Tag: yard work

May 16: Update w/ Sherlock

The more I watch Elementary, the more I like it.  Here, it airs on Thursday nights.

Hello. I’m so glad to be touching base with you again. Believe me: I’m trying to post more regularly.

Around May 2, summer came. We’ve had a few perfect days that could have been from July. Of course, Canada’s west coast isn’t a hot place; summer days are often around 22° Celsius.  So it’s not so hard to reach such temperatures this early in the year.

I’ve limed the back lawn twice more, the side lawn once more. With the sudden warm, sunny weather, the weeds have taken off. My weeding tool actually broke yesterday. Strangely, just before it did, I was contemplating how many weeds I’ve taken out with it. I was imagining tens of thousands. Then it broke.

Well, my weight is up around 177. My jeans are loose, though. I don’t know what’s going on; a few months back I was around 172.

We have two lawnmowers – one that’s not powered at all, and an old 2-stroke Lawnboy. My wife prefers my using the Lawnboy because it gives a more uniform cut. It’s from 1979; it often takes quite a few pulls to start it. At the beginning of the season, it might take about 50 pulls. However, this year I had to pull the cord 200 times before it finally started. It’s not running quite right; I’ve got it apart now and need to do a couple of repairs. I’ll let you know how it goes.

The “year” 2013-2014 is definitely coming to a close. My kids played in their piano festival a couple weeks back. Their summer swimming has begun. As I understand it, the Blacklist and Elementary both finished their seasons this week. My wife has even begun her “spring” term in her courses. It’s a condensed one, naturally.

While this time of year marks the end of so many things, I find it often brings freshness as well. A different point of view might evolve in just a few weeks. It’s tempting to just let go and ride the summer wave. However, there’s much too much to do:)

My wife is not happy (of course) with this drawing of Sherlock. On inspection, I’m happy enough with it. You be the judge.

I have high hopes to be back again soon.

JS

Wikipedia was a source for this article.

Sherlock Holmes played by Johnny Lee Miller

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:)