One year ago today: July 12, 2024, WIP
Five years ago today: July 12, 2020, WIP
Nine years ago today: July 12, 2016, WIP
Random years ago today: July 12, xxxx, WIP
A first for me, I ordered and ate sushi. Until now, I’ve sampled and shared, but never was into it. I finished up in the back yard, including loading two lawnmowers into the van. Why not, I can’t afford to make it an over-nighter on the return leg. No, I did not get any help. That is a lesson so many of these XYZers will have the hard way, and it is a costly affair. If you make a promise, it is up to you to make sure you do not get into a situation where you can’t keep it.
And they never said they’d call you and you can’t tell them they can’t sell their car, and whaddaya mean they should pay for a taxi? Are you crazy, taxis cost money. It’s you that has to get to the station, not them. Take a taxi. Yup, Canadians.
We did some final planning, and I think I should take the tools in the shed. If the guy wants them, he’ll have to make arrangements. He’s known for some months now to come get them. So I ordered sushi to try something different. We tried the deep fried green tea cheesecake for desert. My dish, the one along the bottom, was tasty salmon with bell peppers. I’ll skip the wasabi sauce, recalling the words of Al Klit, “food shouldn’t hurt”. The Reb did not care for the cheesecake and ice cream, I found it okay but not worth the price tag, sort of.
The last of the details are over and I am now committed to a very uncertain future for another six months. For the first time since 2019, we have no CDs, but on the other hand, everything is now liquid. This had to be our going-away dinner as she has to be in Franklin and she’s taking the dog, who has a spot made up for him out that way. I am not where I want to be and the last of the moving drained my energy but fast. And the game camera reveals the armadillos have moved on. Not a single frame overnight. I set my alarm for 5:30AM. Goodbye, Hermitage, TN. Seven years, nine months. with me, over ten for her.
One item came up again. Should I take one year of the blog and see how A.I. turns it into a novel? We got both lawnmowers into the van with room to spare. I’ve never had one and actually thought the batteries could be swapped out. One on the charger, one on the mower. I was wrong, they are (duh) nardwired in place. No wonder nobody likes them. Hard-wired so they can go dead just before you finish that last strip. I am not discounting that I may have to be here in eight weeks to help with the move. Because so many people have said they would help that I may have to be the man.
I brought up the subject of the now nonexistent CDs and suggested an alternative. American Express is vaunting a savings account that pays 3.60% compounded daily. My system can handily track daily income and there would be a certain satisfaction to me making money off a credit card company. It’s agreed I will look into it. Let’s see, $1,000 would bring in $36 per year, which is 9.85 cents per day, which compares well with some of the ArriveD accounts I’ve been following.
East Harlem, 2025.
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By late afternoon, no more work is possible. I’m more than pleased with the work I managed and am looking forward to a long drive. It will be no-frills, the last 12 days have been one of the most expensive episodes of my life. I’m cranky when I’m broke, so please park your car on the street because I don’t care if you eat in restaurants, you can see we are moving and can’t keep pulling out of the driveway every time or wait for you to drive to Red Lobster. I mean, take a hint. Wait, there’s more.
He reminds me of JZ, no concept of helping somebody for free just to help. Most rich kids are like that and this one’s father owns a jewelry store. There are some 40 cacti plants in the yard, turns out they are his. I asked if I could have the bud off one to see if it grows in Florida. Absolutely no way, even though he is growing them for free. But, if I want to walk up this trail he knows a couple miles away, I can get one for myself he says. That boy is not going to make it.
The chaise is a two-man job, so now it stays. An hour later, drenched in sweat, I find him in the kitchen. Eating cauliflower pasta. I’d rather eat sushi. I hope I didn’t get in his way or disturb his karma making coffee. The slightly cooler climate here changed my energy levels, which is good with a tradeoff. I can putter along most of the day, but once I reach my threshold, I get very little notice. I timed it, when I pass my limit I have less than ten minutes to put the tools away and get inside—but this is a welcome improvement. My energy meter drops to zero, just enough time to plunk down, often without coffee, so trust me, the weariness if very real.
The shed is over half cleared out. I opted not to take any tools except the one pneumatic stapler, which I used on the fence. The rest, around six bags of various hand and battery tools, I already have. The stapler is the only pneumatic and there is no compressor around here. The tools were scattered, I put them into canvas bags, quite heavy, actually. And silver passed $39 per ounce.
See this photo? It’s amazing because it did not happen until Monday next week. Now we know the tire takes at least two weeks to go right flat, and that, friends, is the most exciting picture I could find for you today. If you think this is boring, read some of the other blogs, you’ll be back, ha-ha.
ADDENDUM
I’m finishing the book on out Cambodian “refugee” and okay, he did suffer as did all people who were not Khmer Rouge. He was a trained watchmaker and was spared some of the worst horrors, even surviving a helicopter ride. I’m undecided if a person like that, while probably desirable as a skilled immigrant, should be getting things like free food and housing as a refugee. The church provided the house only, and things like warm clothes. The regular operations sound more like welfare to me. And welfare in America is on a grand scale most of the world can barely imagine.
Upon arrival in Georgia, the church discovered they had really imported three families, surprise. The story carefully omits any mention of whether the neighbors were asked if they wanted such a large group in their midst. It further seems none of the women in the group were ever able to learn English, but all the boys picked it up right away. The last chapter denies the families ever received any welfare, yet it is plain they all somehow knew exactly how the welfare programs worked.
