, if you think you're below radar, think again. OnStar in cars. Electronic tracks on your internet travels. It all makes the tracing of credit card usage by detectives in cop movies in the '80's and '90's very pedestrian.
Enjoyed Dan's comment on the congressional race. It's a small world. The GOP candidate is a local restauranteur whom I have never cared for. He also has the Machine Shed place on Living History Farms in DM. The Democrat is a lawyer. Not much to choose from.
I think I'm going to take a pass on church this weekend. I really have little interest in the bankruptcy explanation which will be the sole topic of Sunday's homily.
NCAA basketball practice opened last night with many schools holding Midnight Madness events. The big news around here is of a highly touted recruit from Indiana, now a high school senior, who had originally committed to Illinois, but who got hustled by the new guy at Indiana (Kelvin Sampson) and the kid has now annnounced that he will be going to Indiana. So much for the gentlemanly code of conduct among coaches.
Sampson left Oklahoma under a cloud. There's lots of pressure for Indiana to win and they accepted Sampson's baggage as part of the deal. This incident certainly sends a clear message in Big 10 country that he will accept a lower standard of coaching/recruiting ethics. I think that a lot of coaches work the gray areas when they are recruiting. I know Jim Calhoun at UConn has ruffled feathers out East. Bottom line: if you don't get the best recriuts, you won't win the tournament. And the really good players generally stay for only a year or two.
So I'm headed out to see 3 and 4 for the phone swap and lunch. Enjoy your day.
Be careful out there.
Looks like a nice Fall day here. Cool, but sunny. Good football weather. I'm going to try to do 4.5 or 5 later today.
3 should be in the QC for a little while today. Most importantly, she needs to swap out her phone. Her trip to C-town yesterday went well, but was long.
US Cellular is allowing customers with older equipment to upgrade at little cost without any contract extension. 3 likes to say that her phone is so old that it runs on diesel fuel. The new units have a GPS device which basically means that CSI can track you down where ever you try to hide. So you get the new phone, but give up a measure of privacy. Which, for most people, is probably ok. Increasingly so, if you think you're below radar, think again. OnStar in cars. Electronic tracks on your internet travels. It all makes the tracing of credit card usage by detectives in cop movies in the '80's and '90's very pedestrian.
Enjoyed Dan's comment on the congressional race. It's a small world. The GOP candidate is a local restauranteur whom I have never cared for. He also has the Machine Shed place on Living History Farms in DM. The Democrat is a lawyer. Not much to choose from.
I think I'm going to take a pass on church this weekend. I really have little interest in the bankruptcy explanation which will be the sole topic of Sunday's homily.
NCAA basketball practice opened last night with many schools holding Midnight Madness events. The big news around here is of a highly touted recruit from Indiana, now a high school senior, who had originally committed to Illinois, but who got hustled by the new guy at Indiana (Kelvin Sampson) and the kid has now annnounced that he will be going to Indiana. So much for the gentlemanly code of conduct among coaches.
Sampson left Oklahoma under a cloud. There's lots of pressure for Indiana to win and they accepted Sampson's baggage as part of the deal. This incident certainly sends a clear message in Big 10 country that he will accept a lower standard of coaching/recruiting ethics. I think that a lot of coaches work the gray areas when they are recruiting. I know Jim Calhoun at UConn has ruffled feathers out East. Bottom line: if you don't get the best recriuts, you won't win the tournament. And the really good players generally stay for only a year or two.
So I'm headed out to see 3 and 4 for the phone swap and lunch. Enjoy your day.
Be careful out there.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Thursday PM
The political ads on TV are just awful. We get mostly coverage of the Iowa governor's race and of the Eastern Iowa congressional district. Both are situations where the incumbant is not running. As a matter of fact, the current Republican congressman is one of the candidates for governor. He's the guy who initially made the news in congress years ago by wearing a brown paper bag on his head when there were debates going on that were not getting anywhere. It all makes me glad that I don't have a land line at my house.
I wonder if they will ever figure out what went wrong with the Yankee pitcher who flew his small airplane into the condo hi-rise in NY yesterday? Pilot error? Mechanical failure? Intentional? Pretty gruesome regardless.
My partner Bill has a huge set of 75 or so trust returns that need to be signed by a guy in Chicago. The package last year was lost in transit by UPS. It was a big, grossly inconvenient, administrative task to re-copy the returns at the last minute for filing. It took them months to track down the missing overnight box. We are all hoping that the system has better results this year.
Craig Wilson wrote yesterday in USA Today about the little one act plays that occur when people put stuff out at the curb, "free for a good home". Such simple columns make me a little self-pitying since the topics are ones that I feel I could ramble on about at least as well as the published author. Funny how I ended up as a tax accountant.
Then there is the new TV show, "20 Good Years" with John Lithgow. That show's concept has to have a little of 4000 Days in its literary anatomy.
I suppose my grapes are running a little toward sour.
I'm off to meet 2 for a run in the cold.
Be careful out there. And keep warm!
I wonder if they will ever figure out what went wrong with the Yankee pitcher who flew his small airplane into the condo hi-rise in NY yesterday? Pilot error? Mechanical failure? Intentional? Pretty gruesome regardless.
My partner Bill has a huge set of 75 or so trust returns that need to be signed by a guy in Chicago. The package last year was lost in transit by UPS. It was a big, grossly inconvenient, administrative task to re-copy the returns at the last minute for filing. It took them months to track down the missing overnight box. We are all hoping that the system has better results this year.
Craig Wilson wrote yesterday in USA Today about the little one act plays that occur when people put stuff out at the curb, "free for a good home". Such simple columns make me a little self-pitying since the topics are ones that I feel I could ramble on about at least as well as the published author. Funny how I ended up as a tax accountant.
Then there is the new TV show, "20 Good Years" with John Lithgow. That show's concept has to have a little of 4000 Days in its literary anatomy.
I suppose my grapes are running a little toward sour.
I'm off to meet 2 for a run in the cold.
Be careful out there. And keep warm!
Thursday AM
Just for the record, as I drove up middle road toward SB's this AM around 6 bells, I went through about two blocks of snow showers. Cars parked outside overnight had frosted windshields. I know that we'll see some warm days over the next several weeks, but today's snow and frost suggest that Ole Man Winter is awakening from his slumber.
But Tahoe has already had snow too. They had about 4 days without snow this year.
Aunt Martha advises me that its a great time of the year for LV. Mid 70's or so. She had a good time on her trip to Europe.
2 and I did a nice run in the cooler temps last night. If we have weather that warm at the TT, we'll all be happy. Another run scheduled for tonight.
3's a busy girl. Chicago. New York. Be a star.
At least 1 gave us a little news.
More later. Have a great day.
Be careful out there.
But Tahoe has already had snow too. They had about 4 days without snow this year.
Aunt Martha advises me that its a great time of the year for LV. Mid 70's or so. She had a good time on her trip to Europe.
2 and I did a nice run in the cooler temps last night. If we have weather that warm at the TT, we'll all be happy. Another run scheduled for tonight.
3's a busy girl. Chicago. New York. Be a star.
At least 1 gave us a little news.
More later. Have a great day.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Wednesday
I just don't have time to add anything today.
The diocese did file for bankruptcy. It made the national news wires.
3 has some interviews going. Busy time for her too.
I'm off to run with 2. Chilly out there.
Still waiting, 4.
Be careful out there.
The diocese did file for bankruptcy. It made the national news wires.
3 has some interviews going. Busy time for her too.
I'm off to run with 2. Chilly out there.
Still waiting, 4.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Tuesday
Anybody out there besides me who misses 4's entries?
I've spent most of the day crunching numbers again. Really not the most exciting thing to do.
2 and I did a fine job on the Shel route last night. Actually went just a little further, getting a full 30 minutes in of running. I had to walk several times, but I feel pretty good about the TT. We are taking tonight off, but we will be doing back-to-back days on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is a Tuscan red night.
The abuse claims by victims against the Davenport Diocese continue to grab headlines. Regina High School in IC was in the morning papers with an indication that the school may file for bankruptcy if a current case coming to trial goes against the school. The whole diocese has considered the same action. My guess is that if the diocese does lose the case, they will declare bankruptcy and an outside trustee will be appointed. After that, I think that on-going operations of the local parishes will change. People will be reluctant to give financially if they know those contributions will be part of the legal mess. I can't think of a single positive thing for any person on any side of these cases.
The latest news from Tahoe is that Kevin and Erika are expecting in March 2007.
NASCAR had a little rumble on the final lap of Sunday's race. An agressive move by a younger driver took Junior and Jimmy Johnson out of contention and he went on to win amidst boos from the fans. (The 24 had a car that could of won, but he got caught in an accident not of his doing in the last 1/4 of the race.) The culprit here happens to be a teammate of JJ. But he won't be next year, although that choice had been mutually made a month ago. You're usually talking about strange bedfellows in these races, guys from different teams running together and helping each other. Not teammates wrecking teammates. That's "racin" stuff.
For various reasons, I missed my early morning SB's coffee. I grabbed a Mickey D's coffee in the alternative, and it was a bad choice. I think we get hooked on the good stuff and the rest is almost not drinkable. Maybe it's a conspiracy designed by former tobacco company executives hired by SB's to protect market share and guarantee growth.
Speaking of conspiracies, what about Big Brother monitoring your text messages? Maybe not Big Brother, but Private Snoops looking for information to sell. I bet there are guys out there radar-ed in on Jessica Simpson right now ready to sell it to The National Enquirer. Scary stuff.
So let's hear some news from the masses.
Be careful out there.
I've spent most of the day crunching numbers again. Really not the most exciting thing to do.
2 and I did a fine job on the Shel route last night. Actually went just a little further, getting a full 30 minutes in of running. I had to walk several times, but I feel pretty good about the TT. We are taking tonight off, but we will be doing back-to-back days on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is a Tuscan red night.
The abuse claims by victims against the Davenport Diocese continue to grab headlines. Regina High School in IC was in the morning papers with an indication that the school may file for bankruptcy if a current case coming to trial goes against the school. The whole diocese has considered the same action. My guess is that if the diocese does lose the case, they will declare bankruptcy and an outside trustee will be appointed. After that, I think that on-going operations of the local parishes will change. People will be reluctant to give financially if they know those contributions will be part of the legal mess. I can't think of a single positive thing for any person on any side of these cases.
The latest news from Tahoe is that Kevin and Erika are expecting in March 2007.
NASCAR had a little rumble on the final lap of Sunday's race. An agressive move by a younger driver took Junior and Jimmy Johnson out of contention and he went on to win amidst boos from the fans. (The 24 had a car that could of won, but he got caught in an accident not of his doing in the last 1/4 of the race.) The culprit here happens to be a teammate of JJ. But he won't be next year, although that choice had been mutually made a month ago. You're usually talking about strange bedfellows in these races, guys from different teams running together and helping each other. Not teammates wrecking teammates. That's "racin" stuff.
For various reasons, I missed my early morning SB's coffee. I grabbed a Mickey D's coffee in the alternative, and it was a bad choice. I think we get hooked on the good stuff and the rest is almost not drinkable. Maybe it's a conspiracy designed by former tobacco company executives hired by SB's to protect market share and guarantee growth.
Speaking of conspiracies, what about Big Brother monitoring your text messages? Maybe not Big Brother, but Private Snoops looking for information to sell. I bet there are guys out there radar-ed in on Jessica Simpson right now ready to sell it to The National Enquirer. Scary stuff.
So let's hear some news from the masses.
Be careful out there.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Monday PM
Here's that second entry that I hinted at earlier today.
2 and I are headed for the Shel Silverstein route later this evening.
The big chill is coming this way later this week. I saw one forecast where the low was to be 30 one night. That should take care of my tomato vines. My neighbor's leaves are falling into my back yard. I mowed/mulched through the mess on Sunday and because it has been so dry, the mower did a good job and I didn't have to bag. Life is good. Remember the Martian eggs on Scott Street?
My buddy Jake's Pants is now involved in a real estate deal on the Baja of Mexico. If that turns out profitable, I'll have to brush up on my Spanaish. Habla Espanol?
I learned this weekend that Iowa football season ticket holders had to pay additional "contributions" this year to keep their spots. One of my Des Moines clients has 4 seats quite a ways up in the west stands and it cost him $600 a ticket to be able to then purchase the tickets. I don't know the details or if there were variable rates based on the section/row of the seats. It's the equivalent of a surcharge to pay for the stadium renovations.
ND is leveling a similar fee next year. They want to renovate the older parts of the stadium that did not receive attention when they added on the second deck a few years ago. No signs or naming rights. Just send money and be glad about it.
The tree in my front yard has thousands of little red berries. The birds are feasting. I'll try to get 3 a picture for the collection. I also have a ground squirrel who likes the cherry tomatos. And the mangey cat is still living under my deck. Its a veritable nature area all around me!
So I'm off to see 2 and Shel.
Be careful out there.
2 and I are headed for the Shel Silverstein route later this evening.
The big chill is coming this way later this week. I saw one forecast where the low was to be 30 one night. That should take care of my tomato vines. My neighbor's leaves are falling into my back yard. I mowed/mulched through the mess on Sunday and because it has been so dry, the mower did a good job and I didn't have to bag. Life is good. Remember the Martian eggs on Scott Street?
My buddy Jake's Pants is now involved in a real estate deal on the Baja of Mexico. If that turns out profitable, I'll have to brush up on my Spanaish. Habla Espanol?
I learned this weekend that Iowa football season ticket holders had to pay additional "contributions" this year to keep their spots. One of my Des Moines clients has 4 seats quite a ways up in the west stands and it cost him $600 a ticket to be able to then purchase the tickets. I don't know the details or if there were variable rates based on the section/row of the seats. It's the equivalent of a surcharge to pay for the stadium renovations.
ND is leveling a similar fee next year. They want to renovate the older parts of the stadium that did not receive attention when they added on the second deck a few years ago. No signs or naming rights. Just send money and be glad about it.
The tree in my front yard has thousands of little red berries. The birds are feasting. I'll try to get 3 a picture for the collection. I also have a ground squirrel who likes the cherry tomatos. And the mangey cat is still living under my deck. Its a veritable nature area all around me!
So I'm off to see 2 and Shel.
Be careful out there.
Monday AM
Another busy weekend.
Enjoyable foray into IC for the game on Saturday. The parking pass from my pal Roy gave us a premium location. By arriving towards the end of the first quarter we avoided all pre-game traffic. And by leaving a couple hours after the game, there was very little exit traffic. Good to see 3 and 4 and to meet 3's friend from Ctown.
I've already put in a request for the parking pass for the game on the 28th. I would like to reserve the same weather too.
Busy week in store for me this week. I didn't get in to the office on Sunday so today will need to be productive to kick things off.
My schedule had me running on Saturday, but that didn't happen. So yesterday I did 2 Shel Silverstein runs to get the mileage. Actually felt better on the second one which was a couple hours after the first. Devils Glen is really torn up with construction.
Columbus Day. Does that mean anything to anybody in today's world except Federal workers who get the day off?
When I was in to check news and mail on Saturday morning, I did the old spill the coffee on the desk, keyboard and miscellaneous papers. It actually could hve been worse if the lid had come off my SB's cup. Does Murphy's Law have a separate section for coffee on the desk?
I'll try to add more later. Have a great day.
Be careful out there.
Enjoyable foray into IC for the game on Saturday. The parking pass from my pal Roy gave us a premium location. By arriving towards the end of the first quarter we avoided all pre-game traffic. And by leaving a couple hours after the game, there was very little exit traffic. Good to see 3 and 4 and to meet 3's friend from Ctown.
I've already put in a request for the parking pass for the game on the 28th. I would like to reserve the same weather too.
Busy week in store for me this week. I didn't get in to the office on Sunday so today will need to be productive to kick things off.
My schedule had me running on Saturday, but that didn't happen. So yesterday I did 2 Shel Silverstein runs to get the mileage. Actually felt better on the second one which was a couple hours after the first. Devils Glen is really torn up with construction.
Columbus Day. Does that mean anything to anybody in today's world except Federal workers who get the day off?
When I was in to check news and mail on Saturday morning, I did the old spill the coffee on the desk, keyboard and miscellaneous papers. It actually could hve been worse if the lid had come off my SB's cup. Does Murphy's Law have a separate section for coffee on the desk?
I'll try to add more later. Have a great day.
Be careful out there.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Thursday
I just have time for a few lines tonight. 2 and I have a run scheduled for 6:30. It gets dark so early that to start any later means finishing in the dark.
Margret is out today.
Still lots in the press about Foley. Just out of curiosity, I did a search on Blogger for "foley" and numerous hits were shown. Following a couple of those hits, and the referrals, its easy to see how a person could get lost in the maze of the internet. Just scanning a few of those blogs gives a hint of the tawdry underside of the fringe elements in journalism (if the blogs qualify as journalism). Scarey stuff.
I know there are some statistics that have estimated the increase in information over different periods of time. Given the amount of information that is created each day on the internet, does the exponential growth not only add to the mass, but also grows at an increasing speed? Or is that the definition of exponential growth? And, granted that the Earth's population has grown in recent centuries, but is this increase in information only an increase in written information? Can you have an increase in information if it is not somehow documented? Does the falling tree make a noise in an empty forest? Where is Albert Camus when we need him?
I see in the paper where "Kill Green" (aka ER) is still on TV. Why?
Thanks for reading. Have a great night.
And be careful out there.
Margret is out today.
Still lots in the press about Foley. Just out of curiosity, I did a search on Blogger for "foley" and numerous hits were shown. Following a couple of those hits, and the referrals, its easy to see how a person could get lost in the maze of the internet. Just scanning a few of those blogs gives a hint of the tawdry underside of the fringe elements in journalism (if the blogs qualify as journalism). Scarey stuff.
I know there are some statistics that have estimated the increase in information over different periods of time. Given the amount of information that is created each day on the internet, does the exponential growth not only add to the mass, but also grows at an increasing speed? Or is that the definition of exponential growth? And, granted that the Earth's population has grown in recent centuries, but is this increase in information only an increase in written information? Can you have an increase in information if it is not somehow documented? Does the falling tree make a noise in an empty forest? Where is Albert Camus when we need him?
I see in the paper where "Kill Green" (aka ER) is still on TV. Why?
Thanks for reading. Have a great night.
And be careful out there.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Wednesday
I assume that Anonymous was referring to the fact that October 16th is usually Boss's Day.
2 and I had a nice little 3.7 or so run last night. It was warm and we ended up going a little further than originally planned. I was not all that strong because I hadn't eaten very well during the day, but I was ok afterwards. We're doing it again tomorrow night.
The weather changed today. A front came in and the temps came down quite a bit. Those high 80's weren't that great earlier in the week.
I did an oil change on the Buick at The Grease Spot by Panara Bread on Elmore after lunch. They didn't want to sell me filters, but the guy did suggest rotating the tires and swapping out wipers. Some things just don't change.
Leno was unmerciful on former congressman Foley last night. There's a lot of material to work with. Interesting how the different societal segments view and/or act on such a set of facts. Obviously the prime mover has to do damage control. Rehab? Of course. And now the recollection of clergy abuse in his youth. The political vultures now want to hang anyone in the glidepath. The media mudrakers want to "get the story out" to protect the public. The politicians need to quickly denounce the commission of such heinous acts. Before their opponents can call them soft on crime. Its all very predictable. No wonder the comics love scandal. Let's see, Father Soandso, Ted Kennedy and Foley were on a good will visit to Boys Town...
Then you have the morning sports talk show on Fox radio just carving up Chris Berman of ESPN for his call of the baseball game yesterday. I'm not a big Berman fan, and I did not hear him on the game in question, but these guys are just unable to control themselves. There is no class in sports talk radio. No professionalism. Only outrageousness. Hard to listen to just to get the scores. If these guys had any talent, they would be doing something a little more meaningful. But I guess that explains the reality of why they are where they are. People who can, do. People who can't, write and talk about those who can.
Speaking of commentators, Nick Faldo is taking the job of Head Color Guy for CBS Golf next year. He's taking the place of Lanny Watkins who had the job for a couple of years, but who never really connected with his audience. Faldo won the Masters a couple of times, including the one where Greg Norman blew a big lead on the back nine on Sunday. He should do ok. He still plays a little and he has a good sense of humor. Faldo and Paul Azinger were doing color work for one of the other major networks the last couple of years, but that network lost the contract so they were both looking for a place to land.
Has 4000 Days had a golf discussion before today?
Hope all is well with everyone.
Be careful out there.
2 and I had a nice little 3.7 or so run last night. It was warm and we ended up going a little further than originally planned. I was not all that strong because I hadn't eaten very well during the day, but I was ok afterwards. We're doing it again tomorrow night.
The weather changed today. A front came in and the temps came down quite a bit. Those high 80's weren't that great earlier in the week.
I did an oil change on the Buick at The Grease Spot by Panara Bread on Elmore after lunch. They didn't want to sell me filters, but the guy did suggest rotating the tires and swapping out wipers. Some things just don't change.
Leno was unmerciful on former congressman Foley last night. There's a lot of material to work with. Interesting how the different societal segments view and/or act on such a set of facts. Obviously the prime mover has to do damage control. Rehab? Of course. And now the recollection of clergy abuse in his youth. The political vultures now want to hang anyone in the glidepath. The media mudrakers want to "get the story out" to protect the public. The politicians need to quickly denounce the commission of such heinous acts. Before their opponents can call them soft on crime. Its all very predictable. No wonder the comics love scandal. Let's see, Father Soandso, Ted Kennedy and Foley were on a good will visit to Boys Town...
Then you have the morning sports talk show on Fox radio just carving up Chris Berman of ESPN for his call of the baseball game yesterday. I'm not a big Berman fan, and I did not hear him on the game in question, but these guys are just unable to control themselves. There is no class in sports talk radio. No professionalism. Only outrageousness. Hard to listen to just to get the scores. If these guys had any talent, they would be doing something a little more meaningful. But I guess that explains the reality of why they are where they are. People who can, do. People who can't, write and talk about those who can.
Speaking of commentators, Nick Faldo is taking the job of Head Color Guy for CBS Golf next year. He's taking the place of Lanny Watkins who had the job for a couple of years, but who never really connected with his audience. Faldo won the Masters a couple of times, including the one where Greg Norman blew a big lead on the back nine on Sunday. He should do ok. He still plays a little and he has a good sense of humor. Faldo and Paul Azinger were doing color work for one of the other major networks the last couple of years, but that network lost the contract so they were both looking for a place to land.
Has 4000 Days had a golf discussion before today?
Hope all is well with everyone.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Tuesday
Another unusually warm day for October. Mid-to-upper 80's. It should cool down some tomorrow. I have little preference for the heat. I doubt if I ever head South or Southwest for a retirement lifestyle. I'll be shovelling snow forever.
The baseball playoffs started today. I remember in grade school at St. Pat's in Ottumwa in the 1950's and early '60's when the nuns would bring in a TV for the World Series. While these divisional games are still often played in the daytime, the World Series is almost always at night for national TV broadcast purposes. Back then, you knew the players on each team. Today, you've never heard of half the players on some of these teams.
Speaking of the "World" series, it is interesting that most of the teams are heavily laden with Central American talent. And more and more Asians. Fewer African Americans. There has been much written in recent years about the declining participation of black youths in baseball in this country. You can certainly see it at the College World Series. Lots of theories for this reality, and none of them reflect all that well on our culture. Some of it is baseball's fault. The players' union strikes. The steroid mess. And the NFL and NBA tend to be more glamourous.
But each baseball game is a story. And 3 can give you the colorful comparison that describes the the beauty of the game. As much as I played, I can't say that I loved it. (By comparison, Daddy loved the game. And the Yankees.) But I still respect the game and enjoy the "games within the game" that mark strategy and execution of the players and the managers. You pitch the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball. You hit the cutoff man. You back up first base. You don't show up another player or an umpire. Lots of other unwritten rules.
4 received her admission to the Iowa School of Journalism. You go girl! Internships wanted. (It would be nice, but probably not all that realistic, if it was a paid internship.)
1 advises me that she feels ok one day after the marathon.
2 and I are running together tonight. We ran 4+ miles on Saturday morning in Minneapolis so we're trying to help one another get ready for the TT.
And 3 continues the job search.
October 16th is the final due date for the last of the 2005 returns of any sort. We have several to do. The 15th is the real date, but since it falls on a Sunday, the deadline slips to the next business day. Busy times.
So do your stuff the best you can. Keeping the eye on the ball, out there a few feet in front of home plate.
And be careful out there.
The baseball playoffs started today. I remember in grade school at St. Pat's in Ottumwa in the 1950's and early '60's when the nuns would bring in a TV for the World Series. While these divisional games are still often played in the daytime, the World Series is almost always at night for national TV broadcast purposes. Back then, you knew the players on each team. Today, you've never heard of half the players on some of these teams.
Speaking of the "World" series, it is interesting that most of the teams are heavily laden with Central American talent. And more and more Asians. Fewer African Americans. There has been much written in recent years about the declining participation of black youths in baseball in this country. You can certainly see it at the College World Series. Lots of theories for this reality, and none of them reflect all that well on our culture. Some of it is baseball's fault. The players' union strikes. The steroid mess. And the NFL and NBA tend to be more glamourous.
But each baseball game is a story. And 3 can give you the colorful comparison that describes the the beauty of the game. As much as I played, I can't say that I loved it. (By comparison, Daddy loved the game. And the Yankees.) But I still respect the game and enjoy the "games within the game" that mark strategy and execution of the players and the managers. You pitch the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball. You hit the cutoff man. You back up first base. You don't show up another player or an umpire. Lots of other unwritten rules.
4 received her admission to the Iowa School of Journalism. You go girl! Internships wanted. (It would be nice, but probably not all that realistic, if it was a paid internship.)
1 advises me that she feels ok one day after the marathon.
2 and I are running together tonight. We ran 4+ miles on Saturday morning in Minneapolis so we're trying to help one another get ready for the TT.
And 3 continues the job search.
October 16th is the final due date for the last of the 2005 returns of any sort. We have several to do. The 15th is the real date, but since it falls on a Sunday, the deadline slips to the next business day. Busy times.
So do your stuff the best you can. Keeping the eye on the ball, out there a few feet in front of home plate.
And be careful out there.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Monday
Greetings from the weekend traveler.
The trip to the Twin Cities was a great success. 1 completed the marathon in just 32 seconds over four hours, a new personal record. And she was able to walk away under her own power. The day was near perfect. Probably a little warm to be perfect marathon weather, but heat was not a big problem. Not a lot of wind.
We were successful in seeing her and her running partner at five separate points during the race. Being at the interim points at the proper time is always problematic; the girls need to run predictable times, and the watchers need to snake through traffic in some often congested areas. I had done so on a bike in Chicago, but had had good success by car in 1's prior Twin Cities marathons so I hadn't packed the bike this time either. In the end, 2 and I were lucky for all the designated spots while Matt and Mom got caught up in traffic once and missed the 19 mile meeting. I may have broken more parking laws than Matt, and 2 was an excellent co-pilot.
The road part of the trip was long, both going and coming. Friday afternoon traffic one day, and just tiredness on the drive home. But the new wheels were comfortable and we did a couple of CD books. One actually. The second one is still in the player. 1's short-cut doesn't work on Friday afternoons.
On Saturday, I had a chance meeting with an MU sophomore soccer player from Bettendorf who was the star of our AAU bball team when 4 was in grade school. She just happened to walk through the baseball stands while I was there for a game that Matt was umping. We had a nice chat and I was able to stop at her game for a while Sunday after the marathon, getting to talk with her folks too. Unfortunately, her team played poorly while I was there. But she is the team's leading scorer.
The hotel produced the worst two nights of sleeping for me in years. Surprisingly, it wasn't my back. Just lousy rest. I had the sofa-bed in the living room of our suite. It will be my last sofa-bed experience. Everyone take note. I will always want to visit you. But if the accomodations are to be the sofa-bed, book a room at the Marriott.
Another by-product of the trip is the bug splattered front of my car. Big wash in store tonight.
2 and I had a little excitement as we were approaching parking for the end of the marathon. A very poor driver pulled out from a side-street and forced me to put both left side tires on to the 5-6 inch raised medium of a four laned major street to avoid contact. Total inattention. We were lucky. I figured that it would ruin a tire. But we escaped.
As an interesting point, I thought afterwards that the incident could have been totally avoided if I had elected to take a different route to the finish of the race, as 2 and I had considered. Or the timing would have been put off if I had stopped in at a Mickey D's for a pit stop, as I had also considered just a few minutes before the near-accident. This is one of those moon-and-stars things about the place and the time of events. Maybe in this case, since I had two specific alternatives that would have taken me away from that scene, the powers-that-be said, "Let's give the LT a break today". Not the worst outcome.
Speaking of timing, let me remind everyone that very few good things happen out in public after midnight. It is usually worse if alcohol has been involved. This may even qualify as a Man Rule. Although most of those guys around that table have histories that make the rule one of the "Do as I say, not as I do" variety. In any event, its a good rule.
OK. I'm out of here. Hope everyone has a good evening. More tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
The trip to the Twin Cities was a great success. 1 completed the marathon in just 32 seconds over four hours, a new personal record. And she was able to walk away under her own power. The day was near perfect. Probably a little warm to be perfect marathon weather, but heat was not a big problem. Not a lot of wind.
We were successful in seeing her and her running partner at five separate points during the race. Being at the interim points at the proper time is always problematic; the girls need to run predictable times, and the watchers need to snake through traffic in some often congested areas. I had done so on a bike in Chicago, but had had good success by car in 1's prior Twin Cities marathons so I hadn't packed the bike this time either. In the end, 2 and I were lucky for all the designated spots while Matt and Mom got caught up in traffic once and missed the 19 mile meeting. I may have broken more parking laws than Matt, and 2 was an excellent co-pilot.
The road part of the trip was long, both going and coming. Friday afternoon traffic one day, and just tiredness on the drive home. But the new wheels were comfortable and we did a couple of CD books. One actually. The second one is still in the player. 1's short-cut doesn't work on Friday afternoons.
On Saturday, I had a chance meeting with an MU sophomore soccer player from Bettendorf who was the star of our AAU bball team when 4 was in grade school. She just happened to walk through the baseball stands while I was there for a game that Matt was umping. We had a nice chat and I was able to stop at her game for a while Sunday after the marathon, getting to talk with her folks too. Unfortunately, her team played poorly while I was there. But she is the team's leading scorer.
The hotel produced the worst two nights of sleeping for me in years. Surprisingly, it wasn't my back. Just lousy rest. I had the sofa-bed in the living room of our suite. It will be my last sofa-bed experience. Everyone take note. I will always want to visit you. But if the accomodations are to be the sofa-bed, book a room at the Marriott.
Another by-product of the trip is the bug splattered front of my car. Big wash in store tonight.
2 and I had a little excitement as we were approaching parking for the end of the marathon. A very poor driver pulled out from a side-street and forced me to put both left side tires on to the 5-6 inch raised medium of a four laned major street to avoid contact. Total inattention. We were lucky. I figured that it would ruin a tire. But we escaped.
As an interesting point, I thought afterwards that the incident could have been totally avoided if I had elected to take a different route to the finish of the race, as 2 and I had considered. Or the timing would have been put off if I had stopped in at a Mickey D's for a pit stop, as I had also considered just a few minutes before the near-accident. This is one of those moon-and-stars things about the place and the time of events. Maybe in this case, since I had two specific alternatives that would have taken me away from that scene, the powers-that-be said, "Let's give the LT a break today". Not the worst outcome.
Speaking of timing, let me remind everyone that very few good things happen out in public after midnight. It is usually worse if alcohol has been involved. This may even qualify as a Man Rule. Although most of those guys around that table have histories that make the rule one of the "Do as I say, not as I do" variety. In any event, its a good rule.
OK. I'm out of here. Hope everyone has a good evening. More tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
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