I don't write much about politics here anymore. And I don't talk about politics much anymore either.
I sometimes write about politics in my weekly column, but it's objective and I offer no opinion.
Accordingly, I watched very little of either convention. In fact, I watched none of the Democratic convention and only a few minutes of the GOP gathering.
Here's a mystery to me: after the speeches at both conventions, "fact checking" news reports told us how what a speaker said was an outright lie or spun in such a way that is was a half-truth.
Wonder if any of them ever thought of doing that fact checking before opening their mouths?
***********************************
Wife gave me a hummingbird feeder as an anniversary gift.
It is one of the best gifts I have ever received. I hung it on the back deck, right in front of a big picture window that frames our kitchen table.
I had a customer within a half-hour of hanging it and it wasn't long until he told his friends. We have daily visitors now.
They're a curious bunch, those hummingbirds. One will come fluttering up to the feeder and here will come another, and then another, but they don't imbibe at the same time, even though there are three different little holes where they could consume the sweet nectar together.
No, when one is there enjoying the treat, another comes and chases him (or her) away. I want to tell them that there is plenty to go around and plenty of room at the table, so to speak, but they'll have none of it. It's one at a time and appears to be everyone for himself.
I love watching them. I often sit and work at the kitchen table in the early morning and they start coming soon after the sun rises. Needless to say, sometimes I have trouble getting my work done.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Late summer happenings
I find that the older I get, the more I ask that question, "Where did _____ go?"
As in, where did the time go, where did last week go, where did the years go. You know what I mean.
Summer, by its true definition, is weeks away from being over. But by its more common definition in my world, summer's drawing to a close. As I walked Ralph the Dog this morning, school buses were humming through the neighborhood.
It's too early for school to be starting and I fought that battle for years as my children went through school here. In the county just to the north of us, they started on August 1, having adopted the dreaded "balanced calendar" that provides for a shorter summer break and more frequent breaks during the year.
It's an educational fad whose proponents say enhances the academic experience, but lack any empirical evidence to back that up. We were able to to fight it off when they tried it in our school district and it was not even a difficult battle because of what I just said -- the evidence was not there.
I still think it's too early but I'm thankful it's no earlier than it is.
And that's my rant about that.
*********************************
Speaking of things that start too early, Wife and I deposited Younger Son back at Auburn University over the weekend for his second year. He moved into an apartment with three other guys and classes will begin later this week. Not that anyone's counting, but this was our ninth college move-in.
And I'm asking myself that where-did-the-time-go question. When he arrived home in May it seemed like so much time lay before us and just like that, in a flash he is gone again.
Wife and I still have to catch our collective breath when leaving one of our little chicks behind.
Saturday, when we left him after a very smooth move-in, just happened to be our 28th wedding anniversary. Knowing that keeping ourselves busy is key to getting through these sad/rough patches, Wife had suggested a few weeks ago that we go to nearby Callaway Gardens, a huge resort area of natural beauty (gardens, of course) just across the state line from Auburn in Georgia.
We had a great time enjoying the serenity and beauty. The Southeast was blessed with a respite from the oppressive heat over the weekend which made it even more enjoyable.
On Saturday we explored the grounds, including a huge butterfly exhibit that was fascinating. We drove to a small town nearby and ate dinner at a crummy restaurant but that did not deter our enjoyment.
Sunday morning we enjoyed a breakfast that made up for the bad dinner the night before. Then we got outside of our comfort zones and rented bicycles. We rode for about two hours and had the time of our lives. I felt like a ten-year-old zipping along the trails, standing up on my bike and taking my hands off the handle bars. (Wife allowed as to how I was also acting like a ten-year-old).
It was a nice way to celebrate 28 years of marriage and ease ourselves into the adjustment of Younger Son once again being absent from us.
**********************
And of course I'm asking myself where this summer went and how in the world 28 years have zipped by since we got married.
Note to self: get on a bike and act like a ten-year-old more often. It's good for the soul.
As in, where did the time go, where did last week go, where did the years go. You know what I mean.
Summer, by its true definition, is weeks away from being over. But by its more common definition in my world, summer's drawing to a close. As I walked Ralph the Dog this morning, school buses were humming through the neighborhood.
It's too early for school to be starting and I fought that battle for years as my children went through school here. In the county just to the north of us, they started on August 1, having adopted the dreaded "balanced calendar" that provides for a shorter summer break and more frequent breaks during the year.
It's an educational fad whose proponents say enhances the academic experience, but lack any empirical evidence to back that up. We were able to to fight it off when they tried it in our school district and it was not even a difficult battle because of what I just said -- the evidence was not there.
I still think it's too early but I'm thankful it's no earlier than it is.
And that's my rant about that.
*********************************
Speaking of things that start too early, Wife and I deposited Younger Son back at Auburn University over the weekend for his second year. He moved into an apartment with three other guys and classes will begin later this week. Not that anyone's counting, but this was our ninth college move-in.
And I'm asking myself that where-did-the-time-go question. When he arrived home in May it seemed like so much time lay before us and just like that, in a flash he is gone again.
Wife and I still have to catch our collective breath when leaving one of our little chicks behind.
Saturday, when we left him after a very smooth move-in, just happened to be our 28th wedding anniversary. Knowing that keeping ourselves busy is key to getting through these sad/rough patches, Wife had suggested a few weeks ago that we go to nearby Callaway Gardens, a huge resort area of natural beauty (gardens, of course) just across the state line from Auburn in Georgia.
We had a great time enjoying the serenity and beauty. The Southeast was blessed with a respite from the oppressive heat over the weekend which made it even more enjoyable.
On Saturday we explored the grounds, including a huge butterfly exhibit that was fascinating. We drove to a small town nearby and ate dinner at a crummy restaurant but that did not deter our enjoyment.
Sunday morning we enjoyed a breakfast that made up for the bad dinner the night before. Then we got outside of our comfort zones and rented bicycles. We rode for about two hours and had the time of our lives. I felt like a ten-year-old zipping along the trails, standing up on my bike and taking my hands off the handle bars. (Wife allowed as to how I was also acting like a ten-year-old).
It was a nice way to celebrate 28 years of marriage and ease ourselves into the adjustment of Younger Son once again being absent from us.
**********************
And of course I'm asking myself where this summer went and how in the world 28 years have zipped by since we got married.
Note to self: get on a bike and act like a ten-year-old more often. It's good for the soul.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Still don't do 'mad' well
I generally love people -- all kinds of people. I consider myself a "people person" and, for the most part, an extrovert.
There is one type of person, however, that really gets under my skin and that I cannot identify with in any way. That person is abrasive, caustic and makes a huge deal out of something of minor importance.
Yesterday (Saturday), as I often do, I went to a 7:30 a.m. cycling (spin) class at the Y. These classes are made up of folks of various fitness levels. We are all on stationery bikes and there is an instructor at the front, also on a bike, who plays music and gives instructions regarding levels of resistance, speed, cadence, etc.
There are four fans on the walls, positioned high above the bikes (the room has about a 20-foot ceiling) and the normal practice is for the instructor to turn the fans on about half-way through the 45-minute or one-hour class. They "oscillate" so the air moves around the room.
I am aware that there are conflicting feelings about the fans among the participants. Some like the fans; some don't. It has always been my understanding that the ones who don't are able to position themselves on bikes that don't get direct air from the fans.
But apparently I was wrong. Yesterday there was a guy on a bike next to one of the walls, right underneath one of the fans. After the fans had been running for about ten minutes, he motioned for the instructor to come over to his bike.
She dismounted her bike, went over to him, and a several-minute intense discussion ensued. While this was going on, the music continued to play but we received no instructions. We just pedaled.
When the instructor got back on her bike, she resumed making her calls to us, but we could tell she was upset.
At the end of the class, during the cool-down, she told us that we needed to come to some agreement about the fans, that she sincerely wanted to keep everyone happy, including the man who had called her over an had the intense discussion with her.
At this he began to address the entire class. He said that he knew that he was in the minority (being of the no-fan school of thought) but he had as much right to not have a fan blowing on him as those who would want air from the fan have the right to have it. I mean this guy was worked up over it.
Someone asked him if he could really feel the air from the fan on the bike he was using that day and he said yes, he could feel it on his back.
I asked him, "Is this really that important to you?" (Because I myself don't have a strong feeling about it and didn't know it was such a controversial matter).
His voice level escalated as he told me emphatically that yes, it was of great importance to him and that he was tired of "management" dictating that all the fans go on at the same time.
With the escalation and irritation in his voice, I became a little annoyed myself and I, quite uncharacteristically, decided to "take him on," explaining to him that I thought it was very selfish of him to take up class time and upset the teacher the way he did.
He said, "Tough sh__" and walked out! Then the poor instructor began to cry!
I told her I was sorry, but that I was really coming to her defense. The whole thing with the fans is NOT her fault and if it's really so important to him, he needs to take it to the top of the house, not take it out on her. He also might want to check into one of those "hot yoga" classes.
I wrote a post a couple of years ago about how I don't "do mad" well.
I still don't.
*****************************************************
Our family trip to Kansas City was last weekend. We had a ball. Stayed at a hotel adjacent to the Hallmark Center (Hallmark Cards is headquartered in KC). In addition to going to two Royals games, we did a tour over at Hallmark, ate some great barbecue and, on blog friend Michael's recommendation, visited the Country Club Plaza, a beautiful and hip shopping and entertainment district.
It was great to have some family time, with all of us there. It was too short, of course, but we made the most of it.
To see some photos, visit Daughter's blog: http://mckinme.blogspot.com/ ("Delightfully Living" over to the right on my blog list).
There is one type of person, however, that really gets under my skin and that I cannot identify with in any way. That person is abrasive, caustic and makes a huge deal out of something of minor importance.
Yesterday (Saturday), as I often do, I went to a 7:30 a.m. cycling (spin) class at the Y. These classes are made up of folks of various fitness levels. We are all on stationery bikes and there is an instructor at the front, also on a bike, who plays music and gives instructions regarding levels of resistance, speed, cadence, etc.
There are four fans on the walls, positioned high above the bikes (the room has about a 20-foot ceiling) and the normal practice is for the instructor to turn the fans on about half-way through the 45-minute or one-hour class. They "oscillate" so the air moves around the room.
I am aware that there are conflicting feelings about the fans among the participants. Some like the fans; some don't. It has always been my understanding that the ones who don't are able to position themselves on bikes that don't get direct air from the fans.
But apparently I was wrong. Yesterday there was a guy on a bike next to one of the walls, right underneath one of the fans. After the fans had been running for about ten minutes, he motioned for the instructor to come over to his bike.
She dismounted her bike, went over to him, and a several-minute intense discussion ensued. While this was going on, the music continued to play but we received no instructions. We just pedaled.
When the instructor got back on her bike, she resumed making her calls to us, but we could tell she was upset.
At the end of the class, during the cool-down, she told us that we needed to come to some agreement about the fans, that she sincerely wanted to keep everyone happy, including the man who had called her over an had the intense discussion with her.
At this he began to address the entire class. He said that he knew that he was in the minority (being of the no-fan school of thought) but he had as much right to not have a fan blowing on him as those who would want air from the fan have the right to have it. I mean this guy was worked up over it.
Someone asked him if he could really feel the air from the fan on the bike he was using that day and he said yes, he could feel it on his back.
I asked him, "Is this really that important to you?" (Because I myself don't have a strong feeling about it and didn't know it was such a controversial matter).
His voice level escalated as he told me emphatically that yes, it was of great importance to him and that he was tired of "management" dictating that all the fans go on at the same time.
With the escalation and irritation in his voice, I became a little annoyed myself and I, quite uncharacteristically, decided to "take him on," explaining to him that I thought it was very selfish of him to take up class time and upset the teacher the way he did.
He said, "Tough sh__" and walked out! Then the poor instructor began to cry!
I told her I was sorry, but that I was really coming to her defense. The whole thing with the fans is NOT her fault and if it's really so important to him, he needs to take it to the top of the house, not take it out on her. He also might want to check into one of those "hot yoga" classes.
I wrote a post a couple of years ago about how I don't "do mad" well.
I still don't.
*****************************************************
Our family trip to Kansas City was last weekend. We had a ball. Stayed at a hotel adjacent to the Hallmark Center (Hallmark Cards is headquartered in KC). In addition to going to two Royals games, we did a tour over at Hallmark, ate some great barbecue and, on blog friend Michael's recommendation, visited the Country Club Plaza, a beautiful and hip shopping and entertainment district.
It was great to have some family time, with all of us there. It was too short, of course, but we made the most of it.
To see some photos, visit Daughter's blog: http://mckinme.blogspot.com/ ("Delightfully Living" over to the right on my blog list).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)