Day 276 – (AD 1,438) – 26.1 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I have crossed another threshold. I have completed 80.02% of my total journey. Who would have thought that I would keep on keeping-on? And this morning I pedaled 26.1 miles on my Schwinn 170.

My totals now are 30,569.8 miles; 49,197.4 kilometers. I still have 7,631.8 miles to go.

And this morning I reached my next goal, Fournier Crater. I continued 22.6 miles beyond in the direction of my next destination and goal point, Libya Montes. I have completed 3.5% of the new distance.

This morning’s FBS dropped 10 points. I had a hankering for Tourtière last night. I used to make a couple always for Christmas Eve in days gone by. And I think I can still do the same.

Filling is Ground Beef and Pork and mashed Potatoes with a bunch of spices, which were a few more as mentioned in the recipe.

Rainbow Cranes
JS AB - 2017

Rainbow Cranes Update - Our Rainbow Cranes are looking better than expected. The inner top and all 36 Cranes have been quilted. Next step the border.

Questions answered –

Andy does not use a "ruler" to sew the straight lines. He uses tape.

The Crane blocks are NOT paper-pieced. I created an #Accuquilt design and die which we use to cut the fabric for all the Cranes and the surrounding background of each individual block.

The Crane block is 6" square. I also created a 5" one.

Something to think about and appreciate –

BBC.com just made notice that “Stephen Hawking PhD readers crash Cambridge University website”.

Soapbox –

#45’s approval rating at FiveThirtyEight is continuing on a steady downward path. Whenever it does turn-around the approval rating is still lower than the lowest ever for President Gerald Ford.

This is my 1,538th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 183,751 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 275 – (AD 1,437) – 26.6 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I pedaled my Schwinn 170 26.6 miles. Totals – 30,543.7 miles; 49,155.4 kilometers.

And I have completed 99.4% of the 580 miles between Liris Valles and Fournier Crater. I have picked my next destination which is 650 miles away from Fournier Crater. Stay-tuned to tomorrow to find out where.

My early morning blood sugar count dropped 7 points when I made a dish of homemade Bistro Pasta with Spicy Italian Sausage two nights ago.

But contrariwise it went up 19 points when I went out to supper a Bonefish Grill. My guess would be the Bang Bang Shrimp and the sauce used on the Snapper.

Overall, I am keeping on a downward track, blue line, when I calculate out my A1c.

Rainbow Cranes update - 4th quadrant quilting. Now on to the border. And if you get a chance “Like” our Quilts SB Facebook page. I believe we’re just at about 700 likes.

This is my 1,537th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 183,688 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 274 – (AD 1,436) – 25.8 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I pedaled 25.8 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals now stand at 30,517.1 miles; 49,112.6 kilometers.

And I only have 5.1% of the distance remaining to my next goal point Fournier Crater.

Have you ever had one of those days that you sort of wonder what you should be doing? Yep. It is one of those days.

Rainbow Cranes update - Lower right- hand quadrant completed. One more quadrant and outside border remaining.

This is my 1,536th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 183,542 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 273 – (AD 1,435) – 27.4 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

The Quest in attempt to electronically pay a bill on time.

I did not get my Jim Trek’s posting up online yesterday as I spent another 4 hours, after al-ready spending 16 hours, attempting to track down and fix my electronic payment between Citibank, Fairpoint Communications, and Verizon.

It seems that when I tried and set up an electronic payee with Citibank online the default for the new account number that Verizon gave me is an old Fairpoint Communications format. Therefore, in the Citibank electronic funds wire system that account number still defaults to an old Verizon account to Fairpoint Communications. According to Fairpoint Communications they have not had a relationship with Verizon for at least 10 years.

Well luckily, I initiated the first electronic payment well in advance that I was not late with my payment due, but my original payment is still sitting with Fairpoint Communications. In turn I had to present proof to Fairpoint Communications from Citibank that the funds had incorrectly been sent to them and not to Verizon. Subsequently I reissued another payment to Verizon, sent fax documentation to Fairpoint Communication, and finally reissued a new bill payment to Verizon.

This means that I have spent a total of at least 20 hours on the phone talking to representa-tives at a combination of these three companies.

And to top it all I am always amazed at the final and last question that each representative had in common. “Thank you for your business, Mr. Smith. Is there anything else that I can do for you?”

My response “Do you provide new prescriptions for blood pressure increases?”

10 years! And who is to blame?

Yesterday I pedaled 27.4 miles on my Schwinn 170. I burned 1,483 calories, again a new record. My totals are now 30,491.3 miles; 49,071.1 kilometers.

And I have completed 90.4% of the distance to my next goal. Looks like I am going to have to find a new one.

A Genealogy Hunt update - Part 914sr – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Another DNA 111 Marker Match https://agenealogyhunt.blogspot.com/

I just received news from Family Tree DNA that my Smith Y-DNA has another 111-Marker match. This time with a 9 Genetic Distance. The match is one John Faree Follis. This now makes that I have 8 relatively close 111 Y-DNA marker matches.

This is my 1,535th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 183,372 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 272 – (AD 1,434) – 26.3 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled my Schwinn 170 26.3 miles. Totals recorded now at 30,463.9 miles; 49,027.0 kilometers.

I have also completed 85.7% of the distance to my next goal point.

Thought this afternoon -

Soapbox –

A rock and a hard place. Period. The New Yorker, in the October 23, 2017 issue published a “Letter From Washington” by Jane Mayer, “The Danger of President Pence”.

“The worse the President looks, the more desirable his understudy seems. The more Trump is mired in scandal, the more likely Pence’s elevation to the Oval Office becomes, unless he ends up legally entangled as well.”

Rainbow Cranes update - Quilting continues. Top 2 quadrants almost completed. Effective center sashing.

This is my 1,534th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 183,290 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 271 – (AD 1,433) – 26.6 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled 26.6 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals 30,437.6 miles; 48,984.7 kilometers.

And I keep going on the face of Mars. I have completed 81.2% of the distance to my next goal point and destination.

Soapbox –

It seems that the current White House Administration has become an oh-hum, that’s just what #45’s up to. It also seems that voices that have been pronounced appear to have quieted down. It is almost like a waiting game. #45’s next move?

Salon’s article “Is Donald Trump unraveling?” by Robert Reich, dated Oct. 16, 2017

Is Trump really unraveling? Are Republican leaders ready to pull the plug? I phoned an old friend, a Republican former member of Congress who keeps up with what’s going on. I scribbled notes as he talked:

…You got me. I’m just glad I’m not there anymore. Trump’s not just a moron. He’s a despicable human being. And he’s getting crazier. Paranoid. Unhinged. Everyone knows it. I mean, we’re in shit up to our eyeballs with this guy.

Stopped into Sam's to pick up a few things. The Holiday decorations are out on display. This is the 15th of October. But... But... Where in the hell does this fit into anyone's celebration decorations?

And at $94.72, who in all of tarnation sets up a tree in this form. I don't hear Christmas bells. I hear Deliverance banjos a'pluckin'.



Rainbow Cranes update - Quilting work continues on the upper right-hand quadrant and the center sashing.

This is my 1,533rd post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 183,246 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 270 – (AD 1,432) – 25.9 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I pedaled my Schwinn 170 25.9 miles. Totals now stand at 30,411.0 miles; 48,941.9 kilometers.

And I am just about 76.6% of the way to my next destination and goal point.

I am sort of frustrated that the numbers and counts on my Trek are not going as fast as I would like them to do so. (That’s the impatient part of me coming through.) The Patient part of me, realizes that after 1,432 days of pedaling I have clocked up 30, 411.0 miles. I still have 7,790.6 miles to go.

At my latest jump to about 25 miles per day, I have about 312 more days to pedal. And if I continue with a 5-day week I should finish in about 62 weeks or somewhere around December 22, 2018.

Our Rainbow Cranes quilt is taking shape. The quilting of the upper left-hand quadrant is very effective.

Soapbox –

There are three groups of Leeward Islands and islets in the Caribbean’ The U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and the Spanish Virgin Islands. Two of the three groups are unincorporated territories of the United States.


This is my 1,532nd post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 183,150 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

Days 269 – (AD 1,431) – 27.1 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning up early and had to go to the vampire station. When I returned home I pedaled my Schwinn 170 another 27.1 miles. My totals now stand at 30,385.1 miles; 48,900.2 kilometers.

And I have 27.9% of the distance remaining to my next goal point and destination.

Food for thought –

I just received a call for “James Smith” from a 3rd party collection agency.

Okay, yes, I have the most common name in the English language. It was a collection agency from a bank claiming that I had an outstanding balance on an account (Yes, I have an account with the same business.)

I decided to play along with the caller and asked for the outstanding balance on my account. I was told that the balance was a 4-figure balance due. My immediate retort “I do not have any balance on my own account with that business.”

I was then asked for the last 4-digits of my Social Security number. My quick response “No, but could you tell me the last 4-digits of the SSN associated with the account?” The response that followed was a number completely different than my own. I immediately responding that it was not mine.

The caller asked me again. I responded in the negative, without giving my own and correct number. He said thank you very much, and hung up.

Well I have been on the face of this earth for at least 6-and-a-half decades, and even though I do have the extremely common name, this is the 1st time I have ever had anyone try to or mix-up me with another one of the other James Smiths.

Yes the Jim Smith Society does exist. It was founded in Pennsylvania when I was 18 years old.  And yes, I am not a member. And no, I’m not in the image on their Facebook page.

Today’s bread is my twist on Oma’s Artisan Bread. It is a Sourdough Loaf, and I used my new Fred II sourdough starter.

This one’s just out of the oven.

Been asked by a number regarding my recipe for No Pimento Pimento Cheese Spread.

8 oz. Very Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
8 oz. Cream Cheese
¼ cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup Greek Plain Yogurt
¼ cup Pickled Jalapenos
3 tsps. Sambal Oelek Chili Paste (This is the red that stuff that will give the Spread its color.)
3 tsps. Garlic, chopped
4 Green Onions
Salt and Pepper to taste

Throw everything into a food processor.

Rainbow Cranes quilt update. The quilting has started.

And the pieces of 30 5-inch Crane blocks have been cut for another Crane quilt.

Yeah! Guess what arrived in the mail yesterday? Kimberly Einmo's new line of fabric, Quilted Blessings!. My name was pulled in a drawing. http://www.kimberlyeinmo.com/

Stay-tuned.

This is my 1,531st post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 183,106 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

Days 268 – (AD 1,430) – 26.7 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I pedaled my Schwinn 170 26.7 miles. Totals – 30,358.0 miles; 48,856.6 kilometers.

This morning I completed 67.4% of the distance to my next goal point.

Received a couple of notes, electronically, regarding my cycling which stated that the actual exercise of my pedaling was in question. Here’s a quick video of few seconds of my 60 minutes this morning while I am watching Series 10 Episode 23 of Supernatural.

Given the cycling part is real. The Mars part is made-up. The distance is real. I still have 7,843.6 more miles to go.

I am currently trying a new recipe to make a loaf of bread, Oma’s Artisan Bread Recipe.

This is my bowl after 12 hours of fermenting.

Soapbox –

Is not everyone getting tired of the inane and extreme ludicrousness of the current state of our government? Wilfred Owen’s poem “Insensibility” would seem to sum up and apply to the current state of affairs.

“Happy are men who yet before they are killedCan let their veins run cold.Whom no compassion fleersOr makes their feetSore on the alleys cobbled with their brothers…
…But cursed are dullards whom no cannon stuns,
That they should be as stones.
Wretched are they, and mean
With paucity that never was simplicity.
By choice they made themselves immune
To pity and whatever moans in man
Before the last sea and the hapless stars;
Whatever mourns when many leave these shores;
Whatever shares
The eternal reciprocity of tears.”

Our Rainbow Cranes quilt is now ready to quilt. The quilting design has been created.

Stay-tuned.

This is my 1,530th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 182,974 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

Days 267 – (AD 1,429) – 27.1 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I pedaled 27.1 miles on my Schwinn 170. totals now 30,331.3 miles; 48,813.6 kilometers.

And I have now completed 62.8% of the 580 miles from my last goal point to the next one.

Our Rainbow Cranes quilt update – Top completed and the sandwich has been put together.

Rainbow Cranes
JS AB - October 2017

And we just found out that we're the winner in a draw of Kimberly Einmo's newest and greatest fabric line "Solid-ish" by Timeless Treasures Fabrics Thank you Kimberly. I can see more Cranes.

Supper these past couple of nights -

Oriental Lemon Chicken -

Thai Shimp Cakes with Chopped Sesame Garlic Dressing -

This is my 1,529th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 182,869 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

Days 266 – (AD 1,428) – 25.8 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled 25.8 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals are now 30,304.2 miles; 48,770.0 kilometers.

And I have completed 58.2% of the 580 miles distance to my next goal.

My mind is not working to well today, contrary to my biorhythms. According to the chart I should be at just a bit below +100% in both my Intellectual and Emotional cycles. My Physical cycle is in an upward swing halfway between -100% and 0%.

Our new quilt in progress - Rainbow Cranes.

Rainbow Cranes - in progress
JS AB - 2017

This is my 1,528th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 182,786 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

Days 265 – (AD 1,427) – 26.9 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled my Schwinn 170 26.9 miles and burned 1,447 calories.

I guess there is a problem now with the resistance programming, something that may have been zapped by power surges during Hurricane Irma. I am pedaling somewhat a wee bit faster, and I have set the resistance at 25/25. But from my recollection the resistance at 25/25 is nowhere near as hard as it was at 18/25 prior to Irma. Guess I’ll just reach my overall goal of 38,201.6 miles just a wee bit sooner.

My totals are now at 30,278.4 miles; 48,728.5 kilometers.

I did complete 53.7% of the distance to my next destination and goal point on the Red Planet.

Supper I had two nights ago certainly was the easiest, and remarkedly delicious. Kai Jiew – Thai Omelet served on Jasmine Rice with Thai Cucumber Salad.

The Omelet – 2 Eggs and Fish Sauce. That’s it. Period. Done!

Our latest quilt – The Silence of Sounds has been completed. I will be updating Quilts SB shortly.

The Silence of Sounds
JS AB - Oct 2017

The Silence of Sounds is our entry to a new challenge, the Anthems Challenge. More info to follow.

This is my 1,527th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 182,716 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

Days 264 – (AD 1,426) – 25.4 Miles – Jim’s Trek Part V – Mars on My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled 25.4 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals now stand at 30,251.5 miles; 46,685.2 kilometers.

And I have completed 49.1% of the distance to my next destination.

Looks like the power surges that happened through the passing of hurricane Irma may have screwed up the resistance factor on my Schwinn 170. This morning I had to increase the resistance, as opposed to the 18/25 yesterday, to 25/25 to break a sweat. On the positive note I increased the number of miles in my alloted 60 minutes and I burned 1,250 calories.

My blood sugar dropped another 5 points this morning, which is not what I expected from last night’s supper of Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Bacon Chicken with Orzo or the number of mini-Coconut Banana Chocolate muffins I had.

My 112 mg/dL count supports preparing meals at home…and watching the amount of food that I shovel down my gullet.

And another casualty of Hurricane Irma was Fred. Fred got thrown out with the rest of the contents of our refrigerator after about 6 days of no power. Fred was my sourdough starter and was almost 2 years old. Well Fred 2 is now about 1-and-a-half weeks old. And the No-Knead Sourdough Loaf looks tremendous.

Reading –

The New York Times article by Nicholas Bakalar, “Saunas May Be Good for Blood Pressure”…

“Compared to those who reported one sauna session a week or less, those who took two to three sessions were 24 percent less likely to have hypertension, and four to seven visits a week reduced the risk by 46 percent. The study controlled for body mass index, alcohol consumption, resting heart rate, smoking, family history of hypertension and other variables.”

Alternate solution – Move to Florida during the summer.

This is my 1,526th post. Per Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 182,618 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