January 11, 2020

Yesteryear
One year ago today: January 11, 2019, not as a beverage.
Five years ago today: January 11, 2015, wooden gears.
Nine years ago today: January 11, 2011, there is always a leader.
Random years ago today: January 11, 1980, what was I thinking?

           I can’t find the chickens anywhere this morning. But the yard survived without me. Here’s the bench in the front yard, minus the wooden slats. That’s the only material you want to sit on in Florida. The frame is aluminum, I carry it around with one hand. This view also shows the dry winter ground cover in these parts. I started up the Yamaha and took it around the block. Howie has a new John Deere and it is a beauty. No right-to-repair conflictions with that guy. Checking the yard, everything is okay but I’m again zonked by the trip. My 2020 calendar says time to mention food. I left the fridge empty—hold on, I brought the veggie lasagna with me. The Reb doesn’t eat eggplant.

           Nor do I, finding in bland. I’m searching for a vegetarian staple and have decided that isn’t it. Takes half a day to make and in the end I had to double the cheese. You know, the Reb isn’t a total vegetarian as she is not averse to meat. Rather, she is against the mass killing of animals for food. Myself, I avoid anything genetically modified, heavily salted, or containing corn derivatives. This means an ever-growing list. If you ever visit from abroad, learn how to read food labels first. American food is banned in 22 countries. It is only legal here because it isn’t unlawful to bribe politicians. America is a country that arrests people who pay bribes instead of people who accept them. It was a factor that played heavily in favor of Trump, because he even sent back money to those who donated.

           The blog rules say report anything unusual. I had a video cable go bad, that’s a first. I worked the computer shop and have never seen that. I’m talking the old parallel what is it, 15-pin type with the screw in ends. The kind guaranteed to snag on everything whenever you have to move your computer. How can something that usually gets put in place and never touched much go bad? Weird, it just loses the signal and the monitor shuts down. That’s the top story of this morning unless you want to see how my collard greens are doing. You do? Okay, here’s the picture. They have been fertilized, powdered, and planted in soil enriched with that iron compound.
           Thing is, I don’t know much about this plant, so I’ll just let these grow and hope they eventually show some flowers. The wire over the plant was to protect the seedling when I left. I could go on-line but why bother. I’ve eaten canned stuff and it tastes like spinach. I happen to like spinach, but like RofR’s mom used to say, put enough salt and butter on it and you can eat any vegetable.

Picture of the day.
Twins?
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           Okay, here’s a treat for you. I have no idea how this clip got past the censors, but I suspect they might feel I missed a day and have to make it up to you. Hamming it up at the dam, this was the morning before I left. So this is hot off the presses. The Reb calls it ‘Imhotepping”. It must seem pretty off the wall to people who don’t know it is just clowning around to keep the dogs amused.

           Agt. R. kept the yard in good shape and says he can help me set up a compost pile. The front yard is that sandy soil that seems to grow weeds mostly. So there’s another prepper skill I may acquire. He says there is some kind of protest going on about car insurance. I can see it, the cost is so high there are a growing number of people who simply have to park their cars and ride the bus. This is the source of the rumors that Israel is he 51st state. Insurance is the only consumer product that Americans are forced by law to buy.
           The counter-argument is they don’t have to drive. That is nonsense, the entire American transportation system is built around the motor car. You can’t live, shop, travel, or even get to the hospital without one. Stores are too far apart to walk and the bus schedules are run for the convenience of the bus company. My insurance runs around $100 per month, though I could get by with less. Insurance and lawyers are incestuous, the determining factor for legal action is almost always the presence of insurance.

           That Civil War camp out affair called the Rendezvous starts next Monday. And we have nothing ready to sell. But we now have a fairly good setup to begin some real assembly should we pursue it. I’m not that keen on these events. They try to keep this one authentic. No plastic, no electricity, no cell phones. They have an open house day, let me figure this out. Two weeks less a day. So if they start on Monday, that would be the 24th and 25th. Let me pencil that in. The only other commitment is the concert on the 31st and I haven’t bought my ticket yet.
           I can’t find my Ibanez. Did I give it to the Reb? Did I put it in the shed? Face it, 2019 was not the greatest year for me keeping things in order around here. I hope I didn’t put it in the shed, the weather has been something uncooperative for most of the time. I’ve also misplace the Takamine I got for nothing because the Thrift didn’t know what they had. Hopefully they’ll turn up but what gives? I don’t usually forget where I put such things? You’d think I had other priorities.

           How about those storms in Texas and Louisiana? Sustained winds of 93 mph. Does not sound like too much fun, but there is a reason they call it the windswept prairies. I’m curious. Remember all the countries that complained the USA didn’t rush aid to the Caribbean during the last big hurricane? How many of those countries are rushing aid to Texas? Certainly not the biggest complainer, Canada.
           And according to people I know out west, Canada is having troubles of its own. Their left-wing government has had the upper hand for decades and they’ve run the place into the ground. The country is half on welfare and the only way they survive is selling off their unearned natural resources to America at bargain rates. Like myself, there’s been backlash about what exactly were 63 “Canadians” doing on an airplane in Iran? The phrase goes, “Not any Canadians I know.”
           But it ends there. You see, if you are pro-immigration in Canada, you are a good citizen. If you are anti-immigration, that’s hate speech that can have you declared an unfit parent and your kids taken away. You will behave liberal if they have to torture you do to so.

ADDENDUM
           I went out to the shed and sure enough, the guitar is in there. Along with two others I don’t remember, but hey, they are just guitars, not basses. So, including Tennessee, I own five guitars and two basses, a keyboard, two PA systems, two amplifiers, and boxes of microphones and cables. It’s a shame I don’t use it. And sorry for the delay in posting. That gizmo I bought for home WiFi somehow how wants and entirely new log-on procedure and I can’t find the paperwork. If you are reading this, I’m in the coffee shop.
           Later, I’m in the shop but my tablet password won’t take. Keeps saying wrong password. Did you hear the one about the millennial who tried to change his password to ‘penis’. The system kept telling him, “Too short”.
           There is going to be a problem in March, I can see it already. The doctor wants to see me two days a week apart and that’s a long stretch to be away. I’ll try to shunt that ahead a week, but this is the important follow up blood tests to confirm I’m completely recovered from their standpoint. Important, because they may say I can go back to work. And I am an excellent accountant, though I prefer ordinary bookkeeping and payroll. No promises, I’m just sayin’.

Last Laugh