What We See

"What we see depends mainly on what we look for." — John Lubbock

My Life

“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.” – Alfred Souza

What You Do

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James

The Palest Ink

"The palest ink is better than the sharpest memory.” - Chinese proverb

Kindness

"Kindness makes a fellow feel good, whether it’s being done to him or by him." - Frank A. Clark

Unblest

"Unblest is he who thinks himself unblest." - Seneca

Dirty Martini

I finished reading "Dirty Martini" by J.A. Konrath

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels, the insomniac Chicago cop with a train wreck of a personal life, has trouble on her hands, and it isn't just because her boyfriend, Latham, wants to get married and she's not sure she's ready. A man in disguise has been visiting restaurants, grocery stores, and fast food places, ingeniously spreading a deadly toxin. Chicago's newest criminal calls himself The Chemist, and he has murder on his mind. When Jack finds Latham unconscious on the floor of their apartment with toxin-laced takeout on the counter, it looks like someone has plans for her. Add to that her dead father who actually isn't dead, her favorite partner, Herb Benedict, contemplating a transfer out of the police station, and a plot to poison all the cops in Chicago, and Jack is in for a scary ride.

J.A. Konrath

J.A. Konrath and Me at Border's Books

High Fidelity

We watched the DVD "High Fidelity."

Synopsis


After Rob (John Cusack), a thirty-something record-store owner, realizes he must face the facts that he is growing up, he begins to have a mid-life crisis. While manning the store and trying to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, he and his staff have conversations and experiences that dissect their relationships with the music they love and how it relates to their lives. Are they listening to pop music because they are miserable? Or are they miserable because they listen to pop music? This romantic comedy provides a touching and whimsical glimpse into the male view of the affairs of the heart.

Based on the novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. I wanted to watch this movie again after meeting Nick Hornby. Most of it is filmed in Chicago.

Bonfield Express 5k

My oldest son ran in the Bonfield Express 5K Thanksgiving morning through downtown Downers Grove. Was it cold. The windchill temperature was about 18 degrees. Over 2400 people participated in the run and walk. Out of about 1500 runners he finished 28th with a time just over 19 minutes. A bunch of his cross-country friends ran and we ran into his old football coach who ran with his daughters. The after race get together was in the parking garage.

Too Blessed To Be Stressed

"I am too blessed to be stressed!" - Anonymous

Focus Determines Your Reality

"Always remember, your focus determines your reality." - Qui-Gon to Anakin, Star Wars Episode I

Stone Cold

I finished reading "Stone Cold" by David Baldacci

Synopsis

Oliver Stone, the leader of the mysterious group that calls itself the Camel Club, is both feared and respected by those who've crossed his path. Keeping a vigilant watch over our leaders in Washington, D.C., the Camel Club has won over some allies, but it has also earned formidable enemies-including those in power who will do anything to prevent Stone and his friends from uncovering the hidden, secret work of the government. Annabelle Conroy, an honorary member of the Camel Club, is also the greatest con artist of her generation. She has swindled forty million dollars from casino king Jerry Bagger, the man who murdered her mother. Now he's hot on her trail with only one goal in mind: Annabelle's death. But as Stone and the Camel Club circle the wagons to protect Annabelle, a new opponent, who makes Bagger's menace pale by comparison, suddenly arises.

People Of Accomplishment

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” - Leonardo Da Vinci

Finding Our Infinity

"Life is not about finding our limitations, it’s about finding our infinity." - Herbie Hancock

Like Jazz

"Life is a lot like jazz… it’s best when you improvise." - George Gershwin

Follow Your Bliss

"Follow your bliss. Find where it is and don't be afraid to follow it." - Joseph Campbell

No Pessimist

"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed to an uncharted land or opened a new heaven to the human spirit." - Helen Keller

The Best Prophet

"The best prophet of the future is the past." — John Sherman

Only I Can Change My Life

"Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me." - Carol Burnett

Robert Louis Stevenson

Do You Have a Daily Dozen?

Too few of us take the time to think through the values and moral precepts that guide our lives. Here is an edited version of writer Robert Louis Stevenson’s (1850-1894) personal creed:

1. Make up your mind to be happy.
2. Make the best of your circumstances.
3. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
4. Don’t let criticism worry you.
5. Be yourself.
6. Stay out of debt.
7. Don’t borrow trouble; imaginary troubles are hard to bear.
8. Don’t hold grudges; avoid people who make you unhappy.
9. Have a variety of interests; go places or read about them.
10. Don’t brood; get over it.
11. Help those less fortunate.
12. Keep busy; a busy person never has time to be unhappy.

Today is Robert Louis Stevenson's birthday. Born Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson (November 13, 1850 – December 3, 1894), he was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of Neo-romanticism in English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov. He prepared for a law career but never practiced. He travelled frequently, partly in search of better climates for his weak lungs (possibly due to tuberculosis), which contributed to his death at age 44.

The Limits Of The Possible

"The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible." - Arthur C. Clarke

Construction

"The shortest distance between two points is under construction." - Noelie Altito

Salute 5K On The Tollway

My oldest son ran in the Salute 5K On The Tollway. We took a shuttle bus from Loew's Theatre in Woodridge and were dropped off at the 127th Street entrance to the new extension to the I-355 Tollway. We walked around all the promotional tents and picked up a lot of free pens and stuff. We hung around the announcers stage while they introduced all the tollway people and construction people. Andy Avalos the Channel 5 weatherman was there and so was Steve Downes from WDRV. The race started at 11:30 a.m. My son came in 19th out of about 2500 runners and walkers. I walked with my youngest son about a mile down the course and then we walked back when the first runners started coming in. It was a cold cloudy windy day and the last part of the race was uphill against the wind.

Start Today

"A year from now you may wish you had started today." — Karen Lamb

Catch And Release

We watched the DVD "Catch And Release."

Synopsis

After the sudden death of her fiancé, Gray Wheeler (Jennifer Garner) finds comfort in the company of his friends: lighthearted and comic Sam (Kevin Smith), hyper-responsible Dennis (Sam Jaeger), and, oddly enough, his old childhood buddy Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), an irresponsible playboy whom she’d previously pegged as one of the least reliable people in the world. As secrets about her supposedly perfect fiancé emerge, Gray comes to see new sides of the man she thought she knew, and at the same time, finds herself drawn to the last man she ever expected to fall for.

Wisdom

"Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it." — David Starr Jordan

A Coward

"A man who gives in when he is wrong is wise; a man who gives in when he is right is a coward." - unknown

Cross Country Banquet

My oldest son had his cross country awards banquet at the McDonald's Lodge in Oak Brook. It was very nice. At the end of dinner all the coaches spoke about the season and then introduced each of the teams and handed out awards.

A Good Plan

"A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow." - General George S. Patton

Where It Went

"The person who doesn’t know where his next dollar is coming from usually doesn’t know where his last dollar went." - Unknown

Nothing In Life Is To Be Feared

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." - Marie Curie

Cantigny 5K Run Walk

My oldest son ran in the 4th Annual Cantigny 5K Run Walk at the Cantigny golf course in Wheaton. He got a great army green long sleeve t-shirt. We got there early to get his computer chip for the race. It was great watching him come in the top twenty. He finished 18th out of 700 runners and second in his age group (15 to 19.) He got a nice plaque. It was only his second 5K. It was a beautiful clear crisp fall morning. They set off a cannon to start the race and the person who sings the national anthem at the Bulls games sang the national anthem after a moment of silence for our service men and women. CLTV was there and the top finishers were anounced by Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune.

For Your Consideration

We watched the DVD "For Your Consideration." One of my favorite parts was in the extras - Nina and Monk.

Synopsis

Weather-beaten screen siren Marilyn Hack (Catherine O'Hara) has been struggling for recognition for thirty years. After some short-lived notoriety in the late eighties for her freakish role as an over-painted strumpet in the seamy "Song for Reuben," her star has long since faded. Her latest gig is playing Esther Pisker, the ailing mamele of a Jewish family in the Deep South awaiting the return of her estranged daughter Rachel - played by belligerent stand-up comic Kelly Webb (Parker Posey)—in the melodrama "Home for Purim." One day, Marilyn gets wind of an internet rumor that her performance could land her an Academy Award nomination. Soon Oscar fever spreads and co-stars Victor Allen Miller (Harry Shearer)— best known as the Foot-Long Wiener and Kelly get bit too.

Before You Criticize

"Before you go and criticize the younger generation, just remember who raised them." - Unknown

Creativity

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." — Scott Adams