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Monday, December 1, 2014

Road Apples, #156

Fan Mail...I really have to get around to posting some recent "fan mail".  Nothing unexpected, other than the usual "anonymous tough guy" stuff.

First Mac Posting...This is the first posting I'm writing on my Mac Mini and new 25 inch HD display.  It's taking some getting used to, but so far so good.  Both the display and the Mac are creating the need to make some adjustments; for example, with a larger display I have to move the monitor back a bit more, and with the Mac the mouse buttons are different.  All in good time though.  On a related topic, by old Acer (well it's really not that old, and in fact I just upgraded it about a month or two ago) is being moved downstairs for others to use.  It's taken me days to clean all old files out of it and get it ready for it's new home.

Ferguson...I wrote a posting on the violence in Ferguson, MO, but in typical fashion I haven't gotten around to finishing it.  No bother, as I'm sure it will not make me any friends anyway (see item #1).  I will say this though:  Anyone who views this situation through a mono-chrome lens...i.e., one where the phrase "those people need to ________" (where "those people" are the police, the protestors, etc) is prominently featured....are simply using Ferguson to simply validate their own world view.  The reality is this:  the situation isn't as simple as getting "those people" to change.

Classroom...My second gradate program class is coming to an end in two weeks, and while I'm sad to see the learning end (and I am learning a TON), it will be nice to not have the pressure of reading and studying week to week.  I can declare a victory of sorts, as I got my first "100%" on a graduate program test/quiz over the weekend.  I've scored just as well on several papers, but this was a first for an actual examination.  Test taking is 75% about strategy, 25% about actual learning.

Happy Almost 1 Year Anniversary...On December 13th I will celebrate my one year anniversary living in "lessor Wilkes-Barre" (aka West Pittston).  Like most things, I've had my share of trips up and down the learning curve, but all and all I am impressed.  Living in a small town is different than living in a city, that's for sure.  Over and above the location though, it's nice to truly have a home.  That's a feeling I've not really had much of before, and it's heartening to know that, at age 50, there is always room for "firsts".

Speaking of Home...My middle daughter was home from graduate studies at UMass for Thanksgiving.  It was nice seeing her...and it was equally nice being reminded that, despite being probably too hard on myself for too many reasons, I seem to have done okay as a co-parent.  Having three hard-working, inquisitive and decent-human-being daughters is a very good thing.

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