Sunday, August 31, 2014

National Book Festival


The person who understands what is occurring guides or controls the situation, and once you understand that ... [a person's] goal is to get your goat, then you are in a position of control instead of simply reacting.
(Sandra A. Crowe, Since Strangling Isn't An Option, p. 33)

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Yesterday afternoon Cyndi and I attended The Library of Congress, National Book Festival in Washington, DC. We drove to the College Park Metro Station where we took a single-tracking train downtown (continuing weekend track work).  We got off at the Mount Vernon Station.  When we came up out of the ground we were a few feet away from the entrance to the Convention Center. This was the 11th year of the National Book Festival and the first time we attended. This year they moved the event indoors. We each picked up a free green Festival bag.  Before we left we stopped at the welcome booth again and picked up the poster for the event.  Cyndi spotted empty poster boxes in the trash.  We put our posters in the box flat, rather than rolling them like everyone else.  An image of this year's poster appears with this posting.

Dick Henthorn
31 August 2014

Friday, August 29, 2014

Sloppy Ways

Sloppy language and sloppy ways go together.
(Gordon B. Hinckley, Stand A Little Taller, 15 March)

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The washer deliver yesterday didn't go well.  We were disappointed with the quality of the delivery service.  The problems are numerous and not worth my time to write about them or your time to read about them.  We made two calls to the factory and three calls to the place where we bought the washer.  At the end of the afternoon we drove to the store to pick up the shipping plug that was under the bottom of the washer.  There was also a plastic shipping pan inside of the tub.  The purchaser is supposed to receive both items so they can install them if they ever need to load the washer on a truck in the future.  The experience can be summed up in these words, "Whole lot of money for a little bit of service."

Cyndi and I went for a "cool down" walk on the Northwest Branch Trail afterwards.  We covered the mile between Good Luck Road and Riverdale Road in twenty-three minutes to achieve a forty-six minute walk.  There were some bike riders and a few runners on the trail.  Both sides of the trail are tree-lined and the river runs along the left-hand side as you walk south.  For most of the walk you can't tell you are inside of the Beltway and in a large city.  There's a sports park on the right as you near Riverdale Road. The trail is paved with asphalt.  It's very nice.

Dick Henthorn
29 August 2014

Thursday, August 28, 2014

I Don't Know


Arrogance is a sign of ignorance. The more significant you think you are, the less open to change and learning you will be. People who think they know it all really know very little. The more you learn the more you realize how much you don't know.
(Sandra A. Crowe, When Strangling Isn't An Option, p. 192)

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Today is a "big" day at our house. Yesterday the plumbers were here to replace the washing machine cutoff valves in the laundry room. Today we expect to take delivery of a new washing machine. This wasn't an easy purchase. We spent many weeks making our decision. Sometimes the Internet is very helpful for pre-purchase research. In the case of washers, not so much. There are many unfavorable reviews and some noisy videos. It's not your Mother's Maytag any more folks!

Whenever I post to this blog I receive an Email.  I set up this option to see how it works. You might want to use it if a blog of interest is infrequently being updated and you don't want to miss anything.

Dick Henthorn
28 August 2014

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Getting Ready


A doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
(The One Year Book Of Bible Readings, 18 October

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The hoses to the old washer were frozen on the water cutoff valves over the laundry sink.  Early this morning we had two plumbers here for an hour replacing the old valves. After they cut out the old valves one of them tried to remove one of the hoses.  He couldn't do it and I couldn't do it the other day.  I would have freaked out had I discovered this problem during the delivery of the new washer. I consider myself very lucky that I noticed this problem before deliver of the new washer which is scheduled for tomorrow.  The three of us are looking forward to being able to do the laundry in our own house again after many weeks. Deciding which washer to buy has been a long and tedious process.

I let some duplicate records get into one of my genealogy files.  It's a lot easier to import duplicates than it is to find and eliminate them.  I think the problem manifested because so many of the families in the source file are related.  In the course of working on the problem I've learned more about how to use RootsMagic.

Dick Henthorn
27 August 2014

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

What Do You Want


Do not ask for more than you need, for things that mainly prop up your self-importance.  Ask God to help you never yield to excess.
(after Thomas 'a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book 3, Chapter 26)

*****
We ordered a new washing machine for delivery on Thursday. Yesterday I worked on the project to disconnect the hoses and clean under the old machine.  That didn't go well.  The hoses are frozen to the two cutoff valves over the laundry sink. I got discouraged and walked off after I loosened one of the hoses from the back of the machine but I didn't take the hose off.  Bad idea.  Later, when I returned to the basement there was water on the floor making a wet mess of the debris under the machine. After I disconnected both hoses and cleaned floor I discovered that both hoses, still connected to the cutoff faucets, were leaking.  Silly me, when I had a plumber here to replace the laundry sink faucet I should have replaced the cutoff valves.  

This morning I cleaned up the mess on the floor. Life goes on, I have the plumber coming tomorrow morning to install the new valves.  We are on schedule to resume doing laundry sometime Thursday.

Dick Henthorn
26 Aug 2014

Monday, August 25, 2014

Where Have You Been?


I've been away from blogging for a while.

I haven't posted to this blog since 22 Jun 2014.  Around that time I had a throat infection that persisted for about three weeks.  I blame that episode for my lack of interest.  Let's see if I can generate enough interest to resume blogging.

We can't run away from anything.  We must meet life head-on and adjust to it's ebb and flow.
(Amy E. Dean, Night Light, 4 June)

Mr. Dickie
25 August 2014