June 15, 2018

Yesteryear
One year ago today: June 15, 2017, authorized slander?
Five years ago today: June 15, 2013, valet parking sucks.
Nine years ago today: June 15, 2009, sub-sub section G.
Random years ago today: June 15, 2007, I kept the cat.

           It is a wonder how, in this day and age, the system has still never produced a glue that stays flexible but will still stick to the dash of a car on a hot summer day. Here’s a rare find. This is a toy pistol from back in the day. It is metal and looks and acts like the real thing, including the trigger action. We have a box full of them. They are priced at $100 each simply because you can’t get them any more. The sale and manufacture has been long since outlawed. Most are the cowboy six-shooters, but again, realistic. I’m working on the idea of a display alongside the hotdog cart. Turns out you don’t need a license to sell most things at a temporary establishment.

           Not a good day at all. A massive disappointment, I thought, as I drove back from rehearsal out near Kissimmee. The guitar player, while he means well, failed to show any improvement in the past week. While I understand there could be any number of reasons for this, he was playing at a level that was worse than the day we started. In many cases, he did not even know what key we had played the material in just a week before. I began to draw the conclusion I was again being processed. That’s the term I use for guitar player who thinks once he has tricked you into committing enough resources to the project that he can coerce you into doing things his way.

           But that cannot be the case because he cannot possibly play well enough on his own to think of fronting a show. When I discovered the birthday party tomorrow had found a Karaoke jockey at the last moment, I quietly cancelled our plans for the surprise appearance. I’ve burned up the entire month’s gas budget traveling out there, so basically, he gets one more chance to show he is learning the material. That always gets me, because it is not difficult going. Even an untalented guitarist can easily fake the strums after a few minutes. Yet time after time, these people fail even when I show them exactly how to do it.

           Going over the specs of what the city wants to complete my porch deck, I may simply dismantle what has been done. Why? Money. Doing it their way is going to cost some $4,000 and I balk at that. I’ll try to find a contractor who will touch such a small project, but that is unlikely. If I do take down the 8 boards that are already in place, it also means other planned improvements will never happen. The place is still comfortable, that is not the issue. Ominously, there are rumors throughout the city that the building department is on a mission to prevent older buildings from being renovated. And the rumors are too persistent to be unfounded.
           The way it is being done is the city cuts off the electric service, saying the building has to pass inspection before they turn it back on. And no building has yet passed said inspection. Like I said a year ago, the city has learned that code enforcement can be used to enforce many a thing besides code. It would appear they are targeting older buildings like my own. This could be more than a serious problem. It would not bother me that much, since in another few months, I’ll have my money back. But it’s clear the city would have no problem throwing people out onto the street.

           The way I see it, the best thing to do is go into town for a cup of coffee.

Picture of the day.
Off to market.
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           The only spot of good news was a little headway with the hotdog cart. I was able to find out what all the pieces were for and left instructions on what not to do over at Orange. For example, the water heater is not to be ignited unless there is 60 psi of water pressure. Also, the unit had been improperly stored, so the fresh water tank may need to be replaced. The entire licensing has to be done in Agt. R’s name. I’m limited for time on the project though I would like to see it in production asap. Anything is better than standing still, so I wonder why so many people do it year after year. I also tried to contact my other (reserve) guitar player. Not only has he disappeared, his phone is disconnected. Maybe he really was sick after all?
           This is a closeup of the on-demand propane water heater on the cart. We still have not fired it up, as there are precaution stickers about the water supply working first. We have not found the batter connection leads, I suspect the old owner took those out along with his old battery.

Last Laugh

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