What Did I Do When the Internet Went Down?

I woke up at about 5:45 AM and noticed a light flashing on the internet modem.  There was no dial tone when I picked up the telephone which indicated that the internet was out.  I even turned on the TV and there was no cable TV service.  I ate breakfast which I would normally do and then phoned Spectrum which told me that they were aware of the outage.

No TV and no internet, so what did I do?  I read a book from 7:00 AM until 8:45 AM.  Here is the book that I read:

I left the house at 9 AM and took a ride out to Cunningham Park.  When I returned at 11 AM, the internet was back.  I survived.

My First Volunteer Job Was a Big Disappointment

Note - I will not name any of the agencies involved here.

I did decide a long time ago, that when I retired, I wanted to do some volunteer work.  When one volunteers for a project, there is no monetary compensation, but there should be a sense of satisfaction when the task is complete.

I signed up for XXX which has assignments all over New York City in a  wide variety of endeavors.  After attending a webinar, volunteers are free to search for work in their database.  I found one opportunity in Long Island City which was Computer Preparation with YYY, an organization whose digital learning platform enables teachers to collaborate with their colleagues and enlist families as learning partners in order to truly personalize learning for students. The expression "Computer Preparation" was somewhat vague, but I thought it would involve some knowledge of software or hardware

I went to their warehouse which had hundreds of desktop computers in boxes which I assume will be distributed to schools.  All they wanted the volunteers to do was to take the  LED monitors out of the boxes and clean off the dust.  Was this job necessary as the amount of dust was minimal and would not impede the operation of the monitors?  I spent about 2 1/2 hours doing this very menial task and just couldn't wait to leave.

I would certainly never return to YYY's warehouse again as I really want to leave a volunteer job with a real sense of accomplishment.

We Celebrated Elvis Presley's Birthday Today

Elvis would have been 83 years old today had he lived.  We'll never know what music he would have produced if he lived beyond 1977.  He could have collaborated with recording artists in different genres.  On his birthday, we always play a CD of his since Lee is the biggest fan among the Slutskys.

Two Original Byrds: Chris Hillman and David Crosby Have New Albums

The original members of the Byrds formed in 1964 were:

• Roger McGuinn
• David Crosby
• Chris Hillman
• Gene Clark (now deceased)
• Mike Clark (now deceased)

There were many personnel changes in the group, but McGuinn stayed with the group until it eventually disbanded.  The individual members of the group were prolific recording artists for many years,

Today as I was reading the latest issue of Goldmine Magazine  I found out that both Hillman and Crosby have recently released new albums as seen above.  These two guys have been recording for over 50 years.

Bidin' My Time by Chris Hillman which was produced by the late Tom Petty includes appearances by Roger McGuinn and David Crosby.  It is the closest thing to a Byrds reunion.

Cabin Fever is the Lesser of the Two Evils

The only way to cure cabin fever is for the weather to get warmer.  The forecast indicates a warming trend for early next week, but the weekend is to be extremely cold.  This means that I will have to stay home and entertain myself.  It is the lesser of two evils as at least I don't have to worry about train delays.  I saw on the news this morning that New York Transit is experiencing 30-minute delays.  Many of these problems are caused by frozen switches in this bitterly cold weather.  I should be grateful that I don't have to experience that any longer.  Waiting in the bitter cold for a bus is another bad experience.

My First Snow Day as a Retiree

This lousy weather has made my first week as a retiree somewhat unhappy.  I was hoping to go to Manhattan to take advantage of some of the cultural offerings of NYC, but this cold weather has caused me to stay home.  Today is even worse as there is a snowstorm with 6-8 inches expected with heavy winds.  NJIT is closed today so even if I was still working I wouldn't have to travel to Newark.

Yesterday, I met Facebook friend Alan Reiman in Forest Hills for lunch.  He is a radio enthusiast and told me some anecdotes.  From there I went to my dentist for a routine cleaning.

On a snow day there is nothing to do but stay home.  I will do some reading.  I sure hope this miserable cold and snowy weather will end.

Random Thoughts at the Beginning of the Year

I am one of the millions of people who are coping with this bitter cold weather.  Yesterday we stayed home and watched the outdoor hockey game at Citifield with the Rangers facing the Buffalo Sabres.  Out of curiosity I checked tickets for this game and found out that the cheapest ticket went for $119.  There was a complete sellout of hockey diehards who were willing to brave the elements.  The Rangers won 3-2 in overtime.

Today is the first working day of 2018 and I am not going to work.  I worked for over 40 with the last 25 at the same employer, so I think I am entitled to some rest and relaxation.  The summer of 1982 was the last time I was unemployed so I have worked consecutively for 35+ years.  So I don't have to worry about train delays and inconsiderate passengers who block the doors.  No more sitting at a reference desk like a statue and waiting for questions that will not come.  I am no longer caught in the middle of a bitter feud between two managers.  That really made my last months of working very unpleasant.

Today, I am going to the Ridgewood Bank to make arrangements to withdraw money from the IRA that I have there.  Most of my retirement money will come from TIAA whom I will call today to make sure that everything is set.  I need a little more time to determine what volunteer opportunities to pursue.