Day 211 and Day 212 – (AD 1,374) – 30.0 Miles in 2 Days – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Yesterday and this morning I pedaled a total of 30.0 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals now stand at 29,156.7 miles; 46,923.3 kilometers.

Meanwhile on Mars I have now covered 24.5% of the distance to my next destination and goal point.

Reading –

“Machine Creativity Beats Some Modern Art” – MIT Technology Review, Jun 30, 2017.

“Creativity is one of the great challenges for machine intelligence. There is no shortage of evidence showing how machines can match and even outperform humans in vast areas of endeavor, such as face and object recognition, doodling, image synthesis, language translation, a vast variety of games such as chess and Go, and so on. But when it comes to creativity, the machines lag well behind.”

Which of these images were generated by a machine?

Soapbox –

Why bother?

Not sure what happened with the accounting for my Google Pageviews during the month of June. Something is wrong somewhere. From August 2016 to May 2017 the number of Pageviewss went from 1,280 to 7,252 with a peak in January 2017 at 11,703. This June Google is recoding, to date for the month 1,120. What happened?

Where did 10,000 Pageviews go?

This is my 1,475th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 178,532 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 210 – (AD 1,372) – Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning, intermittently while I was making bread, I cycled my Schwinn 170 20.1 miles. Totals now stand at 29,129.7 miles; 46,875.0 kilometers.

And meanwhile, on Mars, I’ve completed 18.3% of the distance to my next destination and goal point.

Yes, I am still making bread…and just now out of the oven - No-Knead Raisin Caraway Bread. And it still is singing.






News –

“Finally, Jeff Vinik’s vision has a name: Water Street Tampa” (Tampa Bay Times, Justine Griffin, June 27, 2017)

Great news for Tampa…

But I remember previous projects in the past 3 decades. Tampa has grown, yes, but many of the ideas have just floated on by. Austin Place, Ybor City, Westshore Boulevard, Hyde Park, just to name a few. Maybe I’ll be around for the new ones. Here’s hoping.

I think I need this house just to hang our quilts…(Yes, there are quilts on display.)

And speaking about quilts, our newest and latest, WOW. Here's the first sample block -

This is my 1,475th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 178,473 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 209 – (AD 1,371) – 21.4 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled my Schwinn 170 21.4 miles. Totals now: 29,106.6 miles; 46,842.6 kilometers.

And I have now completed 14.2% of the distance to my next goal point on Mars.


Soapbox –

The new revamped GOP, if one can call it that, Health Plan… is truly not a health plan but a scratch-off ticket.





Watch for our 2 new quilts currently in the design phase. Again, something completely different.

Supper last night – Chicken with Mushrooms and Bean Sprouts and Long Beans on Jasmine Rice.

Early morning blood sugar count dropped considerably by 29 points. Long, long way to go.

This is my 1,474th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 178,436 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 208 – (AD 1,370) – 22.0 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I cycled 22.0 miles in my allotted 1 hour time on my Schwinn 170. Totals equal: 29,085.2 miles; 46,808.2 kilometers.

I have covered 9.9% of the distance, 490 miles, to my next destination and goal point.

And I am still going.




Last night supper – Pan-Fried Cod with Thyme Roasted Red Potatoes and Broccoli with a Lemon, Garlic, Dijon Vinaigrette and a sprinkling of Capers and Parmesan Cheese.

Excellent.

This is my 1,473rd post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 178,379 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 207 – (AD 1,369) – 21.6 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled 21.6 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals 29,063.2 miles; 46,772.8 kilometers.

And on Mars, I have now completed 5.4% of the distance to my next destination and goal point.

I guess I must have been sleeping when the NASA Reconnaissance Orbiter was flying overhead. Reported in The NY Times, by Kenneth Chang, (Jun 22, 2017) “High Above Mars, a NASA Orbiter Spies the Curiosity Rover”.



Soapbox -

Morning blood sugar dropped 19 mg/dL. Headed in the right direction but still a long way to go.

Genealogy –

Here’s a long-awaited update – Part 901sd – Smith Doret Genealogy – Doret? Maybe. Maybe? Let’s Hope So! (http://agenealogyhunt.blogspot.com/)

This is my 1,472nd post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 178,336 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 206 – (AD 1,368) – 19.7 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today, once again I pedaled another 19.7 miles on my Schwinn 170. I’m just wondering whether the fact that I have now reached 65 ½ years of age I seem to have slowed down somewhat on my Schwinn Fitness cycle. Totals to date 29,041.6 miles; 46,738.0 kilometers. I now have 24%, give or take, of my overall goal of 38,201.6 miles remaining…that’s 9,160.0 miles.

I reached my destination and goal point and I pedaled just a wee bit further 4.8 miles. My new destination is Tisia Valles which is, according to WolframAlpha is 490 miles from Denning Crater.

Last night’s supper, double helping dropped my early morning blood glucose count today by 43 points. Definitely positive direction to 147 mg/dL.

Spinach Penne, Shrimp, Roasted Red Pepper, Black Olives, Basil, Olive Oil, Garlic, and Chilis.

This supper is ranked on the “let’s do this one again” scorecard.

Tonight, I’m having Jamaican Patties. This is my moistest, favorite of all...

This is my 1,471st post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 178,255 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 205 – (AD 1,367) – 19.7 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today, I pedaled another 19.7 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals – 29,021.9 miles; 46,706.3 kilometers.

And I have now completed 95.0% of the distance to my next destination and goal point. Time to start surveying the Martian landscape for my next destination. And yes, I have completed 4,120.3 miles of my red-dust Trek.

My fasting blood sugar shot up this morning to 190 mg/dL. Yes, that is high and the result of 2 glasses of red wine, roasted chicken flatbread, Linguini del Mare, and a humungous slice of layered chocolate cake. Birthdays in this house come only once a year. Thank-you Maggione’s Little Italy.



And now to scale back. Period.

This is my 1,470th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 178,198 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 204 – (AD 1,366) – 19.5 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled my Schwinn 170 19.5 miles. Totals now stand at 29,002.2 miles; 46,674.6 kilometers. I seemed to slow down a wee bit today.

And up on Mars, I have finished 4,100.6 miles.

I have also completed 88.4% of the distance to the center of Denning Crater.

Genealogy –

What happens when you have the most common name and are trying to research your genealogy?

From Ancestry.com “What’s the Most Popular Surname in Your State?

“When doing your family research, do you stumble across the last name Smith in your area frequently? According to listings in the white pages, Smith is one of the most popular last names in almost every region of the United States.”

Oh yeah, I also have one of the most common YDNA and mtDNA codes. Looks like I am just a real common Heinz 57.

This is my 1,469th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 178,130 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 203 – (AD 1,365) – 20.0 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled my Schwinn 170 20.0 miles. Totals now – 28,982.7 miles; 46,643.2 kilometers.

While on Mars I have completed 81.9% of the distance to my next destination and goal point.

And I just keep going.

Jim’s Gotta Eat –

Supper a couple of nights ago night was out of this world – Chicken with Beans and Tomatoes. Found the recipe at SouffleBombay.

Genealogy –

My Y-DNA 111 testing has realized another new match. My Y-DNA matches 6 other gentlemen extremely closely with the degree of Genetic Distance between 8 and 10. That’s damn close.

Here’s the Wikipedia definition - Genetic distance is a measure of the genetic divergence between species or between populations within a species. Populations with many similar alleles have small genetic distances. This indicates that they are closely related and have a recent common ancestor.

According to this definition, it means that somehow and somewhere in some time I am related to these 6 others. The issue that I have is that I am a Smith, their surnames are Follis; Ware; Robinson; and Seymour.

This diagram sort of explains the calculation of the genetic distance between 2 markers, adding up for a total of 3.

(Check out the write-up at the site DNA-explained.com.)

Now think the genetic distances that I am working with is only 8, 9, and 10 with the 6 other matches. That is so, so bloody close. I need to find another Smith with a similar YDNA testing result.

And I’m still stuck on my GGG-Grandfather James Smith.

This is my 1,468th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 178,056 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 202 – (AD 1,364) – 21.4 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I cycled 21.4 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals are now 28,962.7 miles; 46,611.0 kilometers.

Same story, 1 hour cycling my Schwinn Fitness Cycle at a resistance of 15, out of 25. GP's order for me to lose 8 pounds, and at the present, I've dropped 3.1 to that goal. The secret will be keeping it that way until my next appointment.

I have now completed 75.3% of the distance to my next destination and goal point. And to date, I have cycled 30.53% of the total distance I intend to pedal on Mars.

The orchids are blooming well this morning. I'm amazed at the ones that are simply attached to a pad-like sponge and the flower buds from what appear to be dead looking sticks. The one thing that I have learned is that they have to be misted and/or watered every single day.

But what gorgeous blooms they produce.

Soapbox -

How many Americans are counting the days for #45's term to end?






This is my 1,467th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 178,018 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 201 – (AD 1,363) – 21.8 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning, (yes this is a boring recorded message), I pedaled another 21.8 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals are now staring me in the face at 28,841.3 miles; 46,576.6 kilometers.

I have now completed 68.1% of the distance to my next destination and goal point. Another 463 more days to go.

Soapbox –

Some time before and during the campaign and a good time before the election of #45 I remember saying that there is something perceptively wrong with the man. After the broadcasting of the Cabinet meeting where each sitting member, as reported by the New York Times yesterday, there is something wrong with that man.

“Trump’s Cabinet, With a Prod, Extols the ‘Blessing’ of Serving Him”, Julie Hirschfeld Davis, June 12, 2017.

“One by one, they praised President Trump, taking turns complimenting his integrity, his message, his strength, his policies. Their leader sat smiling, nodding his approval.”

June 19 Update - The quilt sandwich, 5 layers, has been created. The quilting has begun. We're using the thread work to enhance the movement.

I've fallen behind in updating our Quilts SB site. Check back for more detailing and images. (http://quiltsb.blogspot.com/)

Genealogy Update -

I’ve been working and researching further with the Brunhammer Doherty family history. But I’ve sort of come to a standstill when researching 3-times Great-Grandmother Cather Ganzer.

The issue, not a problem is that I the Nationales Archives for Haut-Rhin and specifically Dornach only go back as far as the early 1790’s. That is, the actual online images of the BMD registers only go back that far as accessible through their online site. That’s a wee bit of frustration.

On the other hand, the microfilms of earlier dates are available through the Family History Library and can be ordered to be viewed at a local Family History Center. Guess what I am going to have to do?

Something is, I think, gone wrong with the number of Pageviews that are being recorded via Blogger. Suddenly for June, the numbers have dropped, and I mean dropped drastically. It is not that I care about the Pageviews totals but when one follows the Google Stats it almost appears that the recorded number has dropped by about 90%. Oh well, I suppose there must be something wrong with Google.

This is my 1,466th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 177,922 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 200 – (AD 1,362) – 21.1 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled my Schwinn 170 fitness cycle 21.1 miles. Adding this to my current tally for Part V of my Trek I have now completed 4,017.9 miles. My grand totals stand at 28,919.5 miles; 46,541.5 kilometers.

On the Mars part of my journey today I have completed 60.9% of the distance to my next destination and goal point.

OPOY - Orlando Pulse One Year

Immediately after the Orlando Pulse tragedy of June 12, 2016, Andy and I decided that we would like to design and create a commemorative quilt to continue to remember the tragedy that took place and affected so many lives of the LGBT community and families.

Our quilt is our attempt to not only remember the 49 lives so senselessly murdered but, in only a way we both can to think about the many other victims who were and continue to be so affected by the act of terror and disdain.

Our quilt OPOY is composed of 102 strips, each representing all the victims, the ones who were slaughtered and the ones who are still living today. The Grey Titanium strips are our homage to those so mercilessly eliminated in the prime of their lives. The individual colored strips represent the victims who did survive. All quilt strips are each individually quilted with a unique design that we would like to acknowledge the uniqueness of each individual.

OPOY - JS AB - June 2017

All strips are grouped together in a way that we should remember their horror. But we would like to remember that as a people we are also grouped together in a uniform but in many unique ways reaching for that oneness of each and of all.

This is my 1,465th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 177,875 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 199 – (AD 1,361) – 20.0 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I cycled 20.0 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals are now standing (albeit pedaling) at 28,898.4 miles; 46,507.6 kilometers. I sort of can taste the 30,000 and 50,000 numbers, respectively.

And while on Mars, (that’s Part V of my overall Trek), I have completed 53.8% of the distance to my next destination and goal point.

I’m having one heck of a time finding the Marriage Registration for Jacques (aka Jacob) and Marie (aka Mary) (née Katz) Brunhammer. All-things-being-equal they appeared to have been married sometime within the time-period of 1860 – 1865 in Alsace somewhere around the Mulhouse/Dornach, Haut-Rhin area in France.

They had, per Census records 14 children. From my research, Jacques immigrated to the Philadelphia area sometime in late 1875 while Marie arrived in early 1876. She arrived at the Port of Philadelphia with 6 of their children. Two more sons were born in New Jersey, Harry, and Pennsylvania, Joseph. The earliest record that I have been able to find is the Death Registration of their son Albert Brunhammer who was born in about 1868 and died in Mulhouse in April 1869.

Jacques, himself, was born in Dornach the 22nd of 1837, and I have been able to trace a good portion of his paternal ancestry. I have been searching the online database of France’s National Archives of Births, Marriages, and Deaths for the Haut-Rhin region. The trouble is that I am coming up with a “dead-end” when it comes to their Marriage Registration. Any suggestions would help?

Thank you, Cathy M-D, for your suggestion of Thann in Haut-Rhin. Just found the actual Marriage Registration for Jacques Brunhammer and Marie Katz registered 11 September 1867 at 5:00 am at the Town Hall of the Village of Thann in Haut-Rhin. Also in the document are the names of each of their parents as well as the legitimization of their son Charles Brunhammer who was born 15 November 1862




June 19 update - Our strip piecing is progressing and we can, if I dare, see some influence of Gustav Klimt and Paul Klee in our design. This new quilt is definitely a challenge for Andy and me, and all-things-being-equal we hope it the final result will meet our expectations.

This is my 1,464th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 177,794 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 198 – (AD 1,360) – 20.6 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

First thing this morning, my 6th-month check-up with my GP. Bottom line, all systems are in working order, as best as they can be expected. Bacterial infection clear-up and well under control. All-things-being-equal, take-away prognosis, keep cycling, less salty snacks, and lose about 8 pounds.

And so, I cycled 20.6 miles on my Schwinn 170 this morning. I’m keeping up with my 5-hours a week program. Totals to date – 28,878.4 miles; 46,475.4 kilometers.

While on Mars I have now completed 47.2% of the distance to my next destination and goal point. I have cycled a total of 3.976.8 miles on the Martian portion of my Trek.

Soapbox –

His nibs, #45 must be reeling and nor able to sleep any more than he does. According to 538 his approval rating has dropped again and continues onward on a downward slope. And conversely, his disapproval rating is forging upward, with another small bump up as it continues.

He can be happy that he appears to have caught up with Gerald Ford…or should I say “caught down”.

All information is from FiveThirtyEight.


Our June 19's update - We're amazed at what is happening as scraps of fabric are sewn to the strips of our canvas.

Anticipation is not necessarily patience.

This is my 1,463rd post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 177,718 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim

Day 197 – (AD 1,359) – 20.1 Miles Today – Jim’s Trek Part V – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

After 1,359 days of pedaling my Schwinn fitness cycle, I’m beginning to hate pedaling. I beginning to hate the sight of the fitness cycle in my house. And to think I have only 9,343.8 out of 38,201.6 miles to go.

But, I did get on my Schwinn 170 this morning and I did cycle another 20.1 miles. My totals now stand at 28,857.8 miles; 46,442.2 kilometers.

That’s my deal for today. My mind is blank, sort of.

This is my 1,462nd post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 177,637 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Have a healthy day and smile,

Jim