Mall Walker

I have decided I need to do something to get some regular exercise, so I went to the mall today.  I walked for about 30 minutes before I got tired, which surprised me.   My recent forays in the neighborhood were 5-10 minutes before I get tired. I picked the mall for several reasons:  plenty of places to sit if I need to rest; climate control; smooth surface to walk on; safety; and available restrooms.

I listened to NPR today while I walked.  At the time of day I was walking, the local station KTTZ was airing The Texas Standard, which I enjoy very much, and helped me not to be bored.  I thought I would be bored walking in the mall, so for that, I am glad. 

Tomorrow, I will see how my day goes and plan to get another walk in. 

Compact Discs

When compact discs came out, I have to admit that I was not "tuned in" to that technology, and it was several years before I started buying CDs rather than cassette tapes.  (I have to admit, I was not so slow about moving from VHS to DVDs.)  

Recently, I was trying to play some CDs. Not counting my two laptops, my portable CD player that requires headphones to hear, and an external CD/DVD player for my old TV, I had a small radio/CD player, a larger table model that included a double cassette player and recorder, and  the Crosley turntable unit, CD and cassette player. The cassette player never worked, but really I bought the turntable for the turntable.  I like being able to record to CDs, and did so for a while. But, that got old, especially because the quality was so poor.

So, a few weekends ago, I wanted to listen to some music. The small radio/CD player and the table model did not play CDs any more.  The Crosley had been playing CDs, but after the last time I used it, I could not get the drawer to open. Fortunately, I had been able to get the last CD I had played out before this problem became permanent (it had been happening intermittently for a while, and I was even able to "force" the drawer open for a while.) 

I ditched the small CD/radio because the radio never worked well.  I ditched the table top model because the radio never worked well, and the cassette players had long ceased working well.

Well, I went to a couple of stores to look for CD players, and no one had them in stock.  I guess I was not really surprised, because vinyl has become the big thing, and people are going back to vinyl.  So much so, that Best Buy announced this week that they will no longer be carrying CDs in stores.  

I like CDs because it is easy to pick the track you want, without risking scratching the platter. Not so with vinyl. 

Well, I went online, and did buy a table top CD player with AM/FM radio and cassette player and recorder. I am enjoying being able to listen to music again. 

But, I have a good collection of old vinyl, some 45s, and clay 78s. All of which I can play on my Crosley turntable. So, I am in good shape. 

Return to Access

It was good last night to return to cell phone and internet access, and to watch the news.  Unfortunately, much of it was a rehash of what has been going on in the Trump presidency for the last six months.  He does it to himself.

Watching the news tonight, it just did not feel like there was anything new about it.  Maybe a return to access is not that important.

Lack of Media

We have been without media for all intents and purposes since some time on Saturday.  The radio reception was bad for much of the day, then we entered the National Parks, and there is no cell phone reception, except in very few places, no TV, no radio in our cabin, and no internet.  We could purchase internet, but why?

The most difficult thing for me during this time is being without weather media.  The weather forecasts are posted on most of the Yellowstone General Store doors, which is helpful, but I still like maps, radar, and weathercasts.  But the postings do help.

I feel lost without any electronic media.  But it is a good experience. One of the results of the quiet is that not only am I able to notice and think about things, but my brain is not so busy and impacted that I cannot blog about things. 

I know this to be true.  I do blog more often and more effectively if I turn down the noise at home: no TV, no radio, and if I do music, it is bagpipes, musical scores, Gregorian chants, or classical music.

So, tonight, as we relax in the cabin, we are listening to Andrea Bocelli’s “Concert in the Park.” I could play the DVD, but viewing would be a little tight.  Listening is just perfect.

Talking Boxes

My cats like the quiet.  But they put up with all of my "talking boxes."  Think about it.  I have 2 TVs, a couple of radios, a couple of CD players, a smart phone that broadcasts alerts regarding weather and news emergencies, and a weather radio that broadcasts severe weather and other emergency information.

I wonder what my cats think about the talking boxes, especially the weather radio, because it broadcasts so infrequently, and only when there is severe weather in the area, or an Amber alert or Silver alert.  So, how do they know what to think about these noises and how to re-act.

Instinctively, I think, Haiku, knows to hide in the crate in the closet when there is severe weather. What tells her to do that, I do not know.  Taki just hunkers down in the hall way near the linen closet.

No Wonder!

It was one of those days.  I was racing all day, trying to get too much done, and feeling overwhelmed.  Then, I was given a large chore to do. 

I stayed late at work, and then ran an errand before coming home.

When I got home, I was upset with myself that I had forgotten that the Lady Raiders and Red Raiders http://www.texastech.com/index-main.html had a double header basketball game tonight.  I looked on TV and on the radio, and just could not find the game.  I gave up.

Just a few minutes ago,  I got on line to check the scores. And lo and behold, the games are not until tomorrow night!  Well, no wonder I could not find them on TV or the radio.

Things Happen for a Reason

I am reading The Men Who United the States http://simonwinchester.com/books/the-men-who-united-the-states/ by Simon Winchester, who by the way is not a native born citizen of the United States.  I am nearing the end, and read the section on NPR http://www.npr.org/, which by his reporting was initially thought of as a radio system to unite the country. 

It started me thinking about what unites this country.  Before September 11, 2001, I was unaware of people approaching uniformed (military) strangers in public places saying "Thank you for your service to our country."  Although it was something I thought people should be proud of, I never thought to thank any one, including a police officer or fireman or EMT.  Now, it is appropriate and very acceptable to thank the military and first responders for their service.

The first time or two I said as much to a stranger, I felt I was reading very stiltedly from a cue card. Not that I did not mean it, but it felt strange.  Now, when I say thank you, I frequently have a catch in my throat.

Our nation has always celebrated historical and memorable events, anniversaries and holidays.  But as I get older, and I know I have said this before, I pay more attention to those celebrations for their meaning, not their fun.

Tonight I watched The Star Spangled Spectacular http://video.pbs.org/video/2365312956/  celebrating the 200th anniversary of The Star Spangled Banner.  I am wondering if an extravaganza like this would have occurred before 9/11, and more to the point, would I have cared if it did.  I think back to the late 1970's, early 1980's when I was lectured on proper national anthem and flag etiquette by someone who grew up in the south, and who's family still refers to the War between the North and the South as the War of Northern Aggression.  I knew proper flag etiquette, and national anthem etiquette, but had grown away from it, from caring.  From believing even.  That was a  lesson I will never forget. 

But being patriotic then was not popular. It was okay, but not for the ceremonial, the honor and respect, but for the celebration and hoopla.  I am thankful we have brought the honor and respect back into the celebrations.

The attack on this country brought us together in a way no president, no social policy, no educational program could.  After 13 years we still remember. 

I know, with time, the emotional and reverential attitude will dissipate. It took a long time, but it did, after Pearl Harbor. And it did after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.  But we can preserve and kindle it for as long was we can.

Weather Radio

I have a weather radio.  I was checking the settings a while back, and thought I had it set up so I would hear the emergency weather and Amber Alert announcements.

But, for the longest time these past few months, it never made a sound.  That has been unusual in the time I have owned this radio. Well, a few days ago, it went off.

And, today, it went off.  We are under a tornado watch. Which basically means that the conditions are right for tornadoes to develop, there was not one currently in existence in our area.  The probability of tornado activity is low. But there.

It was bright and sunny earlier, but with clouds in the sky.  A while ago, the rain started, and it has become a harder rain. The thunder is fairly constant.

The rain is hard enough that it is causing some satellite interference in the television reception from the cable company. 

The local information is that we are almost "caught" up with rain amounts for the year. 

Watching "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"

I went to watch the cinecast of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!" http://www.npr.org/2010/12/10/110997427/about-wait-wait-don-t-tell-me on May 2, 2013.  We arrived early, wanting to get good seats. We were first in line. When my friend told the usher what we were there for, he looked a little befuddled, but then realized that was the name of the show! I was surprised at how few people attended.

There were some young people who were there, and were documenting their experience, so my friend helped them with taking their pictures.

It was fun to watch the show live.  Steve Martin was the guest and he was very uncomfortable on the high seat without a desk or podium in front of him.  The radio earpieces and microphone equipment were not hidden, and it was very obvious.  There was live music:  "Sharon Jones and the Dapkings" http://www.sharonjonesandthedapkings.com/. The show ran long, and omitted the limericks segment of the show.  And Peter Sagal, the host made fun of us, for we paid $22 dollars to go to the cinecast, and we could have listened for free on Saturday, May 4, 2013.

At the end of the show, KTTZ FM http://www.kttz.org/ handed out mugs to the audience.  That was a nice touch.

Today, I listened to the show on the radio. I was curious if they were going to include a limericks segment, and they did.  The material was fun to listen to the second time around.  Something that stands the test of time and familiarity is good quality entertainment.

It was fun to be able to put faces with names: I knew of Paula Poundstone http://www.paulapoundstone.com/, but it had been years since I had seen her. Of course, I knew of Steve Martin http://stevemartin.com/.  I had never bothered to go to the "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" website until the cinecast was coming up, so I did not know what Peter Sagal http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0755969/ and Carl Kasell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Kasell looked like until recently.  And I always wondered, surely this had to be the same Tom Bodett http://www.bodett.com/ of Motel 6 "We'll leave the light on" fame.   How long ago was that?  A long time!  The only time I had heard of Mo Rocca MoRocca was on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me."  His cooking show, for instance was news to me.

Well, the cinecast was fun, and listening to the show today was fun.  I am a FAN!

Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me

I have previously mentioned the National Public Radio http://www.npr.org/ show Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/ in a blog. Well, this show is a hoot, and it is being broadcast to movie studios around the country on Thursday night, May 2, 2013.  Cinemark Movies 16 http://www.cinemark.com/  in Lubbock will be showing this event. I bought my ticket on line last night. I am not sure how that works, because I have a bar code I have to bring to the theater.

I think this will be fun.

National Public Radio

I really enjoy the Saturday morning line of our local National Public Radio http://www.npr.org/ station, KTTZ http://www.kttz.org/about-us. They broadcast three shows I expecially enjoy:  Car Talk, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, and From the Top.

I first heard Car Talk http://www.cartalk.com/ about 10 years ago. This show is hilarious. The premise is the Tappet brothers anwer questions about automobiles.  The questions are not limited to repair information, but include questions about driving styles, makes and models of cars and of course, a there is a weekly puzzler. Even the introduction and credits are funny, especially if you like puns.  And it helps that the show originates in Boston.  While I do not have, and never did have a strong Boston accent, I like to listen to the Tappet brothers talk.

I do not know when KTTZ started airing Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/, but it obviously has been around a long time. It is a news quiz show that,too, is very funny. It has done what it is supposed to do for me, it has made me start to pay closer attention to the news, especially some of the odd stories. It makes followiong the news much more enjoyable.

From the Top http://www.fromthetop.org/ has been around a long time, too.  It is an excellent show that features young musical performers from around the world. Some become eligible for a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation  http://www.jkcf.org/ scholarship or a New England Conservatory http://www.necmusic.edu/ scholarship. Some return to the show as older teenagers or young adults for special encores.

I regret that when From the Top has taped in Lubbock, I have not gone.  I believe if they ever come back, I will make a concerted effort to attend the performance.

I really like NPR for another reason.  When Mack was alive and we traveled, he liked listening to the radio, and to NPR especially.  And if the station became staticky, he would nose the car radio and snuffle, to get it to play better, I guess. The was my clue that it was time to look for another radio station.

I support National Public Radio, and well as the Public Broadcasting Service http://www.pbs.org/.  Both of these are aired in connection with Texas Tech, and mostly recently adopted the same call letters:  KTTZ. http://www.kttz.org/.  The sad part about KTTZ-TV is that although they have a few good series throughout the year, their best programming occurs only during their fundraisers.  I understand the economics of that, but it is still sad.

Pledging, Part II

I have already written about pledging for NPR and PBS.  My donor gift came today (not the 6-8 weeks projected at the time of my pledge.)  And, it is as advertised.  I could not find much on TV, so guess what, I am listening to my donor gift.

I was thinking about the volunteers who work the pledge phones. The person I spoke to took all of my information, and then plodded on to ask if I would pay for the shipping for the pledge gift.  At this point, her voice sounded tired and apologetic:  We are asking for your money at a pledge level, then even asking for more.

I thanked the volunteer for her efforts at the completion of my pledge transaction.  She seemed a little speechless. I wonder how many thank yous those volunteers get.

Well, do not forget to support NPR and PBS.

Serendipity

I frequently have my hours in at work by mid-afternoon on Friday.  For years, I have stayed until 5 PM anyway.  Some times, I used that time to do special fun things, like making up word games for the patients to play. Or sending thank yous to people who have done something special for me during the week.

Well, the last couple of months, I have not been as motivated to stay, and for years, I have been told NOT to work overtime.   So, I am leaving early on Fridays, these days, after I finish my time.

When I left for work this morning, I checked the newspaper to see if it listed the time of the Yankee vs. Orioles game.   It did not.  So, what the heck.  I figured I would check when I got home, and figure it out.   I did not even think about it at work: I could have checked.

As I was driving home, I was listening to my favorite local sports talk show, The Williams and Hyatt Show https://www.thewilliamsandhyattshow.com/. They advertised the Yankee vs. Oriole game.  I was excited!  I would get to watch the game.  If I had not been driving home then, I would not have thought the game was going to be that early!

Go Yankees!