Tom's Diary

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.
• Make train reservation for the   WPSBC Alumni Association  convention next month.  DONE.

Log

07:15 AM: I’m up. No doctors appointments today but I think I just woke up early because it’s so pretty outside and I did get to bed relatively early last night.  So, here we go with another day…

08:20 AM: Read a bit more of the  Frankenstein   book overnight.

10:10 AM: Added 700 words to the   Be Yourself   section of the   How to Attract Women   post on the   Tom’s Love Quest   blog.

11:45 AM: Headed to sister Christine’s for swimming today.  Back later.

06:30 PM: Worked the   Laptop Shuts Off: 2010-07-15    project. 

07:00 PM: We’re home.  Wonderful afternoon.   The sun was neither too hot nor bright and the temperatures were just right; in the mid eighties.  We listened to some 1960s tunes, floated around in the pool, basked in the hot tub, and enjoyed some Papa John’s pizza.  I also had a chicken sub from Sheetz.  I had to challenge nephew Garrett on his strong support of the death penalty a little, and some comments were made with a disparaging air about immigrants that we had to nip in the bud.  That made for a slightly charged atmosphere for a little while.  But we all left the gathering just as we entered it this morning, as friends, and I think people definitely learned a thing or two from the conversations.  That’s good. 

09:00 PM: Watched   CNN’s Rick’s List In Prime Time   news show.  So far, so good.  I think Rick will do quite well in prime time; just what the news-seeking audience needs to balance out the opinion-casting of Bill O’Reilly and Fox News.  Boy, Fox sure screwed up that Shirley Sherrod thing, didn’t they? 

10:00 PM: I must schedule a dentist appointment tomorrow.  I’ve got some pain and sensitivity to resolve. 

10:15 PM: Facebooked and blogged since we finished viewing   Rick’s List.   Now, we’re off to watch   The Young and the Restless. 

11:00 PM: All TV viewing done for today.  Bed time now.  So check back in  here tomorrow for more drivel.    Good night. 

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• TigerDirect catalog.
• $10 reward certificate from CJ Banks. 
• American Express card offer.  Not at this time, thanks.
• Notice of expenses paid by Mom’s medical insurance company.

Related Posts

• Book: Frankenstein
• Laptop Shuts Off: 2010-07-15
• Quest Revisions: 2010-07-22
• Today’s Diet: 2010-07-22
• Tom’s Love Quest –> How to Attract Women
• Weight Loss: 2010

02:51 AM: Hey, your fish pictures are gone again.

11:52 AM: If giving away your happiness makes you happy, then you’ve not actually given it away at all. You’ve just traded one quantity of happiness for another. Yep. Trick question, and trick answer too.

01:54 PM: Tell nephew Grant that I said, “He’s Awesome!”

01:56 PM: I get Promo Only’s eNewsletter, and love it.

01:57 PM: I neither deny nor accept His existence as a given. He could be out there; but then again, maybe not. So what would He say about me to His father? Hopefully, He’ll show mercy to those like me who found no rational way to confirm his existence in their lifetimes, but who would accept Him once his power was clearly demonstrated; even just a little.

03:15 PM: No, I’m not a Sarah Palin fan. I do NOT think she’ll be president (at least, I sincerely hope not), and no, I’ll not be casting my “Like” vote for her. Thanks. Those darn Facebook ads anyhow.

10:10 PM: Cool. On the Sony portable reader: I guess you have no problems reading the screen on their smaller version. They’re adding more books all the time, and before too long, you’ll have access to a huge library of publications. Those units are really awesome.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Today’s Business: 2010-07-20

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.
• Do all pending laundry.  DONE.

Log

09:15 AM: I’m up. 

10:00 AM: Added 200 words more content to the   How To Attract Women   piece in the   Tom’s Love Quest   blog.

10:15 AM: Worked the   Laptop Shuts Off: 2010-07-15   project. 

11:00 AM: Finished adding all music to my library from Promo Only’s Country Radio series (up through the August, 2010 issue).

12:15 PM: Listened to a recent interview of Susan Jacks, where she discusses her years with the Poppy Family and tells some of the stories behind their (and her) most popular hits.  Currently, you can access this interview on the   Ronnie Remembers   radio show web site.  Susan also mentions the show on  her  site as well. 

03:00 PM: Watched today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   on the DVR. 

05:00 PM: Heated up the leftover pork roast for dinner that I made this past Thursday.  While its flavor did indeed degrade somewhat from the initial serving, it was still plenty good enough to satiate my appetite.  [Emmy] reports that she enjoyed this roast more than those ones we’ve been getting that come prepackaged with the vegetables. 

06:00 PM: I set up Mom’s little water fountain on the east porch.  The trickling sound it makes has an exceedingly calming effect and sends the stresses of the day away almost as effectively as a good night’s sleep.  The fountain would make a great sleep machine. 

06:10 PM: Nap time.

07:45 PM: I’m back up. 

08:45 PM: Walked over to Sheetz for some ice cream for dessert.  Tonight, we got Breyer’s Reese’s peanut butter cup flavor.  While it tasted like peanut butter for sure, the sensation did not come very close to the original peanut butter cup flavor.  But hey, at least they tried. 

09:30 PM: [Emmy] and I read the introduction to Mary Shelly’s book: Frankenstein  as supplied in the Cliffs Notes. 

11:00 PM: Watched   CNN’s AC 360,   which mostly focused on the gulf oil spill as it has since the beginning of the crisis 91 days ago. 

11:35 PM: Watched   KDKA TV’s Local News at 11:00 PM. 

12:30 AM: Blogged a bit and perused through the daily stats.  I’m pleased to see that I’m getting more referrals to my sites from self help and do it yourself web sites.  It appears that the word about my personal love quest is starting to get around.  Nice. 

02:30 AM: I Finally located on Amazon, Haydn’s string Quartette #30 in E Flat Major, Op. 33 No. 2 “The Joke,” performed by the Kodaly Quartet.  I studied this piece extensively in my second music appreciation class in college during the winter and spring of 1985.  God, this brings back some good memories of flea markets with the Parkers, Moorhead, Pitt, the many foot treks I made between north and south Oakland, the music building on the corner of 5th and Bellefield avenues, Hines Chapel, and all the great stuff I learned that year in Pittsburgh about music, writing, computers, and life in general.  1985, though full of struggle,  was nonetheless a very good year. I became a seasoned college student at that time. 

02:35 AM: Well, my nap energy has run out again.  So I’m off to bed.  Pleasant dreams to you  and I hope you visit here again tomorrow.  Good night. 

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• Promo Only’s EADFF music series; the 2010-07-03 issue. 

Related Posts

• Book: Frankenstein
• Facebook Tid Bits: 2010-07-19
• Laptop Shuts Off: 2010-07-15
• Today’s Diet: 2010-07-19
• Weight Loss: 2010

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.

Log

08:45 AM: I’m up. 

09:05 AM: Working the   Laptop Shuts Off: 2010-07-15   issue.

12:00 PM: Talked with [Emmy].  She’s getting ready to travel back here tomorrow.  I took a beef roast out of the freezer that we’ll likely eat on Monday.  My mouth is already watering.  Yum!

11:00 AM: Sisters Diane, Christine, and JoAnn came to clean Mom’s living areas here in the house; they vacuumed, mopped, dusted, and tidied things up.  That was great.  Then, brother-in-law Richard and I moved some furniture around for Mom and it now looks like a new place.  Well, not really, but sort of. 

03:00 PM: Listened to a Casey Kasem top 40 countdown from this month in 1979 for the past three plus hours.  Donna Summer and Anita Ward occupied the top three spots in this show (Donna Summer had two songs in the top three — Hot Stuff and Bad Girls). 

03:15 PM: [Mentat's] sister just arrived to take him home.  Good by, [Memtat].  Had a great time and I’ll see you again next month when we head to the alumni convention.    Thanks so much for visiting the past couple days. 

04:15 PM: Watched yesterday’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   on the DVR.

06:30 PM: Just got back from sister Christine’s.  Mom and I drove there for an hour or so to relax and mingle with family.  Nice.   Now, nap time.

08:30 PM: I’m up again.  I’ve missed my naps the past few days but have enjoyed the company equally.  So I’ve missed out on nothing. 

08:50 PM: Well, the camp session began today that I’ve attended traditionally but skipped this year.  I’m a little sad not being there but the decision to stay home was a good one I think. 

09:25 PM: Walked to Sheetz for some Breyer’s ice cream and noticed for the first time this year, those mid-summer buzzy evening time crickets singing in the back yard.  Yep, summer is getting on.  Talking to [Emmy] now. 

10:30 PM: Fixed Mom’s staticy phone line.  This problem has plagued us for several weeks now, and it appears to have been caused by some loose wire nuts in the basement.  So, I cleaned the connections and tightened everything up, and the static disappeared.  Hopefully it will stay away for a while. 

11:25 PM: Just got off the phone with [Emmy].  There’s been a thunderstorm brewing here for the past half hour or so.  It’s not terribly close but has produced sever deep, window-rattling rumbles.  I hope we have at least one violent thunderstorm this summer.  The past several years, the storms we’ve experienced have been rather tame.  I’d like to see just one this summer where you hear the thunder at the same time that you see the lightning.  But perhaps I should just be thankful that the weather has been as tranquil as it has. 

12:25 AM: Sister Christine called and we chatted about family matters for a half hour approximately.

01:10 AM: Posted the   How To Attract Women   piece to the   Tom’s Love Quest   blog.  While incomplete at the moment, this work hopefully conveys the supreme importance I place on honesty in all things; particularly when playing the dating game.  I’ll add more prose as the concepts become clearer and more refined in my mind. 

02:20 AM: Bed time.  Look for more right here tomorrow.  Good night.   

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• Notice from Social Security that they need not review my case at this time.
• 1 credit card offer.  Not at this time, thanks.
• Misc. banking papers.
• Promo Only’s Urban Radio music series; the 2010-08 edition. 

Related Posts

• Laptop Shuts Off: 2010-07-15
• Today’s Diet: 2010-07-17
• Tom’s Love Quest –> How To Attract Women
• Views Revisions: 2010-07-17
• Weekly Backups: 2010-07-17
• Weight Loss: 2010

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.

Log

07:30 AM: I’m up.     

08:30 AM: Started the pork roast cooking, with the netting intact as per advice I received on Facebook yesterday.  Since this is a significantly larger roast than I usually cook, I’m allowing at least ten hours for it to completely cook in the crock pot on the high heat setting. 

09:15 AM: Well, Sheetz had no mushroom soup. But I do have some canned mushrooms. So I’ll just throw a couple of those into this pork roast in leu of the soup, and perhaps add a little whole milk as the cooking nears completion — if I get bold enough that is. I wouldn’t want to ruin such a big piece of meat with untested ingredients.

09:45 AM: Added the July through August, 2010 issues of Promo Only’s Country Radio music series to my DJ library. 

01:00 PM: Dusted and vacuumed the bedroom. 

01:55 PM: Watched today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   on the DVR. 

02:10 PM: Worked the   Laptop Shuts Off: 2010-07-15   project and Facebooked

02:20 PM: [Mentat]  just arrived; driven here by his sister.  We’re headed to the pavilion to catch up. 

03:45 PM: [Mentat] says that he and his girlfriend are back together and that his plans to move to Ohio to live with her have been reinstated.  I had hoped that he’d remain in this area, but realize that his happiness is paramount.  If he needs to move there to maximize his happiness, then that’s what he must do, and I support him though I’m said to see him leave. 

04:50 PM: It got pretty warm as the sun began shining into the western side of the pavilion.  So we’re going back up to the house to check on the roast and check out a little TV.

06:00 PM: We had supper — just the roast and vegetables, and were both pleased with how it turned out.  We’re going to make cat fish for supper tomorrow. 

08:00 PM: We watched   Family Guy Presents Blue Harvest;   a spoof on Star Wars that was rather funny. 

11:15 PM: Watched tonight episodes of   NBC’s Nightly News   and   CNN’s AC 360   on the DVR.  We also took in the   Star Trek: The Next Generation   episode called   Q Who   from season two.  This is the episode that first introduces the borg beings.  Great TV.

11:50 PM:  The roast really turned out well, and I have a few meals worth of leftovers too.  The mushrooms were a pleasantly flavorful touch, and a little added ham bouillon made the dish just a touch more porky.  The only shock was that the DONE button popped out four hours before we were ready to eat supper.  Surprising that the roast cooked so quickly in a crock pot.  In fact, not really trusting the button, I continued cooking the meat on low heat for the interim, and It still tasted great; not overcooked.  Then, we topped it all of with Breyer’s chocolate ice cream for dessert.  Yum.  Seriously.  YUM!  I’m already looking forward to the leftovers this weekend. 

12:00 PM: Bed time.  More tomorrow.  Good night. 

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• Ad sheet for Windy Hill Furniture store.  They have great stuff and I’ve purchased from them before.  But we need not furniture at present.
• Balance transfer offer.
• Misc. medical insurance papers.
• Credit card offer from JC Penney.  Not at this time, thanks.
• Vehicle registration renewal forms from PennDOT. 

Related Posts

• Laptop Shuts Off: 2010-07-15
• Today’s Diet: 2010-07-15
• Weight Loss: 2010

Today’s project: An IBM ThinkPad laptop that the customer says shuts off and reboots unexpectedly. So far, I’ve not been able to reproduce what she’s seeing. But I’ll do an Avast scan for viruses, check the battery and power supply, look for overheating, and determine if a corrupt application / program might be causing this.  Check the comments below for further updates as this project progresses.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Today’s Business: 2010-07-15

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.
• Order Mom’s meds — she’s getting low on several.   DONE.

Log

08:15 AM: I’m up.     

09:45 PM: Added the February through March, 2010 issues of Promo Only’s Country Radio music series to my DJ library. 

10:20 AM: Sent in my dues and fees for the upcoming   WPSBC Alumni Association   convention this August. 

10:45 AM: Ordered this week’s batch of prescription meds that Mom getting low on.  We’ll pick them up sometime in the next few days. 

02:15 PM: Watched today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   on the DVR. 

03:15 PM: Added the April through June, 2010 issues of Promo Only’s Country Radio music series to my DJ library.  Now, it’s nap time.

05:45 PM: I’m back up again. 

07:55 PM: Talked to   [Ron]  just now.  He’s going to camp and I was just telling him how much I was going to miss being there with him and the crew.  He and a few others are definitely the high points of camp.  Perhaps we’ll go next year but I’m glad we took this year off. 

08:30 PM: [Mentat] called to confirm about tomorrow, and to ride me for not yet sending in my alumni convention check. 

09:15 PM: Watched tonight’s episode of   NBC’s Nightly News   on the DVR.

09:30 PM: Bleached my sheets and pillow cases tonight, in preps for [Mentat's] visit tomorrow.  They came out looking much whiter than is typical; probably because I used two cups of bleach instead of my usual one cup.  Plus, I let them soak for six hours in very warm water, and I only filled up the washer with just enough water to cover them (about a half-tub full).  I’ll have to remember this recipe the next time I do them. 

11:20 PM: Talked with [Emmy].  Told her that I spoke with [Ron] earlier about camp.    She asked about him and enjoyed hearing that he’s really looking forward to attending next week.

12:40 AM: Put the clean sheets and pillow cases back on my bed and iPodded for a little while.  Repeater songs today include:

• Dream Baby – Glenn Campbell
• Una Paloma Blanka – George Baker Selection
• I Like It [With Rap] – Enrique Iglesias with Pitbull
• The Things We Do For Love – 10cc
• Dynamite – Taio Cruz
• Telephone – Lady Gaga
• Turn Me On – Kevin Lyttle  
• Your Love Is My Drug – Ke$ha
• No Sugar Tonight – The Guess Who
• Hooray For Hazel – Tommy Roe

They’re coming out with some highly energizing music these days.

01:15 AM: Watched a bit of CNN’s AC 360 but now, I’m done for the day.  So good night, and I’ll be ready for more of life as soon as I get some rest.    Sweet dreams.   

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• FEMA paperwork regarding our flood insurance policy.
• The Writer magazine; the 2010-07 issue.
• Bed Bath & beyond catalog.
• Credit card offer.  Not at this time, thanks.

Related Posts

• Facebook Tid Bits: 2010-07-14
• Today’s Diet: 2010-07-14
• Weight Loss: 2010

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.

Log

09:30 AM: I’m up.     

03:00 PM: Added the February through July, 2010 issues of Promo Only’s Modern Rock Radio music series into my DJ library. 

04:45 PM: Watched today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless   on the DVR. 

08:15 PM: Ripped the 2010-02 through 2010-08 issues of Promo Only’s Country Radio music series into the computer.  I’ll perform the necessary normalizations tomorrow on the resulting files, and then add these songs to my library too. 

09:30 PM: Talked with [Emmy] for an h0ur.  We were thrilled today to learn that the doctor who helped solve my wrist problems five years ago, accepts [Emmy's] medical insurance.  So getting a second opinion on her wrist problems  will be far less costly than I imagined.  Nice. 

01:10 AM: Watched the   NBC Nightly News   episodes for  2010-06-27, then 2010-06-29   through  2010-07-05   throughout the evening. 

01:15 AM: Okay, it’s now time for slumber.  So take care, and we’ll do this all again tomorrow.  Good night. 

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• Weekly coupon mailer. 

Related Posts

• Today’s Diet: 2010-07-13
• Weight Loss: 2010

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.

Log

09:45 AM: I’m up.     

11:30 AM: Heard from [Mentat].  He’ll visit me for a couple days, starting this Thursday afternoon. 

11:35 AM: [Tad] emailed me to request my presence in a teleconference call with some other board members and the account manager for the   WPSBC Alumni Association’s    investment account.  We must decide how to allocate our funds in light of the fact that our organization may survive for just another decade or so. 

12:15 PM: [Jack] called to talk with [Emmy] and I.  So I chatted with him for an hour or so.

12:30 PM: Applied for a public listing in Attracta’s public web site directory service, in response to an email invitation from them to do so.    I submitted the   Tom’s Love Quest   blog.

02:45 PM: Watched today’s episode of    The Young and the Restless   on the DVR. 

03:00 PM: Went to Sheetz for lunch.  I bought [Emmy] a steak wrap and myself a steak sub.  It was raining both to and from the store. 

06:00 PM: Nephew Garrett and I just dropped   [Emmy]   off at the train.  She’s on her way back to Pittsburgh now.  But she’s coming back again this Sunday. 

06:15 PM: Nap time.

08:00 PM: Nap’s over, and [Emmy]   just called to say that she’s now in Pittsburgh, awaiting her ride to the grocery store, and then on to her home. Thanks for coming, M.  I’ll talk to you soon.

11:00 PM: Facebooked a couple hours.  Liked numerous pages for rock bands, books I’ve read, and movies I’ve seen and enjoyed. Current friend count: 252.  Fans on my business page: 35 so far. 

12:00 AM: Set up a profile on the Linked In web site to increase my visibility on the Internet. 

12:40 AM: Well, I think I’m done here in the office for the night.  Now, I’ll probably go and watch a bit of news.  Then, I’m off to bed.  Have a great night and I’ll continue this story of my life tomorrow.  Take care. 

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• Promo Only’s EADFF music series; the 2010-07-02 issue. 
• Bill for the last order of Mom’s diabetic testing supplies.
• Analog Science Fiction magazine; the July & August, 2010 issue.
• Notice of insurance coverage for Mom’s diabetic shoes that she recently purchased. 

Related Posts

• Today’s Diet: 2010-07-12
• Weight Loss: 2010

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.
• Do all pending laundry.  IN PROGRESS.

Log

10:00 AM: I’m up.  Another hot one today.  So again, we’ll probably stay indoors until this evening. 

10:15 AM: Today’s [Tad's] 50th birthday.  I wished him well on Facebook through [Morra].

10:30 AM: Getting the laundry going again today.  There’s a lot, that I hope to finish by this evening. 

12:30 PM: Watched   KDKA TV’s Local News at Noon. 

01:15 PM: Facebooked a while.  I now have 247 friends and my Facebook page has 32 fans. 

02:45 PM: Watched today’s episode of    The Young and the Restless   on the DVR.

03:15 PM: There’s news from Philadelphia that a barge ran into a duck boat on the Delaware river, capsizing the duck boat.  No reports of injuries or deaths so far.  But thirty people are reported to have been thrown into the water from the smaller vessel. 

06:00 PM: iPodded on the south porch.  It’s not quite as hot today as yesterday, but still, the air out there was quite warm nonetheless. 

08:00 PM: Watched   KDKA TV’s Local News at 6:00 PM   and   The CBS Evening News   at 7:00 PM:  Then, I walked over to Sheetz to grab a little supper. 

08:05 PM: This headache I got on the 4th is finally subsiding.  It felt like another caffeine headache.  Perhaps all that chocolate candy I had triggered it.  Boy, it seems that I can’t screw up at all without paying dearly.  That little bit of flavorful enjoyment cost me three days of nauseating pains in the head.  Grrrrrr. Yet though less frequently these days, I keep going back for more.  So to a degree, I can relate to Mom’s struggle with avoiding the wrong foods.  She knows that they’re bad for her but keeps eating them.  Sometimes, I judge her for this; though I try hard not to.  Why?  Because after all, I’m as guilty of this destructive behavior as she; though I believe I have cut way back on habitual eating of bad foods as compared to how I used to eat in the eighties.  She on the other hand has made few if any healthful and permanent dietary adjustments to her regimen.  So I think I’m doing better at this than she, but not as well as I’d like.  I’ll keep at it however. 

10:00 PM: [Emmy] and I hung out here in the office, talking about nothing and everything else too.    Now, we’re watching   CNN’s AC 360   to learn more about today’s earthquake in southern California. 

11:00 PM: That earthquake apparently was minimally severe; as it received less than a minute of coverage.  Now, we’re watching   KDKA TV’s Local News at 11:00 PM.

11:35 PM: Okay, we’re turning in. Just one more day of this really hot weather; then, some relief over the weekend.  *loud applause*  So good night, and I’ll catch you back out here tomorrow.  Take care now. 

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• Weekly coupon mailer. 
• Bill for co-payment to Mom’s foot doctor.
• Netflix membership offer.  Not at this time, thanks.  I already have more movies and books to watch than I’ll probably ever complete in my life time. 

Related Posts

• Audio Journal Information Page
• Today’s Diet: 2010-07-07
• Weight Loss: 2010