• Been a few weeks or so now, but it all started with hauling a horse for someone. It was a day that had a good share of rain earlier in the day. Went out to my Mom’s farm to pick up my trailer and headed out some back roads near to Louisville. Picked up the horse and had a good conversation with the barn owner and horse owner. Headed on out to just the edge of Lexington, oddly enough down some back roads there that I used to cruise around on a motorcycles when I tuning them. Getting back to do horse stuff on some level was such a good thing and getting paid for it was even better.
• I let a good friend of mine talk me into taking a fishing trip with him. Granted, most of the dirt was on his tires for the trip, as he hauled his boat. Though I did back his truck down the ramp (that was ugly) to get it back out. Anyway, that was a blast and reminded me just how much I do enjoy fishing, something I have done very little of the last three or four years and really not a lot in the last ten compared to it used to being an almost every weekend event. Since then we have went back once more, this time I drove and I have also been several times to the lake/pond in the park that I call my backyard.
• Got out to the farm to take care of my own horses and get in a little bit of riding. I have been back several times, as it is the fly season and Angel has such issues with the flies during this time of year around her face. I think I have mostly under control right now, but it is about time for another dose of the stuff.
• In addition to that trip out the farm, I have also been to several equestrian events the last few weeks, none of which have been a great deal of dirt on the tires – though all have been picking up or dropping off the horses in the mud and the rain. Some of them were just symposium/training with the SCA and others were actual jousting events. All of them have been a lot of fun.
• Somewhere in the middle of all this, I had some scrap metal that I had been collecting for a bit, along with some other minor amounts of recycle materials. I am not sure why, but the scrap yards are almost always muddy and surely always have a hole somewhere with muddy water in it. It makes me feel good to collect enough to make the trip worth while and contribute to recycling while getting paid. Though in this case, it was questionable in the amount – I did run into someone who knows my brother and we had a good conversation over the small amount of the check I got in return.
• A little bit further back, but after hauling the horse to begin with, a good friend of mine had some part of the family get somewhere with a broken down truck. Not a big deal normally, but in this case, they had hauled pigs. Remembering a time they picked me up when I blew a transmission with horses a few years back, I volunteered to take my truck and trailer and pick them up. By the time we got loaded out (show people are not always farm people and it was slow in front of us) it was pouring rain and the bay was at the bottom of a hill. Lots of mud, rain, and pig stick but the conversation was good and all got back just fine late in the evening, though I was closer to just in the morning. It did make me long for the day of when I had the farm and pigs myself.

Where to begin is the only real question I have about writing something about George Strait and his music.  In a country music world of today and even the last ten to twenty years, where so much of what is coming out Nashville is much more pop music then truly country, it is good to some artist remain true.  Strait has done a wide range of country songs through out a career that spans around thirty years and that is rapidly approaching a sixty number one hits, the one thing you can always count on is it will be a true country rendition of the song.

The music he has done is great and that goes without saying.  But in the tradition of the really great country music tradition (Johnny and Willie come mind) he can come out a stage in his hat and jeans, stand at the microphone with his guitar and sing away.  That is really saying something given that so many have to do an elaborate show with pyrotechnics and backup dancers and ad nauseum to entertain the audience and keep them captivated.

Beyond the music though is the genuine person that Strait is.  He sings about small towns, hard luck on the road, and certainly makes us live the cowboy life that so many of us long for on occasion through his songs about the rodeo and such.  So many of those songs take me right out there and often when I am in doubt about getting out in the heat to work the horses a little George and I am ready to get going.  Strait is not just the cowboy on stage mind you, having worked on the family ranch growing up, he has a degree in agriculture and back in the early days he ran the ranch to pay his way.

To this day, he still occasionally can be seen doing some team roping at the odd rodeo here and there.  Additionally, he along with a now deceased brother sponsor the George Strait Team Roping competition annually.  Lastly, being a big fan of the National Finals Rodeo held early in December of each year, I can say I have not seen one that did not Straight sitting in the audience several nights.

To list off his songs that I like and why would take more time that I have between now an the dawn, but let me say that near the top of list is Amarillo by Morning.  That could very well by my favorite song of all time and despite what some may say about another song, I think it is heads above the consummate country western song of all time for sure.  It has it all, rodeo, loner type that has had love and lost, hoping for just that next go around to win the money, traveling around following the circuit.  Okay, technically we do not have momma, a train, or a dog.  On the hand, without a rodeo and horses how could you be the consummate country western song either?

A second one I will mention, only briefly is Troubadour.  It is truly an autobiographical song and as long as he has been going, added to the point he made about not planning on retiring anytime soon means that he will likely be an old singer of songs when he finally does go by the way side.  To that, I am greatly relieved, as I think Strait is officially on my must see list one of these days sometime soon.

Interestingly enough, he is kicking off a fall concert series in September.  That is great news and even better news is the at the second stop  on I think September tenth is in Lexington, Kentucky.  Clearly I have not gotten around to see enough live music this spring and summer so far, but getting good seats to a George Strait concert would make up for a lot of missed music otherwise.

• Eskendereya – I am only mentioning this horse, as it was likely going to be an odds on favorite for the derby, up until basically a sprain has had the horse scratched before the field was even completely set.  I had heard some thoughts that he would go off at under two to one by some folks that seemed to have a pretty good notion on the matter.  Todd Pletcher, his trainer (and a trainer that I like who happens to have several other horses in the field this year), thought the horse had a really good shot at Triple Crown, which would have been just awesome.    The horse also had Seattle Slew in the close pedigree, which I really like.  Alas, he will not even get a chance at the first and grandest of the three.  Oddly though, I almost never take a favorite and would not have on this one either, excepting maybe to round out a trifecta bet.
• Looking at Lucky – This is a Bob Baffert trained horse who has looked this spring, but if I am not mistaken all of awesome work has been done on synthetic tracks.  I have been burned a bit to much on horses that object to dirt that have done well on synthetic.  While I think he will be in the top five, I do not think the transition will have him finish in the money.  Indications are, despite this horse having lost to another in the field recently, it will be the morning line favorite.
• Sydney’s Candy - I do not know the trainer that well, nor the horse, but I have to give it some mention as it did take Looking at Lucky.  Though the same thing thing can be said about synthetics for this horse.  Additionally, I hold a personal grudge, as Storm Cat in recent pedigree always seems to go against me even when I think it should work otherwise.
• Super Saver – Okay, I don’t understand this myself.  A.P. Indy in his pedigree, who I love and almost never bet against (then again this is the derby and look at the pedigrees).  It is a Pletcher trained horse, who I also like, but then again no derby wins for him at this point (though he has how many in the field this year – five or six? – that could almost call it the Pletcher Stakes).  Anyway, I am just not feeling this horse has what it takes.  Something about him turns me off and so I will go with my gut on this one.  He will not be at bad odds though, maybe a contender and will pay decent.
• Dublin – This horse reminds me of old time horses I have read about, that just get out there and seem to grind it out and push for a strong finish every time out.  I am not sure, based on a few of his finishes that he will get out front, but I would definitely put him in any trifecta bets and probably not a bad option for a exacta.  Lukas is always a favorite trainer too.  Has a lot in common in his pedigree with both Summer Bird and Mine that Bird, and we know how much I liked Summer Bird in the Belmont!  I would not count him out as a winner if he grinds it just a little harder at the end.
• Paddy O’Praddy – Another horse that looks good on synthetic but in his one dirt start was horrible.  I would keep my money away from this guy.
• Line of David – I just don’t think he has what it takes in this field, but admit I have not seen him much and that be why I am giving him short change.
• American Lion – I could almost put a ditto of the above.  I don’t think he has it, but also have not seen him much so maybe giving him short change.
• Stately Victor - He did look good in the Bluegrass Stakes, but that is the only time I think he really has done so.  I am of the impression that was more a one off hiccup and not his usual form.  Would love to see him come in otherwise, but I don’t think he well and I will keep my money.
• Devil May Care - A Pletcher trained horse that looks likely to step up and run with the boys.  I expect that if she does, just because of the filly draw, her odds are likely to go down quiet a bit.  She is not a Rachel Alexander though and I am not seeing her win in this field.  Right now, I am not even 100% sure that Pletcher will race her in the Derby to be completely honest.
• Mission Impazible – Another Pletcher horse, who was destined to be a middle of the pack on the morning line.  I think a large part of that is because his big shows were several weeks ago and he has fallen somewhat off the radar compared to horses that have won big races in the last three weeks or so.  Having seen him run though I think he has a good shot to pull the upset over the rest of this fairly contested field.  I had picked this horse back earlier and told a lot of folks to watch for him, but then all the hype about Eskendereya was starting to make me doubt I had the right one. Eskendereya is out though and now I am confident this is the horse to watch.

So, quickly, my recommendations are Mission Impazible for the win, Dublin place or show, and fill in either Devil May Care, Looking at Lucky, or Sydney’s Candy for a top three bet.

Quick side note, Rachel Alexander will return to Churchill Downs on Friday for part of the undercard of racing on the Oaks day.

• Why is that no one seems to be able to get slash and backslash correct?  Just to be clear this one ‘/’  is the slash (or if you prefer the forward slash, but really saying forward slash is like saying clockwise clock).  The other one, that looks like ‘\’ is a back slash.  Now think for just a second how a URL on the internet looks?  Yeah, you got it, http: / / www.something.com /.  Now think about the last hundred times you have heard some one say it out loud and they said h-t-t-p-colon-back slash-back slash…  I kid you not when I say slash slash one third of the people look at me and say which one.  But the amazing thing is probably another third correct me to a back slash.  Why is it that dyslexia is so common?
• Why is that most everyone that has either never been on a horse or at least rides as if they have never been on a horse before has some story about how much riding they have done?  Heck, I have met two different folks that were all but alternates for the US Olympic team in the late 1990′s or early 2000′s, at least according them.  Yet when I mentioned the the great story David O’Connor tells of his ride across the United States at a young age, they look at me as if to say who is that?
• Why is that most everyone that has what is clearly a clue with riding and tends to make it look effortless can always list you at least a hundred things that was wrong with the last ride, performance, joust, or just trail ride in which they and their horse participated?  They can also name you at least a few people that they know that make riding look completely effortless and in their estimation is a much better rider.
• For the record, I fall in both camps, usually looking like I have not had much saddle time ever, but clearly knowing that I look that part.  Further, while I am not one to be ready to take lessons or anything anytime soon, I will occasionally ask for advice from folks that I respect.  And I can count at least a hundred if not closer to two hundred folks that I know that I think ride a lot better more gracefully then I do.  Why is that?  Oh yeah, I know, I do not ride often enough and when I do I tend not to practice or worry so much the gracefulness of it all.
• Why is it that today we have so many people concerned about the invasion of privacy with the census of 2010 underway?  Having seen the basic set of questions I can not really see that much of invasion of privacy.  Consider that in 1910 one of the census questions required your respond with the color of eyes.  Point is, in my opinion, a lot more information is collected on the typical 1040 tax preparation form that the census of thought about, so why is that so many are so concerned.  Matter of fact I have an idea that everyone was required to file taxes and indicate the same statuses, we could do away completely with the census as we know it and every tenth year just use the tax forms.  After all, no two people can claim the same person.

Of my chief concern is the number of things I am still wanting to accomplish and things that I am involved in that seem to be taking time and probably more so money away from those other things.  I am opening weighing these things out in my head and to lesser degree in a public forum here on my blog.  I am not saying that anything is going to change or such going forward at this point, but just kind of throwing things on the proverbial wall and seeing if anything sticks (or in the case, on the blog wall and seeing if anything stands out in a dramatic way).   So I am going to start out with the listing of things I am either actively involved in and/or desire to be pursuing at current time and giving some pluses and minuses on each of them.   Note, that the list is in no particular order, so do not try to infer from that some ranking in my head.

• Medieval stuff – This umbrella includes a lot of ground, like jousting, the SCA, re-enacting, competition, and so much more.  I have made some major strides the last year or so in getting to be more authentic in both hard and soft kits.  I feel like I am, when practicing on a regular basis, a pretty good jouster.  My ground fighting, well, to be honest never gets enough time devoted to it.  I also have so many things I wish to do with this from arts and science types of projects to get more authentic.  The obvious is minuses are just the amount of time, effort, and especially money that is involved in this activity.  Most projects require multiple levels of tools and equipment to make them happen and sometimes by the time I get around to part A I have forgotten that the plan for part B had changed somewhere along the way.  One can only imagine the cost of going to events on regular basis.  Now add to that the cost of dragging horses along to them on a regular basis.  Of course the pluses are friendships and common bonds of doing something, especially like the jousting, in which so few actively participate.  Beyond that of course is the relaxation and getting away from it all that occurs.  Combine that of course with the adrenaline rush that occurs both in fighting on the ground and especially when going down the list on horseback with lance in hand.  I have almost talked myself out of this one a couple of times, especially as friends and our group tended to break up over the last few years – but darn I like this activity and just need to find a core group of very authentic late 14th  century folks to get uber involved with again.  I have conceded for the most part, not participating in Ren Faires anymore and that should be enough for now – right?
• Farm - I have made little bones about my desire to get back to a farm.  But not just any farm.  One that is self sustaining both currently and for the future.  In other words, a farm that is making enough money to pay for itself at some point in the future and at the same time, leaving the land in better condition for the future after I am gone that what it started.  A combined practice of using older methods of doing things while at the same time focused on a product for marketability is the way accomplish this.  I have always thought pasture raised animals and given my knack for hogs (and the prospering I see from a friend I helped start int hat direction) seems right.  Of course I also love the horses too and have thought the breeding operation of those – but the market is so down without turning to race horses or something akin that I wonder about that side of things.  And of course I would love to use draft power on the farm as well.  The same kind of escape can occur on the farm as the medieval stuff brings me, though rarely the adrenaline rushes.  It is hard work and required a lot of time.  And the minor fact of money to get the land to begin with has been a huge hold up at current time.  Money that is spent on other things seem to always push this one a bit further down the list in my head constantly.  It is perhaps that realization more then anything that is prompting the composing this open memo to myself.  What needs to be done to make this more likely to occur on sooner rather then later time frame.
• Family - As I have said before, this one is something that has really only come into focus the last few years.  But it is a major one.  Getting married is a good step in the right direction on this front.  Some tell me that is a first step and truth be told, though not required, it probably makes this aspect of things a lot neater going forward.  Of course, not that I resent or in anyway am complaining, but a huge amount of expense is going along with this marriage.  Perhaps it would have been enough to make the farm land purchase occur later this spring.  But the farm in my mind has always been a family affair and to that end sometimes priorities have to be set.  Besides we love one another and it just seems right now to pursue things the way.
• Green Living – I use that to describe a lot of things.  Mostly though I am focused on being less consumer oriented with especially that which is disposable.  Instead I am trying to focus on reduce, reuse, and especially recycle.  It ties in nicely with my thoughts toward the medieval stuff and especially that of the farm and sustainable practices.  When using something that is a disposable item I try to focus on it being both something that is easy to reproduce and also biodegradable in fairly short order, hopefully even returning to the soil something positive in the process.  I think being on a farm gives a lot more options in this matter, but still there is a lot that can be done when not on a farm.  I do often question myself though when having a fast food meal just how that fits in with this grand scheme.   Actually it is beyond just fast food, but it is especially it is seen there.  I also really question how this fits into the scheme of driving three hundred or more miles with horses in tow to do a medieval event.  After all, the amount of fuel used and carbon produced is a huge amount in such situations.  I am almost of the opinion that all the things that I try to do and am looking forward to doing with getting back to the farm are fundamentally wiped out by the several trips I make like that each year and probably more so.
• Writing – This one is almost all but completely being left out these days.  I have only sporadically worked on blogs the last several months.  Beyond that though, I have not done much with my journal and especially the books.  They lay waiting for my attention but rarely are getting it these days.  Some of the issue is just the flux life is taking right now, but some of it too is just a like of time and maybe to a lesser degree a somewhat lack of interest.  I have gotten some stuff done with the blogs the last few weeks, though I have probably spent more time on the technical side and making notes of blogs to be written rather then actually writing.  Will just have see how this goes, as I know that with plans for family and farm the time for such things are likely to get less.  Of course I have to be honest and admit that of late I have been to bed typically a bit earlier then I have in the past.   Losing an hour or two most evenings and on a few occasions maybe a few more then that really has a impact on such things.  So yeah, I am sleeping my life away…

Well, enough of my dribble…  like I said, just sounding board to the blog.  Enjoy and accept my apologies all at the same time.

Let me be clear from the get go that I do not think that all of what is offered on PBS and certainly not even the local KET network is historical in nature.  In fact, a good deal of it is really not all that interesting to me at all these days – though I say that with the caveat that Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow,  and to a lesser extent Mr. Rogers and the Electric Company were childhood favorites.  They clearly kindled my fondness for both reading and the imagination, making me a at least a part of who I am today.

I am also reminded of all the things in the past that I have enjoyed on KET/PBS.  Like the series of historical survivors a few years ago that did things from settlers on the prairie to living in Victorian London and many different stops in between.  And unlike the backstabbing high drama that eventually turns into a popularity contest as there is no real survival skills, there really were measures of what if and would they have survived.  A couple of others that I am very fond of include the wild horse documentary that follows a group of mustangs around for a couple of years in the wild, a very old one about the guy who built a cabin in the wilds of Alaska and filmed it his survival over the years, and of course pretty much any of the Ken Burn’s special presentations.

Anyway, they have a number of regular shows that appeal to me in a big way and fill in the voids that the History Channel and others are leaving in big huge gaps.  One of the favorites that I have found of late is the American Experience. It is almost always a historical look back on what has made us Americans, well, American.  Sometimes a single episode will deal with a single issue and other times a series of episodes will deal with things for several in a row.

Ad to that one something like Masterpiece, which I admit I am only occasionally interested in, as I think most of the things they do are indeed better revealed to the audience on a more intimate level like the live stage.  That being said, sometimes they have presented things that I just would not pay for the live experience or would more then likely just not have the opportunity.

Include Nova – which often time does appeal to the scientific inner geek in my soul on levels that nothing else can and I am set.  But then sprinkle in a liberal dash of the specials from both the national PBS and the regional KET and I am set with more things to watch on video that I have generally have time to for anyway.

That in itself is not a problem though, as the very nature of PBS lends itself well to expanding into the web in a big way.  Without the need to be driven by advertising, but rather just generous notes of sponsorships and the occasional fund drive they are easily able to push their content to the web without interfering with revenue streams.  This is great as it allows me to catch up on things when I want to and have the time.  And better then a DVR system, I can do it literally anywhere I want.

Before I get into my full blown rant about the subject, let me start by saying that I have nothing against engineers in general (well, excepting those that were on the Saturn design team, but that is another story completely).  Matter of fact, being a computer scientist by training and trade, I am probably more closely in tune with engineers then I am with a LOT of other folks.  Add to that, I spent several years working at IBM/Lexmark in development, both for and with engineers of several types and I feel like I have a good relationship with most of them.  Matter of fact, I count amongst several better friends engineers.

That being said I have to take issue with the term on three fronts:

1. First is the question of just where does the Speed School of Engineering think the term horsepower originates from?  The answer is of course from James Watt, who after having made notable improvements on the steam engine, needed a way to show cost savings to his potential consumers in what it would cost to convert to the steam engine compared to the horse.   The history on that is that clearly there were some high estimates of what a horse can do consistently but the general idea has stuck and is based on bringing a measure of water out of a well.  Taking the idea a bit forward, there is a number of different definitions today based on the application, but fundamentally they all track back to this original establishment.  Ironically over a short burst a horse can achieve an easy 13-14 hp, an well trained athlete upward of 3.5 hp, but over time both would average well less then 1 hp.
2. Horsepower, meaning the use of draft animals is still very much in use today.  Given the cost of fuels and such for most of modern powered equipment the looking toward the output achieved there for cost is worthwhile.  This is especially when 0ne considers the cost in relation to the effects on the environment that various mechanized devices as such internal combustion engines and coal fired power plants tend to produce.  I will allow the argument of efficiency to stand for most modern devices versus draft power.  However, if you had to assign a cost to both things like the environmental affects as well as all the things involved in producing the engine that drives you car compared to that of the horse, I am not sure that the huge gain we currently have with modern technology stand over time.  I will even go far to assert the easily obtainable power from fossil fuels has made engineers today lazy.  I see a lot of applications where instead of working through the problem – juts give it a bigger power house.
3. I will take this one step further.  I am sure most modern, especially small, farmers will agree. Farmers are by definition engineers, always coming up with the way to make things work.  Take this thought back to the time when draft animals were the power source and I would argue that a lot more engineering was done at the time to facilitate how to gain better conversion from the know quantities of power that were had.  Primarily water when it was running, the occasional wind device, but especially draft animals.  This was particularly true with those animals in regards to both mining and especially agricultural applications.  I will agree, that perhaps a lot of those farmers, both then and now, did not have the formal schooling, but many would work circles around a degreed engineer in lot of problem situations in finding workable solutions given constraints.  Lastly, I will add most of the state universities in the 1800′s were founded as agriculture and engineering schools for a reason.

Okay, that is enough to get my thoughts out there and I will let it rest from my point, allowing you all to comment further if you wish.

Turns out to have been one of the better purchases that I made last fall.  Fate had an odd way for determining who would attend with me, as it went through several possibilities, each having to decline based on prior plans, until a much younger friend of mine thought it was a cool idea.  The plan being to get there just a bit early have a beer or three while things were getting going and just generally kick back and have a good time, enjoy the music, and such.

We arrived as I recall just about as planned and things got underway just about on the time it was announced and that for a concert was a refreshing change.  The concert was a small one, and the location was Austin City Saloon in Lexington.  If you have never been there, it is your typical rowdy kind of country/western place and could be the set for any movie that works with the genre.  It is a small place, respectively speaking, but that smallness made for a nice intimacy with the performing couple that would not have been possible in a larger venue.  I am not sure of the number of tickets that were sold, but I can say that it was one of the largest crowds I have ever seen at Austin City.

Anyway, back to Joey and Rory.  First, let me just say the performance was just about as awesome and full of energy as any that I have ever seen.  It was just the two of them, his guitar and a smallish sound system with some tracks laid down for accompaniment.   For this pair it worked extremely well.

One of the things that I really like about the couple is that they are country the way it is meant to be.  There is so much that is played on the country radio stations today that would have passed as light pop back in the days when I was growing up and some of it would have been even further off base then that.  Just exactly I mean by that varies with any particular song you want to pick.  Sometimes it is just that obvious sound and beat that was just meant some Texas two stepping, other times is that down home feeling with a bit a country twang and a gut feeling that just makes you know they are truly country in reality, and yet other times it is just that extra twang and a bit of sadness in the lyrics and voices that just speaks old style country to the listener, but yet it does so subtly.

Joey is just as beautiful as you would imagine from her television appearances and such, though even more petite then I would have expected.  She had a beautiful voice, is quick to smile, and from my perspective not only the more musically talented, but also the one who I suspect nudges any disagreements in her favor when it comes to it.  Rory seems huge compared to her, but I think probably more average in reality.  He play pretty good guitar and is a nice offset to her from a backup standpoint.  He is, apparently responsible for writing  a good number the songs, as well as writing some for other folks.

Together they seem to be a great match and duo to watch.  I personally like several songs off the debut CD and a few more that the performed live very well.   I could go into detail, but I think we are all familiar with the big success of Cheater, Cheater. The title track, Life of a Song is a beautiful ballad type of song, oddly enough about  a song.  It has powerful vocals and is very moving, but I think they would do a bit better with a more a personal ballad like the one on the album called Heart of the Wood – or even borrowing from another power duet, something like the teen tragedy ballad Joey from Sugarland.  Lastly, the Freebird cover they did both on the CMT show and the album is the best ever cover of it I think ever done – but to sell it, frankly, it has just been done so many times at this point.

I think they have gotten caught in a time when there were several other duets struggling to surface with the overwhelming shadow of Brooks and Dunn.  I think as that clears the way for folks, an opening toward a greater success with a sophomore release will be found fairly easily.  Being a year late, I think things are about done on this one album and I hope they are letting the farm and such take care of itself for a bit and in the barn out back putting together some new and original material.  I know I will be looking forward to it.

** Picture is from the album cover, my copy of which is now signed inside – as they stuck around for everyone as best as I could tell.

Let me make sure,  that no one gets the wrong idea on two different counts.  First is the fact that I do really like Frank Deford’s commentary when I occasionally catch it.  I think his often meandering, slightly funny and often sacarstic approaches to his coverage of all things sports and life in general is usually right on the mark, and as the occasional case when I disagree (as in this morning) I still appreciate his delivery style enough to listen to him all the same.

Second is that I have nothing against August.  The month I dislike (and that is only becuase it equally or more dislikes me) is July.  My August has been wonderful.  When compared to July it has been even better then wonderful.  It started with several days at Pennsic with lots of good friends and good times.  Things are, despite some setbacks, getting accomplished at the office, and it is in general heading toward my favorite time of year – fall.   That August leads from the last long warm days of summer to the quiet cooler days of September is the one thing upon which Deford and I agree.

In the piece this morning, Deford was of course focused on sports and largely seemed to imply that nothing is going on in August.  He further asserts that it truly used to be the end of summer, the last days before school started and well prior to the beginning of football.  A month when nothing was to be done but to just relax and do, well,  nothing.  I do agree that all those things are moving up the start dates at an alarming rate.  School for instance was almost always after or right around labor day when I was a kid.  Now it is beginning with days early in August for some students which seems nearly crazy.  However, as Deford himself pointed out, the boys of summer are still playing.  He failed in fact to mention, despite the long season prior to this point, the races for the pennants are just really starting to get exciting.

Beyond that, historically the reason so many schools started after labor day was the harvest.  The harvest time on a farm, especially from mid August up through early September is one of the busiest times.  It often falls that multiple row crops are coming in at the same time as hay operations and the occasional threat of rain and marching time of soon cooler overnight temperatures are driving forces.  I know I did a good share of harvesting, especially working in tobacco here in Kentucky as a teen prior to the start of school.  And truthfully I suspect (if any elders are to believed) that the harvests of past years was even harder, required more manual labor, and had to be done with much cruder equipment.

My modern life says has it a being a rush to get in those last rides after work prior to the days becoming to short and darkness coming on so quickly that is not practical to rush out to the barn.  It also allows extra grooming and loving to be given to the four legged friends.  There are also those last evening walks that sometimes catch the blinks of the fireflies before they are gone for the season.

I will also say that the last week or two of August is actually some of my favorite fishing time.  I love to fish the creeks of my youth, wading up the streams where it is practical to do so.  The use of ultra light gear in such a situation makes for a very thrilling experience and the water is the perfect temperature to do it in just a pair of cotton work pants and old tennis shoes.  I admit, I have not done that in a number of years , but I miss it.  It is truly one of the better parts of the year.

So to Deford I say – live a little in August and I think you find there is plenty to do in this month.  And the things to do are certainly more enjoyable in the last half of August as compared to the month that shall remain nameless that immediately proceeds August.

** Frank Deford in the picture, used from the NPR website.

A bunch of long stories short and then on to better blogging, because as I noted late last night sometime, “Life is Beautiful!”

My first thought comes back to the fact that July is just out to kill me and I am figureing based on the last several that I will probably pass one of these fine summer July days.  I guess I am kind of owed that.   I am sure that I like fall the best in regards to seasons and from there, while I do enjoy outside days in the summer, I really split mostly between winter and spring as my other favorite seasons.  The only thing that I do find enjoyable about summer is being outside and having the ability to put in a good hard days work.  Unfortunately I get far to little opportunity to do that these days.  And besides that, excepting digging fence post holes, everything is still doable in all but the coldest of winter and so much more enjoayble when done.

Maybe that is why the month has it in for me, maybe it something else.  Regardless I can truthfully say that the last three July’s have been some of the most miserable.  I think this one was not suppose to be and probably was not as bad.  However, the lingering expectations carried over from the last couple of them has done a nice mental job of building the little things from this month into major issues anyway.

Of the first order is all the prep work that I did for getting ready for the big jousting event two weekends ago now.  Several hours getting things ready.  Several more getting Jack ready.  Several hundred dollars spent on equipment, items, and other arrangements for the big event.  And on the way, fairly quickly, for which I am oddly thankful, the truck blew out seals on the transmission.  Apparently, based on some casual looking at a repair shop the tranny was about done for to begin with and the slippage that occured once it dropped most of the fluid pretty much finished cooking it – at least as I understand it.  (Side note:  While I can completely explain how an internal combustion engine works and even a manual transmission, I have no concept of a automatic transmissions.  Think about it, you put in an industrial grade lubricate to keep the dang thing from slipping?!?!)  Regardless I ended up spending a day getting horses back home followed by a girl back home – yeah, I just said that.

Speaking of girls, or ladies if you will, I had a pretty good thing going with one girl.  After a few dates and such though I got really busy and communication waned a little bit.  We did get together one more time, with several of her friends.  During that eve, it was with a grimace that I realized the idea of what she wants out of life is not at all in line with what I want.  I was still willing to keep in touch and when I got less busy I tried to resume conversation, but my attempts, belated as they probably were seemed to have fallen on def ears.  Kind of okay, as at that point, we had agreed that we were going to get know one another before getting serious.  And actually I guess this was back in June, but still seems more like July.  Guess it has just been an ugly summer over all.

Slightly a reminder of last year and strictly against my new rules regarding such things, I did decide to take a much younger female friend along for the jousting trip.  After that got canceled, the horses were returned home and so was she – at her request.  I ended up feeling a bit used out of that whole thing.  Kind of odd, as it were.  After all, if that had been the plan going into things I would have probably been okay with it, but since that was not a previous discussion it just left me feeling a bit odd about things.

Somewhere in all of these, it was suggested by more then one friend that the girl who was pregnant may have been fooling me about things with the miscarriage.  I kept saying no way would she do that.  After all, no one would dare to stoop to such a vile thing.  But then again, there was no question that we were on a rocky path at best during the entire ordeal and friends kept saying with the distance involved it would just make sense for her to do that to get me out the picture.  That did start to bother me just a little bit, but I mostly dismissed it.  That is until another, slightly distant friend, who had been made aware of things, happened through that area of Tennessee.  I am not sure if they even saw things or not, but they reported back to me that she was still pregnant.  I mentioned this to the former mom to be and she of course immediately denied and even pointed out the drinks that I know she had after the fact.  I have to believe that she would not do that – but that little seed of doubt is still there and even a day or two ago she said she can not wait until the 1st of October.

Add to these the workload that never seems to shrink, rather it constantly expands.  Every time one project is scratched off the to do list, two more things of seeming even greater scope jump up to occupy the same space.  Everything needed to be done yesterday for optimal ROI of the initial purchase.  And of course in all three of the last weeks a major system has basically imploded in on itself, leaving me long stretches of sleep deprived work toward resolving the issues to get things back on an even keel.  Some these things are, in my opinion, a direct result of putting off some the regular maintenance and monitoring that needs to be done on these systems in the regular routine of things that should be included in a the job of managing such systems.

In light of all that I think I am feeling a bit older.  Well, at least I am having a few more aches and pains.  I am sure that a good part of that can written off as general stress and another part of that can be written off as being so active at times with getting ready for jousting and hard riding that at times will jump to a full speed ahead from a stand still.  I know deep down though that probably a larger portion is coming from not having eaten particularly healthy of late and especially the gaining back of most of the weight that I have lost on the two major pushes over the last two years.  Face it, if you are moving around an extra thirty to forty pounds, it just a lot harder on the body that is moving it around.

Enough of all the negative and down though. I realize that a lot of what is going above is hinging to much of my expected happiness on one aspect of life and focusing in way to much on it.  Further, to many of those things are focusing on other people assisting in the making some of that happen.  Moving forward, I plan to have a great focus on what makes me, or will make me, happy.  I realize some of the things will still require the involvement of others and not all things completely depend on others.  However, I am done, completely, for the time being of the mindset that I should hold off on whatever else is around the turn and spend money, time, and effort to get the other side of that turn.  Instead, I am going to focus on what I know I want and pursue it.  Do not get me wrong, I love other people.  I will continue to go out of my way to do things for other people, perhaps even more so then has been done in the past.  Time moving forward will be the answer to that I suppose.  Enough semi-aimless rambling for one blog, eh?

Really quickly – thanks to the many who have kept the page views going on the blog while I was away.  Strangly it has stayed way up there.  Also a special thanks to someone who shall remain completely nameless for a conversation not long ago – hope things are going well with you in your current version of what life is throwing at you!