Category Archives: Life and Stuff

Accidental Time Swapping Traditions

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It has become a tradition in my daily log that I get a couple days backward.

In both this year’s log and last year’s log, I’ve started to fill out a page only to realize, much too late, that it’s the wrong page. This means that the next day also has to go into the log in the wrong place resulting in a couple pages of swapped time.

This made more sense in last year’s log as it was a blank book and I had to write the dates every morning.

However, my current log has dates already printed. Despite this, for yesterday’s entry, I strarted writing the notes for the 12th on the 13th. Today I had to write the 13th on the 12th.

Tomorrow I hope the 14th is on the 14th, but I can’t guarantee that.

Messing Up the Lay Up

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It is a truth universally acknowledged, that the most difficult shot in basketball is a wide open lay-up.

The problem is that the instincts that got you out in the open fail you as you approach the basket. You start thinking and trying to count steps and then you take the shot and it bounces off the rim, goes over the basket, or bounces off the bottom of the backboard. I suspect this is why the dunk was invented. Don’t do a lay-up, just jump and drop the ball in the hoop.

As for me, most of my problems in basketball came from not thinking. Or, more specifically, thinking too much in the wrong direction.

When we lived in Hayden, Colorado, for reasons I don’t remember (probably my request) we put a basketball hoop and backboard on our house. I still couldn’t do a lay-up and that inspired me to improvise.

I stood on something (the bumper of my dad’s pick up?) and decided to attempt a dunk.

The first part went  well as I managed to dunk the ball. However, for reasons I don’t remember, I decided to try hanging on the rim.

The entire basket and backboard ripped out of the wall and we both fell to the ground. I somehow managed to remain uninjured, but the backstop got an impressive scrape.

After that, the basket got put back in place, but I never liked that it had a scrape, even though I caused it.

Stirred But Not Shaken

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Apparently there was a large earthquake this morning but I didn’t feel it.

It apparently hit as I was getting dressed after a shower. In fact, it may have hit while I was still in the shower. All I know is at one point She Who Must Be Obeyed insisted there was an earthquake. This was confirmed by swaying lamps and laundry.

After I realized how large the quake was, and that it had reached international news, I decided I’d better post that I’d not only survived, but hadn’t noticed. I turned on my computer to find messages from family members requesting I confirm that I had not faced catastrophe.

Oddly, this isn’t the first time I’ve not noticed an earthquake. I do not know why this is, but it may have something to do with us living on the first floor (ground floor for those from the UK) and me not being as concerned about the ground shaking as I probably ought to be.

The only consequence I faced was a delay in the start of school and the sudden belief among my students that a half-hour delay = no need to do anything.

The final twist was, after I got home from work tonight, She Who Must Be Obeyed asked if I’d felt the earthquake. I asked when it had happened. She said it had happened 20 minutes before.

Of course, I hadn’t, which kind of worries me.

The Problem With Birthday Rulin’s

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That would be scann’d.

Was abnormally busy today and that has me repondering my suggestion for birthday rulin’s (aka new year’s resolutions done on your birthday).

The main hassle I have is that my birthday arrives at the start of the busy season at the school where I work. Exams must be written. Listening tests must be recorded. Souls must be crushed. On top of that, I have three other part time jobs (two that require travel and one that can be done at home) and those eat up time.

Because I didn’t rethink the rulin’s on Saturday when I had more time, even though I was actually working at home, I won’t be able to do them until next Saturday, and then only if I’ve finished my work at home work.

The advantage of the new year is that there’s a few days off and, with the proper balance of booze,  you might be able to hammer out some proper resolutions.

That said, I’m still working on my rulin’s and hope to get them posted on Wednesday when we have a national holiday.

Redoin’ and Rethinkin’ the Rulin’s

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Had a busy day today and wasn’t able to finish work on my new set of Rulin’s for the next year of my life. Why I’m doing my new Rulin’s now should be explained.

After much consideration I’ve decided that although I like the idea of new year’s resolutions, I don’t fully understand why they have to start on New Year’s Day. It makes more sense to me to start your resolutions on your birthday.

There are a couple problems with deciding your resolutions around the new year. 1) You’re probably drunk; 2) You will not admit you are as drunk as you actually are; 3) if you’re not drunk you’re hungover and life has no meaning beyond blissful death; and 4) You’re more worried about fighting through after Christmas/New Year’s sales than you are your future. (Which is probably why you got so drunk in the first place.)

Throw in the fact that, at least in my part of the Northern hemisphere, you’re locked in the dregs of winter and the short, dark days make you feel depressed and that makes you come up with resolutions such as “Find life purpose by February or set self on fire.”  (Something like that.)

If you’re resolution is to start going to the gym to exercise, you’re also competing for gym space with the thousands upon thousands of other people who’ve also resolved to start lifting weights and the veteran regulars who wish you’d hurry and set yourself on fire.

In my case, the new year is also complicated by annual trips to in-laws. I’m surrounded by people and probably more drunk than I’ll admit and probably more annoyed than I deserve to be.

Birthday’s seem more natural for this kind of planning.  As you celebrate the start of a new year of life, that’s the perfect time to sit down with your journal and review the previous year. What did you accomplish? What are you grateful for? What are you stuck in? What got put away? What needs to be set on fire and gotten rid of? Why did you buy THAT?

After looking over your year, you can make better decisions and set clearer goals. If you decide to exercise, you’re only competing for gym space with the fraction of the population born on or around your birthday.

Then again, some birthdays are depressing and may not be the best times to make decisions.

Closer to One-Hundred Than My Birth

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I didn’t think it would be this way, but it’s clear that your fiftieth birthday is a birthday you can’t ignore or pass off as “here we go again”. Turning 50 leaves marks.

I didn’t have much reaction to my thirtieth birthday, as I was actually kind of happy to reach thirty as it meant the symbolic end of the age 25-30 freak out that I and several of my friends went through. (Mine involved Albania, Mississippi, borderline stalking, a poet and moving to Japan. Long story.) (Note: the actual end of the freak out was a couple years later, although that is debatable.)

Turning forty was no big deal, although a few months after my birthday the physical switches started flipping off, starting with my eyesight, when I noticed I could no longer read the inscription on my wedding ring without a magnifying glass.

Fifty, though, won’t be ignored. I still don’t know how I feel about it, but saying “I’m in my fifties” resonates differently than “I’m in my forties.” There’s no way to say it where you can deny how old you are. Adding “early-” doesn’t seem to help that much. Being 50 also reminds you of all those childish things you haven’t put away even though you are hell and gone from being a child. (Note: I still spake, as a child, so to spake.)

Oddly, I could feel the stress of it coming, although I didn’t realize that’s what it was. I’ve been in diet/lifestyle change rebound, short-temper mode, and a state of drift that involves doing anything that’s not productive and doing it with great passion. My goal for most of November has been to accomplish as little as possible while spending as much energy as I can.

That said, I’m in reasonably good health. I’ve rebounded in weight some, but not disasterously so as my new clothes all still fit and now that the birthday’s come and gone, I can feel myself coming to terms with it, although the beer, Bordeaux and bourbon that’s been flowing the past couple days may explain that.

The next few days (more or less) of this blog will be devoted to New Year’s resolutions (or Rulin’s) which I now believe should be made on your birthday rather than in the dark recesses of winter (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) and one or two other fiftieth birthday related posts.

Pen Pineapple Apple Birthday

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It started when I went to buy an apple. A few of my former students were gathered around the apple display and acting suspiciously. Well, it seems suspicious in retrospect. It turned out I almost ruined it all, and I wasn’t even trying.

Then, later, I went to say hello and they all vanished into their room. Keep in mind, things such as this have happened to me before so I wasn’t that surprised.

Then, several minutes after lunch, my former students crashed my new class. They marched in to the P.P.A.P music and presented me with my presents: an apple and a pineapple. They said I already had pens so they didn’t need to buy me those. I said there was always room for pens but they didn’t get it.

They showed me my card but wouldn’t let me have it because not everyone had signed it. (Note: they were signing the card and that’s whey they all ran away; at least that’s their story and they’re sticking to it…)

I got the card later and then I became a prop for several photos. (Note: because my students are still in high school I can’t share the pictures.)

It was sweet they all remembered. But now I’ve been reminded and, well, yeah.

 

All Work and Some Gab

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Except for a much needed conversation with an old friend, I spent a good portion of the day working on things that needed to be done. You can blame a broken computer mouse for that.

Because the mouse was broken I wasn’t able to waste much time playing games. The mouse would do basic stuff, but it occasionally decided to break free of it’s programming and scroll any which way it wanted. This was especially true in the game. As I was trying to scroll in to target an enemy, it was scrolling out as if to say “haven’t enough tanks died today”? That was usually followed by me dying so you can guess the answer to that question.

This meant I got some writing done, on a couple projects, and even did a rough outline of the course I start teaching tomorrow. However, it’s left me drained for any real ideas for this post. If I were smart, I’d write nothing, but the habit is too well ingrained now to stop easily.

I have more reviews coming up as I finish using a couple notebooks and consider putting a couple pens out to pasture. (I’ll describe that thought process in a future post.)

Until then, let this count as a place holder.

The Course You Choose May Not Be Your Own

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Our oldest is at the phase of her high school career where her high school is forcing her to make choices. These choices also effect She Who Must Be Obeyed and me.

At hour oldest’s school 11th graders are required to choose the course of study that will carry them to the course of study they hope to follow in their university careers. Against the better judgement of She Who Must Be Obeyed our oldest thinks she wants to follow the physics course.

Although I think this is a good idea there are a couple of issues: 1) her study habits are not the best; 2) math is not her best subject and physics requires lots of math; 3) the math will reach a level where all SWMBO and I can do to help her is clap our hands and lead cheers to inspire her; 4) She seems to think we’ll hire a tutor to help her; 5) I get the feeling she’s chosen it because one of her friends is going to choose it; and 6) I’ve got the vague sense that she’s chosen it because SWMBO is against it. In fact, this choice has prompted a couple long arguments between the two.

Either way, I encourage our oldest to choose a more difficult path, and physics is a good jumping off point for other kinds of science, but I also realize (as does SWMBO) that there’s going to be a lot of fighting over rules and study habits. This means there may be an iPhone 6 available for purchase sometime next year and that my WiFi is about to get a serious password upgrade.

 

Marks and Malaise

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Finished the final marks for the Sunday classes I teach, then couldn’t be bothered to do much else of anything.

This is as predictable as getting a migraine and/or a cold on the first day of a vacation. However, in the case of the post-marking, end-of-term malaise, I often horrify myself enough by what I don’t do the first day that I end up doing something the next day.

Today, though, I ran through a bunch of small projects and even managed to sell some ink. What I didn’t do was write very much, but I also didn’t play much. It was just a day to sit and do very little but what could be accomplished without having to actually get up and go get it.

In the end I did a few things that were actually useful, including some writing and some organizing. Tomorrow is another day, of course, but I’ve said that before.