One never knows when that perfect or near perfect day will come. Today, for me, was a nice one. The weather has been unseasonably warm. Yesterday I finished trimming the hedge and fell off the ladder at one point. This is an omen. I'll need to be more careful than ever when using ladders.
I had looked at a tennis ball machine yesterday on ebay. A couple of years ago I had been researching them and didn't buy one. With the nice weather I got back into the mood. Practicing and playing tennis is an activity that is both good for me and enjoyable to me. I think it's worth some investment. The machine went for more than I was willing to spend.
Brooke and I spent a while loading some wood logs into the trailer. She has as a goal, getting rid of these from the back yard. Tomorrow we will take out one load. To get it cleared it will take at least one more.
I took some books back to the library and brought along my tennis bag. I thought I would stop at the down-town tennis courts to see if there was someone there to hit with. As it happened there were three young boys practicing on one of the courts. I could have practiced hitting serves on the other court, but I really wanted to hit with them. Tennis etiquette requires that one be invited to join in. So, I forced the issue by sitting on the bench by their court. Soon, they invited me to hit with them.
What a nice group of young kids. They were all Sophomores at Fenton High School. They played on the tennis team and reminded me of the hopefulness of youth. There are some great kids out there.
We ended up playing a set of doubles. It was a lot of fun and exercise. I want to make tennis a part of my routine this Summer. I bid on another tennis ball machine this afternoon and got it. This will be a big part of the summer's fun. Gabe and Brooke will enjoy it as well as others at the park. Especially me.
To fill in the time before the NCAA games started, I watched Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. This movie(at least in my mind) has a special connection between my children and me. I think it's a great movie. I really enjoyed watching it again.
That was my day, and also we had a thunder storm.
It can't get too much better than that.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Taxes and...
We got all our tax information together and made an appointment at H&R Block. This is for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. It sounds bad but we're early for the 2011 returns. The other two years we are thinking we don't owe on. We'll see in a few days. Every year when tax time comes around there is nothing but stories about the deadline. Everyone is told what they must do and how bad they are to be procrastinators. The pressure builds(if you allow it) and most people break and(as in school) cram and get it done. Often we just don't get it done. Then we worry about consequences. If you have a refund coming though, you aren't in bad shape. I'm really glad to get caught up again though. I am a true believer in a simplified, possibly flat tax, system. As citizens we shouldn't be put under such stress and we shouldn't have to hire someone to do our taxes.
It is a little disturbing to hear that almost half of the citizens of the U.S. don't pay income tax. It seems that maybe the lowest rate should be about 10%. Just so you feel like you're participating.
The weather here has been warm and sunny most days. We've been out raking and cleaning out beds two or three times already. I pruned the grapes today. No sign of hops above the soil yet.
The weather puts one in a warm weather frame of mind. We might visit the grand children this week end. I haven't seen Gabe in a couple months. That's too long.
I'm looking forward to seeing how Michigan does in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. That starts this week end also. I don't have a bracket to fill out this year. I'm not sure how much interest I have in any of the other teams.
I cooked a pork tenderloin tonight with asparagus and sweet potato. Brooke had bought it and thawed out the meat. She was just too tired to cook though. She overdid it working in the yard.
The meal was great. Later, Ken.
This Just in!!
Have you heard of SUD or SUDS. It's the Subjective Units of Distress Scale.
10 = Feels unbearably bad, beside yourself, out of control as in a nervous breakdown, overwhelmed, at the end of your rope. You may feel so upset that you don't want to talk because you can't imagine how anyone could possibly understand your agitation.
9 = Feeling desperate. What most people call a 10 is actually a 9. Feeling extremely freaked out to the point that it almost feels unbearable and you are getting scared of what you might do. Feeling very, very bad, losing control of your emotions.
8 = Freaking out. The beginning of alienation.
7 = Starting to freak out, on the edge of some definitely bad feelings. You can maintain control with difficulty.
6 = Feeling bad to the point that you begin to think something ought to be done about the way you feel.
5 = Moderately upset, uncomfortable. Unpleasant feelings are still manageable with some effort.
4 = Somewhat upset to the point that you cannot easily ignore an unpleasant thought. You can handle it OK but don't feel good.
3 = Mildly upset. Worried, bothered to the point that you notice it.
2 = A little bit upset, but not noticeable unless you took care to pay attention to your feelings and then realize, "yes" there is something bothering me.
1 = No acute distress and feeling basically good. If you took special effort you might feel something unpleasant but not much.
0 = Peace, serenity, total relief. No more anxiety of any kind about any particular issue.
Hope your SUD is hovering around zero.
It is a little disturbing to hear that almost half of the citizens of the U.S. don't pay income tax. It seems that maybe the lowest rate should be about 10%. Just so you feel like you're participating.
The weather here has been warm and sunny most days. We've been out raking and cleaning out beds two or three times already. I pruned the grapes today. No sign of hops above the soil yet.
The weather puts one in a warm weather frame of mind. We might visit the grand children this week end. I haven't seen Gabe in a couple months. That's too long.
I'm looking forward to seeing how Michigan does in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. That starts this week end also. I don't have a bracket to fill out this year. I'm not sure how much interest I have in any of the other teams.
I cooked a pork tenderloin tonight with asparagus and sweet potato. Brooke had bought it and thawed out the meat. She was just too tired to cook though. She overdid it working in the yard.
The meal was great. Later, Ken.
This Just in!!
Have you heard of SUD or SUDS. It's the Subjective Units of Distress Scale.
10 = Feels unbearably bad, beside yourself, out of control as in a nervous breakdown, overwhelmed, at the end of your rope. You may feel so upset that you don't want to talk because you can't imagine how anyone could possibly understand your agitation.
9 = Feeling desperate. What most people call a 10 is actually a 9. Feeling extremely freaked out to the point that it almost feels unbearable and you are getting scared of what you might do. Feeling very, very bad, losing control of your emotions.
8 = Freaking out. The beginning of alienation.
7 = Starting to freak out, on the edge of some definitely bad feelings. You can maintain control with difficulty.
6 = Feeling bad to the point that you begin to think something ought to be done about the way you feel.
5 = Moderately upset, uncomfortable. Unpleasant feelings are still manageable with some effort.
4 = Somewhat upset to the point that you cannot easily ignore an unpleasant thought. You can handle it OK but don't feel good.
3 = Mildly upset. Worried, bothered to the point that you notice it.
2 = A little bit upset, but not noticeable unless you took care to pay attention to your feelings and then realize, "yes" there is something bothering me.
1 = No acute distress and feeling basically good. If you took special effort you might feel something unpleasant but not much.
0 = Peace, serenity, total relief. No more anxiety of any kind about any particular issue.
Hope your SUD is hovering around zero.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Be Careful What You Say
I have three sisters and a brother. Eileen is the oldest, Tom next(4 years younger), then Marjorie(2 years after Tom). Then there was another boy who died when he was about three I think. It's funny how little was told to my twin sister and I about him. We were, and are(even at 68) the babies of the family.
My sister Marge is currently in Hospice with pneumonia. She has been suffering from Alzheimer's
for years. I haven't done much research on Alzheimer's so I don't know how much the brain is functioning in there. I know Marge responds to music that was part of her family life. She can hear.
I had picked up my text, Hypnotherapy by Dave Elman, last night. I just wanted to read a bit and maybe increase my enthusiasm. I can open this book to any page and find the information fascinating. Elman taught hypnosis to Doctors in all branches of medicine for use in their practices.
At one point in the book he found that a patient had recovered from gall bladder surgery but a pain persisted. No cause could be found. Through hypnosis the patient recalled everything that was said and done during the operation. Even while under chemical anesthesia. One of the Doctors had remarked,"Look at that gall bladder, She'll never be the same." The patient took it to mean she would never fully recover. Mr. Elman pointed out that the Doctor could have meant that she would never be so bad off after the surgery had corrected the situation. She lost the pain almost immediately after hypnosis and it never returned. This made possible the finding that the patient can be given suggestions that the anesthesia will remain long after the chemical effects of amnesia have worn off, making for an easier recovery.
Elman said that was his first major finding in the use of hypnosis. This apparent hearing and functioning of the mind even under anesthesia, leads to many questions. One conclusion is obvious though, if you are in the room with a person who is unconscious or sleeping, say only positive things. Avoid making the funeral plans in that room. Quite the opposite, the positive suggestions about recovery and going home can have a good effect on the outcome. In this simple way, you can make a difference.
My sister Marge is currently in Hospice with pneumonia. She has been suffering from Alzheimer's
for years. I haven't done much research on Alzheimer's so I don't know how much the brain is functioning in there. I know Marge responds to music that was part of her family life. She can hear.
I had picked up my text, Hypnotherapy by Dave Elman, last night. I just wanted to read a bit and maybe increase my enthusiasm. I can open this book to any page and find the information fascinating. Elman taught hypnosis to Doctors in all branches of medicine for use in their practices.
At one point in the book he found that a patient had recovered from gall bladder surgery but a pain persisted. No cause could be found. Through hypnosis the patient recalled everything that was said and done during the operation. Even while under chemical anesthesia. One of the Doctors had remarked,"Look at that gall bladder, She'll never be the same." The patient took it to mean she would never fully recover. Mr. Elman pointed out that the Doctor could have meant that she would never be so bad off after the surgery had corrected the situation. She lost the pain almost immediately after hypnosis and it never returned. This made possible the finding that the patient can be given suggestions that the anesthesia will remain long after the chemical effects of amnesia have worn off, making for an easier recovery.
Elman said that was his first major finding in the use of hypnosis. This apparent hearing and functioning of the mind even under anesthesia, leads to many questions. One conclusion is obvious though, if you are in the room with a person who is unconscious or sleeping, say only positive things. Avoid making the funeral plans in that room. Quite the opposite, the positive suggestions about recovery and going home can have a good effect on the outcome. In this simple way, you can make a difference.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Older Men, More Whiskey, Options Trading, Less Money
I was thinking it was Waylon or Willie that sang that song alluded to in my title, but it was Tom T. Hall.
For a while now, I've been curious as to how options trading works. A friend of mine has taken a course, at considerable expense, in trading in options. This was a couple of years back and he did quite well with it. I assume that means in the millions of dollars or at least the high hundreds of thousands. He told me and another friend(yes, I have two friends) that he used a strategy called the Iron Condor. One surrounds the current position of the stock in question with puts and calls and as the expiration date approaches you will make a profit if the stock's price stays within this boundary.
First problem, couldn't remember the name of the strategy. Second problem, don't want to spend money learning about options trading. I do want to learn about it though. Another friend(really) Phil Huyck, says he bought a program a few years back. Roughly 3K but it's on VCR. I didn't ask and he didn't tell, so that is a possible means to learning.
Just a couple of days ago I went to the library to see what they had available and came across Jim Cramer's book "Getting Back to Even." He includes two chapters in there about using options. I wouldn't call Cramer a great or even good communicator, but eventually he does get his message across if you stick with it. So, I've gotten a bit of the puzzle figured out. I still have about 90% more to learn. There are a lot of strategies out there. You don't have to know all of them but you really have to know the one you are going to employ very well. Cramer gives one, Deep in the money calls. He then tells how you can insure your gains, if the stock has moved up. This is very clever and makes you realize that there are many smart people out there figuring out how to make money. Many of them doing it illegally, not Cramer. I feel like a target.
If you ever listen to Options Action on CNBC you will soon discover, there is a language you must understand to know what they are talking about. It starts with puts and calls and how one is just the opposite of the other. It will take me a while to get the concept of when stocks go down, that can be a good thing. You can sell it at the higher strike and capture the downside.
Don't know how long I'll stick with this but if my Blog title is looking prophetic I think I'll stick to, " Faster Horses, Younger Women, Older Whiskey and More Money." Repeat at least 2x.
For a while now, I've been curious as to how options trading works. A friend of mine has taken a course, at considerable expense, in trading in options. This was a couple of years back and he did quite well with it. I assume that means in the millions of dollars or at least the high hundreds of thousands. He told me and another friend(yes, I have two friends) that he used a strategy called the Iron Condor. One surrounds the current position of the stock in question with puts and calls and as the expiration date approaches you will make a profit if the stock's price stays within this boundary.
First problem, couldn't remember the name of the strategy. Second problem, don't want to spend money learning about options trading. I do want to learn about it though. Another friend(really) Phil Huyck, says he bought a program a few years back. Roughly 3K but it's on VCR. I didn't ask and he didn't tell, so that is a possible means to learning.
Just a couple of days ago I went to the library to see what they had available and came across Jim Cramer's book "Getting Back to Even." He includes two chapters in there about using options. I wouldn't call Cramer a great or even good communicator, but eventually he does get his message across if you stick with it. So, I've gotten a bit of the puzzle figured out. I still have about 90% more to learn. There are a lot of strategies out there. You don't have to know all of them but you really have to know the one you are going to employ very well. Cramer gives one, Deep in the money calls. He then tells how you can insure your gains, if the stock has moved up. This is very clever and makes you realize that there are many smart people out there figuring out how to make money. Many of them doing it illegally, not Cramer. I feel like a target.
If you ever listen to Options Action on CNBC you will soon discover, there is a language you must understand to know what they are talking about. It starts with puts and calls and how one is just the opposite of the other. It will take me a while to get the concept of when stocks go down, that can be a good thing. You can sell it at the higher strike and capture the downside.
Don't know how long I'll stick with this but if my Blog title is looking prophetic I think I'll stick to, " Faster Horses, Younger Women, Older Whiskey and More Money." Repeat at least 2x.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Two Birds With One Stone
Here I am again. I just read an entry at the restricted Omni Hypnosis forum from my teacher Gerry Kein.
He recently announced that he will no longer be regularly scheduling his beginner through advanced hypnosis class after April of this year. Many Omnigrads have been concerned over his health and he answered these concerns and told of his plans for the future. He is quite an inspiring man. I told him, when I was in his September of 2009 class, that someone should make a movie of his life. He said,"No one would believe it."
He was a close friend/protege of the famous Hypnotist Dave Elman. Jerry was a pilot in the Navy. He was a stage hypnotist in his youth. He had a very successful hypnosis business in Fort Lauderdale. That just scratches the surface. He is a wonderful speaker with great conviction and energy. When we attended classes there in Deland, FL., we all felt tremendously energized and positive about the future. What else could you ask for from a teacher?
Jerry developed a new method of Hypnosis which he termed, "Ultra Height." I spoke of this in an earlier blog on "The Hometownhypnotist". In Ultraheight the person who is seeking a solution to some problem is first taken to a very deep state of hypnosis called the coma state. Not the medical coma. In the coma state you would be so relaxed as to be nearly uncommunicative. You would have a natural anesthesia and the hypnotist can put your limbs in positions which you would hold like a jointed doll. Then, leaving your body in this state, the mind is brought up to a highly euphoric (my word) state where you are seemingly in touch with your spiritual essence. Here, you find the causes and solutions for your problem.
Jerry has been working on a book about Ultraheight and said he has had a possible breakthrough in it that, if duplicatable, could be important to the future of hypnosis.
Who knows, but that's the positive and forward thinking nature of Gerald (Jerry) Kein.
Why the title of this blog? I will also post it on my other blog, if I can figure out how.
He recently announced that he will no longer be regularly scheduling his beginner through advanced hypnosis class after April of this year. Many Omnigrads have been concerned over his health and he answered these concerns and told of his plans for the future. He is quite an inspiring man. I told him, when I was in his September of 2009 class, that someone should make a movie of his life. He said,"No one would believe it."
He was a close friend/protege of the famous Hypnotist Dave Elman. Jerry was a pilot in the Navy. He was a stage hypnotist in his youth. He had a very successful hypnosis business in Fort Lauderdale. That just scratches the surface. He is a wonderful speaker with great conviction and energy. When we attended classes there in Deland, FL., we all felt tremendously energized and positive about the future. What else could you ask for from a teacher?
Jerry developed a new method of Hypnosis which he termed, "Ultra Height." I spoke of this in an earlier blog on "The Hometownhypnotist". In Ultraheight the person who is seeking a solution to some problem is first taken to a very deep state of hypnosis called the coma state. Not the medical coma. In the coma state you would be so relaxed as to be nearly uncommunicative. You would have a natural anesthesia and the hypnotist can put your limbs in positions which you would hold like a jointed doll. Then, leaving your body in this state, the mind is brought up to a highly euphoric (my word) state where you are seemingly in touch with your spiritual essence. Here, you find the causes and solutions for your problem.
Jerry has been working on a book about Ultraheight and said he has had a possible breakthrough in it that, if duplicatable, could be important to the future of hypnosis.
Who knows, but that's the positive and forward thinking nature of Gerald (Jerry) Kein.
Why the title of this blog? I will also post it on my other blog, if I can figure out how.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Bangs House History
While looking for a lost bible, I came across a file that had some of the accumulated historical documents relating to our house. Gloria had stored most of these away(maybe all). She loved the history of The Benjamin Bangs House. She did all of the things one must do to get the house on the state and national registries of historic places. The letters stating our house indeed made it are in the file. A letter of commendation from the Fenton Beautification Committee is there and notably the head of the committee was John Gerych.
Other newspaper articles are archived also. One article is a story of how Ray Rausch's students all
wore paper bags over their heads, and switched seats, so he couldn't identify them and direct comments to them individually. Ray was one of the great B.S.ers. They had a short discussion and adjourned to the cafeteria for coffee. Ray was a great coffee drinker also. The article appeared in the Mott CC Post.
Another story saved was written by the late Jan Rynearson in the Fenton Independent(also no longer with us). The story was of a woman who found and framed an old 1890 copy of The Independent. That copy happened to include a story of a horse and buggy accident written by none other than Benjamin Bangs. He tells of how he was giving a ride home to the church pastor(named Mr. Parson). The horse was frightened by a donkey pulling a toy express wagon with a boy mounted on the wagon. The horse turned short around dumping the buggy and it's occupants in the ditch. Injuries were minor.
What a nice bit of history. I think I will copy and frame those two stories so our many guests can read them when they visit.
Back to Wheat Thins and Easy Cheese. I believe I have perfected the exact proportions of cheese to cracker.
Other newspaper articles are archived also. One article is a story of how Ray Rausch's students all
wore paper bags over their heads, and switched seats, so he couldn't identify them and direct comments to them individually. Ray was one of the great B.S.ers. They had a short discussion and adjourned to the cafeteria for coffee. Ray was a great coffee drinker also. The article appeared in the Mott CC Post.
Another story saved was written by the late Jan Rynearson in the Fenton Independent(also no longer with us). The story was of a woman who found and framed an old 1890 copy of The Independent. That copy happened to include a story of a horse and buggy accident written by none other than Benjamin Bangs. He tells of how he was giving a ride home to the church pastor(named Mr. Parson). The horse was frightened by a donkey pulling a toy express wagon with a boy mounted on the wagon. The horse turned short around dumping the buggy and it's occupants in the ditch. Injuries were minor.
What a nice bit of history. I think I will copy and frame those two stories so our many guests can read them when they visit.
Back to Wheat Thins and Easy Cheese. I believe I have perfected the exact proportions of cheese to cracker.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Alone
We had a houseful of guests on Super Bowl Sunday.
Jake had people over for a goodbye party. My daughter's family was here too so there was a lot going on. Monday morning everyone left. Emma to Canada and Brooke and Jake to California. What a change. I was left alone with the dog and two cats.
I took the first day doing nothing. There was a kitchen to clean and a lot of cooking paraphernalia to be cleaned. There was also a short list of things to do left by Brooke. Nothing that couldn't wait until Tuesday. It takes a while to decompress after most week ends. The party was a little surreal for me because my right ear was blocked and everything sounded strange. I hope I didn't make more of a fool of myself than normal.
Tuesday was the big day to tackle the list. It took almost the whole day to clean the kitchen. I had a dentist appointment in the morning. Everything went pretty well and I checked in several times on the GPS Tracker that Jake had installed on my tablet. It was working well but since Jake is driving on all surface roads, it's hard to tell where they are. You just see a map showing their location on county road 53 or 212 as examples. You have to do some detective work to figure out where they are. They have made good progress so far. Today at about noon they were in New Mexico. It's nice to be able to track them. They sent a picture from Columbia, MO. a day or two ago. I'll try to post it here. Brooke is standing in front of her first apartment, where we met, on Chandler Court. The place hasn't changed in all these years. Brooke looks good, too, I think you will agree.
Well, I applied for a new passport today and figured out how to unlock the oven door, so that completes my list. I still have to pick up a prescription.
Jake had people over for a goodbye party. My daughter's family was here too so there was a lot going on. Monday morning everyone left. Emma to Canada and Brooke and Jake to California. What a change. I was left alone with the dog and two cats.
I took the first day doing nothing. There was a kitchen to clean and a lot of cooking paraphernalia to be cleaned. There was also a short list of things to do left by Brooke. Nothing that couldn't wait until Tuesday. It takes a while to decompress after most week ends. The party was a little surreal for me because my right ear was blocked and everything sounded strange. I hope I didn't make more of a fool of myself than normal.
Tuesday was the big day to tackle the list. It took almost the whole day to clean the kitchen. I had a dentist appointment in the morning. Everything went pretty well and I checked in several times on the GPS Tracker that Jake had installed on my tablet. It was working well but since Jake is driving on all surface roads, it's hard to tell where they are. You just see a map showing their location on county road 53 or 212 as examples. You have to do some detective work to figure out where they are. They have made good progress so far. Today at about noon they were in New Mexico. It's nice to be able to track them. They sent a picture from Columbia, MO. a day or two ago. I'll try to post it here. Brooke is standing in front of her first apartment, where we met, on Chandler Court. The place hasn't changed in all these years. Brooke looks good, too, I think you will agree.
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