One year ago today: October 11, 2021, hmmm, a cancelled rehearsal already . . .
Five years ago today: October 11, 2017, replacing sills.
Nine years ago today: October 11, 2013, carved from wood.
Random years ago today: October 11, 2016, yard work.
What am I doing up at this hour? Oh, right, the doggie needs his teeth worked on. I got him to the clinic at 7:45AM and the little tyke was fine until he figured out I was going to leave him there. That was a scene, I saw the bill $622. They go under anesthetic. More money in on a doggie dental visit than I had in my life up to a certain point, but that’s another tale from the trailer court. The amount of construction in this area is drastic. I heard one rumor they are putting in 9100 units. That’s insanity because the existing facilities cannot handle that. The area around Kroger’s is the only convenient shopping unless you drive up to Lebanon Pike.
More chasing around, as I make deposits only by cash when I’m in town. That includes by ATM and I’ll let you figure out on your own why doing things this way is important. Back home by 9:00AM had me finishing the van cot and so far the job has gone great. But I have no fitted it into the van yet, instead I left a generous set of clearances just for such a surprise. The Reb gets back from the clinic and sure enough, a sinus condition. Off to rest, I chose this stretch to charge the batteries and let the glue dry, so quiet the big dog and I fell asleep on the back porch. JeePee is out there with us as well, getting his Vitamin D.
Here’s the van cot, finished as to framing and construction. I’ve already made a mistake, but one I can live with until I get home. The legs are slightly to long but it fit into the van neatly first try. The trick is to park the van where it is perfectly level. I cut the memory foam to size so it is layered around 4-1/2 inches thick, though that is marginal for memory foam.
That sticky sliding door on the porch is not responding to new lubricant. I think it has been wrongly greased at some point. There is a strip of insulation on both sides that has deteriorated and my plan is get on the floor and clean the whole track back to bare metal. That can wait until I’m in the mood. Right now, I feel like checking the news feeds.
Harvesting cinnamon.
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Half the afternoon with the van, cutting the foam and extra measurements, I don’t think I’m going to be able to sit up on the bed. But reclining is an option, we shall see. All this over 4” less headroom. This van will not take a 4x8 sheet without the seats folded. Here is an excellent view of the “lambkins”, the small sawhorses just 16” high. They’ve proven a real boon to working by myself and at my age. Lighter, easier to store, and they provide either a temp work bench, shown here, or a work surface you can kneel on. It is also easier to lift tools off the ground to that height. Figure how many times you have to bend down to pick a tool off the ground, you get the idea.
So the little doggie can’t chew, the Reb isn’t feeling chipper, the cat is wearing a cone, and I’m out of steam. Hauling the tools out and later lifting the cot into the van, there’s no way that should tire me out. Most people go through those phases, where resting just does not bring things bouncing back. I wonder if you get old enough whether that becomes most of the time? You know, where exercise no longer makes you stronger, just tired. If you find it, sell it to the advertising moguls. In the background, you see the new reciprocating saw, the Dremel. It is around twice as powerful, perceptually, as my other rig, I like it already. I used it to finish the cot without making as much noise as the circular saw.
This project was a reminder to us that our work habits are not the same, maybe not even compatible. You see, I stopped y’day, waited overnight and until it was warm this morning. Then finished. At my place, I tend to have some 20 to 25 such projects unfinished, while others think it unwise to stop and start. All I can reply is that my projects are like leveling a kitchen floor and putting 400 square feet of siding on a shed. This should not be compared to chores, and I also have an aversion to working with power tools outside after dark. When it looks like I’m quitting early, chances are I an avoiding starting the next phase of a job if there is any chance I won’t finish it by dark. Let’s be fair about this.
DART, the spacecraft that rear-ended the asteroid, is claimed as a success. This news comes 36 days after the seven-ton satellite crashed and sped the orbit up, mainly due to spewing tons of surface material off the target. It’s orbit around a nearby companion asteroid was sped up by around 4%, which in space causes the object to move to a higher orbit. Once more, details are skimpy but most of it is Newtonian physics. And California has approved digital license plates, where you subscribe for $19.95 per month. You will own nothing and you will be happy.
Ever heard of a cookie paywall? It’s likely you will. That’s where you pay a website not to track your personal data. They will anyway, but enough suckers are shelling out for it in the EU to make American sites take notice. There’s your proof there is always somebody stupider than you think possible. Numerous studies show people are sheeple, they will part with their privacy for peanuts. Most US websites that ask if you want to opt-out have already collected what they need, duh.
