13 October 2020 (5 years, 9 months, 24 days after The Day)

 Today I feel like I accomplished a lot.  I have had a challenge at work that makes it difficult to logically work through.  I have a set of data that was mixed together with another set.  The challenge I have is creating a way to logically split the data to appropriate owners consistently.  Anyway - I know... boring.  I created an algorithm today to do this and it took a while.  It is always nice to wrap up ongoing challenges. This was one that kept me up at night.  

Every day I drop off and pick up Claire from the bus stop.  I have worked from home for the last few years.  I have always had interaction with kids during the day; however, COVID has introduced a new dynamic at the house.  I find myself working more and at odd times.  (i.e. at the bus stop, at dinner, at night before bed, etc.)

These days at school the kids seem to get as many times to retake something that they want.  It is insane.  Am I the only one who feels this is a tremendous disservice to our children?  At work if someone turns in junk I will wonder why they did and expect it fixed the next time.  I'm not talking about working with someone who is honestly trying to improve.  I'm talking about daily tasks.  It seems in school daily tasks (quizzes, tests, homework, etc.) can be redone an infinite amount of times.  Because of this I have seen my kids not take their grades seriously.  It is frustrating.  I think you should sign your name to whatever you turn in.  You should own your work.

This weekend I will be celebrating my 5 year anniversary of my marriage to Samantha.  How crazy is that?  Time has flown by.  At times I don't recall my life previously and look at my memories as if I am a stranger.  I look at Ammon who was 6 at the time Jan died and how he doesn't have a lot of memories of Jan today.  I then look at Claire and wonder if I died if she would remember me.  I strive to do my best daily and I am sure when the dust settles when we are all dead and living in Heaven this will all be addressed; however, at the current time I wonder about it.  I wonder what legacy I am leaving my kids.  When my father passed, it was a bit of a relief.  He and I weren't on the best of terms and he would often bring drama into his interactions.  I have found that as the years pass my negative feelings toward him have lessened.  I hope that my shortcomings as a father will be looked over in the same way.  I suppose for me that is what I want the most.  I want to be a good dad.

Well - until tomorrow.

12 October 2020 (5 years, 9 months, 23 days after The Day)

 Today I struggle with the pandemic, with the mask restrictions, with the political unrest, with the social strife, with the difference in reality between now vs. the way life was prior to all of this.  I feel like the media is making a deliberate effort to make the situation worse.  After all - here is reality from the CDC

The frustrating thing on this is how many news reports talk about heart disease?  The Mayo Clinic online posted the following as risk factors

(https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353118)

Risk factors for developing heart disease include:

• Age. Aging increases your risk of damaged and narrowed arteries and weakened or thickened heart muscle.
• Sex. Men are generally at greater risk of heart disease. However, women's risk increases after menopause.
• Family history. A family history of heart disease increases your risk of coronary artery disease, especially if a parent developed it at an early age (before age 55 for a male relative, such as your brother or father, and 65 for a female relative, such as your mother or sister).
• Smoking. Nicotine constricts your blood vessels, and carbon monoxide can damage their inner lining, making them more susceptible to atherosclerosis. Heart attacks are more common in smokers than in nonsmokers.
• Certain chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy for cancer. Some chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapies may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Poor diet. A diet that's high in fat, salt, sugar and cholesterol can contribute to the development of heart disease.
• High blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can result in hardening and thickening of your arteries, narrowing the vessels through which blood flows.
• High blood cholesterol levels. High levels of cholesterol in your blood can increase the risk of formation of plaques and atherosclerosis.
• Diabetes. Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease. Both conditions share similar risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure.
• Obesity. Excess weight typically worsens other risk factors.
• Physical inactivity. Lack of exercise also is associated with many forms of heart disease and some of its other risk factors, as well.
• Stress. Unrelieved stress may damage your arteries and worsen other risk factors for heart disease.
• Poor hygiene. Not regularly washing your hands and not establishing other habits that can help prevent viral or bacterial infections can put you at risk of heart infections, especially if you already have an underlying heart condition. Poor dental health also may contribute to heart disease.

Seems like most of the attributes above are being exacerbated by COVID.  Wonderful.  

So - today was a juggling day at work.  You know... lots of things... lots of different activities.  The day ended with me ready for a break.  We ordered pizza.  Madilyn visited Emma at college and I just collapsed in a chair.  I removed a bunch of fencing that was left in our back yard.  This was all wire fencing with a top wire that was barbed.  I used my grandfather's fencing tool and it still works like a champ.  Yesterday I played some songs I had recorded for Madilyn of Jan singing.  It has been a long time since she heard these and just wept.  I think we just forget someone's voice after a while.  It was good hearing her sing.

I am getting people ready for bed so I am signing off for the evening.  Until later -