May 2022

😀 Updates since last month

Updated: May 1, 2022

• We finally got our bathroom totally remodeled – and since it was our only bathroom, that’s important to us!
• We got our firepit out last month and roasted some marshmallows for s’mores!
• Spent some time in Dallas team building with co-workers, some of whom I’d never met before
• Spent a Saturday building bird houses with my daughters

📗 Books I’m currently reading

• The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

📕 Book I finished reading last month

• The President and the Freedom Fighter by Brian Kilmeade
  • This book pointed out that Abraham Lincoln wasn’t the simple, glorified man that we learn about in elementary school.  He was a great man, but only got there by being able to think for himself while also listening to others in order to change his mind.  One of the people that was able to influence him was Frederick Douglas.
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  • Based on a the few things I knew about this book, I expected it to be tough to read (the content, not the writing).  I’ll admit, the first page was a punch to the gut — but the book wasn’t all bad – in fact, there was a sort of happiness in it, or at least something close to happiness.
• The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
  • Having not read anything about the Civil War, this was a great introduction – even though it was historical fiction.  I had never heard of Joshua Chamberlain before, so it was a good starting point.

🎸 Music I’ve been listening to

• True Sadness, The Avett Brothers
  • This band is new to me.  The song No Hard Feelings on this album is very good and certainly makes you think about your life and your mortality.

🎧 Podcast episodes I thought were interesting

• History of North Omaha’s Cumming Street, North Omaha History Podcast
  • It’s always neat, in my opinion, to read/listen about the place where you live.

🎥 Videos I thought were worth watching

• Footage of Civil War Veterans Doing the Rebel Yell
  • It’s funny when you realize you’re naive about something – I thought Rebel Yell was just a good Billy Idol song.
• Build a Bird House for Under $5 in Under 5 Minutes
  • This was cheap and easy – even I could do it, but it did take me much longer than 5 minutes!
• FLSA – Salaried Exempt Employees
  • I thought this was an excellent, easy to understand explanation of some of the FLSA rules.