Monday


8
Jan 18

Monday onomatopoeia

One of my Christmas presents:

Oh, forgot to mention: Santa brought me a new car this year. And surf's up!

A post shared by Kenny Smith (@kennydsmith) on

I did very well with the presents, better than I should. Some nice clothes, a new car, a tin whistle and a harmonica and some other neat little things. Now I have a growing car collection in my office. (I’m thinking about making a track.) And I also have a new pen. But this is a special pen, a fancy pen, a philosophical truth-telling pen. If you press the button it gives you answers to your questions. It’s like a Magic 8-Ball, with ink.

Here, go ahead, think of a question. I’ll get you an answer …

No Brainer

Try it again with another question …

Dude, No Way

All of the answes are spinning around inside the pen and now I have a new think to keep my idle hands busy with. Click spin whir. Click spin-whir.

Anyway, the students are back today, and things are slowly getting back to normal. You ease into the first few days of classes, and then things will get quite busy. Indeed, before the end of the week we’ll be missing this pace, and by next week it’ll feel like a distant, happy memory.

Click-spin-whir. Clickspinwhirrrrrrr.

This evening, relaxing with Allie The Black Cat:


1
Jan 18

New resolutions

We often make resolutions for ourselves. Wouldn’t it be better if we made resolutions for others?

So I have two resolutions this year:

  • Be more joyous.
  • Be a better example.
  • They’re vague, I know, but hardly conceptual. Maybe they’ll mean something by next January.

    Happy new year.


    25
    Dec 17

    Merry Christmas

    When Santa got an upgrade:

    The new ride looks both modern and classic:

    I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas day and a peaceful week ahead.


    18
    Dec 17

    A nice medium-run on old haunts

    If you look way down this pedestrian lane, you’ll see The Yankee:

    This is a mile-long bridge, and if it wasn’t for all of that chainlink, which is at times brings up feelings claustrophobic, and then absurdly pointless, it would feel meditative. It is a relatively new bridge. It’s only about 15 or so years old, already on its second name. It was originally the Patton Island Bridge, but now it is the more elegant, and historical, Singing River Bridge, which is the name the Yuchi tribe gave to the Tennessee River.

    Most of the road traffic goes over this bridge, but it hasn’t always been that way, of course. Just a few miles away, there’s a dam.

    This is a view from Wilson Dam, which was built between 1918-1924 and was later incorporated into the Tennessee Valley Authority:

    It is a narrow, two-lane dam. It was always a bit intimidating when I was a kid. My mom and I would drive it, one of the last little bits of road on the two-hour trip to my grandparents. And she would tell me about how she learned how to drive on that dam, in the snow.

    Well, I haven’t done that. But last summer I did ride my bike over the dam. And this weekend I ran over it. (On the sidewalk.)

    It has less traffic now, because of the Singing River Bridge, but it is still narrow:

    Here we are on the dam, midway through our run, still on the sidewalk:

    The dam, named after President Woodrow Wilson, was put on the historic registry in 1966, and boasts the highest single lift lock east of the Rocky Mountains.

    And here’s the Wilson Dam, once more, from the Singing River Bridge:

    It was a seven-mile run, and it was fun, the weather was pleasant, and uncomfortable. I was beginning to think my shoes might be done. And after a three-mile run today, and checking the miles on this pair of Saucony, I decided it was official:

    So, at 300 miles, on the nose, actually, I have to go shopping for new jogging shoes.

    Elsewhere, there was plenty of family and visiting this weekend. Heading back out tomorrow for a few more days of work, and then more holidays.

    More on Twitter and on Instagram.


    11
    Dec 17

    A new mural

    ‪The (still) new(ish) mural in People's Park, #Bloomington, #Indiana. ‬

    A post shared by Kenny Smith (@kennydsmith) on

    I’d create a mural, but I’m busy this evening, being a pillow:

    More on Twitter and on Instagram.