Monday 08- I decided today was the day to stop mourning instead of tomorrow, so I did my stretches, ran two miles, lifted weights, and rode my bike; I feel much better!
Today’s Weather was: Temps of around 40 and 57 degrees, NE winds at 6 to 9 MPH, humidity around 45 percent, mostly clear skies. Looks like snow sometime tomorrow night.
According to the National Weather Service: “Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of rain after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Light wind becoming south southeast between 11 and 14 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Tuesday Night: Rain likely before 10pm, then rain and snow likely. Snow level 4300 feet lowering to 2400 feet. Cloudy, with a low around 40. South southeast wind 7 to 14 mph becoming west. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.”
Fed the birds; they’re now used to me and hang around while I fill the feeder chirping at me to hurry. I even cleaned up the house some.
I went over to Stoney’s; I’m still going to call his house that even though he passed on, to borrow his truck so I can go to the board meeting tonight. I haven’t heard from the insurance company about fixing my truck and don’t want to do any work on it yet, so I still can’t drive it at night. Roger was there and we sat for a spell reminiscing about our dear departed friend.
I went for my evening walk re-listening to Astronomy Cast lecture: Ep. 152: Binary Stars. They now have a few new Podcasts that I need to download.
I practiced my guitar and then I read aloud from the textbooks: “Astronomy Today" review of chapter 6; “The Cell: a Molecular Approach” a short intro to the Genetic Code; and Digital Electronics Course Introduction to Combinational Logic Circuits which is really going to mess with my mind.
I got dressed up and drove down to the community center for the board meeting. The board decided that Marcie Hines is going to fill out her late husband’s term, and Bill Treas is going to fill out the late Bob Seeley’s term. I told everyone that we’re going to have a memorial for Bob Seeley at potluck on the 27th of this month. I also mentioned that a memorial for Stoney will be held sometime in April on a Saturday around his birthday of the 13th depending on when his family could come down. We discussed ways to recruit more members and volunteers to help out our little community; Rob Reese and Bill Treas will look into getting a list of property owners and maybe do some kind of mass mailing. The meeting went well.
I got home and did my stretches and practiced my guitar, and then watched “American Experience: The Bombing of Germany” which dealt with American bombing of military targets vs. British bombing of cities in WWII.
I finished the evening reading from “The Letters of Richard Feynman”. Then I wrote to my journal, posted it to the web, and called it a night.

Current Mood: chipper

Sunday 07- Today’s Weather was: Temps of around 40 and 55 degrees, NW winds at 6 to 17 MPH, humidity around 59 percent, overcast skies most of the day.
According to the National Weather Service: “Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. Light north northwest wind. Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm.”
Last year I watched the Super Bowl with Lee Hines and Marcie over at their home. Lee passed away in early December and I didn’t feel much like watching it this year. Besides I’m still in a funk but I decided that this coming Tuesday I’m going to start back into my routine and move on; I tried a few times already. There is a time to mourn a dear friend and there’s a time to get on with your life. Sorry about the sad posts lately!
Ron Dehart gave me a very old book (1902) of the “American Naturalist” and I thumbed through it and found an article on Kangaroo Rats that was most interesting; it even had pictures of them taken with a plate camera!
I watched “Nature: the Beauty of Ugly” on PBS about some of the most ugly critters on earth but explained why they benefited by being ugly. Then I watched a DVD movie “Battlestar Galactica” (1978) which brought back some old memories from that era.
Joel called at 10:30pm to tell me that some dirt bike rider had just gone through a barbed wire fence by his house and might have broken his back. The medics were waiting for a helicopter to transport him to the hospital. I went outside and saw all these flashing lights from two police cars, an ambulance, and one fire truck.
I wrote to my journal, posted it to the web, and called it a night.

Saturday 06- I got dressed, jumped in the Gross Polluter and headed down to the community’s breakfast that we have on the first Saturday of the month. In the mood I am in I felt I needed to be around friends. Let me tell you that the food was just fantastic. I had pancakes with two eggs, bacon, home fried potatoes, and a glass of tomato juice. I had also ordered biscuits and gravy but apparently they had run out of them but I was mighty filled up as it was. We had sixty-one folks show up and Kath and I went looking through the past several years of logs and we found that this was the most folks we ever had for breakfast since we’ve been keeping this log from 2007! I think the crew did a mighty fine job of preparing such a fine breakfast!
Today’s Weather was: Temps of around 39 and 56 degrees, calm winds, humidity around 67 percent, rain.
According to the National Weather Service: “Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Northwest wind between 15 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. West northwest wind between 3 and 9 mph.”
In my quest to be among friends I visited Frank and Mary for a long spell watching the movie “Ransom” (1996) starring Mel Gibson and Gary Sinise; a very good flick! I told Mary that I’ve been watching movies to keep my mind off of recent events and she gave me a bunch of DVDs to take home with me. I left before dark because my lights are still broken on the Polluter.
I called Family and Friends for the next couple of hours and then watched “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003) starring Sean Connery; it wasn’t all that good but it kept me entertained.
I’ve been slacking off on my exercises but I promise I’ll get back into them very soon. I wrote my journal, posted it to the web, and called it a night.

Current Mood: lonely

Friday 05- I did my stretches.
Today’s Weather was: Temps of around 41 and 56 degrees, calm winds, humidity around 61 percent, partly cloudy skies with a little rain.
According to the National Weather Service: “Saturday: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. South southeast wind between 6 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. Southwest wind between 11 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%."
” I am sorry that I haven’t been keeping my journal up to date lately but I am in a state of intense sorrow: these last few weeks since the passing of my friends Lee Hines in December, my best friend Bob Stonebraker (Stoney) on Tuesday 26 of January, and just as we returned home from Stoney’s funeral we learned of a death of another area friend Bob Seeley who had died on Thursday at 2:30pm as we laid Stoney to rest at Rose Hills Cemetery.
I like to write about happy things, about the things I like to do, trying new ideas to get ahead in life, and also I try to write my journal in a positive outlook of life. And I find this very hard to do at this time. So please bear with me just a little longer until I can get through this sorrow and get back to what I like to write about!

Current Mood: sad

Tuesday 02- I did my stretches.
Today’s Weather was: Temps of around 40 and 59 degrees, calm winds, humidity around 39 percent, partly cloudy skies.
According to the National Weather Service: “Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. North northwest wind between 3 and 6 mph. Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. West wind between 3 and 8 mph.”
I went over to Stoney’s to download some pictures I had found on his computer yesterday and talked with Denny for a spell. He invited me over for dinner but I declined; I’m having good days and bad days and this seems to be a bad day. The funeral is set for Thursday and I’m just not prepared for that yet.
Somehow I need to write my column for the newspaper but I’m just not in the mood and can’t think of anything to write.
I went for my evening walk and practiced my guitar when I got back. Then I read aloud from the textbooks: “Astronomy Today" about the concept of Angular Momentum; “The Cell: a Molecular Approach” about the role of Messenger RNA (RNA molecules are synthesized from DNA and used for templates to synthesize protein); “Digital Electronics Course” about XOR and XNOR gates (I’ll have to write about this later when I figure it all out).
I watched “NOVA: Ghosts of Machu Picchu”, and then “Frontline: Digital Nation” about how some are becoming addicted to the internet and multitasking. It was a very interesting show and how we use the internet to interact with others and the pitfalls of becoming too involved in a virtual life; mostly games. I myself use the internet as a tool. I don’t play games. I interact with a few people I find interesting and read their blogs. I usually have my IM turned off so I won’t be distracted. I find it a great source for information when writing my journal and newspaper column. And I know when to turn it off!
I did my stretches and lifted weights; practiced my guitar; wrote to my journal, posted it to the web, and hope to find something to write about for my newspaper column before I call it a night.

Welcome to the month of February- I did my stretches, ran a mile, lifted weights, and rode my bike.
Today’s Weather was: Temps of around 40 and 56 degrees, calm winds, humidity around 54 percent, cloudy skies.
According to the National Weather Service: “Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 57. West southwest wind at 9 mph becoming east southeast. Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. South southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming west.”
This is the first day that I feel any better after Stoney’s passing and I’m going to try and get back into my routine.
I went over to Stoney’s house to repair a leak in the roof that Denny told me about but he wasn’t there to tell me where it was. I got up on the roof but couldn’t find where the leak was coming from, so I’ll have to wait until another day to do this. I did find a file containing pictures that Stoney took with his camera that we had forgotten about and copied them to the desktop.
I dropped by Joel’s house and picked up some firewood that he had offered me and chatted with him for a spell.
I went for my evening walk just thinking things over.
I practiced my guitar for the first time since Monday night of last week. Then I read aloud from the textbooks: “Astronomy Today" about the formation of the solar system; “The Cell: a Molecular Approach” about the structure of DNA; “Digital Electronics Course” about NAND and NOR gates.
Kula called asking me how to get her mail transferred from Outlook Express to a file she can save to a thumbdrive. I don’t use Outlook but I’ll look it up tonight and let her know tomorrow.
I watched the movie “300” (2006) about King Leonidas and 300 Spartans who held off the Persians at Thermopylae in 480BC.
I did my stretches and lifted weights; practiced my guitar; wrote to my journal, posted it to the web, and called it a night.
It has been exactly one month that I haven’t watched any commercial TV, yea for me!

Current Mood: okay

Sunday 31- I did my stretches.
Today’s Weather was: Temps of around 41 and 59 degrees, calm winds, humidity around 45 percent, sunny skies.
According to the National Weather Service: “Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Calm wind becoming southeast between 4 and 7 mph. Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. South southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm.”
I thought I’d post a little something now that a few days have gone by and I’m able to reflect on this past week without falling apart. It all happened Tuesday when I got a call at 1:03pm from Stoney’s son Jimmy saying that Stoney had passed away and that Roger Smith had found Stoney and was over there now. I quickly got there almost running into Roger’s VW that was parked in the driveway I was such in a hurry. There was Stoney seated in his favorite chair as naturally as can be watching TV except he wasn’t moving. He had a calm expression on his face and it appears that he passed on peacefully. Roger asked that we don’t call the authorities for a spell so that we may spend some time with him, and I agreed. We talked of old times we had with him just like he was still there alive. We cried, we laughed, and we reminisced. We were waiting for Stoney’s son-in-law Denny to call us back to tell us that he had made arrangements with the mortuary before calling 911. I suggested that we instead call Sherry who works for the county and is a friend to come and make the call. After Denny called I placed the called to Sherry and she arrived about a half hour later and made the call that would bring the authorities. After doing this she went outside and broke into tears; knowing this would happen I went outside to comfort her. It took the authorities an hour to arrive giving us three friends a little more time alone with Stoney before they kicked us out of the house.
I told Sherry and Roger that I’d stay until they took Stoney away. Roger was cold and went to his home because we couldn’t go back inside the house and it was raining. Sherry sat with me for an hour or so before she had to leave making sure I’d be okay first. The coroner arrived and finally released Stoney for transport at 9:45pm. I followed Stoney as they wheeled him away and told the attendants as they put him in the van to be gentle with him and that he was loved; they assured me Stoney would be treated with respect. Then I put my hand on Stoney and said goodbye to my old friend.
For some reason I went into protective mode deciding to wait at Stoney’s home until his son Jimmy and the rest of the family arrived the next day. Andrew called telling me he was driving out Wednesday to visit Stoney and I had to break the news to him. He asked me how I was holding up and I told him not to well and that I had a hard time eating because my hand shook so bad that I couldn’t get the food to my mouth. He said that he’d see me soon but I didn’t know that he would jump into his car and drive all the way from Los Angeles; he arrived here at around 3am and was a great help keeping my mind together. I told him I didn’t want the house to be empty when Stoney’s family arrived. We talked until 9am when he had to leave for a meeting. Jimmy arrived at 11am, then the rest of the family about 3pm. I stayed with them until around 5pm. I believe I was awake for some 34 hours and went home and slept for a straight sixteen hours.
The rest of the week went past in a blur and I need not write about it even if I could remember.
Stoney was my best friend and I had talked with him the night before his passing. One thing I told him that I never did get around to until that night was “Stoney you are like family to me and I will be always there for you” and he said “I know I feel the same way about you”. Saying and hearing these simple words were a great comfort to me in the days that followed.

Tags: stoney

With a heavy heart I must inform you that Bob Stonebraker (Stoney) had passed away quietly while watching his favorite Western TV shows on Tuesday 26 of this month. He would have been 90 this April. Stoney would tell me and Roger Smith stories when we went over to his house for dinner. No matter how many times he’d tell us the same tale we’d always have a fun time hearing them again. Here is my favorite:
Stoney told us a story of when he was being shipped over to the Philippines during WWII. He traveled down the Sacramento River on a paddlewheel to the Liberty Ship that would take him there. Once onboard a shipmate told him to eat lots of bread to avoid seasickness. Never being on a ship before Stoney got two loafs from the mess hall and hurriedly ate them all!
Needing to keep his hands busy Stoney was always asking his Sergeant for something to do on the long voyage, but there was nothing the Sergeant needed done. Later a notice went up on the bulletin board stating that if you didn’t keep your area clean you would be put on extra duty. So Stoney left his area in a mess: bed unmade and clothes lying around. He was quickly put to painting the Officer’s quarters. One Officer liked Stoney’s painting job so much that he offered Stoney a drink and asked if he wouldn’t mind continuing painting around the ship. Well Stoney was glad to take him up on that offer and painted his way over to the Philippines.

Life is a wondrous gift that we are sometimes reminded of when someone precious is no longer present among us leaving a great void in our lives to fill.

Tags: stoney
Current Mood: sad

I have lost a very dear Friend this Tuesday afternoon and I may not be posting for a few days. Once I get myself together and my Friend’s family has all been notified I’ll post again. Until then thanks for reading my journal.

Bob DeLoyd

Monday 25- I did my stretches.
Today’s Weather was: Temps of around 39 and 56 degrees, calm winds, humidity around 48 percent, sunny skies again!
According to the National Weather Service: “Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of rain after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Calm wind becoming south southeast between 5 and 8 mph. Tuesday Night: Rain likely, mainly before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. West southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%.”
Ron Dehart came by to pick me up to go to the theater in Yucca Valley to watch “The Book of Eli” (2010) starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis; about this guy who walks across a post-apocalyptic America after a ‘flash’ created it some thirty years ago. He is carrying and protecting a book he needs to deliver in the west. Ron and I rated it two pees (we only had to go twice each). This is the kind of movie that I need to sleep on before I can really say if I really liked it, but I can say it was worth seeing.
Got back home too late for my evening walk because the Sun had already began to set.
I called Stoney to see how he was doing; he’s still having troubles breathing he said. I’m going over there tomorrow to have a talk about that.
I practiced my guitar and read aloud from the textbooks: “Astronomy Today" about planetary missions to other planets, and then “The Cell: a Molecular Approach” and started chapter three about heredity, genes, and DNA. Then studied from the text of the digital electronics course about AND gates.
I did some webwork until late into the evening.
I did my stretches; practiced my guitar; wrote to my journal, posted it to the web, and called it a night.

Tags: book of eli
Current Mood: chipper