Personal Snippets: 8/19

--My son Will is going off to college today. We’re coming along to help him get set up in his dormitory. He only has three classes this school term, but they are going to be a tough three classes. It may take a little while for Will to feel comfortable and habituated to his new residence and lifestyle, but I know that he loves challenges and opportunities to better himself!

--At Borders the other day, I found a new game titled Hidato. So I bought the Hidato book, later discovering that it is the only Hidato book that’s been published so far. Hidato is another logic puzzle along the lines of Sudoku and Kakuro. With Hidato, the object of the game is to connect the squares by placing successive integers in adjacent or diagonal squares. I’ve already pretty much gotten the hang of this interesting puzzle type, although so far I’m only at the “Intermediate” level.

--It is interesting how the grass in my yard seems to be responding to seasonal changes. I’ve noticed a slight slowdown in grass growth for the last week. Since it has most recently been raining a lot around here, I know it has nothing to do with water shortage. Shorter grass to mow? Oh, the joy of it all!

--I am on the verge of running my first road race since the one I ran (without much interest) in 1976 in Hollywood, Florida. This one is to promote and help fund Gainesville’s local Red Cross. The course is a five kilometer block in the southwestern corner of the University of Florida campus comprising dorms, the agriculture college research area, the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and alligator-populated Lake Alice. I am long-familiar with this area and look forward to trying my hand (and feet) at it this coming Saturday morning. Not expecting record-shattering times or a top finish, I’m just in it this time to establish a new activity (competitive running), finish the race, and start collecting running-race tee-shirts.

--What have been your favorite Olympic events to watch (assuming you’ve been watching any)? I’ve enjoyed the table tennis, basketball, weightlifting, swimming, and beach volleyball. I saw part of a field hockey game, but it just looked like a composite of soccer and ice hockey. The big events to me are coming up: bicycle racing on that super-high-banked track and the running events. The women’s marathon was spectacular.

--My almost thirteen-year-old daughter has drawn a picture for one of her school classes showing something that she would like to do on a vacation: sky-diving. Wow! I’ve got two incredibly brave kids! But, you know, I’ve been itching to try a sky dive or two as well. Now that I’ve finally flown (as a passenger) in a plane (in 2006 at age 49 for the first time).