Regimented

I am a creature of habit.  And one of my habits is that I generally know how long things will take, and plan my activities accordingly.  Sometimes, I am surprised. Today was one of those days.  I spent much longer at the library and the check out line at the store than I had anticipated. I used to get antsy when I had to wait like that. Now, I just mellow out and enjoy the opportunity to watch people.

This is good.  I do not want to be such a creature of habit that I can not be spontaneous.

The Tree Man

I have a Lombardy Poplar in my back yard that has long outlived its life span.  It has many dead limbs and is actually starting to lean towards my house. It will fall over soon, I am afraid, if I do not get it cut down. Especially in a high wind.  Or, if by some miracle, the ground became so water logged that the roots were lifted up by the water. Since the end of May, I have been working on getting estimates and scheduling the deed.

Most of the people who came by to give me estimates just did not inspire confidence that they could do this job safely. The tree sits close to my house, and also to my neighbors.  Someone who is not working cautiously could cause some serious problems to one or both houses. 

The company that was well recommended to me as doing quality work gave me a very high price, much higher than some of the others. But, I have used low bid workmen in the past, and regretted it.  So, I am going with the well recommended company.

They have twice scheduled the work to be done, and twice it did not happen. I almost decided that the job was too small for them, and they did not want to do it. I expected I would not hear from them any time soon, and if a couple of weeks went by, I decided to I would go with a different, although less certain company.

Today, they called again, to set up another Monday appointment to get the tree cut down. I had to laugh at the representative, who said that if they do not get to it this coming Monday, he would run for Congress.

So, we shall see.

Work Today

I had a lot of patients to see today. So did the doctor. Some were on both our lists, so when one of us finished with a patient, the other spoke to him, tag teaming.  It kept the officers very busy. But we got it done.  Tuesday and Wednesday, the officers were so very busy with so many other things, it was difficult to see patients.  Although the officers tried hard.

My list was shorter than the doctor's.  But one of the officers was very careful to keep checking with me to learn who else I needed to see.  She said she did this because I did not come on the pod and be rude or demanding, and was patient with the officers.

It is very true that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Time Warp

It was an unusual day.  I was in a time warp.  It felt like Tuesday and I had to mentally recalculate the day to recognize it was Wednesday. It was just a weird feeling.  The day felt like a continuation of yesterday, like there was no end to yesterday and things were just a continuation of yesterday.

It is not because I was doing tasks at work that I had lined out yesterday, did not finish, and tried to finish today. That is not unusal.

There was something else about the day.  I just could not figure out that today was Wednesday. 

But it is. 

Mindfulness, Gratefulness, Thankfulness

Mindfulness, a technique of working on focusing your thoughts and being very aware of yourself, and what is occurring around you. Of being aware of good, or negative, but focusing on good. Of being aware of others, of their situation, their circumstances, their needs, and feelings.  Of being aware of what you can do to help yourself, be positive about yourself, and improve yourself.

Gratefulness, an awareness of the blessings bestowed upon you. Being aware that things could have been different but knowing they are good.  Being pleased that those around you cherish you, treat you well, and appreciate you. Being hopeful of the now and the future.

Thankfulness, giving thanks and blessings for all we have in our lives. Knowing that we are not perfect and our lives are not perfect, but the blessing we have recieved are a gift, and we need to acknowledge, appreciate and thank the powers that be for those gifts. Giving thanks for the little things, the big things, and  all the blessing  which are bestowed upon us.

Recognizing Our Blessings

I am so blessed. I have a life that allows me to contribute to my community and my faith in the course of my everyday work.  I work in a men's psychiatric prison hospital. I know that for the really sick patients I see (vs. the really manipulative patients who are faking their problems, called "catch outs") my presence truly makes a difference.

And, working in a prison, I recognize the blessings that I have, everyday, that I used to take for granted, that prisoners do not have. Choice of food. Open communication. Choice of schedule for personal activities. Pets. Multiple options for life activities. Coming and going. The list goes on.

I am not a religious person. I have had periods in my life when I have been more or less spiritual. I think, now, I am more spiritual than I have ever been, and this started and has grown since I  have worked at the prison. 

I see so much human tragedy. I see what looks like injustice due to lack of funds, race, creed, or color. I see people whose very beginnings in life lead them to the crime they committed. As if it was pre-ordained. Who did not have a chance for a better life.

I know that it was possible that I could have made some wrong turns and ended up in prison. I did not. I am so grateful I did not. I hope I never make that wrong turn.

I send my thanks to God that I am where I am in life.

Superstitious? Ya Think?

It is so nice that the Yankees are of national interest in the baseball world, because I get to watch a number of their games on national broadcasts, vs waiting until they play the Rangers in Texas.

Well, it seems that when I attentively watch the games, the Yankees do not do well. The last two or three years, when I watched when Mariano Rivera was closing, it would be one of his rare losses. 

I was watching the Yankee vs. Mets game tonight, and knitting, which means I was really watching the game. My arthritis kicked in, and I needed a break from knitting (but I was planning to go a back to it.)  While I was on the computer and sort of watching the game, the Yankees went ahead in the 7th.  Now it is the bottom of the 7th, and the Mets have a chance to tie the game.  Hopefully, they will not.

But, it is interesting to me, that when I do not concentrate on the game, the Yankees seem to do better.  Am I superstitious? No.  But whatever works works.

Title IX

Today is the 40th anniversary of Title IX, http://www.dol.gov/oasam/regs/statutes/titleix.htm the federal legislation that made it illegal to discriminate against anyone, no matter the sex, in an educational institute that receives federal money.  ESPN is celebrating "The Power of IX" by airing 180 hours of women's sports.  Well, sort of, because they are including the NASCAR Nationwide Race, because Danica Patrick is in the race. ESPN has rated the top 40 female athletes http://espn.go.com/espnw/title-ix/top-40-female-athletes/_/num/41. Sheryl Swoopes, star of the Texas Tech 1993 NCAA Women's National  Basketball Champions  is rated 16th.

Senator Birch Bayh http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b000254 is credited as the author of Title IX.

I remember when I was a girl, I could not attend shop class, it was for boys only.  I took an NRA gun safety class.  My female neighbor had done so a few years earlier, so my parents had a hard time saying "no." It was not just about learning gun safety. It was about doing something that was traditionally male. The teachers treated me like a freak!  But I had the highest score in the class. I had to prove myself.

I wanted to go to veterinarian school: there were few programs that had more than token slots open to women.  Now, women are a large part of the the veterinarians students in many programs.

I do sometimes take for granted the things that were not opened to women long ago. I should not. I remember the doors that were closed to women. Title IX did more than open doors for sports: it opened doors for all educational opportunities http://www.titleix.info/.  Yet, I do not see other organizations acknowledging this important legislation.

There is a member of my family who says that there is nothing cultural about sports. I disagree. I think sports is a very important part of our culture. And sports impacts so many facets of our lives! And, Title IX has had a major impact on sports. 

Thank you Title IX!

Calm. Quiet.

I shut the alarm off and the cats let me sleep in. The house was very quiet. Unnaturally quiet. It felt like something was missing.  There was: noise.

It made the morning a little surreal. I am not sure why. On a work day, I usually have the weather channel on, but I did not need it on today.

It was nice to have the peace and quiet.  I really appeciate the peace and quiet more and more.

What is New

As posted most recently, what is new. I do not have a plan for tonight.  No TV I want to watch. I have finished reading emails, blogs, doing computer games. I have a good book to read, and I can cook something good and interesting for dinnner. So, that is where I am at tonight.

At Loose Ends?

I thought I had a plan for tonight. It turns out, I have a plan for next Tuesday night. So, what to do.  There is nothing on TV I want to watch.  I have a book I am reading, and it is about dinner time. I have LOTS of leftovers, so it is time to eat some leftovers. 

I probably need to go to sleep early tonight. It was a long, tiring day at work, and tomorrow will probably be more of the same.

No plan is also a plan.  Sometimes, that is my preference. I was kind of set adrift, though tonight, with no plan.

Lombardy Poplar

There is a very old Lombardy Poplar in my back yard. Shortly after I bought the house, a second cousin visited and told me that these trees have a life span of about 35 years.  Because of the configuration of the patio and the size of the tree, he thought the tree was probably that old.  Over the 20 years that I have owned the house, the health of the tree has deteriorated.

As it is in the northwest corner of the backyard, it provides good shade to the house.  But the tree has many dead branches, and has started leaning. So, although I hate it, I think it is time to go. 

I have spent the last 3 weeks getting estimates on its removal. The prices vary.  I did not go with the highest, and I would have liked to go with a company with a much lower price, but the lower priced companies did not inspire any confidence in me that they would cut and remove the tree without causing damage to my house, or the the neighbor on the west.

The company I decided to use originally told me they thought it would be early July before they could schedule a removal.  Last week, they contacted me, and wanted to try to remove the tree today.  They told me as long as I provided access to the back yard through the front and back gate, I did not need to be present, and they would send me the bill!

They were unable to get to the tree today, so we rescheduled for next Monday.  If they reschedule again, I will have to rethink if I want to use them, especially for the price they are quoting. Having said that, I do not want complications from someone less qualified to remove the tree. This is a tricky removal:  much of the tree is over my house. If a limb or trunk drops, it could severely damage my house or that of my neighbor.  I went with this company because someone I trust reported that they do very good, reliable work.

Community Service

Community service comes in all shapes and forms. Over the years, I have done a lot of things: voting, being on a neighborhood association, working for various organizations or donating to community organizations. Currently, I serve on the board of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Lubbock http://www.cclubbock.org/index.html. When I moved to Texas in 1977, this organization was part of Catholic Family Service, Inc, of the Diocese of Amarillo (before there was a Diocese of Lubbock.) My first social work job was at Catholic Family Service, Inc.  I worked there for 10 years.

This is a really good, strong social service agency.  I am honored to be on the board, and even more delighted when the director asks me to participate in helping the staff with education, planning, policies, input, etc.  

I am also pleased that the director understands that the trend needs to be towards hiring people with appropriate social work, human services type degrees, and preferably, licensed people. Because the salaries are so low, licensed people will be hard to attract.

One of the things I like about working on the board is that the members of the board support the agency and the executive director. They support her efforts to modernize, and professionalize the agency. Professionalizing the agency is one of my desires.  The director wants to move towards Catholic Charities accreditation. In my opinion, that is an important goal for the agency.  I hope that while I am on the board, we can continue to move in that direction.

Color Commentary

Color commentators on live sporting events are unusual characters.  They are present to tell stories about the sport.  Many commentators just present random drivel about the sport, which may or may not be relevant to the event at hand.

I am watching the Red Sox at Chicago Cubs on ESPN tonight.  Terry Francona, the former Red Sox manager, is the color comentator. Because of his experience with managing the Red Sox for years, he is able to contribute some stories which are meaningful and contibute to the viewing pleasure of the game.

Maybe ESPN needs to expand their repetoire of color commentators so they have people who can speak knowledgably about the teams that are on the broadcast.

Purslane

Several years ago, I recognized one of the weeds in my lawn as purslane http://landscaping.about.com/cs/weedsdiseases/a/purslane.htm.  I recall reading novels, maybe the China Bayles series, where purslane is mentioned.  I am also thinking it is mentioned in some books set in England.

Purslane is a succulent, and it grows very well in the dead lawns around here. As it ages, it turns red.

At dinner Thursday night, one of the gentleman present talked about purslane as an edible plant.  Like dandeloins, the greens can be eaten raw or cooked.  He mentioned purslane is a good source of Omega - 3 fatty acid. 

So, I was curious. I checked several links, including the one above, and discovered he was correct. So Saturday evening, I harvested a bowl of purslane, and sautéd it in some bacon drippings. I have been buying greens at the deli lately, but did not this week. So, I had greens from my yard. I washed it before eating it, but like most greens, unless you wash it two or three times very well, it is a little gritty.   That can be resolved. Today, when I ate some, I added some powdered onion.  I think the next time I cook purslane, I will add the usual onion and garlic that so many of my recipes start with.

Evening Storms

This is the time of year that evening storms build and give us strong winds and rain with lots of thunder and lightning.  Thursday was a case in point. The storms built to the northwest and traveled into Lubbock, along with an Haboob (wall of dust).  I left the book group about 8:35 PM and the dust was blowing through.  Later, there was rain. My inaccurate rain gauge collected about .25 inch of rain. 

Friday, the storms built again in the evening, but a little earlier, yet it took a while for the rains to start. But they were heavy when they came. The rain gauge this morning indicate 1.25 inches. That is marvelous.

This afternoon, the storms have gathered again. Unfortunately, right now, we have clouds, thunder and some lightning, but no rain in the area.  In a way that is good. The Moonlight Musicals http://www.lubbockmoonlightmusicals.org/ are trying to put on a play tonight.  And, there is a Juneteenth Celebration at Mae Simmons Park http://unifiedjuneteenth.com/Events.html  http://www.kcbd.com/story/18781519/lubbock-celebrates-juneteenth.  If the rains hold off until after 11 PM, that would be nice.

I hope the rains come, though.

Lubbock Weather

The minimal chance of rain increased as the day progressed: it was a scorcher, the kind that allows for the development of serious storm clouds.

When I left work a little after 5 PM, there was a front of clouds to the northwest, but also to the west and south, and it was obvious that some were producing rain. When I arrived home, I turned on a weather report, and saw the radar indicating the storms were to the northwest, in a long slow moving line traversing to the  southeast, about 35 miles or more away.  Observing the speed with which the storms were moving made me guesstimate the worst would not hit Lubbock until after 9 PM. 

I went to dinner and the book club. About 7:25 PM, leaving the restaurant, I could see the wall of dust, and the radio news report indicated we were under an Haboob warning. About 75 minutes later, when I was going home, the dust was in the air, but it was not a solid wall, as the winds were not straight line.   The electric storm had not dissipated.

Since the Haboob has blown through, we have had strong winds and rain, and in some areas, hail. If  it hailed here, it was small: I think it did hail, because of the noise on the roof, but as I say, it was small, as I saw none on the ground.

I have not checked the rain gauge, which is not accurate, because it does not breach the top of the fence, so depending on the direction of the rain, does not catch rain accurately. Judging from the bucket under the back door eave, we received at least an .5 inch.

The front porch was wet but not puddled with water, as it was earlier this week.  So, the rain did not blow in from the north, but maybe the northwest. And an hour later, the cement of the front porch has started to dry. That is probably a function of the still persistent winds, although the rain has moved on.

There has been some thunder and lightning, and it continues to rumble.

Overload

Work has become very busy right now. That happens periodically, but it does.  My supervisor sent out an email today, to remind us as we are being bombarded with some tasks, it would be okay to decrease other tasks, so we can survive and not go into burnout.

I appreciate that. I have a tendency to think I have to perform at the same high pace in all areas of my work, although I know that is not practical or reasonable. I am only human. I can only do so much.

I need reminders that sometimes, I have to re-prioritize and do only what I can without burning myself out.

Thanks Boss!

I Don't Want That!

Haiku and Taki really like the sunflower seed/chicken cat treats put out by Friskies http://www.friskies.com/Cat-Food/Cat-Treats/Natural-Sensations-With-Real-Chicken.  Sometimes, when I shop for cat food, the store does not have the chicken version of this treat, so I have purchased the salmon version.  The first pouch of the salmon version was tolerated. But after that, if I put salmon out, Haiku and Taki just sit there, staring at the food.  And, if I put other treats with the salmon food, as I do with the chicken food, they sit and stare at the other treats, also.

Eventually, the salmon treats disappear.  But the girls have made it very clear that salmon treats are not their preference.

Enjoying Baseball

I have been able to watch a lot of Yankee or Red Sox baseball lately. This is a recurring theme with me. I enjoy watching these two teams play.  Including against each other.

Sometimes, when I need some noise and there is nothing I want to watch, I will turn a baseball game on the TV.  I like the pattern and cadence of baseball announcing, I love the stories of baseball history, even if it is about teams I do not follow or players I do not know.

There are few, if any players I do not like.  Frankly, I even like Pete Rose. I hate the way baseball banished Pete Rose.  I do not know if he bet on baseball.  I am sorry he sullied his reputation.  But I suspect if we went back in time, some of the early baseball heroes would have stories related to them that would tarnish them or their reputation. And as time goes on, more and more of the heroes and great players seem to have some skeleton in the closet.

I also have some strong feelings about the era of steroid use.  It was inappropriate, but not illegal, although "performance enhancing drugs" probably were always "banned." Yet baseball players have used substances of all sorts over the years.  I do not want to see records with asterisks.  The player achieved that measure, in the culture of his time, and that is the way it is. Besides, he may have been (and probably was playing) against other players who were using performance enhancing drugs who still could not meet his level of performance.

I am not condoning the use of performance enhancing drugs. I am just saying is someone has accomplished something, there needs to be some recognition.  A baseball fan will know the story.

Certainly, if someone in the future uses those specifically outlawed drugs, they need to be censured. Including not allowed to continue in baseball.

There was a time when baseball was on the decline. It has resurrected itself, and I hope it stays alive for a long time. I hope the sadness of drug use is put to rest, or dealt with appropriately in the future, without the he said-he said recriminations. I hope baseball finds a way to keep itself vital and alive.

I enjoy baseball.

D-Day Memorial

The Silent Wings Museum http://www.silentwingsmuseum.com/ in Lubbock, Texas had a D-Day Memorial on 6-6-2012, and extended activities this weekend. I missed the speeches and the fly in of the C47, but got to tour the plane and listen to the stories the WWII re-enactors told. It was fun to hear the questions of the children in the audience, because they spark the speakers to be more animated. I know a lot of what the speakers share, but I enjoy hearing the oral history.

There was a film about D-Day, using actual historical footage.  One of my favorite movies is The Longest Day, which is about D-Day. While there is a lot of theatrical license in the movie, there is a lot of historical correctness in it too, and the historical film I viewed today confirmed that.

In conjunction with the Texas Tech Museum http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/exhsch11.html, there will be many WWII commemoratives and events this summer in Lubbock. One of the nice things about being in conservative Lubbock, Texas is that the community appreciates and commemorates military heroes.  This is in part due to the ongoing legacy of Reese Air Force Base that was closed in 1997 (which was a WWII Army Airfield), the legacy of the glider pilots training in Lubbock at the South Plains Army Air Field, and the 3000 or more veterans buried in the City of Lubbock Cemetery.  But mostly because the Bible-belters are unabashed flag-wavers.  And, what is wrong with unabashed flag wavers.  We can love our country even if we do not love our countries politics.  

Last year on Memorial Day, I was at a commemorative event at the Lubbock Area Veterans War Memorial.  http://www.playlubbock.com/pk/specialParks.aspx and walked over to the the Willie McCool Memorial Statue http://www.playlubbock.com/pk/willieMcCool.aspx.  I met Commander McCool's father and thanked him for the service of his son to our country.  That was SO awesome.

Someone asked me, just recently, if I was ex-military or a  veteran.  I am not. I have just decided that I need to appreciate anyone and everyone who has put their life on the line for my life: police officer; fireman, security guard, military, EMT.  Thank you.

Mesquite Smoke

I am smelling mesquite smoke in my neighborhood tonight. So, I suspect one of my neighbors is smoking some meat. I love the smell of mesquite smoke. It takes me back to a time in my life when I was very happy, and one of the favored activities of the people in my life was to mesquite smoke briskets, ribs, chicken, and what have you. What can I say. It was grand.

Sake

On Thursday, June 7, 2012, I clocked out of work at 36 hours and 45 minutes. I am on salary, so if I work overtime, I am donating my time to the State of Texas.  I have a very hard time managing my time, and once I get to work, it is difficult for me to leave, until I accomplish everything I want to do. I have discovered that one of the ways I can manage my time is to arrive at work later than earlier.

So, this morning, I decided to sleep in. Sake was very upset with this plan and about at 6:30 this morning, repeatedly, about every 20 minutes, told me it was time to get up and serve breakfast. Well, I did finally get up, and did my regular morning routine, which includes feeding the cats and cleaning the cat litter pans, and arrived at work just about 8 AM.

I finished what I wanted to do today, and left work about 1630, already into overtime. I ran some errands and arrived home about the regular time.  Haiku and Taki were ready for dinner, as were the outside wild cats. Everyone was fed and fresh water was set out.

But Sake did not come out. I checked around in the house, but did not find her. I was upset and concerned, but felt fairly confident she  did not sneak out of the house this morning, as I was getting ready for work.

When I got back from kayaking tonight, I checked again for Sake.She was in the spare bedroom, under the bed, where she usually stays.  I worry about her, but she is okay it seems, and has been out and around now.

I think Sake's age has effected her. She seems less energetic. She is often hesitant to jump on counters, tables or other places she used to jump on without hesitation.  She seems to have some trouble with grooming.

I am concerned about her, but tonight she is okay.

Transit of Venus

Today, the transit of Venus http://www.transitofvenus.org/ was visible from Lubbock, Texas. The South Plains Astronomy Club http://southplainsastronomy.org/ set up several telescopes at the Museum of Texas Tech http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/ to allow viewing of the transit.  They started at 5 PM and went until sunset.  I was able to attend this event. There was one telescope that had a very long line, and I did not wait to use it.  But in about 30 minutes, I saw 4 different views of the transit.  The Texas Tech Graduate School was providing free (I was surprised) lemonade and tea. There was popcorn available.

There were many people just sitting there, not in line to look at the sun. There were sun-safe glasses available to allow looking at the sun. 

The next time this happens is in 105 years.  I am pleased I had the opportunity to see this tonight.

Thank you, South Plains Astronomy Club.

Tree

There is a tree in my back yard that needs to be removed. It is dead on one side and has several branches that are dead.  It is very near my house, on the end of my house where the hot water heater is. It is also close to my neighbor's house.

I had hoped, when I was on vacation at the end of May, to get someone in to cut the tree down. I have had difficulty getting people to respond to my phone requests to provide estimates The estimates I obtained while I was on vacation were by people who inspired fear in me regarding their ability to fell the tree safely. To the extent that I though that if I used them, I would have to put the cats in day care, in case something happened while they were trying to fell the tree. I have called several other people who are supposed to provide me with estimates this week. 

Today, someone came by who gave me a much higher estimate, but who instilled in me the confidence that he knew what he was doing. I had thought that if I use a low bid, and have damage, I am not saving myself any trouble or money. 

I am expecting two more estimates this week.  Both said they could come by and check out the tree without my being home.  I am about to spend a LOT of money to get this tree removed.

A coworker wondered if the wood could be cut and stacked so someone could use it in a fireplace.  I am not sure about that.  I will ask.

A Full Moon

There is what looks like a full moon tonight. The calendar says that the full moon is on the fourth. There are lots of clouds.  We had a chance of a storm earlier, but I think we only got wind and big drops of rain. We need the moisture. Apparently, it stayed to the north.

It is warm, cool enough to enjoy the night air, if I were not watching the Celtics - Heat game again tonight.

I was out earlier.  The girls were glad to see me come home.  I am not sure Taki is confident that I will not disappear again.

The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend?

I am watching the Celtic-Heat basketball game tonight.  They are playing in the East conference finals, trying to get into the championship.  One of the announcers commented on a famous person, in the audience, who is a noted Knicks fan. This person was sitting with a Celtics executive. The announcer railed against this celebrity fraternizing with "the enemy." The announcer basically said if you are a Knicks fan, you CAN NOT cheer for any other team, although the Knicks are not in the post-season tournament.

What do you think?  Is the enemy of my enemy my friend? 

I deal with this frequently.  I am an unusual baseball fan:  I like the Yankees and the Red Sox.  If the Red Sox are playing, I want them to win.  If the Yankees are playing, I want them to win. If the Yankees and the Red Sox are playing against each other, I want the game to go into extra innings.

Now, here comes the hard part, who do I want to win, when the Yankees and Red Sox are playing together?  Hmmm. Shall I tell you? I think not.  Somethings are better left unsaid.

Premature Self-Congratulations

Well, if you read resolve, you read how I congratulated myself for blogging even though I was distracted.  Big deal.  I did not blog last night!  So not matter how good my resolve was Wednesday, it was gone on Thursday.

Tonight there is a Celtics game on.  But I am able to do a little bit.