The kids got in safely Tuesday night, and I had this great video going of them walking right past me without seeing me as they came out of the gate area, and me sneaking up and walking right behind them as they look around for me. BUT, a Tapatalk notification popped up right as Callie remembered I had done something like this last time and she turned around, so the video stopped recording at the penultimate moment. Dang Tapatalk!
I'm finally feeling better from the flu thing that ravaged my office, but my sinuses still feel like they're full of rocks.
My voice is like 90% back, and I'm happy about that! I had my check up with the endocrinologist the other day, and things look good. I just have to get one more round of bloodwork and go back in three months. There is a slight concern that I might not have all my functioning parathyroid glands, and I had a nuclear scan to find out, but I don't have the results yet. That wouldn't be a really big deal--I'd just have to keep taking calcium for the rest of my life.
Hermione is a really terrible kitten. I hate that she can be so bad and yet so magical. I would put up a recent picture of her, but I "lost" my phone yesterday morning. I had set it down with my ipad before going to work, went into my room to grab my purse, and then I couldn't find my phone. It just disappeared, like Forrest's ball of string, only it wasn't raining outside, and my story is true. Lol.
So, all my pictures are missing right now. I'm sure the phone was probably batted under something by Hermione, who likes to claw her way up my leg to gain a high vantage point to leap on Monet from.
Anyway, I wanted to talk a little bit about Forrest's podcast the other day, which you can find here.
The part I want to clarify is where he says this:
"They don't need to READ my book, but they need to READ MY POEM. But the BOOK will help them. But they can find the treasure if they can decipher the clues that are in the poem."
Forrest has also recently said, "I suggest you go to MY POEM IN THE BOOK and read it a few times. All of the necessary clues are there." (Forrest Gets Mail 10)
So, remember when Forrest said that the more detailed the map, the better? Forrest is slowly becoming more detailed in his answers. He is slowly moving toward telling more of the truth. He's started to empathize his book more often. He's starting to say "read the poem in my book" more often. He's gradually adding detail to the map.
So how do you reconcile my saying you need the book and him saying you don't need to READ the book? That little word, "READ." My solution, my method of solving the poem, does not require that you read the book (as verified by The Wolf, who knows about my solve). I have only said you need the book. Everyone is so quick to jump to assumptions that they don't really listen to what Forrest is saying.
"There are subtle hints (or clues, depending on the source) in the book." The "key word" there is subtle. Google subtle. What's the meaning of the prefix, "sub?" Who is "Submariner," Forrest's second favorite comic book character? Forrest also likes the words "insidious," and "subterfuge." What do those words mean?
Someone once asked if the blaze was a single object. Forrest's response was "In a word, yes." The key word there is "in." What does "in" mean? And the key is finding the definition Forrest intended when looking up these words. I believe that is absolutely possible when you pour them all into a pot and boil them to make something useful. Lol.
The trick to finding the process to solve Forrest's poem is reconciling Forrest's seeming contradictions and listening to what he is actually saying. I can't stress that enough. And there is a method that does reconcile those "contradictions." Remember, Forrest also said on Jenny's, "It is fun to arrange words in such a way that you have to smile at the end of a sentence."
Which leads me to Jenny's most recent weekly words, which people are just sorta ignoring, although it says something important.
"Be mindful of nature and your health, but not in that order." (July 15, 2016)
What does "mindful" mean? It means "aware of something that may be important."
So, be aware of something that may be important. What are the possibly important things he's telling us to be aware of?
Nature and health.
But not in that order.
One meaning of health is "general condition or state."
One meaning of nature is "the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing."
And one meaning of order is "arrangement."
You logical folks should be able to figure that out. Especially in conjunction with Forrest's earlier statement that it's fun to arrange words in a way that makes you smile at the end of a sentence.
But, the literal interpretation of those weekly words is also cool:
The poem is arranged in a way that made Forrest smile at the end of a sentence. That arrangement is what needs to be "deciphered." Once you do, then you have a very specific set of ingredients, or instructions, or whatever it is you want to call them. Not specific physical places you can walk to in the Rocky Mountains. Not yet. Before you get that treasure, there's work you have to do.
The beginning to understanding the poem is realizing that where warm waters halt may not be a spring, or a confluence or something you can point to on a map. In fact, the FIRST meaning of where warm waters halt is most definitely not any of those things. The FIRST meaning of home of Brown is most definitely not brown trout. You've got to get past those assumptions if you want to find the treasure, and it's because of these prevailing assumptions that the treasure hasn't been "found."
And yes, solving the poem is difficult. Even when you know the method. It takes TIME.
But not too much more...
Disclaimer: Some of the elements mentioned in this post are not a part of my solve. :)
In the Beginning...
Posted by
Mindy
at
7:20 AM
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
In the beginning, we had...The Thrill of the Chase, A Memoir. And that's it. That's all we had. No Dal's blog, no ChaseChat, no other blogs or websites. I'm not sure when The Old Santa Fe Website came along, but anything about the book or the poem was not there before the book.
I'm going to now show you the answer to the first clue, which is the first stanza. I'll do my best to explain. Try to read with an open mind, and for a few minutes, put aside your biases and LISTEN.
As I have gone alone in there...
Remember, in the beginning, all we had was the book. No interviews, no Scrapbooks, no Jenny Kile. Well, Jenny Kile was there, but no Six Questions, no Weekly Words, etc... So, in the book, he said he sprinkled "clues" throughout to help, right? So, let's look in the book and see exactly where and when he says he was alone:
Pg 15: "So now I sit here past midnight, beside my juniper fire, REFLECTING BACK TO THE YEAR WHEN MY AWARENESS TOOK ITS FIRST FEW STEPS."
Pg 27: "I was proud to have THOUGHT of that IDEA ALL BY MYSELF."
Pg 56: "It was on a long, straight stretch of road with no cars or people around anywhere...I REMEMBER sitting down for about an hour to CONSIDER my lot in life and PONDER if anything was left of my future."
Pg 78: "Later, in ones REVERIE, those MEMORIES can come sparking back when ignited by something innocently said or something THOUGHT...So it is with me now, as I sit here past midnight, ALONE WITH ONLY MYSELF TO KNOW."
Pg 97: "I remember the air was quiet, even over the large populated areas. No one was around; no one was on the radio, no one to talk to. The impersonal lights were there, but I was all alone." Immediately after that, he covered Philadelphia with his thumb, and it took him "to another dimension in my MIND, a PLACE I would not visit again until the grave marker entered my life. Years later I would meld those THOUGHTS into ONE, the sum of which would change my life."
Pg 102: "No one else can think my thoughts, so I am myself ONLY TO ME."
Pg 102: "Why do the yellow and purple flowers flourish where no one is there to see? The answer is at last obvious to me. NO ONE HAS TO SEE WHAT IS THERE...What has made me think that I had to see the beauty that is there in order to confirm its existence?"
Pg 112: "Candor requires that I admit to having touched the painting. It happened in my office WHEN NO ONE ELSE WAS AROUND...This was exciting to me, and by touching it I COULD IMAGINE, in some small way, that I was a part of that company...I feel sorry for those that don't understand THAT DEPTH OF IMAGINATION."
Pg 124: "There comes a time (maybe it's an age) when all of us REFLECT ON THE HAPPENINGS that marked our passage through the brakes and thickets of life. Most are conjured up by reverential spirits and are RESERVED FOR TIMES WHEN WE HAPPEN UPON THE SOLITUDE OF JUST OURSELVES."
"A passing mood will bring THOUGHTS of loved ones FLOATING BACK to dominate a few moments of our time. The REVERIES are too many to be counted, but each one OCCUPIES A FAR CORNER OF MY MIND, waiting for another time. I love things when they do that."
Pg 125: "Those great places, which were personal secrets to me then, are now busy with the flourish of fishermen and women....I always thought that space was mine alone, and many of the MEMORIES there bred are even now SO PERSONAL THAT THEY EXCLUDE THE INTRUSION OF STRANGERS."
So, EVERY SINGLE TIME Forrest mentions being alone in the book, it's referring to thoughts and memories. He's gone alone into his MIND as he REMEMBERS times past. "In there" refers to his memories, his mind, HIS MEMOIR.
And with my treasures bold
I can keep my secret where
And hint of riches new and old.
Pg 133: "There are other subtle clues sprinkled in the stories."
These last two lines are the clincher. When he published this book, he had no idea of the cult-like throngs of people that would be looking for the chest. He didn't know there would be the Today Show. He didn't know of the myriad of blogs that would go up. He didn't know he would write Scrapbooks and answer Jenny's questions, or have ANY idea he would have an opportunity to hand out hints.
So where did he put the hints he talked about in this stanza? There is only ONE place-- HIS MEMOIR.
Old and new:
Pg 135: " I've always had a love for history and that's why I like to collect and talk about old things."
Later in the chapter, he talks about a "secret" way of creating a bronze, which he has now revealed as the "lost wax process." He loves bringing about old ways of doing things to make something new.
Old also refers to the method to solving the clues. Notice in the following quote he does NOT say he was leaving clues on WHERE to find the treasure, but HOW to find the treasure.
Pg 129: "So I decided to fill a treasure chest with gold and jewels, then secret it -- leaving clues on HOW to find it for any searcher willing to try. It was a PERFECT MATCH OF MIND AND MOMENT."
So, the answer to stanza 1, the first clue, is HIS MEMOIR. He also tells us that the stories hint at HOW you will find the treasure, not WHERE you will find it.
It can't be anything else, because when the book was written, Forrest had no idea how big this would grow.
So, yes, you DO need the book to solve the poem. Remember, Forrest said he learned from his father that he should always tell the truth, but not always tell ALL of the truth.
When he said all you need is the poem, he is not telling ALL the truth. But all you need is to solve the first clue, stanza 1, in order to figure out what else you need.
Also, in Forrest's most recent Forrest Gets Mail, he seems to have decided now is the time to start telling all the truth in regards to his book. There are two questions there where Forrest tells the interviewer that the poem IN HIS BOOK is enough to lead a searcher to the treasure.
And Forrest has also used the recipe analogy for cake baking as an analogy for solving the poem. You can say a recipe is all you need to figure out how to make a cake. But that's not really ALL the truth, is it?
You can tell a friend to find that delicious cake recipe online, and it'll tell her how to make a cake. All she needs is the recipe, but we don't tell her what the recipe calls for, like eggs and flour. She will definitely need those too, in addition to the recipe.
But we don't need to tell her what ingredients she will also need, because those ingredients are listed IN THE RECIPE.
That is the same principle Forrest refers to in that analogy. You can't bake a cake if you leave out an ingredient. Read and follow the recipe PRECISELY, and your conglomerate of ingredients mixed together and put into an oven will turn into something useful--a cake.
"In there, he can keep his secret where and hint at riches new and old."
And if only Forrest is alive to keep his secret, where does he keep it? In his mind, which he has shared with us through what? HIS MEMOIR.
Pg 136: "My part will be very small in the big picture but huge to me."
Arguments I will invariably hear against this answer:
"But he said clues weren't deliberately placed to aid the searcher."
My answer: They weren't deliberately placed. They were naturally placed.
"But there were the stories before The Thrill of the Chase posted online in The West Yellowstone Times, and My War for Me was also online."
My answer: True, but they had no connection with a treasure hunt when they were published. They only became connected with the treasure hunt when TTOTC was published.
Can you find the hint in this Scrapbook pic from Dal's?
CHECK MY BOOK.
The word that is key is MEMOIR. It is, after all, part of the TITLE.
I'm going to now show you the answer to the first clue, which is the first stanza. I'll do my best to explain. Try to read with an open mind, and for a few minutes, put aside your biases and LISTEN.
As I have gone alone in there...
Remember, in the beginning, all we had was the book. No interviews, no Scrapbooks, no Jenny Kile. Well, Jenny Kile was there, but no Six Questions, no Weekly Words, etc... So, in the book, he said he sprinkled "clues" throughout to help, right? So, let's look in the book and see exactly where and when he says he was alone:
Pg 15: "So now I sit here past midnight, beside my juniper fire, REFLECTING BACK TO THE YEAR WHEN MY AWARENESS TOOK ITS FIRST FEW STEPS."
Pg 27: "I was proud to have THOUGHT of that IDEA ALL BY MYSELF."
Pg 56: "It was on a long, straight stretch of road with no cars or people around anywhere...I REMEMBER sitting down for about an hour to CONSIDER my lot in life and PONDER if anything was left of my future."
Pg 78: "Later, in ones REVERIE, those MEMORIES can come sparking back when ignited by something innocently said or something THOUGHT...So it is with me now, as I sit here past midnight, ALONE WITH ONLY MYSELF TO KNOW."
Pg 97: "I remember the air was quiet, even over the large populated areas. No one was around; no one was on the radio, no one to talk to. The impersonal lights were there, but I was all alone." Immediately after that, he covered Philadelphia with his thumb, and it took him "to another dimension in my MIND, a PLACE I would not visit again until the grave marker entered my life. Years later I would meld those THOUGHTS into ONE, the sum of which would change my life."
Pg 102: "No one else can think my thoughts, so I am myself ONLY TO ME."
Pg 102: "Why do the yellow and purple flowers flourish where no one is there to see? The answer is at last obvious to me. NO ONE HAS TO SEE WHAT IS THERE...What has made me think that I had to see the beauty that is there in order to confirm its existence?"
Pg 112: "Candor requires that I admit to having touched the painting. It happened in my office WHEN NO ONE ELSE WAS AROUND...This was exciting to me, and by touching it I COULD IMAGINE, in some small way, that I was a part of that company...I feel sorry for those that don't understand THAT DEPTH OF IMAGINATION."
Pg 124: "There comes a time (maybe it's an age) when all of us REFLECT ON THE HAPPENINGS that marked our passage through the brakes and thickets of life. Most are conjured up by reverential spirits and are RESERVED FOR TIMES WHEN WE HAPPEN UPON THE SOLITUDE OF JUST OURSELVES."
"A passing mood will bring THOUGHTS of loved ones FLOATING BACK to dominate a few moments of our time. The REVERIES are too many to be counted, but each one OCCUPIES A FAR CORNER OF MY MIND, waiting for another time. I love things when they do that."
Pg 125: "Those great places, which were personal secrets to me then, are now busy with the flourish of fishermen and women....I always thought that space was mine alone, and many of the MEMORIES there bred are even now SO PERSONAL THAT THEY EXCLUDE THE INTRUSION OF STRANGERS."
So, EVERY SINGLE TIME Forrest mentions being alone in the book, it's referring to thoughts and memories. He's gone alone into his MIND as he REMEMBERS times past. "In there" refers to his memories, his mind, HIS MEMOIR.
And with my treasures bold
I can keep my secret where
And hint of riches new and old.
Pg 133: "There are other subtle clues sprinkled in the stories."
These last two lines are the clincher. When he published this book, he had no idea of the cult-like throngs of people that would be looking for the chest. He didn't know there would be the Today Show. He didn't know of the myriad of blogs that would go up. He didn't know he would write Scrapbooks and answer Jenny's questions, or have ANY idea he would have an opportunity to hand out hints.
So where did he put the hints he talked about in this stanza? There is only ONE place-- HIS MEMOIR.
Old and new:
Pg 135: " I've always had a love for history and that's why I like to collect and talk about old things."
Later in the chapter, he talks about a "secret" way of creating a bronze, which he has now revealed as the "lost wax process." He loves bringing about old ways of doing things to make something new.
Old also refers to the method to solving the clues. Notice in the following quote he does NOT say he was leaving clues on WHERE to find the treasure, but HOW to find the treasure.
Pg 129: "So I decided to fill a treasure chest with gold and jewels, then secret it -- leaving clues on HOW to find it for any searcher willing to try. It was a PERFECT MATCH OF MIND AND MOMENT."
So, the answer to stanza 1, the first clue, is HIS MEMOIR. He also tells us that the stories hint at HOW you will find the treasure, not WHERE you will find it.
It can't be anything else, because when the book was written, Forrest had no idea how big this would grow.
So, yes, you DO need the book to solve the poem. Remember, Forrest said he learned from his father that he should always tell the truth, but not always tell ALL of the truth.
When he said all you need is the poem, he is not telling ALL the truth. But all you need is to solve the first clue, stanza 1, in order to figure out what else you need.
Also, in Forrest's most recent Forrest Gets Mail, he seems to have decided now is the time to start telling all the truth in regards to his book. There are two questions there where Forrest tells the interviewer that the poem IN HIS BOOK is enough to lead a searcher to the treasure.
And Forrest has also used the recipe analogy for cake baking as an analogy for solving the poem. You can say a recipe is all you need to figure out how to make a cake. But that's not really ALL the truth, is it?
You can tell a friend to find that delicious cake recipe online, and it'll tell her how to make a cake. All she needs is the recipe, but we don't tell her what the recipe calls for, like eggs and flour. She will definitely need those too, in addition to the recipe.
But we don't need to tell her what ingredients she will also need, because those ingredients are listed IN THE RECIPE.
That is the same principle Forrest refers to in that analogy. You can't bake a cake if you leave out an ingredient. Read and follow the recipe PRECISELY, and your conglomerate of ingredients mixed together and put into an oven will turn into something useful--a cake.
"In there, he can keep his secret where and hint at riches new and old."
And if only Forrest is alive to keep his secret, where does he keep it? In his mind, which he has shared with us through what? HIS MEMOIR.
Pg 136: "My part will be very small in the big picture but huge to me."
Arguments I will invariably hear against this answer:
"But he said clues weren't deliberately placed to aid the searcher."
My answer: They weren't deliberately placed. They were naturally placed.
"But there were the stories before The Thrill of the Chase posted online in The West Yellowstone Times, and My War for Me was also online."
My answer: True, but they had no connection with a treasure hunt when they were published. They only became connected with the treasure hunt when TTOTC was published.
Can you find the hint in this Scrapbook pic from Dal's?
CHECK MY BOOK.
The word that is key is MEMOIR. It is, after all, part of the TITLE.
The Color of Eureka
Posted by
Mindy
at
6:35 AM
Thursday, June 30, 2016
The other day I read about a new color that has been "discovered." It's called YInMn Blue, and it was discovered by accident when chemists were heating some manganese oxide, along with some other chemicals, to over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. I think they should call it Eureka Blue.
What's really cool is that this color is being described as a "nearly perfect" shade of blue. It's rich, it's vibrant, and it's stunningly electric in all it's flawless blue glory. Artists are nearly peeing themselves in excitement, because it's being manufactured for paint.
It is a very pretty shade of blue, and blue is my favorite color. But isn't it fascinating that there's so much left to discover? I would have never thought that a color we've never seen before could still be discovered. I thought Crayola had done a pretty good job with their box of 133 colors.
But discoveries are still being made every day, from new and amazing stuff from the depths of outer space to new species of animals on our own planet.
Speaking of colors and outer space...when I was a kid, I colored outer space with a black crayon. Crayola didn't think that was quite accurate or exciting enough, so they created a crayon that probably has made little nerdy kids everywhere wear this particular stick of wax down to a stub:
But with all the new discoveries being discovered, one discovery this week out-colors them all. James found out he has the 4th of July off, and he's coming to see me this weekend! A whole 3 day weekend! That has me tickled pink, and believe it or not, Crayola has a color for that, too!
So, I pick him up from the airport Saturday morning, and we'll have lunch at Volusia Top Gun, where we'll also test our shooting skills in an epic shootout for high stakes. He asked me what kind of gun I wanted to shoot for our contest, and I said I'd let him pick, because if I can still shoot like I used to, I have no worries. It's good to try to intimidate an opponent before a high stakes contest. Lol.
Then the rest of the weekend, we'll play house, go to the pool, watch movies and I'll make him delicious dinners and cookies.
Maybe I'll pull out this crayon and draw him a dinner as a joke:
I'm not sure what the red rimmed black blob is in that kid's mac n cheese. Maybe his mother's heart after she cooks the mac n cheese Junior begged for over the course of a couple hours and then only ate a bite before declaring he's all done. Or even worse, declares he's all done and then starts smearing it on his face:
Hey, at least it's not peanut butter, right Mom of this Kid?
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the weekend, and soooo excited to make even more new discoveries with James!
What's really cool is that this color is being described as a "nearly perfect" shade of blue. It's rich, it's vibrant, and it's stunningly electric in all it's flawless blue glory. Artists are nearly peeing themselves in excitement, because it's being manufactured for paint.
It is a very pretty shade of blue, and blue is my favorite color. But isn't it fascinating that there's so much left to discover? I would have never thought that a color we've never seen before could still be discovered. I thought Crayola had done a pretty good job with their box of 133 colors.
But discoveries are still being made every day, from new and amazing stuff from the depths of outer space to new species of animals on our own planet.
Speaking of colors and outer space...when I was a kid, I colored outer space with a black crayon. Crayola didn't think that was quite accurate or exciting enough, so they created a crayon that probably has made little nerdy kids everywhere wear this particular stick of wax down to a stub:
But with all the new discoveries being discovered, one discovery this week out-colors them all. James found out he has the 4th of July off, and he's coming to see me this weekend! A whole 3 day weekend! That has me tickled pink, and believe it or not, Crayola has a color for that, too!
So, I pick him up from the airport Saturday morning, and we'll have lunch at Volusia Top Gun, where we'll also test our shooting skills in an epic shootout for high stakes. He asked me what kind of gun I wanted to shoot for our contest, and I said I'd let him pick, because if I can still shoot like I used to, I have no worries. It's good to try to intimidate an opponent before a high stakes contest. Lol.
Then the rest of the weekend, we'll play house, go to the pool, watch movies and I'll make him delicious dinners and cookies.
Maybe I'll pull out this crayon and draw him a dinner as a joke:
I'm not sure what the red rimmed black blob is in that kid's mac n cheese. Maybe his mother's heart after she cooks the mac n cheese Junior begged for over the course of a couple hours and then only ate a bite before declaring he's all done. Or even worse, declares he's all done and then starts smearing it on his face:
Hey, at least it's not peanut butter, right Mom of this Kid?
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the weekend, and soooo excited to make even more new discoveries with James!
Last Rites
Posted by
Mindy
at
6:15 AM
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
My iPad died last night. It was approximately 8 years old, has probably never been turned off, and has survived three kids and more than two slip and falls into the bathtub.
I'm so sad I think I might bury it in the backyard like a beloved pet, unless anyone knows how to fix this apparent "black screen of death."
Anyway, I went ahead and bought a new (well, certified refurbished) iPad last night for a really good price. It'll get here tomorrow, so tonight I have to take a bath without an iPad. Oh well, it'll give me a chance to read that really old book I got awhile back, Rocky Mountain Tales, with the notes scrawled inside it...
I don't know if I mentioned this, but about a month ago, Aidan bought her very first new car with her own money. Well, mostly her money...my ex helped a little. And the trade-in which I bought for her a couple years ago helped, too. She got a 2016 Ford Focus, and was at the car dealership all day long. I think it taught her a valuable lesson that buying a new car is not all fun and rainbows.
Anyway, she hit a curb the other day and popped a tire, then decided she need four new rims while she was back at the dealer getting a new tire. It sorta makes me sick that she makes more money than I do. It might be time to look for a new job, even though I love the one I have now.
Yesterday at work was chaos from the very start. One of my coworkers came in looking like death, and saying she was throwing up. We sent her home, and my boss went up front to fill in for her while I worked strictly surgeries, as the doctor has been on call all week, and it's been a busy week of broken bones, such as this ouchie looking broken humerus.
One of the first appointments of the day was a broken calcaneus, immediately followed by a broken ankle, and both guys needed surgery, and they both looked similar and had similar names, and both brought their similar looking wives with them, and both said they'd stop by a little later to pick up their surgery instructions and signed prescriptions. It was only by some miracle that I didn't confuse the two and give the wives the wrong prescriptions and instructions. At first, I thought I had, and I had to go through every step in my mind, remembering who was wearing what, and after a few stressful minutes, I realized I'd done it right. Big relief!
Then, a guy came in who had popped the prosthesis out of the ball of his shoulder, and he needed a big surgery to fix it, pronto. And the doctor already had a full schedule for today after I added the ankle and heel. So, I had to open up a day on Friday, and the OR doesn't like when I do that, but thankfully, they didn't give me too much grief. And that was all before 11:00 am.
Here's what it looks like when the prosthesis separates:
Anyway, I got it all done, and the afternoon slowed down a bit until another orthopedic surgeon called our doctor from the OR, saying he was having a medical event and needed Dr. K to come fill in for him right away. And we still had four or five patients left to see. So Dr. K booked it out of there, and the PA's saw his patients. But that wasn't so bad. I stayed late to help my boss finish her own work after patients left.
A couple of nice things made the day brighter, though. A surgery rep brought the works from Chipoltle for lunch. I just had a soft chicken and cheese fajita.
And a patient who was here for her last appointment before going home up North for the summer brought me flowers:
And of course, James's fun and loving texts kept coming throughout the day. :)
Today should be much easier, and with luck, I'll be out of there by 3:00. Well, I sorta have to be, cause I just remembered I have a doctor's appointment in Ormond Beach at 4:00. Blah.
Crappy is still here, but I only see it on the weekends, when it likes to torment me with cuteness and claws. Aidan still says she's moving in a month, but she's been moving in a month for a couple months now. We'll see...anyway, she's paying me $100 a month rent for Crappy, so it's okay for now.
And here she, I mean it, is, asleep on James's pillow:
I'll wash it before you get here, James. :)
I'm so sad I think I might bury it in the backyard like a beloved pet, unless anyone knows how to fix this apparent "black screen of death."
Anyway, I went ahead and bought a new (well, certified refurbished) iPad last night for a really good price. It'll get here tomorrow, so tonight I have to take a bath without an iPad. Oh well, it'll give me a chance to read that really old book I got awhile back, Rocky Mountain Tales, with the notes scrawled inside it...
I don't know if I mentioned this, but about a month ago, Aidan bought her very first new car with her own money. Well, mostly her money...my ex helped a little. And the trade-in which I bought for her a couple years ago helped, too. She got a 2016 Ford Focus, and was at the car dealership all day long. I think it taught her a valuable lesson that buying a new car is not all fun and rainbows.
Anyway, she hit a curb the other day and popped a tire, then decided she need four new rims while she was back at the dealer getting a new tire. It sorta makes me sick that she makes more money than I do. It might be time to look for a new job, even though I love the one I have now.
Yesterday at work was chaos from the very start. One of my coworkers came in looking like death, and saying she was throwing up. We sent her home, and my boss went up front to fill in for her while I worked strictly surgeries, as the doctor has been on call all week, and it's been a busy week of broken bones, such as this ouchie looking broken humerus.
One of the first appointments of the day was a broken calcaneus, immediately followed by a broken ankle, and both guys needed surgery, and they both looked similar and had similar names, and both brought their similar looking wives with them, and both said they'd stop by a little later to pick up their surgery instructions and signed prescriptions. It was only by some miracle that I didn't confuse the two and give the wives the wrong prescriptions and instructions. At first, I thought I had, and I had to go through every step in my mind, remembering who was wearing what, and after a few stressful minutes, I realized I'd done it right. Big relief!
Then, a guy came in who had popped the prosthesis out of the ball of his shoulder, and he needed a big surgery to fix it, pronto. And the doctor already had a full schedule for today after I added the ankle and heel. So, I had to open up a day on Friday, and the OR doesn't like when I do that, but thankfully, they didn't give me too much grief. And that was all before 11:00 am.
Here's what it looks like when the prosthesis separates:
Anyway, I got it all done, and the afternoon slowed down a bit until another orthopedic surgeon called our doctor from the OR, saying he was having a medical event and needed Dr. K to come fill in for him right away. And we still had four or five patients left to see. So Dr. K booked it out of there, and the PA's saw his patients. But that wasn't so bad. I stayed late to help my boss finish her own work after patients left.
A couple of nice things made the day brighter, though. A surgery rep brought the works from Chipoltle for lunch. I just had a soft chicken and cheese fajita.
And a patient who was here for her last appointment before going home up North for the summer brought me flowers:
And of course, James's fun and loving texts kept coming throughout the day. :)
Today should be much easier, and with luck, I'll be out of there by 3:00. Well, I sorta have to be, cause I just remembered I have a doctor's appointment in Ormond Beach at 4:00. Blah.
Crappy is still here, but I only see it on the weekends, when it likes to torment me with cuteness and claws. Aidan still says she's moving in a month, but she's been moving in a month for a couple months now. We'll see...anyway, she's paying me $100 a month rent for Crappy, so it's okay for now.
And here she, I mean it, is, asleep on James's pillow:
I'll wash it before you get here, James. :)
The Power of Three
Posted by
Mindy
at
6:49 AM
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Just like bad things happen in threes, good things happen in threes too. James won First Place in the "Essence of Fennboree" photo contest on Dal's blog with his picture of the map everyone signed at the 'boree. Here it is:
My "X" is south of the bottom border of the pic. Lol. But you can see my little bunny drawing in the lower right corner. :)
James also got some good news about his story featured in Matt Maisano's "Fenn's Searchers" documentary. I can't wait for the documentary to be finished so everyone can see it in entirety. The preview was really, really good at Fennboree.
So, James, if the Rule of 3's is right, you should have one more bit of good news! Hopefully today!
Today is Tuesday, one of the busiest days of the week, and also the dreaded "Purple Day," when we all have to wear matching purple scrubs. I would burn all the purple scrubs in the world if I could. Just pile em all in a giant heap in a hospital parking lot somewhere and set em on fire. And then burn down the factory that makes them, or at least the part of the factory that makes the purple ones, and the yellow ones, while I'm at it.
In case anyone in law enforcement is reading this, I said the above paragraph IN JEST. The only thing I've ever set on fire on purpose is The Thrill of the Chase. Lol. And that doesn't even count, cause that book is VERY HARD to set on fire. It's like it's made of bricks or something. It just sort of smolders.
In fact, I need to order another copy for another experiment. I should get a frequent customer discount at Collected Works!
Not much else is going on...just trying to coast until James comes on the 8th...
Joe will be 15 years old on the 1st of July. He wants a $450 part for his computer...yikes. I'm trying to get his dad to go half, but that's like pulling teeth...I may have to combine birthday and Christmas to make this one happen. But he's such a great kid and never asks for anything, and never complains, and is an all around super great kid...he deserves something special that he really wants. I'll make it happen. :)
He wants this thing, whatever it is...
Apparently, it's important.
Anyway, it's time to do a morning workout, then get ready for work...
The Little Girl in India
Posted by
Mindy
at
7:12 AM
Thursday, June 23, 2016
There has been way too much arguing over the hypothetical little girl in India comment that appeared on Jenny Kile's Mysterious Writings.
I would like to put that little girl to rest once and for all, but I know people will think what they think what they will think, and nothing anyone says (even Forrest) will change that. I've kept pretty quiet on the subject because I thought some things Forrest said were pretty obvious.
So, let's try to look both logically and imaginatively at this problem, okay?
First, let's look at what was said:
Jenny: Your treasure hunt has inspired people worldwide to discover history, culture and nature, but many people, (even in the US) might be deterred because they don’t live near the Rockies or can’t afford to travel. Should they be deterred? Can a little girl in India, who speaks good English, but only has your poem and a map of the US Rocky Mountains, work out where the treasure is? And would she be confident as she solves each clue, or only confident when she has solved them all?
Forrest: I wish I had another treasure to hide in the Appalachians. The little girl in India cannot get closer than the first two clues. There are many disabled people who are deeply into maps and geography, and they are having a lot of fun.
SMLXL
First of all, Forrest doesn't really answer Jenny's question. He does infer that there are barriers that will prevent many people from actually getting to the Rocky Mountains to RETRIEVE the chest.
People on my side of the country are deterred by finances, transportation, responsibilities at home, and the time it would take to journey across the country to pick up a treasure even AFTER they had solved the poem. For some people, even after they've solved the poem, going to retrieve it may be nearly as impossible as it would be for the little girl in India to make an ocean voyage to the US to pick it up. Maybe that's why Forrest said he wished he had another treasure to hide in the Appalachians.
A little girl in India would have a much harder time finding the resources (money, time, a parent that believed her) needed to MAKE A TRIP to the US to RETRIEVE the treasure.
And dang it, this little girl was READY with her pail, UGGS, and bucket. Stupid ocean.
The key words in Forrest's response are "GET CLOSER." Notice he did not say the little girl couldn't solve the clues. He said she couldn't GET CLOSER to them.
If the first two clues are non-physical places or ideas, and the rest of the clues are physical spots in the Rocky Mountains, of course she can't get closer.
For example, if the first two clues are Forrest's memories (alone in there), and "mother," (I'm not saying these are the first two clues, but using them as examples), and the next clues are all physical locations you can actually travel to, a little girl in India can't get any closer than the first two non-physical clues.
Just like if the clues in the poem were in a grocery store. Oh, how ridiculous, right? However, say you're on a treasure hunt in a grocery store. You've solved the first two clues. You've made it to the candy isle, and the prize is the eggplant in the produce section. So, when you come out of the candy isle...wait, what?! There's a GIANT FREAKING OCEAN blocking you from the produce isle, and you can't get any closer to laying your hands on that golden eggplant. DARN IT!
Forrest further reiterates the problem of barriers by mentioning the disabled people. He didn't say disabled people can't SOLVE the poem. He didn't say the little girl can't SOLVE the poem. He's implying that disabled people and the little girl in India may not be able to GET CLOSE to the chest, due to terrain, or whatever. But they can certainly enjoy the fun the chase presents by SOLVING the poem. Solving a clue is not synonymous with getting closer to a clue!
Everyone seems to ignore Forrest's specific, and often literal, way of speaking. Maybe that's where my Asperger's gives me an advantage. Get closer means to physically get closer. It doesn't mean I need BOTG to SOLVE the poem, but of course, everyone needs BOTG to RETRIEVE it. That's how seemingly conflicting statements are resolved.
Forrest didn't contradict himself with the little girl in India, going with confidence, and saying "No, no you can't," when asked if you can get the treasure chest from home (I couldn't find this exact quote, so if someone knows the exact quote where F answers "No, no you can't," please leave it in the comments). Of course you can't, because you're home, and the treasure is in the Rocky Mountains! Never does he say the poem can't be SOLVED at home. The problem is you can't RETRIEVE it from home. You have to get in your car and physically go to the location of the treasure, put your hands on it, lift it, and carry it away.
Secondly, remember this question and answer from Jenny's site? It's from ChaseChat's very own know-it-all, mdavis19! Which is funny, because he mentioned this quote just yesterday, that no specialized knowledge is needed. What he failed to mention is the second part of Forrest's answer!
mdavis19: Is any specialized knowledge required to find the treasure? For instance, something learned during your time in the military, or from a lifetime of fly fishing? Or do you really expect any ordinary average person without your background to be able to correctly interpret the clues in the poem?
Forrest: No specialized knowledge is required mdavis19, and I have no expectations. My Thrill of the Chase book is enough to lead an average person to the treasure.f
So, the little girl in India, besides having the barrier of a giant ocean preventing her from laying her hands on the chest, is also missing one key material: FORREST'S MEMOIR, THE THRILL OF THE CHASE. Remember, all she has is the poem and a map of the Rocky Mountains, which we don't really know if that's what constitutes a "good" map or the "right" map. In the above answer, Forrest pretty clearly says the BOOK IS ENOUGH to lead the average person to the treasure.
So, to me, there's no confusion regarding the little girl in India. Logic and a little imagination make Forrest's words pretty clear and straightforward. Like he's said all along.
In other news, James is coming for another weekend on June 8th! Woohoo!! :)
The Most Perfect Weekend
Posted by
Mindy
at
7:56 PM
Sunday, June 19, 2016
I had a great weekend with James. Since I had some decent comp dollars and a comped room at the Hard Rock, we thought we'd head over there for a night. But first, we went to visit my mom, and stopped by my house to pack a few things. There was a contest starting at 5:00, so instead of checking in right when we got there, we went to play the slots for a little bit so we wouldn't miss the 5:00 drawing. Almost immediately, I had a pretty decent win on a Top Dollar machine:
We didn't win the 5:00 drawing, so we went and checked in, and learned we had been upgraded to a Spa King Suite, which was extremely sweet!
We actually didn't win any of the drawings that night, but we had a lot of fun and won a few more small jackpots. It was exciting, but the best thing was that James and I were together.
I'm planning on flying him out in the next few weeks, and that weekend, we're going to just relax at home, make cookies and lie in bed and watch TV all weekend.
Here's a few selfies we took. I may not be Suzanne Sommers, but James is perfect and just an all around normal, handsome prince.
I thought this pig looked just like a Nug from Dragon Age, so I had to have a picture with it on Sunday morning after breakfast.
We didn't win the 5:00 drawing, so we went and checked in, and learned we had been upgraded to a Spa King Suite, which was extremely sweet!
We actually didn't win any of the drawings that night, but we had a lot of fun and won a few more small jackpots. It was exciting, but the best thing was that James and I were together.
I'm planning on flying him out in the next few weeks, and that weekend, we're going to just relax at home, make cookies and lie in bed and watch TV all weekend.
Here's a few selfies we took. I may not be Suzanne Sommers, but James is perfect and just an all around normal, handsome prince.
I thought this pig looked just like a Nug from Dragon Age, so I had to have a picture with it on Sunday morning after breakfast.
As for today, it's back to work. My mom is going to rehab today, and I've got to get a bag ready for her to take there.
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