My Home Office

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I’ve been working for the University for 27 years now, and all during this time I have been required to have a home office. Years ago I would only have to spend 1 day per week in my home office, the other days I would be out collecting cancer data in hospitals and pathology offices.

Now, thanks to technology, I spend 99% of my time in my home office. This has its perks, but also has some burdens. One is trying to keep a clean well organized office. From time to time I make an effort to clean out some old stuff. Last week I decided it was time to throw more old papers out.

The oldest paper I found was from December 1983, a schedule of my orientation, when I was first hired. I also shredded several years of pay slips. It was fun to remember what I was making back in the 80’s and 90’s, but what was the most interesting was to compare the cost of Health Insurance.

1988: $90
1990: $106
1992: $132
1999: $136
2000: $171
2003: $249
2005: $256
2007: $364
2009: $456
2010: $593

Something strange seemed to happen in the first decade of the 2000's!

Well, I still have a ways to go with my cleaning, but I have made progress.

"We the People"

My resolutions are working

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This first week in the New Year has been pretty darn good, I must say. I think largely in part because I have been putting into practice my few New Years resolutions.



1. Listen to more music, and less talk radio.
All week I have not turned on the radio once. Maybe I’m less informed now, but I have been much happier this week and more relaxed. Surprisingly my brain does not feel so hyperactive, since I have not been making it multi-task.

2. Spend less time in front of the computer.
As you can tell my blogs this week have been short. I have found over the last month or two I am getting bored with talking about myself… so you must be getting bored reading about me.

I started my blog two years ago; the purpose of it was to help me deal with my “spilt in two” life. Now this split life is just normal for us. I realized my blog has evolved into more of a scrape book of activities which are common to my life.

I’m not going to give up blogging totally, but you might find that I will be cutting back a bit, at least until I get inspired again.

This week I have been doing some “doodling type” artwork, and spending an hour a day in cleaning projects.

3. Start riding the exercise bike again.
I’ve been taking a few 5 minute breaks throughout the day and get my heart rate up. This is easy to do and doesn’t seem like exercise.


I am almost over my cold, just in time to have Greg’s visit to Des Moines this weekend, although yesterday he was complaining that he might be getting another cold. I’m wondering if we are passing our germs back and forth.

Here is a picture especially for Greg, my car guy…… a silly old picture of me and my 1979 Camaro. I had this used car in the early 1980’s and didn’t appreciate that this was such a “man-magnet” at the time. My Dad picked it out for me. I believe this picture was in 1983, the year Greg graduated from High School. I believe he would of been attracted to me even then... be we didn't meet for another 7 years.

Family photo

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The last day we all were together over Christmas break, we forced ourselves to get presentable and have our family picture taken. We are a small family, but it still is a struggle getting everyone looking the same direction! This was our best shot.

More holiday pictures

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After their play, Christopher and Sarah get cleaned up.... Here posing with Grandma. Adult acting for the moment.

Winter play

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For kids who grew up in the south, a trip north for Christmas to "grandma's house" is what they ask for.

Conditions were favorable for them this year, and they enjoyed some time outside. You can tell these are my nephew and niece, since they are just as "playful" (i.e. silly) as I am!

Let the new year start... please

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It appears we will have to wait until Feb. 2nd or 3rd for a "kinder" year to start with the "year of the rabbit". This year, the Chinese New Year's begins the first part of February.

I guess that makes sense... the "tiger" is still having his way with us. I learned Sunday that Dad went into the hospital. He had the same cold I got, and Mother also had this week. Dad probably has pneumonia. I'm giving credit to Tennessee (bulldog?)germs. So far Greg is well, but then maybe he was immune since he had been sick earlier in December.

I had incorrectly named the Ginger Bread House creators in my last blog.
Here we are holding our creations of graham crackers and frosting. Mine was the Christmas Manger.



Here is a link to the Chinese New Year information. It's about being grateful in the new year.