Where Is The Time Going? ... Or The Year Is Almost Over!

Another month is nearly behind us.  The past few months, months that, for me, have been uneventful and somewhat empty, have zoomed by leaving Homer's Travels somewhat empty and a bit scrawny.  I posted a little bit more in November but most of the posts were book reviews or short blurbs highlighting a photograph.  My posts have been ... decaffeinated blog-lite.

This post should have been a post about the Holiday Lights Festival (I mentioned it last post) I went to ... if I'd gone.  The idea of driving around looking for parking and braving the anticipated crowd of ten thousand didn't sound appealing.  I will go downtown sometime in December to photograph the lights ... and I will post them after I do.

What progress have I shown since my last month end post?  Let's see ...

• After two bike rides, the early chill at the beginning of the month forced my biking into the basement.  I put my bike on the stand and managed to do eight trainer rides this month (it would have been nine but I took Thanksgivings off).  I have to admit it is easier to get myself up on my trainer than on the bike in the real world.  I think it helps that I've been watching Netflix movies and TED talks while I ride.  Unfortunately riding the trainer is not the same as riding in the real world.  I know this because I have routinely done trainer rides of thirty-plus miles which nearly kill me in the real world.  In December I will have to increase the resistance.
• The trainer rides have helped in one thing.  I reached my goal and brought my weight back down to 160 lb.  Now comes the challenge of maintaining the weight while occasionally indulging in some ice cream.
• Last month I gave myself the task of planning out my Rocky Mountain National Park camp.  I have put together a plan that seems doable.  I have a few details to work out and then I'll post about the plans sometime in December.
• The cold snap that forced the bike in the basement canceled any camping plans I had.  Next camp will probably be in the spring.

I put up the Christmas lights yesterday - it was 71°F (21°C)!!! -  and the Christmas tree will probably go up on Wednesday.  I am even considering putting the big balls in the front yard oak tree again - I skipped it last year.  We'll see.

Have a great December everyone!

.

Tis The Start Of The Holiday Season

Today is Thanksgivings (in the United States anyway).  To me it is the official start of the holiday season.  The is probably one of my favorite times of the year.  There is always something in the air ... cheery ... hopeful ... heart warming.  I also have a liking for Christmas music.  Earlier this week our Christmas cactus decided to announce the holiday season a few days early.  I guess this makes it official.

This is the first year in seventeen that The Wife and I have spent Thanksgiving apart.  She is at her parents making Thanksgiving dinner.  She will be staying with her parents a few days helping out.  I will be having Thanksgiving dinner at my Mom's and keeping his silliness (Iago) company.  I may even go to see the Holiday Lights Festival tonight.  I've been meaning to do it for a while but I've never had the chance before.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Book: Henry Kissinger's "World Order"

It was time for me to get serious so my next book was Henry Kissinger's "World Order".  Kissinger discusses the concept of world order throughout history, exploring how different cultures have different takes on it, and how it has changed through the years (centuries ...millennia actually).  I ended up learning a lot about history - a good thing - but I was a bit disappointed at the author's attempt at predicting how world order will change in the future.

Kissinger points out three different models of world order: The Western (first European then an Americanized version) westphalian model, the Chinese-centric model, and the Islamic model.   He describes the Western and the Islamic is some detail but glosses over the Chinese (strange since it was Kissinger that open up China to America in the 70s).  The book follows the historic narrative showing how the Western model has changed overtime including the major change that occurred when America started putting in its two cents worth.  The Chinese and the Islamic models really haven't changed much over the centuries.  The Chinese is very leader-centric i.e. the Emperor controls the order of all under the heavens and that's that.  The Islamic model flows from Mohammed and the Koran and thus has remained constant since the creation of the Koran.

In the latter chapters Kissinger looks at technology - computers, the internet, and atomic weapons - and explores how these things may change the world order in the future.  Here he gets vague.  He mentions the irreconcilable differences between Western and Islamic models but does not speculate as to how, if ever, the differences will be handled.  In a way the last few chapters just showed that we don't know what to do and the future is a mystery ... even to those in the know.

I liked the writing style of the book.  It flowed well and didn't feel muddled or stuffy like many history books can.  The book, which came out in September of this year, is surprisingly up to date.  Current events like ISIS and Ukraine are mentioned and overall feels contemporary.  I'm sure history will make sure that doesn't last too long.

One little aside.  If I have heard an author's voice, I sometimes catch myself reading their books in their voice.  For this book, reading the book in Kissinger's low, slow, heavily accented speaking voice slowed me down enough that I had to finally break that weird habit I've had for so many years.

Photograph: Bearded Builders

"Bearded Builders"

by Bruce H.

I don't know about you guys but I'm kinda getting tired of the beard craze.  It might be because my beard, when I let it grow out, makes me look old.  Having said this I found this van parked in downtown Omaha and I have to admit it's funny!  (Click on the picture to enlarge it.)

Movie: "Interstellar"

After a great night of music, the Wife took a day off so we could recover from the late night before we headed out for an early movie.  Since we've gotten Netflix we rarely go to movies.  I prefer to watch in the comfort of my own home with a clean bathroom, food in the fridge, and a pause button when I need to use either.  There are, though, some movies that need a large screen to experience fully.  When I do go to the movie theater I usually go in the middle of the week and I see the earliest showing I can.  This usually means a near empty movie theater with few distractions, ringing cell phones, noisy kids, or talkative people.

"Interstellar" is one of those movies that needs a big screen.  In this case an IMAX theater.  The Wife and I sat in the center of the theater and became immersed in this epic space adventure.  I have to say that I was impressed.

"Interstellar" tries very hard to stay within the scientifically plausible. You can tell that the technical adviser (in this movie's case Kip Thorne) was listened to and he did a great job with the science ... until the last half hour.  I won't spoil the ending.  I will say that a very important principle of science is violated near the end.  I do not mean that some science was stretched into the realm of speculation.  I have no disagreement with a little artistic license and science stretching.  The principle that is violated though is too important.

The ending rubbed me the wrong way and, frankly, the engineer in me prevented me from enjoying the movie as much as I wanted to.  The Wife, on the other hand, really enjoyed it ... definitely more than I did.  I will say that the visuals are amazing and I liked the characters.  The political overtones at the beginning felt a little heavy handed at times but I can live with that.  It definitely was a nice part two to our mid-week break from things.

So, If you are planning to see "Interstellar", check your engineering and physics degrees at the door and just enjoy it.

Music: The New Pornographers With The Pain Of Being Pure At Heart At The Slowdown

We've both been a little distracted and busy the past couple of months and we needed to get out of the house and take our minds off things.  This week we packed a couple days of entertainment into twenty-four hours.  The first half of our entertainment was on Tuesday night and involved music.

An encouragement for the band ... and to everyone at the Slowdown.

After going out to eat in the old Market, the Wife and I braved the cold "Arctic Chill" and went to the Slowdown for a concert.  I like the Slowdown.  It's a small, intimate venue that lets you get up close with the performers and there isn't a bad seat in the house.  We arrived after the doors had opened so the tables to one side of stage - our favorite spot - were full.  We moved up to the balcony (we'd never been up there before) and found a nice table next to the railing with a nice view of the stage below.  I have to say that the balcony may be my new favorite spot in the Slowdown.  We chatted up one of the friendly security guys while we waited for the show.

The Pain of Being Pure at Heart.

The warm up band was The Pain of Being Pure at Heart.  I'd never heard of them before which, I have found, is usually the case for small venue warm up bands.  They had some good stuff but it was not very memorable and I felt that the vocals were a little weak.  They were meh.

The New Pornographers.

The main act was The New Pornographers.  I was introduced to their music by the GodSon.  I wasn't sure about it at first but it grew on me.  Most music is like that for me: first I don't like it and then it grows on me.  By the time we went to this concert I was very familiar with a lot of their songs (thank you Spotify) and I really enjoyed their music including the two encores - it's been a while since I saw a double encore at a concert.  They played every one of my favorite New Pornographer songs.  I would call that a success.

We both really enjoyed our evening of food and music.  It was a nice distraction from real life.  The distraction would continue the next day ... which I'll share in another post this weekend.

Wow ... What A Difference A Day Makes.

Today it topped out around 60°F (15.5°C).  It is now dropping below freezing and will remain below freezing until at least the weekend.  I guess winter is here a tad early this year.

The camping trip I was hoping to squeeze in this month is now off.  I don't think wearing all my layers would have kept me warm when the temperature drops into the teens.  I doubt I'll go camping again until spring.

Bike riding on the trails is also shut down for the season.  This morning I took my bike down to the basement and put it up on the trainer frame.  For the next few months I will be riding in my basement while watching Netflix and TED talks.  Now I can't use the temperature, wind, or rain as an excuse not to ride my bike.

We haven't had any snow yet but I'm sure it's just around the corner.  Hopefully it will not be a dry winter so I can get out and snowshoe.  If there isn't any snow I'll still get out and walk.  It takes a lot to stop me from walking.

All of you out there experiencing this arctic blast, stay warm!

Book: Patrick Rothfuss' "The Slow Regard Of Silent Things"

I rate my books on Goodreads.  I have only given the five star best rating to three books.  Two of those three were books by Patrick Rothfuss.  When I saw his new book, "The Slow Regard of Silent Things", came out I was hoping it would be the third in the Kingkiller Chronicles.  I want to read the next chapter in the story of Kvothe.  This book is not a Kingkiller book.  This book follows a week in the life of a character from Rothfuss' other two book, Auri.

Auri is an odd character.  A young girl living in the tunnels under the university ("the underthing").  She communes with the things around her and lives a free spirited life alone in the shadows.  She interacts with her world, and it is her world, in an almost poetic way.

As I was reading about Auri I got the impression that this young girl was suffering from OCD.  She lived a life of simple rituals where everything has a place and there is a place for everything.  When things were out of place her world turned dark until things were set right.

Rothfuss has a very easy reading style.  The words flow off the pages easily.  This book adds an almost poetic style on top of the easy flowing words.  It made it a joy to read even if the story is not what you expected.  The book, a short 170 pages (much shorter than the other two books which averaged over 850 pages each), left me wanting more.

Hopefully, now that we've seen how she lives, we will see more of Auri in future Rothfuss books.

Book: Ryan Boudinot's :"Blueprints Of The Afterlife"

I'm not sure how I should describe Ryan Boudinot's "Blueprints of the Afterlife".  It is a mixture of serious science fiction, dystopian story telling, and awkward surrealism.  The mix intersested me and confused me at the same time.

The story follows people in a dystopian future recovering from the "age of f***ed up s**t" (FUS).  The few threads that describe the FUS period are vague and somewhat mysterious.  You never really find out what really happened.  The characters of the book are odd and don't always seem to fit the world around them.  You start questioning the sanity of the people and the world they live in.

The narrative grabbed my interest but when it shifted into the surreal I was often confused as to how I should react.  Some sections would have fit right into Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" but then things abruptly turn serious in the next paragraph.  Very befuddling to say the least.

Not sure what else to say about this book.  It was sort of good but I'm not sure why I liked it.

Don't Let Your Candidate Be Like This Guy - Please VOTE!

"Don't Let Your Candidate Be Like This Guy"
by Bruce H.

On one of my recent walks along the streets of Omaha I came across this sad looking bumper sticker attached to a light pole.  It was a twenty-six year old Mike Dukakis for President sticker (not sure if this is a condemnation of Omaha's cleanliness or an endorsement of the glue manufacturer).  If you don't want the candidates you support to end up like this forgotten presidential campaign sticker, you need to do one thing:

VOTE!

A Long Ride Blown Away

I went for a bike ride this morning.  I was aiming for around thirty miles like I'd done last Wednesday.

When I got up after the extra daylight savings hour of sleep, I noticed the wind was whipping the trees across the street.  I was committed to riding today so I decided that maybe twenty miles would be more appropriate for a windy day like the one I woke up to.

I loaded the bike on the car and drove to the trailhead.  I got out of the car and felt the stiff wind blowing me in the face.  It was probably a thirteen miles per hour wind with gusts up to twenty.  My average speed tends to be around thirteen miles per hour.  A ten mile bike ride would do the trick on a blustery day like today.

I started peddling.  As I went I dropped gears until I was going so slow that I probably could have walked faster.  Even in the lower gear I was struggling.  I usually stop for my first rest at a bench about seven and a quarter miles from the car.   Today I stopped at two and a half miles.  I stood there in the whistling wind and thought "enough is enough."  I turned around and returned to the car.

Five miles.  Five miles in about 26 minutes.  Not what I'd planned.  I'll try to make it up by adding an extra ride sometime this week.

Well ... That's A Little Bit Better

October felt like it went by in a flash.  At the end of September I lamented my lack of motivation in a post.  In October I did a bit better I think.  I posted a more ... just.  A few of the posts were just photograph posts.  I still fell short in finding things to write about.

Last month I said I would ride bike more.  I didn't manage the twelve rides I'd hoped for but I did manage to do seven rides (one hundred and ninety-two miles) which is a bit better than the three rides I did in September.  I think seven or eight rides a month are my limit.

I'd also hoped to drop some weight and I did manage to drop three or four pounds in October.  I'm finding it harder to lose weight than it used to be for me.  Another age related change I imagine.  The bike rides and the long walks I squeeze in of Fridays seem to be helping.

Besides biking and dropping pounds ounces, what else have I been up to?  While the Wife has been very busy with school and visiting her parents, I have not been that busy.  The lack of motivation I had this summer is still lingering a bit.  We did visit with the Maid of Honor and the Best Man last weekend.  We learned all about their vacation to Greece and Turkey.  Their account of Istanbul has the Wife and I reconsidering the destination of our next international vacation.  More on that in some future post.

I tried a couple new foods/drinks this week.  By this I mean new for me.  Last weekend I tried my first ginger beer.  Ginger beer is brewed using ginger and is non-alcoholic.  My impressions ... it was like drinking something I would clean my kitchen sink with.  Not that I've ever tasted what I clean the kitchen sink with but I'd like to think it would taste like ginger beer.  The second new item was a Hostess Twinkie.  Yes ... it took my fifty-one years before I had my first twinkie.  I tried it on my long walk yesterday.  It was okay.  Not really impressed.  I walked off the added sugar.

So what's on the agenda for November?  I may squeeze in a camp if it unexpectedly warms up.  We will be going to a charity auction at the GodSon's school.  That should be fun.  We have a concert after that.  The one task I really need to finish this month is planning my five day camp in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Campsites have to be reserved and first and second choices for each night have to be submitted by snail mail (Snail Mail!).  I have a detailed park map with trails - I just need to sit down and knock out a realistic route.

That's it for me.  Hope to post more often this month.  We shall see, won't we?