Jackie Robinson, A Biography

I am currently reading Jackie Robinson, A Biography by Arnold Rampersad http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865578770/Jackie-Robinson-biographer-Arnold-Rampersad-applauds-42-biopic.html?pg=all.  I am reading it for more than one reason. Earlier this year, I determined that I wanted to read more non-fiction, including biographical material. Another reason is that I went to see "42: The Jackie Robinson Story" twice. I wanted to see how much of the movie was accurate in depicting the incidents in Robinson's life.  I know that there had to be "poetic license or creative license" to fit things into the movie.  But I was curious.  So far, I think the movie did a good job. Another reason is that I am very interested in the way sports in the USA has impacted integration of races.

I went to view the movie the first weekend the movie opened in Lubbock, mostly because I do not see Lubbock as a baseball town, and wanted to be sure to see the movie before it left town. I was surprised that the theater was filled. Many weeks later, a friend wanted to see the movie, and invited me. I went. It was worth seeing twice. And, I was surprised that the movie was still in town. The movie would be worth seeing multiple times, by the way.

I say I do not see Lubbock as a baseball town. Yet, there has been a movement and effort to develop the National College Baseball Hall of Fame
 http://web.collegebaseballhall.org/index.jspin  in Lubbock for many years. The original plans were proposed by an oil speculator who had some serious legal problems and went away, and the plans were dropped except that there had already been honorees.  And a serious contingency of people in Lubbock have continued with the honoree celebrations, and have plans to actually build the Hall of Fame. I hope they do.  At one time, It included a baseball field complex. Maybe we will have some serious games in Lubbock.  Hmmm.

Anyway, I wanted to say, that although I have not completed the book it is obvious that Jackie Robinson was a very serious and complex man who took the role of integrator of baseball very seriously, and did the best he could  And he did good!

Sunday Nights on the Computer

I frequently have things I like to do on Sunday night that do not involve being on the computer.  This is good.  Because, Sunday night is the night that I have scheduled the virus scan for my computer.  It takes a while, but while it is running, everything on my computer is slow to respond.  So, if I am engaged elsewhere, I do not notice this.

Tonight, I got on the computer to do some specifics, including checking the local weather. The virus scan was scanning.  It slowed everything down.  It is still scanning. It is still slowing everything down. 

A necessary evil.

Waking Up Early

For some of the last few weekends, I have been waking up early, before the alarm goes off, and I am not able to go back to sleep.  During the work week, sometimes this happens.  I try to stay in bed, but if I get up and get ready, I sometimes go to work really early, and then put in too long a day. So I try to get myself involved in something else, and do not let myself start to get ready for work until the usual time, about 6:45 AM.

But some of the last few weekend days, I have been waking up about 4:45.  I am wide awake, and cannot go back to sleep.  I have learned a trick.  For me, for some reason, a drink of juice when I wake up in the middle of the night seems to help me go back to sleep. But not at 4:45.

It happened again this morning. I was wide awake and full of energy.  That is okay, but last weekend, I was able to sleep in and that was very nice.

A Storm Today

I woke up at 4:45 AM this morning, and could not go back to sleep.  Well, I got up and read for a while then started on my chores for the day.  I added some additional cleaning to my planned list.

I needed to return a book  that was due to the library, and wanted to look for new selections, so decided to run errands after 9 AM.  The library opens at 9, and I try to make that an early stop, with grocery purchases the last stop, due to possibly (most assuredly) purchasing perishables.

I headed out north, to drop a letter at the post office. I could see the dark cloud to the north, and the wall of dust heading towards us. The wind was whipping up, also.

I do not mind being out in the rain, and wind.  Being in the dust often gives me bronchitis.  But, there is always the possibility of severe weather, including damaging hail.  I returned home, and checked the weather radar.  The storm was an isolated cell and would blow through.  I decided to do housework instead of running errands. 

This change of plan was actually fortuitous for me.  I got to listen to "Car Talk" and "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" on NPR http://www.npr.org/. The additional cleaning was well on its way by the time the storm blew through, and I left to run errands.

It's Hot Outside

It is hot outside.  We have had 100° plus weather the last few days. It makes it hot outside and inside.  I dropped down the thermostat temperature inside of the house because 80° just was not comfortable. Last night, at dark, I went out and watered the vines, trees, bushes, vinca and etc.  You would not know it today, when I was in the back yard, everything looked droopy.  I know from experience I do not need to water every day, but every other day in this heat will keep the plants healthy.

I like living in Lubbock, but I do not like the 100° plus temperatures.

Irritated Me

I have tried to set reminders so that when the Red Sox or Yankees are scheduled for national television, I am reminded. I have not done well with reminding myself when they are playing the Texas Rangers or the Houston Astros. This is unfortunate, because I sometimes get these games on TV.  I missed the Yankee vs. Rangers game last night, but by chance, heard on the news that they were playing tonight, so am able to watch the game tonight.   I thought I had tagged all these games, but obviously, I did not.

Oh well.  Right now, the Yankees are losing at home.  Darn. 

Taki Dumping Stuff on the Floor

We were sitting on the end of the sofa which has an end table abutting the sofa arm.  This end table is STACKED with papers and other stuff.  So, Sunday night, Taki was sitting on the sofa arm, and started dabbling with the piled stuff.  She hit at it, and hit at it, and pushed it, and slapped at it.  Well, she unbalanced the stack so a few papers fell off. She kept at it, and she did a little more, and a little more.

For the time being, I left the stuff on the floor. I do not want Taki to think this is an acceptable game, because there are papers stacked all over my house (I am a "mini hoarder.) 

On the other hand, Haiku likes to play "the pen game."  But, it does not have to be a pen, it can be a pencil, an eraser, a white out container or even a thumb drive (but we stop that in a hurry.)  The pen game consists of Haiku slapping at a pen, like you might a hockey puck, until it falls off the desk or TV tray next to the desk. Then she sits, looking down at the object, until you retrieve it and she can do the same all over again. We have played this game for hours on end, when I have been at the computer. She does not play in the living room or at the dining room table, however.  She could reset the game by jumping down, getting the object and jumping back to her perch.  But she is not motivated to that.  I think this is designed to be an interactive opportunity with me.