I have always been good at adapting to any situation in order to get something done, and I've not noticed any change there. I have, however, noticed a recent tendency to get flustered if one of my daily routines goes caddywonky on me. This seems to be especially true about my morning routine, especially my morning workout.
This morning, I had already had a really bad day before 0600. I woke up too early, even for me, and could not go back to sleep. I found out that I had left a pen in the wash, ruining 2 good work shirts and 2 out of my three favorite soccer tshirts. I fell behind in my schedule and had to rush to the gym. And then, when I got to the gym I realized that I had forgotten to bring my mp3 player, my heart monitor watch/receiver's battery was dead, and I also forgotten the index card which has that day's workout info.
For some reason, these last three things threw me for a loop. I **did not** want to do my weight workout without my music, and it affected me so that I struggled with the workout much more than I should have. I should not have been discombobulated so much by these relatively unimportant happenstances, but I was.
And so, I have to examine myself and wonder why-- am I getting more set in my ways as I age? Have I become so schedule-oriented and organized that I cannot handle such minor glitches in my daily life? Is the Curmudgeon in me just around the corner of life?
I am going to enroll in a Krav Maga course soon, and one of the things that one must do in combat or martial arts is to maintain a calm, capable demeanor, ready to scan, decide and adjust to whatever threat comes along.
I guess I better start working on doing just exactly that in my personal life and its routines....
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The Curmudgeon around the corner
Posted by Rob Welch
On 8/12/2009 03:26:00 PM
A coworker of mine has a phrase that I have adopted as one of my favorites... "Semper Gumby". Latin (kind of) for "Always flexible". I've always thought of myself as adaptive, not being set in my ways-- at least not set enough so that the disruption of those ways causes undue consternation.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Metrical poetry and the joy of half-price books
Posted by Rob Welch
On 8/10/2009 12:06:00 PM
“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”
Desiderius Erasmus
I love to buy books. When my house finally sinks into the North Texas clay, it will be from the weight of books. Were I win the lottery, a large portion of it would go toward building a library room and filling it... Even when I finally get a Kindle, I will never completely divest myself of good old paper books.
In the original Star Trek series, I would be the curmudgeonly lawyer who defends James Kirk in "Court Martial". The one who lovingly keeps books around even though the entire literary compilation of humankind is contained on one of those cheesy plastic "clipboards" the buxom blonde ensigns are always carrying :)
But what I don't like is to pay full price for a book. Books have gotten outrageously expensive, unless they are basic trade paperbacks. And if you need any kind of specialty book, you are going to pay out the nose....
Which means that one of my absolute favorite places in the entire universe is Half-Price Books. I can spend hours there. I especially like the clearance sections, where I might pick up 5 or 6 good books for 5 bucks. The problem with Half-Price, though, is that you never know what you might find when you go there. It is not a store conducive to the search for a particular book.
And, therefore, when it happens that way, it really is a joy for a bibliophile!
I recently posted that I have begun to have a renewed interest in writing poetry, but that I wanted to write old-fashioned metrical forms rather than the free verse that I learned growing up. I have struggled, however, to gain some traction in this endeavor. There is a great book that I wanted that would help me with the various forms, but it is more money than I wanted to spend.
And then I found, at Half-Price, not that book, but an even better book that provides very detailed instructions and guidance on writing poetic forms, helping with the complicated matter of meter, which is what I struggle with the most. And so I ended up getting an even better book for about 1/4 of the price of the book I was originally seeking!
For someone who loves to find book bargains, it doesn't get much better than that!
Desiderius Erasmus
I love to buy books. When my house finally sinks into the North Texas clay, it will be from the weight of books. Were I win the lottery, a large portion of it would go toward building a library room and filling it... Even when I finally get a Kindle, I will never completely divest myself of good old paper books.
In the original Star Trek series, I would be the curmudgeonly lawyer who defends James Kirk in "Court Martial". The one who lovingly keeps books around even though the entire literary compilation of humankind is contained on one of those cheesy plastic "clipboards" the buxom blonde ensigns are always carrying :)
But what I don't like is to pay full price for a book. Books have gotten outrageously expensive, unless they are basic trade paperbacks. And if you need any kind of specialty book, you are going to pay out the nose....
Which means that one of my absolute favorite places in the entire universe is Half-Price Books. I can spend hours there. I especially like the clearance sections, where I might pick up 5 or 6 good books for 5 bucks. The problem with Half-Price, though, is that you never know what you might find when you go there. It is not a store conducive to the search for a particular book.
And, therefore, when it happens that way, it really is a joy for a bibliophile!
I recently posted that I have begun to have a renewed interest in writing poetry, but that I wanted to write old-fashioned metrical forms rather than the free verse that I learned growing up. I have struggled, however, to gain some traction in this endeavor. There is a great book that I wanted that would help me with the various forms, but it is more money than I wanted to spend.
And then I found, at Half-Price, not that book, but an even better book that provides very detailed instructions and guidance on writing poetic forms, helping with the complicated matter of meter, which is what I struggle with the most. And so I ended up getting an even better book for about 1/4 of the price of the book I was originally seeking!
For someone who loves to find book bargains, it doesn't get much better than that!
Reflections on knees, icepacks, and early morning gym time
Posted by Rob Welch
On 8/10/2009 04:37:00 AM
Sometimes I wonder why I started so late to really get serious about fitness. Wouldn't it have been better to become this dedicated to it at a time of my life when I would only need to ice my knees if there was actually an injury? Now, at age 41, I ice them as a precaution! :)
I am glad that we work in a world where our desks are contained within our cubicles and not open to the world. That way, no one can see the legs of my jeans pulled up over my knee and the Ziplock bag of ice ace-bandaged to said knee. Thus, I can suffer the ravages of middle-age in quiet privacy...
Today, I did roughly 1/3 of the distances I need to do to for a sprint triathlon, although I did it backwards LOL. At my gym, it makes more logistical sense to do the treadmill and bicycle first, and then the swimming just prior to getting ready for work. Still, I power-walked for a mile, biked for 4.5 miles, and then swam 300 meters. Sometimes I catch myself thinking that it doesn't feel like I'm doing that much, but then I realized this morning that it was 1/3 of my triathlon, and I realized I am making progress.
Of course, I'd really rather run the mile on the treadmill, but I'm approaching that with caution to take care of those knees.. :(
I'm looking forward to advancing to the next stage of my fitness regimens. It's time to kick it up a notch and really shed these pounds that have been holding me back!
I am glad that we work in a world where our desks are contained within our cubicles and not open to the world. That way, no one can see the legs of my jeans pulled up over my knee and the Ziplock bag of ice ace-bandaged to said knee. Thus, I can suffer the ravages of middle-age in quiet privacy...
Today, I did roughly 1/3 of the distances I need to do to for a sprint triathlon, although I did it backwards LOL. At my gym, it makes more logistical sense to do the treadmill and bicycle first, and then the swimming just prior to getting ready for work. Still, I power-walked for a mile, biked for 4.5 miles, and then swam 300 meters. Sometimes I catch myself thinking that it doesn't feel like I'm doing that much, but then I realized this morning that it was 1/3 of my triathlon, and I realized I am making progress.
Of course, I'd really rather run the mile on the treadmill, but I'm approaching that with caution to take care of those knees.. :(
I'm looking forward to advancing to the next stage of my fitness regimens. It's time to kick it up a notch and really shed these pounds that have been holding me back!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Early morning reflections on an EPT
Posted by Rob Welch
On 8/09/2009 04:43:00 AM
The other morning I stopped by Walmart on my way to work. As I was waiting in the express checkout lane, I noticed a young lady in front of me, with only one item in her hand. I had seen her behind me as I entered the store, and it was obvious that she, like myself, had come this morning to purchase a specific item she needed.
But whereas my item was a container of milk for the refrigerator at work, her's was a pregnancy test.
I looked at her left hand, and saw no ring. Thus, even with the changing of some conventions in our culture, one must assume that she was not married. She was young, but not unduly so- certainly of age, an attractive adult woman.
As all these thoughts and images flashed through my mind, I attempted to gauge her emotional state, but was unable to ascertain any 'tells' that might give me a clue. She was, at least on the outside, quite calm and composed. And yet, I couldn't help but feel that her composure was in itself a 'tell'. In my experience, when a woman thinks she might be pregnant, it is not a feeling that lends itself to a state of equilibrium. There is usually either a sense of profound excitement at the possibilities, a profound sense of dread at the consequences, or a gut-wrenching stomachache at the reality of another test in a long, hitherto fruitless attempt to conceive.
None of these are terribly conducive to composure, so I assumed that she was hiding her feelings well. If I was asked to make a guess, I would have said that I felt her morning mission was one of dread, wondering if her recent adventures were about to reveal some life-changing results.
I looked down at my own ring, on my left hand, and reflected on how my own 3 children with Allison came to be. We married and, as previously agreed, waited three years before removing the barriers and trying to conceive our first child. Those were three years of delightful love and lust, enjoying each other as only a blessed married couple can. And then, after one heartbreaking miscarriage, God blessed us with three incredible boys. With each one, I can recall the emotions that accompanied the pregnancy test purchase, and it wasn't one of dread!
Without assuming a mantle of piousness, I think this reflects that there is wisdom in God's plan for human relationships. He bequeathed us with sex not only as a source of pleasure and an expression of love, but as a means to create new humans for Him to love and for us to love. We alone, among all of God's creatures both earthbound and heavenly, have the means to cause a new soul to enter in existence. It is an incredible responsibility and privilege, and not one to be taken lightly. And certainly not one to be dreaded! And God, in his infinite wisdom, designed a framework and structure for this that helps us to avoid that dread, shielded from the lies of Satan at these most momentous and intimate moments.
I find myself praying for that young woman. I hope that I was wrong about her emotions, and pray that our Father will touch her with His love and make her His own.
But whereas my item was a container of milk for the refrigerator at work, her's was a pregnancy test.
I looked at her left hand, and saw no ring. Thus, even with the changing of some conventions in our culture, one must assume that she was not married. She was young, but not unduly so- certainly of age, an attractive adult woman.
As all these thoughts and images flashed through my mind, I attempted to gauge her emotional state, but was unable to ascertain any 'tells' that might give me a clue. She was, at least on the outside, quite calm and composed. And yet, I couldn't help but feel that her composure was in itself a 'tell'. In my experience, when a woman thinks she might be pregnant, it is not a feeling that lends itself to a state of equilibrium. There is usually either a sense of profound excitement at the possibilities, a profound sense of dread at the consequences, or a gut-wrenching stomachache at the reality of another test in a long, hitherto fruitless attempt to conceive.
None of these are terribly conducive to composure, so I assumed that she was hiding her feelings well. If I was asked to make a guess, I would have said that I felt her morning mission was one of dread, wondering if her recent adventures were about to reveal some life-changing results.
I looked down at my own ring, on my left hand, and reflected on how my own 3 children with Allison came to be. We married and, as previously agreed, waited three years before removing the barriers and trying to conceive our first child. Those were three years of delightful love and lust, enjoying each other as only a blessed married couple can. And then, after one heartbreaking miscarriage, God blessed us with three incredible boys. With each one, I can recall the emotions that accompanied the pregnancy test purchase, and it wasn't one of dread!
Without assuming a mantle of piousness, I think this reflects that there is wisdom in God's plan for human relationships. He bequeathed us with sex not only as a source of pleasure and an expression of love, but as a means to create new humans for Him to love and for us to love. We alone, among all of God's creatures both earthbound and heavenly, have the means to cause a new soul to enter in existence. It is an incredible responsibility and privilege, and not one to be taken lightly. And certainly not one to be dreaded! And God, in his infinite wisdom, designed a framework and structure for this that helps us to avoid that dread, shielded from the lies of Satan at these most momentous and intimate moments.
I find myself praying for that young woman. I hope that I was wrong about her emotions, and pray that our Father will touch her with His love and make her His own.
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