April 25, 2019

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 25, 2018, the GFCIs were all defective.
Five years ago today: April 25, 2014, rejected: smart people need not apply.
Nine years ago today: April 25, 2010, $3 per 1,000.
Random years ago today: April 25, 2004, she wasn't 'naturally single'.

           Four hours, but look at the nice window frame. I decided not to screw around with the original pieces, all carefully removed and labeled. Then mixed up over the years because my promised help never showed up. I won’t mention any names because that would be unfair to JZ. This is the bedstead found on the roadway, now sliced to make the windows more appealing since I’m getting rid of those blinds. Because I’ve had it with venetian blinds. They seem to work only when new or until the first time you pull the wrong string by accident. I’ve got some adjustable wooden shutters that fit over the bottom half of the windows, which can be opened to get at the sliding bottom section.

           This is not the finished trim. The bottom sill was integral to the window itself, so I’m going to add a couple of plinth [blocks] to give it a solid look all ‘round. If the second window goes this well, I could be moving furniture into that room by this weekend. The bathroom floor is still temporary and I see my inquisitive raccoon friend has been poking around again. Footy-prints in the sand. And speaking of that sand, it must be pretty fertile stuff. Because I’ve no gardener and 80% of what I’ve planted in that soil has sprouted.

           We have a price on the dryer. Since the only local dealership is Sears, that’s the price I’ll compare. This “Series 90” dryer with automatic moisture sensor retails for $769, but if you buy it on sale today, it is yours for $529 and they will throw in a set of golden earrings. My intestinal comfort is restored though listening to Boss Hogg all day may offset that a bit in the brain cell division. They were talking how they were too “large” to wear tutus, so were asking listeners where to buy three-threes. I don’t know the agenda but is there another election pending? Because I’ve lost track of whom the liberals are fielding.

           You see, they are not trying so much to find a candidate to run for president as someone who can defeat Trump. Good luck, I say, the Trump dynasty is established. No going back to that leftist nightmare and although the news is suppressed (as opposed to censored), the votership of the Democrat party is switching over in droves. It was apparent already if you ask me, when the low attendance of their rallies was so humiliating even I, who have never paid attention to such farces was tuning in for a laugh. The head count of contenders this morning was 21 people. But not one of them can hold a candle to the Don.

           Here’s the dryer on the temporary landing. Noticeable is the peeling paint on the walls. This is because them’s the walls that would not be there by now if the city had not stuck their noses in. The wall to the left would have been gone as an entrance to the Florida room and the wall to the right a doorway to the laundry room.
           Upon closer examination, the dryer has a larger than usual tumbler and is not the 20A unit I thought. The tag says it is heavy duty and the plug is a 30A design. Fortunately, I had two extra 10/3 lines run in, plus the shed service. I thought of the welder I left behind, and wasn’t sure on the dryer rating. Now I’m glad I spent the few extra bucks and got the higher amperage. This dryer has very good reviews, and five stars for being quiet. You can’t see it, but the receptacle is already in the wall, just behind the siding at nearly dead center-left of this photo.

Picture of the day.
The Boswell Sisters.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           See how nice I am? I got you some pictures of the back fence area, the first spot I planted anything to see what took. Here are seven of the eight Asian lily plants, now transplanted in a row. They take easily to being moved. Since I have no green thumb, I grant that to being bulbs. I think the bulb is Nature’s take-along seeding device, same as nuts and grains. The difference in sizes of these plants, clearly seen here, was due to the amount of sunlight. The smaller guys were in varying degree of shade due to the fast sprouting mother-in-law tongues in the background. The taller light green plants are, I think, the daffodils which came up while I was away.

           Something else new in the air is a wonderful faint aroma of flowers I cannot find [where they are growing]. It is not the heavy magnolias. This is more like perfume, a mix of mint, mild cloves, and some other spice I can’t pin down, a sweet spice. The marigolds now number six they are on sale because they’ve become root-bound. Yet that is another type of plant that thrives in the yard sand. It’s not pure sand, there is a shallow layer of humus plus over the front I spread some bags of manure to prime the lawn. That never grew any lawn, but the soil is visibly better where treated. There should be pics of yard flowers nearby.

           I’ve never denied I’m a terrible guitar player, but that concept of a solo is never far away. I want to be proud of what I do and that act doesn’t make the grade. I’ll find any reason to shelve it and this new guitarist is the next excuse for me. He only likes the idea of guitar, he hasn’t played in years. Yet, I point to my success with such people. The good news is he sings, and his background is choir harmonies. I didn’t know that until today. If I can show him then trick to singing to a single bass note, we’re in business unless something unforeseen gets in the way. If he masters such vocals, the guitar becomes merely a prop, and you know I am so okay with that.

           There’s more than I’ve told, so bear with me as I get this down for the historicals. My limited guitar playing means I have a dozen techniques I use to fake passages, riffs, breaks, intros, outros, and other instruments. Since I know I can’t ever play it right, I’ve become adept at misdirection in the sense of becoming a professional amateur. The thing is, if another guitarist can pick that up, freeing me to sing to actual bass lines, there is now a chance for some harmonies.

           The new guy has no handle yet, but he did sing choral parts in church when much younger. I have marginally higher hopes for this guy because he’s remained enthusiastic, and I know he needs the diversion. There’s more, in that we would have no competition for what we do. I’ve studied the 8 acts that form our competition and they are a flash in the pan. Impressive the first time you see them, but the act remains the same seemingly forever. Even that lead player with the backing tracks has ceased doing anything beyond what I saw the second week I was in this town. Years ago now.
           It’s just dreaming at this juncture, but a combination of simple elements could put up a strong showing. Instead of showing the guy how to play, I give him the basics of what I do with the guitar. Then I flesh it out on the bass, with vocals, already a unique show for these parts. If it turns out he can sing lead or harmony, no matter, that’s something none of the other bands manage very well. There is one group, a husband wife team if I recall, that does a bit, but they come across as a staid supper hour band with a terrible song list. They make the supreme stage mistake of playing what’s meaningful to them. People don’t care about that shit.

           Since beef is not on my diet, and ground meat recipes are easy, I’ve been experimenting with other foods besides the usual ground pork. Thus, I have another “lost” recipe to report. Before I grind my own anything, I decided on the taste test. It should be easy, just substitute what you have for beef in the ingredients list. Not so fast. The first thing you find is there always seems to be more or less shrinkage to the point you suspect the label that says only 10% or 15% fat. My short-term idea is to grind my own chicken to know what I’m getting. This led to the discovery that chicken acts differently to how much it “absorbs” fillers such as bread crumbs, corn meal, and my secret ingredient, turkey stuffing mix.
           This led to me trying ground turkey. It’s more readily available and birds are birds. Not quite. Ground turkey will not hold together when mixed with most of my hamburger recipes. I wanted turkey burgers and they won’t shape a patty even with double the amount of “clingy” additives. It’s likely me, but I cannot even flip a home-made turkey burger without breakage. Undaunted, I poured today’s recipe into a meat loaf pan and into the oven. Talk about gourmet, but I forget what went in there. Spices, yes, but if that’s the magic, I lost count. I used some corn meal and my signature spice, nutmeg. I don’t keep spices more than a few months, but nor do I throw them out. I mix them together in a separate sealed jar on the theory that even outdated spices will “perk” if you mix them with curry.
           Don’t know that one? Try it. Curry, even year-old dried out curry, will improve very fine and noticeable if you leave whatever you cook with it overnight in the fridge, and more if left a second night I went and used the last of this spice batch into the turkey batter and it is beyond delicious. But I can’t begin to remember what was in that jar. Other than no salt and nothing hot, the mixture is mystery. Sorry.

ADDENDUM

           This is extra material, if you have the time. During renovations, you get to know some of your people at the supply houses. The two guys who help with electrical say they’ve read several articles on-line that recycle electricity from your stove. Some type of unit that attaches behind the appliance. My gut reaction is you can’t recycle electric anything. You are not really using the electric and thus do not consume it in any real sense. They could be interpreting the ad, is more likely, but since they both say it exists, I’ve been asked to take a look. You’ll know when I do.
           I bought the special 30A receptical, it wasn’t cheap. Not only is the outlet now 50% more powerful that it ever needs to be, it is on a dedicated circuit. How’s that for planning ahead? I still can’t figure why this dryer needs such a powerful connection. If it is commercial duty, it sure doesn’t look designed for that.

           The bird shower is too popular to discontinue, but every other time I forget and leave it on. I know what that does to a water bill, so I asked about yard sprinkler systems. The people say it is ideal for bird misters. They even have a water powered automatic timer, though I was afraid to ask the price on that one. They sell as mall 1/4” flexible tube that might do the trick. It has a small adapter that attaches directly to a hose bib. My little birdie friends may be luckier than they think.

Last Laugh