Huffing And Puffing

"Come on baby, I love you, come back to me." I was saying out loud at the gym while I massaged my right quad on a leg extension machine. Among my many issues is that my right leg does not work well, due to the stage-4 lymphoma in 2014. The leg is weak, and has little feeling. It's a miracle that I can walk and hike as well as I do. Then, again, it's a miracle that I'm alive, because they gave me a 20% chance of living five years... seven years ago. I thought I was dead, then was in a wheelchair, then a walker, and now I hike. In 2019 they took out a tennis ball sized tumor out of my brain, a side effect of radiation therapy. Yes, I am a blessed man. How long do I have? Thank you, Father, for this day.

Topic 2: I'm back to this blog after a seven-year pause to continue documenting myself. In reading backwards, My life is so different from the pre-cancer me... in so many ways.

Topic 3: I'm in Colorado, hiking with daughter Jennifer for my mental health, and praying for a recovery for my best friend and hiking partner, and praying for a way forward… if it’s in your will, Father.

And please grant me perception, awareness and understanding, wisdom and acceptance, and strength and endurance. 

And by the grace of God go I.

- copyright 2021 by Willy

Bare Knuckles

I quit wearing gloves.

On one level, I quit wearing bicycle gloves, removed the speedometer/computer and tossed the heart rate monitor. I ride my heavy fat-tire bike... the carbon has been hanging from the ceiling for years. When I hike my usual solo 7-mile trails, I change to boots but wear whatever I have on (dress shirt and pants)... I do not carry water nor food but I do carry a phone. Bare knuckled.

On another level, I do not use an electric toothbrush either. At my shower you'll find a bar of soap and a razor... no shampoo nor bottles of any kind. At my sink is a toothbrush, Water Pic, baby oil and hairbrush. Pretty simple, eh?

There's only beer and popsicles in my fridge. I own no iron, no mixer, nor blender. I seldom use the heat or air conditioning at home, and I open my window at work. Do I live like a monk?

I do not use mosquito spray and I do not wave a stick in front of me to break the spiderwebs on-trail. Spider bites are an acceptable hazard.

Given a choice, I do it the hard way. I do not use work gloves at the farm. I use a hand saw, I use sandpaper in a block, I cut up small trees with a bow saw, and I usually drive a screw with a screwdriver. I have better control this way rather than with motorized tools, and it toughens my hands and joints. Bloody knuckles heal.

The world is fragile.

I do have to be careful, because I'm too strong. I have twisted doorknobs off, destroyed vacuum cleaners, and hurt with a handshake or hug.

Why?

Why do I do things the hard way? Not only do I like the accomplishment, but doing things the hard way is training. I will be able to do these things when I get old... while my buddies can't already. Use it or lose it!

Storms took the power down and a neighbor with a generator invited me to watch TV, but I thanked him and said that a candle and my iPhone will suffice. I do it because I like simplicity.

Although I'm a rocket scientist, I like no frills. The more complex something is, the higher the risk of failure and the lower the reliability. In my old cars, I've cut off many unneeded gadgets, and the cars are aging rather well. I like low risk.

Sooo... why live bare knuckled? Because it improves both my body and my character. A lot of people talk tough, but I live it.


-copyright 2014 by Willy

I'm Baack

Yes, it's been a while since I posted. It's been one thing after another. From unsuccessful shoulder surgery to the busy end of the Fiscal Year, with a spectrum in-between. I am having fun with friends, regardless... just went to the beach and the National Naval Air museum, again.

This year-end is unusually busy due to the earlier furloughs (off every Friday) getting us behind in our work. Then the sequestration cutbacks' uncertainty made the program offices hold their money until year-end... at which point they had to send funds for work needed before the funds expired. Add to that the actual, real and regular work, as well as more task management, increased demands from supporting elements, delivery of reports, and, of course, next-FY planning with budget funds request. It's been very busy.

Last September, I brought down an old hiker guy off a mile-high Appalachian mountain. The 70-year-old had stability problems and was falling down backwards. I side-hugged him and locked-stepped him down in 6 1/2 hours. Not a smart thing to have done, in hindsight... should have called the rescue squad instead like we did this year on another old coot, because I only have one shoulder left.

Then, following that, in October, I got a virus/bacteria that required a double-dose of Prednisone steroid. It made me feel so good that I pressed more weight for more reps... like a young man. Not a smart thing to do either.

The shoulder hurt: Changing the car radio station hurt. Reaching for the glovebox was very painful. Grabbing something from the back seat was excruciating. I tried months of rest, ice, chiropractor, massage and etc.

The orthopedist did arthroscopic surgery... Resulting in lots of pain, complications, therapy and recovery... all for nothing, because the pain is still there. The orthopedist wanted to operate again and I understood what he wanted to do as deboning chicken, so I fired him, his physical therapist and the horse they rode in on.

I had kept up my hiking and riding. Am back to the gym, taking it easy and doing OK but avoiding overhead shoulder movements. Am doing my own therapy, trying different things out to see what works. My doctor wants me to go get a second opinion from another orthopedist.

My plan is to give it time to heal. It takes a while... everything takes a while to get over, physical or mental, so wish me luck and patience. In the meantime, I'm enjoying life and good friends.

I've been busy.


- copyright 2013 by Willy.

From The Noise

There is an awful lot of junk, stuff or noise out there. When watching TV, we are bombarded by ads; when driving we get the signs and billboards; when dealing with people, we deal with fakes and lies; and when reading an article or book, we read biases and opinion... when all we want to do is find content.

In dieting, we have junk food where we really should be taking in protein and high-grade carbs. In exercise, we have throw-away miles where we should be getting effective use of our time. Where's the beef?



In engineering, we call this finding the signal amidst the noise, and it's a rather difficult task. Noise makes up most of our world, by far. So much, that sometimes we can't find the signal... we have too many choices.

The real solution is an iterative one. You have to know what the signal looks like before you can recognize it, and thus many "looks" are postulated, and extraction attempted, before success can happen. We need to know what the signal looks like. We need to know the form of the answer before we can get the answer. We need to know what we need before we need it. Yes, it seems like double-talk, but it's true.

Not only that, but it is human to see something false out of the noise if we lack control. People want to react to the situation we're out of control in. This explains why TV is so effective. People feel out of control and TV talking heads helps them make sense of it, even if it's a false understanding and thus... brainwashing.

In the health and fitness area, it's about what motivation works for diet and exercise. I have found that silly goals are much better than logical goals... because silly goals are emotional and logical goals are not. We respond to emotional goals much better than common-sense goals. My current goal to trim down fat is to enter a bodybuilding contest (for which I have to show my abs). Amidst numerous logical reasons (noise) like heart attacks, blood pressure and diabetes, the possibility of embarrassment in a bodybuilding contest (signal) is working well for me.

Change your thoughts and you change your world.

- © 2013 by Willy

Why I Hike In The Rain

My daughter and I have a yearly ritual. We get together every summer for a backpacking trip. It's a week or two, sometimes the A.T., sometimes others, but usually remote and usually by ourselves. I enjoy these bonding times. A few years ago, we hiked the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We bought plane tickets and secured reservations ahead of time... we paid for it. When the time came, it was rain, rain and more rain... but we executed the plan. In other occasions, we've hiked in extreme heat, extreme cold, and extreme fatigue.

What this pointed out to me is that I must train accordingly, in all conditions. Especially if I'm to be a tough old man... one of my goals in life.

So, when bad storms come locally, and it's either on my after-work hike day or on the weekend... I hike. I hike by myself (I do not want to risk others). I hike in parka... wet, cold and all. I just do it. No excuses. The storms add excitement to my little adventure. My kind of excitement.

And at the end, I have a terrific feeling of accomplishment and increased self-esteem... I feel smug all over.


- text © 2013 by Willy

Humbled!

I have been humbled by a Wii... the type with a floor pedestal for exercising. My toes were hanging out in front due to my big feet, but this gadget seems to sense weight in four places... front and heel of each foot... while an exercise program runs, which measures and exercises balance.

Right off the Wii insulted me when it created an avitar based upon asked height and its measured weight...  and my avitar was overweight.

I tried several different exercises like step, bike, and hula... and some of them were hard enough to make me break out in a sweat. I wasn't good at it at all and it gave me an age based upon my performance... which was right!  Heavens, I do not act my age as far as fitness goes, so it was a total insult. Margaret, the Wii's young lady owner was gracious enough not to laugh, but I'm sure that I was entertaining with my ineptness. I note that the gadget told HER that she was twenty years younger... she is good.

So, what did I learn from this? One lesson is that I have to get better at balance, so I'm back to not grabbing the elliptical... I've been lazy about that.  The second lesson? Quit playing Wii, of course.

- © 2013 by Willy

The Resolutions

"Does this work like the other one?" I heard the young husband ask his wife, pointing to the treadmill next to me at the gym. In front of me, a white haired old man was sweating heavily on the elliptic. Another White Hair was next to him, briefly standing on the pedals on a bike. A younger honey was running at the end. All these people were new. Last Saturday's step class was full... every step was taken. The gym has been full of new faces and new bodies: The Resolutions are here. Good for them. They give me a smile. I hope they stay, but few do. They are usually gone by March.

Every one of us has his or her own fitness level, and it does not matter what it is as long as we're trying, as long as we're exercising. Of course, this thinking will not win any races, but over-training days are over for me. I'm in the "don't risk injury" stage of life, or maybe it's "lift today so as to lift tomorrow" stage. I suspect that injuries are a big reason why most Resolutions drop out.

Another contribution to the dropout rate is boredom. To fight that, we use an mp3 player, watch TV, take classes, and hike and bike outside. Also, change exercises, machines or profiles fairly often.

Resolutions often ask how much exercise will show results. I have seen studies that say 10 minutes will do it (it's better than nothing). I don't believe in a minimum but rather a maximum: I exercise as much as I can, just not at a high intensity. Google this.

Again, self-motivation is key. A good alternative is classes but it's best to have a partner... or even a coach or personal trainer. Some of us need a strong hand.

Everyone is different. Be different and find your own level. Hike your own hike. Live your own life.


- © 2013 by Willy

Secret Fitness Techniques

Wow, this year went by so fast that it was a blur!

I was looking over my notes and trying to determine how I did with my resolutions this year. On the positive side: I lost weight/fat and improved muscle tone, and vastly improved my hiking endurance. On the negative side: I did not bicycle enough, I had knee and shoulder injuries, and I did not consume enough protein.

My resolution for this next year is to continue hikes and lifting as is, but increase protein and bicycling, and be more careful about injuries.

I wanted my self-discipline and self-motivation to be stellar this year but it was a year full of stress. Stress may be the reasons for the injuries and for a very long "cold," or maybe it was over-training. So, let's try it again next year, and every year, and let's use the same secret techniques that have produced a good work career for me. To remind myself, what to do...

Set goals. What worked well last year was a target waist size and related weight loss, a defined "easy" hike mileage, and increased reps... when my weightlifting buddy wasn't looking. Begin with the end in mind. At work, it's been the number of technical reports published.

Be proactive. What worked well before was to madly cross-train, using all off-work time (no hanging around the house watching TV!). Just do it, the Nike ads say. At work, my interest takes over. Nobody has to tell me what to do, since I'm doing it. Do keep in mind that I have a desk job.

Do not overdo it. Think no over-training injuries. Allow both the mind and the body to win. Think win-win. At work, it has been distributing success credit to others.

Key is playing nice, smiling, sharing, mentoring, being courageous, keeping integrity, and demonstrating patience... with myself and others at the gym, trail, road, and work/lab. However, I do admit that I avoid some people to...

Be happy, and stay happy. "Do what you can with what you got," is my mantra... and...

Remember to rest. Nothing beats eliminating drama and reducing stress, and thus getting good sleep. The body has to heal itself after the carnage. Add regular massage, too.

Shhh... those are my secrets. Don't tell anybody.


- © 2012 by Willy

P.S., a happy new year to you.

Control

I know how to control a machine, but how do we control ourselves? How do we bridle back our actions and emotions? Throttle down? Control our anger? Invoke self-discipline? Govern ourselves properly? Stay on the straight and narrow? Meditate and pray? Diet and exercise? Not cross the line? Not ask for a phone number?

Good questions, but ones with no apparent answer... if we read the paper or examine ourselves for flaws and urges.

A lot has been said lately on this subject with the recent demise of Cosmo’s publisher, and comparisons to Playboy. Both of these magazines are the antithesis of self-control, with their prime axioms being seduction philosophy and lack of inhibition. Sex sells, but it also brought plenty of drama and misery in this battle of the sexes, and produced plenty of casualties.

I still get temptation... like yesterday... but put me down for diet and exercise and hold the drama.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, amen.

- © 2012 by Willy

On Solitude

There is no one waiting by the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, and there will never be. I have a very comfortable solitary life elsewhere, and I like it this way.

There is a big difference between solitude and loneliness... a matter of choice. Loneliness is depression, whereas choosing solitude is enjoyment... for time at work, bicycles, mountains and gyms with a better sense, clearer mind and healthier body. I sleep better, see more, feel better and enjoy life.

I have analyzed my ex-wife and my other relationships. I now realized that I am blessed not to be encumbered by them. I have no albatross around my neck... and want none ever more.

I used to think that it was a tradeoff, a balance between joys and sorrows, but I now realize that there was only short-term joy and long-term sorrow.

The monks are correct in their solitude, however, even THEY pledge obedience to their abbot... the head monk. No way!


- © 2012 by Willy

P.S., No way!

Aging is Healthier

First, I've stated earlier that us old farts have an advantage: We live simpler lives... with no kids, spouse, mother-in-law, school, mortgage, drama or worries. This gives us more time, flexibility and focus. Thus we are happier, enjoy ourselves and train more... a clear advantage over youth.

Two: Harvard researchers have stated that optimistic people... people with a better mood, a better sense of well-being... tend to have healthier blood pressure, cholesterol and weight than pessimists, and less heart disease. When you're happier, you take better care of yourself.

Three: Author and celebrity Doctor Mehmet Oz says that there are no limits on what the human body can do except what we put on them. We don't think as quickly but are more clever. It's not just wisdom but how much we want to win. The secret is wanting it more. We become happiest at our fifth and sixth decades because it all comes together, it begins to make sense, of what life's about. Oz's prescription: Do daily rigorous activity, eat real food, and give your heart a reason to keep beating… a desire.

It IS really all in the attitude... happiness, acceptance and satisfaction leading to a desire to live.

- © 2012 by Willy

She Came To Hell 'Cause Of The Shade

My daughter Jennifer was waiting for me at the main street roundabout Hells Kitchen Pizza, at a shaded sidewalk table with two slices of Veggie Pizza. It was hotter than hell everywhere else.

We had just finished a few miles on the trail up Pikes Peak. From parking, six miles and 1,900 climb-feet in three hours, starting at 6,400 ft altitude.

The Pikes Peak Barr Trail trailhead is in west Manitou Springs main street (parked here), out Ruxton Avenue off the roundabout, then past the Cog Railroad Depot and right on Hydro Street. There are two trails: Barr and The Incline (on Ruxton). The first part of the trail is a walk in the park... worn and well-marked, packed dirt, rocks and gravel, all switchbacks, and tons of people... not a wilderness experience. Most people climb up The Incline and run down Barr.

Prior to that, we hiked to Dominguez Canyon mine... and saw nobody past the first mile or so. We picked it for its low elevation, having to abort our first choice due to a forest fire. This hike was 14 miles, 2,000 climb-feet in 8 hours (in two days).

In the middle was a dayhike up Freemont Peak to gawk at the Royal Gorge but avoid the tourists. On-trail, we only met a nice local couple... with Freemont County Search and Rescue... who came from San Diego 12 years earlier. This peak was populated with three antenna sites, of dozens of varieties and frequencies. This short but pretty dayhike was 2.2 miles, 600 climb-feet in an hour and a half, and was a great view.


This year's early father-daughter bonding hike was part hike, part road trip and all fun. Jennifer is doing very well ("a stellar pregnancy", she says), starting her 6th month. She is handling her dissertation and other stresses well. She's a tough cookie and I am proud of her.

The plan was to stay below 10,000 ft elevation. The hikes were similar to my current but low-altitude training hikes. Every year it's different, and I look forward to the next.


- © 2012 by Willy

Back to Regular Hiking Training

The temperatures have moderated, the ice and snow are gone, but the heavy cloud cover remains. Without sun, there are no "pretty" hikes. The clouds, however, are gorgeous.

I'm back to my fast-stepped mountain hikes. My favorite is a 6 1/2 to 7 mile round trip. Half of that is a 500-700 foot climb, then the second half is flat and downhill. To motivate me, I took an mp3 player and Stevie Nicks, Barry White and other 112-130 bpm songs. It's tough to keep that pace uphill and for that long. Hills provide good training, and fast pacing makes it so, plus the sentiment of "My Everything" when applied to a Higher Power is uplifting and thus further motivational. This fast-paced baseline/calibration hike keeps me breathless but usually results in around an hour and 42 minutes, including breaks. The resultant computation is 3.8 mph overall, which is a blazing fast hike, although not a run.

It provides good training but, this early in the season, tires me and makes me sore. It is a prelude to longer hikes, which have to be fast in order to get them done in a day. My favorite local long hike is Flat Rock at 14 miles and 2400 climb-feet in a leisurely 7 hours. Reaching Red Lizard is even more challenging. These long local hikes themselves are training to be able to hike the real mountains in Rockies, Yosemite, Whites and wherever.

Challenge and training go together.

- © 2011 by Willy

Dallas Waxing Eloquently

OK, so I've weightlifted with my buddy Dallas for twenty years now. He's usually quiet but every now and then the Holy Spirit comes out and he gets philosophical. That happened tonight.

I mentioned that I did not want to hurt this massage therapist's feelings and Dallas responded with "Did you miss your first day of Codependents Anonymous? Where you stood up and said 'Hi, I'm Willy, and I am not responsible for anybody else's feelings.'" "Oh!" I said, "Let me write that down... that's good," as I reached for my cell phone while he did some reps.

That wound him up and he hardly paused, continuing, "I remember Doctor Smith telling me the three different types of dependency:"

Lord, I trust you to take care of me, and not some other things or people. - Prayer of the dependent.

Lord I trust you to take care of me, and not me take care of me. - Prayer of the overly independent.

Lord I trust you to take care of the people that you bring into my life, and not me take care of them (don't be quick to take care of them). - Prayer of the Codependent.

"Unconditional love is a fantasy. People can't do it. Can only get it from God. God desires to fill my vacuum. People try to fill it with drugs, sex, money, muscles and etc." Amen to that, brother.

Free After Three Days

Spin bike for three days of being snowed in, followed by walking the stairs and doing various pushups. Then working on work stuff I had brought home.

Boooring.

But I broke out today!

After three days, a plow... actually a front-end-loader-backhoe... came by the neighborhood and carved a path in the snow and ice. Unfortunately, it shoved a lot of that snow and ice right into my parked cars (my driveway is too steep). It took me an hour and a half of shoveling to free the van (a good back workout), but then came freedom. Sweet freedom. I shed that ball and chain. No more heebie-jeebies. Trapped no more.

Lordy, how in the world did I ever think I could be in any kind of relationship?


- © 2011 by Willy

Outdated or Wiser?

The same things are true in life as in fitness and in faith.

Fall color is here and leaves are carpeting our trails. Fall comes and fall will go, just as sure as the sun will return tomorrow morning. But we learn more each year. This year I discovered ruins just beside my favorite hiking trail.

I am a 60-year-old engineer and am outdated in many things, but not The Big Picture. Yes, kids know eye-opening computer tricks and give me six significant digits of accuracy but oftentimes they get the first digit wrong... that is, they went the wrong way. Can't argue about results based on experience. We know that kids come and kids get old and go, and we all learn from each other.

The AIG/bank/wallstreet/auto bailout came a couple of decades after the Savings and Loan debacle. The economy is a shambles and we don't have the power to fix it, so we wring our hands until we remember that this, too, shall pass. It happened before and it will happen again. I have faith that as liberals come then liberals too will go. The tide comes in and the tide goes out. It ebbs and flows. Are the politicians protecting worthless bank assets incompetent or just crooks? Yes, and then they go, and we relearn not to trust them, or the banks.

We will discover the motivation to embark upon a good fitness plan... then receive an overuse injury or accident, and we stop to heal, and start all over again. Only this time we will risk less to overuse and pick where we ride.

We're living the good life and divorce happens and life gets sour. And life ebbs and flows again later. We get mad at God and then, in His time, we go back, wiser, and learn not to enter another relationship like that.

In my business, the cannon is as outdated as the slide rule, and so is the canon... all of the canons... because the truth is that nothing stays the same.

Life ebbs and flows, and there's much comfort and tranquility in knowing that, and accepting it.


- © 2010 by Willy

Intensity

A little trail philosophy: Life's all about moderation in all things, thus intensity is key. Too intense and endurance suffers plus injuries happen. Not intense enough and we gain no training value and just waste our time. Did I say workout intensity or life intensity?

Crosstraining and tempo are important too. That is, I have learned that the intensity should vary with short periods (workout tempo), medium periods (each day different) and long periods (crosstraining).

About once a week I do an extreme-intensity short-duration cardio (when I go stupid that my legs won't move). A couple of times a month I do a hell of a powerlift single-rep workout of some body part (after a significantly 30-minute warmup). Also about once a month I do a high-endurance low-intensity cardio (a daylong hike). Several times a year I hike or bike for a week.

And I am very careful and very slow in introducing new stuff in my workouts and into my life.

This has worked out well for me... if I have the mental fortitude to stick to it. Sometimes I feel like I know the whole story and other times I feel like its completely out of control.

I've got to be careful about my passions, whether in health and fitness, with my personal life, or at work. One injury, whether physical or mental, and life goes awry for a long time. Since the physical and mental states correlate, one completely affects the other. Action reduces anxiety, and it does apply to both the physical and mental... I've found that the battle is not with or about another but within myself. A mental anguish state can have a physical fitness solution, or an apparently physical barrier can be overcome with the right thinking.

And that thinking had better be with the right positive attitude, with a smile on my face and happiness in mind, and both solo and in community.

- © 2010 by Willy

Action

I'm hyperactive... have ants in my pants and passion in my soul.

I am now packing, ultralight, for a Maine hike. I leave very early Saturday after a night of barbie and brew with the boys.

I had been squeezing in 3 hours of daily cardio, besides the lifting. This week of rest has reminded me that I just don't idle well. The throttle needs to be darn near full-open for this machine to be happy. This applies to all aspects, from work to home and to sleep. At work I've hired 10 new people this past year and my day is still an all-day heart attack. Then I dissipate more fuel afterwards at the gym or outside. Unless I'm exhausted, I don't sleep well, nor feel happy. I'm at my best when I'm contributing fully at what I like. I may not retire until I wear out completely. In the meantime, I'm thoroughly enjoying every adventure, big or small. More hikes and bikes, local and far, as well as growing an army of replacements at work.


It's all about the journey. It's not about watching. It's not about catching what's coming. It's about initiating action to get... anywhere.

I took after my daughter that way.


- © 2010 by Willy

Check it off?

"Check that one off your bucket list!" said pastor Keith's friend at breakfast today.

I had just bragged to Keith that I was kicked out of a gym for the first time, at age 60.

The manager told me the rules were there to keep out the riffraff. Yep, those were his words. I broke the rule: I was wearing a tank top at the new Gold's Gym. Yes, a Gold's! So, I'm baaad, I'm bad, come on... you know it (Michael Jackson).

Oh, well, their dumbbells only went up to 65 anyway. Yes, 65... at a Gold's! The manager said that this, too, was to keep out the riffraff (yes, he did). If I had joined this Gold's I would have turned into a wuss like him. I'm keeping my current gyms and activities instead.

So, thanks to Gold's, I'm walking taller today. I needed it... I got word last week that my friend Kara died of leukemia. She was 44. Was quite the angel. A great loss.

- © 2009 by baaad Willy

It's Coming, Again

In engineering, as in physics, we're very used to detecting things indirectly. You are too. Your dog barks and you know somebody's there. An object's shadow is sometimes larger than the object itself. Observation of effected and unexpected dynamics give it away. Correlation with associated behavior points it out.

Well, one thing that's coming is clearly the upcoming national bankruptcy due to the financial sector's unbridled professional thieves, with their accomplices in congress... an inevitable derailment that seems unstoppable and will destroy this country from the inside. Since we've had these before, you'd think we'd steer away.

The real thing that's coming and welcomed is Christ's birthday. Since Labor Day, we've had Christmas displays at stores. Closer in it's not just traffic jams and full parking lots but the inability to do regular shopping.

In my specific case, two additional things give away the season.

One is the inevitable upper respiratory infection, no doubt due to chilly temperatures while hiking and bicycling. Some Decembers are worse than others, and this one has been bad, having had to take off a week from work. It still lingers.

The second thing that gives away the season for me specifically is that my home stationary bicycle gets dusted off and begins its use, which will happen today. It's just too cold to hike or bike given that I'm still sick, and my regular gym is closed on Sundays.

I like the time off at Christmas. I really want to enjoy my peace and quiet both at home and at work. I can catch up at work this time of year simply because the storm quits swamping the boat and I can bail it dry, and I can relax and do my activities at home unencumbered with commitments.

I've had many discussions on the life of solitude that I've chosen lately. I find it joyful in its simplicity, with a maximum of independence, and better than monastic life by far. While taking a class on stress management from a nun, I just had to ask her what the hell does a nun in a monastery know about stress? She responded that she has to live with 50 other women!

There is also a third thing that could be coming. I've been very human, but I'm understanding my prior mistakes and trusting on early sensing and detection to stay away from trouble. The larger shadow will tell me trouble's coming, and then I must control myself, and stay detached and away. Unlike the upcoming national depression, this one I can avoid.

Yep, there's lots of stuff coming, again. Some good and some bad.

.
- text © 2008 by Willy