November 22, 2021

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 22, 2020, my crop of weeds.
Five years ago today: November 22, 2016, learning to raise floors.
Nine years ago today: November 22, 2012, longest blog entry to date.
Random years ago today: November 22, 2015, not the coffee.

           Planning ahead, you get better-timed posts this trip. Let’s remind outselves this blog is based on a journal, that is, it was not planned to be what it is. I left Winter Haven after a three-hour late start. I was packed and ready to go and heard the distinct sound of a trap in the audience attic (autocomplete error). There are traps left here from the previous owner and that can result in surprises. I found it in the attic, just a possum that tripped an old mouse trap, which hardly bothers them. But I had to catch and release, in the back yard.

           This distracted me enough to forget some gear I wanted to take along, but actually that’s fine because this trip is on a prayer. It is the longest trip since I put all the minor repairs on the van, the only really annoying problem left is how that radiator leaks but only at times. Finally drained it halfway, then put in a full shot of sealant. People who think sealant clogs radiators are either doing it wrong or don’t know how it works. Note half the water and all the powder is not the same as just doubling the powder at full capacity. It resulted in a powdery dry white spray instead of the copper speckles.

           The hillbilly had disappeared, so I took the stuff he left in the yard (I said he could but told him to remove it last week) and put it under a tarp. Then the usual trip north, this time a planned two-day direct trip. I took along only what I could carry in case of a breakdown. Plus I threw a ten-dollar air mattress in the back. It took the usual 2-1/2 hours to go the first 45 miles via Lakeland, the fastest route. Even then, the freeway was clogged all the way to Gainesville. Running late and noticing the radiator was behaving, I ramped up to 65 mph all the way to Valdosta, stopping for gas.
           I don’t much know Valdosta, but like a town in northern Georgia called Dalton, it has been a frequent gas stop on many journeys, both with the car and motocycle. That’s where this picture comes in. Google and GPS, both are famous for ignoring human needs. In this instance, GoogleMaps and Garmin are af fault. In the rush to grab market share, they’ve not made updates a priority. You might say that is no big deal. In itself, maybe, but not when they cause others to suffer. Fine, you may be okay with people who cannot find their way across town when their GPS isn’t working.
           But the system also caused maps to not be updated. They caused map sales to decline, and the follow-on problems include what is shown in this picture. Abandoned and out-of-business gas stations still listed. Fortunately, I know where the working stations are, but I wonder how many people get stranded on those long empty stretches in Georgia.

Picture of the day.
Jone’s B-B-Q, Arkansas.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           My normal aversion to driving at night was overcome by a a unusually bright waxing gibbous moon. It lit the sky bright enough to see the horizon in all directions. I opted to keep on driving until I got tired. And wound up all the way in Nashville in time for last call. Dark and cold, but I wound up having four beers as people bought for me including the two lady servers and the club owner. Um, they don’t get many like me in that place, or some say, in Tennessee.
           Of the countless things I like about the Reb is we can talk philosphy and politics without ever getting confrontational. Before I give an example here is another abandoned gas station, so you know it’s not one instance. The Reb & I are incompatible zodiac signs. The trick is to not believe in these things too much, but here’s a point some couples would fight over. She says everybody can change, but won’t unless they can see the reward. To me, it is not so cut and dried, because they may fully see the same reward but not value it as highly as, say, something else they already have. These are not opposite views, but divergent.

           I listened to an audio book, “Defend and Protect”, around five hours. It is not unique enough to recommend. The government super agent who knows the President personally is sent to the Middle East to clean up some terrorists. It offers a few insights but I finally gave up trying to remember all the Iranian names and titles. Who cares about Abullah Suleiman al Muftah Mukluk? Just call him “the General” and get on with it.
           The radiator did fine, I checked it every 200 miles and never had to add more than a quart. However, that fouling piston is noticeable on uphill grades. The worst is near Jame’s Gap, a stretch between Soddy-Daisy and Cagle. From 560 feet to 1859 feet in a couple miles and you ears won’t quit popping for an hour later. Safe and sound, home in bed by 1:00AM local time.

Last Laugh