Fourteen years ago, on February 20, 1996, I registered my first Internet domain. This site has existed in one form or another ever since. In a real sense this site has been a constant in an ever shifting world. The nearly 1600 entries here cover all of the major changes in my life, and the site as a whole charts the shifting directions of my interests.
I have no idea if I’ll still have a web site in 2024 or what that site would be if I do. Stick around and let’s find out together.
I have managed to read several books on our trip to Germany.
About ten years ago the arches on my feet fell. The first indication of this was a heel spur that developed on my right foot. The spur was successfully reduced in size through a series of ultrasound treatments at my favorite chiropractor’s office. When a spur appeared on my left foot it too was reduced via ultrasound. At the time I didn’t realize that the spurs were symptoms of fallen arches, I thought they were the result of ten years in the martial arts.
In 2005 my big toes started to hurt, eventually quiet painfully. It felt like I had jammed them somehow but nothing I did released them or relieved the pain. When I described the pain to my new chiropractor she had me take my shoes off and stand up for her. She immediately said, “fallen arches.” Turns out there is a tendon the runs from the heel of the foot to the base of the big toe and a fallen arch stretches this tendon. At first my body tried to strengthen the heel end of the tendon by adding calcium to the area, resulting in the heel spurs. Now the constant pulling against my big toes makes them hurt unless I wear a good arch support.
Unless you have orthopedic supports made for you, an expensive proposition, there really aren’t too many good arch supports available. Most are “cushioned insoles” which simply don’t work. On our first trip to Germany in 2007, Sibylle and I found a pair of arch supports in a large department store in Stuttgart that I have worn ever since. The brand name is Bama, a company ultimately owned by Sara Lee. They are made out of leather with a very stiff arch support. The arch is rigid and doesn’t flex or give. Adding these arch supports to my shoes provided immediate relief. They are simply fantastic.
That first year we only bought one pair, and I moved them from shoe to shoe every day. In 2008 when we returned to Europe I bought four pairs, one for each pair of my shoes. The original pair, now a year old, moved full-time to my slippers.
We are now on our third trip together to Europe, and I am planning on buying at least four new pair of supports. The original pair, now approach two and a half years of age, still have a strong arch, even if the surrounding leather is starting to fall apart. Since I can’t find these in the States I want to stock up while we are here so I’ll have a supply of replacements. Having a pair of these supports in every show I wear, including my slippers, has all but eliminated the constant big toe pain I had before.
If you look carefully at the fine print on the back of some books, there is a classification or genre listed, largely (I think) to help the bookseller know where to shelve the volume. In the case of Dan Brown’s latest novel I think the genre should read “hyperbole” or perhaps “suspension of disbelief.”
That the central character has survived The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, and is highly knowledgeable in the arcane symbols of the world means he ought to accept somethings on faith, right? No. Apparently he isn’t willing to believe what others tell him.
I finished The Lost Symbol only to see how it ended, and I skimmed some sections rather then reading them word for word.
Over the years I’ve had several favorite places for lunch during the work week.
When I worked for the Illinois Department of Agriculture my favorite lunch location was a hamburger stand located at the intersection of North Grand West and North 2nd Street. I no longer remember the name, and the restaurant itself is long gone. They had fabulous burgers and fries and an outstanding breakfast menu. It was family owned and when the parents wanted to retire none of their children wanted to keep the establishment going.
Working downtown brought me close to a number of fine eateries. The Feed Store had good sandwiches and great soups, however I’d have to say it was my second favorite lunch location. First would have to be the seasonal hot dog and bratwurst stands that you could find on the Old Capital Plaza in the warmer months. There were two regulars there in the late 1980s and early 1990s, one in particular had very good bratwurst. I believe he soaked them in beer before grilling them. He recognized regular customers and occasionally treated us to a free lunch.
Living in the large cosmopolitan area of Portland OR and Vancouver WA exposed me to lots of very good Asian restaurants, including my favorite, Pho Van, a Vietnamese restaurant specializing in beef noodle soup. While the soup was good my favorite lunch there was grilled lemon grass chicken with a side of spring rolls. The spring rolls were delicate and delicious while the chicken was hot and spicy.
My favorite lunch place in Charleston was a tiny storefront diner with the best grilled cheese on marbled rye around. He had pretty good burgers too, but I usually when to Jack’s for the grilled cheese. Second favorite lunch would have to be Bangers and Mash at the Irish pub. Somehow they were able to char the ends of the sausage while only cooking the middles. Excellent stuff.
After returning to central Illinois in 2000 to work for my self I settled into a weekly chili routine. Joe Rogers’s “The Den” Chili was my favorite lunch stop every Tuesday. Sometimes on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays too.
Living in a large metropolitan area again provided tons of choices, but I’d have to say that my favorite lunch spot was Mama’s Chinese Buffet in Raytown. Cheap, plain, and excellent food. Even after switching to a new employer I’d make the 20 minute drive a couple times a month to eat there.
Moving to Manhattan Kansas in January 2009 changed my entire lunch approach for the better. I now eat nearly all my lunches at home. It’s a mere 8 minute commute most days so I take an hour and relax at home with leftovers or a sandwich and, best of all, time with Sibylle.
NB: This posting languished in my drafts folder for ten months. Usually a draft that idles for more than a few days never sees the light of day. This explains why it was published in January 2010 with a permanent link date of March 2009.
John Sandford week continues with Mind Prey.
Yet another Prey book.
One of my favorite books, Point of Impact chronicles an ingenious plot to assassinate a public figure and frame a former Marine sniper. Only he’s smarter than anyone expects. I know there was a movie made a few years ago that loosely follows the same plot, but I’ve not seen that so I don’t know if it’s any good or not. I’ve read the book several times and enjoyed it each time.
John Sandford week continues. Somehow I missed several of the Prey books so I am now catching up. The only problem with this is I’ve read all the ones I have in the house so I’m fresh out of new books to read.
Hidden Prey is another John Sandford novel, this time with Lucas Davenport as the central character. As usual, Sandford spins a good story, with great characters and a couple of good plot twists.