910 Of Them

Well, I've put 910 posts out there now. How many of them have you read? That's a lot of words when I rarely have anything to say. You are correct in that I will say something, even if only I am listening.

I was either going to write about telecommuting or Steven Tyler today. As you can see, telecommuting won.

Why didn't I use the Royal Wedding as fodder? I considered it, but was not sure where I could take it. Did you get up and watch it? It was at 2am here, and no, I didn't. I didn't want to interrupt my sleep. Now, I would not mind watching the final Shuttle launch this afternoon. The last one. Kind of historic. However, I don't want to interrupt my post-lunch sleep, so I won't watch this, either.

The weekend? Well, we are meeting the kids and grandkids for dinner tonight. Kathie, Kyle and Lyndsay all have responsibilities at church this Sunday, so I'll be in the service alone. The Chorale has a concert Sunday afternoon. Otherwise, no big plans. I wouldn't mind catching a matinee-priced movie. I see that Source Code, Limitless, and Lincoln Lawyer all have a pre-12pm showing. Maybe we'll do that Saturday.

You may be wondering if I finished the presentations that were due by today. OK, even if you were not wondering, the answer is..not yet. I carried them home last night, but decided to study the CAPM material rather than work on slides. I should have them done today. If not, I guess I know what I'll be doing Saturday afternoon.

Speaking of interrupting your sleep, I will stop doing so now. You can either catch a few more zzz's or get started on your Friday responsibilities. I'll have more to say on Monday, or possibly I'll have nothing to say but say it anyway. See you then.

Going for Baroque

Sure, I'll use anything for a title, even a really bad pun. After all, it relates to today's Clarity of Vision cartoon.

Kathie went to see a friend's new baby last night. Yes, I know what you are thinking. She chose a baby over Survivor and pizza night at the folks? Yep, she did. It is a little thing at just over 5 lbs. His name is Dylan (I am guessing at the spelling). Alison went, too, but she had already seen Dylan earlier in the week.

Yesterday, one of the team managers dropped off a container of Chocolate Cashews at my desk and appointed me the keeper and dispenser of the candy. Kinda weird, huh? Well, it's true he is not here everyday. Still... So, I tried them. Yeah, I see why he dropped them off and told me I could share or keep them for myself. He didn't like them, and I don't much, either. Of course I'll be sharing them. They are a Crunch Time brand, so pass them by of you see them at a store.

The training material is coming along, and I think I have a good outline of what should be presented. So, starting today, I will capture screenshots, write the presentation points, and animate the Powerpoint slides.

OK, I need to generate the data for the Thursday morning 8:30 meeting that I lead. If you want to dial in, let me know. I don't, but then, I do not have a choice on the matter.

I do expect to be here at the same time again tomorrow, so you are welcome to swing by. It's always a pleasure to share with you, and let's do it again tomorrow.

A Full 40 Hours

That's right. We've got to work a full 40 hours this week. The week following a shortened workweek always seems longer, doesn't it?

We sight-read a couple of new songs last night at East Valley Chorale practice. That is always fun. And, Bruce told us that he has hired a new accompanist. I will miss the skill of the interim pianist, but I am sure the new person will learn quickly and soon become part of the Chorale family.

Only one meeting today. That is good timing, because I have to focus on finishing the training materials by tomorrow so I can begin the review cycles on Friday.

I just got a message that my work email box is almost full. I need to go in an clean it up right after we finish here. OK, fine. You caught me. I left for a few minutes trying to see how to find the size of my Outlook mailbox on a Mac. You cannot really do it. So, I'll have to launch the Windows version in an emulator to see how I am doing. Enough about that, though.

Kathie still has a toothache. The problem is that our dentist doesn't open until 7am and closes by 4pm, so it is tough for a teacher to schedule a visit. Kathie usually schedules cleanings during Christmas break and summer. An unplanned toothache is a pain to handle, in many ways.

I should reach the 500 cartoon mark two weeks from today. Some have suggested that I republish some of the early ones since a large number of my readers joined since I started on March 19, 2009. Maybe. We'll see. That could be a little boring for some of you who have been loyal followers for the past two years.

One benefit to arriving at the crack of dawn is that I can capture a covered parking spot during the warmer summer months. Today is the first day I took advantage of this opportunity. It will only reach 90F today, but should be at 97F tomorrow. However, if I have to drive to another building for a meeting, I know my spot will be taken before I return.

Well, I am anxious to get to my mailbox cleanup so that my ability to send and receive messages will not be impacted. It is Spring, so you could do a bit of Spring cleaning yourself. Wear a dust mask and let's visit more tomorrow.

Overlooking My Established Colors

Whew! That was close. I just finished writing today's Clarity of Vision cartoon. because my usual characters are not both in the first two panels, I almost had them making comments not in keeping with their usual demeanors. Luckily, as I reviewed the CoV while adding it to the blog, I noticed the inconsistency. Here is where I ended up.
I know the CAPM test is some months away, but it seems like I'll never be able to learn all that stuff. There are so many mnemonics to learn under nine knowledge areas. And I am three weeks away from the chapter I need to teach. Yesterday's teacher had a lot of clever animated graphics, and a fun learning exercise. I don't like it. I don't know if I can be so creative.

Lots of rain and bad weather across the country, and lots of heat and clear skies building up here. Luckily, it will only reach 90F today. I guess I should enjoy this while I can. They said that, when the MLB All-Star game is here in July, the average temp is 107F.

Just two meetings today. That's good, because they need me to finish two training decks by Friday, and neither has been started yet.

So, I reckon I'll mosey over to the ole workbench, do a little cipherin', and whittle me out some stuff for book learnin'. Y'all can sit a spell, if you like, or high-tail it outta here to do yer own stuff. See ya tomorrow, Good Lord willin' and the crick don't rise.

Day After Easter, 2011

Today by the numbers. I see that this is post #905. It is Clarity of Vision #488. I have been creating cartoons for over 750 days. I have been married for over 12,000 days. I have been blogging for over 2,000 days. I've been in this job for over 900 days. I have been writing today's post for over 8 minutes. So, let's get on with it, right?

We attended the earlier Traditional service at church yesterday. So, we sang 3 hymns and only one chorus. It was fun to sing the songs I remember from my youth..songs we only sing at Easter such as "Up From the Grave He Arose" and others. And, in a twist we don't get from our usual Contemporary service, the special music was a man singing "Holy City" as a solo. The sermon was good, too. It was a good church day.

Being Easter, many people also participated in Easter egg hunts and baskets and candy. We didn't, but it did make me think about it enough to get a Clarity of Vision cartoon out of it.

Want more numbers? It's a 4 meeting day. I have until 12 before they start, so I'd better get ready for them this morning. 2 of them require some preparatory action from me and 2 do not. 3 of them are in-person meetings and 1 is a conference call. 1 of them is in preparation for the CAPM certification and 3 are work-related.

We played the Clue card game yesterday after Easter lunch. That's a good, quick, easy-to-learn game. Then, Kathie and I played Quiddler (picked up at Goodwill for $1). I think that will be fun with the family, and up to 8 can play.

OK, I've done enough with numbers for today. And I've shared enough to keep you going until tomorrow. Have a good Monday and check back in the morning.

It IS Good Friday

Easter - a time recognized as a fresh start, new beginnings, Spring cleaning, a bunny delivering eggs, delicious Cadbury eggs. For many of us, though, it is a time of celebration. A reaffirmation of faith. A Praise for Christ's resurrection, upon which our salvation depends. Praise God!

Some, though, do not believe. For them, it is a mid-Spring day off and just another Sunday. Speaking of day's off...

No real plans. I know we are watching Molly for KLIK. I think we are meeting for dinner tonight.

Dad gum it. I forgot my leftover chicken wings for lunch. I just remembered. No, that doesn't mean I am already hungry. I just noticed the I only have fruit in my lunchbox and not the meal. I guess I could have oatmeal again. Maybe the wings can be my meal tomorrow night.

What else? Oh, hey, I started cleaning up my desk a bit. Maybe the Spring cleaning bug has bitten me? I was looking for a particular document yesterday and thought it might be on my desk. Nope. Still, I started throwing away some old stuff and straightening a little.

The folks saw Rio in 3D this week. They said it was much more for kids than adults. You know how some animated movies cater to both, such as Rango and Gnomeo and Juliet, with dialog that contains cultural or literary references? This one...not so much.

Fine. Let's get going and see if we can finish early. Have a great Easter weekend. I'll see you here early next week.

Boston Rob is Large and In Charge

It looks as if Dad will have to stop watching Survivor in a few weeks. I don't see anyone defying Boston Rob, so I expect him to keep going. He does make for some good TV. Now, Phil also makes good TV, but he drives me crazy. Or maybe he's just crazy.

So, I ran 26.2 last night trying to catch up with Justin and Lindsay. I started off easy so I can get my stamina up. Instead of 26.2 miles like they do, I ran 26.2 inches. By the end of the week, I am hoping to reach 26.2 feet. Yep, I'll get there.

Did you know where I was going in the last paragraph before you read the final sentences? If so, you are ready for today's Clarity of Vision.

We are keeping Molly this weekend. Now, Morris barks a lot anyway, but when Molly visits, he has to exhibit his dominance in his house. So, he barks, and then she barks, etc. You get the picture. Then she also likes to bark at the cat to get him to play with her. Not much luck on that one yet.

It sounds as if Apple has some upcoming product announcements in May. I guess I will wait more time before getting a computer. I don't necessarily mean I want a new model, but that often means the older models are discounted a bit.

I like Breaking In, the new Christian Slater TV program. Have you tried it?

I have to meet with my boss today about a Personal Development Plan for the next year. Ohhh, now I have to decide what to do with my life. I am certainly going to include the certification program I am in right now, CAPM.

So, who's got an Easter sunrise service this year? We don't, although we are thinking to attend the earlier Traditional service so that we can sing the Easter hymns. Somehow, that puts us in a more eastery, worshipful spirit.

Well, I need to go render to Caesar that which is Caesar's. Check back in 24 hours to see if the psychic reappeared or I went another way. Right now, even I don't know.

New Post? You Betcha

No, I do not know why I used a Sarah Palin quote to title today's post. I think maybe because I said something like that to the guard as we chatted on my way in. Anyway, I try not to repeat any blog titles, and I am up around 900 posts now. Sure, you are thinking, "What does he have to say that took 900 posts over 6 years?" I wonder that myself. And yet, here we both are. Don't deny it. You wouldn't even know this information if you weren't checking in occasionally.

Good Chorale practice last night. We sight-read a couple of songs and that is always fun. I sat by a friend and we cut up the whole night. We had an accompanist try out and she was pretty good. Ours moved to VA and that is just too far a commute.

Wait a minute. I just heard startup noises from a nearby cubicle. She is 15 minutes early. OK, she said traffic was very light and she was pedal to the metal listening to her tunes.

Speaking of tunes....

The AZ Governor just vetoed a state bill requiring that all Presidential candidates must show their birth certificates to be on the AZ ballot. She said it was poorly written. No Birther Bill. I guess the USA won't have AZ to pick on anymore.

Well, since I am not getting any ideas on topics, I will close up early today. Don't you hate it when you go to a local business and they've closed early for some reason? Maybe no customers, or the owner had an early engagement or something. Anyway, I am closing shop early. You go home and think about whose music you would have used in today's CoV to make some funny titles that show why the couple might or might not make it. See you soon.

Not a Man of Steel

Did Superman ever need a haircut? If so, what would cut his hair...or was it not impervious? Maybe they had to get some Kryptonite and hold it near him and cut while we was weakened? Why am I talking about this? Two things. First, a friend is going through radiation treatments for cancer and his wife said the steel pins used to guide the treatments make him a man of steel. Second, I got a haircut. Those two things together are enough to set my mind to wandering. Yeah, I know. Does it take two things to make my mind wander? Does it even take one?

OK, speaking of haircut.

Hopefully, Dad is recovered enough to return to Chorale practice tonight. I'll check this afternoon to see if I need to pick up Mom tonight.

I am still feeling "not right," whatever that means. A little achy all over, especially my legs and lower back. A little stopped up. Not enough, though, to stay home. Don't you hate that? I'd rather get all the way sick than this.

The day looks pretty good. I only have two meetings scheduled. I do have some charts I need to generate and some documentation I need to finish, so it's not like I don't have things to do.

I just got through researching Rolling Stones songs for an upcoming CoV. Did you realize that they have more song titles starting with 'S' than any other letter? No, I understand. I don't really care, either. Just giving you some trivia. After all, It's Only Rock and Roll, But I Like It.

However, did y'all see that movie with Denzel Washington where they used the song "Time Is On My Side"? It was good. I don't remember the name of the movie, but it should be easy to find.

OK, enough movie and music trivia. Let's get on with today's real tasks. I've still got to finish preparation for the 8:30am meeting, and that's not a trivial matter. I am ending today's post now. OK, I'm not really finished until NOW.

Music, Merriment, Marriage and Meetings

Let's start with merriment. We did indeed have Game Night on Friday. We started off with a few rounds of Skip Bo. Lyndsay taught us that it is much more fun when you play as teams. We then moved into Clue, the Card Game. The challenge in the first round was how to decide who did it using what weapon and in what room...because Kathie was giving false clues. She did better in subsequent rounds. We ended the evening with a few songs in InReverse on Kyle's iPad. No, I do not remember which songs anyone sung. None as crazy as Lyndsay's Tiki Room last time.

I have to start doing a little studying each night for the CAPM certification. It is not effective trying to cram it in during the weekend.

I mentioned music in today's title. We had a Chorale concert in Casa Grande yesterday. The crowd was large and very supportive. That seems like a nice Southern Baptist church. Too bad it is so far away and in the opposite direction from the GRANDS.

I also mentioned marriage in the post title. Kathie went to a wedding of a friend from work. She said it was fine, but it did remind her of how much more she liked ours. Certainly, there was less alcohol at ours. However, we did not have a reception meal at ours. And attendees did not need to wear cocktail dresses, and neither did the girls. Ha ha.

I'm feeling pretty lethargic and achy (is that how you spell it?). I hope I did not get something from Mom and Dad. I slept horribly, but attributed it to the covers being too warm. And Mondays are a terrible day to stay home.

Plus, if I stay home, I do not have access to the tool I use to create Clarity of Vision. I couldn't do that to you. Here's what I did today.Good drawing skills, right?

Finally, I had meetings as part of the title. One of my meetings got cancelled, so I only have 3-1/2 hours of meetings today. One of them is the study group for the CAPM exam. Uh oh. I am not ready. So far, I think I may be the lowest pupil in the class. Yes, I did start the course 1-2 weeks after the others, but it has now been two weeks. I should be caught up. Hopefully, I will be by next week.

Whoo hoo. The tax refund is in. Now to decide which computer I want. Then, I will use the rest to knock out some of the credit card debt.

What is going on? My legs feel sore. My backside. A slight headache. I don't like it. I had best get a whole lot done in case I don't make it through the day. Y'all stay away from me...just in case. Hopefully, I'll be 100% tomorrow.

Return of Game Night...Revenge of Monopoly

I don't know. I was thinking of a title for today's post and I decided to use a Game Night reference. As I was writing it, I decided to make it more like a movie title. No, I don't expect any retaliation from Monopoly just because we prefer Monopoly Deal, the card game. Maybe I'll make a rule tonight that we cannot play anything we have played before.

Then again, that would mean we cannot play inReverse, the backwards song game. Oh, did I tell you that, when I told my boss about it, he downloaded it during our meeting and I recorded Tiki Tiki Room and we laughed uproariously? Uproariously, I say.

Speaking of meetings, here's one you may have attended before.This is Clarity of Vision #482.

Traffic was so nice this morning. I don't think I ever went below 60mph. Whoo Hoo! And somehow, work on Fridays always seems less onerous. Less onerous, I say.

I ended up in a meeting yesterday from 1:30-4:30. Luckily, it was with my boss, so whatever normal work tasks I did not finish, I can say it was because he and I were in a meeting. And he'll be back today for more. We have a new boss who expects some information and presentations.

I did leave yesterday's meetings with a few assignments, so I'm gonna go work on them. If you have some assignments, you can go work on them, too. If not, I think Andy Griffith is on RTV at 9am. Go check it out. Maybe you can see John Travolta on an old Welcome Back, Kotter episode, too. I'll let you know which games we played when we meet again on Monday. TTFN.

Two Choir Practices in a Week

It turns out that Dad is still sick, so he called and asked if I could lead choir practice at his church last night. They are performing four songs on Easter Sunday and could not afford to cancel practice. So, I picked up Mom and took her to practice with me. It was a good rehearsal. They are very close on all four songs, and should be ready after next Wednesday's practice.

Then, I went home and watched Boston Rob act as a general with his team on Survivor. Kyle says he may stop watching it if they ever vote Rob off. I will admit that he is good TV.

Speaking of not being involved if a team member leaves, what about the churn in a team if the Project Manager leaves? What about after three PMs have left? No, this is not based on any particular project. I am just using it as a forum for the twist in the final panel.

Hmm. I have a cryptic message from my boss in email today. He wants me to call him as soon as I get in due to some redirection now that our Sr. Director left the company. He sent me a couple of photos from the white board where they planned the new strategy, but I cannot make heads or tails out of it. Wow. Can you imagine what a mess something must be if you cannot make heads or tails out of it? I can almost always recognize that something is a head or is a tail. Sorry. I went off on a tangent. Anyway, I will call him soon.

He also says that he will join me mid-morning and that we have much to request. His final comment is that the "first round was excellent." I guess that means my day will now be rearranged. OK, that sounds like fun.

I guess I should get ready for my 8:30am conference call and then call my boss. Or maybe I should do that in the opposite order? No, I am close to having the meeting agenda ready, so I will complete that first.

Well, enough waffling. (Mmm... Waffles.) If I stop talking to you and get after it, I can have the agenda ready in 10 minutes. Let's see how I do. You can stay and watch or go have waffles for breakfast before starting your day. (Mmm... Waffles). See you tomorrow.

Four Eighty And Counting

Today is the 480th Clarity of Vision cartoon. So, let's see. If as many as 48 of them are funny, that's 10%. Not too bad. However, it is too bad that not even 48 of them are funny. Anyway, here is today's entry. ASU announced new uniforms and looks and a pitchfork logo, which they are calling a fork. One thing led to another and I had the idea for today's CoV.

We did practice some new songs at East Valley Chorale last night. I messed up twice. Can you believe it? I was embarrassed. Still, it was fun to flex my sight reading muscles. What would that mean? My eyes? My brain? Well, you know what I mean.

83F today. Pretty nice. I can live with that. 93F by Saturday. 87F is our average this time of year. The heat is coming. I can almost feel it.

I am already behind for today. Finding and choosing photos, tweaking the Star Wars logo, and creating today's CoV has slowed me down. I usually shoot to be through with all this stuff and ready for the day by 7am and it is 7:08am right now. So, does that mean I've got to leave immediately? Meh. Probably not.

Kathie's hand is less swollen now due to nightly heat treatments and the rehab exercises they have her doing. However, the flexibility is not returning yet. And the exercises are still kind of painful. Keep her in your continued prayers.

Dad is sick again with some kind of cold or allergies. So, I picked up Mom and carried her to practice with me last night. So, let's pray he gets well and she does not get it again. Come on, folks. Don't make me have to separate you.

KLIK, isn't it time for a game night soon?

All right, people. We've got to stop chitting and chatting and provide some value add to our employers. We always have tomorrow. "After all, tomorrow is another day."

Sucker Punched Below the Temperature Belt

That is how the weathercaster described the last couple of days as we came in well below the normal temps for this time of year. And later in the summer, he said we will be taking a number of body blows as we again cross the 100s. No, I don't know why he was in a boxing metaphor mood today, but it was kind of funny.

I am back. I was distracted by a dude coming by asking about the results of a meeting yesterday. Is nothing sacred? Can't they see I am involved in important work here? What kind of madness is coming over this place?

Speaking of madness, this dude got mad again today. Then again, I guess we all have opinions.And in case you wondered, yes, I did hear Kyle Petty advertising on the radio and noticed it sounded like cow patty. No, I do not really know what he was advertising. I was thinking about the CoV once I heard his name.

We do have Chorale practice tonight. I expect the folks to be there this week. I was fun singing some new songs last week. I hope that continues tonight. The director also mentioned that he has chosen all but one of our Christmas concert songs. No, I don't think we'll start practicing them yet. I hope not. It is just toooo early.

I was just checking my calendar for today and I accidentally reviewed the to do list. I should not have done that. Now I am thinking about getting the stuff done, what order, how do I fit in the normal stuff such as the 8:30am call, etc. So, while I am distracted, you should try to slip out the back door. Maybe I won't even notice you are gone. Then, just sneak back in tomorrow and it will be as if you never left.

CAPM Exam Preparation

I am (at least today) sitting in on a training course to take the CAPM Exam. You know, PMI's Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)certification. No, I don't really want to do nothing but be a PM all the time, but I need to really understand what the team needs and does to best support them. So, the study group meets each Monday during lunch. I spent maybe 5 hours over the weekend reviewing the first three chapters. Today, I'll sit in and see how the session goes. I missed the first two because I did not know they were doing it. Before I read each chapter, I took a 10-question test to see what I knew and did not know. I missed 1 on Chapter 1, 3 on Chapter 2, and 6 on Chapter 3. Guess I'd better get studying, right? Some of it is a terminology difference, but some is new concepts.

OK. I am rambling on. You could say I am running off at the mouth. Which leads to the daily Clarity of Vision. It could be because of the studying that I did not have any fresh ideas for today's CoV. I pulled this from my idea file.

No game playing this weekend. We did see the granddaughters, but just at lunch yesterday. We did not see the folks. We did see Ali. I did not see Kathie or Ali Saturday afternoon because they had a baby shower. I think Alison did well at the game where they melt chocolate bars in diapers and have the participants taste them to see what they are. Gross, huh?

You would think that, since it gets light earlier this time of year, Monday morning would not seem so early. Nope. At least not for me. The alarm went off way too early today. I wish the Bible said "Remember the Sabbath day and the days before and after it to keep them holy."

It only reached 58F on Saturday. That was really nice. I almost reached for a jacket. We should be back above 90F by Friday. No hurry for me.

Wait. What's that I hear? Oh, it's the sound of people coming in and starting to work. And I need to do some things and study some more before noon. Thanks for coming by on your Monday. I'll see you again soon.

Can You Believe Who Got Voted Off?

No, I am not talking about the TV show Survivor. I am talking about Charlie Sheen being fired by CBS. Oh come on. Of course I am talking about Survivor. I guess I cannot say the name in case some of you have it recorded and have not watched it yet. And if that is true, you need to watch it by Thursday at the latest so we can talk about it. Whoever got voted off, though, I would really like to see them come back and win the whole thing.

Speaking of TV shows...No, I am not really cooking tonight. This strip isn't always about me.

Kathie has both a doctor's appointment and a rehab appointment tonight. I guess I'll see her when I see her.

What else? I did work all afternoon with my boss. Luckily, he had a hard stop at 4:30pm to pick up his son from sports practice, so I was outta here by 4:50pm. However, he did give me an assignment due by 9:30am, so I'll be working on that as soon as we get through.

Anything else? I have been a little remiss in keeping in touch with Rick. The two hour time difference between here and there means I have to take the time to call before 8pm or wait until the following day. And as Harold Hill says in The Music Man, "You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays." OK, that quote was a bit non sequitur, but I write what I think.

I've got a lunch thing with a bunch of ex-Motorolans, so that should be fun. We do this once or twice a year.

I don't know about where you are, but here in the West, it is Friday. So, I am going to get my stuff done and get my weekend on. Let's chat again early next week, OK?

I Represent the Lollipop Guild

Yes, I do represent the Guild today. Why? Take a look at today's Clarity of Vision.
I heard a story on the radio about a local woman suspected of Munchausen by Proxy and the word sounded kind of like Munchkin.

It is time for each of us at work to complete our Employee Professional Development Plan documenting accomplishments last year and development goals for this year. Yeah, I should probably think about that, especially since one of the perks is a free Masters. Do I look at a Master's in Education to be ready for a possible second career as we near retirement? Do I pursue an MBA to strengthen my skills until retirement and hopefully move up the (pay) ladder? Should I focus more specifically on the current role and maybe work on a Master's in Project Management and get my PMP certification? I need to think about it. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try.

Speaking of think, I think my boss is working to clear his calendar so we can work together all afternoon today. He was thinking of coming over to my building to get away from his desk so we are less likely to be interrupted. I will ask him what development objectives I could choose that would best support both of us going forward.

We are supposed to only reach 61F on Saturday. Where do I live again? We've already been above 90F and now, barely above the 50s? In April? I'll take it. The 100s are coming way too soon anyway.

I cannot believe I didn't mention it before now. I finished my taxes. Whoo hoo. Now, we wait for the refund. It could be delayed if the government shutdown happens.

My 8:30am meeting is fast approaching. I need to finish drafting the meeting agenda and get it published in advance of the call. So, from you, all I expect is to feel the draft of wind as you hurry out the door. See you tomorrow.

Surely, it is not my Mac

I had to boot up twice this morning. My wireless, fancy-schmancy Apple mouse did not connect via Bluetooth. Then, as I was posting on the CoV blog, the screen refresh went all wonky. I saved and published anyway, and it looks OK. What is up, huh? Well, I am not going to worry about it nor reboot right now. So far, this posting looks OK. Yeah, baby.

Speaking of wonky, even I must admit that is what happens to my mind and imagination sometimes. It happened at Chorale practice last night. I don't remember what was said, but both Lorraine and I thought of the same phrase. I made it the focus of today's CoV.

No, I did not work on taxes last night because I had practice. I plan to finish tonight. No, really. Why doesn't anyone believe me? Kathie has hand rehab, so I should have a little time then. Oh, but Ali is coming over. Well, I'll still try.

Hey, look at my screen. No, it's not acting up (well, not right now). It is displaying my Outlook Calendar, and there are...wait for it...no meetings scheduled today. I will be able to finish one of my tasks that is a little overdue, and get the regular stuff I try to finish on Wednesday actually completed on Wednesday. Yeah, baby.

I contacted a couple of people I know that do some home improvement work to see if they can help get our shower rebuilt. Neither has responded yet. I'll send one more request their way and then, maybe investigate using a real company. Boo, baby.

Each year, around their birthday, Lyndsay publishes a photo book for each girl with the previous year's pictures and remembrances and things learned. It is very special and we grandparents all fight over who gets to look at the book next. I brought in a couple of them to work and shared them with friends. All were very impressed and, possibly, inspired to do the same for their kiddos. Of course, that was my intention. Now, let's see who actually follows through. Yeah, baby.

You know it is going to happen everyday. The time when i tell you I have completed today's post and need to get to work. Guess what time it is right now. Time to go to work. Boo, baby. I plan to be back tomorrow, Lord willing and the creek don't rise.

A Cooling Trend Coming

We are supposed to only reach 90F today. Whoo hoo. And by Saturday, a high of just 66F. Now, where did I put my jacket?

We have begun walking again at night. Kathie said she is nervous right now that she will slip on something in the dark. She does not wear that sandal/tennies (whatever you call them) that she wore when she slipped and broke her pinkie.

I woke up with today's Clarity of Vision in my mind.

The folks are feeling better and expect to be at Chorale practice tonight. that's good.

No, I did not finish my taxes last night. I will definitely do them tomorrow. How can I be so sure? I heard a story on the radio this morning that refunds will be impacted if the "government shutdown" happens if no budget is approved. So, I want to get mine in the queue ASAP.

It's only a two meeting day, but the first is at 8:30am, so I'm going to leave now so I can get a good seat. Well, OK, not really, because it is a virtual meeting on the phone, so I attend at my desk. However, everyone sees the slide deck from my machine, so I cannot work during the meeting and I need to finish creating the slides. It's been a pleasure visiting with you. I don't have an 8:30am meeting tomorrow. Maybe we can visit longer.

A New Electronic Favorite

Last week, I mentioned that we were not going to have game night over the weekend. I was wrong. We did hold it on Saturday night. Whoo hoo. You know that I love game nights. Surprisingly, though, an iPad (also available for iPod) game was the hit of the night. It is called InReverse and we laughed like crazy while playing it, even if it was our turn to listen only. One person goes elsewhere and records an a Capella snippet of a song. Then, their opponent hears it backwards. If they cannot guess the song, then the game plays the song in reverse in 2-3 short sections and the opponent sings back what they hear. Once all pieces are recorded, it plays the opponent's version in its entirety in normal first-to-last format and they try to guess. Let me tell you, it can be challenging. Lyndsay sang the Tiki Room song and, even at the end, I was not sure what I (and she) had sung. Just think of listening to "Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki room" in reverse.

We also played Clue the Card Game and Ticket to Ride (the train card game). We skipped playing Do Over because it was late and at one point, the rules say "You pick up all the discarded cards...." Maybe next time. And we'll also need a longer time to play Titanic, the Board Game. I hope it's not Titanic, the BORED game.

Let's exercise your mind now with today's Clarity of Vision.

We had a Chorale concert yesterday, but the folks skipped out due to illness. It went well, but the room was a little warm.

Three meetings today, so not too bad. They are all in the afternoon, so I've got this morning to prepare.

No, I did not finish my taxes yet. I worked on them some on Friday night, but spent Sat cleaning and straightening and gaming. Then, yesterday was churching and singing.

OK, I've heard that Friday's post was a little long, so I'll end now and give you back your day. I'll probably say something worthwhile tomorrow, so stop by. No guarantees, though.

I Couldn't Stay Away

Well, if I want to get paid, I couldn't stay away. I still do not feel 100%, but so much time, so little to do. Strike that. Reverse it. (Remember that quote from the original Willy Wonka movie with Gene Wilder?) Anyway, I am in the office today, and so, you get another Clarity of Vision cartoon.

Yes, it's April Fool's Day. I researched the origin and found that no one really knows. Today's desk calendar asks "What was the famous Swiss spaghetti hoax perpetrated in England on BBC on April Fool's Day in 1957?" Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? (Remember that quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off with Matthew Broderick?) Anyway, it was a bogus news report that showed a Swiss family harvesting spaghetti from a tree while a respected newscaster explained that Switzerland had a bumper crop of pasta thanks to a mild winter and the 'virtual disappearance of the spaghetti weevil.'

You know, one nice thing about paying bills online is that you can do so on the day it is due and still be on-time. In the old days (as long ago as 2009, I think), it would be a couple of days late if you had to pay via snail mail. What made me think of that? Our utility bill is due today and I need to pay it online.

Did I mention I had a dentist appointment the other day? Yeah, I am cleared for another six months. However, to any of you that have dentures, my dentist did say they that, especially after age 70 or so, they should have their gums checked once a year to make sure there is no disease or retreating. Come on. You know who you are.

We are supposed to reach 98F today. That is too warm too early in the year. Luckily, we are on the utility company's Time of Use plan where the rates are reduced during off-peak hours. Right now, 5am-9am, 5pm-9pm are peak and the rest and all weekends are off-peak. So, I can cool the house up until 5pm and the evenings don't get too hot. I also run the pool pump during off-peak and we usually do laundry on weekends.

No, I have not finished my taxes yet. I worked on them just a little yesterday, but wasn't really concentrating, so I thought I should wait. I did enter some details about a donation to Goodwill of 11 bags of clothes. That's right. 11 bags. After using itsdeductible in TurboTax, we got a much larger deduction for the clothes than I would have chosen without the tool. Nice. Good for them (lots of clothes they can resell) and good for us (nice deduction). Just think how much the disciples could have deducted for the 12 leftover baskets of food from the loaves and fishes?

What's up for your weekend? I think we don't have big plans, so hopefully, I can finish the taxes and get those submitted. I'm sure we'll catch brunch. Oh, so, I talked to a waitress at our place who takes orders, but never writes them down. She said that she can handle the orders for up to 10 people before she needs to write anything down. Most who do something like that choose a characteristic of the person to help them link facts in their mind. I asked her what she uses for us. She said, "Oh, you're the Texas couple." Then, from two weeks before, she told me Kathie's order and was correct, even down to some substitutions that she always wants. She did not know mine because she said I don't always order the same items.

Look, I was out yesterday and am already way behind for the week. I need to get started and finish a lot before I get my weekend on. You should do your stuff, too, and let's finish the workweek with a bang. See you next week.