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photo / Tuesday / windshield time — Comments Off
19
Dec 17

We made it back to the house

I wrote about this the other day, because good gracious we just made the same seven-hour drive a few weeks ago, but Allie travels well.

She roams around the car. We don’t let her sit with the driver for safety, but she’ll make laps around the back and with the passenger and, occasionally, the back shelf.

I can never decide which would be more interesting to know: the reaction of people in other cars, or what the cat sees whirring by.

These are the days of that, though. Back in just after a regular dinner time tonight, just in time to unpack, eat something and go to bed. Back to work tomorrow. A few days in the office and then back on the road once more.

More on Instragram and, of course, on Twitter.

family / memories / Monday / photo / running — Comments Off
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.

Last show of the semester

My group, IUSTV, the student television station, has been in the studio some 56 times this semester. Not that I’d count that sort of thing. This morning was the last show of the term, and we wrapped production on a two-season run of a morning show. Here’s the producer, one of the hosts and a guest:

There’s been good, there’s been some really good. There have been a few weird things, and a lot of of people working pretty hard and, hopefully, having a little fun, too. You can see this last show, here:

Weather update

No need for an app. No reason to check the remote thermostat that is downloading conditions from The Cloud. Don’t worry about finding The Weather Channel on your local TV system. I can tell you all you need to know.

When the cat gets under a blanket, or allows you to wrap her up and make an Allie Burrito, you know it is cold:

December announcement

The trees are up. The ornaments will become a multi-day affair, starting over the weekend. The greenery is wound around the bannisters. A tasteful amount of Christmas decor has been displayed. December is here.

And now we have to go shopping, too? And then get ready to travel? And finish the semester in the next few days?

So site activity will be reduced this month. This is not a hiatus — I just added a cool new video to the front page, for example — but it won’t be an every day thing. Please do stop by from time to time, though.

I will be continue to be active on Instagram and Twitter, however.

See you sometime next week.