What I'm Doing Right Now

I'm stealing this idea from Deane Barker. I'm not sure I'm still connected to anyone who has been generating web content as long as Deane has been. We first connected over church websites decades ago when I was just getting my web development business going.

I haven't been inspired to write any deep thinking posts lately, so in the meantime I'll do these monthly snapshots of life.

Personal

Weight

Let's deal with the elephant in the room.

Literally.

I stepped on a scale this week and I'm the heaviest I've ever been.

I knew I was carrying more weight than I wanted to but didn't realize how bad it was.

I was the skinny kid growing up (6' and 90lbs at one point). Being the youngest in my grade was never a problem anywhere other than gym class - where I'd get bullied about my build. I've hated exercising around others and "gym culture" ever since.

But things need to change. We're looking at different diet and exercise options.

I'm setting a goal of losing 50lbs. I'm too embarrassed to post the actual numbers here but will at least post my weight-loss progress each month.

Sleep

I finally got through all of the exams, referrals, and studies to get on a CPAP machine to improve my sleep. It's helping, but I think I need to try a different mask.

I'll turn 57 this year and I'm determined to hit 60 in better shape than I was at 50, new research be damned.

Missouri House

We moved to Tulsa in 2023, but kept our house in Missouri and rented it to friends. They recently moved out, so we were left with the decision to rent it out again or sell it.

We found that local rent prices were lower than we'd hoped while the selling price was higher.

Ok then. 

By selling we'll make a nice profit and be debt-free (maybe it'll stick this time?)

We just spent a few days at the house starting all the work required to get rid of one. We didn't finish so we'll be headed back again this week. It's about a 3.5 hour drive each way so we like to get at least a couple days there to make the time worthwhile.

Camper Van

I installed a new batwing awning on the van. It was an easy job only made difficult by the hot Tulsa summer.

We field-tested the awning at a local state park and I think we'll appreciate being able to create our own shade while being parked in the sun for the solar panel to work.

With the van now being 16 years old and with 225K on the odometer, I'm trying to figure out what our next vehicle will be. 

I'd like to get more room with a fullsize van, but the minivan makes a perfect downtown apartment/big-city parking garage rig. A fullsize van would be a new campervan build, while buying a lower-mileage Sienna would just be a cut and paste job using what we've already built.

Siennas are known to easily go 300K miles so I'll probably have time yet.

Vacation

The van work is all in preparation for an upcoming vacation. We're hoping to explore northern New Mexico this time.

Kids

We'll be visiting Miranda and her husband in a couple of weeks. Not sure when we'll get back to Michigan to see Harrison and his wife, but they are doing well, working, raising dogs, and restoring an older house. 

Tulsa Remote

I've moved to Tulsa Remote Ambassador status, which means occasionally they bribe me with food and drinks in exchange for me talking to newcomers about our experience with the program. It's all good - we've had such a great time in Tulsa Remote I'm happy to promote the experience.

Photography

It depresses me to admit I haven't picked up my camera in weeks. It's mostly a weather thing - I don't like being outdoors in the 100-degree temps we've been having. I also don't like staying up late enough to do the nighttime photos I'm currently enamored with.

I'm hoping September brings some cooler temps with shorter days and I can have some fun with the camera and still be in bed by 10.

Professional

The Paid Gigs

My work as Managing Editor at Rizing continues and MsBoyink started as a Med/Surge Nurse at OSU Medical Center a few months ago. We're still finding the DINK groove and having to up our calendaring game.

New Docent

I've been training to become a docent at The Church Studio here in Tulsa.

The studio was first built by musician Leon Russell and notable visitors include Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Freddie King, and Kansas. It's where Tom Petty signed his first recording deal. 

Now fully restored, Church Studio is once again an active recording space. It also operates as a museum, event hosting space, and sound engineering school.

Docents take small groups of visitors through Leon's early days, his reasons for creating Church Studio, into the extensive archives, up through the actual studio, and then back through the gift shop.

My biggest handicap is that I was mostly unaware of Leon's music before moving to Tulsa, so I'm in research mode to gain enough knowledge to feel comfortable leading tours.

Reading

A few of the books I've recently read:

The Leon Russell biography. I want to take a second spin through it. The amount of detail is overwhelming - Leon worked with so many people and in so many places.

The Talented Mr. Ripley. I can't remember if we've seen the movie but I thought the book was just OK. It mainly suffers from too many long passages of internal dialog.

There are four more books in the series, but I'm not sure I'll chase down any more of them.

Three Inch Teeth by C.J. Box. Box's Joe Pickett series has long been one of my favorites - right up there with Lee Child's Jack Reacher series.

I feel like Box lost his mojo with this one. A legacy bad guy comes back and creates a killing device that's outlandish and silly. Long-term beloved characters are coldly killed off in ways inconsistent with their histories. Other family members are introduced only to be killed off a few chapters later. Joe doesn't play a crucial role in solving any of it, and the book ends with more plot left for the next book than I prefer.

Watching:

We're not binging any TV series or movies lately, but I am plunging the depths of YouTube to see as many Leon Russell performances as I can find.

Listening

Leon Russell - everything. So far I'm appreciating his songwriting and piano playing more than his actual singing (which even his biography described as "an acquired taste.")

Queen's Greatest Hits. We picked it up on vinyl at a Cracker Barrel for a few dollars less than Amazon's normal price. It's Queen. It's the good stuff. Nothing more to say.

Clarence Gatemouth Brown Gate Swings. I recently repurchased this album on CD after losing it in a move years ago. It's blues guitar meets swinging big band with snappy horn riffs and I can't get enough of it. 13 tracks and I don't skip a single one.

Casii Stephan. Casii is a Tulsa artist, and her website describes her as "like Florence Welch and Fiona Apple with a writing style reminiscent of Carole King.” I'm not very familiar with any of those musicians. When I listen to Casii I'm reminded of Heart, Shamekia Copeland, and maybe a little Shania Twain - if not in style, certainly in messaging and general levels of moxie.

See you next month!