Wednesday, September 18, 2024

See the Blog-2 page…

Tuesday, September 17, 2024, 6:45 a.m.

The big day has arrived, my neighbor took me to the airport in Nashville, where I was the first person at the gate. On to Boston, then Amsterdam, then Dusseldorf (in Germany, but closer to my brother’s house than is Amsterdam).

Monday, September 16, 2024, 7:55 a.m.

More Greenway (one last time). On the way back, had Deep Purple cranked up (Child in Time). They just don’t make that kind of music anymore!

Sunday, September 15, 2024, 11:35 a.m.

My first Project Euler solution this season. Still top 100 finish, despite very late start…

Saturday, September 14, 2024, 8:57 a.m.

Thursday, September 12, 2024, 8:46 a.m.

BTW: Proficiat Leon with your birthday! Today marks three weeks (21 days!) of daily bike riding. I think I am in bicycle-riding shape for my trip to the Netherlands!

Sunday, September 8, 2024, 7:18 a.m.

Greenway on my bicycle–never gets old!

Saturday, September 7, 2024, 7:15 a.m.

‘t Is that time of year…

Friday, September 6, 2024

Well, having turned 65, it is my Medicare rite-of-passage (choosing a Medicare supplement plan in my case).

Thursday, September 5, 2024, 7:35 a.m.

A view of the Murfreesboro courthouse in the distance from the Greenway.

Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 7:25 a.m.

Greenway pop quiz: Which one does not belong 🙂 ?

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

My revived LinkedIn profile has led to getting reconnected with some of my old high school friends (1977), some of whom are now retired, others still working, and some of whom I will be seeing when I go over!

Monday, September 2, 2024, 7:34 a.m.

This morning, the last (Southernmost) end of the Greenway. But first I had to navigate the spider web where I would have normally stepped onto our patio. I have now biked the whole 10.5 miles up and down.

Monday, September 2, 2024 (Labor Day)

Today, a holiday–not that it matters much when you are home all the time anyway. But I figured it’s about time that I learn how to take a selfie (curling my picture-taking finger is not easy for me). I think I will need this skill when I visit everyone in the Netherlands!

P.S.: Note my “Amsterdam, Nederland” hoodie! (Thanks Kayla!)

Sunday, September 1, 2024, 7:30 a.m.

Vanmorgen was het bijna fris (21 C) en een beetje nat. Het voelde zich aan als herfst. Die onderste foto is een “hedge apple”. Die dingen zijn keihard en worden alleen gelust door varkens.

Saturday, August 31, 2024

Got my TSA Precheck in the form of the so-called Known Traveler Number (KTN). This should make the boarding process easier. Oddly, Peggy didn’t get hers yet.

Friday, August 30, 2024, p.m.

After consulting with Leon, went ahead and booked my trip: Nashville to Dusseldorf (Germany) by way of Boston and Amsterdam, then back to Nashville by way of Paris (CDG) and New York City (JFK). (Because my family lives in the South of the Netherlands, Dusseldorf is only half the distance compared to Amsterdam, even though it is across the border.)

Friday, August 30, 2024, a.m.

Applied for TSA Precheck–hopefully still in time… And got my flu and Covid shots!

Friday, August 30, 2024, 8:05 a.m.

This morning, on the Greenway, I was moved to poetry:

Thursday, August 29, 2024, a.m.

Decided to update my LinkedIn profile. For those interested see https://www.linkedin.com/in/wim-ruyten-ph-d-b7611b2b/.

Wednesday, August 28, 2024, 1:20 p.m.

Peggy’s big day.

Wednesday, August 28, 2024, 8:21 a.m.

En nog een keer fotos van de Greenway (deze keer aan de zuidkant van Murfreesboro), want het is en blijft mooi. Ook heb ik nog een grote wilde kalkoen gezien (bijna 1 meter van kop tot staart), alleen helaas geen foto!

Wednesday, August 28, 2024, a.m.

I have to say, I have been very pleased with https://www.bluehost.com/ for hosting this blog, both in terms of price ($35.40 for one year) and 24-hr support when needed (with interesting names 🙂 ).

Tuesday, August 27, 2024, p.m.

Peggy found me a good deal (at Ross if you must know) on a new suitcase for my trip. Have passport, have suitcase, have medication letter, can travel!

Tuesday, August 27, 2024, 8:18 a.m.

Another bike ride along the Greenway, with an old railroad crossing (left), Civil-War era cannonballs (center) and a sign for Fortress Rosecrans (right, also Civil War era). Note: these pictures belie the fact that Murfreesboro is a city of 162,000!

Monday, August 26, 2024, p.m.

Got the old passport back, exactly one week after the new one. So we mailed the application to PA, got the new one from AZ, and the old one from VA!

Monday, August 26, 2024, 7:37 a.m.

Ja, het wordt saai, maar alweer gefietst (28 min)–vierde dag op rij. Alleen kwam ik vandaag een beetje in het naar-school-en-terug rijende verkeer uit Maar de wegen zijn breed en de mensen beleefd, dus ook dat was geen bezwaar!

Sunday, August 25, 2024, p.m.

Playing Qwixx (thanks Lien!) with Peggy’s family. Relaxed rules for the five-year-old.

Sunday, August 25, 2024, 8:15 a.m.

Another bike ride, this time on the Greenway along the Stones River in Murfreesboro (very picturesque, shaded, and with some 75 walkers and fellow bikers). Second pic shows the Civil War Monument. For a map, see https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/370/Greenway-Map.

And for my brother Leon: De eerste twee fotos moet je herkennen, want daar hebben we vorig jaar nog gewandeld. De rest liever met de fiets verkennen!

August 24, 2024, 8:04 a.m.

Not a good start of the new season at https://projecteuler.net/problem=904: I don’t understand the question, so time for a bike ride.

A kind soul though did set me straight on the discord discussion forum and later on https://projecteuler.chat/viewtopic.php?p=70202#p70202 (and no, it was NOT the corner angle as I had incorrectly guessed). That is what I love about the discussion forums: We help each other out, even though we hide behind alter-ego user names.

August 24, 2024, 8:18 a.m.

Another bike ride. I am blessed to live in a neighborhood with beautiful brick homes and lots of shade (top pic). We ourselves live in a more modest townhouse (bottom pic). I passed eight walkers, one fellow biker, and was passed by only four cars–not bad for a city of 162,000!

August 23, 2024, 10:20 a.m.

Announcement of my blog to the world (left), soon followed by likes from my family and especially my math friends (right).

August 23, 2024, 8:08 a.m.

First (25-min) bicycle ride in perhaps five years. Note the rust on the handlebar–the bike is almost 40 years old and has to “live” outside 🙂 BTW: That white stuff on my face is sunscreen–I am required to wear it because of the medication I am on.

August 22, 2024, p.m.

And because I was in the area, got to visit two of my daughters and grandchildren. My grandson took to the new puzzle as a duck to water 🙂

August 22, 2024, a.m.

This would have been Jos’ 62nd birthday. But I got to do something I have not been able to do in seven years: Visit my former place of employment: Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma (TN) (see https://www.arnold.af.mil/).

I also did something else I have not done in years: Drive on the Interstate!

And I parked in my favorite shady spot, one mile from the Air Force Base: This is where I would come for midday naps, when I could no longer work a whole day through, because of my PSC.

And the reunion with former coworkers was very special!

August 21, 2024

Start of this blog from my dining room table.

August 20, 2024

I hope to ride around on a bicycle when I go to the Netherlands (as does everybody over there), so decided to have my own bicycle restored, which I have not ridden since my transplant) and get some practice in.

Also received my Medication Letter, to take with me as an excuse for taking a ton of medicines with me on my trip.

August 19, 2024

New passport arrived in the mail. I paid for expedited handling and it took only two weeks!

August 18, 2024

Been texting pictures with Leon about items in the parental home: who wants to keep what. Found these plates of my maternal grandparents (ca. 1925). (Inscription: “Our Dear Father/Mother”)

August 13, 2024

It also helps to talk live in person about Jos. For example, I spoke at length with my good friend Scott (friend of 42 years!), seen here in an infamous 1983 picture when he disproved his contention that ‘E’ stands for Enough 🙂 Also spoke with 39-year friend Maria.

August 12, 2024

Modern technology to the rescue: Start of a week-long campaign to contact all my relatives and friends in the Netherlands, and start of arrangements to see them when I go over there.

August 11, 2024

In collaboration with a man from Luxemburg (user name Obergscheidle), completed the last (math) problem of the 2023-2024 season. It took us almost two weeks! This (http://projecteuler.net) is what I have spent most of my time on the last two years.

August 10, 2024

Memorial service for Jos. My passport was expired so I was not able to attend in person, but I was able to watch the live stream on my laptop (at 2:30 in the morning my time).

August 4, 2024

My 65th birthday. My sister-in-law, Lien, had already sent her wishes via Facebook, so I was surprised when she called. Then the devastating news: My brother Jos had died suddenly. My immediate thought: Then I have to get over there as soon as I can!

(For more information about Jos please see my “Jos” page.)