It's Friday!

Well I'm at lunch and enjoying an hour to relax. It's been a rather quiet morning. I've taken out some teeth and done some checkups and some periodontal deep scaling... but for the first time in awhile I have gone a whole morning without picking up a dental hand piece. How about that?

Well it looks like the Fourth of July weekend is just around the corner... where did the time go? It looks to be a quiet one for us. I have work on July 2,3 and 5 so I'm pretty much tied into staying in San Diego. Not really a bad place to be stuck, is it?

This weekend it's a backyard project to keep me busy on Saturday and maybe part of Sunday and Monday. A little sweating now will make the backyard a little nicer place by this fall.

For some reason I had bad luck with my grape vines. The two planted last year are doing well. The six I planted this spring didn't fare as well. I guess all the warm weather so early this year wasn't good for them- because only one survived. Maybe next year will be better. I'd like to have 8 or 9 vines going strong and producing in about 4-5 years from now.

Another Day in the City

This will be short. I'll just post three photos I took over the last couple of days. Hope you enjoy them. Also here's a link to a pretty cool video you will enjoy:

http://www.vimeo.com/1211060

Early in the morning at sunrise.

New carpet for the staircase.

On the road with my bike.

Scan-tastic

While waiting for the carpet-eers to arrive to carpet the stairway I have been scanning articles and documents with the new HP Officejet J6450. Here's an interesting article from Money Magazine about Emergency Room visits... how to survive and come back out alive!

Hey there blogger readers,...

Hey there blogger readers, this is my 5th try of trying to go Jott to blog. See if it works. I think it will this time. Goodbye. listen

Powered by Jott

Techie Tidbits

Thanks to Jason and Kip I've uncovered these wonderfully helpful online *free* services.


The first is Jott found at www.jott.com

It is a message taking service that you can use from any phone. If you've got an idea and need to write it down but just can't get to a piece of paper? Dial up Jott and it will transcribe your message and send it to your e-mail, blog or even someone else's e-mail. Pretty cool.




The other is I Want Sandy found at www.iwantsandy.com

Sandy is your personal assistant and can be linked to jott. What does sandy do? you can go to the website and set up reminders for yourself... some one's birthday, need to pick up stuff at the store, or whatever. Sandy will then either e-mail or text your phone with the reminder.

These two used together could enhance the quality of your life. How?

Suppose you want to stop off at the market and get six things after work. You dial up jott and dictate your list. It gets sent to Sandy (your personal assistant) and then she sends you a reminder (both via e-mail to your CPU and text to your cell) that you need to go to the store.

Is this an example of technology actually helping us?

It's Hot- Hot- Hot

Being that it is only mid June.. this heat wave is incredible. It's been in the 90s all week and peaked at 104 both Friday and Saturday. It's going to "cool off" back to the 90s today and then drop back into the more seasonal 80s for the rest of the week.

Here's five things to think about.

1- We're getting our stairs carpeted tomorrow... ti will finish off the complete removal of the sea foam green carpet that has been with us since we bought the house in 2002. Monday is the last day.
2- BMO is returning to camp -of-champs next week. its an intensive wrestling camp that will hone his skills.
3- I'm getting a new cell phone. it's my third attempt with palm smartphone. this one is the palm treo 700p. It should be here next week.
4- I'm thanking God for the man who created the electric fan. Aside from an occasional shower, these fans have been wonderful the last few evenings.
5- I can recommend the mini series on Discovery channel called "when we left earth" as very interesting and educational. It's a documentary overview of Space exploration.

101 in 1001-- Item #31-- Take better photos

Why I chose this goal: I have always enjoyed photography. Whenever you look at a photo you take you always ask... how could I have made this better?

What I did: I looked over a few photography books and on line materials and took lots of pictures. My photos did improve. Here are a few so you can judge for yourself.

My Public Enemy #1--- the Mockingbird

From 1030 pm until the sun rises again, this melodious songbird serenades the entire neighborhood with his cacophony of sounds. He's not skilled in one song- but sings 6 or 7 different songs... sort of like those car alarms that give a multitude of alarms to get your attention.

I recently read the classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" So... Why is he public enemy #1? For the past week this loud and exuberant songster has been singing t attract a mate... literally all day and night long. Last year he was perched on our chimney but this spring he inhabits the eucalyptus trees on the hillside in back of our house.

I've tried several things to tune him out. I've closed the window- it works but--- no fresh air. Earplugs and a window fan. The last few nights, closing the window seems to work... but last night it was too warm, so I turned the fan on and I was able to sleep through until his warbling broke through at 5:30 am.

I certainly hope he finds his mate and will become silent again soon.

Magic MPG

Well I picked up our daughter from college today and brought her home for the summer. With lots of highway driving (and the stop and go driving that Los Angeles is famous for) I set a new personal best in the Scion xA... drum roll please...

39 MPG !!!!

On a bitter note I filled up the car on Monday for $4.29 a gallon and again today (two stinking days later mind you) for $4.39. Those blood sucking oil bastards raised the f---ing gas prices 10 cents in less than 48 hours. I hope they choke to death on their oil profits... along with those greedy Arab oil barons.

101 in 1001-- Item #82-- Volunteer *

Why I chose this goal: Give something back. So many times in life we all figure that someone else "will do it". Well this time, I was that someone.

What I did: On this election day-- June 3-- I was a poll worker. I was that someone who handled the ballots to make sure your vote counted. Was it a long day?- yes, Was it boring work?- yes. Was it worth it?- yes.

* modified from "volunteer for a museum or the zoo".

Progress Report

Item #1 ... 6 of 25 pounds lost
Item #5 ... 5 of 30 days of avoiding fast foods. (began 6-5-08)
Item #26... 64 of 250 mini courses
Item #30... 7 of 12 books read
Item #31... I'm taking photos regularly and read a book on photo composition
Item #37... 3 of 7 connections with old friends
Item #39... 3 of 5 acts of random kindness
Item #41... listening to the bible on CD, reading it and TTB podcasts
Item #43... planning a trip to Yosemite for the fall
Item #47... considering season tickets to aztec games at the Q
Item #61... Italy trip planned for Sept 08
Item #73... I'm three days from finishing the backyard landscape
Item #76... I bought a boogie board for this summer of 7 boogie trips
Item #81... I'm about halfway through wearing all everyday clothes in closet
Item #87... halfway done with making wine from grape juice kit (zin/shiraz)

101 in 1001-- Item #65 Buy a New Scanner

Why I chose this goal: The current flatbed scanner we have is broken and won't scan. Since I do a lot of scanning of photos and articles, the breakdown has become a necessity.

What I did: After researching several options I went to the Costco and bought an HP officejet j6450.

Stanley Cup Champs

Five Things

Here it is again...

1- I worked at a precinct for yesterday's election. It was an interesting and fun --albeit long-- experience. Democracy in action.
2- Wings are leading 2-1 going into the third period. They're playing well, having to beat not only the Penguins but also the referees is a tough job. Go Wings... There's the start of the third...
3- We racked the Zinfandel wine off the lees from the primary to the secondary today... it tastes and smells like it's going to be a winner.
4- Gas in $4.09 here.. at the Costco.
5- Aztec tickets... I'm going to do it and get season's tickets for this year's San Diego State Aztec's football season.

P.S. I'm reading Spartan Season's 1 and 2 by Lynn Henning... a very good book for you MSU fans. Go State.