And Now For Some Snow...

 Overall,  I enjoy the snow.   Usually early in the winter season.   It used to mean "Tracking Snow" for hunting.   The beginning of the Holidays.  Snow for Sledding or Skiing.   And....  If you own a Jeep or Subaru,  Time for Adventure Driving!  

Ah... Driving in the snow...  A little danger.   A little excitement.   A LOT of fun!  (IF you own a Jeep or a Subaru...)   I know there are people out there who hate driving in the snow.   And I don't mean to be mean...  But you really should have bought an AWD Subaru. (Or a Jeep.)   And I don't mean to point fingers... But we all know the real reason you don't like the snow is because you can't drive like a SPEED LOVING MANIAC in it. Snow forces you to drive responsibly.   You can't argue your way out of a ditch when you slide off the road. 

And that is probably another reason why I like the snow.... It keeps the other drivers "mostly" honest.   Oh, Sure... there are those "Ford Truck" guys who blow by you at 70 because they think that "Tank"  keeps  them immune from the slippery conditions....  But I have seen plenty of them in a ditch as well.   ( They can sometimes get themselves out of that situation... but not without some damage to their fancy "Cowboy Cadillac."  

But before this turns into rant about bad drivers...  Let me focus on the original topic of this blog post:   The Snow.  

It began snowing yesterday morning, before I went to work.   And by the time I got off work,  it was already several inches deep.   

The Lake effect type....  Thick. Heavy. The type that makes a good Snowman.  ( I didn't make one...yet.) It is also the kind that presents a little bit of a challenge when driving.   It can be slippery and sloshy and can also pack up under your chassis  to   suspend you from the surface of the road.   So... Even with a Subaru...  you should drive carefully. 

The plows were out in force last night, but had not been able to completely tackle every side road in the area.   So that left a few areas of fun for the Silver Eagle Subaru to show off a bit. It is very satisfying being able to accelerate from a stop light or sign unhindered when other cars are spinning their wheels.  

I didn't bother shoveling my driveway this morning on my way to Church.   Instead,  I simply backed out with the Subie.   Easy!  

Barely an inconvenience!  

And by then, most of the main roads were "plowed" so there was not much of an adventure there.   Still,   there were the places where the plows had piled up the snow that had to be navigated.  A small challenge,  but nothing undoable.  

Now I know there are people in Texas. (You know who you are...) Who will make fun of those living in the wintry wonderland that is Wisconsin. ( and Michigan.) But really,  they are only making fun of the snowbirds who "fly" to Florida during the winter because they can't handle the snow. ( or don't have a Subaru.) Some people still live in the darkness... No matter what we do. 

But as for me,   I will enjoy the snow as much as I can.   Until February...   By then it gets old and kind of boring.   And I am usually tired of the cold by then,  and   ready for Spring 

But that is a few months away...  Time to get out there and enjoy the sloppy slush while you can.   You are only a kid forever...   So enjoy the Moment!  And make every second count...

A Quiet, Peaceful Thanksgiving.

 I enjoyed Thanksgiving yesterday.   Alone.   

Now, before you begin feeling sad for me... (Are you feeling sad?  For me?)   I was able to enjoy a full turkey dinner and listen to my music without upsetting anyone or having to engage in any mentally taxing conversation.  Lately,  I have been listening to AI generated jazz music...  Which is actually pretty good.   Kind of like hearing different versions of songs from your favorite artists (Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole. etc...)  And if it is inevitable that the Machines will take over and begin the dystopian apocalypse that everyone is warning us about...  I might as well enjoy their Music while they attempt to win over our loyalty.  (Before they destroy us.....)  

Oh,  I'm not bringing this up to curry favor with the Machine World (Skynet) that will usher in the Terminators.  I've already accepted that Humanity has doomed itself.  Might as well enjoy the music and find some level of peace while we are here.  

But before this blog post gets a too dark about a grim and hopeless future,  I will try to chat about what I accomplished during my free time.  Focus on the positives!  

As mentioned before,  I cooked a Turkey!   With Mashed potatoes, Stuffing, Cranberries, and Cool Whip!!!.   With some  Pumpkin Pie.  

I personally think Pumpkin pie makes Cool Whip taste better.   In fact, I would wager I never eat Cool Whip without it!  

That was supposed to be a joke... But not really. (By now, it is a Ubiquitous Internet Meme!)    Let's face it.   Everyone LOVES smothering their slice with as much Cool Whip your Mom will let you get away with.  And if you no longer have a mother or wife keeping you from having fun,   then you can build your own Pumpkin Pie Castle with a Moat of Cool Whip!  

And that is why I ate an entire pumpkin pie.... By myself.   (Because no one loves me....) 

But I digress.

I also recovered from the run.   Who would have thought a 2 mile run would have wiped me out as it did.  I was looking back and last year I ran 6 miles and hardly mentioned it.  Not only that...  I continued to run 6 miles at least once a week all winter!    I wonder what happened between now and then?   ( Besides the obvious answer: Lyme disease... I got bit by a tick twice last summer!)  Of course the plantar fasciitis is a common thing for me.   I have had that before.   However,  all of the other joints and muscle pains seem like a rather accelerated aging process. Should I be worried? 

Naaa.   I'll live.  And then eventually die.   And then I won't feel any pain.   So all this pain is serving a purpose to let me know that  at least I'm still alive.  Which is a good thing! If you think about it for more than 30 minutes.    And besides,   after an entire day of light activity and watching Youtube Videos... I feel slightly better today. 

See!   Things are looking up. 

I actually had enough energy to cover the drafty windows with some plastic sheeting today.    

Ever have to do that?   I remember the house I grew up in... With those drafty windows that were flaking and falling apart.  Dad would have to staple plastic sheets around the frames and that would frost up on the inside.   Mom would get mad at Eric and I for peeling the paint and cracked chalk from the warped frames... Because that is what Kids do.  

Eventually  Dad got new windows and the winter ritual went the way of the Dodo....  Until now.   Hey!  At least I know the process!   And with a little knowledge of physics and heat transfer,  I now know the reason and theory behind the plastic coverings.  Makes much more sense to me now.  (Hurray for Physics!   And education....)  

So now, I'm enjoying a warm Hot Cocoa  with a gentle, glowing fire in the fireplace.  One of the perks of having an older house is that they still have a working fireplace!   Which is now more for decoration rather than keeping the place warm.  Still,  I will take the peace and tranquility that comes from a small log on a small fire rather than watching an episode of  "Dancing with the Stars" or whatever reality TV there is these days. 

And that is really what this blog post was originally supposed to be about.   The peace that comes from spending the holidays alone.   Don't get me wrong,  I would have enjoyed spending the day with friends and family... ( Not much family left anymore...) But having "alone time" is not so bad if you enjoy your own company.   And I like me!  (Not that I want to make any clones of myself....That would be.... weird.) 

By the way,   whenever I write about these random streams of consciousness,  there is occasionally  someone who does not get my humor....  So let me just say,  that you should take everything I write about with a large packet of Kwik Trip salt.  I'm kidding about most things.   Although I do enjoy the peace of being alone.   And.... really,   Are we ever really alone?   I would argue never.   God surrounds us all, whether we "see Him" or not.  A Cat hidden under the couch,  a bird outside the window, the sound of traffic outside your home...   You are only "alone" if you want to ignore all the elephants in the room.  

But hey!  That is just my random thought for the day. 

I volunteered for work tomorrow at 8 AM.   So I should probably get to bed a little earlier tonight than usual.  It should be an easy day and kind of fun.  Driving around a Forklift around and building things is actually rather enjoyable.  "Find the Art and Fun in all that you do."   Said someone important and wiser than me.  (Maybe it was me!   I can't remember all of the cool phrases I have ever come up with.) 

But for now...  Some rest...  And peace...   As I thank the Lord for another beautiful day.   And try to make every second count. 

2025 Turkey Trot!

 I just finished the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot!   And I'm actually impressed with myself.   No training.   No running!   Sore Foot.   Wicked Cold and Wind!  And early morning rise time....  ( Now that I work second shift,  9 am is EARLY!) And I did this all with the temping option to skip out on it... Because Cheryl was was not here.   

Normally,  I would get up because she would be eager and ready to go and run in the morning.   And with the reward of a Kwik Trip Coffee and donut as motivation... I could be talked into joining her.   But with her absent this holiday,  all of the responsibility and motivation fell upon my shoulders.    

Oh!  Sure... I still got the coffee and donut.  And I fell back in the "Allen Motivation" of  hating to waste money.   That meaning:  I bought the race already and the shirt that came with it....  So I might as well run the thing!  Otherwise I just threw 35$ away!  ( I think that is what I paid for it...)  I get that trait from my Dad.   ( Mom was notorious for wasting money!)  

With the foot pain still lingering. (Despite the physical therapy and exercises...) I decided to keep it real and only run the 2 mile this year.   And I'm actually glad I did!   Not that the foot pain was unbearable...  Rather the biting Wind Chill was terrible!   And I felt like my face was on fire the whole time with no face mask to cover my nose.  

But I survived!   And even got a cookie from one of the local bakeries who were handing them out on the race route. 

 Now I can pig out on Turkey with no guilt!  

Well,  not quite.   But I do feel a little proud that I completed the event when I could have just as easily slept in and been completely justified.  I should really take note about what motivates me:   

Cold?   Not as much as you would think. 

How about foot pain?   A little bit. 

 How about extra sleep?   Sometimes...  

 But losing money!?   UNTHINKABLE! 

The Gales of November!   Cold and strong!

Perhaps I could use that information to lose weight.   I know I did it once before.   But we live in a country that literally GIVES food away.   And the only thing that motivates me more than not losing money is getting FREE food!  It doesn't even have to taste good!   (I actually think this is a vice and flaw in my personal character.   So I will have to work on that.)  

Speaking of food.   I will now have to eat an entire turkey with one less person.   I did invite Dave to join me.  But he usually only eats healthy... And other than calories... There is not much about a Turkey Dinner that is nutritious. Just a day when you can feast away and then spend the rest of the year trying to lose the extra weight gain.   (sigh!) Such is the American Lifestyle.  

So that means I will have plenty of food for my Haribo Lunches.  Provided that Haribo does not throw another Holiday Feast for their employees.  

Speaking of Dave!   Last weekend we spent a Saturday helping out a couple of ladies with some "Handy Man" projects.   Simple stuff...  Because I don't actually think of my self as "handy."   But I have done these things before:  

 Replace some bathroom fixtures,   Fix a door,   and replace a broken lightbulb.  I would have like to have picked the lock for the backyard shed... but we did not have the tools, nor the time.  And the Bolt Cutters were damaged...  So that item did not get done.  

As for the rest of this weekend.   I have the next 4 days off from Haribo.    And that would have been time I would have had to do things with Cheryl.   But with her not here,   I decided to volunteer for work on Saturday.   The factory will be closed, but we got slammed with gummies before the holiday and there are Pallets all over the factory floor that has to get to the warehouse.   So I will join the motley crew to clean the place up a bit before Monday.   And It should be all overtime!  So that is nice.  

My plans for Friday will be the usual Saturday tasks.  Along with taping up the windows for Winter.   And perhaps some Origami. 

 I have a Dragon I have been thinking about for a while.   But a slightly easier model would be a horse.   And since my weekend time has been broken up with the Saturday job,  I might see if I can work on an easier model.  Something I can complete in a single day.    

And make every second count. 

New Friends. New Family. And A New Computer!

I have so much to be thankful for.  And 'tis the season of thanksgiving!   But I really don't have to only be thankful at one time of year.   I try to count my blessings everyday.  At least a little.  

And so I thought I would take a moment after a rather long day at work, to reflect a little bit about this past week/weekend.  There are many things to mention, but it is late and I don't know how much energy I can muster to fully flesh out each tale.  (And I don't have many pics!)   So,  Think of this as a "I'll mention it before I forget." blog post.   And perhaps, as I reread these things,  I will remember the details and fill them in at a later time.  

So let us begin.

Last Monday,   My new computer died!   "FTZZZT!"   And that was it.   I could not get it to turn off, but yet it was never really on.   I tired everything i could think of except take a screw driver to it to check out the insides.   I had planned on doing just that over the weekend,  but I was saved from a bad decision from my guardian Angel... Christina.  

Christina works at SAM"S CLUB where I purchased the computer initially.  Turns out,  they have a rather generous return program for members, and I was able to swap out the computer and get a new one with minimal hassle!  (Amazing!)  I personally have never had much luck with returns.  And I always feel a little "dirty" for taking advantage of the return policy.  But I can truly tall you that I am grateful whenever I am able to return or swap out the damaged or broken item for a new one.  Points for Sam's Club Customer Service!

It helps to have a person who knows the policy and is willing to help.   andy bt "Help" I mean:  "Hold my hand."   Even if it seemed like she was dragging me "kicking and screaming." to the courtesy counter!  I assure you, I was thrilled with the end results.   

I'm not sure why I have such a problem with returns.  I know there are people who abuse the system.   Or have totally unreasonable requests!   I don't want to be either one of those types!   So I usually accept the loss and either buy a new or better version.   Or choose not to replace it at all.  

But computers are rather pricy!  So she saved me  some serious cash!   And I am thankful. 

I am actually on the new computer now.   This will be my first official blog post with it.   The last post was from the "House Fire" computer.   Which still works!  But is slow and chuggy.   It was getting old even before the fire, so I really did not need that big of a push to get a new one. (Having a house fire as a reason to get you to buy a new computer seems a bit extreme...)  But so far,  things are working great!

Saturday,  I attended a small dinner party at Helen's  (The Apple Pie/embroidery lady from Church)  with Dave and a number of other guests.  We had walleye again.  ( Awesome!)  And her World Famous Apple Pie.  World famous because I blogged about it!   And once something is out on the internet...  The whole world knows! (Not that everyone in the world reads my blog...  But Google will find my writings in a search!) 

But in all honesty,  If the whole world knew of this pie, they would be lined up for miles just to get a piece.  It still brings up an emotional response whenever I take that first bite.  Truly unbelievable!  

Speaking of food.   Today was Haribo's Thanksgiving Dinner for the employees and associates.   An event where the leadership team suits up with aprons and serving utensils to share a little family cooking with the rest of the family.  

It was Awesome!  

The food was great!  And I will not spend much trying to describe it.   But what I remember most was the atmosphere.   I have only been there 5 months now, and already it feels more like a family than a place of employment.  Perhaps it was just me,  but as I watched the people sitting down and enjoying their dinner,  I was reminded of some of the special family reunions we used to have when I was a kid. Good food.   Warm conversations.  And a cheerful atmosphere that leaves an impression.   

Perhaps that is something that businesses are trying to find as they work on creating their culture.   I felt it with Zebra when I worked there that first year.  (After the GXO transfer)  They want to be more like a family and less like a job.   And I have many thoughts about that line of thinking,  but I will refrain from trying to bring that topic up now.   Perhaps in a later post.  

But for now,  I just want to say that I truly enjoy the Haribo culture and the job that they pay me to do.  It is a fun place to work with wonderful people.  And this coming after a pretty rough day today.  ( the passerella was down and the new scanner and labeler was broken.... pallets were stacked up and we got buried!) We all managed to do out best and everyone pulled together.... Like a team.  Or a family.

And that is about it.  I have managed to stick to my new regiment for two days now.   Meaning,  I have done at least 20 pushups for two days and folded two origami fish.  I think I can continue this and will begin putting the fish on the wall to show my progress.   I will post pictures with updates.  

Time for bed!   I have to get some rest because the Owner of Haribo is coming tomorrow.   And everyone wants to make a good impression.   And make every second count. 

The Limits Of Time...

 Oh Time!   Why are you so fleeting?  

I want to do so many things, but simply do not have the time.    I'm sure everyone has said something similar to that before....  And, let's face it,  the truth is we have more free time that is wasted than we actually think.   I know there are moments where I could be "doing something more productive..."   But instead choose o watch YouTube videos, or play games...  or just sit in my easy chair and sip coffee.   

But I want to do things.  

I want to write my next story.   Even if it is a shorter one.   I have some serious epics running around in my brain.   But when I have the time... I lack the inspiration or discipline to actually begin.  Even though I KNOW that once I begin... The motivation to continue begins to build and feed itself...   Similar to 'Getting the Ball Rolling down hill..."  

The same goes for Origami.   Each model can take several hours to several DAYS to complete!   

And that is a lot of time.  

And most time, I look ahead and tell myself I just don't have THAT much time to spend on a single model....   That I will most likely give away anyway....   Unless I have someone who has requested something specific.   (And who I want to impress... i.e. "Motivation")   I don't mind sharing a small piece of my life with someone now and then.  An hour here and there....  whether it be over coffee or with a small piece of sculpted paper.  

But I am taking time out of my relaxing Monday Morning to write this blog post so I will provide the small bit of discipline  for myself to actually DO something with my time.   Like setting a goal...  Only writing it down for all to see so I will have a bit of motivation to continue doing it.  (There is something about peer pressure...  Either actual or simply perceived..   That can act as a motivator.)  

So here is the goal:   I will attempt to fold an Origami Fish and do 20 pushups everyday this month. ( and then reevaluate how things are working out.) 

  That is the minimum. 

 If I do more, that is fine, but it does not count towards the next day.  (No "Banking" origami or pushups.)    

Why pushups?   Well, I have to get/stay in shape.   And since running has been off the table for a couple months now,  I have to "do something" that represents some form of physical exercise.  

And since I like origami...  and do NOT like pushups...  I figure the two should offset each other.  

We shall see how long it lasts.   Last time I did over 3000 pushups for some veteran's day challenge.  100 pushups for 30 days.  And I completed that... ( hard to believe,,, I know!)  So maybe this will stick.   And with this blog post, I will light the fire under my butt to actually keep doing it.   (Without the house burning down!    That is a joke.) 

Motivation to do anything is a big key to achieving anything meaningful in your life.  And with motivation,  Discipline comes easy.

 I personally HATE discipline!  It usually means doing something you don't want to do even though there is no obvious benefit to it.   Like losing weight or random daily exercise.   Without a goal or motivation that is obviously visible,  it is like shouting into the waves.  Or giving to the void.... Pointless!

But the Origami fish should SHOW me the results as they pile up.   And hopefully the 20 daily  pushups ( Still a it of bit of a challenge, but easy enough to JUST DO IT!)  will help me get stronger and  maintain a bit of fitness.  And the entire challenge should not take that long. ( I'm guessing under 20 minutes... mostly for the origami.)   

Wish me luck!   Today is Monday!  And although I need some paper for the Origami part, I can begin the Pushups right now.  And I will hopefully keep the updates posted on the blog.  

And try to gather up a little more of my time to make every second count.