Genealogy Roadshow

I am watching Genealogy Roadshow http://www.pbs.org/program/genealogy-roadshow/ on PBS.  This is a really interesting show looking at individual genealogies, and the histories of the families.

This show is even better than Antiques Roadshow http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/.  Antiques Roadshow explores the history and value of artifacts.  Genealogy Roadshow explores the history of humans.

I love the history of humans. That is the true meaning of history.

Changing the Culture of the Boston Red Sox

Okay, so the regular season of Major League Baseball http://mlb.mlb.com/home has ended.  In the American League, the Boston Red Sox led the league. I keep hearing sportscasters and announcers talk about how the manager, John Farrell has changed the culture of the Red Sox.  And, I agree, he has.  But he has not changed the quality of the team . The Boston Red Sox of 2011 and 2012 were as good a team as the Boston Red Sox of 2013.  The Boston Red Sox of 2011, under manager Terry Francona http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball were as good as they could be. The Boston Red Sox under manager Bobby Valentine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Valentine stunk.

But I do not believe that was a true reflection of the team. I am sorry to say this, but I believe the performance of the Boston Red Sox in 2012 was a reflection of the poor managerial abilities of Bobby Valentine.  I understand the sportscasters and announcers do not want to demean the man, but let's face it. He was not the man for the job in Boston. I do not blame him, he was hired to do a job, and I blame the people who hired him for the misfit.

I am glad that the Red Sox have a manager that more fits their style. But I am not sure that John Farrell is the star manager that he has been made out to be. I think that he is the right man for the job, but his team has made him look like a star manager!

Sprint

I have been a Sprint http://www.sprint.com cell phone customer since 2003.  Ten years! I originally changed to Sprint from Cingular http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless which has morphed into AT&T Wireless http://www.att.com/shop/wireless.  The reason I changed was that there were parts of Lubbock County that had spotty coverage by Cingular, and Sprint was much better.

During that time, I was travelling back to Western Massachusetts some.  Cell phone coverage was kind of spotty at my parent's house, but Sprint's network was originally set up along interstates, and my parents lived less than 10 miles from an interstate, so my cell phone worked when my siblings' cell phone sometimes did not.

I have a plain flip phone that was high tech when I purchased it in 2007.  I had to purchase it because my phone slipped out of my hand and flew across the floor breaking it so badly that they could not even transfer my information when I purchased the new phone. When I purchased the phone, I had a deal for Internet service for $15 a month. But, the screen was so small and the service was so slow, that I discontinued the service.

I have, from time to time, considered updating to a smart phone. That would just about triple my monthly phone bill, which I can afford, but I am not sure I would get my money's worth out of it.  I do not usually text, but when I do, it adds a per text fee to my bill that nowhere nears what I would pay for unlimited call, text and data.

I have been very pleased with my Sprint service.  I recently took a survey and even said I would recommend Sprint to others. 

Hmmm.  This weekend, I have had trouble with my Sprint service. I usually get good reception at my home, inside and out. But this has not been the case this weekend. In fact, today, there was no service, and my phone spent the afternoon looking for service, which drained the charge. I finally shut the phone off, and charged it.

I contacted Sprint online and asked if there was a service disruption. I learned that there was, and that they were trying to fix it but it might not be fixed until October 1, 2013.  I did not think about it until I was writing this blog, but I did not request a service credit.  So, I got back online, and requested one. This makes me realize that a service credit would not be automatic.  So, I have contacted some friends and acquaintances whom I know use Sprint, and advised them to ask for a service credit if they are having phone problems.

When there is a power outage, there is not a credit given, but automatically, since we are not using electricity, we get a "credit."  But that same is not true of phone service, cable or Internet service. We have to ask for credit for lost service. Last December, my email service platform was not working, and I had to ask for credit, which I received. Frankly that amount of credit I received did not seem commensurate with the amount of disruption and inconvenience I suffered. But, something is better than nothing. 

I understand that nothing is perfect, and outages occur. But I should not have to pay for not having service.  And, Sprint recognizes that even if they do not automatically offer it.

Argo

I was looking for DVDs to watch this weekend, as I did not anticipate much on television. And I was right.  One movie I thought I might someday want to see was "Argo http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024648/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm," and the library had it!
So, I watched it this afternoon.

So, I was interested in some background about the movie, and it appears to have been based on real events http://www.npr.org/2013/02/16/172098605/argo-what-really-happened-in-tehran-a-cia-agent-remembers.  Of course, we appreciate that there will always be poetic license. We recognize that and respect that.

I think this is an important movie, for a lot of reasons.  One is that even Ben Affleck acknowledged that the events in Iran in 1979 and 1980 were history. The mood of Iran, the country, the world is not something that our young people remember. And, many of us have forgotten, wishing to put bad news behind us. But, we need to remember this history.  This history is part of the larger picture regarding why the United States is so hated in the Middle East.

It is a good movie, and I would watch it again.  In fact, I re-watched some scenes more than once.

Parking Lot Rage

I hate crowded, busy parking lots.  One of my greatest peeves is the driver who stops, blocking traffic, waiting for an occupied spot to become available.  It really aggravates me, but I am generally patient and do not blow the horn, although I may mouth something.

Yesterday, when I was leaving a store, there was a car that was stopped partway into a row, waiting for a car to back out of a spot.  The driver was holding up traffic, there were several cars waiting behind her.  The driver in the car immediately behind her swung around and zoomed by her, looking at her and saying something all the while. He was so busy being angry at her he did not see me, and if I had not been paying attention, he would have hit me.  As he drove by the lack of change of expression on his face made me think he never did see me.

Sure, the first driver was inconsiderate.  But the second driver was no less so. This lack of consideration and blind rage is dangerous. 

Three Cats on Couch

I have three cats. I have added to my cat family piecemeal over the years, and the additions have not been exactly peaceful.  Sake and Haiku learned to co-exist, but with Haiku being very subservient, and later in life, she learned to accept Taki. The addition of Taki really upset the balance between Sake and Haiku. Although Haiku had been very subservient to Sake, with Taki's arrival, she was more assertive. And Taki was not only not subservient, although she can be at times, she was more assertive. 

It was not unusual for only one cat to be in an area of my house at a time, when I had Sake and Haiku. With Taki's entrance, it was possible to have two cats in an area at a time. Usually, this meant Haiku and Taki, but with time it meant Sake and either Haiku or Taki.  

Some months ago, it started to be that all three cats could be on the bed at the same time.  Usually because I was feeding treats.

In the last 6 weeks or so, all three cats have joined me in the living room at the same time. In the last two weeks, they have all three joined me on the sofa at the same time, although the distance between each has not been less that two feet.

I am not sure what has precipitated the change.

Last week, we had an ant invasion in the kitchen. Amazingly, the ants came in from behind the stove cook top, traversed across about a third of the kitchen above the counters, and down to the cat food. This was dispensed with very quickly, including using the much hated ant spray, but there is no other way to clean out a problem like this.

Since then, I have moved all the cat food to the kitchen, including the snacks that were on the bed. (I have visions of ants in my bed. I do not want ants in my bed.)

Sake dominates the feeding area.  If she is eating, Haiku or Taki may eat at a bowl on the other end of the eating area. But they usually just steer clear. Taki and Haiku will eat together at the eating area.

And, I am having a problem finding food that Sake likes. Somedays she eat some foods, and the next day, she does not.  I have put out as much as 6 selections for the cats.  I have decided this is too much. I will put out two selections for Sake that I know she likes, and one each for Haiku and Taki.  That has worked that last few days, and Sake has been eating better. But she is skin and bones

It does not seem to do any good to take her to a veterinarian, as she is so hostile, they cannot examine her. If she get too sick and is subdued, then I will take her to a veterinarian.

Meanwhile, I hope her increased appetite, and the increased socialization of all three cats will be beneficial to all.

Junk Food and the Panhandle South Plains Fair

Okay, for my money, the Panhandle South Plains Fair http://www.southplainsfair.com/ is a real rip off.  If you do not go before 1 PM, when parking and entry is free, it costs $5 per vehicle to park, and $8 per adult, and $4 dollars per child with some age limits just to enter the fair.  This would cost a family of 4 (government norm) $29 to walk into the fair. Not to mention cost for midway rides, if you are so inclined, and food, which is way over priced.

Of course, there are free concerts (tickets required) and free shows, lots of exhibits and "bargains" which are very often "knock offs" and not "bargains."  Many vendors who offer "fair pricing" put the hard sell on the customers who express any kind of interest in their wares. So much so, I think they might be a little shady. Just my opinion. If you have to push that hard to sell, what is wrong with your product?

I know that many local charitable organizations use the fair as their major fund raiser for the year, earning between $10,000 and $20,000 in a 10 day time frame, with lots and lots of volunteer man hours working at the fair. I appreciate this. When I go to the fair, I buy food and drink from the local vendors instead of the professional carnival midway vendors.

And the variety of food is amazing:  roasted corn, turkey legs, fried green tomatoes, oxtail, funnel cakes (including various flavors and varieties), fried pickles, fried Snickers, fried Milky Ways, fried Reese's cups, double hamburger cheese burgers, fajitas, curly fries, sweet potato fries, cheese on stick, sausage on stick, baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries, fried pies, lemonade, corn dogs, foot long corn dogs, and what am I forgetting?

This is junk food nirvana. And, I admit, I go for the junk food at lunch.  I usually go to the fair one day, before 1 PM, when I can park for free, enter for free, and still enjoy much of the fair. The food booths are open, the exhibits are open. The free shows do not start until mid-afternoon, and since I am on my lunch break, I cannot stay for these. The midway does not open until about 3 PM, so I cannot ride the rides.

Well, I would not ride the rides, anyway. I get deathly ill on anything that goes back and forth or around. I can do a fun house, or a roller coaster that does not loop-de-loop.  I can do a chair lift. I can do a bumper car, maybe, but those even often tend to go round in circles. I can do a slide or a water slide, or some version of that like a log ride water slide.  It has been years since I have been to a carnival or amusement park to know what kind of rides they have. I suspect I could do a "zipline" ride. In fact, that sounds very intriguing to me.  But nothing that rotates.

This year, I went to the fair with coworkers at lunch time. I had fun. I bought and ate junk food. And then, I went back to work.

My Fuzzy Keyboard

I have three cats.  One has "too much hair" as a friend of mine describes her cat with the same thick coat that Sake has.  Another, Haiku, is sort of long haired, but not thick and fuzzy. The third cat, Taki, has longer than short hair and very, very thick hair.  Like an over long buzz cut.  

Well, there is fuzz everywhere in my house.  It is pulled up against the intake register for the heater/air conditioner. It piles on the carpet. And, when I vacuum the whole house, by the time I finish, there are fresh clumps of fur in the room where I started vacuuming.  The comforter on the spare bed wears a layer of fuzz. The throws on the dining chairs wear a layer of fuzz.   There is fuzz on the wall decorations, especially the baskets in the kitchen. The ceiling fan blades wear a layer of fuzz regularly.  Sometimes, unfortunately, there is fuzz in the refrigerator. And regularly, there is fuzz in the dishwater filter.  There is fuzz everywhere on the furniture.  I vacuum and brush, and wash, and still, there is fuzz. There is fuzz hidden in the laundry, and it collects in the dryer filter and pills up on to the clean laundry.  It is kind of like "The Trouble with Tribles" as it is EVERYWHERE.

Well, tonight, when I sat down at the laptop, in the middle of the keyboard was a clump of fuzz.  So, I took a straightened paperclip (high technology cleaning tool, I mean) and traced around each key on the key board. And brought out more and more fuzz. It is a wonder the key board was even functional, with as much fuzz as I cleaned out. 

I realize the next time I shut the computer down, I need to take out the air cleaner, and blast the keyboard.

The Urban Heat Island

Many, many years ago, in the late1980s and early 1990s, a friend and I used to walk our dogs in the park almost every day.  During the summer, we would start our walks a little later, when the air was cooling.  And sometimes stay till dusk, which in Lubbock, Texas, in the summer, is quite late.

We used to comment on the heat effect of the city on the weather:  Although sometimes rain would move towards the city, it would evaporate over the city. We are both well educated, intelligent women, and we could reason that the heat reflection from buildings and pavement would unnaturally heat the air over the city, and by doing so, allow it to absorb more moisture than it did in the surrounding fields and countryside.  But there was no scientific proof to this, as far as we knew.

I am also a NASCAR fan.  Some years ago, one of the regular announcers, Darrell Waltrip, talked about "the heat vortex" over a race track. His contention was that the highly heated air from the race track: the tarmac absorbing heat from the sun and the vehicles, the heat from the vehicles, and to a lesser degree, the heat from the human bodies in the race track confines (sometimes up to 250,000 bodies)  had an effect on the moisture in the air, and when there were light showers in the area, "the heat vortex" evaporated light moisture.

Tonight as I was watching The Weather Channel http://www.weather.com/, they commented on "The Urban Heat Island."  As they described this phenomenon, it was the same phenomenon, scientifically proven, that my friend and I had identified anecdotally, and that Darrel Waltrip had identified anecdotally.

It is amazing how science catches up to common sense and folk lore.

Anonymous Comments

Today, I received an anonymous comment that made no sense to me. Additionally, I was directed to a website and the post for today on the website was poorly written and also made no sense to me. 

So, I will not be posting that comment.  Sorry reader. Please continue to read. Please post a comment that makes sense, or if not, then be brave enough to identify yourself. Please send me to sites that make sense and have some meaning.

I will say, however, that my blogs are not always well written.  I try to proofread them and spell check before I post. But if it is something that I have just written, and then am ready to post, I am so aware of what I want to write, that as I proofread it, I do so reading what I want to write rather than what I have actually written. 

So, I frequently will re-read the post the next day, to help with cleaning up my mistakes. I learned to read on hard copy. I have discovered that when I proofread on a computer screen, I am not an accurate proofreader, and printing a hard copy helps me to do a better job of proofreading. I have also discovered that, many if not most, of my contemporaries have the same experience. I know it is a learned response based on how we learned to read, and that younger generations who learn to read on the computer, will not understand this problem nor have to deal with it.

Mariano Rivera

Today was Mariano Rivera day at Yankee Stadium http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=121250#gameType='R'&sectionType=career&statType=2&season=2013&level='ALL'.

In case you do not know, Mariano Rivera has been the stellar closer for the New York Yankees, and his career with them has continued since 1995, with a lay by in 2012 for an injury.  He is retiring, and at Yankee Stadium today, there was a tribute to him.

This year he has done a farewell tour, and has been honored at each baseball stadium during his last scheduled game at the stadium. He was honored at the All Star game, also.

Mariano RIvera, affectionately, called Mo, is a gentleman of class and and high moral characer. Outside of baseball, he is devoted to improving his home town, Puerto Camito, in Panama.  

Mariano Rivera is the last baseball player who wears the number 42, which was Jackie Robinson's http://www.jackierobinson.com/ number. You will remember that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1947, being the first black player to play Anglo professional baseball.  His number was retired April 15, 1997, and every April 15 is celebrated as Jackie Robinson day.

It was fitting the the wife and daughter of Jackie Robinson, Rachel and Sharon,  were at the ceremony today, and their on field escort was Robinson Canó  If Jackie Robinson had not broken the color barrier, Mariano Rivera would not have been able to play professional baseball, and be revered as a hero.  And, Robinson Canó http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_Can%C3%B3 was named after Jackie Robinson.

The baseball game was aired nationally on TBS http://www.tbs.com/?SR=tbs&SR=tbs.  Frequently, when there are pre-game activities honoring people, the highlights of these ceremonies are broadcast.  TBS broadcast most of the pre-game ceremonies live, which is a statement regarding the reverence the sports industry has for Mariano Rivera.

What a man!

Context is So Important

I know I have mentioned before how much I enjoy the movie "Desk Set" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050307/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm.  This is the story of a research department for a network facing computerization in 1957, and being concerned about computers taking over jobs. It is also a romance, and a story about not discussing take overs to prevent changes in stock values.  Do these issues sound familiar?

There is a line in the movie that did not make a whole lot of sense to me.  Peg Costello, the Joan Blondell character, is describing Richard Sumner, the Spencer Tracy character, who is the computerization fiend. She makes the comment that she thinks he is one of those men who had recently started drinking vodka. 

Today, I was listening to a story on NPR about soju, an alcoholic beverage from Korea http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/09/22/224522548/move-over-vodka-korean-sojus-taking-a-shot-at-america. The story reflects Korea's efforts to increase the market for soju in the United States. The story comments on the fact that until the 1950's, vodka was not very popular or common in the United States. I grew up thinking vodka was a common alcoholic beverage. What do I know.  But it explains the comment in the movie.

I think about this.  I wonder how much more rich a literary or cinematic  experience would be if the consumer has a thorough knowledge of the customs, habits, and culture of the times. If historical information and events are known by the audience. We miss a lot otherwise, but sometimes, it cannot be helped.

Doing the Right Thing

I hate going to the doctor.  I avoid it, and suffer before I will go. But sometimes, I just know it is the right thing to do.  Until recently, I had not been to my PCP for several years.  But, when I chose this PCP, I had specific criteria: female, extended hours, and accepts medicaid.  I think she no longer accepts medicaid, but the rest apply. She also employs a physician extender (nurse practitioner, but that could also include a physician's assistant).  Since I have been going to my PCP, I have actually used the physician's extender that she employees. And, I am very happy with that.  I did not know, until my first appointment with this PCP, that she has a multi-cultural staff, and employs staff in non-stereo specific gender roles.  This impressed me.

Last year, my PCP provided support to Catholic Charities for a fund raiser.  I was surprised and impressed.  Today, at an appointment, I learned the physician extender is Catholic. I did not tell her, but will at my next appointment, of my appreciation of the support of Catholic Charities. 

I also appreciate that they could work me in quickly, and have in the past when I had an emergent need, get me in and out quickly, and respect my time in terms of scheduling appointments, recognizing I have obligations outside of a medical appointment. 

I am also impressed that when prescriptions were called for, the nurse practitioner talked about affordability.  She does not know my financial circumstances, but that was very considerate of her (I have insurance, and can afford my copay.  But using Wal Mart, the medication was $4.) 

These medical professionals practice medicine doing the right thing. When I was a child, our family physician did the right thing: one child was sick, all got prophylactic medication, calling in prescriptions when he was sure an office visit was not warranted, taking care of the patient no matter what her mother wanted done. 

Good values, good ethics, and good practice are such a premium.  Thank the Lord for this PCP and her staff.

Feeding Sake

I am so discouraged with feeding Sake. She has lost a lot of weight and is not grooming herself well, so I know she does not feel well. A trip to the vet is non-productive, because they cannot examine her.  I have tried so many things to feed her: Chicken, which was okay for a while, when she got tired of liver.  Alternating chicken and liver.  Sardines. Ham. Scrambled egg. I have discovered she does not like cold food, so warming the chicken or liver helps.  Small bits are better.  And, quite by accident, I discovered she likes gravy food.  And, for years, she did not like mashed liver, but now she does. But every once in a while, she wants dry food.

I purchased some gravy foods and she ate well tonight. I also purchased baby food chicken which I will try out.   I think the trick is to keep a variety available, and offer her a second option of what she likes, if she rejects the first.

Cooling Off

Our nights have really been cooling off lately, which makes the evening so pleasant. I have sat outside earlier than later, and have enjoyed being outside. One of the hallmarks of the South Plains is that the nights do cool off, and at various times throughout the summer, later in the evening, I have been able to sit out and enjoy the cool night air, or open the house and enjoy the cool air.

I have opened the house earlier than usual, but only, for safety and security reasons, opened the windows a few short inches, in a locked position. This limits the amount of cool fresh air coming in, but it is by far safer.

I know that if someone wanted to badly enough, they could break into my house with everything closed and locked. I also know that if someone wanted to, they could jimmy the windows open even in the open/locked position.  But the noise and time required to do so would be much more than if the windows were fully raised, and someone could just cut the screen and shimmy their way in the house through the window.

But, I do appreciate the option of opening the windows slightly, and letting the fresh air cool off the house.

Blisters

I am sure you have had a blister at some time in your life.  We are told that we should not pop the blisters, but let them go their course.

I currently have a blister on the small toe of my right foot.  A few weeks ago, I sprained my right ankle, and had to keep it wrapped as part of the care.   I have been wearing my hiking boots as they provide so much more support. But with the ace bandage, putting a sock on the foot made it too bulky to fit the boot. So, I did not wear a sock, and there was a place in the boot that rubbed the small toe of my right foot, and resulted in a blister. It is not too painful, but I can feel it and it is uncomfortable.

I am determined not to pop the blister intentionally, but to let it be. I have actually done that with other blisters I have incurred throughout my life.  As the fluid subsides, and the skin shrinks, I am amazed at how much tougher the intact skin of the blister is than the skin around it.  The human body is an amazing thing.

I think blisters are a lesson in life: Sure, they are an irritation to us. But when that irritation subsides, the skin is tougher than it was before.  Hmm, can we learn from this?  I think so.

The Knitting Magnet

Taki is amazing.  No matter what she is doing, including sleeping, when she hears the clicking of knitting needles, she is right there. She grabs at the yarn from the skein, and she grabs at the yarn on the needles.

This is problematic.  Especially when she grabs the yarn on the needles, because she pulls stitches off the needles.  Sometimes, she pulls several rows of stitches off the needles at whatever spot I am knitting.  And, I have to undo all of those rows.  That is especially time consuming when I am working on a pieces of several hundred stitches across.  Very frustrating.  I use a lot of loud "nos" but that does not help.  But I cannot not punish her. The instinct to play with moving objects, including yarn, is pure cat. 

I usually try to finish the row on which I am working, but sometimes, that is counter productive, especially when she pulls stitches off the needle.  And, while I am trying to knit, I am fending off Taki, who is scratching my hand repeatedly. 

Then, I try to find a suitable diversion for her. She will not be diverted to self play.  So the diversion has to be something that we can do together, and that involves string or yarn or cord.

I like playing with my cats, but I wish Taki did not think my knitting was a toy.

Togetherness

Over the past weekend, there were multiple times that all three cats joined me in the living room.  This is not the norm but seems to becoming the norm.  What was really amazing was that at least twice, all three cats staked out a place on the sofa, while I sat there. This is very unusual.

Tonight, Haiku sat on the wooden TV tray to the right of the computer chair.  And, Taki sat on the right end of the desk pull out.  She was crowding the mouse, but I did not move her.  I stirred, and Haiku left and Taki took up the TV tray. 

This togetherness is interesting.

Starting Out Early

My morning was filled with goal directed activities, but by mid-afternoon, things had stalled. I still needed to do some house work, which I accomplished.  There were no plans or activities slated for tonight in particular. I read, played on the computer and visited on the phone.  I think I have written before about having anticipatory activities to keep me interested and motivated. Although the book I am reading is interesting, I needed a little more tonight. Thank you to my friend who visited with me by phone tonight. It made a difference!

Digging in the Trash

Sake and Haiku will dig in the trash if there are chicken or turkey bones in it.  They both know how to open cupboards, and Sake, especially will get into the trash if there are chicken bones in it.  That rarely happens these days, but it still occasionally does.

Taki, on the other hand likes to dig in the trash in the computer room. Rarely does that trash have food stuff in it. It has paper of various weights and textures. Taki seems to like to play with the papers and scatter them  around, and just listen to the noise of digging in the trash.

I do not get it. I am sure it means something to her.

And, once she has littered the papers around, she usually lays down and takes a nap, as if it required extreme physical exertion. And it may have, what do I know?

Banking Commercial

This may not be a very popular entry for my blog.  But I will enter it any way.

I was just watching a television commercial for a local bank, and part of the pitch was that there has not been a problem that was not resolved.

I have done my primary banking with a national bank for more years than I can count. Although I have heard from other people that they have had difficulties with this bank, I have not. They have helped me through name changes, thefts requiring account number changes, and securing my accounts through a divorce.  When I had the theft, they contacted my other credit card companies and protected those cards from misuse. They have offered investment advice, and their services include a safe deposit box. 

I do not know if my bank is as good as others, better than some, worse than some. But the service I have received has been good, and there have not been any  problems of the bank's doing that needed resolving.

A Long Day

I did not want to get up today, because I knew it was going to be a long day on the afternoon end of the day, and it was.  I often have to work late on Wednesdays, which is okay. And, which I did today.

I knew, going  into the day, that I had an errand to run after work, and then had some tasks to complete in preparation for the NASW CEU luncheon on Thursday.

Because I was late getting in, I missed the first 2 innings of the Red Sox vs Rays baseball game, but that was okay. 

I want to finish watching the baseball game, and for now, it is early enough to be able to anticipate I can do so, especially if it is only a 9 inning game.  I think it is interesting.  Sometimes, baseball games are slotted in for 2 hours on TV, but this game was slotted in for 3 hours, which is much more realistic any time the Red Sox or the Yankees play.  And, it is on a sports channel vs. an entertainment channel.

I am feeling very tired mentally.  Sometimes, the mental tiredness is more difficult to recuperate from than the physical tiredness.

Hopefully, I will have a restful night.

Reminiscing

Sadly, the father of a co-worker died last night. He had been ill for quite some time, and he had been in Hospice care.  He had been in a care home, as my co-worker needed to work, but needed him tended to. Some few weeks ago, she moved him back home.  He perked up for a while when he first moved home, but most recently went into a coma, and peacefully, as she described it, died.  For that, I am thankful.

That, and the sharing at work today of how my ancestors Anglicized their names, has awoken in me some very wonderful memories about my parents and grandparents.  I have been sitting here, listening to some very good music, and telling myself stories about my family.  Memories that I cherish and exemplify the best of my family. 

I do not go down memory lane very frequently.  But when I do, I try to find the pearls and gems that I most appreciate. And those have come to me tonight.

I am so thankful that I have a warm, full, rich store of memories of my family. 

Anglicized Names

It was a sharing moment at work today.  A couple of my co-workers, who happen to be Hispanic, were sharing how some parts of their families have "Anglicized" their names, and the conflict or at least discussion it causes at family reunions.

I mentioned that my Polish grandparents had Anglicized the spelling of their last name, as had my French Canadian grandparents, and that this was not uncommon.  My co-workers, who are very well educated, seemed surprised.

We get so boxed into our little corner of the Earth that we do not realize how many common or shared experiences we have, and how much more alike than different we are.

I grew up knowing the name of my Polish grandparents was Anglicized. It was not something that was shameful or hurtful. It was explained as making it easier for Anglos to pronounce and ultimately accept. It simplified assimilation, or at least, attempts to fit in.  It made sense. I was an adult when I learned my French Canadian grandparents' name had also been Anglicized. But it also made sense, for the same reasons.  It was not an insult to the old ways, but a way of making things easier for everyone.

Anticipation

Last week, the Texas Tech football game was on Friday night. So, I enjoyed watching the game. But I was resting my sprained ankle, and was anticipating laying low, mostly reading, watching TV, and playing on the computer. It was a three day weekend. I found that I was at loose ends, because I did not have something else, more exciting or active, to anticipate that weekend.

Well, this weekend was not so bad: There was NASCAR, Texas Tech Football, and Red Sox at Yankee baseball.  But there was nothing to look forward to on Sunday night.  I am not hooked into the PBS Sunday night series "Silk"

But, I have realized that if I do not have something to anticipate for Sunday night, I am at loose ends on a weekend.  It is not like I have nothing to do:  I can work in the yard, I can read, I can do things on the computer, I can knit.  Tonight I really enjoyed a telephone conversation with a really good friend.  I think maybe I can plan better to give my Sundays something to anticipate.

Lady Raider Basketball

The Texas Tech Lady Raider Basketball team has a new coach this year: Candace Whitaker,
http://www.texastech.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/candace_whitaker_846454.html is a former Lady Raider player under Coach Marsha Sharp.

Kristi Curry, the previous coach has moved on to the University of Alabama http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristy_Curry.  She had a valid contract with Texas Tech, and took a pay cut to make the move.  But she never fit in at Texas Tech.

I am sure that the Athletic Department at Texas Tech, in hiring Candace Whitaker, was hoping to replicate the excitement and interest in Lady Raider Basketball that the hiring of Kliff Kingsbury http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kliff_Kingsbury engendered in the Texas Tech Football program.  Kingsbury succeeded the very respectable Tommy Tuberville http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Tuberville who came to Texas Tech from Auburn University.  Tuberville also never fit in.  It was probably not his fault: he succeeded the immensely popular Mike Leach, and the football community held a grudge against Tuberville that really needed to be directed to the Texas Tech administration, at the way they treated Mike Leach, no matter his faults.

It is my hope that as the Lady Raider Basketball season progresses, the excitement Kliff Kingsbury has engendered with the football program, will transfer to Coach Whitaker and her staff and team.

I am not very happy about the cost of season tickets, though.  Last year, with my employee discount, I paid $80 for season tickets to the Lady Raider Basketball games.  This year, so far as I can discern, the season tickets are $140.  Almost double the price. I have not found an employee discount. Even so, there are 17 games in Lubbock, including an exhibition game, so the cost per ticket is $8.24. This is not a bad deal, but not the bargain I was able to access last year.

I will wait until closer to the opening of the season, to see if there are some other options, discounts, or employee options before I buy season tickets.  But I will probably buy season tickets. 

The last several years, there has been a tournament in Lubbock over Thanksgiving, but this year, the schedule has the team playing in the Barclay's Center Women's Invitational at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, New York over Thanksgiving.  They will play Michigan, and then they will either play LSU or Rutgers.  I have no idea if these games will be televised or even aired on the radio, but at the very least, I would hope for the latter.

The Lady Raider Basketball program has changed. It will be interesting to learn how it has changed.

Insulated Shopping Bags are for Cold Foods, I would think.

I do not always remember to bring my reusable shopping bags with me when I go to the store.  When I first obtained them, I would even pack them in the car, and forget to bring them into the store.

But, I am better at remembering to use the bags now, although sometimes, I want the plastic bags as I use them for trash. I usually have two cloth bags and one cloth bag that is insulated, and has a zipper closer. I am amazed that many cash register operators, especially the young ones, do not automatically put the cold food in the insulated bag. I usually take the cold food from the cart first, and put it on the conveyor belt all in one area. And, sometimes, when I ask them to put the food in the insulated bag, especially if they have started using a different bag, they act very inconvenienced.

I only live about 6 minutes from the store, so even without the insulated bag, my food should be okay until I get it home and refrigerated. Yet, I do like to use the insulated bag for the cold food. 

I Guess You Cannot Boil Raw Frozen Eggs

I purchased a new refrigerator when I purchased my home in 1992.  So, it is 21.5 years old. It is a Westinghouse, and I have been pleased with it.  Until recently.  It has started freezing food in the refrigerator section. I have ice chinks in my morning juice, and other foods freeze, too. It used to be just food stored at the back, but now it is throughout the refrigerator.  I think the compressor is going out, but so far, I have dealt with it.

Well, last night, I was cooking and the recipe called for an egg.  I discovered that most of the eggs, stored on the door, are frozen, and stuck to the egg cup holder. I broke two off before I found one that was not frozen. 

I decided to boil the two frozen eggs, to see what would happen. Well, they did not do well, and the egg itself cooked to the bottom of the pan.  So I am going to experiment today, trying to boil them at a lower heat, so maybe they won't stick. 

Anyway, from my first experiment, I guess you cannot boil raw frozen eggs and have an edible product.

Cooking

Sake has become very finicky with her eating habits.  She likes liver, but only for so many days in a row. She likes ham, but only intermittently. She likes chicken, but again for only so many days in a row.  Taking to heart the advice of a friend, I cook a cut up chicken, and freeze it in parts, so I can offer some to Sake on an intermittent basis.  I cook liver, put out some for her, and when she stops acting interested, revert to chicken.  If I am eating another meat, ham, pork, turkey, or even a fish, and she expresses interest, I put out some for Sake.

This weekend, we finished the last frozen piece of chicken. So, I bought another to cook and freeze. But, it has been a while since I offered liver to Sake, so I bought some liver, also.  I cooked both today.  It is past supper time, and I have not seen Sake, so I am not sure which she would prefer.

I am grateful I have the wherewithal to cook special foods for Sake. I would do the same for Haiku or Taki.  In fact, they do get special foods.  Haiku seems to like human tuna, and treats.  Taki also likes treats. She likes paté style foods: turkey or fish, mostly. But she also likes human tuna, so I put some out for her when I put some out for Haiku.  My grocery bill is mostly consumed by cat food.  I do not mind. I want the cats to eat well. And, cooking for me is boring.

Reading

I can become very absorbed when I am reading, especially when I am reading fiction.  It is the mark of a good author that I can become so absorbed: believable character development, authentic descriptions, good plot development. This weekend, I am reading two of my favorite mystery authors:  Peter Robinson http://www.inspectorbanks.com/ and Deborah Crombie http://www.deborahcrombie.com/.  It just so happened that both books were set near Christmas, and of course, are set in England.  I like mysteries set in England. 

So, as I am reading, I become so absorbed that "when I come up for air" I am surprised that it is a bright, sunny, hot summer day in West Texas.  That is a compliment to these authors!