I've been so busy lately and I've been kind of lazy lately, at least as far as writing is concerned. That's why I haven't updated this blog in some time. And it's not as though I haven't done any writing as of late; I've merely been too consumed with other things with the Festival of Cultures. I've done some writing for the Festival of Cultures, for what that's worth
Things are finally starting to fall into place as far as the Festival of Cultures is concerned. And it looks like everything is going to work out just fine. We have our floorplans for the festival drawn up and approved, and Sandy and I met with Physical Plant today. It also sounds a though a group of student athletic trainers are going to be able to do the setup and teardown for us. There are a few details that remain to be addressed, but for the most part I'd say we're in good shape. According to Al, this festival may be the biggest ever. I'm not sure how accurate that statement is, but it looks like this year's festival will be bigger than last year's.
Apart from working on the Festival of Cultures, I've sold a few more copies of my book in Bookings and Sioux Falls. And I'm going to try to sell a few more copies of my book the next time I head down to Sioux Falls. The latest books were sold to Prairie Star Gallery, and it sounds as though the owner, my friend Linda, is interested in purchasing a few more copies. And it sounds as though she's interested in my photography, as well. I'm hoping we can talk about photos during our next visit.
I've also been working on taking better care of my body. I haven't been sleeping and resting as much as I would like...especially considering how busy I've been lately. But I have been eating more fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. And as a result I find that I can't stomach as much food as I once could. I'm also losing weight a little bit at a time. Losing weight slowly is the healthiest way to lose weight, or so I've read.
The other big piece of news in recent history is that the day when Dolly arrives here in South Dakota is rapidly approaching. She'll leave Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario on Monday the 31st and will arrive in Watertown the afternoon of the following day. And the time when she steps off the bus that day will truly be a joyous time.
For the time being, though, I'm going to continue plugging away at the Festival of Cultures and other projects and try to do a better job of resting and taking care of myself. I want to be healthy, strong, and happy, and rest is as big a part of doing that as the work. I need to remember that. Having Dolly here with me for a few weeks will help me tremendously, too. I can't wait.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
A mixed bag this week
It's hard to tell whether this week has passed quickly or slowly. Some of the days this week seemed to come and go with ease, while others have taken longer. Even though fewer than seven days have passed since the beginning of this past week, Monday and Tuesday seem like a distant memory.
Speaking of Monday and Tuesday, those days were probably the most fun of the week. They were fun because I was able to spend time with friends like Dave, and I was able to get my new wheels and tires put on the Miata. I wasn't certain at first whether I'd made a good choice in buying TSW Kyalamis for the Miata. But now that I've had them on the car for a few days and have been able to get used to them, I'm very happy with my selection. As for tires, I decided to mount my race Nitto NT-01s on my stock Miata wheels.
The weather early in the week was pretty nice, too. Temps were in the 50s on various days, and it felt really good to be able to spend time outdoors. It's been sunny a good chunk of the week, too, and seeing the sun helped to keep my mood elevated throughout the busyness of the week.
Another high point of this week was selling five copies of my book in Sioux Falls. Three of those copies went to friends of mine in the Sports Car Club of Siouxland. The other two were picked up by Prairie Star Gallery, and it sounds as though the gallery wants a few additional copies. Linda, the owner, also expressed interest in selling some of my photos. I'll follow up with her on both fronts sometime in the coming week.
Apart from what I've just mentioned, I spent most of my week working on the Festival of Cultures. And it's certainly been a busy week in that regard. A few more organizations have registered for booths, and that means I'll have some more information for our setup designer early next week. The original deadline for getting the floorplan designed was Friday, but I've pushed that back to this coming Wednesday. I know our designer is grateful for the extra time.
Most of my other festival time this past week was spent taking our banner to Cabana Banner to get updated, visiting with Al about entertainment, and trying to assemble our setup and teardown crew. Trying to hire student workers has been like pulling teeth this week, but it sounds as though we may have found a solution. With any luck, a group of student athletic trainers will agree Tuesday to be our setup and teardown crew. I can't imagine they'll turn down our offer considering how much we're offering them. I hope they do agree to help us because they've done a fantastic job in the past.
Overall, life in the Office for Diversity Enhancement this past week has been good, but I've felt agitated the past few days when I've been at work. It must be something at the office because I notice I only feel agitated when I'm at work. Whatever it is, I'm working on identifying what it is and then doing something about it. Doing something about it may simply involve me finding ways to better deal with different situations as they arise. What I'm feeling may simply be stress from all that's been happening and a lack of sleep. Being able to rest this weekend has helped matters, and time will tell this week if I'll be able to cope better than I was able to last week.
It's just about time for bed, and I supposed I'd better hit the sack. I need to do a better job of sleeping and resting myself more; surely doing so will help me temper my stress level. And it will also make life more enjoyable overall. In the meantime, I need to keep focusing on and being grateful for all that's good in my life and focus on the good things I want in life. If I can do that, everything will be OK.
Speaking of Monday and Tuesday, those days were probably the most fun of the week. They were fun because I was able to spend time with friends like Dave, and I was able to get my new wheels and tires put on the Miata. I wasn't certain at first whether I'd made a good choice in buying TSW Kyalamis for the Miata. But now that I've had them on the car for a few days and have been able to get used to them, I'm very happy with my selection. As for tires, I decided to mount my race Nitto NT-01s on my stock Miata wheels.
The weather early in the week was pretty nice, too. Temps were in the 50s on various days, and it felt really good to be able to spend time outdoors. It's been sunny a good chunk of the week, too, and seeing the sun helped to keep my mood elevated throughout the busyness of the week.
Another high point of this week was selling five copies of my book in Sioux Falls. Three of those copies went to friends of mine in the Sports Car Club of Siouxland. The other two were picked up by Prairie Star Gallery, and it sounds as though the gallery wants a few additional copies. Linda, the owner, also expressed interest in selling some of my photos. I'll follow up with her on both fronts sometime in the coming week.
Apart from what I've just mentioned, I spent most of my week working on the Festival of Cultures. And it's certainly been a busy week in that regard. A few more organizations have registered for booths, and that means I'll have some more information for our setup designer early next week. The original deadline for getting the floorplan designed was Friday, but I've pushed that back to this coming Wednesday. I know our designer is grateful for the extra time.
Most of my other festival time this past week was spent taking our banner to Cabana Banner to get updated, visiting with Al about entertainment, and trying to assemble our setup and teardown crew. Trying to hire student workers has been like pulling teeth this week, but it sounds as though we may have found a solution. With any luck, a group of student athletic trainers will agree Tuesday to be our setup and teardown crew. I can't imagine they'll turn down our offer considering how much we're offering them. I hope they do agree to help us because they've done a fantastic job in the past.
Overall, life in the Office for Diversity Enhancement this past week has been good, but I've felt agitated the past few days when I've been at work. It must be something at the office because I notice I only feel agitated when I'm at work. Whatever it is, I'm working on identifying what it is and then doing something about it. Doing something about it may simply involve me finding ways to better deal with different situations as they arise. What I'm feeling may simply be stress from all that's been happening and a lack of sleep. Being able to rest this weekend has helped matters, and time will tell this week if I'll be able to cope better than I was able to last week.
It's just about time for bed, and I supposed I'd better hit the sack. I need to do a better job of sleeping and resting myself more; surely doing so will help me temper my stress level. And it will also make life more enjoyable overall. In the meantime, I need to keep focusing on and being grateful for all that's good in my life and focus on the good things I want in life. If I can do that, everything will be OK.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
One for the birds
It's been a rather cold, icy day today. There thankfully wasn't much ice on the roads, but there was plenty of ice hanging from rain gutters and eaves around the area. Icicles in my patio were a prime example.
I slept until about 9 this morning. I ended up being awake until about 3, which means I slept about six hours last night. I had planned to sleep more, but life had other plans in store. Noise from a running toilet kept me up for about an hour. Too much caffeine didn't help matters, either, I'm sure.
Thought I was still tired, I climbed out of bed around 9:30 and made plans to pick up Dad for breakfast before we headed down to Sioux Falls. After picking him up and choosing to drive the 350Z today, we grabbed a quick bite at Z'Kota Grille. The bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit I had this morning wasn't as good as my last, but it was still decent. Dad had a roast beef sandwich. Our appetites satiated, we climbed back into the Z and headed south.
The day remained overcast and grey as we made our way into South Dakota's largest city. There were times when the sun seemed to try to peek through the clouds but to no avail. Grey skies have prevailed since yesterday. It's a pity, really, because I sense that grey skies and cold weather take my mood down just as a lack of good rest does. Then again, I suppose grey skies are a blessing because they help us truly appreciate the warm, sunny days. There can be no light without darkness.
Our first stop was Vern Eide Mitsubishi so I could check out Mitsu's redesigned Outlander. The crossover seems to drive well and has a fair bit of room inside. Power isn't bad, either. But the price seems high even when compared with other crossovers, and I thought the car felt kind of crude. I'm sure it's an excellent vehicle, but I don't have that much enthusiasm for it. It's too early to rule it out completely, but my thoughts keep going back to the Mazda5.
Dad and I cruised around town a bit before we stopped at the Wonder Bread store to see if any dog biscuits were on sale. None were, so we made our way east to Minnesota Avenue and then north down that street to Wendy's where we enjoyed our lunch. We checked out a Scion xB at Billion Toyota-Scion before I filled up the Z's tank at the Flying J truck stop. Rather than take I-29 back to Brookings, we took Highway 77 instead.
The drive back to Brookings was peaceful enough, but there was an event that could have turned out to have been disastrous if we had collided with another vehicle. Dad and I approached the intersection of Highways 77 and 34 and waited for a slow moving vehicle to turn left. I looked past Dad to my right and saw a gunmetal grey vehicle approach the intersection from the east. The car appeared to be a good distance away and traveling at the speed limit, so I pulled out onto Highway 34. I glanced back into my rearview mirror, which was soon filled with the the reflection of an Audi S4 barrel down on me at what must have been in excess of 90 mph. He must have seen me before I saw him; the driver flew past me like I was standing still. What happened alarmed me for a moment, but I regained my composure and we were on our way again. The other car and I traveled along the same path, only his journey at that moment halted at the BP station just west of the interstate. I didn't recognize the car or its driver. I certainly don't wish harm on others, including reckless drivers. But there are times like today when I sometimes wish the highway patrol were present to bust someone like the person driving that Audi.
Dad and I hung out for a bit at his house before I returned to my place. Once I returned home I put a couple of loads of laundry away and took photos of some birds in my patio. Beyond that I worked out at home, took a shower, and then headed to Jimmy John's to meet Brian for supper. Tonight is the first time I've seen or heard from Brian in a few days.
It was good to see and visit with Brian again, and it was nice to be able to share a meal with my old friend. From Jimmy John's, we headed to Lewis to check out the store's movie selection. It was there Brian rented Into the Wild, a movie I wanted to see in the theater when it came out and never did. We watched the movie at Brian's place and visited for a bit before I returned home a little bit ago.
If I weren't so tired, I'm sure I would have spent more time hanging out with Brian for a bit. But I need to get some more rest and make sure I take good care of myself so I can keep myself positive and be on track for this week. And there will always be more time for spending with friends. For now, though, it's time to put another day on the books.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Another good week
It's a good feeling when things in life go well. And a lot of things have gone well in the past week. I can't remember each minute detail of the work I did last night, but I feel I've made good progress with regard to the Festival of Cultures. Work with regard to the festival should quiet down in the next few weeks, but that doesn't mean that there's no work to be done. And things will certainly pick up in mid- to late-March.
Other than working on the Festival of Cultures, I spent quite a bit of time exercising. Most of my workouts entailed brisk walking for a half-hour or hour at the HPER Center. Beyond that, I did some walking outside when the weather was decent and have done my usual routine of pushups, crunches, and other exercises at home. I'm not working out as much as I did before I left for Canada a few weeks ago, but I'm getting back in the saddle. Heading to the Twin Cities on Wednesday sidetracked me a bit, too, but that's OK.
Speaking of the trip to the Twin Cities, it turned out to be a great trip as expected. The drive to Uncle Gene's in Cottage Drove got kind of long after a while, largely because I felt so tired during the drive. My tiredness really surprised me, especially considering I got a full night's sleep the night before. I made it to Gene's safely, though, and a late-afternoon nap after my arrival helped me feel better. After I napped we went to Olive Garden in Woodbury and then visited the Apple Store in the Mall of America. I finally had a chance to see the new MacBook Air there. The machine is certainly impressive in its lightness and thinness, but it's not something in which I'm particularly interested right now.
The following day Uncle Gene and I enjoyed a breakfast at Perkins in Cottage Grove. I invited him to come along with me in running around the city, but he declined. We did head back to Woodbury in the evening, though. We didn't go to Olive Garden again, but we did go to Chipotle and then Barnes & Noble.
I had a fun day on Thursday cruising around the Twin Cities. I had the chance to visit a few Guitar Centers and then Ellis Drum Shop. Nothing particularly stood out for me at the Guitars Centers I visited, but I was blown away by a Ludwig Accent CS drumkit I was able to play at Ellis. I'm really pleased with the sound and quality of such an inexpensive drumkit (around $750 for a five-piece kit and hardware), and I'll have to put Ludwig on my list of manufacturers to consider the next time I'm in the market for drums. Also at Ellis I was able to meet a few of the other drum guys and to see Doug the manager, a guy with whom I've worked before when I had floor tom legs put on my 14-inch tom.
Other than drums, the other pieces of merchandise I checked out that day were cars. I really checked out only one manufacturer - Mazda. My first dealership was Morrie's Mazda in Minnetonka, and it was there I was able to drive a Mazda5 and a Mazdaspeed3. I also wanted to drive a four-cylinder Mazda6 hatchback but none were available there. While at the dealership I also picked up some membership application materials for the Minnesota Miata Club.
Most of my Mazda gazing Thursday took place at Walser Mazda, which is where I picked up my '06 Miata. A cool salesman named Darin introduced himself to me and spent a lot of time showing me a Mazda5 and a Mazda6 like the one I wanted to see. I really appreciate all the time he spent, and I'm sure Walser will be on my dealer shortlist the next time I buy a Mazda.
The drive back to Brookings on Friday was really windy. The wind didn't make driving hazardous, but it did eat into my gas mileage quite a bit. I arrive back in Brookings around 2 that afternoon. Dad and I then took the 350Z over to Arlington Friday evening so we could have Mexican dinner at Diane's City Cafe.
I spent a good deal of time this weekend relaxing. Apart from hanging out with Dad, catching a movie on Saturday afternoon, and the SCCS meeting last night, I spent it alone. It would have been fun to spend more time hanging out with friends, but the alone time was good, too. It also felt good to be able to sleep in - really sleep in, and rest and meditate.
Another workweek has started, and today has been another good day. The day has been a good deal busier than I anticipated, but it's been a good day nonetheless. My busiest day this week likely will be tomorrow because of the meetings I have. But those meetings will go well, and I should be able to cruise for the rest of the week. I plan to use the downtown to exercise more, enjoy the vehicles sitting in my garage and Dad's garage, and eagerly anticipate the new wheels I ordered for that Miata. I'll also look forward to the coming weeks when I'll be able to see Dolly again. She'll be here again a week from yesterday. And I can't wait.
Other than working on the Festival of Cultures, I spent quite a bit of time exercising. Most of my workouts entailed brisk walking for a half-hour or hour at the HPER Center. Beyond that, I did some walking outside when the weather was decent and have done my usual routine of pushups, crunches, and other exercises at home. I'm not working out as much as I did before I left for Canada a few weeks ago, but I'm getting back in the saddle. Heading to the Twin Cities on Wednesday sidetracked me a bit, too, but that's OK.
Speaking of the trip to the Twin Cities, it turned out to be a great trip as expected. The drive to Uncle Gene's in Cottage Drove got kind of long after a while, largely because I felt so tired during the drive. My tiredness really surprised me, especially considering I got a full night's sleep the night before. I made it to Gene's safely, though, and a late-afternoon nap after my arrival helped me feel better. After I napped we went to Olive Garden in Woodbury and then visited the Apple Store in the Mall of America. I finally had a chance to see the new MacBook Air there. The machine is certainly impressive in its lightness and thinness, but it's not something in which I'm particularly interested right now.
The following day Uncle Gene and I enjoyed a breakfast at Perkins in Cottage Grove. I invited him to come along with me in running around the city, but he declined. We did head back to Woodbury in the evening, though. We didn't go to Olive Garden again, but we did go to Chipotle and then Barnes & Noble.
I had a fun day on Thursday cruising around the Twin Cities. I had the chance to visit a few Guitar Centers and then Ellis Drum Shop. Nothing particularly stood out for me at the Guitars Centers I visited, but I was blown away by a Ludwig Accent CS drumkit I was able to play at Ellis. I'm really pleased with the sound and quality of such an inexpensive drumkit (around $750 for a five-piece kit and hardware), and I'll have to put Ludwig on my list of manufacturers to consider the next time I'm in the market for drums. Also at Ellis I was able to meet a few of the other drum guys and to see Doug the manager, a guy with whom I've worked before when I had floor tom legs put on my 14-inch tom.
Other than drums, the other pieces of merchandise I checked out that day were cars. I really checked out only one manufacturer - Mazda. My first dealership was Morrie's Mazda in Minnetonka, and it was there I was able to drive a Mazda5 and a Mazdaspeed3. I also wanted to drive a four-cylinder Mazda6 hatchback but none were available there. While at the dealership I also picked up some membership application materials for the Minnesota Miata Club.
Most of my Mazda gazing Thursday took place at Walser Mazda, which is where I picked up my '06 Miata. A cool salesman named Darin introduced himself to me and spent a lot of time showing me a Mazda5 and a Mazda6 like the one I wanted to see. I really appreciate all the time he spent, and I'm sure Walser will be on my dealer shortlist the next time I buy a Mazda.
The drive back to Brookings on Friday was really windy. The wind didn't make driving hazardous, but it did eat into my gas mileage quite a bit. I arrive back in Brookings around 2 that afternoon. Dad and I then took the 350Z over to Arlington Friday evening so we could have Mexican dinner at Diane's City Cafe.
I spent a good deal of time this weekend relaxing. Apart from hanging out with Dad, catching a movie on Saturday afternoon, and the SCCS meeting last night, I spent it alone. It would have been fun to spend more time hanging out with friends, but the alone time was good, too. It also felt good to be able to sleep in - really sleep in, and rest and meditate.
Another workweek has started, and today has been another good day. The day has been a good deal busier than I anticipated, but it's been a good day nonetheless. My busiest day this week likely will be tomorrow because of the meetings I have. But those meetings will go well, and I should be able to cruise for the rest of the week. I plan to use the downtown to exercise more, enjoy the vehicles sitting in my garage and Dad's garage, and eagerly anticipate the new wheels I ordered for that Miata. I'll also look forward to the coming weeks when I'll be able to see Dolly again. She'll be here again a week from yesterday. And I can't wait.
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