Hot stuff

I put it off no longer, I bought a hair dryer and defrosted the refrigerator. This may sound like no big thing to YOU, but it has been preying on my mind for a couple week now. It only took 20 minutes to melt the ice enough so we can close the door to the fridge! Now maybe the ice cream will stay semi-soft, instead of melted!

I had been looking at heat guns at a big-name hardware store but the lady there said she recommended getting a cheap hair dryer at the grocery store. She said that's what they did, there in the paint department, because the heat gun they sell put out WAY too much heat.

So that's what I did!

So now I have an extra hour a month of my life back!

Not So Hot Sunday

Yesterday was a real scorcher! Check out this temperature graph for yesterday:



I walked to the library around 3:30 to return a book and get some more supplies. The breeze was blowing nicely and I had my geek sun-hat on. It didn't feel too bad, but it was nice to get into the air conditioning at the library.

Hot Friday

It's not as hot as yesterday, but less than tomorrow, I hear.

Went to the urologist today. My PSA is still at the same (low) level, not rising. So he told me to come back in six months for another check. Of course, those of you who are in the know are aware they took out my prostate last year (with the fabulous Da Vinci machine), so the PSA is SUPPOSED to be zip, I understand.

So I keep thinking I'm dying.

Which I am not, of course.

But sometimes I just feel OLD!!!

Bloody 'ell!

Just stabbed my self on a tiny icicle stick out of the ice cube tray.

How come I don't bleed that much when I'm doing my diabetes testing, huh?

Hot water

I've had a hot-water faucett in the bathroom that didn't give much volume ever since I fixed the washer. This was several years ago. I've been thinking about replacing the faucett with a high-quality one, but that costs money and something ALWAYS go wrong when one try's to do plumbing.

Since we have a drip in the kitchen sink (no shut-off valve!)I was going to call the apartment manager to get it fixed, and take a look at the bathroom too.

It occurred to me that I ought to check the shut-off valve under the sink. This occurred to me several months ago. I finally checked it. Now we have full hot water pressure...

Now about that drip in the kitchen...

Sunday morning

I started a new blog, the "secret" blog, where I put the stuff that "names names"! Too hot for here!

Friday

I had something to rant about, but now I can't remember what it was. Too bad for you!

Observations on an old man

I've been reading some books by Ralph Moody. He wrote a series of "fictionalized" autobiographies of his life as a young man riding horses, cowboying, and helping to support his mother. He has some good insights, I think.

"I couldn't help thinking he and I were a good deal alike. Maybe he was trying to do things too big for him so people wouldn't call him an old man. Maybe he bragged about things he used to do because he couldn't do them any more, and because he wanted the same thing I did: to have other people think he was as smart and able to do things as they were." -- The Home Ranch

The books remind of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Litle House On The Prarie series.

MPG

M. said the tire on the vehicle look a little low. I have not checked them in six months I have owned this sucker, so I thought I had better. I finally found the air pressure gauge (from the Citation) in the bicycle tool drawer of the tool chest, of all places. I checked the air at the gas station today, it was a little low, but the tire were heated up so I will probably have to bleed a little out when they are cool, tomorrow.

I filled up with gas, too. Since I don't have a pen stashed in the vehicle, this is mostly from memory. 13.4 gallons(@$35.25), in 192.8 miles equals 14.3 mpg. And the odometer sez 1,305 miles. It's not much better than the sainted Citation. And it certainly COSTS (15 grand or so) a lot more than the Citation( which was essentially zero, thank you Kelly!). But it's got brakes! And steering! And a decent stereo. And I can carry a lot of junk in the back!

Reading the Illuminatus! trilogy I came across a name, Steve Brodie, that I was intrigued to look up on the intarweb. Seems that the expression from my youth, "doing a brodie", comes from Steve claiming to have jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge (and survived) in 1886. Apparently there was some doubt that he actually did it, but the notoriety helped him when he opened a bar.

I seem to remember the expression referred to sliding sideways in a car or on a bicycle . I didn't get too many hits on Yahoo! on it, but there are a few and that seems to be the way others use the terms, pretty much.

The cable guy came today and fixed the cable. He was supposed to come between 3 and 5, but when I got home (I left early to be here) the wife said he called around noon, asked if that would be a good time, and so came and fixed it. He had to crawl under the building and replace a cable. I hear he was quite a sight when he crawled out!

So now we get UCSD channel clear! It always awful before!

I was looking in the garage Sunday and found an old bottle of Torco Fork Oil, and an old plastic squeeze container labled "The Dirt Rider". That old squeeze container brought back some memories. As I recall, you ordered from Carl Shipman (The Dirt Rider) and you got the container and a bag of molybdenum that you mixed with oil to get chain lube. Those were the days! I've still got the spark plug air pump, the handlebar bag, and somewhere a copy of The Boonie Book (the thin white one, not the HP publication.)

There should be a shrine to Mr. Shipman.

I was shown this article in American Libraries today, about a Pennsylvania school librarian who was fired for selling discarded magaines on the internet with permission. And then combining the profits with his own money to buy computers for the school. Fired High School Librarian’s Legal Record Cleared

Here's a poem I found and liked.

Peas
by Anonymous

I always eat peas with honey,
I've done it all my life.
They do taste kind of funny,
But it keeps them on the knife.


Now THAT'S poetry!

Here's part of another.

Qwerty-U-I-OP
by Arthur Guiterman

My typewriter, I gather
from her lettered row on top,
Should answer to the comely name
of "Qwerty-u-i-op."
She clicks away as gaily
as the cricket in the dell.
And at the proper moment
titinabulates a bell.

And it goes on...

I can't believe I just noticed I misspelled "Leftist" in the blog title.

Now, since no one pointed this out to me, I have to assume one of the following:

1) People are too kind to point this out.

2) People are too stupid to notice.

3) No one is reading this blog.

To stay in charactor, I will have to assume number two...

Since the t-shirt contest is over (and no one even entered!), we will now have a non-prize survey. Should I fix the spelling in the blog title or not?

That is the question...

Oh my aching...

Went for a colonoscopy last Tuesday, what I call a "Katie"...

I was pretty nervous, even though I had been through it before. It wasn't as bad as I had worked it up in my mind, even though the "cleaning out" process is fairly ucky. Last time they found something, this time it was OK. I'm still waiting for full functioning of the plumbing, but there are signs it's going to work.

So Tuesday night I'm sitting around, and I feel a lump under my shirt on my arm. I check it out, it's the bandage covering where the put in the I.V., I guess it's called. So I take it off, but I'm thinking, that's funny, I don't remember actually getting dressed after the ceremony, as it were.

So we call my son, who had the honor of driving me that day. I told him I didn't remember getting dressed, he said "Really?" I said, "Yeah, I really don't. I remember someone telling me you had my keys, and I remember getting in the wheelchair and going out to the car, and I even remeber very hazily some of the procedure, but I don't remember getting dressed." He say's "Well, I help you get dressed." "Well," says I, "that's embaressing!"

So that's my funny memory of that day!

Now it's your turn!

We went to Boulevard to see the wind generating windmills there. They are quite impressive! You have to drive a bit on a dirt road to get there, but it's not too bad. The mighty Hyundai did it ok! This picture is from another visit of Matt's, that a Camry at the base of the windmill.



The blades are enormous, I estimated about 120 feet across. They are almost silent in operation, just a whooshing sound as they go by. There are 20 something windmills in a long line. You can see them from the road, but we drove right up to them for a close-up view.


We went by the Wisteria Candy Cottage in Boulevard. We didn't stop there, but I've been there before with Kelly and they have some fine stuff. Of course, being sorta-diabetic, I couldn't eat too much of that stuff anyway, right?

We checked out Carrizo Gorge Road. Turns out it dead-ends at a clothing-optional resort. Woo hoo!

We took the old road, took a look at Desert Tower, almost hit a little kitty, then took the S2 back. Stopped at the Box Canyon monument. Didn't see much of a trail, can't imagine taking wagons through there in the 1800's!!

Came up the Banner Grade through Julian and then home again.

No entries so far in the t-shirt contest. The only explanation I can see is that now is reading this blog! Probably just as well!

I was watching Alan Jacobs on Book TV talking about his book "The Narnian", which is of course about C.S. Lewis. He said something about Lewis taking his responsibiliities seriously, recounting anectdotes about Lewis dilegently answering his fan mail every day and visiting an elderly woman friend who was in a nursing home. This struck me, and I found it worthy of note.

So over in Dago it appears they are thinking about banning smoking on the beach. Not that I care, having stopped smoking about three week ago. I am thinking a simpler little law isn't going to do much, though. I think that people who would obey the law are the ones who probably don't drop their butts anyway. It's the scofflaws that throw their butts in the sand. And that's probably the least of what they do! Probably run stop signs and speed, too!

I believe the only solution is to execute people who litter. And let the good smokers smoke in peace.

And raise the alcohol tax, too. But that's another topic.

I was looking at the statistics for my Books I've Been Reading page.
What's up with that Top search word used...

"Music to stun pigs by"?

Is that weird or not"?

A Contest!

Someone gave me this shirt. They didn't know quite what to make of it. Neither do I. I want to give it away.

Who ever comes up with the best explanation of why someone would print this, can have it!

LIMITATIONS:

1. There is only one shirt.
2. Free shipping only within the continental U.S. of A.!!
3. It's not a new shirt. It's been worn. By a sweaty fat guy. A lot. Probably smells of cigarette smoke, too.
3. All entries become the property of Tropical Serpants and may be published!
5. Offer void where prohibited.
6. Employees of Tropical Serpants and their families are not eligable.
5. Anything else I can't think of right now.
6. Oh, yeah, the contest ends February 25, 2006.

Oh, I forgot, it says "Naturally baked" on the back.