Cooler By The Lake 4:53 PM

I went for a bike ride along the lake today. The sun was out, seemed inviting, so I got on the bike and headed for the trails. The sun shining can be deceiving, it was definitely cool out, not as warm as yesterday. Needless to say, I pedaled on. Got a rhythm going as was enjoying the ride. Along the way, a deer started to cross the path and stopped directly in front of me, blocking my way. I slowed to a stop about ten feet from the animal and we looked at each other. I fumbled for my cell phone to get a picture, talking to the deer, telling it that I was going to snap a picture. The deer watched me for a while, turned it's head, glanced back at me, then turned back into the brush. By the time I got to the camera feature, the deer was gone. With the trail open again and nothing blocking me, I continued on the route. I found the encounter pretty amazing, pretty darn cool if you ask me. Just wish I had been able to capture the moment.

UP 9:53 PM

Went and saw the latest Disney/Pixar movie UP today. It was entertaining, funny, touching, and magical. The talking dog, his obsession with squirrels, and the South American bird named Kevin brought laughs and memories. I definitely left the theater in an UP mood! Go see it!

Get The Picture 1:54 PM

I had an Olympus Stylus digital camera that has gone on many trips and took some wonderful pictures of my adventures. On one of the last trips, I used it to take some in the water, as it could be used in a water environment as long as it isn't submerged. Well, the water tight seal wasn't so water tight and the insides did get wet and the xD card reader shorted out. The camera was under warranty, so I shipped it off for repair back in February. Today I received what I thought was my camera back from the manufacturer. It wasn't. It is a brand new camera, an upgrade! I am now charging the battery and will be giving the camera a test run to check it out. Yay, I'll be able to take pictures while I'm scouting Florida locations!

I'm Guilty 8:42 PM

I took a nap on this gray, rainy, cold day. The television was on, droning in the background. I had it on the Disney channel. In between sleep and waking up I heard this song and it rattled through my head, even when I dozed off again. I had to find out what it was after I got up and it was still stuck in my head. And I like it lots! HEY!!!!

Walking In The Rain 8:25 PM

I didn't mean to. I obviously didn't listen to the weather. Went for a walk down by the lake and it started to rain. I was soaked by the time I made it home. It was a cool evening and I wanted to get out for a while, get off the couch, away from the TV. Grabbed the Zune, threw on a jacket, and out the door. At first I didn't mind when it started to rain, but soon it got cold and uncomfortable. When I got back, I took a hot shower to warm up and am now on the couch, watching TV. I should have gone earlier, after I met Judy for lunch and browsed at Target. Oh well, it makes for an interesting story.

Memorable Day 7:27 PM

Up early, laundry, reading. Then over to Mom and Dads for a visit. I brought along a gift for them. It is a hard to come by item. Since I spend lots of time surfing the Internet, I found it. I ordered a number of them to give as gifts. Ate lunch, played a rousing game of scrabble, did a crossword puzzle, stayed for dinner. Came home, napped, watching another ANTM marathon, reading, whistling.

Wheels In Motion 3:02 PM

a cool rainy morning made way for blue skies, sun, warmer temperatures. Ran out early and went grocery shopping before the crowds. Napped and read for a while. Got the bike out of storage and took it for a ride along the lake. Went the distance and only stopped to rest at a picnic table along the trail once on the way back. I definitely need to shape up a bit. I'll take it a mile at a time.

I have now made arrangements for my journey to Florida. I have book my flight and rental car for June 15th through the 23rd. I will be exploring the region, scoping out potential employment and housing. After all these years of talk, I am finally going to do something about my dreams.

Tomorrow looks to be a nice day weather-wise. Thinking about pulling out the bow and arrow and heading over to the archery field and giving that another try. I'm sure I'll have to condition myself for that too, but it is something I want to do and now's the time to do it. I'll see, lounging on the couch is just as appealling.

There's Something In These Dreams . . . 2:52 PM

With one phone call the plan is in motion...

more to follow

It Depends On Who You Talk To 2:54 PM

Since it was such a beautiful day out, I decided to get out there and enjoy it. Went to Stone Creek Coffee, ordered a Mocha, and sat out on the patio. I watched traffic, I watched people, I watched birds, enjoyed the sun. A guy came out to sit in the sun and took the table next to me. We started talking. Turns out he has stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma, terminal. We chatted for about thirty minutes. Lokking at him, you would never guess he was ill, but the lymphoma was spread throughout his body, he has been battling it for about five years. Conventional treatment has not been working so he is going through three different experimental treatments. He told me he knew what he was facing, yet was happy, optimistic. I ended up telling him my story, my situation. He listened and gave me advise in parting. Follow your heart.

Passenger 13509 5:04 PM

Today, My Mom, Dad, and I ventured down to the museum to tour the RMS Titanic exhibit. We roamed through other displays, including the butterfly wing before our scheduled tour. Upon arrival we were given a boarding pass with details of a passenger on board the Titanic for it's maiden Atlantic voyage. I received ticket 13509 Mr. Francis Davis Millet, East Bridgewater Massachusetts, First Class Cabin E-38. The display started with champagne bottles found at the wreckage site. We then boarded the ship and were able to view the accommodations, and the night of her final passage. Of all the artefacts on display, the one that struck me the most was a stewards jacket from one of the crew members. The display included a real iceberg that you could touch, fixtures from the ship, a section of the hull, and personal items recovered. There were accounts from passengers aboard, including plenty of pictures on display. As the tour ended, there was a log of surivors. "I" (Passenger 13509) was among those lost that night. It was a very well done presentation and I enjoyed the experience.

Disney Moments 7:08 PM

I find that no matter how I am doing, I am moved by the wonders of Disney animation. I spend many hours watching the movies, have them all on VHS and DVD. There's a magic to them that I find captivating and uplifting. These are two of my favorite songs, one from The Lion King and one from The Lion King II. Inspirational, Powerful.

Flat Tire 12:43 PM

I went out for a bike ride earlier today. Got about two miles into the ride when I noticed the back tire was losing air. I turned around and headed home, by the time I was a block away, I had to walk the bike. I have an air pump, so I went to reinflate the tire, but I ended up pushing the stem down into the rim and could not attach the pump. I'll be lugging the bike over to Mom and Dad's to get some help. I want to get back on the bike path!

Changes Are Coming 10:41 PM

Over the next few weeks I am going to be tinkering with the format/layout of the blog. So things will look different on occasion until I figure out what I want to do with it. It's time for an overhaul.

Storm Chasing 9:53 AM

I am fascinated by storm chasers. I watch shows about this whenever I come across them on TV. There has been some pretty incredible footage of tornados captured by the chasers. I certainly wouldn't want to put myself in the path of an oncoming storm, but am intrigued by the people who do. I do appreciate a good thunderstorm though.

Sleepy 10:42 PM

I am sleepy. Been sleeping all evening. Up for a little while, yawning. ready to go back to sleep. It's just one of those tired and sleepy days.

A Box Of Feathers 5:04 PM

A mystery in the making. I received a package via UPS. I couldn't recall purchasing anything recently so thought somebody sent me a present. (I'm deserving.)

It has a typed label with my name and address, with a return address out of Florida. A web search has come up empty, no identification, and the UPS site is not informative either. What's interesting is the contents. Feathers. Lots of feathers. White with black tips. Hmmm...

When you find feathers upon your path it could be taken to mean that you are on a higher spiritual path (whether you accept it or not), and it may be a sign of encouragement as you philosophically travel on this path.

Finding feathers on your path is also symbolic of having a lighter outlook on life or a particulary situation. When we see feathers in our midst it is considered a message that we need to lighten up, not take things too seriously, and try to find the joy in our situation.

Some common symbolic meaning of feathers are:

Heightened awareness
Light heartedness
Enlightenment
Prayer
Divinity
Progress

Interesting indeed . . .

Insights 6:29 PM

You have come out with the Oceanic soul type. This would describe you as a person who is generally happy inside with an array of surfacing moods that tend to effect the people around you more than you would like. You are very busy dealing with things that seem like they would make no sense to the people in your life. You long for communion emotionally with someone but can't seem to find anyone who fits the bill. It is exceedingly important for an Oceanic soul to realize they are part of something by nature that is so vast, so incredible, so infinitely changing that they do not need to 'connect' the way they have learned to think that they do. All they really need to do is take notice of the beauty they are a real bonafide part of and participate fully. It is by exerting will in this small behavioral way that will bring them into a light that is very attractive to the right kind of people for them. Ironically, once an Oceanic realizes what they are a part of and starts to really willfully participate, they no longer feel such a need for connection.so get busy Oceanic soul! You have a lifetime of tides to ebb and flow through, and a whole world of beauty to be a part of.

All For You Mom 5:41 PM

Got to spend the day over by Mom and Dads. Coffee, Donuts, Chocolate milk, Scrabble, Dinner, Conversation, Brothers, Sisters, Phone calls, Baseball, time together. It was a good day. Love you Mom!

Cat Mechanic 4:19 PM

While changing the spark plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotors, Scout (or Gem, not sure which) came to see what was happening in the barn.

Pretending To Be 6:51 AM

Car mechanic.

Magnolias 4:15 PM

My brother Tim has been talking about two magnolia trees down on the UWM campus for weeks, waiting for them to bloom. Back in the day when I wandered the campus, the trees were there, and I was oblivious to them as I walked by them. For the first couple of weeks they were budding, unremarkable in their appearance. I didn't see them last week, so we walked by them this week. They were in full bloom. Beautiful, Stately, Majestic and the air around them scented. I never knew they were magnolia trees.

Today is a warm Spring day, so instead of hopping in the car to run errands, I decided to walk to the auto parts store. It was nice to get out and enjoy the weather. I purchased the spark plugs, wires, rotor, and cap needed to tune up the Jeep and walked home along Lake Drive. I noticed a number of blossoming magnolia trees on the way home. I smiled as I passed, a secret revealed, a little truth in the beauty of trees, a little bit of knowledge of the wonder of nature.

Thanks Tim!

A New Dog 3:55 PM

The day is warm, some sun, perfect to get outside. Did a little job hunting this morning, some reading, then got ready to meet Tim for lunch down at UWM. Got there at my regular scheduled time, had to wait an hour for his assistant to arrive. We chatted, surfed the net ubtil Aaron showed up. Then we walked over to the Dogg Haus, where I had to get the Atlanta Dog. Usually I get a Chicago dog, buttoday I wanted to try something new. The Atlanta Dog is a chili dog, with onions and cole slaw on top. All I can say is YUM. I wolfed it down before Tim was half way through his meal. I still favor my Chicago Dog, but have another new favorite!

A Little JTLC 7:09 PM

I took a detour today from my normal couch surfing, job hunting ways. The Jeep needed a little care, so I went and got the oil changed, tires rotated, air filter replaced, fluid levels checked. Now to get the spark plugs and distributor cap fitted and the Jeep will be running like a champ!

The Swim Of Things 8:46 PM

The day went by fast. Up early, online job hunt, quick shower and over to Mom and Dad's for a journey to Gurnee. Acquired a new slow cooker. After shopping, a stop for lunch. Back home and I read, fell asleep, up for dinner. Afterward I wanted to get out and do something. I searched the Internet and discovered that Pulaski Pool has open swim. Without hesitation, I grabbed my suit and headed over to the pool before I talked myself out of it. I got there, not too crowded, changed, and swam some laps. Not my best effort, but I actually did it, enjoyed it, will do it again. Could this be the start of something. . .? Hmmm . . .

The Swing Of Things 12:23 PM

I wandered the lake front this morning. Sat on the cliff and just wondered. How did I get to this point, how do I shake the feeling of desolation, where am I going? I gave everything to those I counted on, everything and feel empty now. Somehow this song captures me as I am. I sat on the cliff and revelled in the beauty, the simplicity, the complexity of nature. Sat and watched.

Up With The Sun 6:43 AM

Early morning for me today. Going to start some laundry, finish the book I'm reading, then get outside. The sun is out, it's supposed to be a nice day, and I want to enjoy it away from the couch!

Yesterday, I got in contact with an old friend I used to work with years ago(actually, she contacted me), and as we were talking she informed me she had been diagnosed with hodgkin's lymphoma in February and is currently going through treatment. It started a long conversation as I told her about my experience with the disease, she told me hers. It was a good conversation for the both of us.

Last night, I talked with my friend who just finished her treatment for colon cancer for over an hour. She has responded well to them and is hoping for a reprieve, depending on test results and scans. I am hopeful too.

Oh, it's 7:01am and I can now use the laundry facilities, so starts my day.