Tom's Diary

Today’s Activities

• Shower. DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.  Cat duty involves cleaning the litter boxes, bagging the excess, feeding, and house cleaning cat dirt of all types.
• Wash (1) load of pending laundry.  DONE.

Log

07:00 AM: I’m up.

07:15 AM: Facebooked for perhaps fifteen minutes. Friend count: 626 (up one). Fan count: 114 (unchanged).

08:10 AM: Leaving now with sister Jojo for shopping and visiting Mom.  Back later.

08:30 AM: First, we grabbed some coffee and Dunkin’ Donuts.

09:35 PM: Our first stop was Wal Mart, to try and beat the crowds; although crowds were building as we checked out.  In addition to the usual weekly fruit and milk, I picked up some electrical supplies in preps for wiring upgrades and replacement at home.

10:30 AM: Next, we stopped at Gabriel Brothers, where I found a couple more iPod home wall chargers and iPod data cables for under $5 apiece.

02:00 PM: I’m home and all groceries have been put away, and additional cement for the windows carried down to the basement.

03:00 PM: Nap time.  Back later.

06:00 PM: I’m up again.  Hmmm.  Guess I did not sleep as well last night as I thought.

06:45 PM: Watched today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   via the DVR.

07:10 PM: Watched tonight’s edition of    NBC’s Nightly News   via the DVR.

08:00 PM: Moved shelves, washer, and storage bins around in the basement to prepare for the upgrade of the last two windows there to glass block tomorrow.  I also swept up lots of accumulated dust, dirt, and cobwebs down there to make the work experience this weekend a bit less tedious.

10:00 PM: Watched the 1967 version of the movie   Bedazzled   via Netflix,   starring Dudley Moore, Eleanor Bron, and Raeuel Welch (as lust).  Not bad.  But I think I like the remake of this movie in 2000 better, where the devil was played by a woman.

11:00 PM: Talked with   [Emmy].

11:10 PM: I’m heading to bed.  Good night and do stop back tomorrow for more content.     Good night.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

None today.

Related Posts and Links

• Today’s Diet: 2012-01-27

Today’s Activities

• Shower. DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.  Cat duty involves cleaning the litter boxes, bagging the excess, feeding, and house cleaning cat dirt of all types.

Log

10:00 AM: We’re up.

10:15 AM: Facebooked for several minutes. Friend count: 610 (up one). Fan count: 114 (unchanged).

10:20 AM: No treadmill workout today.

10:45 AM: Leaving now to visit Mom and take her a load of clean laundry.  Back later.

12:15 PM: I bought Mom lunch from her favorite Mexican restaurant — a burrito, dipping cheese, cinnamon chips, and diet Pepsi.  I enjoyed a beef burrito myself along with the chips and some iced tea.

01:00 PM: Three of Mom’s friends arrived to wish her a Merry Christmas.  We visited with each other in the first floor lounge for over an hour.

02:00 PM: Then, due to Mom’s belief that she had a hair dressing appointment at 2:00 PM, her friends bade her farewell, and I wheeled her down to the beauty shop.  However, Mom was mistaken about her appointment day, and the shop was closed.  I tried to catch up with her friends and invite them to return for some more socializing.  However, by the time we reached the lobby, they were all gone.  Oh well, Mom and I will visit while I await my ride home.

03:15 PM: I’m back home.

05:00 PM: Watched today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   via the DVR.

06:00 PM: We watched KDKA TV’s local news at 5:00 PM.

06:30 PM: Heading out now with sister Jojo to do some last-minute Christmas shopping.  Back later.

07:15 PM: First, we dropped her eldest son off at the Barnes and Noble book shop in Altoona’s Logan Plaza.  Then, we headed for Logan Valley Mall.

07:45 PM: [Emmy],   sister Jojo,   and I ate at McDonald’s.  We tried those Swiss and mushroom Angus burgers.  Pretty good.  But at 790 calories a sandwich, they’re definitely not to be eaten lightly, so to speak.  And of course, a McDonald’s meal would not be a McDonald’s meal without the French fries.  So yes, we enjoyed them as well.  Yum.

08:30 PM: I then went off by myself to get some gifts for   [Emmy].  However, though we came across the things she wants so quickly the last time we were here, I could not find any of them this time.  They may have sold out, or have been moved within the stores that sell them.  Hmmm.  Well, I’ll come back by myself the day after tomorrow, when I’m not so pressed for time.  While I like it when people give me rides places, I often feel time-crunched, particularly when I know they’re waiting for me to finish.  So I tend to rush through my business as a result, and thereby am not as thorough as I might otherwise be when I utilize public transportation.  That’s probably what’s happening here; I’m distracted because I’m worried that I’m holding up sister Jojo.  So yes, I’ll come back on Friday by myself.

08:50 PM: As it turned out, sister Jojo was NOT waiting for me at our rendezvous point.  So I ended up waiting nearly twenty minutes for her.  If only I’d known.  However, I couldn’t contact her, as she left her cell phone in the car.  No matter though.  While waiting for her and   [Emmy]   to return, I entertained myself by crowd-watching and listening to the Christmas music emanating from the mall public address system speakers.  These speakers have a surprisingly rich and full sound for PA speakers, not to mention the fact that they’re located well over fifteen feet above me on the ceiling.

11:00 PM: [Emmy]   is heading to bed.

11:55 PM: Watched tonight’s episode of   NBC’s Nightly News   via the DVR.

12:05 AM: The daily traffic stats from yesterday for my blogs.  The monthly keyword hit count for this run is 850, down from 857 at last check.  The record high for this dimension remains at 1788.  The next goal: 2000.

02:00 PM: Watched the movie    Superman II   via Netflix; my favorite Superman movie (the three super criminals from Superman’s home planet that attempt to take over the planet Earth).

02:10 AM: I’m heading to bed.  More tomorrow.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

None today.

Related Posts and Links

• Today’s Diet: 2011-12-21

Today’s Activities

• Shower. DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.  Cat duty involves cleaning the litter boxes, bagging the excess, feeding, and house cleaning cat dirt of all types.

Log

10:30 AM: We’re up.

10:40 AM: Facebooked for several minutes. Friend count: 607 (unchanged). Fan count: 114 (unchanged).

11:30 AM: Worked out on the treadmill for 40 minutes, walking and jogging approximately 2.6 miles and burning off roughly 411 calories, for walk 106 in 2011. Walked for 28 minutes at 3.9 MPH with an incline of 7%.  During this time, my heart rate peaked at 164 bpm at perhaps 20 minutes into this medium intensity workout.  I’ll avoid raising either the incline or the speed until I can walk at the current settings for 28 minutes without the rate going above 160.

12:30 PM: Revised and re-posted the   Tom’s Views –> Against The Death Penalty   piece.

03:00 PM: Spent the first part of this afternoon catching up on email and my blogs.

05:00 PM: Watched today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   via the DVR.

06:00 PM: Watched   KDKA TV’s Local News   broadcast with   [Emmy].

10:50 PM: Watched last night’s episode of   NBC’s Nightly News   via the DVR with   [Emmy].

11:00 PM: Tagged, normalized, added, and updated approximately 362 songs from this and previous years to my music library from Promo Only throughout today.  I now have 4259 songs from 2011 cataloged.

11:00 PM: [Emmy]  went to bed.  However, I’m in the mood for a movie.  So think I’ll watch one now.  Back later.

12:05 AM: The daily traffic stats from yesterday for my blogs.  The monthly keyword hit count for this run is 850, up from 844 at last check.  The record high for this dimension remains at 1788.  The next goal: 2000.

02:30 AM: Watched the movie   Apollo 13   staring Tom Hanks    via Netflix.  Pretty good movie.  I’d rate it a 9 out of 10.

02:35 AM: Now I’m headed to bed.  More tomorrow.  Good night.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

None today.

Related Posts and Links

• Today’s Diet: 2011-12-14
• Tom’s Views –> Against The Death Penalty

Today’s Activities

• Shower. DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.  Cat duty involves cleaning the litter boxes, bagging the excess, feeding, and house cleaning cat dirt of all types.

Log

09:30 AM: We’re up.

09:40 AM: Facebooked for several minutes. Friend count: 601 (unchanged). Fan count: 114 (unchanged).

10:00 AM: [Emmy]   and I will watch some more of the 911 TV shows I recorded on the DVR, and I’ll multitask by  preparing a batch of creamed cauliflower, that we’ll take as our offering to sister Christine’s Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon.  I plan on having this ready by 2:00 PM.

01:30 PM: I cooked three heads of cauliflower in a steamer.  Then, I added a home made white sauce, constructed of butter, whole milk, flour, and salt.  It really turned out tasting quite good.  I put it in a big casserole dish, and sealed the lid on with shipping tape, to prevent spillage during the trip over Brush moutain to Christine’s.

02:00 PM: Watched the 2011-11-22 and 2011-11-23 episodes of    The Young and the Restless   via the DVR.

02:30 PM: Sister Diane just stopped by to take    [Emmy]   and I to sister Christine’s place for her Thanksgiving meal.  Back later.

02:40 PM: We arrived at sister Christine’s.

04:00 PM: The meal was served right on time.  I can tell that Christine’s been preparing Thanksgiving meals for many years.

08:00 PM: Watched   National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation   movie.  It’s sort of a yearly tradition after the Thanksgiving meal at sister Christine’s house, and it’s as funny as ever.

08:30 PM: We’re back home.

10:00 PM: Watched tonight’s episode of   NBC’s Nightly News   via the DVR.

11:10 PM: Replaced several defective light bulbs in the Christmas lights outside.

11:15 PM: We’re headed to bed.  Good night.  Come back for more tomorrow.

12:05 AM: The daily traffic stats from yesterday for my blogs.  The monthly keyword hit count fell this time, and currently stands at 798, down from 817 at last check.  The record high for this dimension remains at 1788.  The next goal: 2000.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

None today on this Thanksgiving holiday.

Related Posts and Links

• Today’s Diet: 2011-11-24

Today’s Activities

• Shower. DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.  Cat duty involves cleaning the litter boxes, bagging the excess, feeding, and house cleaning cat dirt of all types.
• Wash (3) loads of pending laundry.   181 loads done in the washer now.

Log

08:00 AM: I’m up.

08:10 AM: Facebooked for several minutes. Friend count: 601 (up one). Fan count: 114 (up two).

01:00 PM: Dusted and cleaned the rest of the first floor, in preparation for [Emmy]‘s visit early next week.  I also cleaned the bathroom and shook out the door mats.

03:00 PM: Vacuumed and dusted the upstairs bedroom, just in case   [Emmy]   wants to sleep up there while she’s here.  It’s quieter in that bedroom than it is downstairs, and that just might be an important consideration for her.

05:00 PM: Watched the 2003 movie   Hulk   via Netflix.

08:00 PM: Walked and jogged for exactly two hours on the treadmill, for walk 94 of 100 for 2011.  I covered roughly six miles.

09:00 PM: Watched tonight’s episode of   NBC’s Nightly News   via the DVR.

10:00 PM: Watched  Star Trek: The Animated Series  via Netflix;   the episodes:  The Ambergris Element, The Slaver Weapon,   and   The Eye of the Beholder.

11:00 PM: Talked with   [Emmy].

11:10 PM: I’m headed to bed.  Good night, and I’ll write more tomorrow.

12:05 AM: The daily traffic stats from yesterday for my blogs.  The monthly keyword hit count fell this time, and currently stands at 801, off from 823 at last check.  The record high for this dimension remains at 1788.  The next goal: 2000.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

None today.

Related Posts and Links

• Today’s Diet: 2011-11-13

Today’s Activities

• Shower. DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.

Log

07:45 AM: I’m up.  It’s dark, dreary, and rainy outside this morning.

08:15 AM: Facebooked a bit.  Friend count: 581 (unchanged).  Fan count: 111.

10:30 AM: Sister Mary Ann arrived, and we continued the cleanup and clean-out of the first floor items no longer needed here at the house.  I gave away a whole shelf of books, to make room for Mom’s photo albums and documents of family memorabilia.

01:00 PM: We went out shopping for a new HD TV, to replace Mom’s SD TV that sister Christine now has.  I settled on a Sharp Aquos 60” LED TV, model LC60LE832U purchased from Sam’s Club.  So far, I’ve found this device quite easy to set up and operate, and absolutely love the markedly increased picture clarity of high definition television over standard definition television, which I’ve watched routinely and frequently until now.  This is one upgrade that truly IS an upgrade.

03:45 PM: We then drove to Sears to purchase a stand for my new television.  First, we checked at a used furniture place in Altoona, hoping to find something cheap but strong and pleasing in appearance.  But we saw nothing but one very low, oval oak table, that would make a nice coffee table but not a good TV stand.

04:10 PM: A fellow arrived who will haul away the stuff here that no one in the family wants.  He’s working the junk pile out back now.

05:00 PM: Sister Mary Ann and I carried the new TV in, and I assembled its base and the TV stand.  Then, she helped me lift the TV onto that stand.

05:30 PM: I then connected up the TV to our cable system.  No problems.  However, we won’t be able to view much in HD until I move the DVR downstairs from my bedroom TV upstairs.  So I’m doing that now.

06:15 PM: The DVR has been connected via an HDMI cable to the new television.  The first HD images are visible now.  Quite sweet it is.

06:30 PM: The hauler guy finished loading up his truck with our old junk and drove off.  We also contracted him to come back tomorrow, to get the rest.  He’ll be here at 8:00 AM.

06:35 PM: While I was working on the TV, sister Mary Ann was de-cluttering all the rooms on the first floor here.  She rearranged my new bedroom (Mom’s old bedroom) for easier access.  But we’re hungry for supper now.  So we’re heading to Tipton, to Austin’s Texas Hot Dogs.  Back later.

07:00 PM: We’re back home, and the Texas hot dogs were delicious as usual.

08:30 PM: Sister Mary Ann ran the vacuum throughout the entire first floor, and I put things away, organized all the new papers and manuals I acquired today, and helped her in her efforts.  She’s leaving now.  Good bye, sister.  Your help is truly appreciated.

09:00 PM: We drove to Meadows for an ice cream cone twist.  It’s okay, because I’m getting a treadmill next week.

10:00 PM: Watched today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   via the DVR.

11:00 PM: Talked with   [Emmy].

11:45 PM: Played with the new TV, configured it to connect to the Internet, set up my Netflix account on it, and watched a bit of a modern-day version of Alice in Wonderland.

11:10 PM: Bed time.  More tomorrow.  Good night.

12:05 AM: The daily traffic stats from yesterday for my blogs.  The monthly keyword hit count fell this time, and currently stands at 1035; down from 1048 at last check.  The record high for this dimension remains at 1788.  The next goal: 2000.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

None today.

Related Posts and Links

• Today’s Diet: 2011-09-28

Today’s Activities

• Shower. DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.

Log

06:00 AM: I’m up.

07:20 AM: Blogged and Facebooked and read the latest articles on some of the blogs that I myself follow.

07:30 AM: Heading back to bed for a bit.  I’m a bit weak from this cold.  Back later.

10:00 AM: I’m awake again.

11:30 Am: Talked with [Tad].  He’s putting this year’s newsletter together for the   WPSBC Alumni Association   and had some questions about how to burn audio CDs in the most compatible format for readers to play.

01:00 PM: Arranged to have all of Mom’s remaining savings account funds transferred into ther checking account.  This money is to be forwarded to her nursing home.

02:00 PM: Went through all the mail that came in over the past couple weeks and separated that which requires further attention from that which can be discarded.

04:30 PM: Leaving now for dinner with Pink and Kay.  Back later.

06:50 PM: I’m back home.  Enjoyed a very filling lasagna dinner with a salad, bread, and fried mushrooms.  Delicious.  I love Italian food; though this particular restaurant put a noticeable amount of sugar in their tomato sauce.  I’m not very crazy about that.  But the amount of sweetness they added did not seriously detract from the otherwise spicy and satisfying flavors in the sauce.

08:15 PM: iPodded for an hour or so, not only to learn how to use the 6th generation Nano I just bought, but also to learn some of this 2011 music I recently added to my media library.

09:00 PM: I learned today that in order for Mom to be eligible for Medical Assistance, we must first apply for veteran’s benefits.  She’ll likely be turned down for these.  Still though, a condition of her getting MA is applying for VA benefits.  So I’ll go through that motion.

09:15 PM: Filled out most of the VA benefits application for Mom.  To finish this, I must round up some information about her medical insurance company and her specific coverage.  I’ll do that tomorrow. This cold is sapping my energy tonight.

10:00 PM: Watched today’s episode of    The Young and the Restless   via the DVR.

11:00 PM: Talked with   [Emmy],  and we watched tonight’s rerun episode of   Hawaii Five-0.

12:05 AM: Reviewed the daily traffic stats from yesterday for my blogs.  The monthly keyword hit count moved higher again this time, and now stands at  1628; up from 1609 yesterday.  The new record high is now 1628 key phrases therefore.  The next goal: 2000.

12:15 AM: Bed time.  More tomorrow.  Good night.

02:00 AM: I’m struggling to sleep tonight; my throat feels very raw and sore and my nose is running like a winning marathon jogger.  Grrrrr.  I so hate summer colds.

03:00 AM: iPodded and read some blogs.  My throat pains me excrutiatingly at the moment.  Taking 800 MG of ibuprofin for relief.  I’ve also developed a cough of congestion in my chest.  Here we go again.

06:00 AM: Watched the movie    A Case Of Rape   starring Elizabeth Montgomery   on YouTube.   I only hope that in the thirty-seven years since this movie first aired, that juries and lawyers are less prejudiced against women, and that rape cases are handled with the primary mission of getting at the truth rather than to discredit and blame the victim.

06:05 AM: I’m headed back to bed.  Hopefully I’ll sleep a few more hours before the pain reliever wears off.  Good night.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

None yet.

Related Posts and Links

• Today’s Diet: 2011-06-27

Today’s Activities

• Shower. DONE.
• Cat duty.  Sister Jojo is taking care of my cats this week.

Log

06:00 AM: I’m up.   

10:00 AM: Watched KDKA TV’s   Pittsburgh Today Live   variety and local information show with    [Emmy].

12:00 PM: Fixed all the broken station stream links on   [Emmy's]   Internet radio except for KQV radio, which does not even play when you visit the listen link on their web site.  Hopeflly they’ll address that problem soon.

12:30 PM: Watched KDKA TV’s local news broadcast at noon. 

01:30 PM: Watched today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   with   [Emmy].

01:45 PM: Leaving for walk 24 of 100 for 2011, down to lower Oakland.  Back later.

02:50 PM: Walked down to the   Original Hot Dog Shop   in lower Oakland with   [Emmy]   for lots of their fameous O-fries. 

03:30 PM: Then, we visited   Dunkin’ Donuts   for some coffee.  I had my usual hazelnut flavored caffeine free coffee and [Emmy]   got a blueberry-flavored iced coffee.  This required five or six packs of sugar to sweeten up to her taste.  But once we got it there, she said that she really liked that cold coffee. 

04:00 PM: We stopped at the   Radio Shack   on Forbes Avenue, near Atwood street to buy audio video cables and a switch box for   [Emmy's]   DVD player, so she can switch between the player and her cable box.  Her TV does not have a sufficient number of video inputs for multiple sources. 

04:45 PM: We got back home. 

04:50 PM: We started watching the   Bedazzled   movie. 

06:50 PM: Watched KDKA TV’s local news broadcast with   [Emmy].

07:00 PM: Watched tonight’s episode of   NBC’s Nightly News   broadcast. 

07:30 PM: Watched tonight’s episode of  the   CBS Evening News. 

08:15 PM: Finished up with the   Bedazzled  movie.

10:20 PM: on   [Emmy's]   DVD player with the new switch box and cables, we watched the   Jack Frost   movie, starring Michael Keaton; one of those sappy but meaningful tear jerkers.  

11:55 PM: With CNN on in the background, I spent an hour or two going through the nearly a hundred messages in my email inbox, and filing and deleting where appropriate. 

12:00 AM: Watched CNN’s   AC 360   newscast.

12:05 AM: Reviewed the daily traffic stats from yesterday for my blogs.  The monthly keyword hit count is off a bit again, and now stands at  1365; down from 1376 yesterday.  The record high remains 1388 key phrases therefore.  Next goal: 1500. 

12:15 AM: Bed time.  More tomorrow.  Good night.

Tom Hesley 

Received Mail and Shipments

• None today

Related Posts and Links

• Today’s Diet: 2011-06-17

Today’s Activities

• Shower. DONE.
• Cat duty. DONE.

Log

08:30 AM: I’m up.

10:30 AM: Talked with   [Emmy],  who called to say that she’s lost a little weight.  You go girl. 

12:45 PM: Facebooked for a couple hours.  I get lots of fodder for my writing from there, so I’m really not wasting my time.  Of course not. 

01:00 PM: Beginning the weekly system backups.

02:00 PM: Finished the weekly system backups.  Details   here.

02:05 PM: Nap time.  Back later.

03:05 PM: I’m awake again.

04:00 PM: Posted the   Tom’s Views –> Planned Parenthood Funding Debate   piece.

06:15 PM: Posted the   Tom’s Views –> Assisted Suicide Debate   piece.

11:00 PM: Talked with   [Emmy]   via the phone.

12:00 AM: Watched the most intriguing parts of the movie    The Day After   on the DVD player.

12:50 PM: Facebooked a bit.  Friend count: 488.  Fan count: 107.

01:00 AM: Heading for bed.  More tomorrow.  Good night.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• Bank offer for Identity Protection Plus service.  No thanks.  I already subscribe to something like this.
• Notice from Mom’s medical insurance company about some coverage they recently provided her.
• Forms for completing the liquidation of Mom’s investment account.  Proceeds will fund her nursing home care.

Related Posts

• Today’s Diet: 2011-04-09
• Tom’s Views –> Assisted Suicide Debate
• Tom’s Views –> Planned Parenthood Funding Debate
• Weekly Backups: 2011-04-09

Today’s Activities

• Shower. DONE.
• Cat duty. DONE.
• Pay all (10) pending bills.  DONE.

Log

09:15 AM: I’m up. 

12:00 PM: Mailed in ten bills.  That takes care of all outstanding bills for this month so far.  But tomorrow’s another business day and I’m sure the mailman will bring more bills. 

01:30 PM: Nap time.  Back later.

03:00 PM: I’m back up again.

05:00 PM: Talked with Mom.  She’s doing well this weekend, and wanted to make sure we knew about her laser eye surgery appointment this week.  I’ll be accompanying her. 

05:30 PM: Watched the movie   Bonnie And Clyde   this afternoon on Netflix. 

06:00 PM: Moved Mom’s bed back into her bedroom from the front room. 

07:40 PM: Posted the   Tom’s Views –> Movie Review: Bonnie And Clyde   piece.

10:00 PM: Talked with [Emmy].  She was bored today.  Me too.  Well, at least when I was not watching movies. 

11:05 PM: Watched the movie   Attack of the 50 Foot Woman   this evening on Netflix. I’d give this movie a 3 out of 5. 

12:10 AM: Reviewed the daily blog stats for my sites.  The 30-day keyword hit count is up to 497 from 475 yesterday.  Great news.  Will probably hit 500 this week.

12:20 AM: Bed time.  Good night. 

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

No deliveries on Sundays. 

Related Posts

• Common cold: 2011-02
• Today’s Diet: 2011-03-06
• Tom’s Views –> Movie Review: Bonnie And Clyde