Finding Something Positive To Do When You Are Used To Being Busy

     It seems that I have always been busy with something. Whether it was something that I needed to do or something else is another matter. A lot of times I would feel that I was stressed out and needed to drink and smoke. Go somewhere or play golf.
     This summer I have had a lot of time off. Most of the time I couldn't ride a bike. Surely not play golf or much else physical. Trying to stop smoking. Can't drink with meds. Which is a good thing because that has caused most of my hardships.
     So I am trying to think of things to do. At my apartment complex there are a lot of retired people. They have their daily routines to get them through the day. Low burn. Keeps them occupied. So I am taking note. They do not seem bored. Most of the ones I see are in pretty good health. If you talk to them most of them used to drink and smoke at one time in their life.
     There is always household chores. Cleaning and laundry. Also you can cook. Making my chicken soup that I posted a recipe for in a past post as we speak. You can take a walk. Hang out at the pool. Take a bike ride. Watch TV. Although I have found so many of the channels repeat the same shows over and over again. But there are other things to do. Hopefully without bothering someone else or damaging yourself. Also something that doesn't cost much or any money. You know the story. I got lots of friends as long as I'm buying.
     My previous job was almost a 24 hour thing. Sure I might not be "at" work. But I was at work. With a company phone and the internet. Appointments made at times I would not be scheduled to be in the office. Appointments that didn't show up. Stress and high blood pressure. Relieving stress by running hard, shopping hard and not enough rest.
     So it is nice to find activities that are not so taxing on the body or expensive. Kind of fun actually. I can handle it. Wished I thought more about saving for retirement sooner. Too late now. But I really never thought I would live this long. But guess what I did.

Collections Or Collecting Dust?

I have never been a real collector of things. I have in the past had redundancy of items. I still do. Although the things that I have boiled down to are do not have much cash value. People collect cars, guns, nick-naks, dolls, antigues, sports cards, comic books, ets. But in the end what are they worth. They may be worth something to you, but nothing to anybody else. Ever watch any of the shows on History channel? I see these people go into the store thinking they have something. Sometimes they do. Mostly not. If you cannot use it and it is just sitting around it is just collecting dust. I have seen people on American Restoration bring in junk and pay a lot of money to get it restored. They must have way too much money. I guess fond memories are worth a lot. If you have it. On American Pickers they buy this stuff with a design to make a profit on it. And I guess they do. Or are all these shows a pipe dream? Junk is junk after all. It isn't worth any more than the material it is made of. Over the years people have collected several different things. They are generally passing fads that turn out to be worthless in a short time. I have too many sets of golf clubs that promised to be worth something. The only thing that they are worth is if you can hit them well. Otherwise they are just scrap metal.

Worrying About Things That Don't Matter

I tend to worry about things that don't matter. At least not to anyone else but me. I guess that is OK. It just wastes time on things you could be doing that are more productive. It is a diversion. A way of not getting something done that needs to be done. Dodging something. We all have a task that needs to be done but for some reason do anything else but that. Then I will waste time on something that in reality doesn't mean a thing. Look at stuff on ebay I do not need. Watch TV. Look at the same old magizines. Look at the same web sites for buying something I do not need. When I really need to clean house, do laundry, balance the checkbook or any number of things that need to be done. Then I see people get all tangled up in the news. Much or all of it cannot be changed by them or even effect them. We are just winding down one war and the news is trying to get us into another one. Only a week later to condem the government for getting into it after pushing them to. I did check to see if I could find who killed the 89 year old man in Washington. It was two black teens who said he was chumping them on a cocaine deal. Where is Al Sharpten, Jesse and Obama now? Maybe this does matter. Things are getting out of hand. If I received a lot of entitlements I do not beleive these are counted as income. So I would be in a low income bracket while having a lot of things it takes an income to buy. And not have to pay taxes. i guess I am worrying about things that don't matter. Raising the minimum wage to $15 would be a great big raise to me. It would be great in the short run. But I beleive that it would cause massive inflation, layoffs and a more for companies to move to more if not total automation. Besides most of the people getting the low wages are already getting subsidised or free housing. Food stamps, free cell phones, free medical. Making their income tantamont or even better then mine making a little over minimum wage. So if we get the big wage increase will they want to give up the entitlements? If that is the case it may be good for the country and economy. Because they will be paying a lot more in income tax and not be getting massive tax credits and refunds. That would lower the decifit. But the terminally unemployed will remain so. And continue to be a burden on society. While commiting a lot of crime because they have too much time on their hands. We should impliment a massive recycling program where our waste in landfills could be cut but at least 50%. I seen on TV yesterday that only 1% of plastic is recycled and is ending up in the ocean and in fish. That would be a job sector that could employ practicly anyone and do the world a great good. It may seem that I am getting off the the theme of Worrying About Things That Don't Matter. Because the things I have just mentioned do matter. A lot more that stupid pro sports thing. A lot more then some dumb deversion I am using to take my mind off things. Hey and give me the $15 an hour and I will wear work clothes and sort the plastic and not have to put up with the greif from people getting something for nothing that I do. The state of the economy is not that big of a deal to the upper middle class and rich now. And may never be. But if it starts to have a bad effect on them as it has on anyone earning less then $30K per year they might be a bit more concerned.

Worrying About Things That Don't Matter

I tend to worry about things that don't matter. At least not to anyone else but me. I guess that is OK. It just wastes time on things you could be doing that are more productive. It is a diversion. A way of not getting something done that needs to be done. Dodging something. We all have a task that needs to be done but for some reason do anything else but that. Then I will waste time on something that in reality doesn't mean a thing. Look at stuff on ebay I do not need. Watch TV. Look at the same old magizines. Look at the same web sites for buying something I do not need. When I really need to clean house, do laundry, balance the checkbook or any number of things that need to be done. Then I see people get all tangled up in the news. Much or all of it cannot be changed by them or even effect them. We are just winding down one war and the news is trying to get us into another one. Only a week later to condem the government for getting into it after pushing them to. I did check to see if I could find who killed the 89 year old man in Washington. It was two black teens who said he was chumping them on a cocaine deal. Where is Al Sharpten, Jesse and Obama now? Maybe this does matter. Things are getting out of hand. If I received a lot of entitlements I do not beleive these are counted as income. So I would be in a low income bracket while having a lot of things it takes an income to buy. And not have to pay taxes. i guess I am worrying about things that don't matter. Raising the minimum wage to $15 would be a great big raise to me. It would be great in the short run. But I beleive that it would cause massive inflation, layoffs and a more for companies to move to more if not total automation. Besides most of the people getting the low wages are already getting subsidised or free housing. Food stamps, free cell phones, free medical. Making their income tantamont or even better then mine making a little over minimum wage. So if we get the big wage increase will they want to give up the entitlements? If that is the case it may be good for the country and economy. Because they will be paying a lot more in income tax and not be getting massive tax credits and refunds. That would lower the decifit. But the terminally unemployed will remain so. And continue to be a burden on society. While commiting a lot of crime because they have too much time on their hands. We should impliment a massive recycling program where our waste in landfills could be cut but at least 50%. I seen on TV yesterday that only 1% of plastic is recycled and is ending up in the ocean and in fish. That would be a job sector that could employ practicly anyone and do the world a great good. It may seem that I am getting off the the theme of Worrying About Things That Don't Matter. Because the things I have just mentioned do matter. A lot more that stupid pro sports thing. A lot more then some dumb deversion I am using to take my mind off things. Hey and give me the $15 an hour and I will wear work clothes and sort the plastic and not have to put up with the greif from people getting something for nothing that I do. The state of the economy is not that big of a deal to the upper middle class and rich now. And may never be. But if it starts to have a bad effect on them as it has on anyone earning less then $30K per year they might be a bit more concerned.

Who Were The People Who Killed The Old WW2 Vet In Washington State?

I haven't heard or seen, but who beat that old man to death? How come I haven't seen any details on that. I haven't even seen any public outcry or demonstrations. I guess I need to find more details if they are available.

What Is The Big Deal When They Want An ID To Vote?

What is all the fuss about showing an ID to vote? I have voted in every Presidential election since 1980 and can not every remember not showing an ID. I had to show an ID to regester to vote. I have to show an ID when I go to the doctor. I have to show an ID to get a presription. I had to show an ID when I got a cell phone. Do you not need to show an ID to get medicare or medicade? I think they do it so you are crossed off the list as voting. Also so you are at the correct polling place. I thought every adult had to have a state ID anyway even if it's not a drivers license. Make a state ID a requirement like medical insurance. Then make them so cheap or even free. Then there is no excuse not to have one. Case closed.

When Is It Time To Quit? Smoking

I have smoked for a long time. I started smoking in 1972. Not all the time but smoked. Smoking was hip and cool. All the old cool movie stars smoked. Notice I said smoked. Because they are dead now. Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Yule Brenner, John Wayne, Telly Savalis and the list can go on. Smoking seems like some sort of luxury to me. Something that lower class people can do. It is something to do when you are taking a break. It is a social thing. It is cool with drinking. If you are drinking you gotta smoke. I am starting to get the effects of long term smoking. Circulation problems. I had a blockage in my legs and have had one stent put in one leg and am getting another one this week. I get exercise too. You can run but you cannot hide. It will get you.

Old Movies With Great Photography

In spending a lot of time at home over the last five weeks I watched a lot of old movies. Mosty on Turner Classic Movies. I really like these old movies. They seemed to get the point across without a lot of special effects. The black and white ones used angles and shadows. They were very effective on getting the point across without a lot of the crash, boom, bang of today's films. The plot was strong and you had to follow it. Most things wre suttle. They dressed well and acted mostly well. The Tecnicolor films are also outstanding at the least. It is almost over the top. I used to kid my parents about them having color films when they were young. They would always say we had color then. Technicolor makes some of the later varints seem dull. The films made in the late sixties and early seveties seemed dull in their color. In an attempt to make it more real looking. But all these major films had great photoghaghy. Check it out. You will be amazed.

Focus

The American Herittage dictionary defines focus as "a center of inerest or activity". Also " to consentrate on". A lot of time I feel that I loose my focus. I am not sure if could be atributed to a wandering mind or simply seeking the path of the least resistence. Our mind wanders because of external and internal distractions. You are consentrating on a task at hand and the phone rings. Something else comes to mind. You remember something you wanted or needed to do. I know that I run around my little apartment like a fly buzzing around the room. Do this, do that. I think of something while I am in the middle of something else. In the long run I tend to get everything done if I have a list to follow. It also tantamont to arobic exersise running from place to place. But can be rather agravating to people who can just sit until they make a move out of necessity or design. As long as I check off the items on my list and get it do that's fine. The other aspect is the path of least resistence. You have a paramont task or issue to deal with and you sidetrack yourself with petty things that do not take care of the big things. Persuing the path of least resistence or skirting the issue comes from two matters. You either do not feel like stepping up to the pump and getting it done. Or you can not make it happen no matter what you do. You can wish in one hand and sh-- it the other and it is just not going to happen. At least at this point in time. The best option is to lay the groundwork to build a means to an end. Do what you can to build a foundation to accomplish what is needed to be done. P.S. I would like to thank Youtube for providing the music for this writing. I would also like to thank the University of Evansville and WUOE for turning me on to this album in 1978 as they played a lot of stuff you do not hear on commercial radio.

The Best Thing To Do With The News Is Nothing

After sitting at home for five weeks I have came to a decision. For the most part do not pay any attention to the news. They look for news. Sometimes it just just happens. I have found myself looking up news. Worrying about things that I cannot change. You have to be in touch with your surroundings. But not completely afraid of them. Otherwise you would not get up out of bed. Remmember the old movies. "Extra, extra read all about it." In reallity they were just trying to sell more papers. Exert leverage. Political power. One channel has this view. One channel has another. The facts are always swayed in one way or another. There does have to one real truth. Good luck finding it. We are really dumb. As Frank Zappa said, "dumb all over and a little ugly on the side". It would be nice if you could just get the facts. I know people who get so upset about the news. I try not to but can. The news is pushing us into little slots of stereotypes. This one is this. That one is that. And like dumb sheep we seem to slide right into where they want us to be. That makes our style and character. It is what makes us, well us. I just wish that you could turn on the news and it said this idiot robbed this store. This politician stole $18,000,000 for himself and is going to pay for it. This goof beat up his wife and will be punnished. An old trick is with numbers. In journalism class they teach you to make something look big call it a quarter million dollars. To down play it call it $250,000. Same amount, but what sounds larger? As Dragnet said, "just the facts".

I Would Just Like To Thank You

I would like to thank my readers. I hope that you are enjoying my posts. Some are informative, some entertaining and some boring. I have had readers from the US, Russia, Ukrane, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, UK, Sweden, China, Indonesia, India, Japan, and a lot of other places. I am however not getting any feedback or comments. If I am I camnnot retreive them. For me it it hard to beleive I have had 2200 readers and no comments. Anyway thanks for reading.

Being Like A Kid Again

About eight years ago I sort of if not started to revert to a lot of childhood pleasures. First I got back into bicyling. Got the old bike going again. Bought a cheap bike at Walmart. This used to be my transportation when I was younger. Started out slow. Built up over time as this became my primary transportation. Started getting a few more bikes and learned or relearned how to work on them. Then I thought about trains. I have always liked trains anyway. I had a Lionel set my uncle got for me. I left it with my old girlfriend's grandson. So I started buying all this train stuff on ebay. Just sort of hunted and pecked. Went with HO when I had O scale before. Got a 4x8 peice of plywood and put it on my dinning table. It is still there now. I go through phases were I use it and others were it sits for months unused. As I go through kicks. Then I started to go back to persimonin woods for golf. Blade irons like I used to use. The way I play the highest dollar stuff and the old stuff doesn't effect my play or score that much. Then also made it a point to walk. Then the complex that I live in converted half of their large tennis courts into a basketball court. So then I needed a basketball. Nothing too tough. Just trying to make a basket. Got back into TV again. Didn't really watch much as I was out there running around to see what I was missing or who was missing me. Zero in both of these counts. Why go out running around when you know you are going to end up at home watching TV by yourself? Cut to the chase and just go home and watch TV. Also not even trying to hit on girls again. It was a waste of time and a still a waste of time as they are not attracted to me becoause I am just a crazy nerd. Why bother putting your heart, soul and money into something that isn't going to happen? Plus. I am 53 years old. All the women my age are mostly old bags with baggage. Who wants that? Granted I am no prize either. No hot 25 year olds chasing me either. I am not the "most interesting man in the world" in the XX beer ad. He may be or not be. Chances are he's just some old dude like me that has nothing and just got lucky for the commercial to make other old dudes to think they can get all these hot young chicks if they drink that beer and have a good story.

World War Two

I have always been a fan of history. In fact one of my minors in college is history. I have always been interested in World War 2. I think for the most part the significance of this war is grossly understated at this point in time. It has been broomed under the rug with a lot of other things that are not nearly as important. For one thing they had a population who was willing to do what it took to get the job done. This applies for all the players. This amounted to hardships and sacrifices on everybody. Technology. These girls and guys had a lot more stuff them we or at least I had given them credit for. I did say girls too as they took part in the effort in a major fashion. I looked up the P 47 Thunderbolt. It had air conditioning, and a lot of other things that you would not think of being in use then. The bombers could fly at 30000 feet at about 300 miles per hour. A Navy task force could run at thirty plus knots. One reason they say the old battleships were left in Pearl Harbour as bait since they couldn't run but about 25 knots. They used radar, radios, TV and a lot of forms of commuication we think is modern. The Americans and English bombed Dresden Germany with about 1400 planes. They killed more people in that city then was killed in Japan with the A bomb. This was for real. We now get upset over a few troops beiong killed as we should. But these folks were in battles that hundreds of thousands were killed in one day. You also have to take in account that this was a world war. It covered every continent. Every country whether they were neutral or not. Every place was effected. In the United States they had rationing. Only so much food, gas, products and clothes. The United States had around 700,000 deaths. I may guess the lightest amoung the major players. Russia, Germany in the millions. Probably France and Great Britain too. China had very high losses too in the millions. The United States were attacked in Hawaii, Philippines and Alaska. They had operatives in the continental US too. After the war all these troops came back without a job. Many had a tough time. So then they started all this housing. Consumer products. This made jobs and the baby boom. The technology that was created was passed on to the consumer. Television had been around in the early 1930's. But only a few people had it with a few X stations. After the war regular people had access to TV. The basic homelife we have now and have came to love came then too. Central heating and air conditioning. Kitchens with modern appliances. Bathrooms. Again, most of this stuff was around for a long time. But not to the masses. The US was the mack daddy in the atomic age. The World War 2 people are gettting scarce. As most of them are in their upper eighties. So if you run into one or know one take the time to thank them for leaving us later generations a pretty nice place. As if they did not put forth such an effort we may have not been such a fortunate country.

Laundry

Laundry is one of those facts of life. If you have a lot of money you can just drop it off and have it done for you. In the old days they would even pick it up and drop it off for you. I do not know if they still do that. Or you could have your own washer and dryer. If you are like me you use a coin laundry. This is not desireable to many people, but it does have some advantages. You do not need a washer and dryer at home or the space they take up. You do not need to maintain a washer and dry as all machines require maintainance. The machines that you use are taken care of by the laundry facility. If you have no life like me you see other people. Whether you want to or not. I break my laundry down into four basic catagories. Work clothes. Usually filthy and needing extra care. White clothes that often need bleach and hot water. Cotton colors like shorts and polo, tees and colored socks and towels and sheets. The work clothes are permanant press. My work clothes get very dirty. I must be a messy person. My clothes are stained with sweat, chicken blood, grease, detergent, breading, and anything else you can think of. I can ruin a pair of high quality work shoes in a month or two. The night before I intend to wash my work clothes I try to hit the trouble spots with a stain cleaner and let them soak overnight. i have settled on Dickeys as work pants. They seem to hold up the best. As they seem to be tain and bleech resistant. I used to wash the work clothes in hot water. But being permanant press warm seems to work just as well. i then add about three scoopes of oxy clean. Then a whole lot of detergent. This has been a fairly effective means of getting my work clothes presentable. I keep the white clothes separate. I can let them add up for weeks. Then wash them in hot water with bleech, stain cleaner and oxy clean. Colored cottons and blends are always washed in cold water as they are not very dirty to begin with. I take polo shirts and turn them inside out to minimize fading and the buttons beating around. This will preserve them for a long time. I still have a couple of Polo brand shirts I bought new in 1990 that are still in good shape ever with what they have been through. Towels and sheets I always wash in hot water with a lot of detergent. That makes them turn out well. In this hard economic time you can get a suit for little or nothing compared to what they cost thirty years ago. Abiet they are cheap imported junk. But the basics like underclothes and work clothes go for a premium. As that is what most people are needing. So i hope this little peice has been helpful and anjoyable also.