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...

HOCKEY'S BACK!!

After about six years of Dallas Stars fandom, my team is finally good enough to garner the attention of the greater hockey media from across the country. That is to say, my boys in Victory Green get mentioned more often in the articles I read and the podcasts I hear these days.

DD and I attended the Dallas Stars' home opener and it was great to be back in the American Airlines Center. It's a really lovely building on the outside and I'm rather partial to the inside when it's set up for hockey games. :0)

And although we won (in overtime), the game itself was mostly "meh" to me. We were missing our top-line center and it was noticeable. But, as I said, we they pulled out the win, and at the end of the day, no one remembers how it happened.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

The last non-fiction book I completed was Rich Dad, Poor Dad and it was super interesting. The gist is that the educational system doesn't teach our children how to be entrepreneurs, it teaches them how to be employees. And while we need employees...we also need folks who can HIRE those employees. And as I've learned over the last twenty years of small-business ownership--it's not for everyone. But there are also other ways to be financially free.

Two big take-aways for me from this book are:

1) Your house is not an asset. If it costs you any kind of money, it's not an asset. Now, a house is a better use of your money than living in an apartment, but it's still not an asset unless you're renting it out and it's making money for you.

2) Being wealthy and being rich are two different things (according to Robert). Wealthy means being able to pay your monthly expenses with passive income from your assets & investments. Rich people are the Warren Buffets and Donald Trumps of the world. I like that distinction because one of those is way more attainable for me.

As I mentioned in my last post about my progress in reading non-fiction, reading this book suggested the next non-fiction book, and I finally started reading it. (Had to take a break from the educational reading and do some reading for pleasure.) There's also another book I bought earlier this year and never read, so I should probably read that one of these days. :0) Where that fits into the grand scheme of books to read, I have no idea.

Re-imagining the Vision Board for 2023

I need to re-do the vision board for Q4 of 2023... I've made strides toward the goals that were pictured, but it became clear to me as September rolled along that I had a disconnect between the various action tracks I was on. I had to take some time to re-assess the three tracks and align them so that all my efforts were working toward the same goal.

It's not that I don't want to reach all the goals, but I realized that some were stepping stones to others so instead trying to do "all" of them, I need to focus on the nearest stepping stone so as to make the most progress in the most direct and efficient fashion.

I'm talking about finances and debt here. I won't go into too much detail, but trying to save a nest egg is great, but paying off debt and eliminating finance charges and interest fees is a more lucrative short-term goal. So, yeah, alignment and streamlining.

DD and I have been working our way through this medical drama. It had been an enjoyable breath of fresh air with the main character, the medical director of a large public hospital, making changes to policies and procedures for the good of the patients. Things we have all probably all questioned at some point or other.

It was going great until we reached season two. AKA the COVID season. I don't watch a wide swath of television, so I don't know this to be true, but I imagine most shows addressed it some way, some how.

Medical shows probably had to address the pandemic seeing as how they're medical shows. I've watched Grey's Anatomy for years (in real time) and they definitely did.

Watching the pandemic play out in delayed real time was understandable although I wasn't a fan. I wanted to escape the reality of COVID, but, again, I understand why medical dramas included that reality.

It's definitely different / interesting to watch a show that addresses a real time world event like the pandemic after the event has passed. Especially something like a pandemic where the virus itself morphed and changed at a fast pace and the medical and scientific communities were learning on the go.

We know so much more now, of course, good and bad / true and untrue, with the benefit of hindsight and the continued analysis of the chain of events and the data. Almost everyone (from news, to governments, to entertainment) jumped on the various band wagons and people were "labeled" if they disagreed with anything. (What happened to free speech and respectful discourse??) And now we're learning that maybe some of the people who had qualms about various policies maybe weren't so heretical after all...

The show also jumped on other various band wagons which while topical at the time, don't always have great results as time passes. I get that it's a tough challenge & balance for show runners, but it's all a bit uncomfortable to watch, to be honest.

In addition to plugging through "New Amsterdam," (week nights are hit or miss depending on how either of us feels by the time DD gets home), I've re-watched a couple of favorite films in the last couple of weeks.

I was scrolling through Netflix one day and saw "The Imitation Game" starring Benedict Cumberbatch. You all know of my love for Mr. Cumberbatch and so I spent a couple of hours once again enjoying his performance as the pioneer of computer science, Alan Turing--aka the man primarily responsible for breaking the Enigma code.

I never ceased to be moved by this film, especially the tragedy of Turing's death.

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On the complete opposite spectrum of tones of movies, I also re-watched "Dumplin'," a coming-of-age movie (based on a book) about an overweight young woman who finds peace with and acceptance from her (former) beauty queen mother as well making some new friends along her journey--including the hot new boy at school with whom she also works.

The film's soundtrack is all Dolly Parton, whose humor and wisdom underpins the plot. It's a fun, sweet, uplifting movie, and you just can't help but smile through the last twenty or so minutes.

Before writing this up, I didn't realize the movie was based on a book, but it is. So what did I do? Looked to see if it was available in the online library--which it was--so I promptly borrowed it. And while doing that, discovered that there are two sequels which I will also borrow in due course. :0)

It turns out that the book doesn't have nearly so much Dolly in it and less of a few other things I found very fun and enjoyable about the movie. Usually I'm more disappointed in the movie than the book, but in this case, I like the movie more.

And that's all I've got for you, dear followers. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

Take care. See you in a couple of weeks.

On a recommendation from my unbeknownst-to-her life guru, Becca Syme, I read the book Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee. I felt joyful and excited from the first page because, just as I had when I first learned about Personality Strengths (via Becca), I felt seen. Everything the author said in the first chapter fit me to a T. But here's the Amazon book blurb, judge for yourself:

"Have you ever wondered why we stop to watch the orange glow that arrives before sunset, or why we flock to see cherry blossoms bloom in spring? Is there a reason that people—regardless of gender, age, culture, or ethnicity—are mesmerized by baby animals, and can't help but smile when they see a burst of confetti or a cluster of colorful balloons?

We are often made to feel that the physical world has little or no impact on our inner joy. Increasingly, experts urge us to find balance and calm by looking inward—through mindfulness or meditation—and muting the outside world. But what if the natural vibrancy of our surroundings is actually our most renewable and easily accessible source of joy?

In "Joyful," designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how the seemingly mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood. Drawing on insights from neuroscience and psychology, she explains why one setting makes us feel anxious or competitive, while another fosters acceptance and delight—and, most importantly, she reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier, and truly joyful lives.”

As I read through chapter after chapter, I was inspired to not only find and create joy for myself, but also for the people I come into contact with. My first foray as an Ambassador of Joy was to buy confetti and sprinkle it on the tables at the restaurant where we meet for my writers group meeting. It went well. I have other ideas and plans as well, and I'll keep you updated as we go along.

Brother Bear

My dearest littlest brother --he just turned 36, lol!!--James joined the Army Reserves. He recently graduated boot camp and is on his way to Virginia where he'll get his actual job training. I'm so proud of him for going after this thing he's always wanted to do. I can't wait to see him in September when I head north for a visit.

An apple a day not only keeps the doctor away, but apparently it’ll kep the dentist away too. Now, I didn't read up on the doctor part, but I was curious about the dentist part, and here's what my research and came up with:

• Apples have a high water content, and their crisp texture stimulates saliva production which helps cleanse the teeth while you are biting and chewing.
• Apples contain dietary fiber and the fibrous texture helps scrub your teeth while that extra saliva helps wash / rinse you teeth.
• Apples contain vitamin C which keeps your gums healthy.
• Apples are low in acidic content relative to other fruits and that means there is little to no erosion of tooth enamel.

It just seemed providential when DD mentioned this to me just last week. You know why...? Because, I've been eating apples three or four times a week for a good three / four weeks now. And my trip to the dentist last week went well. I saw the actual dentist--he visually checks my teeth every other visit--and he said everything looked good. :0)

And mostly because it was like a thumbs up from the universe; like God was saying "I'm glad you're eating those apples again." I've eschewed eating too much fruit for years now because of the natural sugar and my low carb mindset. But these days I'm trying for a little more balance and a little more enjoyment in what I eat. I feel like God’s on board with too.

One last thing--big shout out to my followers on Goodreads. If you're reading this--thank you for following me. I really appreciate it.

Okay friends, that’s all I’ve got. Have a super week. Catch you on Thursday!

I have finally, finally finished this book. Well, I finished it a few weeks ago. And promptly put thoughts of it in my rear view mirror.

It was a tough read for me because it was filled with chit-chatty anecdotal examples of the correct and incorrect usage of various punctuation marks.

I understand it would have been a very short book if it had just been the lists of how and when to use the apostrophe, the comma, the exclamation point, etc.

On the other hand, learning the do's and don't's of punctuation, especially commas, was super helpful.

One caveat is that this book was originally written and published in the mid-aughts and some of the do's, especially about commas, has morphed.

My philosophy on commas has been that if you need one for clarity, put it in; if the sentence makes sense without it--leave it out. Of course, sometimes, having or not having a certain punctuation mark changes the meaning of a phrase / sentence, so even if it makes sense either way, it might not mean what the author wants it to mean.

But then...I was reading a passage of one of my own books for some reason, and I realized that just because the sentence makes perfect sense without the comma, doesn't mean there shouldn't be one. If someone is reading aloud--say a narrator reading a book into an audio book--they need to know when it's okay to take a breath.

Read this book at your own peril. You might get more enjoyment out of the anecdotes and the writing style than I did, but, again, the actual rules are helpful to know. Of course, you could read an up-to-date style guide too...

Have a great weekend.

Image courtesy of IMGBIN.

Do you remember that one of my goals for this year is to read six non-fiction books over the course of the year?

Yeah, well, I'm just about halfway there and we're almost 1/4 of the way through the year, and I already have three more books lined up. Somehow, I don't think I'm going to have a problem completing this goal.

This is what I've read so far... 

The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

This book was mentioned by a dear friend who used this book when homeschooling her three kids. She and they all have their financial poop in a group, so I figured "Why not?" It certainly couldn't hurt.

And it certainly didn't.

I learned a couple of new principles and have endeavored to put them into practice...

First, I'm gonna share the Five Laws of Gold:

1. Put aside no less than 1/10 of your earnings.
2. Put your money to work for you.
3. Follow the teachings of wise rich people.
4. Don't invest in things about which you know nothing.
5. Maintain realistic expectations.

In addition to the those five laws, here are The Seven Cures to Fatten Your Purse:

1. Spend 90%, save 10%.
2. Expenses grow to equal income, so budget down to 90% of your income.
3. Make the gold multiply. (seek wisdom/learning before investing)
4. Guard your treasure from loss. (again: seek wisdom/learning before investing)
5. Make your dwelling a profitable investment. (own your own home)
6. Insure a future income. (seek wisdom; accept opportunity; work your way up)
7. Increase your ability to earn. (seek wisdom; accept opportunity; work your way up)

There are overlaps, as you can see, but I take that to mean those points are especially important.

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The second book I read is...

Behind the Bench: Inside the Minds of Hockey's Greatest Coaches by Craig Custance

Obviously, this is not a personal improvement book like the rest of them... I received it for Mother's Day last year after having it on my Giftster list for several years.

It took me a while to get into it--there's nothing wrong with the book. I wasn't in the right headspace because of my mom-- But the author is someone I now sorta kinda know.

"Know" in the sense that Craig is one of my favorite pod casters and we do occasionally have exchanges via the comments sections of the podcast he co-hosts. We are also "friends" on Goodreads...for whatever that's worth. I think it's cool. Your mileage may vary. :0)

FYI, Craig--if you ever see this--your book was recommended by Greg Wyshinski. For those playing along at home, Greg is one of my other favorite pod casters. And is, in fact, my first pod caster...

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I've just started the third non-fiction book...

Eats Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation! by Lynne Truss

I'm reading this to hone my skills as a copy editor / proofreader as I'm fixin' to hustle more business in order to reduce debt and increase savings / investments.

As you can probably glean--it's about punctuation. I may or may not bore you later with any surprising insights I find. However, it's turning out to be harder to get into than I expected. There's just been a few too many anecdotes up front.

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And last but not, officially, least--a book I read at the tail end of last year and which I might have mentioned at some point this year:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

I meant to post the whole write up for this book, but other topics came along and it got pushed and got pushed, sooo... I've lumped it in here and created a page with that review, so you can go read about my thoughts on this book if you're so inclined.

Since I read this last year, it doesn't count for this year, but it's close enough that I at least wanted to mention it and share what I learned.

More book reports to come at some point. I do still have those Strengths books to get to!

Take care. Have a great week.