Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Blogging

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Blackbirch, Blogging, Friends, Good News, Grateful, Quilting, Thankful

Today, I’m grateful for blogging. I started this blog in 2016, when I returned home from Arizona to help out my folks in Michigan. I’ve always wanted to write and have a blog, but never had the time before retiring to really put in the time to build a readership, put together written content, or any of that.

One of the unknown benefits of blogging that I discovered is the ability to make friends. I’m pretty isolated here in Michigan with my folks. My Dad’s immune system is pretty compromised. My Mom and I have to be very careful, particularly now with COVID and all of its different strains. My state is one of those states experiencing another surge, due to the Delta variant. Now that the omicron has hit, who knows what will happen. So, getting out is risky, other than making short trips to the gas station, doctor and dental appointments, or a run to the grocery store.

I have made some really great friends here. At least I consider them friends. When you think about the intimate conversations we have with one another, it is more than most friends who see each other all the time have. Friends sharing stories about losing their husband, other friends talking about the writing life they have, and still other friends who focus on passing the good news around, rather than the bad news, which is so rampant.

So today, I am grateful for blogging. Here’s to some great friends, I would have never met any other way. Your stories are terrific. Getting to know you over the years has been great! Here’s to many more years of friendship, more stories to share, and even more friends, from who knows where.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Grateful I Am Vaccinated

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Consequences, Covid, family, Freedom, Friends, Grateful, Gratitude, vaccine

The folks got their COVID booster shots yesterday and today they are both sore. I’ll be getting mine when I am eligible. Friends of ours had an encounter with COVID recently. The husband was hospitalized and the wife tested positive as well. Both of them are vaccinated. Thank God they were vaccinated, or they may have joined many who have succumbed to this nasty thing.

My view on COVID is this: Each of us is an individual and we have the right to choose what is best for us. If we choose to get vaccinated, so be it. If we choose not to, that’s ok too.

The thing for me is that each individual has the freedom to do what is best for them, but whatever decision they make, they have to live with the consequences. My brother is the only one in our family that chose not to vaccinate. My sister’s boyfriend has also chosen not to get the vaccine. The consequences of these choices is that both have to get tested before they visit us. This is for our protection.

The point I am making here is that you cannot make a decision without consequences–good or bad. If you do not want to get vaccinated, then deal with the limitations on where you can work, where you can travel, and the risks associated with that decision.

Today, I am thankful I got vaccinated. I did not buy into all the conspiracy theories out there about being “chipped” and all the rest. I also continue to live the way we all lived in 2020. I realized during this time that going out to dinner or to a movie were nice, but not necessary. We can order in. We can stream most movies now online, even the ones that are in theaters, which are coming out more quickly than before. When I’m feeling particularly lazy, I even get my groceries delivered.

I hope all of you have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Far Cry 6

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Adventure, Enjoyable, Exploration, Far Cry 6, Fun, Grateful, Thankful, Video Games

Well, I’ve found another great game to play. It’s called Far Cry 6. These games fall into the roll playing genre, as you are running with someone who is a guerrilla and trying to take down a dictator of a small island in the pacific. It has a main mission thread, which progresses you through the game to its finale, but more interesting are the side missions, which are all over the place. Couple that with the plundering you have to do to build better and better weapons, and boy, you have a game that will keep you busy for quite a while. I also like these types of games because they allow co-op play. My brother can play too. It is terrific!

So that’s what I am grateful for today. Far Cry 6! It is a great game, has some terrific things to do, and more importantly, will last probably for the next few months. Call of Duty Vanguard is coming out in November, so that’s another one I’ll be playing.

That’s it for today, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – My Wife Graduated!!

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Grateful, Love, Masters Degree, Proud, Sociology, Thankful, Thursday, Wife

Today, I’m grateful again, for my wife. Yesterday, she graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Masters degree in Sociology. I am so proud of her. After two years of hard work, working a full-time job, and dealing with all of life’s surprises (Can you say menopause?), she got through it. I cried yesterday, when she walked the stage. I am just so damned proud of her.

So today, I’ll be short. Here’s to my wife. She has conquered every challenge life has thrown at her and she is still as genuine and generous as they come. I love you, dear.

Have a great Thursday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Tech Gear

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Apple Arcade, Fun, Grateful, Gratitude, iPad, iPhone, Relaxation

Today, I’m thankful for some of my tech gear. I just started playing Call of Duty Mobile. It is the same as Call of Duty for the Xbox console, but this version can be played on the iPad. I am also grateful for my Nimbus+ game controller, which I use to play Call of Duty on my iPad. It is just like a controller for a console, but connects via bluetooth to the iPad or even the iPhone. I became interested in this because playing with my fingers just wasn’t working out. The controller brings a whole new feel to the game and mimics play on my Xbox. I have a lot of fun playing this game, because it is so much like the Xbox version, but with its own story line, weapons, and challenges.

Another nice thing about the Nimbus+ is that it is also compatible with a lot of the games in the Apple Arcade. These are terrific games that are free of commercials and are not pay to win, like so many iPad/iPhone games. They are like the traditional video games you may play on consoles or other devices.

I hope all of you have a terrific Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Gas-powered Generators.

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Grateful, heat, iPad, iPhone, Laptop, permanent generator, Thankful

Today, I’m grateful for gas-powered generators. You see, Michigan is one of those states whose power grid is not that robust, particularly when we get hit with storms that are accompanied by high winds. High winds knock over trees. The trees take out the power lines. Downed power lines eliminate power. Currently my street and the streets on either side of us are out of power. Luckily, a few years back, my Mom and Dad ran into this same issue. My Dad ran around trying to find a gas-powered generator to get the power back on, but to no avail. Everyone had the same idea and there were no generators left in Southeast Michigan. After this experience Mom and Dad vowed to never again be without power and purchased a permanent generator which runs off of gas. We now never run out of power to our refrigerator and other key items in the house.

So, yes. We are “roughing” it, but not as bad as some are, who do not have a permanent generator attached to their gas lines, and are indeed suffering, when the power goes out, not to mention the potential loss of food in the fridge. So today, I am grateful for the permanent generator we have, that allows me access to the Internet, my phone and iPad, and this laptop, which I am using to post today.

I hope DTE gets the power back on quickly for folks who do not have one of these. It sucks to live by candle light, particularly if you are like me, and enjoy the access to the web and other devices I use each day.

This reminds me of a quote (I don’t know who created it). It’s about being mindful of the blessings in your life, even when things aren’t perfect. It also stresses the importance of taking nothing for granted. Be grateful for all the things you have. You never know when those things will change or go away forever.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Gratitude Journaling

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Content, Grateful, Gratitude, Gratitude Journaling, Happy, journaling, Thankful

As each of you know, I write about something each Thursday I am grateful for. This is an easy exercise, because I write down all the things I’m grateful for in my Gratitude Journal each day. It is a terrific exercise, because it focuses me on the good in life, rather than the bad. A quick flip of the switch and I am in a better mood for the whole day. The real trick, however, is capturing what I am grateful for during the day and writing these down before bed.

It is nice waking up and thinking about the things I’m grateful for, and I sleep so much better, when I realize how blessed my life has been. If you have never tried gratitude journaling, give it a whirl. I developed the habit using The 5-Minute Journal. After using it for a bit, I decided to add this to my Onenote app. I use Onenote for all of my journals. It’s nice to have everything in one place, and have access to it everywhere, since Onenote is a cloud-based app.

Give this a whirl. Start small. Maybe you only write down one thing you are grateful for starting out. I stick with three. Sometimes I have more, though. It’s your journal. Make it what you wish.

I hope all of you have a terrific Thursday, and have something to be grateful for when you go to bed. I always do. You just have to look around a little bit.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Variety

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Appreciative, Four Seasons, Grateful, Gratitude, Rain, Snow, Thankful, Thunderstorms, Variety, weather

You know, when I was living in California and Arizona I loved the weather. It was pretty consistent–warm and sunny. Now that I am back in Michigan, I realized how nice it is to have some variety in the weather. I love the four seasons. I love the rain. I love the thunder storms. I love the snow. I love the fall.

In Michigan, we experience what has been appropriately labeled the “lake effect”. The Great Lakes play havoc on the weather here, ensuring that meteorologists everywhere are wrong. We will get a storm warning and nothing happens. We get a clear skies prediction and the clouds roll in. We get rain when the skies have been blue all morning. This variety is refreshing. I like not knowing what the weather will do.

For those of you living in tropical climates or in states like Arizona and California, I get it. Living with year-round blue skies is a great thing, but for me, now that I am back in Michigan, the variety is so much nicer. Here’s to variety.

Have a great Thursday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Streaming Content Producers

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Appreciation, Call of Duty, Control, Grateful, Search and Destroy, Spartakus, Stonemountain64, Tacticalgramma, Team Deathmatch, Thankful, Warzone

Well, folks, I have been watching a lot of content producers in the gaming realm. One of my favorites is Stonemountain64. There is another I just started watching who calls himself Spartakus. Both are expert Call of Duty players and provide some entertainment, while passing along their tips and tricks.

Video gaming is a hobby of mine. There is so much to learn when playing these games, particularly Call of Duty. There are weapons to learn, different tactical, lethal, and field upgrades to learn. There are different controller setups to experiment with. There are even different game types. For example, I am predominantly a “team deathmatch” player. In this game, you have 6 players competing against 6 other players. The team who reaches the match’s score limit or finishes the game with a higher score when the time expires wins.

There are many games within Call of Duty multiplayer. There is control, hardpoint, combined arms games, blueprint games, search and destroy, and well, you get the idea. There are also all kinds of challenges to complete. Challenges with each character to unlock new skins. There are challenges to unlock with weapon reticles and camouflage. There are different challenges you can complete for the day. I play the game to complete challenges, and obviously improve my game play.

There is also other games. Zombies is one game, which is really fun. Then you have the Call of Duty league play, where you compete for ranking in specific ladders, after you play a five-game assessment period. Finally, you have Warzone, which is Call of Duty’s free battle royale game. Warzone is Call of Duty’s answer to games like Fortnite, PUBG, and Apex, among others. So, there is a lot to do, play, and have fun with in this one game.

I enjoy these content streamers because they all play in Warzone. I have dabbled in Warzone a bit, but have not dedicated a lot of time to it. I am going to change that starting in August. In August, I am going to get myself on a schedule of playing Zombies, different games in Call of Duty, Warzone, and even get involved with League play. I’m thinking I’ll schedule out a day for this or a day for that, type of schedule.

Anyway, if you are a gamer and you enjoy Call of Duty, take a look at a few of these content producers. Stonemountain64 is my favorite, but you can also watch Spartakus or Tacticalgramma. These streamers are all on Facebook, under the gaming tab. They are fun to watch. Stonemountain64 goes live everyday at 12 PM pacific, so for those of you in the Central or Eastern time zones, check him out. I have only been watching this guy’s stream for about a week or so, and it is really enjoyable. Youtube is another great place to find content. I follow a great many content producers there. One is Savage, who actually replays games that are sent to him, and provides a critique about what a player is doing right, and what a character is doing wrong. Great content.

So today, folks. I am grateful for those content producers that take the time to put together educational content for those of us who are trying to learn to be better players. Here’s to you! (clink, clink).

Have a great Thursday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking/Thankful Thursday – COVID-19

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COVID-19, Daniel Kraft, Global Pandemic, Grateful, Innovation, medical, Medicine, technology, Ted Talk

With so many experiencing new lockdowns in Australia, Los Angeles, and many other places, because of the new Delta variant, which is also in the United States, COVID is making a comeback, again! To shine some light on what benefits are gained from a new virus and this global pandemic, watch this video. In it, Daniel Kraft, explores the many ways COVID has helped transform medicine and global relations for the better.

I am grateful for TED talks. They are entertaining, and most importantly very up-to-date. Most documentaries are behind the times, when it comes to current issues. TED brings in speakers that are on the cutting edge of innovation and change, and do a great job introducing many important topics for us to consider. Topics like climate change, human trafficking, migrant rights, and so many others. It is a joy to watch them and learn something new each day.

I hope you enjoy this one. I learned a lot, and what Daniel alludes to is nothing short of extraordinary as the globe comes together to fight this nasty little bug.

Have a great Thursday! Oh, I have some nieces visiting on the 5th of July through the 15th. Daily Ramblings will not be publishing its normal schedule during this time.

Until next time…

Dave