Fitbit: What does COVID do to your resting heart rate?

| August 16, 2022

Since I wear a Fitbit and monitor a few things like heartrate, exercise and daily step count, I was concerned when my resting heartrate (graph left) seemed to be rising? After talking with my daughter about it, she mentioned that it sure seemed to correspond to my COVID diagnosis. Hm??? Hopefully it will return to […]

Summer storms continue, more COVID and Gilligan’s Island

| August 6, 2022

Well if one has to stay at home … looking at our backyard “storm is coming” pool photo … and we aren’t to be out and about, there could be worse places to be isolating? The summer storms continued rolling thru this past week and and after testing positive the previous week, I thought a […]

And we have been COVID free these last two years. UGH!

| August 1, 2022

Well it looks like COVID19’s BA.5 subvariant has found us … or we found it. Fortunately for us, we have been vaccinated and at least I have one of the boosters … so hopefully the more serious and severe illness seen by many can be avoided. As of my writing (over the weekend) the symptoms […]

A last minute trip to Perrysburg babysitting our granddaughters and to check on new home planning and lot clearing progress

| July 27, 2022

Eventually I’ll get to part 3 of our family Canadian Rockies 40th Anniversary trip (post-trip nightmare, part 1 and part 2), but for now I’ll archive a few photos from this past week’s babysitting trip to Perrysburg. COVID has made its way through the Oostra family after their trip … likely the herding through the […]

Music Monday: Men at Work – “Down Under” from 1981

| January 17, 2022

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Happy Thanksgiving 2021

| November 25, 2021

It has been a challenging couple of years for most of the country and the world in not only combatting the Coronavirus pandemic’s loss of life and economic impact, but the psychological stress. I am thankful we in America have medical care and the pharmaceutical science able to rapidly develop antiviral medicines and vaccines. Let’s […]

Regularly see bats in the evening, but first time in the pool

| July 25, 2021

So what do you know about bats? Personally, I didn’t know very much at all. I see them regularly in the evening sky darting around and have always repeated the mantra that they are good for the environment because they eat mosquitos and pesky insects (article). Beyond that … and the vampire stories … I […]

Are we looking at facemasks and shutdowns again? #COVID19

| July 24, 2021

If it were not for the questionable messaging being pushed by every politician, biased partisan media personality (both left and right), so called medical experts and even our own wishy-washy Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it would be easier to decipher if this Delta Covid-19 variant is something to worry about or just […]

Investors are taking it on the chin today as COVID19 Delta variant may impact the US and global recovery

| July 19, 2021

If you are an investor or long term education and retirement saver, you’re feeling the pain today as the coronavirus Delta variant spread could impact the economic recovery. U.S. stocks, oil prices and government bond yields slid Monday as anxiety mounted over the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant and its potential impact on the […]

An Akron/Canton CAK photo from my Palm Treo in 2006 #TBT

| April 1, 2021

While cleaning up one of my old Flickr accounts where my Palm Treo 700p photos were backed up, I stumbled across one of the first photos with it I took and posted to this blog – June 2006. Even though the camera was lacking by today’s cellphone standards, I still think the Palm PDA turned […]

After 6 days, the Ever Given is moving and the Suez Canal is open

| March 30, 2021

The news that has captured much of the of the world’s interest this week was the very large Ever Given container ship lodged sideways in the Suez Canal by 40+ mph winds (and perhaps some mechanical issues?). The “Empire State Building” size ship snarled traffic for 6 days surprising most people as to just how […]

Investing: Buying Vertex $VRTX for 2021 and hopefully beyond

| March 25, 2021

For the most part, I’m a conservative investor, although a regular channel trader, and I rarely speculates on risky upstarts, IPOs, zero-profit tech stocks, pharmaceutical long-shots or the latest crazy … cryptocurrency trend. Since most “risk” involves speculation, I see it more akin to gambling than eyes-open informed value or growth investing … both which […]

Do you build or buy a new house this year or put it off?

| March 18, 2021

Real estate has been on a tear in many markets as the coronavirus has people moving from cities to the suburbs and their own piece of land. In my opinion it is not just COVID19 related, but that fact that cities aren’t as secure or as tax friendly to live in, especially on the east […]

How are we doing in vaccinating our population? #COVID19

| March 6, 2021

Immunization is picking up speed, but we are still struggling to get enough of the produced vaccinations in arms … especially in some states. This past week an article in Fortune posted a “tracker map” illustrating where it is going well and where we’re are struggling to get shots in the arms of every American […]

Why do so many on the political left deride America?

| March 3, 2021

If all we do is listen to those who spew negativity and show distain for America, we might miss the fact that the US through Operation Warp Speed in coordination with private companies, have given us a COVID19 vaccine to its citizens and to the world in record time. In keeping with countries which have […]

Happy Valentine’s Day to friends and family, especially my girls!

| February 14, 2021

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Archive: DadH, Hugh Woodcock, Lynda and Mark photos #TBT

| February 4, 2021

I always stop in to visit with lifetime friends of Mom and Dad Howard,  Ann and Hugh Woodcock when I’m close, but hesitate to even tell them I’m nearby “in the days of COVID19.” I really hate putting it off though, since one never knows how many days friends in their 90s have? The photo […]

Bubblicious, but I am not talking about bubble gum popping

| January 26, 2021

All I can think about are the stock market “bubbles” from the past. I’d love to believe the upward trend we’ve seen this past years is genuine and built on an appropriate foundation, but suspect as most know, it is being built on “hope” and “stimulus dollars.” Now that is not to say that certain […]

Question: Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine in Ohio yet?

| January 20, 2021

While talking with a customer on the phone today and talking about when I’ll be traveling to NE Ohio again, they asked me when they could get the Covid-19 vaccine? See Covid-19 Vaccination Program – LINK. So I figured it would be appropriate to include a screenshot from an Ohio-based health care provider in our […]

Thankful to have a long time friend like Jeff – #TBT photo

| December 31, 2020

I had lunch “out” this week with my good friend Jeff, although this routine has become very infrequent compared to previous years. Still, we had a chance to catch up, talk about politics (Ugh), the old-days backpacking in North Carolina (an old scanned photo for Throwback Thursday #TBT) … and I opened his cool gift […]

Our family Christmas 2020 and a few too many wrap-up photos

| December 29, 2020

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Understanding the Pfizer and Moderna COVID19 vaccines

| December 27, 2020

There was an interesting article in Prevention Magazine that explains what the COVID19 or generically the Coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna do … AND what their ingredients are. It also details the differences between the two from the standpoint of how cold storage temperatures need to be. Check out the article for the ingredients […]

Our granddaughters are coming and new Great Room windows

| December 23, 2020

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Funny, but not funny … perhaps it is the frustration we all feel?

| December 16, 2020

Are you tired of this COVID19 lockdown yet? It is hard to believe the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic AND those politicians dictating shutdowns in their mini-kingdoms have not had more pushback than they have? Way too many small businesses, and especially people working in the travel and food service industry, will not be having much of […]

Merry Christmas 2020 and wishing you a “Hopeful” New Year

| December 15, 2020

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Santa Mouse slippers, Christmas stories and Echo messages

| December 12, 2020

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As the holidays approach, mini-dictators flex their power

| November 23, 2020

One of the more disturbing trends during the COVID19COVID19 pandemic has been the infringement on personal liberty by politicians in the country.Thankfully we are closing in on a vaccine, but the heavy-handed restrictions that may have been tolerated during the initial outbreak, aren’t being received well by those who are trying to keep food on the […]

A "cheesy" security measure and Christmas 2020 in Cincinnati

| November 18, 2020

Every once in awhile, an interesting and creative, but questionable, idea crossing my eyeballs. Here’s a pretty good one when it comes to the age-old tape, thread or strand of hair method of securing a door (below). Obviously the broken, and likely telltale orange Cheetos powder, would be a sure sign of an unauthorized entry. […]

Waiting for a Halloween updates from my granddaughters

| November 1, 2020

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LA Dodgers win surreal World Series in 2020 #COVID19

| October 28, 2020

As one newspaper reported, it has been “the weird­est year in base­ball his­tory.” The World Series ended Tues­day night with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the 2020 MLB season’s in game 6 of the World Series. The Tampa Bay Rays were out played with strong pitching by the Dodgers, and although I had totally checked […]

Another Jimmy Buffett 2020 stay-at-home video memory

| September 14, 2020

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Apple iOS 13.7: Opt-in to COVID19 exposure notifications?

| September 13, 2020

I downloaded and installed the new Apple iOS 13.7 update, but hesitated since I regularly prefer blocking location services information. Both Apple and Google announced the “tracking” in April 2020, but as expected, it was met with reservation. Most users are naïve to the amount of personal data requested by apps and operation systems on […]

A memory from 2010! What happened to my children? #TBT

| August 27, 2020

Love this photo, although Katelyn and Taylor do look the same to me … well, add 10 years. I saw this photo from our Bermuda cruise in 2010 and thought, “I’m so glad we took as many trips as we did each year as a family!” The early years of traveling may have been on […]

A weekend Brenda birthday photo and Jimmy Buffett video

| August 18, 2020

We are really enjoying the time we have to stay around home this summer amidst Coronavirus concerns … although Brenda has never stopped going to work … she works in an “essential business” – pharmacy. We certainly enjoyed having Katelyn, Drew, Annalyn and Ellerie to our house for a mini-vacation for several days earlier this […]

Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife and a few leftover photos

| August 12, 2020

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MLB players fan the flames with more anti-patriotic symbolism

| July 24, 2020

It’s an uncomfortable time to be a freedom-loving and patriotic American who misses old days of going about day to day business without wearing a facemask or triggering someone by “wearing” something with the wrong message. Heaven forbid a social media unaware person thinks (well, says out loud)  “All Lives Matter” rather than only certain […]

To shut down or not to shut down, that is the question – Hamlet

| July 18, 2020

As politicians and most of us in the United States (and probably world) debate how to live under the shadow of the Coronavirus pandemic, researchers, doctors and academics are flooding the Internet with studies and opinions both for and against opening up the country. Some have our best interest at heart … and likely some […]

Well so much for a smooth reopening in Ohio #COVID19

| July 7, 2020

  See a few more details leading up to this from Gov Mike Dewine on this post.

With June 2020 behind us, how is Ohio handling COVID19?

| July 2, 2020

It sure would be nice to report all is well in Ohio, but unfortunately our returning to semi-normal routines  and statewide reopening has hit a snag … at least according to those elected and paid to monitor our health. See coronavirus.ohio.gov. ALERT LEVELS: (all include “Follow all current health orders”) Active exposure and spread. Increased […]

Archive: Flying down and driving back from hurricane prep

| June 28, 2020

Flew on the airlines for the first time since COVID19 to Florida via Baltimore (photo BWI terminal above) last week and thankfully the flights and negotiating the airport was uneventful. Besides a computer glitch which backed up lines on check in, everything else went smoothly. It is yet to be seen if the rise in […]

Amazon delivery issues, but their chat-bot seems efficient

| June 16, 2020

Like a lot of people during COVID19, we have gravitated even more to Amazon and online ordering for our “stuff.” We have not ordered groceries online yet, but are definitely doing more online shopping than ever before. I mentioned having issues with Amazon a few times before (1, 2, 3) during stay-at-home orders and find […]

Is this defunding/dismantling police for real or just politics?

| June 11, 2020

After listening to the loudest protestors from around the U.S. seemingly unite around the “defund and dismantle the police” manta, it is natural for people to ponder the questions regarding how this movement of angry people intend to “keep the peace.” As some point laws aren’t going to be followed, gangs and thugs will intimidate […]

Face masks, eating out again and PPE in the age of COVID19

| May 30, 2020

It has been a couple weeks of more states and localities re-opening. Brenda and I stopped at Fazoli’s to pick up something last weekend, but instead decided to try something new .. at least since restaurants shut down. We donned our face masks and ordered our meal sitting every other table. All was good. Then […]

Out and about, yardwork, flowers and more rain

| May 24, 2020

It has been a slow start to getting our yard in shape. By now we usually have the pool open and flowers planned, but for some reason (probably rain) we are not ready for summer. Thankfully though, Saturday was nice most of the day. I waited as long as possible to add a few brown […]

Music Monday: Yet another great Jackson Browne song

| May 18, 2020

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Where COVID19 cases are on the rise and a Center for Disease Control and Prevention PSA on the Symptoms of Coronavirus

| May 15, 2020

We are all likely on information overload when it comes to the Coronavirus and how it has impacted our country and the world. Still, it seemed appropriated to include a reminder as we start to re-open the country that the threat is far from over – we have just “flattened the curve” as it were. […]

FedEx shines when delivering packages in the rain #sarcasm

| May 7, 2020

Nine years ago, it would have been polite for our FedEx driver to have at LEAST left a note or to have mentioned he ran off the driveway … although it was understandable with the snow cover (see link). On the other hand, it makes me smile now, especially since I can use it as […]

Is Ohio open for business today? #humor

| May 1, 2020

I can see it now, after being under the Coronavirus stay-at-home orders for the past 6 weeks or so, people are going to be excited to exit the safety of their cocoons … finally a taste of freedom again. Let’s just hope we don’t make foolish stumbles and ignore commonsense precautions. Be smart people! Phase […]

Come on people, we are better than this! #COVID19

| April 29, 2020

As one commenter on the Bluewater Sailing and Cruising FB social group stated, “People are disgusting.” Its also what we  are all seeing in the parking lots of our communities during the coronavirus pandemic. All kinds of PPE is being lazily discarded. Without thinking, people toss their used rubber gloves, wipes and masks after they […]

A little Coronavirus video PSA to keep you safe … and smiling

| April 25, 2020

If you’ve watched, read or remembered any of the Public Service Announcements (PSA) since the Coronavirus pandemic started, you will probably smile when watching this.

The COVID19 worldwide slowdown is devastating oil companies

| April 22, 2020

The Coronavirus is doing what environmentalists and anti-fossil fuel advocates have only dreamed of doing … killing the petroleum industry. There is so little demand for crude oil that “Producers must pay buyers $37.63 a barrel” to refine their product. There is no place to store it as companies who explore and drill are dead […]

How do we safely open up America again? #COVID19

| April 21, 2020

As the United States and the world prepare to open society in phases after well over a month of stay-at-home orders due to the Coronavirus, the debate between those who see the health risk as too high and those who fear a full on economic collapse (world wide depression) continues. Several states are seeing protests […]

Photos to keep us up-to-date with our growing granddaughters

| April 19, 2020

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Tech Friday: A woodworking idea for those using laptops

| April 10, 2020

Last week my son Taylor and friend Jeff both sent me their “homemade” stand-up or propped up (with books) notebook computers while working from home. I suspect they aren’t the only COVID19 “stay-at-home” workers trying to come up with comfortable ways to do their jobs? I know Jeff once had a stand-up desk at work […]

Was life really simpler when backpacking? #TBT

| April 2, 2020

With “stay at home” orders issued for 3/4 of the U.S. population, my good friend Jeff Pitts has been obeying the directive and working from home. It is also giving him time to do those “I’ll get to it someday” chores like cleaning out a spare room and finally throwing stuff away. One of the […]

April 1 is no joke this year, yet I am counting our many blessings

| April 1, 2020

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Looking for something positive amidst the #COVID19 Pandemic

| March 31, 2020

Although few of us really want to be tracking the exponential explosion of the COVID19 spread, a friend asked me if there was a preferred site to go to for updated information. I responded with CDC.gov or Department of Health here in Ohio as trusted sources, but then suggested that if he was like me, […]

Music Monday: Neil Diamond #COVID19 contribution

| March 30, 2020

Neil Diamond sings “Sweet Caroline” with updated lyric for safety during Covid-19 pandemic. Stay safe out there!

What should you do about the Coronavirus? #COVID19

| March 28, 2020

Here’s an easy Question and Answer put together by Apple: Take this simple test as a starting place to know what you should be doing. L I N K

Monitoring the COVID19 while working on bookshelf project

| March 24, 2020

It has been good to be distracted with a painting and bookshelf project while "staying at home" these last few days. Unfortunately the COVID19 Coronavirus doesn’t look to be disappearing or dissipating as quickly as we were all hoping … so it looks as if we’ll be struggling to figure out how to not only […]

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.
My Desultory Blog