One year ago today: October 21, 2017, there is a place . . .
Five years ago today: October 21, 2013, cPod Mk II interior.
Nine years ago today: October 21, 2009, bioinformatics.
Random years ago today: October 21, 2008, beware of consequences.
My aching bones. Time to review the first real hotdog day. I need a term for an operation and ‘gig’ is already taken. Event, shift, and stint don’t sound right. Leave it, something will crop. This is not about the sales, but the impact on me. An hour ago I woke up, but that might be the wrong description. I was more than fatigued. I was on duty from 5:00AM to 2:30PM, operating the food cart myself. In the end, except for his noon break at work, Agt. R was not present except to bring a couple articles I could not find, but they were extras. I had all I needed to continue. My entire day centered on the food operation and now here are the consequences.
This [photo] is the business end of the cart. The grill on the left is swung into position and the chrome lid is closed on the pans. Other than the umbrella, the entire rest of the cart is wheels and government regulation. How did I get so worn out? I suggest it is because for once, I was doing something that dictated my pace. You love the selling because busy means making money. It must be the quiet periods that affected me. I had a good book, so if I’d had that coffee, you think I’d be snug. I almost was, but you can’t quite settle in quite enough.
You see, once the burners are lit, the cart demands attendance. It’s not urgent, but you cannot leave it even a moment. The water pans need topping off every twenty minutes, less if you have to bring it to a rolling boil. It may have been nothing more than this different pace that set me this way. However, once I got my coffee this morning, I was totally vitalized. I must have used every muscle and if so, I needed that and would do it again. Talk about limbered and I was down four pounds, though that means nothing. All the real work was the setup and takedown, and I found I can do the takedown myself in 15 – 20 minutes. If I ever find a permanent good location to park that thing, there will be no stopping.
For those of you taking any of this hotdog operation to heart, you’ll want to know what went wrong. Nothing. Nothing in the sense that the few that occurred were solvable by what limited experience I’ve already got. The rig is well-maintained and inspected by check-list both before and after, so no mechanical or physical problems. There just was not very much foot traffic and all the vendors lost money that day. The most interesting booth is the guy selling birdhouses. I took a picture a couple years back. He has an elaborate and labor-intensive display set-up.
However, I will state again that you be wary when they tell you this is a one-person operation. It can be done, but you don’t want to. Plan from the start to have a second in command and/or some kind of support. You’ll either haul a burdensome amount of supplies with you or risk running out. For example there was no mayo in the supply fridge, but I had brought a small bottle from home just in case of that. Trust me, you will not always be so lucky. Have your cell handy and somebody you can call. Treat them well. Last, everyone who said anything were very impressed with the quality of the hot dogs, particularly the Polish sausage. I used regular buns because I can guarantee the supply. More as it happens.
[Author’s note: I’ll tell you who can kiss both sides of my ass. Those blockheads that made power jacks the same size whether they are center positive or center negative. People that stupid don’t deserve to live. I’ll leave you wondering if I’m just kidding.]
Multnomah Falls in winter.
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I found the 12 cup propane coffee maker. It is a Coleman product. But just you watch trying to buy it in this millennial era. They think they are improving and expediting ordering on-line. All they are doing is paying extra for shipping, waiting longer for possession, and sinking into a world where they are just beginning to find out what’s been going on behind the scenes. I remind all that I warned you about smart homes and smart devices. Have you read the papers lately? I want my house as dumb as possible. You aren’t just buying the appliance with money, you are paying for it with every shred of privacy and decency you once thought you had. For those saying they’ve nothing to hide, they should be adding the word, “yet”.
Maybe I won’t go shopping. The late afternoon cooled down to perfect weather so I crawled under the house and ran in three circuits and two GFCIs in less that two hours. I made some changes, but once again building in a little flexibility at the early stages pays off. I was just me and Boss Hogg radio, who broadcast the CBS news. I don’t know from CBS but I know they are a bunch of Democrat libtards and their broadcasts aggravate patriotic Americans. The month it is that caravan again, how they have no food, jobs, or water. Why, isn’t that the least they should be getting from their Latino brothers, the Mexicans?
I guess they were expecting something else when they set out with no money to walk across a foreign country. CBS is in an uproar because Trump said the caravan was a result of Democrat policy. CBS is screaming there no evidence the Democrats are connected, but since when did liberals start insisting on connection-before-accusation? I think the caravan people are under the impression the US is soft on illegal immigrants, and if that is so, there is a definite link to the Democrats.
It is also the season for political telemarketers. These people are pathetic beyond redemption. Read my lips, it is a no-call list, not a no-call unless it is politics or religion. I know it what the law says, but for Christ’s sake you people, you know damn well people don’t want to be called at all. What sort of human beings are you? Particularly loathsome are the assholes who call pretending it is a wrong number. “Hello, is George there? George told me I could reach him at this number. Could you leave this message for George? Please vote Democrat next month.”
Ultimately, I did not go shopping. I need some things from stores that close early on Sunday. So I ran in another circuit, which brings me up to a point in the job I’ve been avoiding. The old spider web circuitry left a single light just outside the hallway entrance that I either splice making for an eight-wire box, or run another line half the length of the building. Only one thing to do. Make some coffee and procrastinate.
What’s left with the electric? Quite a bit. Dishwasher, disposal, washer, dryer, four kitchen GFCIs, the white shed sub-sub-panel, and a new dedicated line for the fridge. It would be unwise to wait for it all to be run in, I was lucky to find an electrician to even take such a small job. So, I’m mostly running the lines only to the first junction box of each branch and having the breakers installed. All the necessaries are here, I’ve now been living in the place over two years. Let’s take a peek at the cost of electrical this month. Gulp, $914 in materials this month against a total of $654 since I got here. The only other month I spent more that $100 was June of this year.
Most of the materials have been very low priced from the ReStore. Only things like cable were bought retail. And of course, all the breakers are spanking new. I plan to clean out the front bedroom end of next week, so I can finish that area in case of company. It’s the nicest room in the house and all it’s used for right now is a work area.
Still feeling invigorated from my first and so far only day of my life selling hotdogs, I sat down for an hour and thought. But not about business. I really do need a long break, just a drive. Careful, the last time I did that I wound up in Yakima, Washington. I pondered air travel but I don’t enjoy it any more. Airports have not progressed over time, instead they’ve degenerated into a type of monopoly designed to soak money out of passengers one way or another. Plus the bad guys have turned airport security into mad house. The car and camper is my alternative. Even if I decide not to go anywhere, I’m buying the deepest memory foam mattress that fits into the body. My presence around October-November of any year is never a given.
If I stay put, there are a few new toys I would like. I produce around four short videos per month, nothing special. No, I don’t post them on-line much. I’ve always wanted a better setup to produce better pictures. I’m familiar with the entire process from camera work to final credits. I’ve seen the mass produced indie videos, some actually have impressive effects, but overall it is garbage. I’m not out to compete with them, they are too legion, but I know I can produce better content off the top of my head.
Another GPS is in the works. The kind that talks, like Bryne, the Irishman had in his fancy car. I’ll get back to you about what kind of movie camera I want, but it will likely be top end consumer and bottom end commercial. Yes, I should be buying a better camera for this blog, but the slightly blurry takes convey the message that imagination is still important around here. I’ve got the paperback “Of Mice and Men” which I’ve never read. It was much talked about while I was in grade school, and I believe I once saw a black and white move by that name, but it was boring. I’ll give the book a try.
Last, I was thinking about Bev Krumm. The events of the past week don’t allow me to remember if I said anything here and MicroSoft search says no file found. She was a babe I went to school with who I recently found out had passed away a few years back. It seems so impossible, particularly because I know so many people that knew her and nobody said a thing. She was in a dream I had which prompted me to ask about here. I wonder if anyone else is gone. I’m at the stage in life to expect it. Heck, back in 2003 I was almost the first.
ADDENDUM
Here’s that poster that was already stale in my teens. This typifies my outlook on business. All day of the first hotdog operation, maybe 80 people walked past. They had no reason to stop unless they were hungry for a hotdog. I should be supplying that reason, so the hotdog becomes the soft sell. Is everybody with me on this one? If I could get them to even stop walking for a second, up go the odds. Can I induce them to stop? They walked right past the other vendors as well. Careful here, don’t set me up for another copycat scenario, it must be a carrot the others can’t easily duplicate.
It’s my firm belief I’ve been through every available guitarist in commuting distance. No more chasing them, let them come to me. I set up my portable PA system and play beside the food cart. We already kicked this idea around. A food cart with live entertainment is more than a novelty, it’s unique. So I put up a sign. See that guitar on the stand? See that song list? Any guitar player who can play guitar better than I can play bass gets a free coffee. That’s an irresistible challenge to your average guitarist, and take my word, only the very best ones in this town rate as high as average in my book. All I stand to lose is a cup of coffee, like that’s ever going to happen. It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it.
On that, er, note, my tailgater amp quit holding a charge. That’s what, a year old? I’ll take the back off to see if it is lead acid, which I suspect if it died that quickly. If not, please let it be a robot-club-friendly 12 volts. There is a notice on the back I think is Finlandish. There’s not many languages with words 26 letter long and it does look like Welsh. It’s a felony in Helsinki during times of national crisis to operate a spell-checker.
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