Wednesday, August 30, 2006

I am training another group of CPS workers today and tomorrow. This is the pentultimate class and it is going to feel good to have that behind us. The fall schedule is picking up and there will be some travel to far reaches of the country, but not so much that it is going to be a PITA. We have a couple of personal trips lined up between now and the end of the year - one to Syracuse and one to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. That is going to make the rest of the year a time full of anticipation and excitement. Those are two of my favorite things - gee what do I like more, anticipation or excitement? I think anticipation, it always exceeds the reality of the excitement that actually accompanies an event. Wait just a minute - never say never, and rarely say always. Think back to the last two Rose Bowls, the anticipation was GREAT, but the excitement was GREATER. Okay, there we go again. Learning is wonderful, often brought about by listening, understanding, questioning, and assimilating. The RiverDogs are looking at me with that look. You know, the one that precedes the journey to the end of the driveway where we get the paper. I guess it is time to go, and time for them to go, if you know what I mean. I love the time we spend together - me with the dogs and the time I spend telling you about what is going on from this little corner of the planet. For now, it is RiverDogs out, truly out(side) and free to run, run, run. Later all. 5:53:34 AM    comment []

The latest from the banks of the still running South San Gabriel River We had rain, then steam and finally some heat relief this week. It feels great to be looking at highs in the mid-90s, what a differnce a few degrees makes. High school and college football get into full swing this weekend, and the RiverDogs cannot wait. Sydney has been practiciing her touchdown dance and is primed for another great season here in Texas. I am hoping that Texas can repeat as national champion but it is really out there on the hope scale. If we win the game against Ohio State on September 9, then I think we have a chance to run the table. If not, then I think there are two more losses before the end of the season. The most recent music is the new one from Paul Simon, titled Surprise. A pretty solid effort from one of my favorite singer/songwriters. And on order, the new one from Bob Dylan called Modern Times. I read the glowing reviews of that album and it is anything but modern. It should be here from Amazon by the end of the week. Stay tuned for an opinion from a true Dylan fan -  but I will call it bad if it is. I just don't expect it to be bad. The R100S is due for a new starter this weekend. The last time I ran the bike a week ago it took 26 clicks of the starter button to get the starter to turn over. That is too close to not starting at all, and I know one of these days it is going to leave me stranded. I have known that the starter needed to be replaced almost since I got the bike. Of course the previous owner told me it was just the starter relay, and I believed him for a while. But now, 10 months later, I have a new image of the previous owner as a bit of a lier. Still, knowing what I know, I am happy to have the bike. It is rare indeed and turns heads everywhere I go. My son Greg had his birthday this week. Sadly he was up in Dallas the night of his birthday and his wife and the rest of us were here in Austin. We will just have to make up for it when he gets back to town later this week. They leased their place in the west end to a doctor. That will give them a little extra cash to work on their project in Lakeway. 5:39:36 AM    comment []

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