One Good Turn

I think it’s generally good for you, the people around you, and to some extent the world when you educate yourself.  Informed opinions are more likely to be reasoned, rational, and thoughtful.  Feel free to disagree with me, of course.

For a while now, I’ve been wanting to learn more about Buddhism, and I’m finally doing it.  The more I learn about it, the more I discover that there’s a lot that appeals to me about Buddhist philosophy, spirituality, and practice.  Tonight I stopped by our local bookstore and picked up a couple books on Buddhist history, writings, and meditation.

Recently, a neighbor asked about recommendations for roofers.  Having asked about the same thing myself a few months ago, I forwarded on to her all the info I received, and the recommendations people had given me.  It’s funny how much a personal recommendation can mean to you on something like this.

We went to visit and have lunch with my wife’s sister, her husband, and their cute little baby daughter.  After lunch, we decided to pick up the check.  I can’t say why, exactly, but we just felt like doing it.  If they feel like repaying the debt, then, hey, we get to have lunch with them again!  It’s a win-win situation.

Today I saw one of our neighbors out working in his yard, so I went over and said hi. We talked for a few minutes.  Nothing too significant, but it’s always nice to catch up with folks in the neighborhood.

Hey everyone, I just wanted to say thanks to those of you who have offered your support and encouragement.  This blog doesn’t get a lot of comments, but each one does truly mean a lot to me.

Thanks again!

I don’t do this often enough.  I finally sat down and wrote out some donations to a couple organizations I think are very worthy: Second Harvest (our local chapter) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.  These are two very different groups, but both focus on issues I think are important, and deserve my support.

Hopefully I won’t go as long between donations next time.

I love Gatorade. When I’m exercising and sweating on a hot day, it tastes like the best thing on earth. I don’t know if it’s psychological or not (I suspect not), but I feel like I can keep my energy up better while drinking Gatorade rather than just plain water. Of course, there are myriad sports drinks available now, and it’s a huge market, but my favorite is still the classic Lemon-Lime or Fruit Punch Gatorade.

The only thing I really don’t like about Gatorade (and sports drinks, and soda, and bottled water…) is all the disposable bottles. That’s why, a few months ago, I started buying it in powder form. You can find it in just about any supermarket. Instead of popping open a new bottle every time I want some, I take a reusable bottle (such as a Nalgene), fill it with water, add some powder, and presto! Gatorade.  I’d guess that I’ve saved over a hundred plastic bottles already.

And even better, there are some side benefits: It costs less, and you can control the concentration (I actually like it slightly less concentrated than it comes in the bottles).

Today I was out the door, on my way to play tennis, when I thought, maybe I can ride my bike there? It’s not that far. Sure enough, I threw my tennis bag on my back, hopped on my bike, and arrived at the courts already warmed up and ready to play. It only saved a few miles, but it’s still better than nothing.

This morning, while riding my bike, I noticed a large brick in the middle of the road.  I circled back and moved it to the curb so nobody would damage their car or skid out.

Today I had to lead a meeting at work.  In an effort to make it a little more fun (and to help people look forward to future meetings), I brought food.  Not just food, but ice cream!  Needless to say, that went over pretty well.  But how do I top it next time?