what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[ls99]

Funny.

On my Ipod touch is a dictating app. Astonishingly it is very accurate in spite of my fairly thick Feringi accent.

In other news Kaykaing today was great, partly overcast, no wind and only four small fishing boats besides me on the 90+ acre lake.

 

[seraphim]

Ordered an Ally 17' folding canoe from REI. We waffled about it, since we've been unable to find one to test. Finally decided that, with REIs one year return policy, we'd try it and return it if we didn't like it. There was a 15% sale which saved us about $400, oncluding pfds and paddles. Free shipping. Plus, at the end of the year we get a 10% rebate on purchases. I love that place.

Spend too much money there, though. Lol

We haven't canoed for about 20 years. Now that we have time to travel with no time restrictions...

 

[Sue J]

Y'all live such interesting and exciting lives that I am jealous... Nice pics and fun activities.
Here's what I did today...
Spent an hour trying to add dictation 'ctrlq' to chrome. Sharing results here:

Shuksan fat chicks and ducks start sensor not fat chicks Nashua fat chicks and ducks to Cincinnati fat chick Nashua NH Cincinnati chicken statue in New Hampshire Cincinnati sandwich in New Hampshire okay to say so stop listening

Didn't understand my New Yawk accent.

Please tell us what you were trying to dictate. Even trying to read it with a NY accent I can't decipher the message.

 

[Walt34]

Have you ever used Lightroom? I am thinking about it.

I do most editing in Lightroom, terrific software, and (for a change) reasonably priced. There is a learning curve, there is a lot packed in there so I always recommend buying a book on it.

I've heard some say that the print module alone is worth the price.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Hey Walt, I've been meaning to tell you, check out these guys and their blog. They were fellow ralliers, all three pro photographers, and absolutely incredible. When we ate dinner with them after the Transfaragasan, they were, until way into the night, set up at a far corner of the very kind restaurant owner, working on their cards and backing them up. They each had three external drives on the table. But my God, their photos are unreal. And super super nice guys. They were raising money for the same charity as us, and they took some photos of the bus on the Transfaragasan (in Romania) and I'm dying to see them!
Team Detour – Category – Blog

 

[REWahoo]

Today I had the honor of meeting and talking with 89-year-old Bill Toledo. Don't recognize the name? Neither did I but I sure recognized the organization on the hat he was wearing: USMC WWII Navajo Code Talkers.

He was sitting alone at a small table under a Code Talkers Association banner, signing books written about he and his fellow Navajos' WWII experiences. Bill served on Guadalcanal, Guam and in the Battle of Iwo Jima. I had no idea who he was until I walked up to the table and asked what his relationship was to the Code Talkers organization. When he said "I'm one of them" and I understood I was talking to a bit of living history, I got goose bumps...

 

[steelyman]

Today I had the honor of meeting and talking with 89-year-old Bill Toledo. Don't recognize the name? Neither did I but I sure recognized the organization on the hat he was wearing: USMC WWII Navajo Code Talkers.

He was sitting alone at a small table under a Code Talkers Association banner, signing books written about he and his fellow Navajos' WWII experiences. Bill served on Guadalcanal, Guam and in the Battle of Iwo Jima. I had no idea who he was until I walked up to the table and asked what his relationship was to the Code Talkers organization. When he said "I'm one of them" and I understood I was talking to a bit of living history, I got goose bumps...

One of the few times I learned of this kind of thing (and also Japanese Americans) in WWII was Ken Burns' documentary The War. They were outstanding people.

 

[ERD50]

Today I had the honor of meeting and talking with 89-year-old Bill Toledo. Don't recognize the name? Neither did I but I sure recognized the organization on the hat he was wearing: USMC WWII Navajo Code Talkers.

He was sitting alone at a small table under a Code Talkers Association banner, signing books written about he and his fellow Navajos' WWII experiences. Bill served on Guadalcanal, Guam and in the Battle of Iwo Jima. I had no idea who he was until I walked up to the table and asked what his relationship was to the Code Talkers organization. When he said "I'm one of them" and I understood I was talking to a bit of living history, I got goose bumps...

That's pretty cool. Living history indeed, time is passing and these people won't be around much longer.

This was discussed a bit in that book I read a few years back "The Code Book" which I learned about on this forum.

The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography: Simon Singh: 9780385495325: Amazon.com: Books

But it made me wonder - theoretically, shouldn't code be independent of language? I mean, with code you are just representing one thing with another, and language is just representing one thing for another. So it adds one layer of complexity to it, but wouldn't double-coding do the same thing? OK, my head is already spinning.

I'be been getting a few more stories out of my FIL lately. MIL thinks no one wants to hear those old stories. But he was in the SeaBees in WWII, worked on the airstrip for MacArthur in Guam (or the Philippines?). Said he actually had to deliver something to the General's office, but he was not there at the time.

-ERD50

 

[Walt34]

Hey Walt, I've been meaning to tell you, check out these guys and their blog. They were fellow ralliers, all three pro photographers, and absolutely incredible. When we ate dinner with them after the Transfaragasan, they were, until way into the night, set up at a far corner of the very kind restaurant owner, working on their cards and backing them up. They each had three external drives on the table. But my God, their photos are unreal. And super super nice guys. They were raising money for the same charity as us, and they took some photos of the bus on the Transfaragasan (in Romania) and I'm dying to see them!
Team Detour – Category – Blog

Impressive indeed! The panoramas on their site pull you into the scenes.

 

[Ronstar]

Combined 3 hobbies in one day. Brewing, woodworking and now photography.

 

[Gotadimple]

On Saturday, a perfect summer day in Seattle, took this picture of Mt. Rainier. The setting is Seward Park, a city park on the shore of Lake Washington.

 

[Chuckanut]

Celebrated my 1 year anniversary as a retired guy!!!!!!!!! Dinner and live music - R&B and funk!!

 

[steelyman]

Celebrated my 1 year anniversary as a retired guy!!!!!!!!! Dinner and live music - R&B and funk!!

Yeah, man! Funkify this place! Sometimes it seems like you're talking to a bunch of retired people. Congratulations!

 

[Walt34]

Yesterday I started to drive out to Berkeley Springs, WV and when I was almost there remembered it was Sunday and since that is a tourist area to be avoided on the weekends (okay during the week) I turned around and went back home. Which was fine since the thunderstorms opened up not long after anyway.

So today the big objectives are get a long-overdue haircut and go out for a photo walk in Berkeley Springs.

 

[Walt34]

Oh well, scratch yesterday's plans, forgot it was a holiday. Touristy areas would be crowded, barbershop closed. So we crossed an item off the "to do" list and went to a local cavern just to see what we'd driven past many times.

Interesting that some of the thin sheets are translucent. I forget the proper name for them.

 

[Lisa99]

Spent a two-day whirlwind job of house hunting in Vegas - saw about 40 houses in two days.

Found the house, made an offer and it was accepted. Realtor was shocked that we could look at so many houses so fast but it's just how we are. Walk in the front door and just know if it's a possible or not. If not, leave immediately.

So it's official. After being back in Texas one year tomorrow we're moving back to Nevada and will start early retirement there within a year or two. The family is excited that we're moving back and I'm good with it too now that the house part of the equation is settled. It's in Sun City Anthem, is a beautiful one story and has a large back yard for the community.

I stopped by Kinko's and made copies of the floorplan so I can place furniture and I've already started pricing a new kitchen so I'm excited about where we ended up.

 

[FIREd]

Spent yesterday afternoon at the beach.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Went to see The World's End, the third in Simon Pegg's loose trilogy (with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz).

 

[imoldernu]

My aunt passed away, pecefully, last Wednesday, the day after celebrating her 92nd birthday at a lawn party on her property... Her entire family was there, an annual event for about 60 people. Healthy and sharp as a tack to the very end, she only stopped playing 18 holes of golf a few years ago... and at age 85, painted her two story farmhouse.
A little while back, she had sent me a box of pictures my own mom had accumulated over the years. About 1500 pictures... as early as the 1860's. DW and I have spent hours in going thru them... a totally awesome experience.
Among the collection, some pics that I had never seen.
My dad and his siblings circa 1909... bottom left.
and...
A pic of DW and I on our 2nd date... senior prom, 1954... Though we played together, and were best friends as far back as 1946... when we we 9 or 10. Married 1958.



Life is good!

 

[steelyman]

My aunt passed away, pecefully, last Wednesday, the day after celebrating her 92nd birthday at a lawn party on her property... Her entire family was there, an annual event for about 60 people. Healthy and sharp as a tack to the very end, she only stopped playing 18 holes of golf a few years ago... and at age 85, painted her two story farmhouse.
A little while back, she had sent me a box of pictures my own mom had accumulated over the years. About 1500 pictures... as early as the 1860's. DW and I have spent hours in going thru them... a totally awesome experience.
Among the collection, some pics that I had never seen.
My dad and his siblings circa 1909... bottom left.
and...
A pic of DW and I on our 2nd date... senior prom, 1954... Though we knew each other as far back as 1946... when we we 9 or 10. Married 1958.

Life is good!

Condolences re: your aunt but it sounds like she lived a full life. Good for her.

And that's one handsome dude in the 2nd photo!

 

[Ronstar]

My aunt passed away, pecefully, last Wednesday, the day after celebrating her 92nd birthday at a lawn party on her property... Her entire family was there, an annual event for about 60 people. Healthy and sharp as a tack to the very end, she only stopped playing 18 holes of golf a few years ago... and at age 85, painted her two story farmhouse.
A little while back, she had sent me a box of pictures my own mom had accumulated over the years. About 1500 pictures... as early as the 1860's. DW and I have spent hours in going thru them... a totally awesome experience.
Among the collection, some pics that I had never seen.
My dad and his siblings circa 1909... bottom left.
and...
A pic of DW and I on our 2nd date... senior prom, 1954... Though we played together, and were best friends as far back as 1946... when we we 9 or 10. Married 1958.



Life is good!

I'm -
Condolences on the loss of your aunt. Your post portrays her full long life.
and your right - Life is Good.

That's one of the phrases my grandmother used - when she was in a nursing home 20 some years ago with some other ladies looking out her window watching a mother bird feed her babies. It was a moment I'll never forget - Life is Good

And a nice pic of you and DW!. Egads you are old. You went to the prom before I was born.

 

[Walt34]

Condolences on your aunt's passing. She sure sounds like an interesting character.

What a treasure trove of photos! If you have an interest in the subject this is a good book on restoring old photographs.

Digital Restoration from Start to Finish: How to repair old and damaged photographs: Ctein: 9780240812083: Amazon.com: Books

Even if you don't want to do that, just understanding what it takes can explain the high cost if you want to have some restored by someone else. There's a lot of hand labor involved but I found it interesting and satisfying to do.

 

[REWahoo]

Saw these two cross the road in front of us. Managed to snap this photo before they climbed to the top of the embankment and disappeared into the woods...

 

[Meadbh]

Wonderful photo, REWahoo, thanks for posting!

 

[gardenfun]

I finally signed up for French classes again and went to my first class tonight. I've taken French on and off since college, and then w*rked for a French company for 8 years before becoming an "accidental retiree" 3 years ago. My French was going downhill fast. so I'm glad I finally got my act together to work on it again.

I have reached that point in early retirement where I need to have a bit more structure to my weeks. Not much, just a couple of ballet classes and now my French class on Thursday evenings. It was really great to speak the language again--so glad I did it!