Laughing Wolf
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Yes, I Do Live
Just been a long and interesting week at work, capped off by an 18-hour day Friday, followed by an all-day community event yesterday in the area where I live, and lots of yard and housework today, oh joy. For the record, the week before (heck, the last few weeks) haven’t been much better though no 18-hour Friday’s… Today is trying to catch up on events, sources, and more; and, do the yards and some work in the garden. Not sure how far I will get, but am going to try to get it all done. More soon, and am trying to do a daily Georgia roundup at Blackfive, so check there if you don’t see anything here. Also, I owe a lot of calls and e-mails, and will try to do better.
LW
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Well, I Didn’t Win
The contest for being host, but we had a good run and made a couple of points along the way. Thanks to everyone for voting and for support!
LW
Sunday, August 03, 2008
The Weekend So Far
I’ve had more than one person tell me to take it easy this weekend, to enjoy it. Yet, I do enjoy (in a perverse way) the work. The fact is, there is no one here who will do it if I don’t. Jenny won’t even pick up sticks in the yard, heaven forfend that she actually try to help keep the house clean. Add to the normal the fact that the lawnmower died, work and some special projects for the blogs a bear, and it has been almost two weeks since the yards were mowed, garden weeded, etc. But all is not work, and I thought I would share a bit of what I’ve done this weekend.
Friday evening, I spent a couple of hours with two friends picking blueberries. One of these friends is beginning to get tired of getting asked if they’ve seen Willy Wonka—they will eat blueberries to the point that the rest of us are looking for the skin to turn blue and and a helpful Oompha Loompa (sp?) to get them to the juicer. Not sure about anyone else, but I did leave with a few pounds worth. In fact I had originally been thinking just a pound for use with the cereal next week. Then I got to thinking of some other uses, and…
Saturday morning saw me up way too early with a dog who was grunting she was so worried I would oversleep (really do have to work on the concept of Saturday with her). So, up came a double batch of Whole Wheat Pancakes with loads of blueberries. Six or so just with blueberries, and then six more with banana. A bottle of Viking Fiord potato vodka got mostly emptied,then filled with blueberries and topped off, so as to make blueberry-flavored vodka and to do a novel preservation of some of the blueberries which can be used later in desserts and such. A quart of blueberries were then frozen.
I then went and started work in the yard. There were various efforts required, including putting out some bags of gravel to begin prepping the next section of fence to be done, and to continue work on an interesting area of the alley/road. There was some minor moving of rocks, and some major weeding around the back deck.
Time to mow, darn it. Quickly realize that the mower has to be raised. Check. Stop to empty bag, mower no start. WTF? Check, test, no joy, call the repair place. Bike rack goes back on the car, mower is lifted onto rack, and secured. The repair place waits, and I get there. We talk, and the owner is rather annoyed at the mechanic who worked on it. He shows me a trick for that make and model, and what we both suspected was true: There was some junk in the gas. I now know not only how to check for it, but to get it out fairly quickly and easily if needed. Mower back on bike rack and back home. House yard and back yard (about an acre all told though not all is grass) gets first cut. I did something else, AHA—grocery run—finally remembered, and then set up the challenge with Uncle Jimbo, who delighted in telling me who he was going to dinner with (and who I bet didn’t pass along my greetings as promised), the rat fink. So, please go vote for me so I can gloat back one day soon.
Went out, got out the charcoal chimney, started the side smoker on the grill. Began second cut of the house yard. It really needed three cuts to do it right, but skipped on down to low as I was running low on light. Between emptying the grass catcher, I put fourteen ears of sweet corn on the grill and began to smoke/roast it. Got the house yard done, brought in the corn, and then prepped meat to make Alton Brown’s air dried beef jerky. Meat cut, brine made (modified, of course), and everything left to soak overnight in the refrigerator.
Sunday was another early rise day, and I made one more batch of whole wheat pancakes with banana and blueberries. Discovered that they way I had been making them, one was enough for a meal. Began bagging and freezing accordingly. Cleaned up in the kitchen, got out the jerky beef, dried, and placed on filters. Put together the drying ensemble and put it out on the back deck to start. Did some other stuff, can’t remember what right now, then did the second mowing of the back yard/pasture. Discovered the fan drying the jerky had died, may have been off an hour. Bleep. Got the other box fan, restarted, brought it all inside. Came in, had lunch, cooled off, had fun with the new fan and the jerky when I flipped the filters, then went back out and took the weed whacker to the garden and yard. Came back in to cool off again, and shucked the corn and cut it off the cob. Three quart bags and one pint of smoked roasted corn is now in the freezer. Oh, yes, I also peeled three of the peaches I got off my peach trees this year (didn’t expect any, only planted the trees last year), and put them in the remaining vodka so as to preserve and make peach-flavored vodka. I’m now putting off going and doing the final mow of the back yard. Will update this later. 
Put off mowing a bit longer by picking English Peas out of the garden. Remembered the other thing I did this morning, which was clean out the car, though I balked at working too much in the trunk. About time to clean it out, check and update the emergency kits… Am taking a break from mowing, got a chunk done, decided to come in and cool off a bit, rehydrate, and such. More in a bit.
Another good chunk done, just the last bit to go. Another cool-down: I don’t know the temp and am not sure I want to know the temp, thank you very much. Am thinking that later this week I might take some huge yellow and Z squash, what carrots I can find, some eggplant, leeks, bell pepper, and brussel sprouts and make up some vegetable stock. Good way to use the stuff that really can’t be eaten (too big, old, dry) but still has a lot of flavor to give. More in a bit.
Last bit wasn’t bad as the temps dropped. Of course, that was because of clouds rolling in that I wasn’t expecting. Neither is the weather service apparently, but I went ahead and dusted the garden and sprayed some herbicide where needed outside the garden figuring it was worth the risk. Just hope the forecast for Wednesday holds as I really want to spray the weed (no feed for now) stuff on the yards. Also need to spray insecticide again, but that is on the schedule for Thursday or Friday. Will see.
That’s it for now. Dinner of sorts is ready, tools are put away, now to get the trash together and out for pickup tomorrow morning and get the recycle ready to go out to Wolf Park tomorrow. Have dentist, eye exam, and more scheduled for tomorrow, so am thinking of taking my lunch break out at the park, and taking some Frosty Paws frozen treats to two of my favorite wolves. May even squeeze in a hair cut if I can…
LW
Monday, July 28, 2008
Not Quite As Planned
But a good day overall, I think. I hope. Various interactions have caused several of us to wonder if others can read or have even the most basic of reading comprehension. Yet, a lot has been accomplished, including getting registered for the Blog World and New Media Expo. Not getting all I would like done, but not going to complain (too much) either. Not bad at all, given that Jenny got me up repeatedly over the course of several hours because of a thunderstorm overnight. She is getting quite creative on that score, and quite demanding. Jenny will be the first to tell you she doesn’t like loud booms…
More soon.
LW
Monday, July 21, 2008
What A Week(end)!
Well, the most I will say is that work has been very, very hectic of late. Some productive and good things happening, but hectic is indeed the word. A touch stressful here and there too. So, not much posting last week. Add to it that I am trying to get some long overdue stories out to the world (and apologies to some people I met on my first embed), and, not much time.
So, Saturday found me planning to do some brickwork, replace the front gate, and mow the yards. The best laid plans and all…
I get started fairly early Saturday morning, with bricks, sand, and implements of de-struction (que music, Alice’s Restaurant) and go to get started. I determine by digging and poking where the old sidewalk still runs in front of my front gate, and dig out part of my front walk that meets it—and has disappeared under dirt and such. Once exposed, I take a sledge and bring it down good and hard for a bounce. A good bounce. Several more hits as hard as I can manage finally result in a much lower bounce and the start of some cracking. I take my trusty mattock and… How deep is this thing? What?
Eighty years ago, concrete was cheap. Quite cheap actually, and some was really good and some not so good. Well, the person who built the lair got good concrete, and I have to admit it has held up very well. The problem now is tree roots, subsidence, and some odd damage done by those who came before. As I said, it seemed to be good concrete, but the other reason it has lasted this long is that it was four or more inches thick.
Thank goodness it was only a bit less than a square yard I had to bust up, and it did take some time and effort. I hauled the chunks around to use around the tool shed, and then began prep work for the new brick walkway. More digging, leveling, etc. Discovered rather quickly that the amount of paving base I had gotten was not sufficient, and figuring out that the polymer locking sand was a bit low as well, ran to the home store for more of each. I’m not sure how many bags of base, but think it was six. Then about 200 pounds of sand got lifted up and poured in place. Bricks laid out fully, then pulled up, more leveling and prep (and more sand), then put down in place.
Ooops, one thing out of sequence there: I had to remove the old gate posts before I could do the base and bricks. This meant taking old-fashioned post hole diggers and digging out next to each post (3 feet deep), pulling out the posts, and doing prep work for putting in new gate/fence posts. Digging through the mole’s nest (apparently) was interesting, and I did bury the mole though without full honors. It was not decapitated, but crushed those morbid enough to want to know.
Bricks laid out a final time, the new posts went in and things were backfilled by hand so that the posts were secure and the bricks can’t move. Packing was done by hand with a wood piece and by foot.
The new gate was interesting. I cut the boards with a hand saw in a mitre fixture. Of course, none of the screws I had were the right ones for the job. One more trip to the home store found me with better screws, and corner braces and angle braces out of stainless steel. Between all the braces and the four-inch-long screws, figure it should not go anywhere… Add in hinges, and up it went. Then got the pickets up, put on the post caps, and, what’s that? The battery operated radial saw didn’t like the old fence, but then again it doesn’t seem to like anything, so no surprise. Just meant I had to cut the current fence parts with a hand saw. Joy.
Finally got the old fence tacked up in place so Jenny can’t go play in traffic, and got the tools put away. Not neatly mind you, but put up. Even got some of the trash up, but at 12 hours plus since starting, decided the rest could wait. Hot, long, long, hot shower. Dose of tequila. Should have taken pain pill. Stiff and sore even before getting in bed.
Sunday was interesting, it hurt do do anything, and sneezing made it feel like I was ripping apart. Got up, started moving, and discovered that it was trying to rain as I was trying to start yard mowing. Hmmmmm. So, called in to the sheriff and got a burn permit. Getting all the brush, tree, wood trash, and downed limbs from the last storm burned needed doing, and with rain coming seemed to be the perfect time. Spent several hours burning, hauling stuff to the fire, and all that. No rain after an initial sprinkle. Sun. Hot sun. So, while watching the fire I also picked turnips that had gone to seed, so I could take the roots in to work to give to victims co-workers, along with giant radishes that had also taken off while Jenny and I were touring. Tops in both cases into the mulch pile in multiple armfuls. Picked some eggplants and more as well, did some weeding, and finally put out the last of the fire as I had dinner plans.
Shower, and off to meet some friends from Alabama who were driving down I-65 after a trip to Chicago. Good dinner, great time. Home, and to bed. Naproxen is my friend. It still hurts to sneeze.
LW
Saturday, July 05, 2008
How Can You Have A Charley Horse
right between your freakin shoulder blades? I move wrong, lie wrong, etc. and it really sets it off. Must have slept wrong the other night or something, because it was a bear yesterday and still annoying today…
LW
putting off going to do more painting on the new fence material and mowing the yards…
Monday, June 23, 2008
On The Road
Jenny and I are on the road, and you can check for updates at Blackfive. More here soon.
LW
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Video Camera Returns
Well, it has just arrived back from Canon—I was starting to get worried that it wouldn’t be back when promised. While they said they only cleaned, the paperwork says they replaced the main chassis assembly and the slide chassis assembly, made other electrical adjustments, cleaned, and inspected. A quick trial shows it working well, with audio much better. Think that may well kick up several notches as I just bought Sennheiser wireless lapel and stage microphones to go with it. More soon.
LW
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Yes, I’m Still Alive
Just more than a touch busy at work and with some of the changes at Blackfive. Despite the Jimbo-centric post, the changes affect all and much is in the works.
I am going to post some photos from work around the lair here soon. Really. That had me tied up quite a bit this weekend, and had Jenny very annoyed with me as outside time should be with her, not with that noisy nasty thing (lawmower, though I think the tiller has that title too).
The workout continues, and is changing as I change and can do more things. I am trying to ride the bike multiple times a week now that the weather is nice, and in the gym, a nice young Marine on the staff is going to be introducing me to new meanings of the word pain…
More soon.
LW
NOTE TO SELF: If you let the nice young Marine help you kick up your main workout, it is not a good idea to go and kick up the off-day workout several notches too. Ow. I really need to get the hot tub working…
Friday, May 16, 2008
You Know You Are Tired When…
You go to the hardware store to make a small purchase, and your card is declined. You look at the card you just swiped, and realize that it is your work ID rather than the debit card. At least the cashier and I got a laugh out of it…
LW
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Well, That Bites
I met up with a videographer I know, and we tested the tape from the Face of America Ride. Using his equipment, we discovered that the tape is even more corrupted than originally appeared. Bleep.
On the upside, he shared some information with me that has changed some camera plans. It seems that Sony is coming out with a new high-end video camera, but it’s non-interchangeable-lens cousin is approved by major cable networks for full use: in other words, not just b-roll footage. It is also more expensive than what I had been looking at, but… So, I think I have a new video camera to shoot for…
More soon.
LW
Restful Weekend?
Not so far. Yesterday saw me out breaking new ground to expand the garden, plowing same, and planting. For those curious: heirloom tomato plants; english peas; brussel sprouts; leeks; turnips; green, red, yellow, and chocolate bell peppers; yellow crook neck squash; zuchinni; habanero peppers; jalapeno peppers; purple carrots; healthmaster carrots; and radishes. I also started moving the herbs up to the rock and flower garden by the back deck. The half that wasn’t being used is being converted to an herb bed (removing large rocks and replacing with garden soil), and I plan to move the remaining flowers out this fall and make it just an herb bed then. Herbs to date are chives, cilantro, curly parsley, flat parsley, purple basil, thai basil, dill, and thyme. Need more brussel sprouts and leeks, also plan to add marjoram and some other herbs once I get that area expanded a bit more. Still need to plant thai pepper seeds too… Where I want to plant the next two fruit trees is now prepared and marked as well. I also got the flag pole flower bed planted and flowers in the two big pots out front as well Friday evening—the pots need more plants though.
I had also planned to mow both yards (more like hayfields since I missed a week), but only got the house yard. I hope the garden does as well as the lawn, as I swear you can just about see the grass and weeds growing… I picked up a LOT more sun than planned or realized, and forgot to wear a hat a good chunk of the day, so the scalp may be a bit pink along with arms and neck. Yep, I am a red neck right now, fo sho. I think I hurt worse last night than I did during the bike ride last weekend, it did not make for a good night’s sleep.
Speaking of riding, I also took my riding bike (the other is the errand bike at work) to the other bike store (not the one where I bought it), and tried a new seat, bought same. Smaller is indeed better. The person helping me had me ride it outside and do some riding inside the store, with the net result that some other adjustments were made as well. All-in-all, a much better ride. Now to get some road work in with it to truly test things out (can change the seat out in the next 30 or so days if needed/desired), not going to happen with the rain today it appears.
Jenny is not happy right now. We had a thunderstorm roll through, and she actually got up partly in my lap. Thunder, gun shots, fireworks—those just do not make her happy. She wouldn’t actually sit in my lap, but sort of next to and over me, leaning into me for all she was worth and trembling to beat the band. I managed to get two melatonin tabs in her before it got too bad, and she finally decided to get out of my lap and just be at my feet. Semi-attached to them, mind you, but…
More soon, and I promise to get caught up on e-mail here shortly.
LW
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
The Good, The Bad, The ???
Good: Income theft refund arrives, debts can be paid, and I replaced my much loved CRKT SRT pocket knife that disappeared a few weeks ago.
Bad: My video camera, which is getting old now, malfunctioned again, this time at the Face of America ride. It is off to Canon to see how much repair will cost. I hope not much, as I am going to put off repairing the watch and doing some other stuff until I know and—the real thing—buying a comparable camera today will run about $4k. Truly bad is that right now I seem to have no way to get the computer to download the video for editing, for if I could I would use pan controls to focus away from the interesting left side…
The ???: I bought the part the dealer thinks will repair the hot tub. WIth luck, I will get it in and everything refilled by Wednesday. Maybe. While I don’t hurt too badly at all, it still would be very, very nice to have that up and running…
LW
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Thank Goodness I Checked
It has been an interesting couple of weeks. On the good side, I had a nice visit from the English Werewolf and the Borzoi, got to bake for the troops (see Blackfive), and have done some other fun stuff. On the other side of interesting, I’ve also had to replace the dehumidifier in the basement (don’t get a Heijer unit!), notice a problem with a gutter and downspout, had to have some expensive furnace repairs, and now…
I’ve been trying to get in shape for a bicycle ride. Not just any ride, but an event with wounded/ill troops. I wasn’t going to ride, was challenged by Chuck Z, was going to ride, and now—not so sure. I actually made some of my time and distance goals last night, but also had some pretty good knee and hip issues afterwards. Add to that the fact that I also strained/dinged my right arm Monday during my upper body workout at the gym, and I am not a happy camper. In point of fact, a very sore camper. Now, most of it is good pain, but that which isn’t, isn’t.
So, I decided to hobble over and hop in the hot tub last night. A few days ago, it hadn’t wanted to run right, but seemed to have gotten back on an even keel. I flip the top back, hit the button, and nothing. I reset power, and things came up and started running. I thought it seemed a bit hot, then saw a flash reading of 115. I got an instant read thermometer from the kitchen, and sure enough, even thought it now said 104, it really was 115 degrees. As it was also trying to go up, I decided not to do a lobster impression and just cut the power.
Sure do hope the income theft refund gets here soon…
LW
Saturday, March 29, 2008
A Good Day
What can I say: the four-legged alarm clock let me sleep in until almost 0730 after a night that saw me up and down only a few times (odd noises required some check); a non-rushed trip into town to the grocery and a not-too-bad fill-up; some progress on some DIY projects; and, a fair bit of work in the yard. Jenny is not amused, as any time outside not with or for her really doesn’t count in her book, but I did play rocket dog before we can in. Rocket dog is where yours truly does sort of a Frankenstein imitation with lots of “I’m a gonna get you’s” and Jenny rockets around me, the yard, etc. Didn’t do whirl-a-dog really, she wanted the runs.
I had the fun earlier of trying to get her to help me pick up some of the limbs, with—of course—no success. Now, Jenny must have at some point watched Babylon 5 as she can do a fair Zathras imitation. Today, I did it with a pretty good mimic of the voice even, if I say so myself, along the lines of “Daddy slave each week for good kibble, and Jenny not help at all with the yard. Poor Daddy. Is what Daddy expect.” except a lot more of it. It got me a look, and a laugh, but no help.
I made some good progress, the only regret being that it was too cold to do any bike riding. If it is warmer tomorrow, and not raining, I will try to get some in. Otherwise, it is laundry day and at least one room is going to get some significant work done to it.
Not a bad day at all. Especially given that for the last two weeks, if I had not had mono as an undergraduate, I would swear I had it. Hope this means I am getting over whatever it is.
LW
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