 |
|
||||||||||||||
| Links to Notebook Pages: | Literature |
Model Trains |
Sunday July 16, 2006 5:50 am Lethbridge Alberta Sunrise 5:41 Sunset 9:34
 |
 |
From rear window |
South patio |
Both images taken at noon |
|
A. Morning Musings
5:50 am
The temperature is currently 12 C with a high forecast of 25 C. The sky is clear and the sun is just appearing on the horizon.
Sunday is for making a few plans for the coming week. It is also a day to avoid chores. Before retirement (BR) Sunday was often the only day when I had enough time for chores. Now that it is AR, I can be more choosy. I have often said that one of the genuine advantages of university life was the degree of control I had over time. But now that I am retired, I find that I have substantially more control - it is amazing how much time in a week is devoted to work -related activities. I feel a new sense of freedom that is exhilarating.
Thinking for a minute about the coming week, I realize that we will be in Edmonton for a few days. This will divide the week into two: 3 days in Lethbridge and 4 in Edmonton. Thus whatever chores are handled will have to take place in the next 3 days. Hopefully this will include picking up the 5th wheel. The weather forecast is for continuing sunshine. I will try to repair the crack in the mortar near the front garage door and also see about fixing the cracks in the cement floor of the garage. Finally, I will buy the plywood for the book boxes.
Now for my Learning activities.
Literature: I will finish 'Grizzly Lies' today. I will then begin the fantasy novel "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever". This is actually a republishing of the original 3 volumes (Lord Foul's Bane, The Illearth War and The Power That Preserves). I have noticed these books in stores for a long time (they were originally pulished in 1977). I have read some of Stephen Donaldson's other novels and enjoyed them. I actually bought these in Ballina shortly before we returned home and now want to take advantage of that decision.
Model Trains: I want to visit a couple of model train stores while in Edmonton to discuss wiring the mainline using terminal strips and to see what they have in the stores. I will see if they sell 3 strand wire suitable for wiring the turnouts. Hopefully I will be able to buy an NRMA gauge. I will continue to work on assembling the oil refinery kits. This will be my main activity today.
Technology: I need to give a higher priority to the chapters of 'Switching to the Mac' and I want to begin reading "iPhoto: The Missing Manual". The trip to Edmonton will also give me an opportunity to try using the Olympus TCON-17 tele conversion lens.
Health. My walking schedule is erratic at the moment and I am still eating more than I should. Additional exercise routines are almost non-existent. I really must turn this around. I made note of this last Sunday, but failed to follow through on it. I will definitely focus on this, beginning today.
Yesterday was another small milestone for me and Technology. Allan and I engaged in a Skype phone connection (my first with the Mac) and then we tried iChat and quickly had a successful video link. This was my first video conversation. I can see why it is becoming popular. And it is free.
Allan also suggested that I take a picture every morning and put it on my web page. The idea would be to give a better sense of the weather. I will wait until about 8 am so that the back yard is in sunshine.
B. Plan
Immediate Health Walk & exercise 1 hr Technology Make notes for chap. 3 of "Switching to the Mac" 1 hr Begin reading "iPhoto" 1 hr Model Trains Assemble oil refinery piping 2 hr Literature Complete reading "Grizzly Lies" 1 hr Later Chores Take cement blocks to landfill 2 hr Fill cement cracks in garage floor 2 hr Fill mortar cracks in brickwork near garage front door 1 hr Investigate water softeners for home 2 hr Build 4 more book boxes Buy 2 sheets of 4x4 plywood Technology Read manual for cell phone 1 hr add keywords to iPhoto records digital photography try using extender lens and monopod 2 hr Mathematics Larson "Calculus" Read "The Computational Beauty of Nature" Chap 2 1 hr Gardner "The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles" History Continue reading "Citizens" Watson "Ideas" Model Trains Add blue backdrop to layout 2 hr Review layout for under the table turnouts Purchase an NRMA gauge and some terminal blocks while in Edmonton Wire lower mainline track for a power block
C. Actual/Notes
7:20 am I continue to fiddle with format. I miss the symbolism in the feather icon (both as an image of early writing, and as a Dumbo feather) that I had earlier when I was creating separate pages for my notes for each Learning activity. I have brought it back and inserted it in yesterday's Model Train entry.
10:50 am It is truly beautiful outside. Sunny and no wind. We went for our semi-regular walk to McDonalds for a egg Mcmuffin. It is about 45 minutes, one way, along a greenstrip where we can look at the different houses and parkland. Peaceful.
I finished reading "Grizzly Lies" before we left for the walk. Now to play with my model trains for a bit.
5:05 PM I switched the two images at the top of this page (which were intended to give a sense of the weather) to two that I took at noon. The early morning images do not give as good a sense of the weather during the day as a noon shot.
I have made good progress with my oil refinery models. I have finished assembling the oil storage tank and have applied the first coat of paint to it. I will add a second coat after dinner. I am now working on the Oil Loading Platform kit.
D. Reflection