February Update

 

Ah, busy, so so busy, which I suppose is a good thing. The blog has been on my mind, every now and then, and I feel a little guilty when I neglect it. So, here’s what we’ve been up do in the north Dallas suburbs these past four weeks or so.

 

First off, we had our biannual ice storm on Saturday, January 24th. The town sent out notices via Facebook and X to help the residents prepare, and prepare we did. I had nightmare visions of the “fifteen days to slow the spread” Wu Flu panic when I attempted to pick up a Target order the day before – lines of fearful consumers, half-stocked shelves, every-man-for-himself elbowing and driving and hysteria. I wrapped each of my two outdoor faucets with two socks, a dishtowel, and plastic bag over that, bound up with thick rubber bands, to prevent pipe bursting. We charged up all our phones. After that, all we could do was wait.

 

It was kinda underwhelming. Only two or three inches blanketed my neighborhood, but it had rained the day before and temps were hovering in the frigid teens. Ice. So combine that with the street slush, the fact that there are no plows down here, nor is any salt stocked to make the streets safe, northern Dallas effectively shut down for the week. I myself didn’t drive for four days.

 

I was granted a week to work at home remotely. To my annoyance they made this decision on a day-by-day basis, so every afternoon at 5 I’d wait to see the message stating I didn’t have to risk my life and my car to drive in for a job I can do at home.

 

After a week, it all melted. And a week after that, we were back in the 70s. Last Sunday I did my 1.5 mile walk in shorts and a T-shirt.

 

My bible study group is flowing along well. Very interesting, the subject matter, and I’m learning a lot of stuff. Not esoteric, “ancient astronaut” crap, but ideas and themes that link the Apocalypse to the Mass and to the rest of the Bible. I’ve made a few acquaintances, too, which was a side goal to the whole thing.

 

The biggest new thing I’ve taken on is meditation. I’ve done it many times in the past, most recently this time last year, but never for as long and as dedicated as currently. Before last year I would meditate fairly regularly for three or four weeks, then stop, every coupla years. Last year I was able to keep the practice going for 31 sessions over 5 ½ weeks (11 of those sessions my wife joined me). Now, as of earlier tonight, I’ve had my 38th session. I’m up to 16 minutes a sitting and I sit twice a day. I did some research on some clinical studies of meditation, and while benefits can start as early as the first time one practices, most things I’ve read state that one must meditate consistently for eight weeks before real benefits manifest. More on this later.

 

Reading-wise, I’ve read Jonah, Mark, Daniel, and Sirach in my new bible translation, the one my study group recommends and uses. Next up is First Corinthians. I plan on reading through the entire bible over the next year, in no particular order. I’m also leisurely strolling though Charles Dicken’s The Pickwick Papers and enjoying it immensely. I also am tackling a subject that’s been on my periphery for years, more useless information to absorb – the English Civil War. I’m about a fifth through a neat book on the subject that delves more into the personalities involved (James I, Charles I, Cromwell, etc.) than the tactics and strategeries of the conflict. So you can say I’m meandering my way through the English countryside in my down time.

 

The family is doing really well; no complaints from me on that part. Patch is killing it her senior year (only three more months to go!) and is looking forward to attending college in the northeast. I’m not. I’ll miss her a lot – but I’m trying not to think about it. In a little over six months we’ll be empty nesters! Ay caramba! Little One is wrapping up her college career and looks to be starting her full-time teaching career in a little over six months too. The wife has been told she needs to travel more in her job, so it looks like I’ll be spending a lot of time with the dog.

 

Anyway, that’s a snapshot of Chez Hopper a la Texas, midwinter 2026. I’ll try to get more posts in. I think a par of twice a week is doable. I was thinking of a regular weekly music post. I’ve spent the last week listening to The Doors’ six albums chronologically (I was hugely into them around 1987 and haven’t listened to them much since). But I still listen to my growing classical music collection and have been listening off and on to early Sinatra and jazz music centered around its 1959-1960 renaissance. We’ll see.

 

Hope things are well with you too!