viewAnother Online Meeting Tonight
The one thing I miss most during the current pandemic/lockdown situation is time spent with my brother Knights: working on Council projects, attending Fourth Degree events, monthly face to face Council and Assembly meetings, etc.
Though some Council projects at some places are slowly coming back to life, I am still holding myself under a strict self-quarantine since, given my age and health conditions, I fall within that narrow demographic most vulnerable to dying from the pestilence.
I'm VERY glad the younger guys are getting active and participating in events and programs again while following the guidelines of their parishes. And I'm looking forward to the time I'll be able to join with them again. But that time, for me, isn't here yet.
Thankfully, both the Council and the Assembly I belong to have started holding monthly business meetings online. And Supreme now hosts frequent training Webinars for Knights, like the one I'm following now on my tablet and pictured at the top of this post.
And so the adventure continues.
Published on 27 August 2020, ~20:00 CDT, this is my post number 61/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #blog #RoscoeEllis #SevenTwoProject #KnightsOfColumbus #Webinar
by Roscoe
viewA Wednesday morning with Standard Notes
Shortly after Noon today I snapped a screenshot (seen above) of the Standard Notes app running on my phone. I also have Standard Notes running on my laptop and spend roughly the same amount of time working with it on both devices. Entries made to either the phone app or the desktop version are synched to the other immediately, so there is no loss in time or productivity switching from one to the other.
As I sit at the keyboard typing this blog post midafternoon, there have been more entries added to the PRAYER, DIET, and CHORES lists, and I've not yet started to work on this day's CHESS. But all lists will be much longer before head hits pillow tonight. And there might be a short summary paragraph added at day's end, similar to the few sentences that opened this Wednesday if I think one is needed and if I'm not too tired.
My Standard Notes work is complemented by the 3x5 note cards I use daily, and the traditional paper planner I also keep. One part of my daily note keeping that never makes it into Standard Notes is the tracking I do of my bank balances, and related budget work. I'm so comfortable with the paper ledger system I use for my finances that I'm not in the least bit tempted to change that.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 26 August 2020, ~16:00 CDT, this is my post number 61/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #blog #RoscoeEllis #StandardNotes #lists
by Roscoe
viewToday is worse than yesterday: allergy-wise.
An allergy warning popped up on my phone early this morning telling me that the pigweed and elm pollen levels were high today. Heck, my sinuses already told me that. They woke me early and wouldn't let me go back to sleep until I double-dosed with the allergy meds.
And BTW, “Chenopods” sounds much more innocent and polite than does “pigweed.” The nastiness of that particular pollen is much more suited to the common name than the technical term used to identify that family of weeds. So let's just call it what it is: “pigweed,” okay?
Tomorrow is forecast to be worse than today, allergy-wise. And the days are to be getting progressively worse right into the weekend.
Oh well, I'm glad I keep the medicine cabinet well stocked.
And so the adventure continues.
Published on 25 August 2020, ~12:45 CDT, this is my post number 60/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #blog #RoscoeEllis #pollen #pigweed #screenshot #SevenTwoProject
by Roscoe
viewHaving a Bob Dylan kind of morning.
And that is not a bad kind of morning to have. With his latest album providing the soundtrack for my work and a simple text editor open on my desktop I'm finally moving slowly but steadily through this Friday.
The day ahead promises to be a good one. If I'm able to knock off all the items on today's task list, I'll end the day satisfied. But none of those items are particularly urgent; any of them left undone can easily be picked up tomorrow.
After polishing this blog posts's first draft and posting it online I'll move a little further along the Standard Notes learning curve. My first couple of days with it have already convinced me that it will become one of my favorite software tools. The difference between its Android app and the desktop version on my Linux box is interesting. I'll be using both to get the most effective productivity, which is actually fine since I spend a lot of time every day on both my phone and my computer.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 21 August 2020, ~12:00 CDT, this is my post number 59/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #blog #RoscoeEllis #BobDylan #StandardNotes #gedit #SevenTwoProject
by Roscoe
view
... exactly how am I going to use it?
A few days ago I read Jason's post on Fosstodon about his plans to use Standard Notes as a blogging platform. I've known about Standard Notes for awhile, but have never seriously considered using it. Looking now at all the features of this powerful note taking tool I see there's much more to it than I'd previously thought.
I may not us it as a primary blog as Jason's doing – heck, I've already got three different blogs running in a rather coordinated manner: Roscoe's Story, Roscoe's Notebook, and my twitter feed. But I always have been and still am a notorious note taker. And it's sometimes frustrating to lose information that's been copied on some 3x5 card or paper notebook and subsequently misplaced or thrown away.
Anyway, I've now got the Standard Notes desktop app running on my Linux machine, and the Android app on my phone and tablet. Surely I'll be able to use this cool tool to my advantage.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 19 August 2020, ~18:00 CDT, this is my post number 58/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #blog #RoscoeEllis #StandardNotes #notetaking
by Roscoe
viewAs I move through the chores of this day...
.. I note that there are so many more bottles arrayed in front of me now than when I posted about filling my pill boxes earlier this summer. Yes, filling the morning and evening pill boxes is a chore that will probably be on my task list for the rest of my life. And it seems the older I get the more bottles I have to contend with. Most of the new additions are vitamins and supplements that have come as recommendations for strengthening the immune system to better ward off the covid pestilence that is among us.
I also note that someone is peeking at me from across the room. That would be my brother-in-law Rico, an engineer on a tanker ship, looking around the big boat anchor on my TV screen. We keep a family photo album set as the screen saver on the TV, and it cycles through the photos in the album when we're not watching any shows.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 17 August 2020, ~16:05 CDT, this is my post number 57/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #blog #RoscoeEllis #health #family #SevenTwoProject #photograph
by Roscoe
view“Well, I see you've got the Covid 7.”
My doctor said and chuckled when he walked into the room where I was waiting this morning. “Yeah, I know,” I replied, smiling behind my face mask. I knew he was referring to the seven pounds I've gained since January, when he saw me last.
When he asked how my exercise program was working, I just shook my head and told him it wasn't going nearly as well as I'd hoped it would. Rather than lecture me, he consoled me. He knows I'm a walker. He said, “I know it's terribly hot out now. Heck, it's supposed to be 104 today! And tomorrow! Just remember, whatever exercising you can do will help your overall health tremendously.”
All in all, it was a great doctor's appointment. After examining me he told me that I looked good. He wanted me to continue what I was doing and he wanted me to see him again in three or four months. As I was checking out, his staff scheduled my next appointment for early December. And I walked out with a smile.
What a nice way to start the weekend!
And the adventure continues.
Published on 14 August 2020, ~17:00 CDT, this is my post number 56/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #blog #RoscoeEllis #health #Covid
by Roscoe
viewI will comply...
... with the directives given today by the National Weather Service in its heat advisory for San Antonio. Included in that advisory is:
The NWS encourages all to stay hydrated and to stay out of the sun if possible.
Roger that, NWS.
As a matter of fact, since we're supposed to have triple-digit temperatures here through the weekend I'll make it a point to stay inside under the a/c and maintain a good level of hydration throughout this heat spell.
The only time I have to be out over the next week is this Friday when I have a face-to-face appointment with my primary care physician. (Relax everyone. It's just a routine visit where he'll lecture me about getting more exercise and losing weight, but he'll tell me that all my lab “numbers” are very good and I'm doing fine. That's how it always goes.) And I'll be riding in an air-conditioned car to his office and back home.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 12 August 2020, ~12:10 CDT, this is my post number 55/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #blog #RoscoeEllis #Texas #weather
by Roscoe
viewGood coffee and a little exorcism...
... have proven to be a great way to start my day.
One of the unexpected benefits of this 2020 pandemic lockdown has been the time it has afforded me to fully participate in the Let Freedom Ring: 40 Days to Freedom from the Devil prayer project. All of us in the project start our days with this “Freedom From The Devil” prayer.
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
At a word from You the devil and his minions flee in terror.
You are the source of all truth. You are the source of all strength.
By the power of Your Cross and Resurrection, we beseech You, O Lord
To extend Your saving arm and to send Your holy angels
To defend us as we do battle with Satan and his demonic forces.
Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses Your Bride, the Church,
So that within ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation
We may turn fully back to You in all fidelity and trust.
Lord, we know if You will it, it will be done.
Give us the perseverance for this mission, we pray.
Amen.
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception … pray for us
St. Joseph … pray for us
St. Michael the Archangel … pray for us
(the patron of your parish) … pray for us
(your confirmation saint) … pray for us
We are also expected to pray a full 5 Decades of the Holy Rosary each day, and we are provided daily meditations by one of the three priests who run the program. We're also supplied with other classic Church Littanies and prayers of reparation for each day, too.
This 40-day project ends Saturday but I plan to continue some elements of it indefinitely. The exorcism prayer offered every morning has proven to be a great comfort and I intend to keep at it. And the daily rosary is actually something I'm supposed to be doing as a member of the Knights of Columbus. When becoming a Knight we're instructed to keep a Rosary with us at all times, and to pray it often. In times like this, for most of us, that means praying it daily.
Fortunately for me, as soon as this 40-day project ends, a 54-Day Novena is scheduled to start: Novena For Our Nation , subtitled A Battle for the Soul of Our Nation & the Catholic Church will run from August 15 to Oct. 7, 2020. I've participated in one of these 54-Day Novenas before and already have a hard copy of the Training Manual in my library, so I'll be ready to join in as soon as it starts.
And the adventure continues.
Published on 10 August 2020, ~17:45 CDT, this is my post number 55/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #blog #RoscoeEllis #Catholic #prayers
by Roscoe
viewThere was still a lot of chess to be played...
...on this board when White resigned in our game this morning, giving me the win with the Black army. But a win is a win and I'll gladly accept any that come my way.
This Correspondence Chess game played at the server-based lichess.org chess site began on 9th July when White opened with 1. e4 and it moved along at a pretty good pace until it ended with his resignation today, almost one month after it started. Checkmate was still far in our future, but my material advantage and his extremely exposed King left little doubt as to the eventual outcome.
The position of the pieces at game's end can be seen at the top of this blog post, and our complete move record is below:
1.e4 d6 2.d4 a6 3.d5 h6 4.Be2 e5 5.Bg4 Bxg4 6.f3 Bh5 7.Qe2 Nf6 8.g4 Bg6 9.Qg2 c6 10.Qh3 cxd5 11.g5 Nh5 12.gxh6 gxh6 13.Qg4 dxe4 14.Nc3 exf3 15.Qxf3 Qh4+ 16.Qf2 Qxf2+ 17.Kxf2 d5 18.Nge2 Bc5+ 19.Ke1 d4 20.Na4 Nd7 21.Nxc5 Nxc5 22.Ng3 Rc8 23.Nxh5 Bxh5 24.b4 Nd7 25.Rg1 Rxc2 26.a4 Nf6 27.Rb1 Rxh2 28.b5 Rg8 29.Rxg8+ Nxg8 30.Rb2 Rh1+ 31.Kd2 e4 0-1
And the adventure continues.
Published on 08 August 2020, ~12:30 CDT, this is my post number 54/100/365 of the https://100daystooffload.com blogging challenge.
#100DaysToOffload #SeniorLiving #blog #RoscoeEllis #chess
by Roscoe