Looks like Encore and I will be wet for a bit

Posted By on July 2, 2014

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Arrived at the boat Tuesday evening after a long day of traveling … flight delays and rain squalls driving I-95 south from Orlando. All was well but wet as expected. Hopefully Tropical Storm Arthur will track a little faster and as expected taking the current 50 mph wind and rain with it. I’d like to have a little dry and calm weather in order to store the sails and canvas.

Landing a Harrier jet aircraft on a stool

Posted By on July 1, 2014

The U.S. Marine Corps has some talented pilots, including Capt  William Mahoney landing his AV-8B Harrier aircraft, along with equally skilled U.S. Navy 6th Fleet support crews. What a landing. Thanks for protecting our country and keeping us safe!

Weather watching as INVEST91L decides what it is going to do

Posted By on July 1, 2014

invest91l_140630Packing list for this week:

  • Repaired autopilot: ck
  • Tool bag: ck
  • Hurricane prep list: ck
  • Clothes bag: ck
  • Computer bag: ck
  • Weather forecast – pack RAIN GEAR …

Well that last one might not be going quite like I planned. So much for scheduling my trip for Encore’s hurricane prep for the first of July. Yes, I know the season begins June 1st, but really, what were the chances?

Hopefully INVEST91L will just fizzle out or better yet … head north and east and take all the rain and wind with it.

I really need dry weather and light winds in order to strip the sails and bimini as I don’t want to store wet canvas.

Next time I should probably order from Amazon.com

Posted By on June 30, 2014

It is nice to know (sarcasm) that with up-to-date inventory systems connected to customers by computer, tablet and smartphone, that companies like Newegg still find ways to remind us that ordering online is not always efficient. Here I am checking to see if my order will arrive as expected today … but instead my order from 3 days ago was just plain canceled – not even backordered (which would have been disappointing enough). Hmm, this is a good way for companies to turn their customers to Amazon.

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Thank you for choosing Newegg!

We regret to inform you [3 days late] that we are unable to ship one or more of the items in the order below. While our website may have indicated an in-stock status [it did], one or more items in your order were not in stock at the time your order was to be fulfilled. [only one item in the order – what about backorder as an option?]

Archive: My daughter Katelyn is now certified in Pediatrics

Posted By on June 30, 2014

K_NationwideResidencyCert140630After blogging about my kids for years, it is difficult to stop archiving events in their lives, so I might as well mark another milestone for my daughter. Katelyn completed her pediatric residency at Columbus Ohio’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital (seems like she just matched) and is anxious to start her practice at Wayzata Children’s Clinic, as well as living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her husband Drew moved to their new place last week and will begin his fellowship a few days while Katelyn is headed that way as I type (drive safe “little” girl). I’m sure leaving Columbus was bittersweet for both as both enjoyed their 3 and 4 years in central Ohio – but I’m sure they will enjoy this next phase too.

EDIT: She sent me this with a “Bye-Bye” as she drove out of Ohio.
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Loving Minnesota already (even with $300 auto registration?)

Posted By on June 29, 2014

bmwcorkcar140629 WayzataMN140629

Drew sent me some photos from a festival in Wayzata in Minnesota after getting a few chores like expensive auto registration done ($60 in Ohio vs. $300 in MN … based on the value of a car). He said he is already enjoying himself, but looking forward to Katelyn being up there (she is leaving this afternoon for Minneapolis).

I told him to start collecting corks for my MGB!
Smile

Sarcopenia and working to maintain your muscles as you age

Posted By on June 29, 2014

agingmenimageAging sneaks up on most of us and before you know it your muscles have atrophied and often joints become a painful reminder that we may have abused them in our youth. Thankfully, I’m still functioning on all cylinders even if I’m regularly reminded that I can’t (and shouldn’t) try to physically work as I did in my 30’s and 40’s. Inevitably we’ll all suffer from “sarcopenia” – but maybe we can slow it down? (Did you know that we achieve peak muscle mass in our early 40’s? Hmm?)

Laura Landro’s Informed Patient column in the WSJ had a few tips on “How to Keep Your Muscles Strong as You Age” and I’ll include cheat sheet below:

  • Until treatment/drugs that inhibits a protein call myostatin are approved (hopefully soon), remain active and balance diet with exercise.
  • Step up basic household chores and add purposeful walking to your daily routine
  • Ask your doctor about losartan (Cozaar) if you are being treated for high blood pressure. John Hopkins researchers are seeing promising results in the rate of muscle decline.
  • As long as you are watching your diet and exercising, eat more “lean” protein
  • Talk to your doctor about adding a vitamin D supplement IF LOW (shown to increase strength and reduced falls)
  • Don’t be sedentary. Include aerobic, strength, flexibility and balance training exercise.
  • Build up a reserve of muscle tone and overall “health reserves” to compress the end of life frailty that inevitably will come to those who live a long life.

Settling into a comfortable routine of visiting with my dad

Posted By on June 28, 2014

Bob Evans with my dad has been almost weekly routine for over two years now – we started going when my mom moved to Dorothy Love, for what at the time was planned rehab. DadC_BobEvansSidneyOH140627After visiting mom, I’d take dad out to eat — and and if he didn’t have other coupons, it was often to Bob Evans. After mom’s passing, we continued the routine, first on weekend visits and then early mornings during the week as I’d reroute my weekly drives to NE Ohio.

The weekly morning breakfast isn’t something we’ve added permanently on the calendar, but it has become regular enough that if I don’t call, dad checks in with me to see if I’m stopping by. I think both of us enjoy this hour or so together since rarely do we rush or not finish the pot of coffee on our table. Often our conversation is about the past (last week he brought his Korean War photos), our mutual interest in cars or just talking about family goings-on. I hope we can continue this “routine” for a long time to come.

The Amazing Octopus

Posted By on June 27, 2014

Tech Friday: Blitzortung.org real-time lightning detection

Posted By on June 27, 2014

blitzortungscreenshot140624Memorizing project that group-sources data from around the world and records lightning strikes. Incredibly ambitious it would seem until one realizes that much of the data is already being recorded and all that is needed is for “big data” to collect and create an interface on the web. Very interesting to watch the world and storms heat up and trigger energy releases. 

Blitzortung.org Real-time lightning strikes

Image ==>
06-24-2014
at 8:25PM

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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