routine maintenance

moving on

2011-05-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

this blog has a new home.
all future posts will be found at http://marlosmaintenance.blogspot.com

Renewal

2011-04-04T16:23:00.001-07:00

I find an encouraging hope in various opportunities for renewal. As part of my chosen faith, I have the opportunity for weekly spiritual renewal as I participate in the ordinance of sacrament. New Year’s Day, the first day of Spring, Easter, my birthday are spots on the calendar I look forward to, in part, for what they can or do represent with respect to personal renewal. And often I am fortunate to encounter non-ritual, unrelated-to-calendar-dates, moments in which my mind, body, and/or spirit find renewed energy, hope, and happiness through a connection with a friend, nature, or even myself. Indeed, life is good.

Absence of Commotion

2011-03-09T00:54:00.001-08:00

Like you find driving city streets at 3 am on a week night.

Understanding People

2011-03-06T17:13:00.001-08:00

...the emotional equivalent of a teddy bear. So glad I have a few in my life.

Cream of Wheat

2011-02-09T10:41:00.001-08:00

Right up at the top of my list of comfort foods. And with the single serving packages of instant cream of wheat, completely convenient as well.

Warm Memories

2011-02-08T20:46:00.001-08:00

When sub zero wind chills come around, thoughts of summer days at the beach keep my mood from the freezing cold.

2010-07-23T08:00:00.001-07:00

Going to sleep with no need to set an alarm.

2010-07-04T10:29:00.001-07:00

Peaceful Sunday afternoons.

naps....

2010-07-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

on "the lake", in my little row boat, under the summer sun.

Conversation

2010-07-01T09:53:00.001-07:00

Long conversations with long-time friends.

Warm...

2010-06-29T19:31:00.001-07:00

Summer nights

lightning bugs

2010-06-07T16:08:00.001-07:00

I just find it very cool how they make the dark sparkle.

wind chimes

2010-06-06T18:37:00.001-07:00

a rather windy day today and as I get ready for bed, I can hear the notes being made outside.

bird song

2010-03-08T10:40:00.001-08:00

The past week the birds have really started singing. I love their sounds as they signal spring's soon return.

sunroof weather

2010-03-07T20:18:00.001-08:00

today was the warmest day so far this year, nearly reaching 50 F. The sky was clear and the sun strong, so that while sitting inside the car an open sunroof felt incredibly good.

sunny days

2009-08-30T12:49:00.001-07:00

a whole heck of a lot of rain this summer makes for an even greater appreciation of the sunshine

hot air balloons

2009-08-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

from a balloon launch in Binghamton, NY yesterday

summer days

2009-07-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

after a cool spring and an equally cool and rainy start to the summer, I, being a fan of warmth, am enjoying the arrival, finally, of hazy, humid, mid-80 degree temperatures.

quiet days

2009-07-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

no rushing around, no deadlines to meet, no agendas, no commotion going on around me – a chance to remember how to breathe deeply

early morning sunshine

2009-07-18T04:12:00.001-07:00

On a saturday, early means anytime before 11 am, but the morning sunshine I enjoy most are those summer rays coming over the hilltop before 7 when the world is still free of people generated noise pollution and you can stand outside and almost breathe in the sunlight.

rain sounds

2009-07-17T20:07:00.001-07:00

gentle, steady rain heard on the leaves outside the living room window while all else is quiet – quite relaxing and perhaps even comforting

sunshine

2009-07-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

June was a very wet month where I live and July has had rain regulary as well. So I am sending towards heaven a big thank you for the bright, sun filled, nearly cloudless sky of today.

fireworks

2009-07-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

yep, I think they're cool to watch.

cool coworkers

2009-06-30T19:26:00.001-07:00

the nearly unbearable, everyday stress of my job would certainly be beyond unbearable if not for enjoyable collegial interaction.

repeat blessings

2009-06-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

at the outset of this blog, I originally wanted each post to have an unique subject. I also wanted to avoid having a random list consisting of that from which I might possibly derive enjoyment, but instead compile a collection of postings chronicling what has truly brought a smile to my face at that particular point in time. Turns out, the second objective is hard to consistently achieve while also sticking with the first. So….I’m abandoning that first objective. As a matter of fact, I’m quite grateful that I get to enjoy a number of my favorite blessings repeatedly.

computer technology

2009-06-26T18:32:00.001-07:00

having been without a computer for almost two weeks, I am happily bonding with a new electronic friend.

reconnecting

2009-02-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

I love when by chance (or internet social network sites) I reconnect with old friends.

50

2009-02-07T19:42:00.000-08:00

when the temperature hits 50 in the winter I am ecstatic. Not only does it feel good to walk outside and not immediately become aware of bitter cold, but the temperature reminds me of perfect summer nights when the temperatures don't go below 50. They can't come soon enough.

stillness

2009-01-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

sometimes, especially after a snowfall, and late at night, no cars are driving by and all is quiet. I love that peaceful stillness, even if fleeting.

craziness

2009-01-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

I get a bit of odd enjoyment out of being able to say I just went for a run in 2 degree (F) weather - even if I'm just talking to myself.

winter solstice

2008-12-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

can't say I celebrate the day or anything, but I love knowing that from that day on I get a bit more daylight every day for the next 6 months.

baby sighs

2008-12-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

love that cute little sound babies sometimes make while they're sleeping

Christmas

2008-12-25T20:28:00.000-08:00

the season, the good cheer, and the religious significance behind the holiday

heat

2008-12-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

I'm one of those who'd much rather sweat through a sultry summer than shiver through sub-zero temps. So thank goodness for a well-functioning heating source and plenty of warm, fuzzy blankets.

first snowfall

2008-12-21T14:48:00.000-08:00

I always enjoy the first significant snowfall of the season.

Christmas lights

2008-12-21T14:43:00.000-08:00

on my tree, on the bannister, around windows - love 'em.

time with family

2008-11-30T16:44:00.000-08:00

i am fortunate that hanging with family members is fun and relaxing.
it has been a very enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend.

nature conservation groups

2008-11-25T23:18:00.000-08:00

I enjoy nature tremendously and recently had the opportunity to enjoy a cool hike through an area near my home, opened to the public this year, thanks in large part to a conservation group that purchased 1,200 acres from an organization that had planned to turn the area into an industrial park. Thank you cool conservation group people :)

crunching leaves

2008-11-23T19:33:00.000-08:00

though I prefer the view of trees with their leaves, I smile with little kid enjoyment walking through the woods in the crunchy layers of the fallen foliage.

full moon

2008-11-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

I just think they're cool

pillows

2008-11-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

love 'em, lots of 'em

warm nights

2008-10-19T16:35:00.002-07:00

two weeks ago as I drove home from work after 8 o'clock the temperature was still near 70 degrees F. I opened the sunroof and enjoyed the air, unusual for a mid-October evening. I think that was probably the last warm night for another six months.

big rocks

2008-10-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

Not sure why, but big rocks fascinate me.
When I come across rock formations
in the middle of the woods,
the setting adds to my enjoyment.

finisher medals

2008-10-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

I've participated in a number of road races, but I am rather slow and most always finish among the last runners to cross the finish line. However, in the longer races, the accomplishment of merely finishing is recognized by handing out medals to each and every runner who completes the distance, regardless of the time it takes. I love those medals :)

Road Trips

2008-09-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

I like long drives to fun places or people. Solo jaunts provide welcome opportunity for sorting my thoughts. And when I get to travel with enjoyable people the conversation makes hours pass quite quickly and pleasantly.

automatic car washes

2008-09-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

I very much enjoy when my car is all clean and shiny and I still have little kid enjoyment of sitting in the car while the car wash machines do their job. Yes, I'm easily amused.

insurance

2008-09-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

after recently totaling my car it turned out that my insurance covered the entire cost of my remaining car loan even after the deductable was taken out of the payment. this was a huge relief seeing how the car was just purchased 5 months ago.

bridges

2008-09-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

especially the big ones with cool designs

while traveling to/from the beach, I crossed the DE-1 C&D Canal Bridge

my bed

2008-09-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

I love traveling and going places and don't have any problems sleeping nearly anywhere I might find myself; however, there's a certain kind of mental comfort and a different level of rest received when I return to my own bed

waves

2008-09-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

I love the rhythmic movement and sound.

This was taken at night at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
The lights from the boardwalk reflected off the water
enough to be able to show up in a photo.

clam chowder

2008-09-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

I like both the Manhattan and the New England varieties, but I do believe New England is my favorite. Spending the weekend in Boston provided an opportunity to consume a cup of New England Clam Chowder from the restaurant who has won the annual Boston clam chowder competition a number of times. Now that was one heck of a bowl of soup.

EZPass

2008-08-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

Road trips in my part of the U.S. generally include traveling on toll roads and across toll bridges which of course involves stopping at toll booths to pay tolls and dealing with the congestion of all kinds of traffic all having to stop and pay the requisite toll. But with the attachment of a state issued radio transmitter to one's windshield the tolls are charged to your credit card automatically and many toll booth areas have "fast lanes" usable only by those with the EZPass. The result - significant delays in stop and go, bottle-neck traffic avoided as well as the associated pissed off mood and a smooth ride right on through to one's destination. I smile quite largely every time I go through the EZPass fast lane.

airbags

2008-08-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

they smell yucky and mess up the appearance of your car's interior, but as I have recently, personally discovered , they work. (I'm without scratch, car may be dead though.)

mint

2008-08-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Did some weed whacking over the weekend near a shoreline of a pond. One area has mint growing here and there. I love the smell when the weed whacker hits a patch. And I do believe mint chocolate chip ice cream is my favorite ice cream flavor :)

silly moments

2008-08-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

a block after passing through a green light, I came to a four way stop. I sat there for a couple seconds before realizing my brain was waiting for the light to turn green. Um, yeah. I had to laugh at myself and was glad no one else was around, especially behind me. Well, no question I came to a full stop there.

whipped cream

2008-08-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

I think I have a thing for sugary funness....

new stuff

2008-08-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

if you haven't heard, there's a new "charm" in Lucky Charms - an hour glass. Ok, so none of the charms really look like much of anything other than variably colored shaped sugar, but hey, I've got an imagination.
Hee Hee

blue jeans

2008-08-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

perhaps the most versatile and most comfortable (physically and emotionally) kind of clothing in existence, at least in my wardrobe.

football

2008-08-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

more specifically - watching NFL football. Perhaps my favorite thing to watch on television (when the Steelers are playing). And the season is unofficially starting tomorrow. Hee Hee.

unexpected adventure

2008-07-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

While trying to locate a family with whom I was to be meeting (work related), the road I was on somewhat abruptly narrowed to nearly single lane, very quickly became all dirt and filled with numerous holes of near car-swallowing proportions, and continued as such for a good three miles. Eventually the road returned to a paved condition with a little more width and after a few more miles intersected with a road with which I was familiar. Never did find that family, but took in some very nice, wooded area, scenery.

naps

2008-07-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

I like them....a lot. :)

Lori's

2008-07-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

off the second block of Baltimore Ave in Rehoboth Beach, DE is a small courtyard in which one can find a little cafe where one can obtain some of the best, yummiest sandwiches this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Three summers ago, I was introduced to the area and the aforementioned cafe. My now yearly pilgrimage to this particular beach always includes a trip to Lori's.

growth

2008-07-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

this little guy seeded itself from a plant that had long since, uh, passed on and very late last fall began to grow. he had but two little strands of growth when I brought him inside for the winter. I put those same two strands, then a tad bit longer, back outside this spring.
I love how plants regenerate.

dragonflies

2008-07-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

I think they're fun to watch. Saw many, many dozens as I rowed along a wooded shoreline of a small lake. This one decided to take a short rest on an anchor rope. I was happy to accommodate my purple friend.

texting

2008-07-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

I hope I don't sound like too much of an electronic addict, but my cell phone screen was broken and it took me 3 1/2 days to remedy the situation (read - new phone upgrade). Man, I enjoy being able to txt and receive little thoughts to friends during the day. So glad I'm able to do so again. That was a long 3+ days ;)

daily survival

2008-07-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

some days just getting to the end of the day in one piece is huge

cherry trees

2008-07-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

used to climb one as a kid and sit up high in the branches eating as many cherries as I could get my hands on that hadn't already been found by the birds

salamander eggs

2008-07-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

while moving rocks from the woods (to build walls in other locations), I found some woodland salamander eggs attached to the underside of a nice sized rock. I've never seen them before, but I saw the assumed, parent salamander squiggling away into the dirt and as I looked closely at the half dozen or so perfectly round and transparent eggs, I could see the itty bitty baby salamanders swimming inside their eggs. very cool.

extended weekends

2008-07-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

that one little extra day is just so very enjoyable.

saved voice mail

2008-07-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have a few messages saved through my cell phone's voice mail from good friends who have left cheerful or funny messages. Some of these are many months old. But whenever I happen to listen to them (usually when I'm checking new voice mail and I'm required to re-save any old messages I want to keep around) I grin widely.

flip-flops

2008-07-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

unfortunately not the official foot wear of employment, but on my own time I just love 'em. For me they symbolize summer and taking it easy.

cheese curds

2008-07-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

ok, so I like cheese in general - the more bite it has, the better. But cheese curds are not only yummy, they're fun to eat.

the olympics

2008-06-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

the Olympic trials to decide America's Olympic team (in track and field and a few other sports) have begun. I've always been a huge fan of the Olympics and (underneath the commercialism) the higher ideals the Games represent.

at the lake...

2008-06-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

hangin in a rowboat and enjoying nature's calm

summer

2008-06-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

my favorite season...

family

2008-06-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

quite certainly, my family of origin did not get short changed on our fair share of dysfunction; however, all things considered, I consider myself fortunate to have the family I do - no one is overbearing or overly annoying and I have a very enjoyable relationship with 75% of the members of my family to the extent that spending time with anyone from that percentage group never feels like a duty, burden, chore, or something to be endured for the sake of keeping the peace. In fact, I seek out opportunities to spend time with them and can't recall a time when I didn't enjoy hanging with them. Yeah, I am quite blessed in this area.

perfect weather

2008-06-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

there are tons of different aspects of weather that I enjoy and one of those is when a combination of weather elements combine to produce a day of, by my preferences, perfect weather - low humidity (50% or so), clear blue sky, light breeze (5 mph or less), and 80-83 degrees Fahrenheit. The northeast U.S. doesn't get a whole lot of those days, but there's been a couple in the last 10 days or so. Lovin' it :)

manual labor

2008-05-28T16:06:00.000-07:00

spent a good part of Memorial Day digging holes for fence posts. I do love the physical exertion.

exploring

2008-05-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

traveled some unknown roads with some friends yesterday just to see where they went and saw some wonderful views of the countryside.

rainbows

2008-05-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

saw my second of the year yesterday. my first sighting occurred the day before. they always make me smile.

breakfast at 9pm

2008-05-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned cereal before, but there's a childlike, added element of enjoyment to eating lucky charms at night :)

purple

2008-05-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

deep, deep purple - my favorite color.

automatic auto lighting

2008-05-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

no small convenience and pleasure it is when one walks to one's car after dark (especially in an unlit area), hits the remote unlock from a hundred feet away, and the interior dome light comes on. So very nice. And yes, this is a feature I have only recently had the opportunity to enjoy :)

pineapple

2008-05-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

love it!

rediscovery

2008-05-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

recently purchased a bike.
have fallen in love again with bike riding.

new discoveries

2008-05-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

while out running I came across an old, no longer used railroad bridge. Yeah, perhaps most people would be unimpressed, but I find it fun and interesting discovering bits of local history.

Mom

2008-05-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

getting a Mother's day gift together and can't help but think how fortunate I am in the Mom department. She's human, but an awesome example of one.

flowers

2008-05-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

i've mentioned this already, but when the weather changes enough to sustain delicate plant growth outside, I get all eager and giddy thinking about filling outdoor planters and flower boxes and such.

I think I have nearly all I need. :)

planting things

2008-04-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

warmer weather equals time for outdoor plants, flowers, veggies. Yay :)

city lights....

2008-04-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

at night make me smile

the smell of spring rain

2008-04-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

refreshing and relaxing...

almond

2008-04-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Love the smell in hand creams or other body lotions, love the taste added for flavoring to other foods, love the nut all by itself. I enjoy the tree. And the almond's early stages before it's ready to be picked is just kinda cool, fuzzy green and all.

scriptures

2008-04-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

I'm grateful for having access
to sacred words that offer
solace and increased inner strength.

hanging with friends

2008-04-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not the kind of person who needs to be entertained to have fun. So whether we're just sitting around chatting, watching some TV, or even going grocery shopping, I very much enjoy spending time with people I consider real friends.

relaxing

2008-04-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

I don't relax much. Even when I might appear to be kicking back, I'm often stressed about something (work, school, relationships, etc). So I incredibly appreciate when I'm actually able to relax internally.

pending vacation

2008-04-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

knowing a vacation is just around the corner is very encouraging

red-tinted trees

2008-04-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

when the faded, grayish-brown trees covering the hills start to show the reddish hue of new buds, I'm excited like a kid a few days before Christmas. Spring is finally sticking around.

convenient parking

2008-04-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

especially on those days where I'm running crazy trying to meet the demands of the day, finding an empty piece of pavement near my desired destination is so very nice.

sunny and sixty (or better)

2008-04-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

the first week of spring where the weather is actually spring-like is so sweet

streaming sound

2008-04-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

no, not the internet music kind, but rather the sound of the small stream running over rocks through the woods.