The Thoughts of a Frumpy Professor

............................................ ............................................ A blog devoted to the ramblings of a small town, middle aged college professor as he experiences life and all its strange variances.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Saturday

Well, we are officially without A/C for probably a week.  Our unit is kaput.  But it was 30 years old, so I guess it is time.  Unfortunately with the holiday weekend, getting a new one installed will take a while.  A fellow is coming Wednesday to assess the types we can select from, and the it will be a wait to get in the queue to get it hooked up.  Hopefully there are going to be improvements that make it a lot more efficient.  It may be that we will get a new furnace at the same time (it is 30 years old too) if the new system together can blow a larger volume of air.  Our old system was always a bit underwhelming in my opinion.  

PipeTobacco

Friday, May 27, 2016

Friday & Disjointed

I feel rather blah this morning.  I do not have to teach so that is nice, but.bi have tasks lined up to keep me busy and that is weighing on me a bit.  Not really the tasks themselves, for they are generally mundane, but the timing of the tasks.  Many things today are by appointment and that is making me feel edgy... Mostly feeling like I am at people's beck and call and do not get to make my own timeline.  I have an appointment with the vet for our dog to get a heart worm booster shot, I have A/C people coming (damn broad window... "sometime between 9 and noon" they say) to check out the system, I have one appointment with one very "needy" student.... needy meaning a student who does not study enough and is upset at her grade and thinks she deserves better, and my wife's vehicle may need to be picked up after getting some work done on it (if it is done).

PipeTobacco  

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

More Tasks

I had a light day at work and then went home to do more tasks.  I sanded the shelves and stained them and let them dry in the sun.  Tomorrow is a really long day at work so I will not accomplish much that is useful.  :)

PipeTobacco

Monday, May 23, 2016

Fix-Up Tasks

In this Summer session, I do not have to teach on Monday.  I went into the office for about an hour to do a little bit of paperwork and checked out the animals in my lab to see that they were up to snuff, and then I left for the day. 

I have been working instead on some home tasks I have neglected.  I have put up some shelving units on a wall and in a cupboard, and I have cut the shelves as well.  These should help me organize some things better.  

I also have given our dog a needed bath, much to her chagrin.  Unlike a lot of dogs, she really dislikes water... she hates baths, and she even dislikes walking on grass with dew on it.  When it is misting outside, I still force her to go run/walk with me, but if it is actually raining, I will leave her at home, because she dislikes it so much.  

But, last night I put on her flea medicine (I need to drizzle it on the back of her neck so it is absorbed into the skin.), and today I shampooed her clean.  Bathing a 50 pound, water aversive, terrier/Airedale  mix in a bathtub is an arduous task, but she is now drying after I have rubbed her dry using four towels.  It is oddly interesting to me that as soon as she is out of the bathtub and I am towel drying her, all of he indignity at being bathed dissipates and she is once again excited, rambunctious, and ready to play again.

PipeTobacco

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Wednesday

Today is Wednesday and I am not sure what my plans are.  I feel nebulous and tired.  I just finished my jogging & walking for the day.  

I was thinking about a Trump presidency the other day, and I came to the conclusion that if, horribly, he becomes president, the tee will be like a mix of the Reagan era and the "W" Bush era.... Probably taking the worst aspects of both of those horrible presidents.  That is not a comforting thought.  

I am not sure what Bernie is doing anymore.  He is making it harder for Clinton with no hope for himself either.... And a lesser and lesser possibility he could be Clinton's running mate.  

Politics keeps getting more horrible every year.

PipeTobacco

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Waiting

My wife obtained a crack in her vehicle's windshield due to a stone that hit it after being kicked up by a semi when she was on the highway.  

I am sitting and waiting at the glass shop as they replace the windshield.  

PipeTobacco

Wednesday, May 04, 2016

Life of Leisure... Bah!



It was a decent sort of WORK day for me.  I am feeling pretty much up to snuff at the moment and the damn cold is really feeling like it is finally "leaving the building".  Mucous expenditure is down to close to zero again (it seemed like a flood for a few days), and I was able to sleep fully through the night with no waking up due to coughing.  The coughing I had was what convinced me the malady I faced was pharyngytis and not simply allergies.  The few times I have had pharyngytis in the past, the same sort of 2-3 days of coughing while sleeping would..... keep me from sleeping.  During the 2-3 days I had the idiotic cough while sleeping this time, I think I really slept perhaps a total of 4 hours across the full three days.  It was making me quite grouchy.  I am glad I do not generally cough under normal conditions. 

I ran 2.5 miles of the 5 today.  Damn, I should always know better and say "jog" as I am slow... probably slower than a snail compared to others.  But again, my heart rate was up to 150.  I am getting close to the golden 25th day.... if I can get to that milestone for running, dammit... jogging.... I think I will have established enough of a habit, enough of a larger number to feel compelled to continue. 

I read a study of people who were on the NBC show, The Biggest Loser, today.  It talked about how and why many of the contestants have gained considerable weight back, with some returning to their previous levels.  It was a bit nerve wracking to read, as the show actually has been an inspiration to me and was at least a small part of my own 100 pound weight loss damn near 8 years ago now.  I have maintained my weight loss (fluctuating about 5 pounds) during that time, but I do admit that some times it is easier than others.  In order to maintain my new lower volume girth I think I may need to do some additional examination and see if I can further hone my metabolism to help make sure I can stay put at my normal BMI.  I do not want to creep back up like many of these contestants have done. 

PipeTobacco

Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Tuesday

It is Tuesday.  And, it is nice out... Actually in the 50s!  Even when I ran early this morning it was in the low 40s!  It feels like Sprin is really finally staying!

PipeTobacco