The Wind and I

If you live in Boulder, as do I, you know what I mean when I say it has been windy here.  It seems February has been the windiest month in history.  Whether that is true does not bother me, because to me it is true.  (Don't bother me with the facts, my mind is made up.)

Not including the two days of Chinook winds, when wind gusts exceeded 75 or even 80 mph, every day seems windy.  Today it is cold, in the 30's, and windy.  The wind chill varies from cold, to colder, to coldest, to OMG, they’re  freezing off, depending on the wind speed.

Now I am not one to complain, but....

I don't like the wind.

what about the wind
blowing, blowing, blowing
so rattles the nerves?

K-cups Revisited (Again)

When I was given a Keurig coffee maker I was very happy to accept it. In my first blog post about it I raved: it is convenient, fast, not messy, makes good coffee in about 90 seconds, and allows quick access to a variety of flavors and blends. The Keurig system uses K-cups, prepackaged portions of ground coffee or other mixes.

Then I started cost calculations and determined the using K-cups is an expensive proposition, with cost per cup ranging from $0.60 to as much as $1.00. That seemed too high, so I found other sources for K-cups, lowering the cost a bit.

Then I discovered K-cups do not recycle, and each time I used one I permanently use a bit of the earth's resources. Not that I alone make much difference, except in my own head. But the recycling thing bothered me, so more research started.

I found a stainless steel re-usable filter, with filter holder and cap. I bought one. Then, because I use three different blends of coffee, I bought two more (filters only.) I'm not sure I needed the last two filters, but....

After many attempts I found a grind that works well, even with my worn out burr grinder that seems to mash more than grind. I determined an amount of ground coffee that is neither too strong (my first attempts) or too weak. Now I grind beans sufficient to make 10 to 20 cups of coffee, and keep the ground coffee in three resealable, labeled containers that I keep on the counter.

So now I have it.

Except that it take about two and a half minutes to make a cup of coffee (one minute to fill the filter with ground coffee, tamp it down, wash hands, and load the machine.) Usually another 30 seconds is required to wipe the coffee grounds off the counter, “re-organize” it, and rinse the previous filter.

In essence, the convenience of the Keuring is gone. The variety of coffee blends on hand is greatly reduced. There is some mess to clean up. And almost three minutes is required for a single cup of coffee.

The only advantage I see to the Keuring system is the ability to get a fresh cup of coffee in a fairly short period of time, and the coffee making ritual is restored. Oh, and now the cost per cup is well under $0.20.

Having said all the above, I believe I may return in time to the old fashioned way of making coffee in drip brewer and drink slightly stale coffee most of the time.  (Is that vague enough?)

Am I missing something here?

Join Me in Dissing Google

I am not one to get riled up very often.

But this morning, while reading the Wall Street Journal, I came across the article at this link:
 
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204880404577225380456599176.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

The article says that Google has been, secretly I assume, inserting code into the Safari web browser that allows Google to bypass the privacy settings you have set on your browser and track your browsing habits.  Apparently the Safari browser in iPhones and iPads is the primary target of Google's mischief.

I value my privacy.  Not that anyone would want to track the browsing habits of a person my age and lifestyle -  I belong to a very small market segment - but I still value my privacy.  Google has invaded that, probably not  for the first time.

Fighting back, I switched my primary search engine to Bing, and will in time close my gmail account, and quit using Google calendar as the way to synchronize between my iPhone and iPad.

Now I know Google will not feel the impact of my change.  If a groundswell of public opinion turns against Google though, perhaps they will feel the impact.

Rise up Americans!

A New Leaf

For the last few years I have been hanging out, lazy, not working hard, drinking too much coffee...

Something changed in me over the last two weeks though, and I am energized to do more, stretch myself, get busy. Not the stretch of 20 to 30 years ago, but a kinder, gentler stretch appropriate for my age. Tearing around the country on airplanes no longer excites me!

Why, all of a sudden, am I doing this? I know, and will let you wonder.

Missing the satisfaction felt in the past, perhaps, is a driver. A little more money and feeling good about myself, are also drivers.

In addition to advising and mentoring owners of small businesses, I will seek engagements in business research and analysis. Frankly, I am an excellent business analyst. I enjoy the work and feel good about my ability. I'm not quitting as a small business advisor and mentor. In fact, in the next month to six weeks I will present a workshop for business owners. (Get your tickets now!)

Life offers more than hanging out and being lazy. I will grab some!

Comments and suggestions are invited.

My Diabetic Dog

Have you ever lived with a diabetic dog?

Neither had I until about six months ago, at which time my dog Combo was diagnosed with diabetes. She had been moping around a little, not keeping up on hikes, looking bad (according to neighbors) and just plain “off” a little. I also noticed the water bowls needed filling much more frequently than in the past, a diabetes symptom but something I had assumed was because of the hot weather.

After the neighbor's comment, and thinking about the water she drank, I took Combo to the vet. A test revealed sky-high glucose readings in her blood, and so I started living with and treating a diabetic dog.

Essentially that means giving her insulin shots every 12 h ours, jabbing her before breakfast to draw blood, testing it in a meter, and feeding her expensive prescription food.

Between the cost of syringes, insulin, test strips and food, the bill runs about $80 to $100 a month. That is after the original expense of some $600 for the veterinarian, including various blood and urine testing, weekly blood tests while we adjusted her insulin dose, exams and whatever. The glucose test meter was kindly given to me by a neighbor whose diabetic dog had died from the disease. Otherwise another $150 or so would have been needed.

Cost aside, Combo, approaching her eighth birthday, now is more or less her normal self – and that in itself justifies the cost.  She is a great friend, and would be sorely missed if she was not with me.  And, after all, when I bought her at the animal shelter in Arizona, I agreed to take care of her (for better, for worse, etc.)

Now, she squeaks only about once every two weeks when I inject insulin, and no longer hides behind the bed when I get the glucose meter from the drawer.

I have arranged my schedule to be home for her shots every twelve hours.  That is the hardest part of the program!

But Combo is good, and we are happy.

The Haircut in the Mirror

This morning I showered, dried, and looked in the mirror at my new haircut.

What a disaster.

This haircut will not heal in three days.  It will take at least two weeks.

Where did I go wrong?  Starting, I expect.

As said in sports, "Wait 'til next time."

The Haircut

This evening, after being in need of a haircut for several weeks, I did it myself.

For me, it is easy; get out the electric clippers; go over the whole head with the #6 standoff, then the sides and back with #5, then the very edges with #4; use the very short standoff to almost shave the top of my head; and then cut the sideburns level, and around the ears, with scissors.

The whole job takes about 12 minutes.  

The haircut looks all right, and those parts of it that don't look so good will look fine after three days.

The humbling, disappointing part of the procedure is cleaning up.  There is so little hair to sweep. 

Where has it gone?