Time Capsule

New Web Address for Me

2009-01-05T14:55:00.001-07:00

My web postings are now displayed at:

http://gmcdnotes.spaces.list.com

My Movie Collection - January 2007

2007-01-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

[This is an update about my movie collection.]

As of January 2007, my movie collection consists of approximately 465 films. Most of these movies were recorded by me on VHS tapes from television (almost exclusively from the Turner Classic Movie channel) and then copied to DVDs. A significant percentage of them are purchased releases, some on VHS, but most on DVD. I expect my collection to eventually contain movies only on DVD, or whatever new movie medium becomes popular in the future.

I have collected movies from three points of view: movies I have seen in the past and enjoyed; movies I have not seen, but expect to enjoy; and movies I have not seen, but have some curiosity about, some of which I expect to watch only once.

The collection includes movies from most of the movie genres, except foreign films and horror movies, types I do not care to watch. Although I am a fan of science fiction books, there are few science fiction movies in my collection. In my opinion, the large majority of such movies are not worth watching, with a few notable exceptions. A few children's movies are in the collection, but were acquired primarily for the benefit of my grandchildren. Only a couple of fantasy movies are included. A small percentage of the movies are dramas and mysteries, because I prefer comedies, musicals, adventures, action, and some romance and romantic comedies. I like some westerns, and there is a fairly good number of movies of this type. There are only a couple of biographies included.

The movies in the collection were released over the past 75 years. Only one year is not represented in the collection – 2004. I have no idea why that year is not included, and perhaps a movie of that vintage will be added later. A small number of movies from the 1930’s are present, with more from the 1940’s and 1950’s, and a larger number from the 1960’s. The 1970’s are not as numerous, while the 1980’s and 1990’s form a significant part of the collection. Only a few movies in the collection were released between 2000 and 2006. It appears that most of my favorite films came out in the 1960’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s, followed by the 1940’s, 1950’s, and 1970’s.

The oldest film in the collection was released in 1931 – Trader Horn, an adventure movie starring Harry Carey, Duncan Renaldo (who later played The Cisco Kid in the television series of that name in the mid-1950’s), and Edwina Booth. The latest release was in 2006 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, an action movie starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley.

At one time or another, I have seen most of the 465 movies, but a significant number remain un-viewed by me at this time. I look forward to seeing all of them. A few of the ones I recorded from TV are not of high quality for viewing, for one reason or another. Of those, I expect to gradually replace the ones I really enjoy with purchased DVD versions. I have recently replaced the entire series of James Bond movies, which I previously had purchased on VHS. The newest release of these movies on DVD includes extra DVDs of special features about the background and making of each movie, which I enjoy almost as much as the movies themselves. I also have the 12-DVD collection of the three movies in the Lord of the Rings series, with spectacular extra features. The original three movies in the Star Wars series and all of the Pink Panther series are other favorite sets in the collection. I have made good progress in collecting movies starring several of my favorite actors, including Clint Eastwood, Cary Grant, John Wayne, Doris Day, and Sean Connery. I have most of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, most of the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope “road” comedies; and most of the Abbott and Costello farces. Perhaps my favorite all-time movie is It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, which includes in the cast many of the greatest comedy actors ever.

I have recently decided to suspend copying movies from TV for a while, until I have watched more of those I have not yet seen, although I may continue to purchase movies, especially to replace some of my favorites that currently are not of good quality in the collection.

I enjoy movies for the sake of entertainment. I prefer light, sometimes frivolous films, especially with comedy included. I am not so entertained by heavy, dramatic, and depressing movies. Only a few real “classic” movies appeal to me, such as some of Humphrey Bogart’s movies and a few movies directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Of the movies I really like, I can enjoy watching them repeatedly, almost to the point of memorizing the dialog. Some prime examples include Hatari!; the original Ocean’s Eleven; and White Christmas. I would not be considered a movie aficionado and certainly not an expert on movies, but I get great pleasure from watching the ones that I find entertaining. I do not attempt to critique them or find deep meanings in them; I simply want to enjoy a couple of hours of light entertainment when I watch a movie.

I expect my collection will continue to change over the years. I will eliminate many that no longer appeal to me or that I do not enjoy when I see them for the first time. I will add movies that are not in the collection at this time, and I will replace some of those I have recorded with purchased releases. But, for the most part, the collection at this time is quite representative of all the movies I really enjoy watching.

{January 26, 2007}

Estes Park - September 2006

2006-09-17T12:46:00.000-06:00

Sue and I, with her sister and brother-in-law from Oklahoma, enjoyed a nice retreat in Estes Park CO last week. We spent three nights in a neat cabin at our favorite place, Castle Mountain Lodge. We’ve been doing this at least once a year for many years, sometimes all four of us, and other times just the two of us. Fall River flows close by our cabin, low at this time of year, but still refreshing and beautiful. Willows grow along the bank, and we can walk along the river for a considerable distance, seeing only ducks in the stream and the tracks and sign of other wildlife, such as deer and elk, along the edge. We have even observed a black bear foraging around our cabin, on previous trips here.

One of our favorite things to do during these visits is to watch and listen to the elk in Rocky Mountain National Park, only a couple of miles from our cabin. The only distraction to us is the amount of traffic caused by so many other people also there for the same reasons. Cameras and binoculars abound, and the vehicle license plates announce folks from many other states, but especially Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, although some are from as far away as both east and west coasts, with an occasional one from Canada.

Sometimes, we use our binoculars to observe the elk herds, and sometimes they are within a few feet of our car. It can be a little dangerous to get too close to elk at this time of year. It is the rutting season, and we see bulls mating with cows often, when they are not too busy keeping their harems together and chasing off other bulls. When two bulls clash antlers, to determine who will control the herd, the sound can be heard from quite a distance.

The elk bugle sound is somewhat surprising, the first time you hear it. In the dark, it is a very eerie sound, especially when it echoes in the valleys, and you can’t be certain what direction it originally came from. When you can watch the bulls bugling, you expect to hear a deep, roaring sound from those massive beasts, but what you hear is a loud, high-pitched squeaking noise. Still, it is impressive.

We also search for sightings of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, but we have seldom seen them. On this trip, we did get to enjoy and photograph a dozen bighorn sheep grazing by the side of the highway through Big Thompson Canyon. That somewhat rare scene is a traffic-stopper, as all the tourists grab their cameras, and even some of the locals enjoy the sight.

Sue and I enjoy driving the old Fall River Road to the top of Milner Pass, in the park. This is a narrow, one-way dirt road that the National Park Service does not attempt to keep open in the winter. The paved two-way highway over the pass is kept open as long as possible, but is eventually closed by snow each winter. Along the Fall River Road drive, we stop at Chasm Falls, a most photogenic location, with just enough roadside parking to accommodate the folks who want to see it.

The road winds through some fabulous scenery, beautiful forests, occasional snow banks (from last winter), and finally meanders above timberline before reaching the top of the pass. At the visitor center and gift shop at the top, we always use our binoculars to observe one or more elk herds in the valley far below us. This trip, we also enjoyed watching a Golden Eagle soar below us, hunting squirrels and rodents in the valley and along the mountainside. It is always a rewarding viewpoint.

The aspen trees were changing colors while we were there, and we are always delighted by the brilliant yellow, gold, orange, light green, and even red leaves of the aspen. They stand out like flames or spotlights in the dark green of the pine and spruce forest. We never tire of observing and photographing these beautiful scenes. I took only a few digital photos this time, but Sue took up four rolls of 35mm film. She normally uses her good point-and-click camera, but has recently taken an interest in my old Minolta SLR, so she made good use of the zoom telephoto and wide-angle lenses on this trip. We are looking forward to seeing the results in a couple of days. Here are some digital photos I took:

Several years ago, while just enjoying a scenic drive in the national forest north and east of Estes Park, we found a great picnic area called Fish Creek. It is in an excellent setting and is well-maintained by the Forest Service. We have had at least three picnics there, and I especially enjoy the drive through the forest on the Forest Service dirt road to get there from Masonville CO. In fact, the drive is mostly a circle, since we arrive at the picnic area from the south and leave to the north, then drive east along the Cache la Poudre River and return south to Masonville, and from there back to Estes Park. Here we are at Fish Creek:

I really enjoy relaxing in the Adirondack chairs in front of our cabin, feeding peanuts to the squirrels, Stellar Jays, and sometimes a crow or a magpie. On previous trips, we’ve watched Clark’s Nutcrackers, but saw none of them this time. I feed the animals, read a book, and just relax in the great setting, sometimes even napping inside for a short while. These trips are definitely “retreats” for us.

Sue and I also enjoy doing some shopping in Estes Park, along with the many other tourists. We sometimes find great end-of-season sales on shirts, jackets, coats, gloves, and other clothing, and we always make a point of selecting some excellent fudge and other sweets from Laura’s Fine Candies store – “Spoiling Dinner Since 1970” is their slogan. Occasionally, I enjoy some saltwater taffy made at another store down the street. We usually have some Christmas gift ideas with us, and often find several gifts to put back for the holiday.

Sometimes, as was the case this time, I get some inspiration from the trip. On this trip, I had the urge to write down some passing thoughts one evening, and I’ve already posted them on my Word Sketches blog.

Obviously, it was another great trip for us, and we look forward to being there again next spring, and probably next fall, too.

Nineteenth Century History

2006-09-06T19:00:00.000-06:00

I’m a bit of a history buff – not a real historian, no original research, no intense study, no surprising insights – I just like reading about history. I also enjoy military history as a specific category, but this article is about general history.

I have two favorite historical periods – the entire 19th century and the decade of the 1950’s. My interest in the 1950’s is easy to understand, since I was in my formative years (ages 6-16) during that decade. My enjoyment of the 19th century is a little more complex.

I find the 1800’s fascinating for many reasons. It was a century full of exploration, settlement, technological development, inventions, scientific discoveries, amazing leaps in transportation and communications, the initiation of our modern major team sports, progress in medicine and health issues, improvements in basic human rights, the creation of some excellent literature and music, the beginning of the availability of leisure activities and luxuries for people below the upper crust of society, and the establishment of product brands and businesses that were popular throughout the 20th century (and many still are today). It was 100 years of fantastic civilization and cultural growth.

Many years ago, I acquired the Microsoft Bookshelf CD with a PC purchase. This CD contains an amazing compendium of historical facts, from the earliest known history through 1996. As a history buff, I found this CD to be a most entertaining and informative source of historical data. I was so taken by it that I spent a great many hours cutting, pasting, and re-formatting much of it into a document I call my Timeline. In fact, I have read every entry on that CD, from beginning to end. I selected items I thought were the most interesting and characteristic of each year from 800 through 1996. I divided the material into convenient-sized documents. I started with the year 800 because my wife has some family genealogy information going back to that century (mine goes only to the 1500’s at this time). I interspersed the historical data with important family dates (births, marriages, deaths, relocations, etc.) for my family and for my wife’s family (two separate versions). This combination of information adds some flavor to our family history by placing family events into perspective. It is interesting to read about the status of civilization and the world in relation to when a far-back ancestor was born and lived. I also have a “clean copy” of the timeline, with no family dates in it.

I recently began reorganizing the clean timeline data into twenty-four categories of subject matter (e.g., Agriculture, Mining, Science, Education, World Affairs, Armed Conflicts). I then “copied-and-pasted” the historical facts from each year of the timeline into the appropriate categories. My final combined Nineteenth Century document was over 130 pages of 10 pt. font, single spaced, with narrow margins. I separated this data into twenty-four separate documents, one for each category, and within each category, the historical data appears in date order. This will allow me to study the development of one subject area at a time (such as medicine and health) throughout the century. I just finished the creation of the documents today, and I’m looking forward to beginning my own private study of the 19th century.

I plan to take the same approach and create a document showing what happened in the world during the 1950’s. This will have special meaning to me, since I can recall much of that decade from personal memory.

I may decide to add our family dates back into these documents someday, to make our family history even more interesting. In the case of the 1950’s document, I can integrate my own personal written history, year by year.

For my mother’s and my wife’s mother’s 95th birthdays, we used some of the most interesting facts from the timeline to add to documents we created for their celebrations. We may find other practical uses for this information in the future.

This entire process has taken about eight years of sporadic effort, generally in short intense bursts of work, separated by long stretches of down time. I expect to get many years of enjoyment from the results.

Top Movies in Our Collection

2006-08-22T17:24:00.000-06:00

I’ve been recording movies from TV to VHS tapes for several decades. At the peak of our collection, we had about 800 movies total, including those we had purchased on VHS tapes and DVDs. In the past year, we’ve reduced that number to about 375 (I say “about” because a few of them are on both tapes and discs, purchased at different times). Except for some movies on tapes that were purchased before 2005, all of these movies are now on DVDs. I spent many months copying our recorded-from-TV movies from tapes to discs.

I use a neat software package called Movie Library (which I purchased several years ago) to catalog our movies. The software company continues to upgrade the package, at no additional expense to owners – an excellent service. One of the best features of the package is its capability to search online movie databases, such as the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), and download all the movie details to my database at the click of the mouse. I have spent many hours with this package, updating our collection database.

I just completed the task of adding a personal rating (scale of 1-10, or a zero for no rating) for all our movies. There are a number that I have not yet watched and a good list of those I’ve not seen in quite some time, and most of these have no rating (0) at this time. Of those I remember reasonably well, I rated them in the database, with none rated below 4. If I don’t like a movie that much, I won’t have it in the collection. I do have two movies rated at 4 and probably will dispose of them soon. But this blog article is about the top-rated movies we have.

I have rated forty-five of our movies at level 10, more than 10% of the collection. These are movies I watch repeatedly. I watch almost all of them at least once a year and many of them multiple times each year, so I believe these would be classified as my favorite movies at this time. Granted, there may be a few “10’s” that we do not own at this time, but this list is a good indicator of the movies I most enjoy. Alphabetically, here are the movies we currently own that I’ve rated a 10.

The Bridges of Madison County – 1995
Bull Durham – 1988
Charade – 1963
The Cheap Detective – 1978
Christmas Vacation – 1989
Close Encounters of the Third Kind – 1977
A Fish Called Wanda – 1988
Fun With Dick and Jane – 1977 (not the recent remake)
The Goodbye Girl – 1977
Hatari! – 1962
Hopscotch – 1980
How the West Was Won – 1962
The Hunt for Red October – 1990
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – 1989
It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World – 1963 (my all-time favorite movie)
Kelly’s Heroes – 1970
The Living Daylights – 1987
The Lord of the Rings (all three) – 2001, 2002, 2003
Maverick – 1994
Murder by Death – 1976
Murphy’s Romance – 1985
The Music Man – 1962
North by Northwest – 1959
Operation Petticoat – 1959
Patton – 1970
The Pink Panther – 1963
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – 2003
The Quiet Man – 1952
Raiders of the Lost Ark – 1981
Romancing the Stone – 1984
South Pacific – 1958
The Spy Who Loved Me – 1977
Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope – 1977
A Steven Wright Special – 1985 (a TV comedy special, not a movie)
The Sting – 1973
The Thomas Crown Affair – 1999 (the second version of this movie)
Tootsie – 1982
Two Mules for Sister Sara – 1970
Under the Rainbow – 1981
Vacation – 1983
Victor/Victoria – 1982
Where Eagles Dare – 1968
White Christmas – 1954

I have rated some great movies at 9 and many excellent ones at 8, but this is the list of movies that I constantly turn to for an entertaining afternoon or evening. I was surprised to see how many of these were fairly recent movies, because I generally believe I prefer movies made in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s, but it appears that I have many top favorites that have been released since 1969. Collecting and watching movies is a major hobby of mine, and I am thoroughly enjoying it these days.

Home Repairs and Decorating

2006-08-12T20:53:00.000-06:00

This has been an extremely busy summer for Sue and me. In fact, it’s been a busy year. This has been the year of major home repairs and decorating. Our house was built about 40 years ago. One person owned it for a few months, before selling to the second owner. That owner lived in it about 10 years, before we purchased it. So, we have done most of the maintenance work on it over the past 30 years. When we began planning our retirements, in the late 1990’s, we decided that we did not want to move from our home, and therefore made plans for fixing it up to live the rest of our lives here. Since making those plans, we have replaced the windows and patio and storm doors, added painted steel siding to cover all exposed wood (our home is primarily brick), replaced the wooden garage door with an insulated and painted steel door, and had the three bathrooms and the kitchen remodeled (which required some major electrical work to come up to current city building codes).

In February of this year, we had an electrician check all our electrical outlets, switches, and light fixtures. Unfortunately, our house was constructed in the mid-60’s, when there was a shortage of copper, and houses were sometimes wired with aluminum wiring to save money. Of course, the aluminum wiring is connected to copper or brass connections on switches, outlets, and lights. Because aluminum and copper or brass do not expand and contract at the same rate, with temperature changes, the connections gradually loosen. This can cause tiny gaps to occur, which leads to heating, oxidation, and sparking, and this can lead to house fires, all behind walls or electrical plates, unseen. The solution is to “pig-tail” a short copper wire between the aluminum wire and the connection point, using mineral oil-filled wire nuts (very expensive) on the aluminum/copper wire joints. These nuts prevent the oxidation and sparking, if I understand it correctly. All of our switches, outlets, and light fixtures should now be as safe as we can make them, short of totally re-wiring the house.

After the electrical work was completed (which didn’t take long, but was expensive), we began planning some major work around here. Our concrete garage floor and driveway have been in poor condition since we bought the house. Worse than that, however, is the fact that our family room, at the head of the garage, is built on a concrete slab, not on the house foundation, and the slab has been tilting in one corner (at the door from the family room to the garage) since before we bought the house. We had hoped that the movement would end on its own, but it did not. At one point, many years ago, we had to have the concrete covered with a repair mixture to level it, finding a slope of three or four inches from one corner to another in that room. Because of the movement, our door has never fit properly and moves with changing seasonal conditions (hot and dry, cool and wet), so that we have had to continually adjust the door, frame, and strike plates. Also, because of the type of soil under our neighborhood (Bentonite clay), our driveway and garage floor have buckled quite a bit over the years, and we’ve had to shim the garage door to try to make it close tightly, several times. In the past couple of years, we have begun to see some ceiling cracks in several rooms, which we attributed to the shifting slab. We really wanted to solve all these problems, so we began contacting contractors who might be able to help.

The engineering company we contracted with proposed to install four helical piers below the sinking edge of the family room slab, with brackets fastened to the slab. The piers are drilled down until the torque indicates that they are in a very solid base, with a reasonable expectation that they will never sink further. In our case, the depth was only fifteen feet. One of our neighbors had to go down about thirty-five feet, and the engineering company assumes an average in this area of twenty-five feet.

We contracted with a concrete company to tear out the garage floor and the driveway. That was accomplished in one day. The next day, the engineering company installed the piers, and the garage floor and driveway were replaced during the following two days by the concrete company. Fortunately, the contractors worked well together, and all the work was done on schedule. Of course, we had to remove almost everything from our garage for a week, as well as park our cars outside our property for almost two weeks (to allow the concrete to cure). We were lucky to have good neighbors across the street who have an over-sized driveway and who offered (insisted, actually) that we park our cars on their driveway during that time. In fact, we were the third house in a row to do that, while driveways were being replace over the past couple of years. We were very pleased with the quality of work by both the engineering and concrete companies.

When the engineering company looked at our ceiling cracks, they told us that they did not believe those cracks were connected with the shifting concrete slab, which left us with an unsolved problem. We scheduled a drywall finisher to repair all the cracks – the ones in the family room which were caused by the slab problem, as well as the others. The crack in the living room was becoming so prominent that the drywaller hesitated to repair it, until the cause could be determined and fixed. Otherwise, it most likely would recur and cause continuing problems. He brought in a general house repair fellow who studied the situation for a short while. He discovered that the living room crack, as well as the one in the dining room and the master bedroom were caused by shifting ceiling joists. The joists are made of 2x4’s, butted together in the middle of the house, exactly where the cracks were appearing. The joints of the joists had slipped over time and were causing the cracks. He repaired the joists, and the drywaller repaired the cracks and textured walls and ceilings.

Next, we had a paint crew come in and paint all the main floor rooms (except the kitchen, which still looks nice from the remodel work). After the painting was done, we purchased new carpet (all but kitchen and two bathrooms), and that got laid this week. Next week, we have a drapery person coming to measure and order custom drapes for the living room and dining room. We also have the house repair fellow coming back next week to replace a threshold, in the doorway from the family room to the garage, which has been a bit of a problem for a long time.

Our house has been in a mess of one kind or another for the past two months. Sue and I moved almost all the furniture, contents of closets, dressers, and chests, and everything hanging on the walls to the basement, which has been unbelievably crowded for those two months. We also had to clean out the attic, including taking up the nailed-down plywood flooring we had installed for storage space, so the ceiling joists could be repaired. While that was out, we installed additional insulation there, and then replaced the flooring and all the attic contents (except what we disposed of). That was a major job! It was also done during some of our hottest weather this summer, unfortunately. Now, we are in the process of moving everything back from the basement and re-constructing all the main floor rooms. Fortunately, we can do this work in a much more leisurely fashion than the way we moved it out to prepare for the workers. I’m really getting too old to do this manual labor!

The good news is that we are very pleased with all the contractors and the quality of their work. Our door from the family room to the garage actually works as it should, for the first time since we bought the house, and the garage door closes tightly, finally. We plan to live in this house for the next 30 years or so, and we hope to never again do so much work on it in such a short time span. It will be nice to be able to relax and enjoy it, after all the work we have done.

High School Class Reunion - Results

2006-07-06T11:07:00.000-06:00

We attended our 45th high school class reunion in late May. A classmate who lives in our hometown always makes the arrangements for our reunions, every five years. He does an excellent job, and we really appreciate it and support him.

Prior to the reunion, Sue and I created a number of things we thought would add to the event. In fact, we did a lot of work and spent quite a bit of money on it. The first thing we did was to create an up-to-date directory of our classmates, which took a couple of months of work. We had the final directory printed at Kinko’s, and it looked nice. There were two people for whom we could not obtain an address, and one person who didn’t want her address included, for personal reasons. We scanned each person’s photo from the school yearbook and printed it with the address and telephone number information.

Sue created two very nice scrapbooks, one of things relating to our senior year, and one of general 1950’s and early 1960’s nostalgia. She also made a really neat shadowbox containing our class rings and several other school items we had saved. I made labels for small Kit-Kat candy bars, with images relating to our school and class, and wrapped 120 of them for the reunion. I also created seven CD’s of musical memories from the 50’s and 60’s, including some movie and TV show theme songs. I also made peel-and-stick “name tags” with each person’s senior photo on them (no names needed). Sue displayed her school letter jacket (basketball) on a hanger at the reunion, along with the other items, and I played the music on the sound system. We think those things added to the fun.

The person who arranges the reunion is an excellent photographer and had recently purchased a very nice digital SLR camera, which he uses for wedding photos and other purposes. Sue is also an excellent photographer, but prefers a simple point-and-shoot camera. They both took a number of photos, including individual ones of each classmate who attended. After the reunion, the classmate photographer suggested it would be nice to have the photos put on a disc, with a musical background, for a slide show, but he didn’t have the experience or software to do it. I volunteered to give it a try. He copied all his digital photos of the event to a CD and sent it home with us.

There were 47 class members when we graduated, and 5 have died (the latest death occurred within a couple of weeks following the reunion). Twenty-two members attended the reunion, which was a good turnout. The class directory got several people communicating in advance, especially through email, and sparked some interest in attending the event. The dinner was held at a most impressive location, at a very reasonable cost. The food was excellent, and it appeared that everyone had a great time.

One class member operates two disc jockey schools in Oklahoma and Texas, and he volunteered to copy the 7-disc music set for anyone who wants it. Another classmate volunteered to copy the slide show I had volunteered to create. When we returned home, we immediately had some major work done on our house, but I finally got busy on the slide show. Having never done one, I had a lot to learn. I decided that a five-minute show of photos, with music background and titles, was a little short. So, we added scans of pages from the scrapbooks, and I added some old TV commercials I had purchased on a CD many years ago. The final program was 995MB in size, running 31 minutes, with titles and music, on a DVD. I eventually completed it and have just mailed it to the fellow who will make copies for others. I hope it works for everyone; it should run on any DVD player. I am now sending a letter or email to everyone who attended, telling them of the availability of the DVD and the music CD’s. That wraps up our responsibilities for the reunion.

We had a great time and are looking forward to our 50th.

Moderately Eclectic

2006-05-13T00:22:00.000-06:00

I like the word “eclectic.” It is a term that speaks to my life and lifestyle. My interests have always been quite varied, although they have somewhat contracted as I’ve grown older.

I cannot claim to be among the most eclectic of people, but I’m definitely not parochial. I consider myself to be moderately eclectic. That probably describes a large percentage of the world’s population. I find the description applies equally well to my life as a whole, and to specific areas of my interests, that is, on both the macro and micro levels.

One of my hobbies is collecting and enjoying movies. I am not a movie connoisseur. I do not analyze movies; I do not critique them. I simply enjoy watching them. Many movie genres interest me, but not all types. I do not watch movies for “deep meanings,” or for dramatic ingenuity, or for many other reasons. I watch movies for entertainment. If I’m not entertained by a movie, I don’t watch it again; if I had a good experience while watching it, I may watch it many more times. I have no interest in foreign films; they require too much work on my part to “appreciate” them. I don’t care about cinematic “appreciation.” I care about light entertainment in a movie. A wide variety of movie types do entertain me – comedies, adventures, action, musicals, dramas, war movies, romances, westerns, mysteries, spoofs, and some fantasies, science fiction, and thriller movies. Horror movies don’t appeal to me. The movies I enjoy generally have good writing, good dialog, reasonably good acting, good photography, good editing, and good music. As far as the story goes, I’m not interested in depressing storylines or absolute realism, nor do I particularly care for tear-jerkers. I like shallow, light, and easy-to-understand stories. I am occasionally interested in documentaries. Movies with internal inconsistencies, lots of digressions, heavy symbolism, confusing images, or difficult-to-understand dialog turn me off quickly. Very few movies which have won the Best Picture Academy Award in the past few decades interest me, although a number of such movies produced during the years 1940-1970 are entertaining to me. Most of my favorite movies were made in the 1930’s, 1940’s, 1950’s, and 1960’s, plus a small number of those released since then. I have many favorite movie actors, but I do not automatically like every movie any single actor has made. My interest in movies is moderately eclectic.

Another hobby of mine is reading books. I enjoy science fiction, some fantasy, mysteries, history, military history, some biographies, and a few other types of non-fiction books. I do not read them for their literary value or shock value; I read them for entertainment. Although many of my favorite books, stories, and poems are praised for their literary value, that fact is not the reason I like them. I have some favorite fiction and non-fiction writers. I have read books by very few authors who have not disappointed me with one book or another, even though I was engrossed by others they wrote. I have a degree in English, but I no longer enjoy critiquing books. I read them for their entertainment value. My interest in books is moderately eclectic.

One of my hobbies is cooking (and eating). I like to prepare and eat American, Mexican, Italian, and Chinese foods. I am not a gourmet; I do not claim an “educated palate;” and I do not attempt to prepare strictly-authentic ethnic foods. I do not care much for French food, but do like a few dishes derived from the German culture. I do not drink alcohol in any form, primarily because I never developed a taste for it. I like to smell coffee brewing, but cannot swallow it without gagging. I like both hot and iced tea. I like virtually every soda flavor and brand I’ve ever tasted. I like a very wide variety of meats, vegetables, and fruits, and I enjoy the use of many different spices and condiments. I like desserts, but can eat meals for weeks without including a dessert. I do not eat a lot of bread, but love almost all types of pasta. I snack a lot at night on pretzel sticks, pistachios, sunflower seeds, a variety of crackers, cheese, beef jerky, celery, chips, salsa, and some candy. Fortunately, I have a metabolism, digestive system, and lifestyle that allow me to eat everything I like and as much of it as I wish, although I do take medical prescriptions for cholesterol and acid reflux control. My weight is stable and in good ratio to my height. My only medically-suggested food restriction is drinking skim (nonfat) milk to help control my cholesterol. I like casseroles, soups, salads, stir-fried, steamed, grilled, baked, roasted, broiled, boiled, fried, sautéed, frozen, refrigerated, and micro-waved foods, as well as many fruits and vegetables eaten raw. I have never developed a taste for sushi. My wife and I generally eat a decent breakfast and lunch, but rarely have an evening meal. My food interests are moderately eclectic.

I enjoy playing card games and boardgames with my family. I am partial to Euro-games, and am bored by typical American roll-and-move or trivia games. I like card games with bidding, trick-taking, and some set collection. I do not gamble, and have no interest in watching or playing Texas Hold ‘Em or other poker games. I played wargames and video games when I was younger, but prefer family games these days. I never developed an interest in role-playing games or miniatures. Some boardgame themes interest me, while others turn me off. There are about 100 games in my collection at this time, but only about 15-20 different ones are played by us each year. My interest in games is moderately eclectic.

I like a wide variety of music. I enjoy listening to all the types of music in our CD collection, including: easy listening, new age, classical, jazz, movie themes, rock-and-roll, folk, TV show themes, popular music from the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, big bands, famous marches, country, western/cowboy, and Broadway show music. I enjoy percussion specialty music, guitar, piano, and CDs of wildlife sounds mixed with quiet background music. I like to listen to my one CD of didgeridoo music and one of Moroccan music. I’m surprised to realize I don’t own any CDs of bluegrass, because I do enjoy some of it. I have never cared for opera, rap, hard rock, or many current popular styles. My music interests are moderately eclectic.

In my lifetime, I have been mildly-to-intensely interested in (and delved into) the following subjects and areas of life: sciences of all types (I also have a degree in geology), literature, sports, camping, cooking, gaming, movies, music, religion, history, language, stage acting, magic illusions, travel, writing, public speaking, photography, fishing, computing, computer programming, developing and teaching adult classes, mineral collecting, management, gardening, puzzles, genealogy, cryptography, and others I can’t recall at this time. I am not an expert (or anywhere near that level) in any of these areas, but I know at least a little bit about all of them (in some cases, just enough to be dangerous). My involvement in some of them has been only cursory or limited, while I have been heavily involved with others. I have visited many U.S. states, but not all of them (I’ve been to every state west of the Mississippi River, except North Dakota, and to quite a few east of the Big Muddy; I’ve been to Alaska and Hawaii). I am not a world traveler; my only trips outside the United States have been two very short excursions to Canada and Mexico. Before the age of three, I almost died of asthma; I came close to drowning once as a teenager; and I survived unscathed an auto roll-over accident as an adult in the days before seat belts or shoulder straps. I have never used tobacco or recreational drugs in any form. My life interests and experiences have been moderately eclectic.

There have been times when I wished I had developed a keen enough interest in two or three areas of life on which to concentrate my efforts and intellect, with the result of being considered “an expert” in them. My interests have always been too varied to allow that. There are individuals who have become experts or near-experts in a variety of fields, but I’m not capable of that. Instead, I have enjoyed life very much, pursuing whatever subject struck my fancy at any particular time, spending more time, money, and energy on some than others. There are many subjects and activities that I would have liked to pursue, but did not have the time, resources, or ability to do so. It has been an enriching lifestyle, and I believe I am happy in my life now because of it. I have no real regrets from living a moderately eclectic life.

Grandpa Bragging Time

2006-04-20T10:27:00.000-06:00

It's time again to brag about Natalia, age 10. She has a beautiful singing voice and has performed in her school talent shows and at assisted living centers in this area, as well as participating in an amateur performance group for several months. Last summer, she sent an audition CD to the Colorado Eagles Hockey Team (Central Hockey League), offering to sing the National Anthem at one of their games. Three days ago, she got a call, inviting her to sing at the second game of the second playoff round, at the Budweiser Events Center, north of Loveland, Colorado. That game was last night, and all the family attended the event.

She was amazing! Just before the game, she and the color guard walked out into the rink, before a sell-out crowd of over 5000. The arena lights were turned out, spotlights were on her and the flag, and she sang The Star-Spangled Banner a capella (no music accompaniment). The cheers for her high note near the end of the song were as loud as any I've heard at sports events, and she received many compliments throughout the evening.

We're just a little bit proud of her!

Recent Science Fiction

2006-04-13T14:26:00.000-06:00

I’ve been reading science fiction for over 45 years, and it’s still one of my favorite genres. Obviously, I’ve seen a lot of development of SF writing in that time, with some changes in direction being better than others, in my opinion.

In the past two weeks, I’ve read three science fiction books by authors I had not read in the past. It was an interesting experience, with a wide range of reactions.

The first book I read was Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo, published in 2001. [I find the publication date of a science fiction book to be important information. If I know the book was written in the mid-1900’s, I take that fact into account as I read the science, political, and sociological passages in the book. If the book was published within the past couple of years, I anticipate a different view of the world and its impact on the future described in the book.] I enjoyed the beginning of Ship of Fools, although I had difficulty identifying with or caring about any of the characters. I didn’t get to know enough about any of them or understand their motivations to any depth. They were sort of like cardboard cut-outs on stands; I never saw them as really alive. Throughout the book, I kept waiting for things to happen, to connect, to develop. There were several creative surprises, but they didn’t seem to lead anywhere – they just dead-ended. I was really having to force myself to continue reading past the middle of the book. I kept expecting the author to tie things together, to create some interesting conclusion. But, he never did. The book just stopped on the last page, with no ending. Very disappointing. It seems to have been just a set-up for future installments, although the ending was neither a partial conclusion nor a cliff-hanger that would entice me to read the sequel. I see absolutely no reason to read another book by this author. I’ll donate the book to the public library, although I almost feel guilty foisting it off on someone else.

The second book I read was Slow River by Nicola Griffith, published in 1995. For some reason, I had not run into her writings until now, and the book is already 11 years old. {At my age, anything printed in the last half of the 20th century seems new.} This book was great. The writing was excellent; the characters were real; the events and action made sense; and even though a sequel could easily be added (perhaps it was), there was a very satisfying conclusion. Some passages might not appeal to some people (read: rated R for sexual imagery), but they were very reasonably integrated with, and integral to, the story. This story reminded me of Burning Chrome by William Gibson and Montezuma Strip by Alan Dean Foster. These stories take place in the dark side of life in the future – similar to the setting of the movie Matrix, but not quite over the edge (as Matrix is, in my opinion). Some of these types of stories get a little too far out for me, but these three books I found intriguing and thought-provoking. It takes a good author to write a story of this type that will keep my interest. I will definitely look for other books by Nicola Griffith.

Finally, I just finished reading Old Man’s War by John Scalzi, published in 2005. Wow, that’s my kind of book. I’m a sucker for old-fashioned space opera stories, and this essentially fits that category. It’s not as action-packed with detailed spaceship battles and political intrigue as some of my other favorite authors’ books are, but it has an excellent balance of action, description, dialog, and creative ideas. I laughed out loud several times in the opening chapter. The protagonist is a 75-year-old man who is just entering the military service in space. Well, that premise certainly got my attention, given my age. What caused me to laugh were some great lines that I thought must have been written by someone my age or older, regarding what it’s like to be this age. I didn’t learn until after I read the book that the author is certainly nowhere near my age; how can a fellow as young as he is understand so well what it’s like to be my age? The book was terrific – very believable characters, some very intriguing creative ideas, some excellent social commentary (and not overdone), good description of action scenes, and believable events (within the context of the story). He set up the expectation for a sequel (which I also have bought), but had a very satisfying conclusion. I’m very happy I purchased both this book and the sequel at the same time; I’m looking forward to continuing the story, and if the second book is as good as the first, I’ll be watching for other books by Scalzi.

These are the three science fiction books I’ve read most recently. Perhaps I’ll soon feel inspired to write some comments about some other contemporary SF writers that I am enjoying. For a while, after the 1970’s or maybe 1980’s I was not impressed by the SF being published, for the most part, with some notable exceptions. Also, I was a bit turned off by the fact that many (or most) great SF writers of that time began spending their creative energy on fantasy stories, because that genre had become very popular. I enjoy some fantasy from time to time, but I prefer really good science fiction, like the last two books I described, above. Fortunately, there seems to be a good number of excellent science fiction writers plying their trade these days – especially writing the kind of stories I enjoy reading.

April Fool's Memories

2006-04-02T17:51:00.000-06:00

We visited the Cavaliere family yesterday. Katrina and Dan had volunteered to fix lunch for all of us, since Natalia had been invited to attend a friend’s birthday party in the afternoon. I had seen a couple of April Fool’s website pages in the morning, and I was thinking as we drove to the Cavaliere home that Natalia and Joel would probably be trying to pull April Fool’s jokes on us while we were there. As Sue and I walked into their house, we saw that Natalia had one arm in a sling, and Joel had an Ace bandage on one of his wrists. Natalia explained how they had been riding their bikes in their cul-de-sac, had run into each other, and had gone to the doctor, as a result. She had a dislocated elbow and a bad cut, and Joel had a sprained wrist. As Sue and I were sympathizing with them, they suddenly shouted, “April Fools”! They had completely sucked us in. It was hilarious. They planned to pull the same stunt on their Uncle Mason, when he arrived. Mason is not a gullible person, especially around Natalia and Joel. Mason soon arrived and Natalia went through the routine, barely able to keep from grinning or laughing, and the rest of us worked hard to contain ourselves. I couldn’t believe Mason bought it hook, line, and sinker. He nearly fell over, when the kids yelled, “April Fools”! They had done such a good job of fooling us that they didn’t even try anything else all day.

Katrina and Dan also had planned a funny April Fool’s lunch. When we sat down to eat, they had a “birthday cake” on the table, with candles lit. However, the “cake” was actually a meatloaf with mashed potato “icing.” It was very funny, and it was delicious. At the end of the meal, Natalia asked whether we could have some of the special dessert they had fixed. She said their cat Cheddar had gotten involved with the preparation of the dessert, but wouldn’t explain what she meant by that. Katrina brought out a large foil baking pan and removed the cover. Inside was what appeared to be a cat’s litter box with appropriate cat messes. The “litter” was Grape-Nuts cereal, and the “messes” were chocolate cookies shaped appropriately. The color, shape, size, and overall appearance of the cookies, especially with “litter” clinging to them was unbelievable! It looked exactly like a cat’s litter box that needed cleaning. We practically had to force ourselves to pick up a cookie and bite into it (I don’t believe Mason ever quite managed it). Of course, they were excellent, but the idea was difficult to overcome. It was indeed a hilarious and good April Fool’s lunch.

Last Thursday, Natalia and Joel had an early-release day at school, while Katrina and Dan had their regular school schedule. So, we picked up the kids and spent a couple of hours with them. The four of us were talking about April Fool’s Day, and Sue and I described for them what we used to experience on that day when we were in high school. Our school system in those days did not have the Spring Break that our local school systems do today. But, the school administration knew that April Fool’s Day would be chaotic at school, so they essentially set aside the day, each year, as a fun day. We reported to our first class, took roll, and then adjourned to the auditorium. The time until noon was spent watching and heckling any kids who wanted to get on stage and “perform.” There were actually a few serious performances of one kind or another, but the “acts” were mostly improvised on-the-spot and were either hilarious or really stupid. I believe some of the teachers may have even joined in with something now and then. After lunch, we again took roll, and returned to the auditorium. I think we may have been released early on that day. It was the only day that we were allowed to bring water guns to school, and to use them, without having them confiscated. One year, I had purchased some practical joke items from a mail order catalog and amused myself and some other fellows by putting “itching powder” down the shirt of a friend and blowing “sneezing powder” into the air, both while we were in the auditorium. I also freely shared my “hot pepper” chewing gum, which I had wrapped with genuine Wrigley’s chewing gum labels. During the lunch hour, we (as upper classmen) typically “drug main” by the carloads. On April Fool’s Day, the parade of cars included loads of water balloons, which we tried to toss into each other’s vehicles. All-in-all, it was a crazy, fun day, and I believe the school administration was very smart to conduct it in that manner.

2006-03-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park

2006-03-27T16:11:00.001-07:00

Rocky Mountain National Park

2006-03-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

View from Cabin

2006-03-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

Fall River Under Snow

Estes Park Getaway

2006-03-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

March 17 was the beginning of school spring break for Katrina and Dan (teachers) and Natalia and Joel (students). We reserved a nice cabin at Estes Park CO for the weekend for the six of us. Mason had plans to participate in a golf tournament, so did not join us. We also did this trip three years ago and four years ago; we did not do this the last two years. Both Natalia and Joel were very eager to get back to the neat cabin, Estes Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Sue and I took a crock-pot with us and fixed chili for Friday night supper, and the Cavaliere family joined us just as we got unpacked. The cabin (Castle Tower) at Castle Mountain Lodge is perfect for the six of us. It is a well-designed building with three floors, built something like a tower, within a few feet of a rock wall mountainside. The first floor has a small but nice kitchen, a dining area that accommodates six easily, a nice living space with gas fireplace, a large bath with shower, and two large closets. The main door enters from the parking area, up a small number of steps, and the other door opens to the deck which wraps around the corner of the cabin.

The second floor consists of a large bedroom with king-size bed, a bathroom accessible from the bedroom and from the second-floor landing, and a large tub with water jets located in a room between the bathroom and the bedroom. The bedroom has access to the second-floor deck, built above the main deck. Sue and I have the second floor bedroom.

The third floor is a large bedroom with king-size bed, and with two alcoves, one on each side of the room. Each of the alcoves holds a twin bed (with a trundle bed under it) and has a window above the bed. Natalia and Joel stake out one of the alcoves, each, and share the third floor with Katrina and Dan.

The place is beautiful, with nice views from the windows and the decks of Fall River, about 50 yards from the cabin, as well as forest and rock mountainside by the cabin, and mountain views across the river.

After unpacking, Sue and I drove to the local Safeway for some refrigerator groceries. The kitchen is very accommodating, including an icemaker in the refrigerator and a dishwasher, things not found in all the cabins there. We stocked up on snacks (healthy and otherwise), as well as breakfast items. Soon, we could smell the chili cooking, and the kids were running up and down the stairs, having a great time.

Before dinner, we played a couple games of For Sale. Natalia had not played it before and was interested in learning. She and Dan tied to win the first game, and Natalia won the second game. I think this game might become one of her favorites.

The chili was delicious, as always, and we all settled into conversation, reading, working Sudoku puzzles Sue had brought, and other activities. I had scanned a number of puzzles from some recent Games Magazines, for Natalia and Joel to enjoy, and they worked on them off-and-on all weekend. I had also scanned a two-player game from one of the magazines, and Dan and I played a couple of times, and then he taught Joel how to play it.

We were expecting snow Saturday afternoon and night, so we decided to do some shopping and tour some of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) before the weather changed. Katrina and Dan fixed us a great pancake and link sausage breakfast Saturday morning and off we went.

Natalia found some shoes (Crocs) to buy, Joel bought a neat souvenir (a silver eagle mounted on a nice piece of amethyst), I found a couple of long-sleeved tee-shirts, and we bagged some fudge at a local candy shop; then we ate lunch at a local café and headed for the Park (RMNP). Friday afternoon, Sue and I had gone to the park entrance, where I purchased a Golden Age Pass (since I now qualify for it). For ten dollars, I have a pass to virtually all National Parks and many other Federal recreation areas, for life. Sue bought one last year, after she became eligible. The females got together in the Cavaliere car (with Sue’s park pass), and the males joined me in our 4Runner for the Park tour. The Cavalieres had brought their short-range walkie-talkies, so we could communicate between the cars. We had already seen a few elk and deer in Estes Park. We had no trouble finding several nice elk herds in RMNP and took some photos of the animals and the scenery. After stopping at the gift shop on the way out of the Park, we came back to the cabin.

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. Dan, Joel, and I decided to play Lord of the Rings Risk, which took quite a while. I managed to eke out a win, with Joel coming in second. Everyone did some reading, puzzles, or whatever. The fireplace felt good after dinner, as we watched the beginning of the snow.

Sunday morning we got up to several inches of snow covering everything and more coming down. Sue and I fixed a French toast and bacon breakfast, which went over well. After finishing the dishes, Katrina and Dan put some pork chops in the crock-pot, and we all went outside to enjoy the snow. Sue built a snowman while I took some digital photos and joined Joel in a snowball fight against Natalia and Dan. Katrina soon joined us, taking some photos and then tossing snowballs. When we had burnt off a bit of energy, we all took a long walk through the cabin area and along Fall River, observing deer, elk, goose, and duck tracks, and enjoying the beautiful wet snow blanketing everything. Katrina and Dan’s pork chop lunch, with macaroni and cheese, and green beans, was delicious.

The afternoon was spent playing games – Through the Desert, Ticket to Ride, Bohnanza, Boomtown, and Fill or Bust. We all had a great time playing games all afternoon. Later, everyone again read books, worked Sudoku or other puzzles, and played games in twos or threes. Everyone then fixed whatever they wanted for a light supper (ramen, popcorn, quesadilla, etc.). The fireplace, again was great, while snow started up outside.

Monday morning showed the cars well-covered with snow. We packed the cars and left for home on snow-packed, but plowed, highways. It was a fantastic weekend, and Joel said it was even better than the last two times we went. Couldn’t have asked for a better time!

High School Class Reunion

2006-03-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

Sue and I are spending a lot of time preparing for our 45th high school class reunion. Gads, we’ve been out of high school for almost half a century?! Yep, ‘fraid so.

We graduated in the same class from a fairly small school. Our class had 47 members. Four of our classmates are deceased, and we have no address information for a few members. There are three marriages in which both spouses were in our class, including Sue and me; there was a fourth, but they divorced many years ago.

We have attended our 25th, 30th, 35th, and 40th reunions. Over a year ago, we began making plans to attend this year’s reunion. We also volunteered to assemble, print, and distribute an up-to-date class directory, with postal addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. This is quite a project. We sent out 38 letters, to the last-known addresses that another classmate has kept. He is very active for our class. He still lives in our hometown, arranges our reunions every five years, and sends flowers to funerals of classmates (from the class). He provided us with his address list, and we took it from there.

We have received 18 responses, which we believe is a good percentage for this type of project. I scanned each class member’s senior photo from our yearbook. We will print each person’s senior photo with his/her current address information. I designed a half-sheet layout in Word, with four photos and address blocks on each side of each half-sheet. We will prepare a half-sheet cover sheet. We also scanned the masthead from the last high school paper of our senior year, and added the last cartoon in that paper, which was drawn by a classmate. We will have the booklets printed and bound at Kinko’s, with a clear plastic cover, black vinyl back, and plastic-covered spiral binding, which allows the booklet to be opened up and laid flat, when using it. We will also send out updates and corrections for people to mark up their copies, when necessary.

Sue is really into scrapbooking, and she decided to create a scrapbook of our senior year, to share at the reunion. We have scanned many items, documents, and memorabilia, and Sue has purchased the book and other neat things to include. She has begun working on it, and I’m really eager to see the results.

We will create and print some peel-and-stick labels with each person’s senior photo, to use as name tags (without names, of course). We also will try to emulate a neat item we encountered at Sue’s old church’s 100-year celebration last fall. Someone had printed paper labels with photos and text related to the church’s history. They then wrapped them around foil-wrapped Kit Kat candy bars and made them available as eatable “souvenirs.” I have created the appropriate-sized labels, using six different scanned items related to our class. This will be a lot of work, but should be really neat at the reunion.

I am also considering creating one or two music CD’s, using many of our favorite pieces of music from our high school days, to play at the reunion.

Our entire project will cost quite a bit of money, especially the directory printing and distribution. Two classmates offered to help with the directory expenses, but we declined their offers, choosing instead to make this a gift to the class.

Who knows whether we will be around for the 50th reunion, or how many classmates at this one will not be around in 5 years? We decided to enjoy the 45th as much as possible. If we are still able to attend the 50th, we’ll probably try to top what we are doing this year. Another project to look forward to…

Movie Music

2006-03-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

I am a fan and collector of movies and a music-lover. It’s a natural combination, because a movie without music is difficult for me to imagine. Movie music includes not only songs that may be sung as part of the movie, but also background or theme music.

Without question, my favorite movie music composer was Henry Mancini (1924-1994). Mancini had a wonderful knack for creating music that matched the theme of the movie -- the tone, the emotions, the action, the “feeling” of a movie. Many of his more famous movie pieces became great favorites of mine. Hearing one of those pieces can still evoke a specific memory or a strong emotion within me.

Often, a certain movie music piece will remind me of the movie for which it was written (or in which it played a key role). Even more often, a specific Mancini piece will bring back emotions and memories not related to the movie. Perhaps the best example of this is “Moon River.” This composition was the theme of the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” I recall only a little about that movie, but the music – well that’s a different story.

“Moon River” was written in 1961, the year I graduated from high school. It was written specifically for the movie and more specifically for Audrey Hepburn, who starred in the movie and sang the song in it. She was struck by Mancini’s music, too, as witnessed by this letter she wrote to Mancini:

Dear Henry,

I have just seen our picture - BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S - this time with your score. A movie without music is a little bit like an aeroplane without fuel. However beautifully the job is done, we are still on the ground and in a world of reality. Your music has lifted us all up and sent us soaring. Everything we cannot say with words or show with action you have expressed for us. You have done this with so much imagination, fun and beauty. You are the hippest of cats - and the most sensitive of composers!

Thank you, dear Hank.

Lots of love, Audrey

[See this site for more info.]

Two years after the song and movie were introduced to the world, I was in college, and that summer, I took a class at a geology camp near Canon City, Colorado. When our field work was completed each day, we returned to a café/bar in town to relax. The café jukebox naturally had the popular music of the day available, and “Moon River” was one of the choices. In fact, we played it every day, usually several times each day, for the four weeks we were there. Even today, I cannot hear even the opening bars of that song without remembering that café, geology camp, and the emotions I felt at that time of my life. Since I was seriously missing my girlfriend Sue back in Oklahoma (whom I married six months later), I certainly had some strong emotions when listening to “Moon River.” When I hear that music, I feel an odd combination of emotions: calm, peace, anticipation, excitement, sadness, and happiness. Now, how do a few musical tones evoke such a wide variety of feelings inside my brain? It is a most interesting mystery.

On the Internet Movie Database website (IMDB), Mancini is listed with music credits of 493 instances, for movies, TV shows, and cartoons. His credits are dated 1953 through 2006. A large number of these are for the famous Pink Panther theme. Is there hardly anyone in the world who doesn’t recognize the Pink Panther Theme? Some of the credits really surprise me: Abbott and Costello movies; music in the “Glenn Miller Story” and the “Benny Goodman Story” movies; Ma and Pa Kettle movies; a Francis the Talking Mule movie; and several science fiction and thriller movies. Of course, I knew he wrote the theme for the Peter Gunn TV series, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Hatari!,” and “Days of Wine and Roses.” I did not realize he wrote the music for “Operation Petticoat,” “Charade,” “The Great Race,” the Colombo TV series, The Thornbirds TV miniseries, the Hotel TV series, “Santa Claus: The Movie,” “Blind Date,” “The Glass Menagerie,” “Victor/Victoria,” and “Switch.”

One of the above-listed movies – “Hatari!” – is a favorite of mine, a John Wayne movie set in Africa. It included Mancini’s famous Baby Elephant Walk. I watch that movie a couple of times a year, at least, and I know that Mancini’s music is one of the key reasons I continue to enjoy it.

Some other movie music composers who always attract my attention: John Williams (the Star Wars movies; Harry Potter movies; Indiana Jones movies; Jurassic Park movies; Jaws movies; Superman movies; “E. T.;” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind;” “The Cowboys;” “Midway;” and a wide variety of TV show themes from 1952 through 2004); Danny Elfman (movies and TV from 1980 through 2006, including: “Beetle Juice;” “Ghostbusters;” the Tales from the Crypt TV series; “Batman;” The Simpsons TV cartoon series; “Mission: Impossible” movies; “Men in Black” movies; “Spiderman” movie; “Chicago” movie; “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” movie; and Desperate Housewives TV series); and John Barry (“Dances With Wolves;” “Out of Africa;” “High Road to China;” “Somewhere in Time;” and many James Bond movies). These are just a few examples of their fantastic contributions.

Even in the days before “talkies,” movies were usually accompanied by music played live in the theater, to heighten the excitement, add a romantic mood, or highlight the slapstick comedy. I cannot imagine truly enjoying a movie without accompanying music. For me, some of the best movies ever made were the musicals and musical-comedies, primarily in the 1940’s, 1950’s, and 1960’s, because of the fabulous music frequently written specifically for those movies.

This, of course, is a topic about which much has been written and much more will be written, by better writers than me. I just wanted to document some of my thoughts about the subject.

A Grand Granddaughter

2006-02-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

I recently wrote a most complimentary article about our grandson Joel and his amazing feats in game-playing and math. Now, it’s time to talk about our granddaughter Natalia.

Natalia is in the 4th grade. She is a very intelligent, personable, caring, athletic, beautiful, and talented young lady. She is an excellent writer and illustrator and has the most beautiful singing voice. We are as proud of her as it is possible to be.

Last month, she entered the Spelling Bee at her elementary school. It is open to 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. Generally, it is assumed that the 4th graders, and to some extent the 5th graders, compete in the contest to gain experience, so they can seriously compete when they are in the 6th grade. The age difference, extent of vocabulary, and experience in spelling normally create a considerable gap between the 4th and 6th grade students. We encouraged Natalia and told her we were proud of her for taking on that challenge. We knew she would do her best, because she is a real competitor at whatever she attempts. We were not prepared for what happened.

At the conclusion of the Spelling Bee, at which all the school’s students were in attendance, the top two finishers were Natalia and a 6th grade girl. Natalia missed her final word (euphoria), but by finishing in second place, she will be competing at the next round, which will include the top two finishers from the other elementary schools that feed their common middle school. We were amazed, as was just about everyone else. We are looking forward to watching her compete at the next level. We do not know whether there will be any other 4th graders competing, because she is the very first 4th grader to ever be one of the two top finishers in her school.

Natalia writes fictional stories on the MAC at her home and on the PC’s at our house, using Microsoft Word. Her command of language, spelling, punctuation, and keyboarding (at least 32 words per minute) is quite impressive for her age. In addition to her mastery of these “mechanics,” she just has creativity oozing out of her brain. Her stories include a wide gamut of emotions, including a successful use of humor. The dialog she invents for her characters is appropriate and sounds very natural. Her stories are delightful. Her creativity also shows through the beautiful free-hand illustrations she sometimes adds to enhance the stories.

I mentioned she is athletic. She is a very good basketball player who has played a couple of seasons in a recreation league (YMCA). But, her forte at this time is gymnastics, again in a recreation center program. After one class as a beginner, she quickly moved up to the intermediate class, and as soon as that was completed, she was “promoted” to a pre-team class. This is for students who are not yet ready for a competitive team, but are more advanced (and more serious) than the regular recreational classes. To move up this quickly is surprising. At school, she wins or places second in almost every “field day” event, especially running competitions, including hurdles.

Her voice and poise as a performer are almost startling. From at least age four, she has displayed a natural vibrato that I’m sure many professional singers have worked hard to develop. At the last two school talent shows, she sang currently-popular songs and was a major hit in both shows. She has prepared and submitted an audition CD to try to be accepted to sing the national anthem at one or another of our local professional sports venues. She did that shortly after amazing the family last summer by singing The Star-Spangled Banner beautifully, a cappella, for us at a backyard picnic, on the spur of the moment. She, her brother Joel, and their mother (on piano), with sound work handled by their father, perform gratis a couple of times each year for a local assisted-living center and are much appreciated and encouraged to return. Natalia and Joel do the singing, mostly “oldies,” and we see many of the residents singing along with them. When Natalia is in front of an audience with a microphone in her hand, she demonstrates true stage presence. Although she says she is usually nervous, no one else has any idea that she is anything but comfortable. She moves naturally about the stage while singing, makes eye contact, and shows that she enjoys performing. She is now in the school band, taking clarinet lessons, and progressing impressively.

Natalia has a wonderful personality. She is as comfortable around adults and elderly people as she is with kids her age. She has a genuine caring feeling for other people and for animals. I call her our latest family “care-giver.” At school, she attempts to solve interpersonal conflicts, including those between other students, rather than to exacerbate them by “taking sides” or reacting angrily. She is sensitive to others’ feelings. She is soft-hearted and can be easily hurt, emotionally. But, she is also resilient and is willing to stand up for herself when necessary. She is one of those children whom teachers love to have in their classes.

These are just some of the talents, traits, and abilities she has already demonstrated, at age 10. We are very much looking forward to watching her grow up, and we believe she can achieve anything she wishes to in life. She is a most grand granddaughter.

More About Organization

2006-02-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

After giving more thought to our organization, I realized I hadn’t covered everything (guess I’m not that organized, after all).

We like to purchase Christmas gifts throughout the year. To do that successfully, you have to be fairly organized. Sue uses a spiral notebook to record the gifts we have purchased for each person in the family and to note ideas for other gifts. If we have something in mind to buy for someone, she writes the item under that person’s name in the book. When we purchase the item, she underlines it. This is very handy. We store the items in large plastic storage boxes until we are ready to wrap them near Christmas, and there is one box for each person. We not only purchase regular Christmas gifts for our children and grandchildren; we also give each of them 12 small gifts, one each day for the twelve days before Christmas (for five people, that’s sixty gifts). And, finally, our grandchildren’s birthdays are both in December, so we are also accumulating birthday gifts in the storage boxes. It would be almost impossible for us to handle this activity without good organization. Incidentally, the gift books make interesting family history documents, since we have many years of gift information in the notebook.

Our family enjoys playing boardgames and card games almost every Saturday, and we like to keep a record of who won each game. I update the list of winners each week and use a spreadsheet to track “points for finishes.” The winner of a game receives 8 points, 2nd place gets 4 points, 3rd gets 2, 4th gets 1, and 5th and 6th (or 7th) get no points. We have a record of our gaming from January 2001. One document shows all the games and who won the game on what date, along with the current record high score. The spreadsheet shows how many games each person has won, by month and year, and how many points they earned, based on how they finished in the games. This all started when some of us lost a game and then said, “I never win this game.” Someone else would say that of course that person had won the game in the past, but no one could remember for sure, so we decided to keep a record.

Sue and I have spent a lot of time working on our family histories. We both have collected lots of old photos, documents, genealogy information, and artifacts from our ancestors, as well as from our own lives. To engage in that hobby requires good organization, and that fits well with our life style. We have numerous notebooks containing photos and documents, identified and cataloged, using acid-free mounting paper and protective page covers. I have hundreds of old photos in photo storage boxes. The photos are numbered, identified, and cross-referenced. I can look up an ancestor’s name and find the numbers of all the photos in the collection in which that person appears. I have also written any information I know about every photo, keyed to its number. It is about as complete a family photo collection as I know how to create. It appears that Sue and I have always been collectors. We both saved all the letters we received from each other while we were dating for over a year before we married (and neither of us knew the other was doing it). We combined all the letters and cards into one box, in chronological order. Over several months, I typed up all the letters, to preserve the information, in case something happened to the original letters in the future. I also scanned the cards we sent each other and any enclosures, such as newspaper clippings, that were enclosed with letters. All of that has been copied to a CD. It is an almost perfect record of our communications during that time and contains some interesting historical references about things that were happening in the world around us.

We use a monthly work list to assure we do not forget something important that needs to be done around the house. I have items listed, by month, in a Word document. I print the month’s work items at the beginning of the month and post it on the refrigerator. Probably 90% of the items are my responsibility, and the rest are Sue’s or ours together. Sue keeps a greeting card organizer with pockets for purchased cards and dates of birthdays and anniversaries. For many, many years, we have kept a wall or desk calendar on which we note all appointments, baby-sitting days, and many related items of interest that we do not want to forget or miss. Before the end of each calendar year, we purchase a calendar for the coming year and add all repetitive information (birthdays, holidays, etc.) to it, before the year begins. We have a file cabinet in which are organized various documents, such as all types of receipts and paid bills, filed by month; financial documents; instruction books and warranties that come with purchased items (filed by type of item); medical receipts and records; income tax-related items; and auto maintenance records. We have determined, documented, and filed in a small safe at home (and in our safe deposit box) our family trust, instructions to be carried out upon our deaths, powers of attorney, and similar important items. We have just finished digitally photographing all the rooms and furnishings of our house and will soon copy those photos to a DVD and store it in our safe deposit box for insurance purposes (as well as hundreds of photos of the items in our various collections).

Okay, I’m sure there are more examples of our organization efforts that I could include, but that gives a fairly good picture. What is interesting is that all these efforts are second-nature to us. It is not a burden to create, maintain, and use these organizational products. In fact, we would be terribly lost without them. As I said before, once these things are written down, they no longer bother our minds. We rely on these lists, files, and calendars to make our lives easier, and they work well for us.

About Being Organized

2006-01-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

Sue and I are “list-makers.” We are “catalogers.” We are “planners.” We are “organizers.” We’re not really obsessive-compulsive, but we do not enjoy chaos.

When I was working in an office, with lots of paperwork to accomplish, reading materials to study, projects to work on, and deadlines to meet, I found myself becoming stressed because I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume. Reading matter, even important things, sometimes got shuffled to the background way too long. I always met my work deadlines, but I could never seem to get to a point of planning ahead and getting the jump on projects or other coming demands.

Finally, I decided to take a one-day class in time management. That may have been the best-spent workday of my career. In about six hours, I learned several techniques that made the rest of my working life so much easier and less stressful. Making and prioritizing “to-do” lists were the keys to getting me out from under the heavy burden. I took a day back at the office (or maybe two) to create lists of things that needed to be done and to organize the lists into time categories, such as Immediate, Today, This Week, This Month, This Year, and Future Years. The different lists were in different colors for easy recognition and to help with the organization and prioritizing. Although this was accomplished in the days before we had computers in the office (done with paper and colored pens and markers), it was extremely effective for me. I soon found that I was no longer behind in my reading, I was getting projects done ahead of time, I was not forgetting anything that needed to be done (not just the most important items), and I was much more relaxed. I was actually accomplishing much more work than I had ever in the past.

This process worked so well at the office that I applied it to my home life. List-making became second-nature to me. I think I almost drove Sue crazy with all my lists, but we both eventually came to rely on some of them. We currently keep shopping lists going continuously – for groceries and household items; we virtually never fail to buy the things we are needing when we go shopping. We have a travel list that we use to remind ourselves of everything we need to take on a trip, whether it’s a one-day jaunt, or a trip of several weeks. We no longer have any concern that we forgot something in our bags or that we left something undone at the house. We have a monthly household work list – things that need to be done to keep the house and yard maintained on a year-round basis. The furnace filter gets cleaned regularly, the smoke detectors are checked, even the fire extinguishers get some attention each year. When we get busy on several projects simultaneously, I create daily lists – what needs to get done on each project each day (if possible). If something doesn’t get done, we just reschedule it, but we don’t forget to do something important because of the lists. What the lists do for us is to remove the problem of constantly thinking about what has to get done, which can lead to insomnia and stress. If it’s on the list, it’s off our minds, and we get more done, because we don’t spend energy trying to remember it and worrying about it.

We catalog collections. We have collections of several types – turtle figurines, gnomes, bells, Fostoria dishes, wizard figurines, Mickey Mouse items, games, movies, jigsaw puzzles, and music CDs, as well as a few other small collections. The only collection not cataloged at all is the music CDs group; these are stored alphabetically in the CD cases, and that meets our needs. We began collecting turtles in 1966, created our catalog of them in 1981, and keep it up to date as new items are added. It is now on computer, rather than on index cards, and the descriptions and photos of all the items are in a well-organized notebook. The bells, wizards, and Mickey Mouse items are also photographed and in a notebook, and Sue has begun working on adding her gnome photos and descriptions to the collections notebook. I keep the movie catalog on a free downloaded software package on my PC. Sue probably will complete the Fostoria catalog this week. Our game collection is (sort of) “cataloged” online on BoardGameGeek. In 2005, I traded or gave away about 150 boardgames and card games, and our collection now consists of about 90 games. The jigsaw puzzles number about 50, all Springbok brand, I believe. Sue even has a short catalog of her tablecloths, with descriptions and measurements (to accommodate different sizes of the dining room table, as well as smaller tables in the house).

Sue and I are pretty good planners. I prefer to have a plan for any significant event or activity, with such items as who, what, when, where, and sometimes how, specified in advance. We actually can do things spontaneously, but we plan major events, to be sure nothing important is forgotten. We assisted our daughter and her fiancé at the time with their wedding planning, and the wedding and related activities (such as managing lodging and transportation for out-of-state family guests, the reception, and a luncheon we prepared on the day following the wedding) went virtually perfectly. We plan trips and give itineraries to family, friends, and neighbors, so we can be reached in an emergency. We plan menus well in advance for family lunches and picnics. We even planned our retirement well. Having good plans and following them remove a lot of stress from the events.

We keep our lives and home pretty well organized. We both know where things are in the house. Our tools are always put back in the same places, we never lose remote controls, and things that are boxed and put away in the attic are generally labeled well. All our home seasonal decorations are stored in plastic storage boxes, by holiday season.

Lists, catalogs, plans, and organization make our lives easier, simpler, and less stressful. They make retirement a pleasure.

So What's the Deal Here?

2006-01-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

Our family thoroughly enjoys playing games almost every Saturday, and we also like to keep records of who wins the games and how well each person finishes in each game. We have been keeping the records for five years this month.

So far this year (the month of January), Sue has won 4 games, our daughter has won 3 games, our granddaughter has won 1 game, and until today, no male member of the family had won any games. Our grandson won a game today, to break the pattern. This is most unusual for us. Generally, our son wins about half the games we play, while our son-in-law and I are usually next in order (although our daughter has been at the same level as me for a while).

Today, we played one game for the first time -- Through the Desert, one game for the second time -- Boomtown, one game for the fourth time – Around the World in 80 Days, and one game that we play a lot -- Carcassonne. Now, my son-in-law and I have played Through the Desert online and enjoyed it very much. So, today we were teaching the game to the rest of the family, but he finished 4th and I finished 3rd out of five players (our daughter won the game). Now what’s up with that?!

Sue won Boomtown, barely beating our daughter. Our daughter won Around the World in 80 Days, and our grandson won Carcassonne by a large margin.

Wait – it gets worse (for me) – in the four games we played, I finished 3rd in Through the Desert and dead last in the other three games! But, I’m the game geek here. I research the games, exchange information with other game geeks, and study the game reviews, session reports, and strategy papers. I buy the games that I think the family will enjoy playing, and I’m losing terribly?! What’s the deal here?

Well, I really don’t mind. I am enjoying playing the games so much, especially trying the new ones we just acquired; we all have a great time together; and it is really neat to see Sue, our daughter, our granddaughter, and our grandson winning. I’m not really upset about losing so badly today, because I know I’ll win some during the year, and it’s the fun of playing that I’m after, anyway. And that’s not just rationalization on my part (at least, I don’t think so).

Boardgames and card games are a great hobby, and our family certainly gets a lot of enjoyment from playing them together.

Crossing the Chasm

2006-01-27T23:23:00.000-07:00

I’ve been trying to think of something I could write regarding games, since that is a major hobby of mine, but nothing has yet come to the fore. While thinking along this line, however, I began cogitating about something similar – what some people refer to as the “ah-ha” moment. I’ll call it the time of crossing the chasm.

From the time I was in elementary school, I had been interested in codes, and I have no idea where I first learned of them, but the idea of substituting one set of letters, numbers, or symbols (or a combination of them) for the alphabet, and then writing something that only someone with the code key could read was fascinating to me.

When I was in high school, I occasionally visited the public library in a larger town near the one in which I lived. I enjoyed just walking down the aisles of books and looking at the titles, and sometimes browsing through a book that caught my attention. While doing this one day, I noticed a book that discussed codes. I checked it out, read it, and enjoyed it.

When I attended college, the school published a weekday daily campus newspaper, which I enjoyed reading. One daily item that interested me was the cryptogram, probably picked up from a national newspaper syndication. I had never seen a cryptogram, and I could not imagine how to solve it. Obviously, it was a coded message, but I didn’t have a clue how to approach it; it just looked very difficult – in fact, it looked impossible. Although I didn’t attempt to solve them, my eyes were always drawn to them.

One of my favorite authors from my junior high school (or middle school) days was Edgar Allan Poe, but the first time I encountered his story "The Gold Bug" was while I was a college student. I enjoyed the story, as I did most of Poe’s writings, and one of the parts of it I found particularly intriguing was the coded message passages and Poe’s description of how the message was deciphered.

One day, after reading Poe’s story, I happened to think of the coded message solution of that writing at the same time I was looking at the cryptogram in the campus paper. Suddenly, my brain made some sort of connection, and I “crossed the chasm.” Applying what I had learned from Poe, I quickly worked my first cryptogram puzzle. Ho, ho – what an eye-opener. After that, I couldn’t wait to work the cryptogram every day in the paper.

I have experienced that feeling a number of times, generally in working some type of puzzle or playing a complex game. I recall the same thing happening when we first acquired a Rubik’s Cube. It looked impossible, but I was soon not only solving it, I was trying to solve it quicker and quicker.

When we first purchased an Atari electronic game machine and bought the game cartridges, we entered into a new arena of entertainment. One of those games was called “Kaboom.” The challenge involved little round black bombs dropping from the top of the screen, and the player had to catch them in little buckets of water at the bottom of the screen. If a bomb was not caught in time, it exploded at the bottom of the screen; three explosions, and the game ended. If the player was successful on one level, catching a certain number of bombs, the next level dropped more bombs and dropped them faster from different locations at the top of the screen. At the higher levels, the game became frantic. The first few times I played the game, I thought “This is impossible.” It appeared to me that no one would be able to progress past a couple of levels. Then, at some point, I crossed the chasm. I discerned a pattern, or something like a pattern, that allowed me to begin anticipating the next bomb, even at much faster speeds. I was soon doing what I had, a few days before, considered impossible.

I have experienced similar moments while attempting to solve “mechanical” puzzles – metal, wood, or plastic items that must be disassembled and/or assembled. There usually is one set of steps or one key movement combination that allows the puzzle to be solved. Once the puzzle is solved, it is solvable again and again. Additionally, the principle that is involved in solving one puzzle is sometimes directly or indirectly applicable to the solution of other puzzles.

It seems to me that much of life involves standing at a chasm – encountering a problem that seems impossible to solve – and finding a way to cross it. The most successful people in life find or build a way across, while others panic or become dismayed and give up. Successful people also learn to adapt previous solutions (theirs or other people’s) to cross new chasms, thus making their own lives much easier. There are several keys to crossing chasms – learn from prior personal experiences; learn from other examples; keep an open mind; ignore the little voice in the brain that tells you “it’s impossible”; look for a solution that isn’t obvious; let your mind work on the problem unconsciously while you are doing something else; and look at problems that are similar, to find something that might apply to the current problem. Perhaps the most important way to cross is to just simply keep trying; practice does indeed make perfect. Once the problem is solved, you have that “ah-ha” moment, when it all comes together and makes sense – you cross the chasm.

Anniversary

2006-01-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sue and I celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary today. We had a great lunch at Cinzetti’s restaurant. Forty-two years can go by in a hurry. We feel quite smug about the fact that we survived that long in one marriage, since we know few people who have. Actually, it took a lot of work, give-and-take, caring, and tolerance, but it was certainly worth it. I doubt we would change much of it at all, if we had it all to do again.

This afternoon, we worked some more on the turtle collection. Looks like we have the inventory just about straightened out, with only two or three items missing from the display cabinet (tiny earrings or stickpins). Close enough. Sue will finish the scrapbook/notebook soon.

I’ve been on the PC and Internet quite a bit this afternoon, commenting on blogs and on BGG. I also posted a BGG GeekList regarding our anniversary and gave away two GeekGold to the first person who correctly guessed the number of years we’ve been married. Light fun.

We’re working to pare down the number of movies to keep in our collection. From over 800, we are now down to about 450 on the “keeper” list, and we may reduce it further. It is likely that some of the older VHS recordings will not be of good enough quality (such as bad tracking) to make it worthwhile to copy to DVD. In those cases, I’ll watch for new opportunities to record them again or may decide to purchase commercial replacements on DVD for some that I really, really like.

Haven’t done any reading today, but might this evening. It has been a nice, calm day.

Irons in the Fire

2006-01-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire these days – well, at least a lot for an old retired guy.

I just began this blog a few days ago, and I’ve already skipped a day of writing in it. I’ve always had this problem. I have started writing diaries and journals in the past, but never kept them going. I believe my son has been writing a personal (handwritten) journal since he was in high school, or maybe college, which was a number of years ago. I’ve never read any of it – it’s not intended to be public – but I recall him mentioning a few times that writing in his journal has been good therapy when the world was getting a bit much on his mind. I have good intentions about keeping this blog updated, but I have no illusion that I will do so every day.

I have received some writing inspiration this week, which should help encourage me. Yehuda made a comment (first one received) on my other blog and was very complimentary about my blogs on his blog. Since I am an admirer of his writing, those comments were very welcome.

Now that I’ve begun blogging, I naturally want to improve the look of my blogs, so I bought a book yesterday – HTML 4 for Dummies – an appropriate title for me. Actually, I’m using it to refresh and extend my knowledge of HTML (XHTML), as I completed an online class in HTML in the last year or two, through About.com (a great web resource on virtually any topic you can think of). So, I still remember the basics of HTML, but need to learn a lot more before I fiddle too much with my blog code.

I have been remiss lately in answering several emails, so I caught up on them today, in addition to writing a letter and a card to a couple of relatives (to send via regular mail).

Sue and I spent several hours yesterday working on our turtle collection. In 1966, we began collecting turtle figurines and other objects with turtle motifs, paintings, carvings, cast figures, etc. We had done a decent job of keeping a card file index of our collection over the years, including cataloging each item with a code to identify its general source. Sue used our digital camera in the past month to photograph all the collection (one item at a time, mostly), while I typed up the index cards in a Word document to inventory the collection. Yesterday, we compared the photos with the typed list and found a few discrepancies, which we resolved. We now have 385 items from 41 countries, 28 U.S. states, and 16 Native American tribes. It has been a fun hobby, and we finally have it well-inventoried and cataloged. Sue is creating an excellent scrapbook-notebook with the photos and the listing.

I am always reading a book or two (or more). I just finished Shelby Foote’s trilogy on the American Civil War – it took some time to read, but was very well worth it. Excellent! I also just finished Sue Grafton’s K is for Killer mystery and am working my way through Jack McDevitt’s science fiction book Polaris, in addition to the HTML book.

I have a large collection of movies I have recorded over the years from TV, which I have begun copying from VHS to DVD. I managed to get three of those done in the last week, but have many to go. It is time-consuming, because I frequently watch the movies again, as I copy them. My collection consists of something over 800 movies, some of which are purchased productions, but the great majority are self-recorded for my own enjoyment. However, I recently decided that I probably will never watch many of them again, so I took time last week to go through my catalog and eliminate most of them from my list to copy. My plan now is to eliminate almost all the VHS tapes and their storage cabinets and to reduce my collection to the ones I will definitely enjoy watching repeatedly, which will reside on DVDs.

The major hobby that I haven’t worked on recently, but am eager to get back to, is family history. I am at a point of beginning more serious genealogy research, having analyzed, identified, cataloged, and placed in notebooks or photo boxes all the old family documents and photos that I have been able to collect from both sides of my family. This, of course, is a major undertaking and a life-time activity.

My other reading project that has taken a back seat lately is that of reading a variety of materials about the 19th century, especially American history and literature. The Civil War books, of course, fall into this project, but I haven’t added anything to my large collection of historical facts regarding that century for quite a while. I will get back to it, but not sure when.

Yes, those are a few of the irons I have in the fire right now – certainly enough to keep me off the streets and out of trouble. Oh, yes, I need to work in a nap today, I think……

Blog Work

2006-01-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

This has been sort of an odd day. I worked on blog issues today. I added several links to this blog, which required some simple HTML work. Fortunately, last year, I completed a basic course in HTML online through About.com. It was an interesting study, and I was pleased to work through it and understand it. Of course, I have done nothing with it since then, so I assumed I would not remember much, if any, of it. I was surprised to discover that I recalled quite a bit of it, once I began looking at the HTML of this blog. I should try to find all my notes from the class, to use here.

I plan to add some photos and graphics to my blog, but have not taken the time to work on those aspects, yet. I did want to post some short writings I have done in the past, but didn't want them to be scattered throughout this blog, showing up only by date posted. So, I set up a separate blog just for the writings and linked the blogs to each other.

Yesterday, I received an invitation to write an article for another blog, and I spent some time today doing that. I assume it will be accepted and posted, perhaps at the end of this week. However, I do not believe my public writings are very interesting to anyone else, so it may be the only article I am invited to write for another blog. If so, that's okay -- I'll probably write some things for my own amusement from time to time and post them on my other blog.

I read a few chapters today in the science fiction book I'm currently reading -- Polaris, by Jack McDevitt. This is the second book by this author that I've read, the first being Chindi. The fact that I cannot recall anything about that first book indicates to me that I am not a strong fan of his. So far, I haven't decided whether I really like Polaris. I have already purchased a third book by McDevitt -- Seeker. If I am unimpressed by Polaris, I may not even read Seeker, but will just donate it to the public library. But, if I finally get into Polaris, I'll give Seeker a try. I have way too many other books, by authors I really enjoy, to spend time on books for which I have only a marginal interest. In fact, I'd much rather re-read good books I've already read, than to waste my time on books that don't really grab me.

Other than the above, I don't feel like I've accomplished much today. It was somewhat an odd day.

Typical Saturday

2006-01-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

This has been a typical Saturday at our house. My wife and I fixed lunch for our family -- son, daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and grandson. This week, we tried a new Italian baked spaghetti recipe, a tried-and-true antipasto salad, and foccacia bread sticks dipped in olive oil, plus home-made brownies. As usual, we had lots of good conversation, while the food quickly disappeared. After clean-up, we selected two boardgames and two card games to play. Our granddaughter prefers to do her own things, but did play the card game Bohnanza with us. Our grandson likes to play any game with the adults, so we selected two games that allow six players -- Settlers of Catan and Around the World in 80 Days. We five adults played a card game new to us for the first time -- Boomtown. As always, we all had a great time -- friendly competition, laughs, good conversation, and just plain fun. Everyone left a little after dark, and my wife and I settled into our usual evening routine -- she watches her TV shows in the family room, while I read, watch some TV, and do some computing downstairs. Ah, yes, this is the way retirement is supposed to be.

Snow Day

2006-01-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Our two grandchildren spent the night with us while their parents were out of town. So, we got up very early, to drive them to school. Naturally, although we haven't had measurable precipitation for about a month, we received at least six inches of snow yesterday and last night. Oh, well, with 4-wheel drive, it wasn't a problem, except for the drivers without 4-wheel drive. Still, it's always great to have the grandkids here for a sleep-over. At ages 8 and 10, they are really growing up and acting quite mature, with fun conversations. Being a grandparent is what it's all about!

Memories and Ruminations

2006-01-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

January 19, 2006 -- a good time to begin a blog.

I expect to post a wide variety of thoughts, memories, and personal writings here. I hope to also provide links to sites of particular interest to me, as well as some photos. It may take a while for me to organize this site the way I want it, being completely inexperienced in this activity. I have been very impressed by other blogs on blogspot, and I believe I am ready to embark upon this interesting trip.