New Volonteering

I am about to try out a new type of volunteering. For a long time I have been downloading books that have been digitized into my computer from Project Gutenberg. That project is in the process of digitizing books so that thousands of people can be reading the same copy of a book at the same time. One of the advantages of that is that only one printed copy needs to be used and all of those people can be reading the same material, save a lot of paper. The other advantage is that not all libraries cannot carry every book. Project Gutenberg now has digitized about 19,000 books. My volunteering would be in the service called Digitize Proofreading, having many proofreaders will speed up the process of digitizing more books. I am a poor proofreader but I would be required to proofread not more than one page at a time per day. After I have proof read a page it is sent to a second proofreader who reproof reads and then sends it on to be assembled into the completed look. I like libraries, books and using the computer. This should be an activity that I will enjoy.

Steven and family

On this day in 1950 something great took place. Norma and I had our first child, Steven. Norma at age 25 and myself at age 31, looking back on it now it seems as if we were very young. We were surely inexperienced in the responsibility of raising a family. Now we are so proud of Steven and our family that is so outstanding. We all know Norma’s can do attitude. Can you imagine some of the things and thoughts that went on and in our minds during those first four years of getting a family stored? Life has sure been good to us.

Pacific Daylight time

This is the last long day of Daylight Savings ime. Tonight we move the clock back to normal Pacific Standand Time. The only thing that I can find to comment negatively about is our shorter days from now until March. No one ner should complain aout our so called winter weather.

Pacific

Pacific

Pacific

Flu Shot

Yesterday I got my free flu shot from Kaiser. I do not know what type of flu is predicted for the coming season . I do hope that that the people who decide what type the current seasonal flu will be and hope that they know what they’re doing and that the shot will protect me. The nurses use a sharp needle and so the procedure is almost painless. There has not been any side effects.

Transportaion continuted

In the air I have ridden in a glider, executive jets, jumbo jets and various kinds of passenger jets and a helicopter. I had built a gyro-copter and I believe that it would have flown if it had not injured me in a test trial, which smashed the machine. My latest transportation and the latest development in transportation is my Segway. It would be interesting to know what their is in store for the future.

Transportation continued.

A Greenbrier van painted red, not one of the families.

A list of the on the land and fossil fueled vehicles that I have used would include the following, many different passenger automobiles, some pickup trucks, a few regular trucks, rented a rental moving vans a few times, owned a Greenbrier van, used a Honda 90 motorcycle for commuting, had a moped during the 1978 fuel shortage, Also have used the following, go-carts, golf carts, city buses, intercity bus, diesel power trains and some other vehicles that may have slipped my mind. In the late 1950s I had built a single wheeled vehicle using a rim and a tire with a engine in its center, not too successful. Later I had built a small two wheeled vehicle, something like a miniature moped. That worked out quite well and I had some fun with it.

This is not a family picture, just a repersentative photo.


The following are some other ways I have used to moving around, horseback, lumber wagon, hay wagon, two-horse carriage, one-horse carriage, two-horse sleigh; cutter, a small one-horse sleigh, forerunner-sleigh and snowmobile and tractors. Included was a home built small galvanized metal rowboat, that did not work out to well. It was made when I was about 19 years old, made from plans from a Popular Mechanics Magazine and it turned out to be to flexible and gave no confidence that it was seaworthy.

Transportation

The following is a list of devices, equipment and mechanisms that I have used to move about, tricycle, roller skates, ice skates, scooter, electric-scooter, bicycle, electric-bicycle, sled, bobsled, toboggan, snow skis, water skis and snowshoes. Snowshoes has given me the most enjoyable memories in the preceding list. They take you to places at a time of year where few others are able to get to. The area is also almost completely undisturbed. The deep snow covers rocks down trees and other obstacles so that you can take off in almost any directions without the concerns of finding a trail and the views are fantastic.

Halloween

Carl,Amber, Aidan and Joan

It is that time of the year when the young people with a help of the older are gearing up for Halloween. Halloween is a happening that more young people and older people enjoy. There are six children in this small neighborhood. They are all five years old or younger and are very excited about Halloween. So far I have seen four jack-o-lanterns, two of them lit with candles and two waiting to be carved.
It has not even been necessary to have any Halloween handouts on hand for the past 18 years as no scary visitors had been stopping by the apartment in Santa Barbara or the condo. This year I have better be prepared for the six children and maybe some other friends. Halloween is one of the more enjoyable holidays.

U. S. Grant

I have been reading Ulysses S. Grant’s memoirs and watching a DVD of his military campaigns during the Civil War. A description of the battles of the Civil War do not make good bed time stories. I cannot imagine where the North or the South got so many young man to sacrifice in those battlefields. What a mess. Civil wars are the most brutal. I fear for want may be in store for you Iraq.

Fordson Tractor

This is not any members of our family or our tractor, just repersentative.

I was looking through a book about Armand Hammer who had a close tie with the Russia. In a picture it showed Mr. Hammer with a Fordson tractor that he introduced into Russia and 1923. That picture of the Fordson tractor brought back a lot of memories. We used a Fordson tractor on our farm for years and years. The thing about that tractor was that we were able to work with it in the fields from a very early age. One of the most impressive things about that tractor was its practicality and its very very loud whine when in gear. It did not have a muffler but the whine was so loud that you did not hear the unmiffled exhaust. The noise was so loud that it was necessary to yell to be heard by another person riding on that Fordson while it was in plough gear, that was most of the time. Now that I think of it, my father, Joe and I were the three members of the family that spent time working with it. My father lost almost all of his hearing, Joe used hearing aids that did not help much and I have had poor high frequency listening ability. I’m not saying it was the cause but it may have been.. Reflections are interesting.

No time to be waisting time

I will not waste Internet, e-mail or your time to tell you that I expect nothing unusual for today. Doing laundry and eating dinner out is not worse elaboration.

Redwoods

Last August Leslie with the help of her parents sent me a redwood burl. It was to be keep moist. A few day ago it sprouted new shoots. When I thought of them they gave me a peculiar feeling. Something has started that could be alive more than 2000 years. Along Skyline Drive near San Francisco is a redwood that is more than 2000 years old. When you stand near Methusulala you think about all that tree has been through. It is at a high enough elevation to see a lot of changes. Those little green beginnings gives me thoughts that are hard to explain.

Redwoods

 

Shorter days

Last evening I washed my jacket used for the shorter days. It is mostly white so as to make me more visible during the evening and darker hours on my ride home after eating out. The Segway has lights on the front for the purpose of alerting people.. On the back of the jacket is a bright flashing red taillight. I fear an accident from the rear more than from the front. Sidewalks usually have enough night so obstacles can be avoided. I feel safe after dark on the sidewalk and pedestrians are safe as I ride carefully and slowly. Extra precaution is used at all intersections and blind spots.

A young man walking.

As I Walked Out One Summer Morning, by Laurie Lee.

The story above it is an e-book that I downloaded from Net Library, in conjunction with the Santa Monica Public Library. This is a autobiography of a grown boy (young man) who in 1934 left his home in England for a trip that included London and Spain. I can relate to this story. It was during that time of my life when I also had such an itch. My itch was satisfied by joining the Navy during World War II. I am sure that young men today have the same itch . Today, for most it is filled by going to a university or college. Young women must have similar itch about that time of their life. Not being one, I can only speculate. I am able to follow the a young man as he moves from place to place with the google maps. You can even go to the streets and addresses while listening and moving around the maps. That is something that you could not do with a real book. I would not be surprised that in the future you will even be able to view landscapes as you listen.

80th anniversary celebration

Yesterday it turned out that there was an event that I had overlooked in the previous blog. Santa Monica UCLA Hospital celebrated their 80 years of existence. It was a large Street Festival. One of the events was honoring people who was born in the original hospital, 1926, 1927 and 1928. One of the five was a lady who stops by St. John’s Medical Center, she never eats there but stops and talks with us. I also see Patricia on the streets as she lives, more or less, in the neighborhood. There was a large turnout and it was interesting. They are rebuilding the entire medical complex and it should be finished in a couple of years. I talked with one who is on the Board Of Governors and he said that, “The new cafeteria will be even nicer than the present.” I am a skeptic and will wait for a judgment.

A Sunday in Santa Monica

Sunrise.
I can almost alway count a other beautiful day in Santa Monica.

Today I do not expect anything different from most other Sundays. That does not mean that Sunday’s are not interesting and pleasant. I get out for the UU’s, lunch and dinner so there are a variety of different people

On the way home

All Segway rides are not equal. On my way from dinner at St. John’s Medical Center consisting of catfish, baked potato, succotash (corn, tomatoes and okra), strawberry yogurt and coffee. I wanted a part from RadioShack. After locking up my transportation at a parking meter I looked up and saw the tallest rainbow I have ever seen. It may have been because it was just as the sun was setting. Santa Monica rarely has rainbows. Coming out of RadioShack a light rain was falling. That causes no trouble for the Segway but a slight discomfort for the rider. At a street I pushed the walk button and it responded with “Wait, wait, wait” and then “Cross 23rd St, Cross 23rd St, Cross 23rd St.” Norma and I experienced bells at crosswalks in Sweden many years ago. The sounds were to help people who could not see well. Santa Monica and other places have used different sounds at crosswalks and I am sure they have been a big help. The new technology is great. I hope that I may never need the help from crosswalk sounds.

The left eye

I met with the macular degeneration support group today at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA. The group was smaller than normal but still functioning. The consulting doctor in charge explained a number of things about the disease and I learned some things. I found that during the exchange of problems among us, I am better off eye-wise then the others. The most important thing about any handicap is how you handle the situation and cope with it. My left eye may be improving so slightly that it is difficult to judge but I believe that it is. It is still impossible to read with it, otherwise, it is good enough so that I could function well enough if both eyes were in the condition of the left eye.

e-audiobooks

The downloading of e-audiobooks a great pleasure. I am looking forward to listening to the latest downloaded book The Building Of A Nation by Gore Vidal. I have read a number of his books and have always enjoyed his writing.

Cafeteria dinning

Grommet dinning at St. John’s cafeteria. Yesterday while at home I popped a bag of popcorn, created a cocktail of Seagram’s seven and Seven Up in a Starbucks coffee cup. Before the dinner at the cafeteria I sat at the table and enjoyed my cup of coffee (cocktail). The dinner consisted of the home popped corn, a bowl of chili, a bowl of corn chowder soup, a green salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing, a cup of coffee and a sliced banana sprinkled with sugar. Sometimes you have to be inventive to make the most of a cafeteria.

Our little guarded may be a timely enterprise. With the latest reports on tainted lettuce and the trouble they were having with spinach may the relieved for our neighbors by the few lettuce and spinach plants. Their may be enough lettuce there to serve for a short time. The spinach plants are struggling and so not much help. The late-season and winter garden is mostly an experiment. The short days and an additional shading will not be of much help.

Charles and The Mantorville Evergreen Cemetery.

I could not find a picture of The Manorville Evergreen Cemetery. I found this picture of the sun hiding behind a tree in a cemetery. I have said before that I like blue.

Charles and Bonnie sent me a full-page article from The Dodge County Independent, Kasson, Minnesota newspaper. The article shows a picture of Charles at work at the Mantorville Evergreen Cemetery and covers his work that he has been doing at that beautiful cemetery for the past 19 years. Charles is now 81 years old and expects to retire next year after 20 years of serving the people who have buried 2500 of there loved ones there. I have visited that Cemetery where Charles works a number of times and I am very proud of the care that he gives.

Mountains

St. Elias Mountains as seen from the highway leading to Anchorage. 

Film preview

Last evening I had a little different experience. John Ann’s boyfriend had a showing of his experimental films at a small film clubhouse in Silver Lake, part of Los Angeles. The films are nothing like home movies and a bit too far out to be of any commercial value. It is a sort of proving ground for movie producer wannabes. It was an interesting evening.

Good dinner and good neighbors

Last evening I was next door for another good dinner. John, who has an Italian background, did most of the cooking for an excellent dinner. He used the Japanese egg plants and Ann used lettuce from the garden. I cooked, at home, corn on the cob and furnjished the desert. John really knows how to season and prepare great dishes.

e-audio books

Last week I downloaded an e-audio book that with some of the subjects from 50 famous books on the subject of success, 50 Success Classics. It is affording me about nine hours of inspirational listing. I had spent a lot of hours and considerable time with Ben Lee their computer expert from the Santa Monica Library getting the program to download with my account. I am thankful at the effort paid off.

The right wrist

I may not be falling apart not my right wrist was giving considerable pain. It went a way in a few days. This is now the second time. The first time I did considerable pruning with handheld pruning shears that caused the problem. A couple of days ago I use the saber-saw which puts some strain on your wrist. This time there is more pain and so I purchased a wrist supporter and that seems to be helping. Thank heavens that it is only minor troubles.

Weather for October

I am pretty desperate for any news when I use the weather as news. Yesterday was the first day of October and while I was at church a few sprinkles of rain fell. A few statistics for Los Angeles, the most rainfall for a season was in 1884 with 38.18 inches, the least was in 2002 with 4.35 inches. For October the greatest rainfall was in 1890 with 6.96 inches. For 26 Octobers in the past 127 years there has been no rainfall during the month. Sorry that I was so lacking in news that I have used the weather as a topic.