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TMOR (to my overseas readers): this blog
DOES NOT represent any average American life-style.

Warning. This blog has evolved through many phases and earlier posts did not allow for links that go dead or change. I never intentionally link to sites that require memberships or similar. Same with sites that don't pass my stringent filtering system. Thus, I encourage readers to NOT follow any links that attempt to redirect, use cookies, or are obvious wrong material for this publication, which is rated PG13.

A reminder to the reader this is not a political blog, but commentary on human behavior. I am not for or against any political party. Liberalism is not a political party, but a social cancer. It is wrong to steal money and it is just as wrong to elect people to steal it for you. One more thing, never argue with a man who buys his printer ink by the barrel.

April 3, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 3, 2025, 15 songs.
Five years ago today: April 3, 2021, a biscuit joiner.
Nine years ago today: April 3, 2017, I have a yard, finally.
Random years ago today: April 3, 2005, web “age shrinkage”.

           Things are not back to routine, but this time we are ready. Nothing planned except the option to take a nap on demand. Who’s with me? Funny, no word on the DEI launch since the liftoff, at least not to we non-TV types. I want some Italian wedding soup and five days off. Let’s check the news feeds. Trump will fire Bondi, for underperformance in going after his enemies. And she’s too old to start on OnlyFans. Some yahoo won $27 million right after his wife divorced him. CNN says since robots are slaves they should be black, not white.

           Such topics say I’m really cooped up all day and staying still. I got lots of practice at it recently. My routine is slowly returning, but expect generic posts for a while yet. My leg wounds are not doing the right thing, or else taking their time about it. I now wish I’d stayed on a few more days at JZ’s, I told you the guy is a restaurant cook. We have a working formula, I buy the food, he cooks it. How sad it is these days so many men have trouble forming adult friendships and think it is others who are queer. Both JZ and I like women only, but in Florida, we know we are the minority.
           The picture of the Shahed suicide drone is unique. This one was listed on Ali Baba for $35,000 bucks. Listed for “aerial map” and “pesticide” spray, included is an A.I. target system that can lock onto buildings. The sad news to those who bought before it was banned—it is a cheap Chinese knock-off.

           Upon return, my appetite, or more accurately my gustatory sense, abruptly fell. The periods of no flavor are getting shorter, but do no coincide with hunger pangs. Actually, I have dealt with this before and my solution is package food, like today’s scalloped potatoes. If the taste is gone, why not chow down on something with all the same taste. Impeccable logic, folks.
           There is a new virus spreading, called HMPV, has symptoms identical to the common cold. According to official authorized government-approved sources (no less), the infection rate is “lower than influenza” but “higher than COVID”, the same people want you to know this is “notable”.

I’ve been out of commission, or partially out, now four months. Long enough for me to forget where I put things and now I’ve lost my great Radio Shack powered breadboard. I’ll find everything, it just takes time and I’ve never been great at organizing small tools.

Picture of the day.
Hoover Dam, by drone.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           What’s this then? Rather than work, where I might instinctively lift stuff, I gathered some scraps together to make toy boats. We never know which of these projects could become my destiny. These are a mix of Jenga blocks, some kid’s toy blocks, and the fence dog-ear ends I used to throw out. There are infinite shapes but I stuck to those I read in that otherwise boring “oil tanker” book from just a while back. The airboat shape is easy, in fact, all these were easy.

           The neighbor was around, he was also in the hospital again this week. What can I say, I’m recovering, he is maintaining. The desperate CNN of MSM infamy has now enabled on-screen gambling. For example, people who participate can bet on whether a newscaster will utter a certain word, or what price celebrity junk will bring at auction. I predict so much cheating that the authorities will step in.
           China has begun testing an amphibious drone carrier. Like an aircraft carrier, it is designed for long-range operations. The Chinese have said they successfulyl tested swarms of 200 drones operated by a single soldier. The US has finally developed a drone that uses no Chinese components. It can be repaired in the battle area using 3D printed parts. It turns out Chinese cars can be remotely disabled after all. And some judge named Ahmet has again declared Trump responsible for J6, and just in time for the midterms.

           I’ve been after building a small table saw for years. Dumb me, I could now really use one for the condition I’m in. I need a project and so do you, reading all this boring stuff.

ADDENDUM
           I’m still bound to document my condition, this blog has rules. My recovery overall still feels like 40% (of normal). Fatigue attacks are decreasing, now 2 or 3 per day, each requiring hours of rest. The hospital really disrupted my sleep cycles, I’m still waking up every 3 hours. But at times, I now get 7 yours and I rarely have trouble falling asleep.
           The medications must be helping but I have not required any pain-killers since a day or so after surgery. Pains are what I’d expect, the bones and incisions, but there is a balance between intensity and duration I can handle, so no pain-killers, please. The antibiotics keep the incision sites tender to the touch and cause a consistent 23 ml average drainage, meaning the bulb stays. My appetite is lowered, taste is returning enough to get me eating well—but with a preference for soft food. Like porridge and soup. My fluid intake, including coffee, remains high.
           I’m flexible enough again to shower well and can walk continuously without rests if I pace myself. I feel better if I walk with a stoop. My bruised up arms from the IVs and needles are still sore and mending awfully slow. I have eyebrows growing back but coarse and uneven. Gout attacks are milder and confined to big toes. The numbness on my outer left thigh is persistent and has occasional hot flash spells. A momentary searing pain.
           One blessing is that I can sit up for hours. No need to constantly shift between sitting and lying down, and I can walk in a slow shuffle out to the shed. Where I discovered a rat has set up residence. The reason for always sitting or lying for an hour was due to pressure points, which are no longer an issue.

Last Laugh

April 2, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 2, 2025, another guitarist.
Five years ago today: April 2, 2021, Applegate was easy.
Nine years ago today: April 2, 2017, remember the blaster?
Random years ago today: April 2, 1976, my earliest letter record.

           Is life getting back to a normal pace? Seems like 90 days since any progress. Look at me, watch one rocket launch on TV and I need nine hours sleep. It’s subliminal. Fortified by a breakfast of pork chops and egg on toast, I set out at 10:00AM for my 1:00PM appointment and barely got there on time. Welcome back to Miami, but there is a spot of good news that will have some communities screaming. There are roadside notices that blocking the left lane is illegal, signs that usually mean a crackdown. The law states you just move out of the way if a faster vehicle wants past. The law is not much enforced and you can figure out why. They are handing out $150 dollar fines, at least on the freeways.

           This purposely blurred photo shows my current meds. It’s not as bad as it seems, as many are similar for specific treatment. For example, two are anit-biotics, three are to prevent ulcers or upset tummy, and so on. It is actually only three new meds: tummy anti-ulcer, two anti-biotics, and a treatment against skin infections. That last one played a role in where I am today. Reading the labels, the docs did not like fluid pressures. Relax, as this photo includes my five existing “lifetime” treatments such as anti-diabetic and I did mention the gout preventative. Gout isn’t funny.

           The importance of today is the first of many checkups, this will be ongoing. For the record, it now costs $110 in gasoline for the round trip. My dislike of the grenade is no secret, see addendum for specs. The purpose is to keep fluids away from surgical wounds and they are more careful than ever with my case. I’ve dutifully kept a log and the volume is consistently 23 ml, meaning the docs want the tube left in place, and a trip to checkup every week. Good-bye for now, Tennessee.
           I know how medical is dominating my days, yet there is progress. The $95 pill has an instant effect, along with its terrible moldy taste. It goes to the incision site and creates a slight numbness and tightness, But these are not listed a side effects, so have some healing happening. I record no pain or side-effects except moments of fatigue. Not sleepiness, though certainly a good snooze helps. That is honestly all I have for you this morning.

           While in the Pinecrest library, I called JZ over to look at the number of attempts to access my account. None were successful and most were Google. A surprising number were LinkedIn, a site that was supposed to keep your data secret—but thinks they have a right to the data. They’ve been called out for spyware, which is delivered by MicroSoft via all those fake updates. I warned against the LinkedIn since 2004. Their app was inventorying our hard drives. Since MicroSoft took over, you can presume they are now looking at everything else on your computer.

Picture of the day.
Albanian women’s prison.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           JZ is planning a trip to Punta Gorda in a few weeks. Good, mind you I see him as cooped up all day, but I know all kinds of people who hole up with a TV and think they are relaxing. He has a shopping bag full of Alaine’s gear, so I volunteered to deliver it. I’ve not seen Alaine in months. It’s too big to take on the bus, which is what he’s planned. Into my van and I took 27 to Moore Haven, then CR 74 into Punta Gorda, the scenic path. Alaine met me half-way, near the church where I got my best chop saw.

           She had time for a bite, myself, no tastebuds. Did I mention it comes and goes. It was too early to celebrate when I did. We stopped at an Italian spot and got stuck an extra half-hour by a Gulf downpour. For me, I chose to sample the Italian wedding soup. I’ve only seen it canned and now I like it. Think of it as minestrone with added mini-meatballs. How nice, as could taste it all for that moment. Sadly, little Gogo is gone, age 15 years. Little tyke was blind, I don’t resolve these things well.

           You’ll find few pics this trip as a persistent light rain kept my camera in its case, so I don’t have the name of the restaurant. It’s next to the pizza place on Rampart and Rio de Janiero. But I have all the non-mainstream trivia you want (but this isn’t a trivia site, ha-ha). It is called wedding soup due to a mis-translation. Nope,nnothing to do with weddings. It is just another of those south of the Alps they eat almost daily. Made with chicken stock, I may learn to like it, imagine, an Italian food with no tomato.
           I left early over my well-known aversion to night driving and just made it home to find, get this, a fatigue attack coupled with insomnia. I got to stay awake for hours enjoying nothing. I’m beginning to fathom how the imbecile-making movement was founded.

ADDENDUM
           The grenade is a proper device, called a Jackson-Pratt Bulb Evacuator. I verify that is what it does because the surgery wounds remain dry. I took a peek on-line and was happier because I see I have the smallest or most minor version.

           The unit is well-designed but designed to get in the way. Still, it does the job of keeping fluid away from any healing site, and for the files, the swelling around my chest stitches is going way down.

Last Laugh

April 1, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 1, 2025, good American crud.
Five years ago today: April 1, 2021, on the verge.
Nine years ago today: April 1, 2017, another deadbeat.
Random years ago today: April 1, 1981, Tsawwassen.

           This worked out to the first real day off this year. Stress-free is the major component. Here’s what I found worth recording, there is no goal for it to make any sense. JZ has a new coffee maker—but got one of those models that does no turn off after a couple hours. I never did trust those things. He also listens to Channel 7 news, so, he’s no inkling of the changing values of America. He’s no idea about any of the drastic “pro-right” events and moods. But he does remember as a lad how his dad would gather the family to watch space launches. And there is one later today.

           We visited a new museum, or did we? Firstly, I drove us over to the Pinecrest library, whose staff is about as xenophobic as it gets. They must methodically pore over the books and computer logs for any hints of exposure to any agenda but their own. Right away, JZ and I hit the book sale rack. I found no audiobooks, JZ found an expensive photo book of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. And bought it. Good, I’ve read all the other books in his place many times over.

           Except this 800 page volume of general topics which has an okay atlas. Okay because it is around 25% biographies of people you never heard of. We could not find a decent map of the Gulf, which has a name change after it passes through the Strait of Hormuz. That waterway averages 60 miles wide, but there are only two lanes. Each two miles wide, one inwardbound, the other outwardbound, with a median, also two miles across.
           It makes for somewhat disjointed convo, since I care not about personalities and JZ knows nothing of the military or economics of the program. For example, the US follows conventions in not recognizing any national sovereignty over that international waterway. Between 12 and 14 tankers sail through in an average day. JZ calls it the “Gulf of Vermouth” and thinks the whole region is really one big secret nation. He could have a valid point, there.

           This picture is a lot of seized cookies, they are fake Oreos. The blog mention is because the way the logo was printed on the dough. It was made on a 3D printer. And represents a new high in meaningful millennial brain-ability.
           JZ mentions there is a military museum just opened up. No address, but last time I was at the railroad exhibit, I saw a poster saying the old cadet barracks was to be painted up. It being just noon, I drove all the way out there against protests the building did not exist. But there are mentions of it in this blog, so I knew the structure was there. The accompanying photo is NOT the same as today, this is an old picture of the way I remember it years ago.

           Did we visit a museum? Yes and no, this place was not a display case of weapons, rather a concept called a “community museum”. The focus was on the local people who served and died in the big wars of the previous century.
           I found the room with a wall display of the Miami medical team and was abraded to find no mention of JZ’s father. This could lead to something because JZ’s place has several awards and certificates of his father’s contributions. JZ and I have, over years, talked of what will happened to all those items when we are gone, so this is a new and possibly significant avenue. There is one award that stands out, it is trimmed in gold foil—I’m saying his dad deserves at least the same recognition as what I saw in that room. It is not my decision, but I informed JZ I would mention it to Alaine. And I got the business card of the head of the museum. I will do nothing without permission

Picture of the day.
Merkur Bingo Hall (London).
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Tradition, we headed for the County Fair, arriving and 2:00PM to find the place vacant and shut down. We learned from a parking attendant the gates do not open until 4:00PM. What the? Imagine, getting GenXed by Broward Country. No sign at the entrance, all the cones and lanes so no nothing until you drive into the complex. No way I could deal with a two-hour wait, so the vote was we drive to Sedano’s and stock up. If you know what to look for there are real bargains to be had. I got the thin-cut sirloin pork chips with no fat, a party tray of shrimp, and headed back to the condo, where JZ always keeps plenty of rice on hand. It was a feast.

           A late dinner I mean, when we arrived, I once more was hit with fatigue and zonked. I left instructions to wake me up before the satellite launch, scheduled for 6:30PM give or take a NASA hour. What follows is not supposed to make sense, you see, while JZ thinks the crew are “astronauts”, I consider them a pack of jokers on a publicity ride. So, picture this, two old guys, both staring a boring commentators and making better comments ourselves. Example, JZ starts watching the weather map animations showing the wind currents.

           I bet him $15 we could go sit on his balcony for an hour and we would not see a single white arrow in the sky. But that idea got the axe since we could not find any beer in the fridge. However, we later concluded the launch might be a cover up. The rocket was really a missile headed for Teheran. A sneak attack of the most sinister stripe. And that whisp of smoke from the turret was the crew, toking a Cuban cigar in celebration of their free ride on the taxpayer dime.
           Don’t pooh-pooh the logic. Look closely at this picture of the countdown. Big rocket, painted orange to get your attention. Moments after ignition, the whole scene is blanketed with smoke so nobody will notice in the lower right is a near-exact replica of the Pahokee water tower. A clever disguise, indeed.

           I was later to learn Alaine, true to the family tradition, had watched the launch from their back yard. Once it go in the air, it arcs over, which her husband was quick to point out that means it is falling back to Earth on a trajectory toward Iran. See, men know about these things. I’m the one who first noticed once the smoke screen wafted away, the water tower had been replaced by a Styrofoam duplicate.

ADDENDUM
           Club 33. It’s off limits, today I’m referring to the location in Orlando. It is a private club where VIPs and celebrity types can dine in peace. Initiation fees are reportedly $25,000 with annual membership dues of $10,000. I wonder if I’d meet Taylor there, since she has shown a distinct aversion to hopping over to my club, just 40 miles away. This is why keeping my appointments in Miami is important. Time is short and the club waiting list is over ten years long. Even the entrances are hidden from the public. I like the way the tables are twenty feet apart. So the Tay and I can have our intimacies, type of thing.
           I wish I had some of my old-style adventures to report. I know, these days it is books, treatments, and curiosities. I need a 300% improvement just to return to base. The slowdown in lifestyle was inevitable, but I can hope. Did I not just read how Tay has stopped seeing what’s-his-name? Don’t try telling me it is all coincidence. Like the Democrats who categorically swore their election computers were unhackable now saying Trump is planning a steal.

Last Laugh

           This is an Oklahoma City manhole cover. It shows a map of the city, along with a white dot showing where you are. This is either great tourist-industry foresight, or an admission of how badly their DEI policies have gone off the rails. It was used for a blog placeholder, but got 1,421 views, so here it stays. Enjoy.

March 31, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 31, 2025, what music!
Five years ago today: March 31, 2021, talking navigation.
Nine years ago today: March 31, 2017, I speak HTML.
Random years ago today: March 31, 2015, just not my star.

           Here’s the battery heading for Miami later today, and a view of the gas-powered pressure washer if I can figure a way to get it lifted up into the van. It’s kind of heavy duty, but the sucker will peel off auto paint. It is getting promoted to the Robot club, where it will find lots of work. What a morning for my coffee maker to act up, which makes everything else a chore. This is the washer from the Prez before he moved, he is aware I intended to ship it to the club if I was not using it much. The sulfuric acid bottles, seen here, are coated with six years of dust.

           A lot of logistics show that I’m behind on everything. Do I catch up or hop in the van and go stay in Tennessee until June? It’s a toss-up except I have to stay near enough Miami to ensure this time I’m recovered. Quite realistically, I can’t much afford to be this long out of commission. I can tell you who will have it worse—credit card users. Have you heard of Google’s “verifiable intent”. It’s the cover phrase for them authorizing purchases on your behalf. The plan is that A.I. is given your specs, like “find me the best tennis racket under $400” and the system takes care of the rest. This could fuel the next round of comedy movies and stand-up routines. Who remembers, “I said oatmeal, not smoked eel”?

           The good news is the chest repair this time feels like it is healing. My long term speculation is that this bypass buys me another twenty years. But behave, this incident is more than a warning that after a certain point, most ailments can come out of the blue. As I read the hospital reports, I’m drawn closer to my conclusion that my situation is a “hospital infection”, of course nobody is going to spell that out for me. Nothing I caused myself this round required 7 doctors on the case.

Picture of the day.
Cindy Crawford & daughter at age 19.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           If you are reading this, chances are I drove to Miami y’day afternoon, and won’t be back until late Thursday. Yes, it is costly and grossly inefficient, but my recuperation is getting done, so I’ll gladly pay up. Here are five of the seven new audiobooks, purchased from the library over in Bartow. The best source is the south end branch, because the atrocious levels of adult literacy in that town assures you of a boundless selection of brand new books and CDs, never touched.

           That was JZ on the phone. Do not read me wrong and think I said he was a terrible money manager. I did not, repeat, did not say that. I said he manages his money the same way as most people. My backup phone is on his account, so it gets paid when he does his own.
           To keep away from deadlines, I pay up two months, always a month in advance. Well, for most consumers, two months is a galactic future beyond their maximum planning horizon. JZ regularly forgets I’m paid up, yet he’d be affronted if he knew I write such things down. There you go, I did not say anything. He feels that because I was in the hospital, I [must have] lost track of the payments, but I stress this is NOT a JZ thing, it is the natural course that most Floridians would follow.

           I should have contacted him y’day, but the time was wasted chasing around with local issues, like electricity. That’s Florida. It also means I got none of my own stuff done, like how about some laundry since three weeks ago? Can Florida spare me enough time for laundry. Y’know, it is also strange how people who never manage money properly are, after enough time put it, psychologically opposed to learning it right. Alas, that is my pal, who says pay up.
           That’s a mini-universe in itself. Things have massively changed twice, since I’ve know the guy. Once, when I lived off my savings for six years, and once again when I retired. These events shifted ballast over here, but nothing changes out there. Example, JZ thinks I could easily sell the pressure washer in Miami for $300. But who can be bothered? List it, deal with a buyer, meet up, all of this costs money and time that non-financial minds tend to ignore. If Agt. M cleans two cars, it has paid for itself.
           I kind of advised JZ that it has been years since I quibbled over $20, that he could have come got the washer any time he wanted, and I am not equipped to sell large merchandise on-line.
           In the end, I could not lever the washer into the van, so it has wait another turn. I know there will be a turn because of how I feel, which is around 40% of normal.

Last Laugh

March 30, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 30, 2025, the pessimistic view.
Five years ago today: March 30, 2021, brunch at the Cozy Cove.
Nine years ago today: March 30, 2017, beware of City Hall.
Random years ago today: March 30, 2001, no soup for you.

           Four hours to sort things out, what a waste of time. We have electricity back, cut off for $61 overdue, the city is just proving what ghastly money managers they are. Grubbing for chump change. I have a list of items jotted down from people met at the hospital. One insisted I listen to a band called “Snake Oil”. Do you have any idea how many bands have that name? I’m still weak enough to take the day off, whence I watched a clip on Voyager 1 approaching a distance of one light-day from Earth. That took about 50 years.

           It says here Miley Cyrus is thankful Disney took a chance on her. New York has taken over a shopping mall to let homeless people set up tents inside. France has put some twenty freemasons on trial. This morning, I got by catching up on details that made it through while I was away. It turns out trivia is king on the app once known as youTube. What a wasteland that has become, choked with junk that just can’t pass the three-finger test.

           By noon, I was pretty much crawling. I had to do old-school banking because I am all out of deposit slips and my ATM cards are expired. Heart problems never seem to happen in isolation when I’m concerned. Since I was downtown, I stocked up on essentials and made it over to the library for more audiobooks. “Bullet” is finished, it turns into a crazy twist at the end, since the “killer” was not the guy she shot and she winds up a fugitive in France. I have six new mysteries, the format that dominates audiobooks, but also a novel theme about a village that renames an old plot as a “fairie ring” to boost the flagging town coffers.
           This morning’s photo is the excellent book from the Clewiston Thrift. Amazing well-written for what is largely a documentary. It flows like an imaginative tale and the vocabulary is superb, the logic is a treat to follow. Take the photo, it would probably not be posted today, at is shows an older White man posing with lots of slim, proportionate, young White girls. That’s Carrier, the A/C guy, at the 1939 expo. The book points out how his invention caused the world’s largest cities to grow in the tropics where just decades ago, all were in temperate zones.

Picture of the day.
Stolen Voter ID lists.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Doing my best to avoid hospital pics, this one is over a single request. My reference to the “hand grenade” is this drain mechanism. It has the same hydraulics but better ergonomics, using the same sponge system as the bulky Roomba. A pliable bulb the size and shape of a grenade. This shows around 20ml of fluid that would normally seen into bandages. They don’t want that, so a slight squeeze on the bulb, as is shown here, creates a mile back-pressure. Emptied daily after recording the volume, and 20ml is really nothing.

           Back to Miami again, maybe tomorrow, I did not get the rest I craved, this is my third night home. I read more of the literature to find this is normal, so I played bass for an hour and got some banking out of the way. What’s this? $300 for a doggied blood test! That dog is the one who really got the presidential suite, gets to sleep next to a princess more than I do, and eats food from Aldi’s.
           I am now personally convinced there is a direct corelation between sedation and gout.

ADDENDUM
           I bought extra data this month, wanting to stay as inactive as I can until the stitches are gone. Remember the Gruman X47 and it’s variants? I consider it a billion-dollar joke, often taking years do develop what is mostly and outdated concept. In its current form, it is pilotless and being tested from an aircraft carrier. It seems to use no systems that are not already in operation elsewhere, such a GPS guidance, and refueling from drones.

           Hmmm, my comment above about the three fingers needs a boost to explain. It is a referral to A.I. videos, whereby the software, or at least a lot of the current apps, has trouble generating hand pictures with four fingers. This can be spotted easily when the subject picks anything up and, at least briefly, has only three fingers. It is a poor-man’s test you are being duped. Why duped? Because A.I. does not arrive with a warning sticker.

Last Laugh

March 29, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 29, 2025, 16 movies.
Five years ago today: March 29, 2021, I have outdated peripherals . . .
Nine years ago today: March 29, 2017, a useless sandblaster.
Random years ago today: March 29, 2005, I don’t.

           This morning found me totally refreshed after seven solid hours in the sack, although I do tend to wake up every few hours, almost as if I expect a nurse to come barging in at 3:00AM. I chose a small fan to keep just my sleep area cool and noted the Yeti will power it a full 8 hours. First thing, I hobbled over to the neighbors to find he is still not home. This is serious, I think. I tapped enough extension cord cable off a single outlet from his studio in the early dawn dark.
           This gave me coffee, a fan, and the fridge running again. But I don’t know when the city cut off my power in the past 11 days, so out goes $60 worth of groceries. That reminds me, I stopped at Publix before I drove home y’day and bought a veggie tray, some cookies, and a chocolate milk for the road trip. It reminds me why I don’t shop at Publix. $22.

           This is a Volvo “backup battery”. It was a laugh and a cry for the Robot Club y’day. I believe I have a spare brand new in the box. If I find it, off to Miami it goes next week along sith the Prez’s 5HP pressure washer. That puppy can peel paint and I’m not getting the use out of it. I’m reminding of how the Club has become like the business arrangement between myself and RofR so many years ago. What do all these things cost? Nobody knows, it is a club.
           What is the story on this battery? Well, to sensible people a battery is already a backup device. The club has joked many times that cars should already have two batteries under the hood, but the comment was intended for the dismal quality of today’s batteries. So, is Volvo admitting their choice for one battery is so back, it requires a backup?

Picture of the day.
Near Amarillo.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           You bet I’m still tired since January 29, but bits of energy are returning and that’s all I need to function. The mostly weightless lithium battery let me fire up the Hyundai, which itself has a totally dead, but relatively new, battery. That whole battery industry is due for a shakeup. I’m old enough to remember when batteries lasted the life of the car, sometimes 15 years. I have not completed the modifications to the Hyundai to make it a great second vehicle, but after learning of recent auto repair bills, I’m glad I invested in this unit just for the security of having it.

           Prices have become so high you can now buy insurance. No, not warranty, but repair insurance, although they love to call it warranty. Makes me with some A.I. type would come up with a machine that enables mechanics to work without the major expense they face—shop rental. That’s correct, my recent $1,000 alternator repair was half shop time at $120 per hour. Imagine if the mechanic could get a portable cab and have servo motors do all the work at lightning speed right under the hood.

           Now some sad news, or at least always sad for me. Dead possum in the yard. I know it is all part of Nature’s design but I don’t like to see anything die, except possibly lazy,stupid, non-contributing humans. You heard me. There she is, I think it’s a she, just pretend she is sleeping. I used to bury the creatures, but that just makes life harder for Florida vultures. It [the carcass] was gone within the hour.

Last Laugh

March 21, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 21, 2025, WIP
Five years ago today: March 21, 2021, WIP
Nine years ago today: March 21, 2017, WIP
Random years ago today: March 21, xxxx, WIP

           A bleak and dreary day of waiting. I’m saturated with Arduino so it is me and that executive TV, nothing else. By 6:30AM, I’m already bored. The commercials are a barometer of appeal to the stupid. Who takes vaccine drugs with listed side-effects like suicidal thoughts and violent nosebleeds? Who dates women on anti-depressants? And somebody could tell these GenXers that seasons are not new. Leaves go yellow, grass grows, and waves erode the shoreline. Oh, and whales migrate, another fact millennials think is the latest in scientific discovery.

           I set a record here of 20 Sudoku puzzles, more than the rest of the institution combined, me thinks. No news allowed except anti-Trump rhetoric. Like, I’m supposed to feel sorry when judges who injunct the President get doxxed or threatened? There is some reason, after the Supreme Court ruling, that Trump just doesn’t have all the leftist judges arrested as they are plainly not acting unbiased as is required.

           Here is a sad clip of my stunt double that tells the mood of what the days around here have become. Only 50% of the lab cultures are returned, enough to know it is a bacterial infection. They need another 48 hours to target the correct antibiotic. So we wait. The room is great, real metal cutlery, though the meals spaced at 8, 12, and 4 don’t really give you time to get hungry in between.
           I located a Denzel movie, “Equalizer 2” and skipped the morning.

Picture of the day.
PPP
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           How boring is this place? I found documentary on photo-plankton. Photo as in light beams as they synthesize something like 2/3 of the Earth’s oxygen. But that is about all they do, their life cycles are like a mini-Miami. Eat, sleep, reproduce. That’s it, so boring, I watched an hour’s footage on single-celled organisms, duh.

           An emerging problem is soreness, this being my fourth day of inactivity due to hoses and mid-lines. To be on the safe side they have been dripping me broad-spectrum IV antibiotics. Two types, both are slightly acidic and my veins are not. They remove the mid-lines due to real pain but they’ll soon want another.

           I was visited by 7 or 8 doctors this afternoon. Asking questions right as the anti-biotics caused me drowsiness and pronounced fatigue. Just quick interviews, but I conclude they are being very careful about something. I had two twenty-minute sneezing fits during those hours and my skin turned very dry.
           The high point of the day was desert. When they run out of what you ordered, the substitutes can be a surprise. These are my coveted Lorna Doone shortbreads. With a shot of milk. Other than watching more cop movies and designing a small sonar device on paper, it was just me and a lot of commercials about how credit cards could take us all to a better place.

Last Laugh

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March 20, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 20, 2025, WIP
Five years ago today: March 20, 2021, WIP
Nine years ago today: March 20, 2017, WIP
Random years ago today: March 20, xxxx, WIP

           A Friday in the ward means you are spending the weekend on the robot bed. The labs are not ready, meaning at least Monday before they decide to patch me up. In the meanwhile, I sense I’m in this posh room as quarantine, you know, from other patients in the hospital environment. That is, if I have something serious, I got it from the hospital, not at home. So enjoy the moment. Have a gander through my picture window, that is real greenery. As for the meals, they are real. Omelet for breakfast, pasta for lunch, and by request I know you can get a cheeseburger on Fridays. But no fries, they still have that on my restricted list.

           It was a day of recovery, as you may know it is often the second consecutive day when you get emergent pains. All my dressings are really tight, including my legs. They finally looked at my legs. I found the sponge wound dressing amusing, it is a mini vacuum. I gather from the size of the collection container, I have almost no leakage to worry about.

           My symptoms are fire-hot stabs at the location they did the work, but easily tolerable, being sharp and intermittent. Declining painkillers kept me fully attentive and I was able to contact all my people, particularly Trent and the Reb. I prefer that to the hospital system they have set up. I’m attached to an IV so let me decide when I have recovered, please.
           Sadly, the Reb’s best friend, already weakened from treatments, fell and broke her back. The news is she is numb and will be paralyzed. I should be in Tennessee with the Reb, a reminder that I’m the one who can run the household when she needs some down time. My own signs of aging are not cause for any festivities and my own aging indicators are now everywhere.
           One bright note, I got a text from Steve, the guitar player, saying he is ready to rehearse. His song list, rules, I’ll just play anything he wants, which means a lot of Eagles. But any band is better than no band. Ha, and even no band is fifty times better than the patients around this place. What a pack of collective do-nothings, I can hear how zero they are from down the corridors.

           Which led to a new doctor visit, this time, a plastic surgeon. A what? Yep, this time the wound is to be closed by a “skin” specialist with two super sharp attendants. They want me certain to understand what may happen once I’m on the table. These guys are professionals and it is a delight just to talk to such educated and worldly-wise individuals.
           They inform and confirm me the infection was mild, but will require specific anti-biotics once the labs confirm which strain I’ve got. The good news is the surgeon says I could be out as soon as 48 hours after the surgery, now slated for Wednesday. I’m behind on everything over this. I’m going to have to make some expensive changes to my daily and routine operations. I’ve been in the hospital close to 30 days since late January and the bills have got to be paid.

Picture of the day.
PPP
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           Same as last time round, all the regular staff books off late Friday and the hospital floors revert to a skeleton crew. Ha-ha, did I just make a funny? Anyway, it’s either read more Arduino or see if I can squeeze anything amusing out of this 75-IQ TV on the wall. I accepted the challenge. Here is an actual of the fancy big screen, I seem to have my pictures fouled up out of order
.

           I found some ancient programs, including a dismal documentary from NASA on why they wasted thirty years not going to Mars. That’s one of my peeves that will never reconcile. Over that stupid shuttle and space station, the bastards cancelled the Mars trip.
           Now half my life later, that useless ISS is flying in circles going nowhere with sub-optimal crews doing “experiments” which have resulted in nothing useful. Zilch, that is. They could have made Mars, the Hubble scope is your substantiation on that. The lens and tube alone weigh something like 125,000 pounds. Instead, you get NASA propaganda with loaded language like “monitoring increases”. I have a question for the ozone layer people. Has the “hole” over Antarctica ever been larger in the past than it is now?
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March 19, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 19, 2025, WIP
Five years ago today: March 19, 2021, WIP
Nine years ago today: March 19, 2017, WIP
Random years ago today: March 19, xxxx, WIP

           Divide today into two. This morning, I awoke woozy and leery of side effects. But things are moving fast. At 4:00AM labs, 5:00AM (can’t read my writing), and 7:00AM more X-rays. I’m cold but this time they get you all the blankets you want, making for a good rest. I needed it. My life vest has drained the battery with no way to get it from across their parking lot. They have me in the VIP suite, but the first thing noticeable outside is drunks moaning down the hall.

           Here is the best picture that turned out, if you can see the details. A picture window with palm trees, six chairs and a meal on the tray. For some reason, they are taking no chances this time, everything is to spec. The room is climate controlled, even water takes forever to evaporate.

           The morning was all waiting again, I took time to read up on how to get the Arduino to issue “Internet” commands, that is, the HTML that causes web pages to appear. The incompatibility of these systems is a study in itself. Remember, I gave away my HTML book in 1997, saying in effect this stupid system will never catch on. HTML is another millennial brain-fart language, where some dodo threw something together and now the command lines are a mixture of bad fixes, exceptions, and screwy punctuation. For instance, the “title” command has nothing to do with the function of a title.
           It kept me distracted, there are commands that count the bytes send by a server, one of the sure signs the crew does not know how to run the ship. I did not wait long, at 10:00AM the staff wheeled me into the OR, where by now I know some of the folks. They cleaned the wound and resealed it with a type of Saran wrap that pulls the chest sides inward, but even I can tell it is not enough. And hitched me to 30-pound suction machine called Wombat, but quickly redubbed the Roomba, as it has to stay connected or begins to chirp.

           Pulling out of anesthetic rapidly, I had consultations with two doctors. X-rays and probing showed all the infection is shallow, mostly skin-deep. It is also along the edges that were not staying together. It looks bad, so no pictures. Yet. They also plugged by leg wounds while I was under. The whole process went fast, I was back in my private lounge just after 11:00AM. The staff and service this time around is amazing, an order of magnitude better. Am I in the Presidential Suite? I’m near enough to the nursing station of get coffee on demand.
           Lunch was real sweet and sour pork with rice. The floor nurse confirms the wound is “superficial” and the infection is mild with no complications. And while TV (and most TV-watchers) irk me, this room has free movies, which I devour. Movies I missed or did not care to view before, are for the asking. And they are streamed, so you miss nothing during the still-constant interruptions.

Picture of the day.
Happy Days, I think.
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           The second half of today has me on comfy memory foam and plenty of attention. I don’t much question this good fortune. I met a total of seven doctors so far this visit. One was the tambourine player in a band, apparently known for the technique of playing it over his head, but my notes are not clear. He mentioned the labs won’t be back until Sunday, so get plenty of rest. I did, and used waking hours to study serial communication, a system I’ve not used in years. But that’s how idiots arrange things, each one mucking around, throwing code together 10% of the time, and spending the other 90% patching up mistakes. Serial imports a string, so change it to an array, then count the array, and change it back to another string, and away you go. Millennials have had computers all their lives, so they don’t need to know how the silly old system works.

           The new room even has art on the walls. I took this quick video, showing the high back upholstered chairs and such. The place is full of signs saying to recordings, so this is the best footage. Swank. At least for now and by comparison.
           I thought I’d found a Gunsmoke channel, but it was a truly bad documentary. This is my second day back in Florida. The room here is a much different experience, but the place is still designed down to the minimums that stupid people find suitable, including the TV shows between movies. Take the bedside trays, they are the only place to prop your water jug. But the jug is a brand that sweats condensation, which wrecks your notes. But it appears in the generations this place has been in operation, they have never seen nor heard of anyone using the tray as a desk and have no mechanism or inclination to change.

           The tethered machine makes pee breaks an ordeal, as the line won’t reach to nice private bathroom and the alarm cannot be disabled. (I later learned the trick of pinching off the air valve). There were fewer interruptions, but still 15 that I stick-tallied all day. I am alert with no chest pain, except where the drain hose goes under the bandages. There is some unavoidable flexing of the area, showing that further work is to be done.
           The meals are also superior up here, lunch was turkey, supper was pot roast with mashed.

ADDENDUM
           For some reason, I logged this day by the hour, this is the timeline:

7:00 AM – up and noting meds have caused much site draining
8:00 AM – out of the operating theater and wasted
9:00 AM – still recovering, wasted
10:00 AM – awake and in recovery observation area
11:00 AM – back to my fancy room
12:00 AM – sliced turkey with trimmings
1:00 PM – unbelievably welcome three hour nap.
4:00 PM – beef with mashed and gravy
5:00 PM – study Arduino
6:00 PM – study Arduino
7:00 PM – write letters
8:00 PM – write letters
9:00 PM – free movie
10:00 PM – more movie, my note says “Law & Order”
11:00 PM – another movie, a western called “Horizons”

           I’m such a nice guy, the staff who asked why I am not using a computer to write letters get a three-minute lecture on how that technology is 30 years out of date, but if they work hard, some day they might catch up to where this old guy is on computers. Thirty years ahead of their imagined modern world. I’m reminded of how my siblings sometimes stared in wonderment how I read books, didn’t I know there was a TV right in the next room?

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March 18, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 18, 2025, liquid nails, my foot.
Five years ago today: March 18, 2021, pork chops again?
Nine years ago today: March 18, 2017, bird-bath altered ecology.
Random years ago today: March 18, 2009, a cell phone simpleton.

           If you are reading this, I’m in Miami hoping to be home tonight or tomorrow. Here is a picture of Taylor without makeup. So much for the Napoleon Dynamite connection.

Picture of the day.
Cactus roots.
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           Later, this picture turned out so popular, this post stays. Turns out JZ was not home, I crashed at Agt. M's and got plunked back in the hospital. They took one look and said, "Infection". And here I stayed for the next 11 days with, unless you saw my chest, nothing apparently wrong with. I spent as much time as possible dressed and sitting up in the most comfortable chair I could find. Many staff walked in and asked me where the patient was.

Last Laugh

March 17, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 17, 2025, 90% eKrona.
Five years ago today: March 17, 2021, fuses, mostly.
Nine years ago today: March 17, 2017, remember Grove Roots?
Random years ago today: March 17, 2011, Jag’s guitar.

           WT from Tennessee has a far-better equipped shop and the know-how to go with it. He’s taking a look at building a hot-air engine. Wish I could be there. He has mentioned a Sterling, a type of engine that uses heat and the expansion cycle of gasses. I have never been able to wrap my brain around either the theory or the popular fascination of the thing. He’s intending to video the build, so maybe we’ll learn something here. He’s mentioned previous failures, which in the robot club are called learning experiences. Good morning.
           Here’s the gift boxes finished and ready for a trip to Miami. These have custom logos and the three strongly display their common heritage. Along with the driveway dandelion. Today, I made it to the Sheriff’s pound and that finished me by noon. Still awaiting a call from the medical office, I am getting right back in the sack.

           It’s winter out there. I stayed tucked and read some statistics. The world output of infrared (heat-seeking) shoulder-fired rockets is around 750,000. Where are they? Outside of some 3,000 choppers downed in Nam and maybe Soviet 30 Hinds (Mi-24), that makes for a real imbalance. The missiles are cheap on the black market at around $50,000 asking. The rumors of Iranian sleeper cells got me thinking what would be the easiest and most spectacular attacks?
           Once again, the Internet cannot answer my simple question of how many airliners are in the USA, but downing 500 of them would send a clear enough message. We are already seeing how Iran is able to keep loosing a small number of drones and missiles per day. Not a good sign. I got all this info trying to find the old Bogart movie, “Sahara”. WWII is really the only excitement that ever happened there. I want to see if the movie used real tanks, being the film is 1950s. So far they have one surplus “Honey”, the M3 Lee. So far the plot is historically okay, except for claims like being surrounded on three sides and escaping to the south. There’s one scene the tank guy says the range is 160 miles. Not on that tank.

Picture of the day.
Chesapeake Bay.
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           Those who like nice quartz countertops may be out of luck. Turns out people who work all day cutting the slabs get lung problems. It seems breathing the dust all day without a mask isn’t good for you. So instead of telling these people to smarten up, places like California and Spain are banning the countertops. IKEA won’t sell them, and the courts are handing out million-dollar settlements. Because Pedro won’t wear a mask.

           At 2:55PM I got the alert and twenty minutes later, I’m on my way. Check in later, in our wonderful modern world, I will again have no Internet access for at least two days. Did you know that between January 29 and February 21, I lost 70% of my readership?

Last Laugh

March 16, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 16, 2025, joists, dude.
Five years ago today: March 16, 2021, credit warps business.
Nine years ago today: March 16, 2017, more tendonitis.
Random years ago today: March 16, 2008, every dork along the way.

           A new Cadillac Escalade, only $113,000. I could mortgage this place, I suppose. For more stats, see addendum below. For now, here is the Squirrel Picnic. The game camera is tricky to position to catch how the critter gets to the food, but easy to show the food. In this instance, there was a metal crate resting near the feeder that was just close enough for him to make the leap. The clock says he emptied the feeder in 16 minutes flat at a balmy temperature of 80°F. A yard inventory shows a terrific windstorm went through here in my absence.

           Finally, I admit this place is too big for me. While I wanted space and a spare room, I seem to have had little experience pushing 70 years old. If I can’t keep up now, we are in for a long, slow deterioration unless I come bouncing back. Just five years ago, 700 square feet of cabin seemed small. Now, half that seems right-sized.

           Where is the USS Lincoln? There are rumors of an anti-fake news law on the way. That is, freedom of the press is limited by an old rule that the news must be in the public interest. Banning fake news could have an hilarious effect on the Internet. Now we see articles about replacing all the statues destroyed by the leftists. I’m okay with that only if they use the J6 software to ID and fence the bastards, then send them the bill.
           As for bill, that stay in the hospital, though I was cut off from my banks and spending, still cost me $480. Half of it my electric bill. My “wifi” bill is now $112 per month, twice that of 2016 when I arrived here. I wrote a letter to the Reb detailing the costs here just in case. The joint would have to sell, but then, it is certainly the cheapest fully-habitable and comfortable small place you will ever find in Florida except a trailer somewhere. And those are now rare.

           One thing that has certainly sunk below replacement cost is ghetto housing. If you turn off the filter, places like Georgia light up with places below $60,000. All of them in neighborhoods you would not want to live in. Too bad the same houses are not on an acreage a few more miles out of town. My guess is that welfare now pays so much that people who would normally rent such places can now afford better accommodations.
           And you can have your pick of mobile homes, I predicted this long ago when I paid thousands for my units. That one day the pad rental would become so expensive that people cannot sell their units. Sure enough, hundreds of units on the market for less than $500. To sucker people into paying the rent. I got out just in time, folks. (Mind you, I did shop around and found the nicest place, all Frenchies from Canada.)
           In the finally tally for 2025, California spent $81,000 on each homeless person.

Picture of the day.
Indian reservations in S. Dakota.
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           Unable to stay idle, I went out to the shed for an hour and forty-five. Took the neighbor a coffee sampler, this is a variety of coffee from my private stock. Otherwise people buy one brand and get coffee burnout. If you don’t like medical, skip this afternoon. He was working in the shed, although it was a wet day, it was warm. He had on a tank top and wow, did the catheter people ever do a number on him. It was a femoral but the guy has bruising from his neck to his ankle on the right side. Says he’s fine, but best we keep informally checking in.

           I completed two boxes, both are less than my best work. Both are gifts, shown here is a J-Box for Laurie, it has a few defects but easily masked by the yagasuki finish. Soon as I get confirmation of appointments, I’m heading for Miami. Could be tomorrow, but more likely later this week. I’ve had it with this back and forth good days bad days.

           There are two boxes in the picture, it’s the bigger unit that goes to Sunrise, Florida. I found several steps of the build too physical to do a better job. Or example, if corners don’t fit right, you’d think it easy to just bend the wood into place and staple it. Or lift the box to flip it over. I regularly had to stop that and reaching for a clamp isn’t an answer because twisting the final squeeze turns out to also be over the limit.
           Here’s a look at the setup required to print the logo on an assembled box. Yes, it is precarious. The laser servos are strong enough to wiggle the whole stack just enough to cause concern. If you have not seen this process before, that is a Z-box on the bottom standing on end, and the whole laser etching device perched on top, not running at the moment.

           Sorry for the following hospital talk, but my calendar has just been set back. By noon, I’m served a reminder that this operation does not follow the rules. It was a relapse to two or three weeks ago. Weakness, aches, and wounds that should be healed by now. I had little choice, lying still all day as uncomfortable as that hospital bed. Except for good coffee, that is, and a slice of apple pie for lunch. Sorry to report, I have returned to possibly needing more hospital time. I’ll know within 48 hours, I have the appointments made.
           Most annoying are the two leg wounds, where the veins were harvested. The left leg, where they finally got the tubing, had healed over two weeks ago, but has begun acting up. The right leg drains constantly, for nearly 50 days now, but it is slowly healing. I had water retention before, this procedure has just given it a path. I’ve been taking water pills for over twenty years.

           For historical detail, I have pedal edema, a result of falling off a small kitchen stool in 2021. I’ve had a prescription for Lasix for decades, but no water retention of any real concern until the fall. The pills worked on my right leg better than the left. It is the pitting variety, where a press leaves a small pit for a second or two. Painless. As far as I know, it really is water. I cannot discount that I now have some new condition.

ADDENDUM
           Over half the vehicles on the road nowadays are SUVs, the new models average in price $61,400. I grew up in a world were operating a car gobbled 25% of your take-home pay, but nothing prepared me for this. I have planned that the KIA replacement will cost me $15,000 even if it lasts another four years. That thousand-dollar alternator was a warning. Almost $600 of it labor because they had to remove half the motor to get at it. There is a point at which you know somebody is behind it.
           Make no mistakes about it, SUVs are trucks, pushed as family vehicles to get around EPA laws for cars. I see the potential for a return to small sedans in the $30,000 range. Maybe a bare bones model for $20,000. They would have to change the laws. But the reality is a vehicle in America is a necessity. An all-weather enclosed vehicle. The system is designed around that.

Last Laugh