A Time For Everything

I recently read this book and it spoke quite strongly to me in regards to making sure that the last two or three decades of my life are as I want them to be. Namely--me being fairly independent, able to care for myself, healthy (physically & mentally), active, stable, flexible, and doing the things I want to do.

Dr. Attia firmly believes that the best thing we can do for ourselves to protect and prevent (as is much as humanly possible) us from succumbing to any of the Four Horsemen, as he calls them, is exercise. He has specific ideas and recommendations as to what kind of exercise, of course, but exercise none the less.

The Four Horsemen, according to Dr. Attia, are heart disease, type two diabetes, cancer, and neurogenerative disease.

Right now, medicine in general (Medicine 2.0) tends to respond to things that are wrong with people rather than work on preventative actions (Medicine 3.0). Sometimes the responses come too late, such as with cancers.

Anyway, it's a very informative book and I highly recommend it to everyone.

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As a fan of the original Twister (released 1996!), DD and I were very excited to learn that a contemporary version was coming to theaters. We went to see it as a family a week ago yesterday and ...

DD and I both loved it. So much so that we decided to see it in the theater a second time. I decided to wear my earbuds during my second viewing to dampen the sound a bit as volume seemed super loud in the IMAX theater. However, the regular theater volume was fine and I took them out halways through the film.

There were several call backs to the original, but the plot line was original unto itself. We highly recommend it, but see it soon as it won't be in theaters long. DD saw it an additional two times on her own, but could not explain what about it has exactly tickled her fancy.

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Image courtesy of Google Maps.

Speaking of exercise...

My annual road trip home is a month or so out. I debated flying because I've reached a point that sitting for extended periods of time does my body no good, leaving me feeling stiff and achy--two things I try to avoid on a daily basis by getting up and moving around hourly.

But the cost of flights (plus checked luggage fees) and the lack of freedom while I'm visiting my family was prohibitive this year. I'll need to start checking flight prices sooner next summer.

To combat my bodily grievances, I'm seriously considering stopping at Walmart Supercenters (chosen for safety reasons) at two-ish hour intervals in order to take a stroll around the store. I can also use their restrooms and buy better food at cheaper prices than at gas stations.

I've scoped out the relevant store locations already and will ponder this course of action for the next several weeks before making a definite decision.

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Hope you are well! My trip to Austin will happen the weekend before we meet again, so I may postpone posting so as to have time to write about my experiences.

Be well and take care...

First off -- there's been a huge upset in the business. Our very first employee, who'd worked for us for seventeen(!) years, gave notice a few weeks ago, and this past Friday was his last day.

It's a mixed blessing, to be sure, but ultimately, our business is going to be the better for it.

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Also this past weekend (Fri-Sun), I was on a mini-writer's retreat with my writer besties. It was wonderful to get away (a couple hours east from home) and hang out with my friends and get some work done on the revamp of my first series. I've talked about that here.

Books 1 - 3 are all in progress, Book One needing the most work. But I reached a point with that book that I needed more time / space (well, lack of distractions) that I'd saved the focused work for this retreat and moved on to the other books in turn. Not that I've finished either of them either.

Unfortunately, Book One needed more work than I remembered and I had a hard time really getting in the work zone to do the detailed edits that need to be done. But I did read through it yet again, making minor tweaks and refreshing my memory on the scope of work. So now I can plan some time blocks to work on it.

Book Two and Book Three are, tbh, I don't even know right know. Closer to being done than Book One, so those can be worked on whenever.

As for the new covers I've commissioned, those are coming along too. The original covers are very soft and muted. The new ones are gonna be brighter and a little more cookie cutter. It's been a challenge finding appropriate models, especially for Book Two. Ultimately, I decided not to stress about it too much. They're not really for me.

My goal is to be done revamping the first three books by the end of September and then dive into the second three books during the 4th quarter. I hope Books 4-6 won't need too much work. Then comes the challenge of new words for Book 7 which is one-third to one-half done.

But I'm chugging along with the overall project, so I'm not complaining.

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Anyone who's been around these here parts for any length of time will know I love podcasts. I've listened to various different ones, including history, but mostly I listen to hockey podcasts.

Puck Soup was my first hockey-based podcast and I loved it dearly. Yes, loved. These days, it's fine. I haven't listened to any of the new stuff since the Stars fell out of the playoffs. I couldn't bear any hockey talk because the Stars' defeat would have been a hot topic and my heart was too raw to hear the players and the play dissected.

I've basically unsubbed from everything podcast / hockey related -- except Puck Soup even though I could save myself $9 a month by doing so. I keep it solely because of one person...Greg Wyshinski, who doesn't even participate in the hockey eps anymore because of his work contract with ESPN.

Greg was one of the original hosts of Puck Soup along with Dave Lozo. Dave eventually left to purse other career opportunities, and I hope things have worked out for him.

But I have to confess that I have sorely missed his presence as well as the camaraderie and interplay between him and Greg.

So the reason I have not yet opted to save myself nine-dollars-and-change is because I have been listening to the very old/beginning/first episodes of Puck Soup with these two zany dudes.

They make me laugh out loud. And their hockey predictions with eight years of hindsight are also amusing.

Dave on the left, Greg on the right.

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Another thing I've gotten into is watching The Hoof GP on YouTube. Sonshine introduced me to the Hoof GP while he was here, and now I'm hooked.

The Hoof GP is a Scottish hoof trimmer who practices his trade in beautiful Southwest Scotland.

Watching him trim the hooves of (mostly) dairy cows is calming and also very interesting. His love and care for the animals is always evident and I now find myself feeling for these animals as well.

Two of his wife's brothers also work with him and it's enjoyable to watch the interplay between the three of them.

Anyway, it's worth checking out. :0)

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And that, my friends, is that for now. I hope you're all well.

I'll be back in two weeks' time.

Take care.

Credit goes to me--image taken in a random Kroger in North Central Texas last June. :0)

Happy Fourth of July!

Three days hence, the nation will be collectively grilling tasty meats, drinking wonderful beverages, and watching fireworks. I hope you have a wonderful day whatever you have planned.

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My newest Funko Pop--a birthday gift from DD: Alexander Hamilton.

"I'm not going to miss my shot."

A couple of weeks ago, DD dragged me to a mall. In two different stores, there were these huge sections of Funko Pops.

I've said this before, usually about the massive number of varieties of cereal in the grocery store, but let me just say it again in general...there is way toooo much crap in the world.

Why...just why?

Don't get me wrong, I own my fair share of crap, including five Funko Pops, but whenever I go to a store (pick a store, any store), I'm flabbergasted anew.

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Buc-ee's ~ Hillsboro, TX

Two Saturdays ago, DD and I finally checked out the brand new Buc-ee's in Hillsboro, Texas. It wasn't jam packed as I expected, which was a nice change of pace on a hot Saturday afternoon. I bought the requisite magnet, but I also filled a gap in my wardrobe; I now own a Buc-ee's tee shirt. :0) 

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Hope you're all well.

Catch you in a couple of weeks.