Tax Free Weekend

So next weekend is tax free weekend http://comptroller.texas.gov/taxinfo/taxpubs/taxholiday/m/.  This has been in effect in Texas since 1999.  It is designed to save money on back to school clothing and supplies under $100. I do not have school children, but on occasion, I have benefited from tax free weekend.  Last year, I went to the new Skechers Outlet store in Lubbock, http://local.skechers.com/tx/lubbock/590/ and bought 2 pair for half off for the second pair of the style of shoe that I like. I saved about $34 on the second pair of shoes, and $8 on taxes.  I can use $42 for something else. The really good thing is that I am still using the first pair of shoes that I started wearing.

Sometimes, the Skechers last a long time, sometimes, they wear out quickly.  I have had a pair last about 6 months.  This time, the pair of shoes I am wearing have lasted a year.  That is wonderful!

Tax free weekend is a really important benefit to families who are on a tight budget.  Good job, legislators!

A Fine Day

This was a fine day.  I slept as late as I wanted to, but arose a little after 8 AM, so I did not feel like I slept my morning away.  I was able do what I wanted to do in the morning, went to lunch, and ran my errands in the afternoon.  I was able to do the laundry, and read for a while today.  It was the kind of day I wanted to spend. 

Readership

I have seen a recent spike in views of my blog, sometimes over 500 a day.  I cannot tell that anyone is reading my blog, especially because there are no comments coming in.  That is okay. I just wish I knew what was attracting people to my blog, because the blogs being viewed are innocuous. 

The sad part, is, as has happened in the past, my biggest viewership is from Russia.  I cannot imagine I have posted anything that makes my blog interesting to people in Russia.

Mosquito Protection

I was watering the trees tonight.  I am not watering my lawn, but I try to water the trees and the vinca regularly.  I lit the Citronella candle near where I was sitting, and had the Off Clip On https://off.com/en/product/clip-on. Usually this works, but tonight, I had some problems, so I sprayed my arms with Off Smooth and Soft https://off.com/product/family-care/family-care-insect-repellent-i-smooth-and-dry.  Then, I realized part of the problem was that I did not have the Clip On fan running.  Things got better when I turned the Clip On fan on.

When I came inside, Haiku decided she liked something on my arms where I had sprayed the  Off Smooth and Soft.  I think this is dangerous for her to lick.  She is not very happy about me  not letting her lick my arms, but it is for her well being. 

A Messy Shopping Trip

I did some grocery shopping tonight.  It was not an unusual shopping trip.  I bought mostly the same things I buy.  I did buy a large bottle of liquid soap refill, not a weekly purchase, but a typical purchase.  I also bought a gallon of milk, a regular and typical purchase.  The cashier loaded the soap bottle into one of the bags I bring to the store.  At my direction she did not bag the gallon of milk.  I typically load the unbagged items at the back of the Vue, but for some reason tonight, I put them on the platform behind the drivers seat.  So, when I got home, and opened the car door, the gallon of milk tumbled out, cracked open, and started to spew onto the garage floor. I was able to change the position of the gallon so it stopped leaking from the break.  I took the milk into the house, and poured the milk into a different container, then cleaned up the mess.

I brought the rest of the groceries inside, and discovered that the bottle of liquid soap refill had a broken cap, so there was a leak of liquid soap into the bag.  I used my recyclable bags, and the one that the soap was in is a coated bag.  So, I just needed to clean up the items in the bag, which were mostly cans, and clean up the soap out of the bag.  No harm really done.

So, I lost a little product.  Some milk, some soap. But, I believe things happen in threes. So I am wondering what else will spill, break open, or otherwise create a mess. 

Sarcasm?

Trump says his comments about Russia hacking our systems to find Hillary Clinton's missing emails was sarcasm http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/28/politics/donald-trump-russia-hacking-sarcastic/.  I think I know sarcasm, and when I list to his remarks, I do not hear sarcasm.

This is Trump, once again, recreating his history.  This is a common theme with Donald Trump.  He says something, then denies saying it, or tries to change its meaning.  And then he says Hillary Clinton is crooked.  How crooked can he get? Look at his businesses. They so misrepresent what they are. 

I just think that sarcasm about encouraging espionage is in poor taste coming from anyone, but coming from someone who is running for President?  It shows his lack of judgement and self-control.  This is not leadership behavior.

Is This Treason?

Okay, so I am not sure what the legal definition of treason is for our country.  The Merriam - Webster Online Dictionary  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treason provides this definition:

1 :  the betrayal of a trust :  treachery

2 :  the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family

So, today, when I heard that Donald Trump, Republican Party nominee for the President of the United States, advocated for Russia to hack into and publish the "missing emails" of Hillary Clinton http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clinton-emails.html, I had to ask myself if this was treason.  I am not hearing that in the news. So probably, it is not. 

But I find this kind of rhetoric not just offensive, but frightening, full of hate mongering, and bereft of the human rights values that the United States strives to achieve. Is this the face of the United States that I want to represent our country to the world?  Of course not!  Really, would any thinking, caring, compassionate human being want this man to represent us in the world?  Would anyone who cares about our place in the world want this man to represent us in the world?

I am frightened by the possibility that Donald Trump would be elected as President. I have visions of Nazi Germany with the hatred of the leaders of the country for those unlike them, their grasp for power and greed, and the way the citizens of the country did not revolt, no matter what they thought of the policies of the government. 

We have had those years in our country:  Witness the Jim Crow laws https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws after the War Between the States. But we have learned, continue to learn, and are in conversation about continuing to need to learn that we are better than that. 

I have to believe that a hate mongering President would take us back 200 years or more in our human rights, civil rights, and moral rights. 

I am for peace. I am for human rights. I am for love.

Outrage

I was raised Roman Catholic. Due to a series of choices I have made in my life, the Roman Catholic Church does not want me. I have never left God, although I have left the Roman Catholic Church.  Some friends of mine have encouraged me to join their Episcopal Church.  I have thought about it.  I am thrilled with Pope Francis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis, his call to service, and his openness in accepting some of the controversial parts of the Catholic Church. 

I am blessed, though.  I was an employee of the Catholic Family Services, Inc. for years, and had supporters on the board. These supporters convinced the Bishop of the Diocese of Lubbock, Plácido Rodriguez https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pl%C3%A1cido_Rodriguez, to allow me to be on the board.  I am thrilled and honored that I have been able to serve this agency since 2011.

So, I think at heart, I am still aligned with the Roman Catholic Church.  So, when I heard of the death of Rev. Jacques Hamel http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/world/europe/jacques-hamel-85-a-beloved-french-priest-killed-in-his-church.html, I was outraged. I was sickened. I was appalled. And I had to wonder how could this happen.  That two men could enter his church during Mass and slit his throat.  I cannot imagine how people in France feel.  I mean, of all places where I would feel safe, it should be a church.  We now know that in today's world, a church is not sacred, as the shooting in the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_church_shooting demonstrated.  But how can this happen?  I cannot fathom this.  I just cannot.

I am saddened, sickened.

Father Hamel is truly a martyr. 

God bless him. God bless us all. And help us.

The Democratic National Convention

I am watching the Democratic National Convention tonight.  Right now.

Michelle Obama was a wonderful speaker. She is just fabulous. So on the mark. So aware. So great.

Senator Elizabeth Warren is speaking on behalf of former Secretary of State, and presumptive Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton, and I am wondering why Elizabeth Warren is not the presumptive nominee.

I know the answer: she did not want to be the candidate.  I am hearing the rhetoric that is promoting the united platform of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with many of the platforms of Senator Bernie Sanders. 

We need this. We need union. We need more platforms that call for wage equality, racial equality, climate justice.

We need people to understand that the slick, sly and disingenuous stances of the Republican party are not for equality, social justice, open social activity.  It is, unfortunately, about lining the pockets of the rich, wealthy, powerful and privileged. 

I have to believe that Abraham Lincoln is turning in his grave, and would come back as a Democrat.

Now, I am watching Bernie Sanders, who is making a case for Hillary Clinton, and the social programs he has endorsed and is encouraging Hillary Clinton to endorse.  He is announcing a Democratic Party Platform that endorses many of his policies. He is encouraging his delegates to vote for him, but knows he is not the nominee. 

The rest of the convention will be interesting. 

Mosquitos? In the Afternoon?

I had my time in and left work early today.  I was prepared, and went to the store for my weekly grocery shopping.  So, about 2:30 in the afternoon, I was leaving Wal-Mart and decided I had an itch near my right elbow.  Not just an itch. I had a mosquito bite!  What is this with a mosquito in the afternoon?  I don't know. But, it still itches some 5 hours later! 

Salmon Sausage?

So, I was looking through the Sprouts https://www.sprouts.com/web/guest advertisement this week, and saw an advertisement for salmon sausage in seaweed casing.  So, I bought some tonight.  I purchased sweet corn, green pea salad, and greens for accompanying sides. I was not sure what goes well with Salmon Sausage.  There were two varieties: regular and with jalapeños.  I bought the regular sausage.  The sales person said he had never heard of it until the day before.  Another customer asked about it, but did not purchase any.

It was okay, but it would not be one of my favorites. I liked the sides better.

Baseball vs. Politics

So, I was planning to watch the Republican National Convention http://convention.gop/about tonight.  It is good theater. But as I was checking the TV standings, I realized that I could watch the Boston Red Sox play the San Francisco Giants http://mlb.mlb.com/home. 

That was a no-brainer.  The baseball game won out over the Republican National Convention.  The Red Sox are in front of the AL East by 1 percentage point.  The Yankees are 5.5 games back!  The Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants have the best percentage at .606.  The D'backs are not doing well at all. 

Right now the Red Sox are leading and the announcers have spent a lot of time talking about ESPN's Global Baseball https://bosoxinjection.com/2016/07/20/red-sox-does-doug-glanville-know-dominican-flavor/. They are highlighting the players from the Dominican Republic, including David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, and from history, Juan Marichal and Pedro Martinez.  The integration of baseball by these players is being commented on, and in a scholarly sort of way.  This is good sports history as well as good baseball.

Mentally and Emotionally Exhausted Again

I do not know what is wrong with me, but once again, I came home from work mentally and emotionally drained.  It was a very easy day at work, except we were all getting assigned a TV, DVD, VCR, and we were expected to check the set up and make sure it worked before we took it to our office.

Technology? Me? No way.  A dear coworker helped and he figured out a set-up that will work for me.  The TV is old and very heavy and pushing it down the hallway hurt my back.  I do not do much video therapy, so I can manage.  I bet I can ask for an hall porter to help push it for me, too, when I need to use it.

But nothing else I did today was taxing.  So, I am not sure why I am struggling with work right now. This is not new. It has happened before. Sometimes, I can pinpoint a reason. Usually, I cannot.

The Republican National Convention

I am watching the Republican National Convention this week. Of course, I am watching  a liberal slanted network, but what they are saying resonates with me. There are problems. 

Mrs.Trump made a very good speech last night.  It turns out, some of the content was plagiarized from Mrs. Obama in 2008 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/melania-trump-speech-plagiarized_us_578da752e4b0a0ae97c33675.  I do not blame Mrs. Trump. I think the people who helped her with her speech are to blame. I saw the speech.  Mrs. Trump did a very good job. And, let's face it, imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Tonight, I watched again.  As the state of Alaska screwed up the schedule by contesting the way their votes were recorded.  But this was resolved, the speeches progressed, and the night was not much of a surprise. Donald Trumps' daughter Tiffany spoke, as did his son Donald Trump Jr.  Junior was superb as an advocate for his father. 

I was not impressed. 

Computer Settings

I have mentioned that I had some work done on my computer, updating settings, downloading new software, cleaning up problems, recently renewing my anti-virus service. Well, when I first did all of this work, I had to reset somethings: re-open programs that I had kept open, and reset my home page.

I am not sure what happened last night or today, but when I opened my computer, I had to do the same all over again.  I had to reset my homepage, my default browser, and re-open several programs (Facebook, BlogSpot) that I keep open regularly. I am not sure what happened overnight that my computer was directed to have me do these things. In a way, it is scary, but I think if my accounts were shut down by some unseen force, it was probably a good thing.

One of the mysteries to me of computers.

Emotionally Spent

I am not sure why, but when I left work on Monday, I was so emotionally spent, I could not think what to do.  I went home and took care of the cats, as is my habit, but only after I drove a different way home, thinking I should go to the supermarket for a deli dinner, or whatever. But I did not want dinner from the deli.  I did not know what I wanted.

I went home, and fed the cats. And decided to go the Hong Kong Buffet https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hong-Kong-Restaurant/117387881620321.  I know that it does not always pass the health inspections.  I don't care. I like the selection.  I go to the restaurant with a book. They seat me, give me the pot of hot tea I order, and let me be.  They even just leave my tab and let me sit there without bothering me while I read.  I might sit for more than an hour.  I tip generously.  I read, eat and just relax.

I was torn between take out and staying at home, or getting the food I wanted.  At the Hong Kong Buffet, I can get a selection I enjoy: tonight I had 3 kinds of shrimp, little neck clams, mussels, soft shell crabs, octopus, as well as vegetables, beef and chicken.  I passed over the poached salmon, but I love poached salmon. I just have learned not to overstuff myself.

It was what I needed. Just not to have to think about dinner, let myself make choices, and let someone else clean up the mess.

Usually, I want to be at home as soon as I can after work.  I have become such a home body. Monday night, I just needed someone else to help take care of me. 

In Case You Cannot Tell

In case you cannot tell, I have a real sense of sadness in me tonight.  My last post was one of just decrying the senselessness in our world.  I sent this prayer to a friend tonight. I know she will not mind of I share it with all of you. Because, in case you cannot tell, I have a sense of sadness and despair that is weighing on me.  I want to share this prayer:

I hope your days ahead reveal some strength God knows you have, and faith, which is certainty that God is with us, whether or not we have the proof we think we need, because He gives us the proof He knows we need.

Violence

Our world has become increasingly violent.  More terrorism, more domestic violence, more random violence, more police on citizen violence, and more citizen on police violence.

I am not sure what the genesis of this violence is.  Not religion. Religion does not advocate violence.

The frustration of powerlessness? The overweening need for power and control? Greed? Fanaticism?  The increased use of drugs and alcohol that lower inhibitions? The need for that fame or notoriety that comes with committing these violent acts? The increased availability of weapons?  Disaffection and disenfranchisement that leads to radicalization? 

Our country went through horrific violence in the 1960s and 1970s due to the protests against the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. Things settled down but since 2001, violence has increased.  The big thing that we need to remember is that "It's a Small World" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Small_World; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJFGAX77zw4. 

We have choices to make.  I choose hope, I chose being positive. I choose peace. 

Playing "Hit The Pencil"

I may have written about this before.  Haiku likes to play "fetch the pen." (or pencil, but she seems to prefer a pencil.) 

Taki likes to play "Hit the Pencil."  I hold the pencil, and she slaps at it. Sometimes with one paw or the other, sometimes she sits on her haunches and hits the pencil with both paws.  But she hits at it, over and over again.

It is a game that she likes to play.  I like to play it too.  I am glad she has a activity she likes to play. 

A Storm Moves In

It was a hot, clear day.  There were predictions of possible storms, but it has only been since earlier this evening that we knew storms were out there. We could see the clouds in the distance.  And, for several nights this week, we could see the clouds in the distance. Yesterday, we had storm blow in, and the wind did some damage in East Lubbock, and caused a power outage in Slaton. It was mostly wind. But some areas of heavy rain.

Tonight as I sit facing north, I can see the multiple lightning strikes, and hear the thunder. I don't know how long it has been raining, but it has been. This is good. I will not have to water tonight. The severe predictions are for possible wind damage and hail.  

We shall see what the storm brings.

Haiku is not spooked, but Taki is not too happy.  She is in the hallway where she hides when the weather spooks her.  She has now returned to the computer room to join us.  I suspect she is seeking solace during the storm, which now seems to be subsiding.

The Barnes and Noble Mystery Book Club

The second Thursday night of the month, I attend the Barnes and Noble Mystery Book Club.  We often eat dinner together before the meeting.  And then, we get together to discuss the book we read for this month. 

Some months ago, the B&N manager told us that many of the book clubs have gone digital, holding their meetings on line in chat formats of some sort or another. Our response was that we like each other and enjoy socializing together once a month.  And that is the truth.

We are a congenial group. Several of us have contacts in other realms besides the book club. This is an open, friendly and very social group. If Barnes and Noble did not want to host us, we would probably find a new meeting place.  That is very comforting. These are good people. 

The Hard Truth

I was watching The Late Night with Stephen Colbert http://www.cbs.com/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/ show.  Bill Maher http://www.billmaher.com/ was on the show tonight.  He had a lot to say about the current problems with police in the United States.  He made comments such as in the 60's we called police "pigs" and then to "make up" for it, they were allowed excesses in their behavior.  One of his points was that the excesses were always there, but we are just now seeing it. He talked about the people who become police sometimes do so because they have a need to be authoritarian.  He made a comment that being a police officer does not make up for being bullied in high school. 

I was sadly surprised that his comments did not receive applause.  He was not saying that all police are bad, but the bad policing needs to go.  We need more training and education of police.

I agree.  I watch the TV series Blue Bloods http://www.cbs.com/shows/blue_bloods/about/. One of the recurrent themes of the show is the difference in policing styles from when grandfather was a police officer and then, police commissioner, to when son was a police officer and is now police commissioner, to the present day, when both sons are police officers, and one son is a deceased police officer.  Additionally, the daughter is an assistant district attorney.

The biggest contrast is in the styles of policing between the two brothers. The oldest brother is a detective that is rough, tough, and sometimes is on the edge with his policing methods.  He is a veteran, and knocked around at trade jobs before becoming a police officer.  The youngest son has  a Harvard law degree, but opted for a career in the police.  His rise in rank is hindered because his father the commissioner bends over backwards not to give preference to either son over other officers. 

The youngest son has a policing style that is based on the community policing model:  Know your beat and the people on the beat.  Solve things informally, pro-actively, and with a win-win model. Have disputants talk to each other.  Get involved even when people do not want to file reports (domestic violence, for example.)  Disobey an order to write up a report (when someone else can do it) to accompany a young accident victim to the emergency room to be a support and a good police role model. Help young children understand why police do what they do, and sometimes the result is painful.

The reality is that our society wants our police to be like the younger son, but we hire police to be more like the old time police officers who administer wood shampoos and give preferential treatment to people of their own ilk, whatever that is. 

We have to take a stand. We have to decide how we want our police to police.  And, we have to support them.  Give them training, education, emotional support and the tools they need to do their jobs.  And, give them community support.  And, recognize the difficult predicaments in which they are placed, and that sometimes, split second decisions are not always the best decisions, but police are humans and are fallible. We cannot predict every situation a police officer might face. We cannot train for it.  So, we need to train for making reasonable, responsible decisions that protect the citizens and the police. 

Playing Pen Fetch

I have written about this before.  That Haiku likes to play fetch with a pen sometimes.  We have not played in a long time. She decided to play tonight.  We had a lively game of her batting the pen off the chair, and me retrieving it.  Her interest level did not last long, but it was fun to play with her. 

She also did not let Taki stare her out of the chair.  Which is a good sign.  She often just gives in to Taki.  This is the second night in a row that she did not give in to Taki. 

Kitty Care

Just a little while ago, Taki leaped on my lap and wanted to sit with me.  She and Haiku have both been very attentive tonight, checking out my feet and pant legs.  They have come and gone.  However, just recently, Taki decided that she was ready to sit on my, so she did. It was fun to have her on my lap.  

Advertising

I know that the point of advertising is to get a message across regarding how good, useful, special, etc. a product or service is.  So, of course, the advertisement focuses on the positive, and glosses over the negative, maybe even to the point of misrepresenting something.

I expect that.  But why would you purchase something that admittedly is pitched in an advertisement that admits to lying.  Two companies come to mind.

Jack-in-the-Box https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwij2u3QxufNAhWJWCYKHeZgC-EQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJack_in_the_Box&psig=AFQjCNH-l2UsN3Jde5a7gXGgqtFugGXmdA&ust=1468193867489342 has an advertisement about the origin of a new sandwich, which is a re-issue of an old sandwich, the butter melt.

You know the advertisement I am referring to:  Jack tells the story of seeing a cowboy cooking this sandwich meat in a fire on the wide open plain.  And, at the end, Jack admits he made up the story because it was more interesting than the truth.  So, if he admits to lying about that, what else is he lying about?

Another company whose advertising absolutely mystifies me for it deceptiveness is Kentucky Fried Chicken, now commonly called KFC https://www.kfc.com/.  We all know that the original Colonel died.  But they brought out an impersonator, a very good look alike, who pretended to be the original Colonel.  Until well into the advertising campaign, when the look alike hinted he was not the real Colonel.  And now, they have another imposter, who does not really even look like the Colonel, even in his make up. Come on, KFC,  who are you trying to fool? That is just deceitfulness.  So, if you are lying in your advertising, why would I trust your food products?  The answer is that I would not. Just saying.

Praying Mantis

I sat outside this morning.  It was cool enough and the sun was not too bright. I was visited by a praying mantis http://www.keepinginsects.com/praying-mantis/.  I will call this insect a her, because she was so graceful, so sweet and so attentive!  She was on me, exploring my clothing, my face (I brushed her off), what I was reading. She moved to me, from me, to the patio table and after about a half hour, she was gone.

She was beautiful. When I spoke to her, she looked inquisitive and thoughtful. She was responsive to my voice. She was lovely. 

I cannot describe how wonderful this interaction was. I was struck with the inquisitiveness of her face. The intelligence. The responsiveness.  I have to wonder about the intelligence of other life forms and how they respond to us, and what they think of what we have done to damage the ecosystems of the earth. And how we captivate life forms for our purpose and use. Which is enslavement.  And yes, we have done that to other humans, so why is it such a stretch that we are doing that to other life forms? 

I am so grateful to have met this praying mantis today. She was lovely. 

Lubbock Hit 109° Today!

Lubbock hit a record high temperature for the day of 109° http://www.kcbd.com/story/32395771/lubbock-breaks-heat-record-with-high-of-109-on-thursday.  The highest ever was 114°; I remember that summer and how dry and hot it was.

I sat out to read this morning until about 10 AM.  My back yard has trees on both sides, some in my yard, and some in my neighbors' yards to the East and West.  The morning was cool, with a breeze, and only started warming up about 10 AM (low 80s).  I could have stayed out longer, but had projects  I really wanted to work on inside. So, I moved inside.

About 7 PM, I hauled some trash out to the dumpster.  It was still very hot, and the air was still, so even the shade did not offer much relief.  No storms so far in the area. The local weather people said the humidity was down, which partly accounts for the high temperature.  And, the official readings come from the Lubbock International Airport http://www.ifly.com/lubbock-international-airport.  So, even though the National Weather Service http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Lubbock&state=TX&site=LUB&textField1=33.5759&textField2=-101.875&e=0#.V38IkI-cFkQ offices are in south Lubbock, the readings come from the airport.  And readings off the tarmac can be affected by the tarmac. 

But do I doubt it was very, very hot today in Lubbock?  No, I do not!

I Have a Headache

I have a headache.  I have actually had a headache for much of the day.  I spent a large portion of the day shredding, and simultaneously, downloading Windows 10 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/features on my computer. 

The noise of the shredder contributed vastly to my headache, although I would usually only shred for about 30 minutes at a time. I still have a lot to do, but I think I have done all the shredding I am going to do this week. So, I will not probably meet my goal. But I have things organized so that I can continue to work on the project quite easily.

The download to Windows 10 was just time consuming.  And a little frustrating, when I tried to open some favorites that would not open.  Until I remembered to reboot. Then all was okay.  I am learning to navigate my way around Windows 10 already.  It is okay. I am not sure why Windows 8 and 8.1 were so deplorable, but evidently they were.  I understand that there is actually a Windows 16 out there. I do not need that, I think.  Not yet.

I have had some performance problems with my computer recently, and had some work done on it earlier this week. I still having some problems but I think it is because my router 10 years old.  Do you think?  I will eventually replace it, but it is not currently a priority project.  And the work done on the computer really improved the performance! 

Ceiling Fan Chains

When Taki was a wee tiny baby, just barely big enough to claw her way up the comforter onto the bed, she displayed a fascination for the ceiling fan in my bedroom.  I will say, as she has aged, she continues to display a fascination for ceiling fans, and will sit and watch one turn for a long time.

But the ceiling fan above my bed had a special fascination for her...There were two very long chains extending from the ceiling fan, to within inches of the mattress. The chains were so long because they had a couple of extensions on them.  I had visions of a little kitty grabbing the chains hard enough to pull the ceiling fan down. When she was a wee tiny baby, that may not have come to pass. Even so, I removed the lowest extension, and knotted the chains to shorten their length, to keep her from grabbing onto to them.

But she is a big, big cat now. And just the other day, I saw her not only jump up to grab the chains, but actually hit them!  So, I tried knotting them higher, but after a while, the knot slipped, and the chains were once again within reach.  So, I disconnected those extensions, which left just a very few inches of chain hanging down from the fan.  I can control the fan from a rheostat on the wall. This is a much safer option for all of us, because with her current size, I suspect she could pull down the ceiling fan.  I am just thankful nothing has happened to date.

Weather Safe Room

In West Texas, it is advisable to have a weather safe room.  In this day and age, they build these very safe rooms as part of new houses, or retrofit them into older houses. I have an older house, and I have not had a safe room retrofitted into my house.

A storm cellar is optimal.  You can and should register a storm cellar with the local emergency services authority, so they can check on you, especially if debris covers the bulkhead door that prevents egress after the emergency. Storm cellars can have electric service, and even a ventilation access. Some storm cellars are very elaborate, with beds, food, refrigerators, and first aid emergency supplies. Some are basic walls in the ground.

The next best option, if a storm cellar is not available, and you do not have a safe room, is to be on be on the lowest level possible, and to have as many walls as possible between yourself and the outside walls of the building. A small space is more advisable than a large open space.

In my house, the best option is the closet in the master bedroom.  I have an emergency box in the closet, that I try to keep updated:  food for me and the cats, water, a radio the uses battery, crank, and solar power, and other items.  If an emergency occurs, I could easily sweep up my pills and other necessary items from my dresser.  At least they would all be with me.

Many years ago, because we were under a tornado warning, I moved the cat crates into this closet, and moved Haiku and Saki into the closet with me. Since then, I have left the crates in the closet. After that, if there were serious storms, Saki and Haiku would seek out the crates on their own, although Sake would stay under the overhang at the foot of the bed until things got really bad. Even though Sake hated being in a crate, if the weather was scary enough she would seek it out. Haiku did not mind; she would, and still does, often nap in a crate. 

Some time ago, I had one occasion to put Saki, Haiku and Taki in their own crate in the closet due to severe weather. Haiku and Sake did fine. Taki continually tried to claw her way out of the crate.

I have noticed, however, that when the weather gets bad, although Haiku repairs to the closet, Taki lays in the little hall on the East end of my house. This is probably the second best place to be during severe weather in my house.  It is small, but open. There are openings to 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and the living room, so it is not really closed off. There are doors to 3 bedrooms and the bathroom, so that could help. And, where there are walls, the walls of the hall are all inside walls. 

Today, when the storm was at its worse, I was in the computer room, and Taki was in a chair next to me. She woke up, and squeaked her special squeak that indicates distress.  She moved to the hall, and stayed there until well after the storm had moved through. Haiku was in the crate she likes to sleep in, well before the storm blew through. 

I am hopeful, that if I am not home and there is severe weather, my cats will be able to figure out where they need to go for safety. 

A Strange Email

So, when I have tried in the past to send myself pictures from my IPhone to my suddenlink email account, it has not always been successful. I do not know why, but sometimes, the email shows up several hours or even days later. Sometimes, it does not show up at all.

Today, I did some things on my phone shortly after 1 PM.  This afternoon, when I checked my emails, I had one from my IPhone that was a picture from my IPhone, sent today.  The picture was taken in December 2015.

I do not know what I did to send this picture. I do not know why it came through so quickly. I do not know anything.

The Clouds Move In

For the second day in a row, after a clear, hot, sunny day, the clouds have moved in during the late afternoon, and we had thunderstorms.  Yesterday, we had one line of storms blow through.  In addition to thunder, lightning, and downpours scattered in the area, we had high winds in much of the area.

Today, the first wave of storms blew through quickly, and the weather forecasters predicted we might have more, but they did not think so. Well, what do they know compared to Mother Nature?  We had a second set of storms blow through, and these were just as serious if not more than the first set. A third set blew through, but did not produce rain, only thunder, lightning and wind at my house.  Now,  a couple of hours later, there are very scattered clouds overhead, but there is thunder, and some lightning, but in the distance. No rain or wind.

According to the National Weather Service, http://w1.weather.gov/obhistory/KLBB.html, the rainfall totals are minimal (less than an inch.)  While that might not be totally accurate at my house (I no longer have a functional rain gauge), it would not surprise me about how close it is overall.

We can continue to hope for rain intermittently throughout the coming days, as we need the moisture, and it decreases the otherwise very high temperatures. 

Shredding

So, one of my projects for this vacation period is to shred all of my confidential paperwork that I have not disposed of since 2004.  The IRS says we need to keep business/financial records for 5 years, so that is what I had done for years. But got out of the habit of doing in 2009. So, now I am having to get caught up so I can clean up.

Last Christmas I purchased a good shredder that allowed me to shred more than a few minutes at a time. I started last night, with some records I had pulled years ago, and never finally finished shredding. So, I started with those, and moved to the others that need shredding.  I have repacked the ones that do not.  I am keeping some important receipts and special documents that have been filed in with the bills, receipts, tax returns, and what have you.

Getting these documents cleaned out and sorted was a primary project for this week off. And, finally when I have used up a large portion of my time off, I am finally working at it in a serious sort of way.

The Cats

I am in the habit, good or bad, of not having my smartphone ringer turned on.  I am not usually worried about missing a call or message, but if I am expecting a call, I turn on the ringer.  Consequently, my cats are not used to the phone sounding. 

Today, I was expecting a call.  So, every time the phone sounded, usually for Words With Friends, Taki made the strange little squeak that she makes.  She did this for quite a while today, and I consoled her each time.  After a while, she decided she was not too worried about this. 

Both Taki and Haiku have wanted to sit with me today.  On the sofa when I was reading. In the computer room when I have been working on the computer.  At one point, Haiku was nestling her face into my chest. I really like their companionship and attention.  They are good cats. 

Words With Friends

I have been playing Words With Friends for a long time.  I like Scrabble, but it seems most folks I know prefer Words With Friends.  I play with people who are no match for me.  I play with folks against whom I usually win.  I hate that, for the other player.  Don't get me wrong, I like to win, and can be very, very competitive.  But I want the other player to enjoy the experience, and losing a lot of the time is no fun. 

I used to just have one or two games going, and sometimes, even those games were intermittent. I started playing Words With Friends on my smartphone.  I started playing Solo, for practice.  And I started getting invited to play by people whom I do not know.  I was leery, at first, about playing with strangers.  But, I have started doing so.  I now have multiple games going all the time.

I like playing on the smartphone.  When I am bored, such as standing in a long line at the store, I will play a game or two, for example. I like the convenience of having Words With Friends on the smartphone.

A Blast From the Past

Holidays are a good time to hear from people who are reconnecting from the past.  There are some I follow on Facebook, but rarely correspond with regularly. There are some who occasionally send a short email.  There are some who will call. And there are some who will send an update by USPS.  I really like the updates from people I do not hear from regularly, and appreciate the time and effort they make to correspond.

I, on the other hand, rarely send a note to update.  I do not call very many people regularly.  And I do not post much, especially personal, on Facebook.  Some folks read the Lisenby Lines, so that is my way of keeping in touch.  Those of you who do, you know who you are, and I thank you for doing so!

The Fort Bragg Game

I had not heard about this till I was checking out the baseball games on air today:  The Fort Bragg Game. http://m.mlb.com/news/article/187351764/first-base-fort-bragg-game-unprecedented.  It is what it says:  a professional baseball game on a baseball field at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  This was an amazing event.  I was able to watch some of the pre-game activities and the beginning and end of the game. 

It was really special.  Thank you to Major League Baseball!  You are truly re-claiming the "national pastime" title.

Patriotic Concert

The Westwind Brass Band http://westwindsbrassband.org/index.php Concert series is a favorite of mine. July 3 was the night of the annual patriotic concert, in which they play mostly patriotic songs, include the recognition of the 5 branches of the armed services. This is a favorite of mine, and it always ends too quickly.

I love the patriotic music.  I love the fervor of the crowd. And the crowd tonight was very large. I am glad. It says something about how the community appreciates their performances. It is a special part of the Independence Day Celebration.

Shredding Documents

I used to try to keep up with disposing of my documents. The IRS mandate is to keep 5 years of documents.  I keep 6, for a cushion. For some reason I got really behind and have documents from 2004 and more recently that need shredding. I had a small shredder that used to cut out after a few minutes. That would have been fine, if I had one or a few documents a week to shred. But I do not. I do not know why, but I have a large amount of documents to shred every week. And, I have a large amount of old documents to shred, in addition to the documents I should shred weekly.  With the electronic age, it seems we use more paper, than less.

My old shredder was a diamond cut shredder. My current shredder makes little pills of the documents (that is kind of neat.)

Today, I did a lot of shredding of current documents that needed shredding, and documents from 2004. I am on vacation this coming week, and one of my plans is to sort and shred documents from 2004 to 2011. 

Baseballl on a Holiday Weekend

So, this is a day when I have access to watching both the Red Sox and the Yankees. 

The Red Sox played the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park.  The game started shortly after 6 PM Central Daylight Time, and was a rout by the Angels, with the final score being 21 to 2 http://m.mlb.com/news/article/187569356/angels-blow-out-red-sox-with-11-run-seventh.

So, now I am watching the New York Yankees against the San Diego Padres in San Diego http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/new-york-yankees-vs-san-diego-padres-mlb-pictues-1.11995241. Because the game is on the West Coast, it started at 9 PM CDT.

The timing allows me to watch both games, with some overlap.  We shall see how the Yankees do.  It has been an interesting game so far, and it is a tied game at the 7th inning stretch.  

I have used this time to do some office activities.  I have cleaned out my email in boxes, send boxes, and delete boxes. I have reconciled my credit card statement, and did online bill pay with my bank. I have sent some emails, done some word games, and reconciled some financial statements. In all, it has been a productive time for me while I have watched the baseball games. 

Isn't technology wonderful?

Held Hostage by a Cat or Cats

I heard a story on the radio today about a family that was being held hostage by its cat.  Not knowing what to do, they called 911 and the animal rescue squad saved them.  Hmmm.  http://www.theamericanmirror.com/audio-woman-calls-911-report-shes-held-hostage-cat/  As I searched for this story, there were other stories that that appeared that were about the same problem.

This morning, well before my alarm went off, Haiku was attacking me in bed. She kept slapping at me. At my face, at my nose, at my lips. Once she caught my eyelid.  This started about 4 AM, and about 5:30 AM, I got up and put fresh food in her food dish (there was already dry food in that dish, dry food in another dish, and wet food in 2 other dishes.)  She ate a few pieces of dry food, decided she had enough, and returned to bed, satisfied.  I really try not to feed the cats in the middle of the night because once makes a tradition. Haiku is not usually that assertive, and I probably should have responded sooner, but I really thought there was food available to her, and there was. I am not sure what the problem was.

I can relate to feeling like being held hostage by a cat, or cats. Today, I ran errands in the morning, then went out to lunch. When I came home from lunch, I went to the bathroom. Both Taki and Haiku joined me, crowded me, and Haiku tried to climb on me. She has started doing this more and more.  I felt accosted by cats.

Because I earn large amounts of annual leave, and it converts to sick leave if I do not use it, I have been taking a lot of time off recently. So, the cats have become used to me being home more. They really seem to not just like it but expect it.  On a Saturday or Sunday, when I am gone running errands, my return home is greeted with much attention and anxiousness, maybe even consternation. As if I should not have been gone.

Both Taki and Haiku seem to want to be near me.  Haiku seems to prefer my sitting on the sofa, reading. Usually when I am reading, the TV is off, and I either listen to NPR on the radio or some mellow sort of music.  Haiku will join me in the computer room, too, especially if Taki is not there.

Taki does not show a preference for location. She is an equal opportunity location cat. She just likes to sit with me. She does really well for a while, and even likes to sit on me.  Then, all of a sudden, she has to attack me. Her need to attack me has become less and less frequent, but still occurs. (We are working on it.)

Having said all that, I can conceive an eventuality in which I might be held hostage by my cats!

Day Off

I have the next 10 days off from work.  Today, I slept in and did stuff around the house. I have no plans except mostly to do things around the house. The cats seem to really like to have me around.

I do plan to go out for some Independence Day activities:  probably the parade and the picnic in the park http://broadwayfestivals.com/.  I can eschew the Concert and Fireworks in the Park, but I may go, anyway.  However, there will be some holiday concerts on TV. I understand the Boston Pops concert will be aired on TV http://bostonpopsjuly4th.org/.  There is also "A Capitol Fourth" http://www.pbs.org/a-capitol-fourth/home/ on PBS. I don't have Tivo or anything like that so I cannot record these concerts. But the times conflict. Oh well, it is better to have too many choices than not enough.