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"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." –John 16:33

Month: January 2024

Bible reading update

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On Wednesday, January 10, 2024

In Christianity

I finished my tenth read through the Old Testament since I started keeping track of my reading on February 9, 2006. In my first read through the bible, it took me almost 3¾ years because I was reading just a chapter a day. At my current rate, I am reading through the whole Bible a little under 2¾ times per year, enjoying it a lot more, and getting a lot more out of it. I have not yet decided to read through the New Testament three times or four times for each read through the Old Testament, but don’t have to decide that for a few months. The next time I read the New Testament, I think I am going to try to work my way through Robert Alter’s “The Hebrew Bible.”

Pre-retirement weirdness

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On Tuesday, January 9, 2024

In Retirement

I find myself in an odd frame of mind of late. I am past the “normal” retirement age, but not all the way to the “maximum benefit” social security retirement age. I have a full-time job that I like a lot, but because I was a full-time student up until a month or so ago, it seems like I have a ton of extra time on my hands because half of what I was previously doing completely went away. I have no “big” long-term goal like the retirement PhD program that I completed before I retired. Now, I have nothing I am really doing “for the future.” I am trying to figure out what to do about that. So, while Lorena and I wait for our place in San Pedro to be ready enough for us to stay there for a month or two, I kind of have nothing on which to actually work other than my day job and that feels weird. I bought a bunch of really interesting theology books that I plan to read through, not fast, but I really want to find something if I can.

Last book for awhile (maybe)

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On Monday, January 8, 2024

In Christianity

Another book arrived today at the same time as my quarterly medicare payment. Maybe that was reminder that I should not be buying so many new books. I have plenty of reading to last me for the next few months as well as a bunch of audio books for my treadmill and outside walking. Most of the stuff I have been buy is not light reading. I want to take it fast enough so it stays interesting (faster than reading for scholarly reasons), but slow enough that I really get what is being said. My understanding for this book, N.T. Wright’s, The Resurrection of the Son of God, is that it is loaded with references and footnotes and is a definitive analysis of the physical resurrection of Jesus. I have read a lot about that already, but have heard this is a “must read” so I want to be careful in my reading.

Original GaugeCam research

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On Monday, January 8, 2024

In Science, Software

The first “product” we developed when the GaugeCam project started back in 2009 at NCSU was called GRIM. That stood for GaugeCam Remote Image Manager. The name did not evoke a sense of positivity, so in the spirit of G.R.O.S.S. from Calvin and Hobbes (i.e. Get Rid Of Slimy GirlS), we added Educational and changed the software name to GRIME. A MUCH better name for people mucking around in the mud. Today, Troy sent me some of the accuracy research results for the project. We (and she) think it is Kelly’s handwriting, but we are really not sure. At the top of the page you can see GRIM VERSION: 0.1j. I looked at the appendix of my dissertation that holds the release notes for all the GRIME software I wrote and it says that it was released on July 30, 2009. It is cool that we have a record that shows we were doing the research from that far back.

Retirement reading

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On Sunday, January 7, 2024

In Christianity, Retirement

I probably should quit qualifying the things I do with the adjective “retirement.” What was supposed to be a retirement PhD was wholly completed before I retired and, worse, my retirement date is not yet on the horizon. As of now, I saying I would like to retire, God willing, when I am 72, but only He knows what will transpire between now and then. I have decided I need to start doing the things I would have been doing if I was retired with the spare time I now have from not being a full time student. A big part of that is reading. So far, I have purchased several books that I will put up here on the blog as they arrive. One of the first arrivals which came a couple of days ago is a five volume set by a scholar who got his PhD in Semitic Languages and Literature from NYU who does an in-depth treatment of the development of post second temple Christian and Rabbinic tradition and how it conforms or deviates from what is actually in scripture. I have read the preface and introduction and dived into the main text of the first volume and, so far, I like it a lot–not insignificantly because of the humility and erudition of his writing voice.

Sunshine in January

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On Saturday, January 6, 2024

In Travel

Lorena took this picture a little before 10 am this morning in Granbury at my favorite coffee bar. I had to wait a few minutes for the store to open while Lorena went antique shopping. When they finally unlocked the door, it was hard to decide whether to stay there, enjoy the sun, and read my book or go in and order my usual cup of coffee. In the end, I went inside, but am amazed that that is even a decision to consider on January 6. Sun at this time of year where I grew up and lived most of my life in the Pacific Northwest as a rarity indeed. Of course, Texas can get just as cold or colder than the Willamette Valley, but it is nice to have the sun come out in the mix unlike winter in Oregon where there are mostly just clouds and damp. There are trade-offs in all this and I honestly love both places.

Health/diet update

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On Friday, January 5, 2024

In Health

I quit watching my diet (on purpose) and exercise (had good intentions, but did not follow through so well) during the graduation and holiday travel and celebration. At my peak, I had gained back almost 20 of the 40 pounds I had lost. A lot of that must have been water because I am now back down to a little over a 30 pound loss of my high weight when I started this current health kick. I am now four months in and have an 11 month runway bereft of reasons to break my diet and even less bereft of excuses to not exercise. There will be a business trip or two and some celebration down in San Pedro, but those are one or two day events, not three weeks like for the holidays and graduation. I actually had moved from Level 2 obese to Level 1 obese to then barely into the merely overweight category (BMI of 29.9 for me). So, my short term goal is to get back down to that category, then aim at getting to “normal.” I am not sure I trust the BMI charts at the CDC (or just about anything else they do), because I was considered obese at 10% body fat when I was playing judo in college. That is a problem for another day, though. I will talk to my doctor about it when I see him in February. I was hoping I could be in the merely overweight category by the time I saw him, but I do not think that is going to happen now.

Month 4 WEIGHT: 204.1 lbs. BMI: 32

Nebraska merch pays off

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On Thursday, January 4, 2024

In Retirement PhD

The University of Nebraska merch pays off! Just letting you know, if you have it you need to wear it. We have had MULTIPLE people either stop us to talk and/or yell GO HUSKERS in Texas, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Multiple in EACH PLACE! Looking forward to doing this on my upcoming trip to Oregon. I think I need to buy more because all I really have now is the ball cap in this picture. I lost my sweatshirt on a trip to Boston–think I left it on the plane.

Mad rush to finish

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On Thursday, January 4, 2024

In Mexico houses

People are finally scheduled to move into the apartment building in San Pedro by the end of the week. Lynn is still fighting through the endless details. A hot water heater install, checking all the plumbing and rechecking the gas connections, finishing trim work, and endless amounts of cleaning. When everyone is moved in, we will make a big push to sell the property so we can start another. The property is already on the market for sell and we have had a good bit of interest, but Lynn feels like we can get a better price if the whole building is rented and producing income. The Tesla factory construction start is happening on schedule, but the build out schedule has slowed due to market conditions. That plant is an easy commute to our building so it has an impact on property prices. We are hopefully viewing the slowdown as a benefit. We are hoping to get this property sold and another one or two purchased before things really heat up. We would be quite happy for another year or two before the whole thing explodes into real estate activity.

Second turkey of the season!

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On Wednesday, January 3, 2024

In Cooking

Lorena and I cooked a turkey on New Year’s Day because we had one in the freezer that we bought over a year ago. We were a little worried about how it would turn out, but boy howdy, it turned out great. It was about a 15 pound turkey, smaller by a lot than the one we cooked for Thanksgiving. We are amazed at how much better the smaller turkey cooked. We have been eating on it now for a couple days and we still have not gotten it out of our heads that this might be the best we have ever done. The added benefit is the tryptophan for the excellent post-turkey nap.

A slow start

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On Tuesday, January 2, 2024

In House and home

I had all kinds of big plans for my first day of work after the new year, but got off too a very slow start. I finally just gave up at about 3:00 PM and took a two hour nap. I did get a few things completed at work and, more importantly, after lunch at Panda Express, met with our friend Brad to discuss the addition of a bonus room to our house. He had some amazing ideas and we came away with a plan to get us started. He is going to have his CAD guy draw up the ideas as soon as Lorena can get him the house plans. From there we will make any need adjustments and negotiations and then proceed, step-by-step to do the work. He said we do not need to do it all at once only keeping in mind that certain things need to be fully completed and cannot be stopped in the middle. I think this might work OK. We will see what he comes up with.

Starting the year: 2024

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On Monday, January 1, 2024

In Christianity

The burros in the image live on the farm road that goes to Granbury from our house in Godley. They are part of a beautiful drive that we take often and for which we are grateful because it has a calming affect on us. We started the year by taking that drive to McDonald’s for an Egg McMuffin meal and to pick up a few things from HEB.

This year feels like an ominous start to what could be very hard times in America and around the world. We just live in very odd (to us) times. It seems epically biblical with war in Israel, extreme narcissism and evil permeating western society, extremism in the form of humanism, false religion everywhere else, persecution of Christians and Jews wherever you look, and good being called evil and evil good at every level of society and culture. I am currently reading through Ezekiel in the Bible having finished Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Lamentations and heading into Daniel next. Those people lived through horrific times that saw no end in their lifetimes. That might be our lot going forward. Or maybe not–only God knows. I just want to learn to live at peace with God in whatever the circumstances and find joy wherever I can. I think that entails clinging to the true and good and being an encouragement and a help to those around me.

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