Minus 6 this morning with a wind chill of 20 below! Certainly a different day. Usually I am off to the slopes by now. Today not so! Am I getting soft? After five days in a row pounding my 86 year old body on rough icy granular slopes it is time to take a break. So here I am fresh from riding my recumbent stationary bike ready to engage in a different day. This is a break from my usual routine of six days of skiing followed by the Sunday break. Best wishes to the intrepid holiday weekend skiers.
I always enjoy having something to energize my mind and body each day. Although this is a different day I am pleased to have a bundle of things to occupy my mind. While exercising this morning I read the New York Times and my local Syracuse Post-Standard. This was a stimulus to get worked up over the state of the world plus reading some good news of science and social improvements. I also had a chance to watch a UTube video featuring Cornell mathematician Steve Strogatz explaining his dance with mathematics from early childhood through his long teaching and research career. During my tenure at Cornell I had the pleasure of interacting with him at faculty lunch gatherings. He is an extraordinary teacher and person able to explain mathematics for the lay person. I recommend his book The Joy of X as a great read.
The rest of the day is ahead and I am looking forward to lots of reading, crossword puzzles and probably a nice nap. Two books are calling to me! One entitled State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny which is a page turner. The other is a delightful gift from my son-in-law Matt titled Tractor Wars by Neil Dahlstrom Manager of Archives and History at John Deere. You can see I have widely different interests!
Beyond skiing there are many wonderful opportunities for different days. However the love of skiing never disappears. Looking forward to resuming the routine on Monday. Thanks for reading my blog.