Hello Again: Update feat. Judit Polgar

Much has happened since my last post.  For one thing, I’ve returned to chess after twenty years.

Hello!  I’m so glad to talk to you again!  Since last fall, you’ve never been far from my thoughts.

My longtime readers know that yard work is a perennial theme of my writings; with that I’ll start.  I limed the lawn about two months ago.  Moss was really taking hold, so I gave it a double dose.  I think that already there’s a positive result; the grass is very green, even though some areas are a little patchy.  I need to lime again, but haven’t been able to get to the hardware store yet.

A couple of weeks ago, I had occasion to help a friend make a video and post it on youTube.  It was a long video – over fifteen minutes – and I had to figure out how to upload it.  What I didn’t know is that some video formats upload much easier than others. Although fairly familiar with picture formats, I wasn’t familiar with video ones.  Pulling an all-nighter, I got schooled.  I’ll probably start making some youTube videos of my own soon; stay tuned!

I still fit in my 31″ skinnies, but my weight has ballooned up to the high 170s.  I can’t explain it, but there it is.  I’ve had a cold for a few days, so I missed Friday’s workout.  However, last Wednesday I returned to skipping, not having done it since last fall.  I was a bit worried my calves would be atrophied, but happily it went well:)

Cautiously, I’ve started cooking.  My wife is busier than ever, while of course I stay at home almost always.  The feared “What are we going to do for dinner?” has been mainly deflected.  Either my wife and I cook something over the weeked – a roast, for instance – that will be good for dinners and lunches for a few weekdays, or else I make something during the day that my wife can reheat later that afternoon.  These are not fancy dinners; often I’ll boil up some sausages, then fry them and cook some rice alongside.  One time I made mac and cheese (not from a box, as everyone immediately asks!), which turned out fantastic.  However, I haven’t made it again, since my younger son doesn’t like mac and cheese:(

To chess:  I started playing back in early October.  I play with my son or the computer.  At first, I was no good at all.  I’ve had lots of failures, but some nice wins, too.

Part of returning to chess has been learning the characters involved.  For instance, I’ve watched lots of videos on youTube – mainly from Killegar Chess or Mato Jelic.  From those playlists I’ve learned about famous chess players and watched their games move by move.

Judit Polgar is one such player.  She is a Hungarian grandmaster, born back in ’76 (Wikipedia). Judith has an aggressive, unpredictable style, characterized by early sacrifices and quick victories. See my drawing of her below.

I’ll have much more to say about chess and life soon. Cheers:)