I had a very busy yet very thought provoking day yesterday so I thought I would share it with you. I got up for work, knowing it was going to rain & went about my day trying to find work for the guys that work with me & keep them inside during the storm which is not always an easy task since most of what w do is outside.
I worked on reports for meetings & updating manuals as most any day but then the fun began. I had to be at Angels Camp at 4:00 to coach a 5th grade girls basketball game with my niece, The power went out about 5 minutes into the game so we waited about 20 minutes & then cancelled the game, the whole while it was a down pour of rain. I had to be in Arnold at 5:00 for a birthday party for a friend of mine, so I hurried up the mountain through sheets of water cascading across the highway. I got to the party & gave my gift, visited for about 40 minutes & then had to be at a work meeting at 6:00 in Murphys so I rushed down the mountain through the same rain & road problems as before encountered. I was going to visit a friend who is having some health problems on the way to meeting but could only manage a phone call.
I made it to the meeting which was held by flashlight & lamp because of the continued power outage which made it more of a camping experience around the camp fire but after 2 hours we were able to leave. I got home a little after 8:00 to a home with no power & the rain still crashing down onto the roof. My wife was reading a book by head lamp & had kept the fire going so the house was toasty. I ate dinner & visited with my wife for awhile & then began reading a backpacking magazine. After about an hour I realized that I was tired & bored so I went to bed at 9:30, which wouldn't seem like a big deal except for the fact that I only sleep about 6 hours & that is why I go to bed between 11:00 & midnight. I wake up at about 6:15 every day whether I have an alarm clock or not but on this night I was awake by 2:30 & there was no chance I would be sleeping again on this night so I woke up & found the power on, so I went in the other room & turned a movie on & stayed awake until I left for work at 6:45.
I guess my point of this little story is, most of us are not farmers or ranchers & do not go to bed at 9:00 or get up at 3:00AM so what are we supposed to do when the power goes out?
We aren't use to conversing for hours or sitting in silence on a cold rainy night with no electricity so does that make us un sociable or lacking in creativity? I don't know what it means but I know that even though I can amuse myself pretty easily, if my routine is broken, it becomes a lot more difficult.
I hope the power is on tonight because I don't want to be watching another movie or reading a book at 4AM while everyone else is snoozing away.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Lauries Reading Memes, What are yours
lauriepowerswildwest.blogspot.com/
Reading Habits Meme
Saw this on another blog and thought it looked fun. I've memed other people at the end of the post, but feel free to do it on your own.
Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
All the time. Popcorn, soda, ice tea, ice cream, coffee. In the winter hot tea or hot chocolate.
Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I only marked books when I was in college. Occasionally I do when I doing research, but I find it really didn't help me much.
How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
Bookmark, with anything available. Receipts, shopping lists, sometimes even a bookmark.
Laying the book flat open?
Usually I can't. Hold it in both hands.
Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Both. Fiction runs to Westerns or pulp anthologies. Lots of history and memoir too.
Hard copy or audiobooks?
Hard copy. If I go on long trips I'll rent an audio book from the library.
Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I can drop it at any point. I usually have to because I can only sneak in reading here and there between other projects.
If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
Nah. I should though. I always think I'll remember later to look it up and I always forget.
What are you currently reading?
My Life East and West by William S. Hart. Almost done.
Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the Early West by Anne Seagraves. Plus a short story pulp here and there.
What is the last book you bought?
Sons of Texas by Elmer Kelton
Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I usually read two at a time because I get bored so easily. Sometimes I can read three, but usually one of them ends up getting neglected.
Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
In the mornings or the evening. I don't have much of a choice there because of my job. I love to read in my flower garden and have a wicker couch set up in there just for that.
Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
I usually prefer stand alone. I like to jump around a lot so series have never appealed to me. The Sons of Texas series may be an exception though - I'm ready to start the next one.
Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Not really. There are several I like, but no one I recommend in particular.
How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
The house I'm renting right now has very small rooms so there isn't a place for one big library. So I have several bookshelfs all over the house - I've even emptied out a shallow linen closet and made it into bookshelves. Books are organized by subject: history, books on writing, classics, memoir, pulp fiction history (that's the linen closet) and fiction.
Okay, now it's the following blog's turn: Mark Engebretson, Howard Hopkins, Joanne Walpole, Evan Lewis, Chris Jones, Gary Dobbs, and of course Ralph Emerson.
Saw this on another blog and thought it looked fun. I've memed other people at the end of the post, but feel free to do it on your own.
Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
All the time. Popcorn, soda, ice tea, ice cream, coffee. In the winter hot tea or hot chocolate.
Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I only marked books when I was in college. Occasionally I do when I doing research, but I find it really didn't help me much.
How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
Bookmark, with anything available. Receipts, shopping lists, sometimes even a bookmark.
Laying the book flat open?
Usually I can't. Hold it in both hands.
Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Both. Fiction runs to Westerns or pulp anthologies. Lots of history and memoir too.
Hard copy or audiobooks?
Hard copy. If I go on long trips I'll rent an audio book from the library.
Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I can drop it at any point. I usually have to because I can only sneak in reading here and there between other projects.
If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
Nah. I should though. I always think I'll remember later to look it up and I always forget.
What are you currently reading?
My Life East and West by William S. Hart. Almost done.
Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the Early West by Anne Seagraves. Plus a short story pulp here and there.
What is the last book you bought?
Sons of Texas by Elmer Kelton
Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I usually read two at a time because I get bored so easily. Sometimes I can read three, but usually one of them ends up getting neglected.
Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
In the mornings or the evening. I don't have much of a choice there because of my job. I love to read in my flower garden and have a wicker couch set up in there just for that.
Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
I usually prefer stand alone. I like to jump around a lot so series have never appealed to me. The Sons of Texas series may be an exception though - I'm ready to start the next one.
Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Not really. There are several I like, but no one I recommend in particular.
How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
The house I'm renting right now has very small rooms so there isn't a place for one big library. So I have several bookshelfs all over the house - I've even emptied out a shallow linen closet and made it into bookshelves. Books are organized by subject: history, books on writing, classics, memoir, pulp fiction history (that's the linen closet) and fiction.
Okay, now it's the following blog's turn: Mark Engebretson, Howard Hopkins, Joanne Walpole, Evan Lewis, Chris Jones, Gary Dobbs, and of course Ralph Emerson.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Man In The Mirror
Wouldn't it be nice if all politicians had to take a lie detector test every time they voted on something & were asked if they really believed what they were voting on? I believe in the "man in the mirror" test. You vote what you believe & if you can face yourself in the mirror, it was the right decision. If you can't, then it is wrong.
The problem with this test & politicians is that most of them are two faced & reflect one face in the mirror to help them sleep & another when grabbing all the power they can get.
I believe with all of my heart & soul that politically correctness, polls, greed & lobbyists have destroyed our Country & until we can stop making decisions based on polls or what will get the majority vote, we are destined to destroy ourselves & all because we can't honestly look at ourselves in the mirror when we make a decision.
The problem with this test & politicians is that most of them are two faced & reflect one face in the mirror to help them sleep & another when grabbing all the power they can get.
I believe with all of my heart & soul that politically correctness, polls, greed & lobbyists have destroyed our Country & until we can stop making decisions based on polls or what will get the majority vote, we are destined to destroy ourselves & all because we can't honestly look at ourselves in the mirror when we make a decision.
Bi Partisan Rib Eye Steak
I have a friend that I recently connected with after many years apart & within moments of this reunion have realized how easy it is in the "Maze Of Life" to become disoriented & lose sight of what is important & those who impact us on this incredulous journey called "Life".
I have been following her blog & find great comfort in reading the perceptions she has on life & the trials which accompany life. Although I may disagree with some misguided (vbs) points of view on occasion like Obama & the Dodgers, I am always in awe of her ability to share her thoughts in a poignant yet sometimes humorous way. One in which engages her readers & inspires them to respond or to reflect but always to learn.
I especially liked her comments on a recent awakening she had on a subject which most people have known about forever, the indulgence of the perfectly cooked rib eye steak. I was looking at the photo she used & reading her comments about her new found appreciation for fine dining & realized how much we take for granted & how we as a people need to put aside our differences by sitting down together & having the perfectly cooked, symbolic, "rib eye steak".
Differences could be worked out & problems avoided or solved if we would simply enjoy one another doing those things we love to do. I probably won't ever convert her to dropping her Dodgers fan club membership but the differences aren't important when we share things we enjoy, regardless of political, ethnic, social or religous persuasion.
http://lauriepowerswildwest.blogspot.com/
I have been following her blog & find great comfort in reading the perceptions she has on life & the trials which accompany life. Although I may disagree with some misguided (vbs) points of view on occasion like Obama & the Dodgers, I am always in awe of her ability to share her thoughts in a poignant yet sometimes humorous way. One in which engages her readers & inspires them to respond or to reflect but always to learn.
I especially liked her comments on a recent awakening she had on a subject which most people have known about forever, the indulgence of the perfectly cooked rib eye steak. I was looking at the photo she used & reading her comments about her new found appreciation for fine dining & realized how much we take for granted & how we as a people need to put aside our differences by sitting down together & having the perfectly cooked, symbolic, "rib eye steak".
Differences could be worked out & problems avoided or solved if we would simply enjoy one another doing those things we love to do. I probably won't ever convert her to dropping her Dodgers fan club membership but the differences aren't important when we share things we enjoy, regardless of political, ethnic, social or religous persuasion.
http://lauriepowerswildwest.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Champions of Truth
Media is fiction while life is reality so be careful who champions you lest we forget a Nation that was destroyed by the gift of a horse
Opposition
Opposing views if expressed with respect promote lively debate & inspired joint outcomes while opposing views expressed with anger or rage only promote anger or rage
Monday, October 5, 2009
I Love You
Do you realize how important or how much power these three words have on mankind? You may "blow it off" & act like you don't care if somebody says that they love you but you lie or you are in denial. Our egos can quite often get in the way of reality, causing mental road blocks that don't allow for sensitivity to creep in to our fragile yet complex minds yet when we strip away the years of pain created tough exterior which protects our sensitive thoughts, we all want to be loved.
My son just sent me a text last night which talked about recent events in his life & although his path has taken him away from the place he grew up & given him new opportunities to see the world & live life the way he chooses, I love him with all of my heart & want success for him as he journeys through life on an expedition to find himself. in this text message, which by the way is a pretty remarkable communication device if not over used. In this message he talked about some personal experiences but at the end, he said that he loved me.
I don't care what my children do in life that I may disagree with or agree with but when they tell me they love me, nothing has more impact on me than those three words & nothing does more, to give me hope, stay happy or to be optimistic of the future than hearing it or in this case, seeing it typed in a message.
I do believe you can over use "I Love You" if used frivolously but if used correctly at the right time, nothing has more impact or provides more comfort or creates more happiness. These three words can put the fear of God into a new relationship because of the commitment they represent but once again, if used correctly, they are the most important words you will ever hear or say but as with explosives, handle them with care.
My son just sent me a text last night which talked about recent events in his life & although his path has taken him away from the place he grew up & given him new opportunities to see the world & live life the way he chooses, I love him with all of my heart & want success for him as he journeys through life on an expedition to find himself. in this text message, which by the way is a pretty remarkable communication device if not over used. In this message he talked about some personal experiences but at the end, he said that he loved me.
I don't care what my children do in life that I may disagree with or agree with but when they tell me they love me, nothing has more impact on me than those three words & nothing does more, to give me hope, stay happy or to be optimistic of the future than hearing it or in this case, seeing it typed in a message.
I do believe you can over use "I Love You" if used frivolously but if used correctly at the right time, nothing has more impact or provides more comfort or creates more happiness. These three words can put the fear of God into a new relationship because of the commitment they represent but once again, if used correctly, they are the most important words you will ever hear or say but as with explosives, handle them with care.
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