Sorry for the lapse in posting a new entry, but I haven't had a lot to write about since my last post. In the past few weeks, I came across a game called Farming Simulator 2013. It's a game that allows you to do various farming activities to earn money in order to continue to improve your farm and equipment. It will not be available for Apple computers for a few weeks, so I have been watching several videos on YouTube how people play it.
It looks like a game that will hit a number of my interests. The simulation aspect allows me to drive several different vehicles in a somewhat realistic manor and the budget requirements go along with my management interests. Thinking about my gaming past, this will be the first time in several years that I have gotten a completely new game. I have had several expansions to my flight and train simulators, but those just added to the experience. I'm looking forward to the new challenge and hope it will last me several years.
I have been feeling strangely lazy in the last few weeks as well. Spanish has seen little progress and work continues to be pretty slow. Fortunately, this week has been a little busier, so it will hopefully change soon.
That's really all I have at this point. I may put a thanks related article later this week, but we'll see how it goes.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Writing
Yes, you read the title correctly, I'm writing about writing. It may seem a bit ironic, but it is the subject I've chosen for this post.
Since this past May, I have been writing my own series of lessons in the church newsletter that I am the unofficial editor of. These articles are about how we need to base our thinking upon the Bible, God's word, instead of fallible man's ideas. They are based on the Foundations series by Answers in Genesis, but with my own additions and made for one page articles. Today, the fourth article, out of a planned six, was officially released.
The newsletter goes out every two months, so I've known that I needed to get the article written for quite a while. Unfortunately, I could not get in the right frame of mind to write it and finally made it about one day before it was printed. Since I wasn't in the "writing mood" for it, I struggled to finish the piece and did not feel that I did very well on it. Well, apparently I was wrong about that.
My last newsletter entry received one comment from a church member that it helped her thinking and encouraged further study. I was happy to hear that and that maybe my writing was helpful for people. Today's release though has already had three responses that they liked it, that makes for three times the comment from the last one. I guess it shows that what I think is poor work may not be the case for someone else.
It is my real hope that making these articles available for people will help them to better understand God's word and help to base their thinking from a Christian perspective. I know that my study in this area has helped me, so why not pass on the knowledge I've been given to others. The last two items in the series will be more difficult to deal with, hopefully they will remain a valuable resource for my readers if it is the Lord's will.
Since this past May, I have been writing my own series of lessons in the church newsletter that I am the unofficial editor of. These articles are about how we need to base our thinking upon the Bible, God's word, instead of fallible man's ideas. They are based on the Foundations series by Answers in Genesis, but with my own additions and made for one page articles. Today, the fourth article, out of a planned six, was officially released.
The newsletter goes out every two months, so I've known that I needed to get the article written for quite a while. Unfortunately, I could not get in the right frame of mind to write it and finally made it about one day before it was printed. Since I wasn't in the "writing mood" for it, I struggled to finish the piece and did not feel that I did very well on it. Well, apparently I was wrong about that.
My last newsletter entry received one comment from a church member that it helped her thinking and encouraged further study. I was happy to hear that and that maybe my writing was helpful for people. Today's release though has already had three responses that they liked it, that makes for three times the comment from the last one. I guess it shows that what I think is poor work may not be the case for someone else.
It is my real hope that making these articles available for people will help them to better understand God's word and help to base their thinking from a Christian perspective. I know that my study in this area has helped me, so why not pass on the knowledge I've been given to others. The last two items in the series will be more difficult to deal with, hopefully they will remain a valuable resource for my readers if it is the Lord's will.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Some Days
The last 24 hours have lived up to the unexpected times portion of this blog's title. Just about this time last night we received one of those dreaded calls, the night nurse wasn't coming and a replacement couldn't be found. So mom, who just got over a bad cough/cold, and I stay up until 2:00-3:00 in the morning until dad gets up and takes over. He then stays until the day person arrives around 7:00.
Therefore, we're all tired on no nurse days and are very thankful when the next comes in. After a short night, I was greeted by an ever increasingly rare busy day. Part of the busyness was due to going out for a scheduled hair cut, but it still cuts into the day.
After about a two week hiatus, one of my business partners calls to check on progress for a particular client's site I've been working on. This site is going on Wordpress, a web platform meant for blogging, so the client can do their own updates. Unfortunately, I have had little opportunity to work on the programming side of these sites, so it's a somewhat steep learning curve. Of course the theme we're using is not programmed how I would expect making it all the more difficult. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll need to bow out on this project to another programmer who has more expertise in the area. I of course don't like losing work, but it's in the best interest of the client.
Last weekend, I switched a different client's web host to another in order to provide better reliability. They use their own server for email though and it was messed up due to the switch. I had to again go to an outside source in order to get it fixed. You would think that after twelve years of doing web development that I could do these things, but apparently not.
I'm sure it's partially due to being tired, but tonight's Spanish review lessons also didn't go well. Only scoring a 90-93% on material I've already covered is pretty pathetic, in my thinking anyway. With everything combined, I start wondering if I'm really completely competent or just a good actor. However, I know that's temptation trying to take hold, so avoid such thinking.
Tomorrow I'm planning to attend a networking event with other local business people. Hopefully it will prove to be productive and I can get my name more in circulation. I have also had a few potential site contacts come through in the past week, hopefully a few will turn into actual business.
I know last time I said this post would be about chairs, but this felt more like today's topic. Look for chair information coming soon, hopefully.
Therefore, we're all tired on no nurse days and are very thankful when the next comes in. After a short night, I was greeted by an ever increasingly rare busy day. Part of the busyness was due to going out for a scheduled hair cut, but it still cuts into the day.
After about a two week hiatus, one of my business partners calls to check on progress for a particular client's site I've been working on. This site is going on Wordpress, a web platform meant for blogging, so the client can do their own updates. Unfortunately, I have had little opportunity to work on the programming side of these sites, so it's a somewhat steep learning curve. Of course the theme we're using is not programmed how I would expect making it all the more difficult. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll need to bow out on this project to another programmer who has more expertise in the area. I of course don't like losing work, but it's in the best interest of the client.
Last weekend, I switched a different client's web host to another in order to provide better reliability. They use their own server for email though and it was messed up due to the switch. I had to again go to an outside source in order to get it fixed. You would think that after twelve years of doing web development that I could do these things, but apparently not.
I'm sure it's partially due to being tired, but tonight's Spanish review lessons also didn't go well. Only scoring a 90-93% on material I've already covered is pretty pathetic, in my thinking anyway. With everything combined, I start wondering if I'm really completely competent or just a good actor. However, I know that's temptation trying to take hold, so avoid such thinking.
Tomorrow I'm planning to attend a networking event with other local business people. Hopefully it will prove to be productive and I can get my name more in circulation. I have also had a few potential site contacts come through in the past week, hopefully a few will turn into actual business.
I know last time I said this post would be about chairs, but this felt more like today's topic. Look for chair information coming soon, hopefully.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Fall
Autumn is in full force in Iowa, as much as I hate to admit it. A lot of people say that fall is their favorite time of year, and I can't blame them for that. Trees turn colors and show a very beautiful part of God's creation. Where I like to go out for rolls (walks), it seems like everything is new again with different color that changes on every visit. For me though, fall means colder temperatures, and a foretaste of what is to come, winter.
It also means an end to my barefoot summer. Last week I went out train watching with my parents and whore shoes all day. It was a grim reminder of the season change and I could tell my body didn't like it. After getting home, my feet were swollen and had several red marks from their experience. The outing itself was enjoyable though, especially exploring roads around the rails we hadn't been to before.
One of these roads had an old wooden bridge on a dead end rock road that went over the tracks. It was a great place to sit because nobody would care that you were there and it offered a bird's eye view of the rails. The only slight problem is that the approaches on both ends were rather steep. This meant that on our return trip over the bridge, the van bottomed out and got stuck. It was a minor problem that didn't take much to get out of, but it made for an entertaining excursion.
The bridge was just outside of Boone, Iowa, the home of the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. They were using their steam engine last weekend while we were in the area so we could hear when we were in the country. Hearing the lonesome sound of the steam whistle in the distance made it seem like we were back in the days of steam when the Union Pacific Challengers and Mountains would have ruled the tracks. If I can get dad's memory card the videos, with background steam whistles, will be on my YouTube channel.
Speaking of fall, I'm starting to think my health might be doing the same again. For the past few weeks, I haven't been able to keep my lungs completely clear for anything. My nurses have been having allergy trouble, which I may be as well, but it's very odd to be so congested for so long. This week, I've had a few times that I could hardly keep my eyes open. Today is Friday and I have been wanting to get this entry in since Monday. The leaking bladder problems have also returned, thankfully not as bad as last time though.
In my next update, I need to talk about what's going on with my wheelchair. That topic could likely take a few posts, but I'll try to keep it down to one. The next few days look to be warmer again, so I'm hoping to get out and get some sun, barefoot of course, while I still can. Until next time!
It also means an end to my barefoot summer. Last week I went out train watching with my parents and whore shoes all day. It was a grim reminder of the season change and I could tell my body didn't like it. After getting home, my feet were swollen and had several red marks from their experience. The outing itself was enjoyable though, especially exploring roads around the rails we hadn't been to before.
One of these roads had an old wooden bridge on a dead end rock road that went over the tracks. It was a great place to sit because nobody would care that you were there and it offered a bird's eye view of the rails. The only slight problem is that the approaches on both ends were rather steep. This meant that on our return trip over the bridge, the van bottomed out and got stuck. It was a minor problem that didn't take much to get out of, but it made for an entertaining excursion.
The bridge was just outside of Boone, Iowa, the home of the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. They were using their steam engine last weekend while we were in the area so we could hear when we were in the country. Hearing the lonesome sound of the steam whistle in the distance made it seem like we were back in the days of steam when the Union Pacific Challengers and Mountains would have ruled the tracks. If I can get dad's memory card the videos, with background steam whistles, will be on my YouTube channel.
Speaking of fall, I'm starting to think my health might be doing the same again. For the past few weeks, I haven't been able to keep my lungs completely clear for anything. My nurses have been having allergy trouble, which I may be as well, but it's very odd to be so congested for so long. This week, I've had a few times that I could hardly keep my eyes open. Today is Friday and I have been wanting to get this entry in since Monday. The leaking bladder problems have also returned, thankfully not as bad as last time though.
In my next update, I need to talk about what's going on with my wheelchair. That topic could likely take a few posts, but I'll try to keep it down to one. The next few days look to be warmer again, so I'm hoping to get out and get some sun, barefoot of course, while I still can. Until next time!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Beginning to End and Back Again
In high school, mainly, I started to regularly read a portion of the Bible before I went to bed at night. This has been a habit that I've adjusted, but kept doing through the years. Last night saw the completion of another time through and tonight will have another start beginning with Genesis 1:1.
When I first started my reading, I only did one chapter a night. This is what I felt was a good pace and it stayed for a number of years. Sometime after high school, I went up to reading three chapters a night, and that has primarily been what I stay with. At that rate, it comes close to reading the entire Bible in a year. I do skip some nights though, especially when falling asleep, so it does take me more than a year to complete a cycle.
I haven't kept track, but this time through was likely my tenth or so complete reading. After all these years of study, you would think I would be an expert, but I'm not. I can recite much of the information and recognize several passages, but there are very few places I can give you the exact passage where something is found. For that, I often need to refer to a service like BibleGateway.com where I can search for a certain phrase. Unfortunately, one of my biggest problems is distractions, I can easily let my mind wonder away from what I'm doing.
This results in several verses being glossed over, but I can't remember what it was. Therefore, I may reread part of it again and possibly end up with the same problem. It's an area I continue to work on, but one that needs a lot of attention.
After my first few times reading from cover to cover, I started adding in a few requirements. A few times was reading every foot note that was referenced. Some of these did not agree with God's word, so they weren't always helpful. For this time through, I don't know that I'll add any requirements, but I will see how it goes and new things I learn!
When I first started my reading, I only did one chapter a night. This is what I felt was a good pace and it stayed for a number of years. Sometime after high school, I went up to reading three chapters a night, and that has primarily been what I stay with. At that rate, it comes close to reading the entire Bible in a year. I do skip some nights though, especially when falling asleep, so it does take me more than a year to complete a cycle.
I haven't kept track, but this time through was likely my tenth or so complete reading. After all these years of study, you would think I would be an expert, but I'm not. I can recite much of the information and recognize several passages, but there are very few places I can give you the exact passage where something is found. For that, I often need to refer to a service like BibleGateway.com where I can search for a certain phrase. Unfortunately, one of my biggest problems is distractions, I can easily let my mind wonder away from what I'm doing.
This results in several verses being glossed over, but I can't remember what it was. Therefore, I may reread part of it again and possibly end up with the same problem. It's an area I continue to work on, but one that needs a lot of attention.
After my first few times reading from cover to cover, I started adding in a few requirements. A few times was reading every foot note that was referenced. Some of these did not agree with God's word, so they weren't always helpful. For this time through, I don't know that I'll add any requirements, but I will see how it goes and new things I learn!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Politics
Let me start off by saying that I am NOT into politics. I've heard many times than Iowa's first in the nation status for primaries is a great honor, but not if you ask me. To me, it just means we're the first state in the nation to get annoying commercials and phone calls. If a candidate had me do their web site, it may be a different story, but that has yet to happen. This election though, seems to be extra annoying, the worst since I have been of voting age at least.
The phone calls and TV commercials have been constant for nearly a month now and will likely continue to get worse until November. I understand that the candidates want to get their positions in the public's eye, but the negative ads are probably the worst. If you pay attention to the news, which I do, it's easy to tell the false information from the true. Unfortunately, they both continue to be told no matter how many news reports go out.
My biggest problem with this current election is that I don't care for either of the presidential candidates. One is very against what I believe in social issues, and the other is a long way off in economic and health issues. If the two were combined, I may have a candidate I'd like, but with politics, I wouldn't guarantee it.
With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, I have more relief from health insurance problems than I ever have had in my life before. That's not saying I agree with all of its points, but it has made a large improvement over what previously existed. Those that want to overturn it unfortunately won't say what would replace it. If we go back to insurance plans with lifetime caps and high rates, I'll be back to watching the time tick down until I'm without coverage. In Iowa, that means a mandatory sentence of life in a nursing home.
I understand the idea of having a democratic election and congress, and think it's one of the better ways of having government. Unfortunately, as one of our early presidents warned, forming democratic parties could mess everything up. He was unfortunately correct, but did not offer a solution if they did form. The next several weeks could be interesting, but I can't wait until November 7 when elections are done.
The phone calls and TV commercials have been constant for nearly a month now and will likely continue to get worse until November. I understand that the candidates want to get their positions in the public's eye, but the negative ads are probably the worst. If you pay attention to the news, which I do, it's easy to tell the false information from the true. Unfortunately, they both continue to be told no matter how many news reports go out.
My biggest problem with this current election is that I don't care for either of the presidential candidates. One is very against what I believe in social issues, and the other is a long way off in economic and health issues. If the two were combined, I may have a candidate I'd like, but with politics, I wouldn't guarantee it.
With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, I have more relief from health insurance problems than I ever have had in my life before. That's not saying I agree with all of its points, but it has made a large improvement over what previously existed. Those that want to overturn it unfortunately won't say what would replace it. If we go back to insurance plans with lifetime caps and high rates, I'll be back to watching the time tick down until I'm without coverage. In Iowa, that means a mandatory sentence of life in a nursing home.
I understand the idea of having a democratic election and congress, and think it's one of the better ways of having government. Unfortunately, as one of our early presidents warned, forming democratic parties could mess everything up. He was unfortunately correct, but did not offer a solution if they did form. The next several weeks could be interesting, but I can't wait until November 7 when elections are done.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Vacation 2012
Two days ago, I dropped my parents off for a train trip out west. They arrived today in Sacramento and plan to spend about a week in the area before returning. My parents try to manage one extended trip every year and this one has been planned for quite some time.
Even though I don't go anywhere, it seems like a vacation for me as well. I get to try my own recipes, food experiments as I call them, and do what I want since I have more nursing hours. I don't much different that normal, but it is a nice break from each other.
In a few weeks, I'm planning to visit a friend of mine, Ken, in northern Iowa. He is a fellow quadriplegic, but does not have private insurance and was forced into a nursing home in 2000. To say the least, Ken's living conditions are not pleasant and he has a very poor quality of life. It's possible that I will one day end up with him, so I try to be a friend and visit and/or call a few times a year, but it's rare I remember. It's something I hope to work on in the coming months.
That is about all I have to report for now. I will see if I find any noteworthy recipes by the time my parents return.
Even though I don't go anywhere, it seems like a vacation for me as well. I get to try my own recipes, food experiments as I call them, and do what I want since I have more nursing hours. I don't much different that normal, but it is a nice break from each other.
In a few weeks, I'm planning to visit a friend of mine, Ken, in northern Iowa. He is a fellow quadriplegic, but does not have private insurance and was forced into a nursing home in 2000. To say the least, Ken's living conditions are not pleasant and he has a very poor quality of life. It's possible that I will one day end up with him, so I try to be a friend and visit and/or call a few times a year, but it's rare I remember. It's something I hope to work on in the coming months.
That is about all I have to report for now. I will see if I find any noteworthy recipes by the time my parents return.
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