Changing of the Guard
My life is one that is sometimes conflicted because my actions don't always reflect what's in my heart. I'm an animal lover but yet I eat meat. I confess that I'm a hypocrite in that regard. Maybe you saw the video a few weeks ago of some NRA lobbyist killing an elephant. I was troubled by it as were many others. Elephants are being illegally killed for their ivory at an unsustainable rate yet this is allowed to happen. How does someone justify that? I can only guess that the big-game hunter is seriously lacking in some other area of his life.
With that video fresh in my mind I saw this and it brought the previous video into an even more sobering perspective. It really touched me. To think that their bond had survived all those years is just so moving.
We've had a changing of the guard. The guy who delivered our new mower took one look at the mower I was trading in and said: "we get maybe 1 in 50 that look that nice!" That was nice to hear because I did take good care of it. Am I weird for saying that I actually felt an attachment to my old mower and it was just a little difficult saying goodbye to it? I guess I'm weird.
I was able to get out on my new workhorse twice this past week as I try and keep up with the ever-increasing rate of falling leaves. I'm really liking its tight turning radius which is the main reason I bought it.
Some out-of-town door-to-door tree trimmers came by a few days ago knocking on doors trying to drum up business. These guys have come through our neighborhood regularly for the last several years and I've always taken a pass on their services but now we find ourselves with some trees in serious need of attention so I took them up on their offer. I'm not sure I'll use them again. For what I paid and the amount of time they spent doing the job, I'd say they definitely got the better of me. I suppose I was expecting some climbing and a more thorough job. They trimmed a good amount but they also left a lot too.
I nearly gave up my Candy Crush semi-addiction. Level 197 just about did me in but I finally persevered after more than two weeks of trying.
Rachel and some friends from her ballroom dance team took a ferry across Long Island Sound to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut yesterday for a ballroom dance competition. I think she's probably dancing now more than she ever has in her life with many hours spent practicing each week in preparation for their competitions. I'm happy for her that she has this outlet and that she's really being challenged by it. She'll return to UMR an even more experienced dancer.
I'm finding more time to go for my long walks again which is nice. For most of the outdoor months this year I've been opting for time on my bike over time spent walking which is understandable considering I missed out last year. But now I'm finding more of a balance between the two and I'm happy about that.
Last Friday's ride was crazy windy! It was a struggle at times to keep my bike where I wanted it on the shoulder with semi-trucks buffeting me in the wind. Still, it was nice to be out enjoying some of the last warm weather of the year. I wanted to make it to Kenyon and go west toward Faribault from there but light sprinkles and threatening skies had me heading for home sooner than I wanted. I didn't need wet roads to go along with the winds.
Here's a link to my route and a link to my ride data on Strava.
With that video fresh in my mind I saw this and it brought the previous video into an even more sobering perspective. It really touched me. To think that their bond had survived all those years is just so moving.
We've had a changing of the guard. The guy who delivered our new mower took one look at the mower I was trading in and said: "we get maybe 1 in 50 that look that nice!" That was nice to hear because I did take good care of it. Am I weird for saying that I actually felt an attachment to my old mower and it was just a little difficult saying goodbye to it? I guess I'm weird.I was able to get out on my new workhorse twice this past week as I try and keep up with the ever-increasing rate of falling leaves. I'm really liking its tight turning radius which is the main reason I bought it.
Some out-of-town door-to-door tree trimmers came by a few days ago knocking on doors trying to drum up business. These guys have come through our neighborhood regularly for the last several years and I've always taken a pass on their services but now we find ourselves with some trees in serious need of attention so I took them up on their offer. I'm not sure I'll use them again. For what I paid and the amount of time they spent doing the job, I'd say they definitely got the better of me. I suppose I was expecting some climbing and a more thorough job. They trimmed a good amount but they also left a lot too.
I nearly gave up my Candy Crush semi-addiction. Level 197 just about did me in but I finally persevered after more than two weeks of trying.
Rachel and some friends from her ballroom dance team took a ferry across Long Island Sound to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut yesterday for a ballroom dance competition. I think she's probably dancing now more than she ever has in her life with many hours spent practicing each week in preparation for their competitions. I'm happy for her that she has this outlet and that she's really being challenged by it. She'll return to UMR an even more experienced dancer. I'm finding more time to go for my long walks again which is nice. For most of the outdoor months this year I've been opting for time on my bike over time spent walking which is understandable considering I missed out last year. But now I'm finding more of a balance between the two and I'm happy about that.
Last Friday's ride was crazy windy! It was a struggle at times to keep my bike where I wanted it on the shoulder with semi-trucks buffeting me in the wind. Still, it was nice to be out enjoying some of the last warm weather of the year. I wanted to make it to Kenyon and go west toward Faribault from there but light sprinkles and threatening skies had me heading for home sooner than I wanted. I didn't need wet roads to go along with the winds.
Here's a link to my route and a link to my ride data on Strava.
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