No paper

2011

Wednesday, June 15

No paper

Spent a week away camping. OK, 5 days and 4 nights. No computer. No newspaper (except for one day). It was kinda nice to be away from the news. No news is no bad news. Kinda made camping fun.

Margin

Little to no margin in my life. Short of catastrophic illness both Barb and I have to slug through whatever kid crises or minor illness that comes my way. No taking a day off cause I am sick. Ibuprofen and carry on.

The load is heavy at times. I am thinking I will rest after death. I think.

JAP, Michigan, Time, Wow

I was reading the Michigan Dailey yesterday and they had an article about economics of students and showed the video linked above. (Warning, one totally un-necessary F bomb in the middle). Watching the video reminded me of my time at UM. Many of the images I knew exactly where they are-I totally remember being there. I spent a lot of time studying on campus. All over. Medical library (didn't see any of that in the video), North Campus, Law Library, Graduate library, law quad, down town, Angelos (I think I only ate there a few times) and more.

It all seemed so clear. While going to med school in A squared was not the same as the undergrad experience depicted in the video, it was an all encompassing experience. I don't recall much except studying, and taking the bus into school to study. Some running. Very little remembrance of young married life. Did I mention I studied a lot there? I couldn't imagine having to go through that again.

I actually remember being more a part of the university there than I did at Iowa. Of course I had kids in Iowa and did not at UM. But it was more school like. Especially the first two years. There was more to do in A2. More used book stores. Better running stores. Everything right together down town, so that a study break could be taken quickly by browsing one of the two large bookstores, or walking to the Brown Jug, or going to one of the small cafes down town. Heck, then there was Zingermans as well-hardly ever made it there. One of my best memories was getting an incredible cappicino at the Michigan Union when I interviewed in the fall of 1986-going with Dr. Valente's old chemistry lab buddies. (I bet being a grad student there in chemistry was awesome).

Also I am reminded that although many things look the same, but I graduated in 1991. It has been 20 years since I graduated-and 22 or 23 years from all that studying. And cold weather (which did not bother me at all till Fall 1990). Wow, 20 years. All I can say is wow. How did I ever make it???!!!

JAP-I don't think I ever heard that term till I lived there-and can't think I have heard it since. It stands for Jewish American Princess-but apparently also is used of Princes as well. Only in A2 where no minority can ever be criticized is an apparent anti-Semitic term allowed!

Looping underspin!

I have heard it said that it is wrong to push deep to good players. While i have been able to loop against some pushes I have had serious consistency issues. In the last month or two I have been taught a simple technique from the most analytical person in our club. The key is to drop my right shoulder below my left and rotate. This changes EVERYTHING!

Oceanography comp

Middle school competition oceanography challenge. HOST is the home school team w Sarah.

The good ole days

Just like being back in med school i am doing laundry (ok just drying 3 large loads) as our clothes dryer is messing up again. Just wish i still weighed 137 lbs and got 60 plus miles in each week.

Frozen sections and table tennis...?

My kids, my direct family hate table tennis. They do not like to hear about it, they don't like to talk about and really do not like me to do it. In fact outside of maybe 10 or 15 people in the world, most of whom play at my table tennis club, no one could care less about about my FH counter loop or my persistent inability to execute a BH long pip hit.

Certainly table tennis technique is a trivial matter. Its not "revolution in Egypt" or have to do with ministry of eternal significance. So why or how does this trivial pusuit get my attention? It probably is due to my competitive nature, to the joy of "The shot well hit," [see Golf_which by the way bores me]. But maybe, just maybe it is to balance the fact of my day job. Just yesterday at work I found out about of a kid who died this weekend w cancer. A young man I "knew" professionally but also with peripheral community ties. And I did a frozen on another who will probably die in the same manner. Plus one more young girl who is now on the Very Serious Cancer Road.

This work life contrasts so sharply with home life. On that I could on.

So any one want to talk about FH looping of long serves wide to the FH?