viewAs life returns to semi-normal...
... I'm finally all caught up on my chess work, and I have two College Bowl Games to watch today.
My schedule was thrown off enough during Christmas week that my chess work was cut back quite a bit. Oh sure, I moved in some games almost every day, but today was the first day in almost a week that I've been able to work on every single game for which I have moves pending.
Now I've got plenty of time-cushion built up in all my games, so I'm not under time-pressure anywhere. And of my twenty or so ongoing games there are only about ten that require serious study and analysis. Still, it's good to be back to where I can give all my games the attention they deserve.
And today's chess work is out of the way giving me plenty of time to enjoy Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl later this afternoon and Texas in the Alamo Bowl tonight.
Sweet!
And the adventure continues.
Posted 29/Dec/2020 ~ 15:20 Central Time
#RoscoeEllis #blog #SeniorLiving #football #chess
viewOn this Christmas Saturday...
...thanks to my daughter, I got to watch a great-grandson and two great-granddaughters laugh and play with Christmas toys. And I got to wish them all (and they,me) Merry Christmas!
My daughter and son-in-law drove an hour this morning through the Midwestern Winter to pick up the great-granddaughters so she could watch them for the weekend. And she took them to visit her other daughter and son-in-law and her grandson (my great-grandson.) As the kids were playing she called me via video chat and we had the most delightful visit!
From a thousand miles away Sylvia and I were watching and laughing and visiting with the great-grandbabies. And THIS was such a wonderful Christmas present! Thanks so much, Heather!
And the adventure continues.
Published on 26 December 2020, ~ 15:10 Central Time.
#RoscoeEllis #blog #SeniorLiving
viewMerry Christmas 2020
Here's wishing all of you, whether you're in the company of friends and family or alone, the very happiest of days.
The adventure continues.
Posted 25/Dec/2020 ~ 07:30 Central Time
#RoscoeEllis #blog #SeniorLiving #Christmas
view
... shall be the 2020 New Mexico Bowl. And the kick-off time is scheduled for just a shade over an hour from now as I sit here at the keyboard.
This comes after one of Sylvia's big breakfasts: stuffed omelet, bacon, stack of pancakes. And it finds me enjoying a quiet, happy day: a most pleasant Christmas Eve.
More tomorrow.
The adventure continues.
Posted 24/Dec/2020 ~ 13:00 Central Time
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viewAnother Win With Black
Today I learned that I won another Correspondence Chess with Black. Yesterday my opponent playing the White pieces resigned after my 28... Qd4d3 fork put his King in check while attacking his undefended Bishop at the same time.
After his next move to protect his King I'd take his Bishop, of course, and my material advantage then would be even stronger. Checkmating the White King would happen quickly once I activated my other major pieces. He was right to resign the game when he did.
The position of pieces at game's end is posted above, and our complete move record is below.
1. d4 d5 2. e3 a6 3. f4 Ng8f6 4. Ng1f3 Nb8c6 5. c3 g6 6. Bf1d3 Bf8g7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nf3e5 Nc6xe5 9. fxe5 Nf6e4 10. Qd1f3 Ne4g5 11. Qf3xd5 Qd8xd5 12. c4 Qd5d8 13. Nb1c3 b6 14. Nc3e4 Ng5xe4 15. Bd3xe4 e6 16. Be4xa8 Bc8d7 17. a4 Qd8xa8 18. c5 bxc5 19. b3 Bd7c6 20. Rf1f2 cxd4 21. exd4 h5 22. h4 Kg8h7 23. Bc1a3 Rf8d8 24. Rf2xf7 Qa8b7 25. Ra1a2 Qb7xb3 26. Ra2a1 Qb3e3 27. Kg1f1 Qe3xd4 28. Ra1e1 Qd4d3
0-1
And the adventure continues.
Published on 19 December 2020 ~ 14:50 Central Time.
#RoscoeEllis #blog #SeniorLiving #chess
viewChanging the focus
We're constantly thinking about how to make our little Christmas corner better. How to make it more accurately reflect the way we think about this holiday.
As originally set up, the two trees with their colorful lights left the Nativity set in shadows, barely seen. And we didn't like that at all. Our focus is on Jesus and we wanted the Baby Jesus and the Nativity set to draw more attention than the two lit trees.
At the moment we have the lights on the big tree turned off, the little tree is lit, and we have a bright light shining directly down on the Holy Family and other traditional characters of the set. Most likely this is how it will stay for the rest of Advent and through the traditional Christmas season.
Of course we do reserve the right to change our minds and make more changes if we want to.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 18 December 2020 ~ 17:00 Central Time.
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viewTonight's Basketball
Hopefully I'll be able to wrap up the day's work within the next few hours and enjoy this evening from the big recliner in the front room with Kindle in hand and the radio bringing me live coverage of some good college basketball.
The adventure continues.
Posted 15/Dec/2020 ~ 11:30 Central Time
#RoscoeEllis #blog #SeniorLiving #basketball
viewAnother win with White
Last night I won another Correspondence Chess game with a White army when my opponent playing Black resigned after my 32. exd7+. No, that revealed check from my e1 Rook wasn't checkmate, but looking at our board at game's end (the graphic which leads this post) we can see that mate was inevitable and only a few moves away. So he was right to resign when he did.
The full move record of our game follows:
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nc3 b6 4. e4 e6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bxc4 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Re1 h6 9. d5 Ne5 10. Nxe5 Qe7 11. a3 Qc5 12. b4 Qd6 13. Ng4 Be7 14. Nxf6+ Bxf6 15. Bb2 exd5 16. Bxd5 Rb8 17. Rb1 O-O 18. b5 Qc5 19. e5 Bh4 20. Ne4 Qxb5 21. Nc3 Qc5 22. Ne4 Bf5 23. Nxc5 Bxb1 24. Nd7 Rbd8 25. Nxf8 c6 26. Bxf7+ Kxf7 27. Qf3+ Ke7 28. Ng6+ Ke8 29. Nxh4 Ba2 30. Qxc6+ Rd7 31. e6 Ke7 32. exd7+
1-0
Black's sad decision to sacrifice his Queen for my Rook at 22... Bf5 was his downfall. From that point onward in our game my White Army began a relentless slaughter of his remaining Black pieces.
It's interesting to note that I seem to be getting more comfortable playing the Queen's Gambit Opening that I've been trying to learn over the past several months. I like that.
And the adventure continues.
Posted 11/Dec/2020 ~ 10:30 Central Time
#RoscoeEllis #blog #SeniorLiving #chess
viewSuch a little thing...
... in such a rough environment.
The picture at the top of this post was taken last Saturday morning, but it looks essentially the same today.
The thin black line seen in the lower part of the photo is the Google Fiber trunk cable laid above ground and stretching from one end of my block to the other. There is one just like it on the other side of the street.
Before the road work began last week, that trunk cable lay under the street, buried in a trench where the lighter colored horizontal line can be seen just beyond the curb in the picture. After the road work is completed the cable will be buried again in a new trench to be dug.
Until it's reburied this thin cable is intended to remain above ground, exposed to the elements and to all the road work and people passing by and cars driving over it 24 hours a day. And if it's damaged I lose connection to the Internet until the break is repaired.
GOD I'll be SO relieved when all this work is finished!!!
And the adventure continues.
Posted 09/Dec/2020 ~ 10:45 Central Time
#RoscoeEllis #blog #SeniorLiving
viewWhat's to do on a cold, rainy December day?
During this year of Covid, when I self quarantine anyway, a good option is to stay home where it's warm and dry, work on chess games, and watch college football. That's been my plan today and it's worked quite well.
A most pleasant surprise came late afternoon when I had a video chat with my daughter, son-in-law, and great-granddaughters. That was fun.
After the video chat it's back to football until Svengoolie later this evening.
And the adventure continues.
Posted 05/Dec/2020 ~ 18:10 Central Time
#RoscoeEllis #blog #SeniorLiving