December 24, 2023

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 24, 2022, still learning Caltier.
Five years ago today: December 24, 2018, my first sub-panel.
Nine years ago today: December 24, 2014, a seventeen-chord song.
Random years ago today: December 24, 2002, rich vs. pretty, sigh.

           My time-tested phrase, to them it is Christmas Eve, to me it is December 24. This morning we had boiled bananas, you should try them. And make tea from the water afterwards. I had slated the time to look more at the Vinland map hoax. It floats between real and hoax as the ink, paper, bindings, and chemical structures are test and re-tested with evolving technology. I first heard the story in my teens and believe the conclusion that the map is fake but the story is real. My interest is actually the methods of testing. One has to be impressed by the skill of whoever created the fakes, right down to the matching worm holes in the paper.

           Lately though, I’m not as sure. The primary evidence is the ink on the manuscript contains titanium dioxide which was not available until the 1920s. But later tests found traces of the same in other Medieval books such as the Gutenberg Bible. Maybe it’s the tests or the testers that should be tested. This led to another video on Roman road construction, then another on wooden airplanes, and by noon I have not got out of the house.

           I’m allowed to go for dinner Xmas day if I can find anything open, so I thought I’d check the menu at Catfish Country, the joint that JZ super-likes. Prices have soared past the $25 mark per meal, drinks extra. The Captain’s Platter, will set you back $39.99 and the twin lobster tails are $47.49. Maybe, but if I had my druthers, I’d wait and take the Reb someplace extra nice. The temptation is I love battered fried catfish with fries. It’s not diet food but once a year is okay.

           The next video autoplayed while I worked on the books. It showed the events around October 7 with the HAMAS attack from Gaza. The aerial photos show the preparations and rehearsals on the terrorist side, there is no doubt whatsoever the Israelis knew something was brewing. It’s also clear the attackers had complete support from the civilian population. How do I determine which side are the terrorists? It’s when one side could end the fighting any time they want to. I may watch this video again.

nbsp;          Aha, cloud cover. I was out there and installed the wall framing for the back section of the lean-to. I also climbed that ladder and finished the final bit of the shingling. I still got to put a few touches to the old shed roof now that I know where the leak is coming from. There’s a wind or I’d light the barrel, I’ve got a half-sack of Yeung-Ling in the bottom of the fridge.
No luck, but at least the wind was warm. Because of positioning, I had to cut the lumber over in the big yard and drag it to the lean-to. Five hours of this got most of the work finished by dark. The biggest phase was filling in the wall around the window, shown here from the interior. That is chip board salvaged from the cull cart. By thinking it through I was able to cut all the pieces around the damage. This may not make for exciting reading, but this blog is a journal, not a Hollywood script.

Picture of the day.
South African blacks protesting violence.
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           Here’s a better view of where I finished up. (The photo contains unlabeled arrows.) This shows left to right, the large window, the screen window under the vacuum motor, and into the big shed where I removed wall pickets. The far back wall above and below the screen is not filled in yet. This involved a lot of back and forth, plus crawling in the dirt and having to custom fit pieces that required many cuts. It’s the reason so many carpenters don’t like renovation work. This should help with clutter in the yard, also, as the doorway enters right into where the doggie pen used to be. That area is partially shaded and has never been really used much.

           It has the advantage of being invisible from the street. Right now, there is nothing there but kudzu and an abandoned chicken coop. It’s too shady for a garden and, like everything on the north side of the yard, gets a fairly constant rain of twigs, seed pods, dead leaves, and at times, entire dead branches. This was an Xmas Eve that I had planned for over thirty years ago. What a pity by the time I finally achieve it, I can’t put in a good effort any more.

           What will this Xmas be known for? Well, New York forces Christian restaurants to remain open on Sundays. Delta must hate that person who put their logo back on the airplanes they uses to fly illegals deep into America. Harvard defends plagiarism by their black Dean and begins to lose billions in funding. The Democrats have sunk to supporting Poon, a Republican, against Trump as their best shot at getting any votes. (If the name Poon catches on, it was me that first began posting it here long, long ago.) The video of Murasia singing “White Christmas” back when she was a babe is making the rounds again.
           What a peaceful evening around here, I’ve put on some overnight bread. I don’t make it often because of the one day lead time. It’s got a hundred names, on-line it is “4-ingredient bread”. It’s made with cold water so the yeast takes forever. But I’ve got nothing planned and I’ll get you photos tomorrow.

Last Laugh