One year ago today: July 8, 2024, and probably as useful.
Five years ago today: July 8, 2020, nobody willing.
Nine years ago today: July 8, 2016, in my opinion, reckless.
Random years ago today: July 8, 2006, working at the Thrift.
In the morning cool, I took down sixty branches and some bamboo with the clippers. That tree is a goner, when I got up close it is till rooted. However, the size of the eight or nine “trunks” is far beyond anything I have to shore them back into place. That is not happening without pro help. Most of the debris is piled in the fire pit, when I hear a slight rustling noise. My camera is inside upstairs. Not wanting to miss anything, I sidled up to the doggie fence using the shed for cover. We have a family of nine-banded armadillos.
Reminding you this was a business trip, the Reb and I went over most of our agenda. Bottom line? It may be years after the crowd, but inflation has finally begun to bite down hard. The very best of my planning and investment skill is no match for people who own a printing press. It’s clearer now the aftermath of the great Valdosta Disaster of 2024 was enhanced by a lot of these external factors. While I get full credit that we did not get taken by surprise, between now and January 2026, we will be in a holding pattern.
I am changing my plans, expect that I’ll be using my house and sheds more and cooling it with any extras. This will be a lean summer and let me say, if anything else goes wrong, this is the shakiest I’ve been in a long time. Right now I’m miles from home with a van that is acting up. It’s the same feeling as the month after I bought the cabin and had $193 left. You might say I’m used to surviving those parts of life. There is nobody else I would care to go through this with than the Reb. We are not Nashville’s Golden Couple, instead unlikely Allies that have decided we don’t want to wind up like others, buying gum with a credit card.
There is something you might hear more of, as you know all blogs have such surprises, and it is southern France. Last year you recall my mention of all the nice tools in the shed, used to build the doggie fence. The owner was overseas renovating a house. Well, he’s gone until (you guessed it) January 2026 and those tools are not on the Reb’s move list, nor will she will have space to store them. I’ll push for some pictures for you. It seems I did not tell you everything about the depth of our investment in this renovation project.
But here’s what I can mention. It is not just a house, it is a small chateaux that is, shall-we-say, taxi distance to Monaco. It was once
owned by a Hollywood celebrity, which is where we come into the loop. Information will be sparse and sadly, keeping with the times, the building is now has drywall throughout and a condominium. The project is complete and for sale. You might ask how much we have tied up in it and I won’t tell you. But think of a number. Got it? Well, it’s twice that.
For distraction I pulled up Gab. What do you know, sixty years later the Feds finally admit they had a connection to the Kennedy assassination. Lee Harvey’s father was a CIA employee. There is a device called a ghost phone appearing in ads that purports to anonymize phone usage in all modes. We will take a look, but like VPN, if it requires a subscription, it isn’t private. It’s happened again, another finely tuned A.I. system, after crunching a few terabytes of data, goes “anti-Semetic”. Grok, a newcomer, apparently requires constant tweaking to stop saying pro-Hitler things and such. All I can say is ha-ha-ha.
The MS001, a drone that used Nvida A.I. is making headlines for its apparent ability to isolate a target and navigate for the kill without human intervention. This claim has been made before. Still, it is about time for such a weapon to appear. It’s apparently a strap-on to existing hardware. Hmmm, an upsurge in anti-Google posts some 20 years after we issued the warnings, including services that will degoogalize your system. I dunno, do you suppose the mollies have finally woken to the danger?
World’s 10th largest pyramid.
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How serious was today’s business meeting. We wound up at Phat Bites after hours of planning and negotiation. For the first time since the 1980s, we went Dutch. And you know how I feel about things like that. To change the topic, they had some entertainment that got my attention. A guitar player like the one I have back in Florida. Tonight’s guy had mastered two of my top techniques. One, he strummed differently to every song, he’s mastered the art of capturing each tune in a unique pattern—one that would match up with my bass lines to a tee. Secondly, he also chose only those numbers that contributed to this manner of presentation. Before we continue, I was impressed that my el-cheapo camera caught the Damascus steel on this meat cleaver. It's not as hefty as the unit I use at the cabin but can that baby slice in a hurry. Um, I'm guessing that pattern is Damascus, because I once watched a video.
Later, the Kaiser called and actually has a half-day off. Did I mention he took a day job and now has a live-in gal? I’m surprised he can sneak out of the house. Check in tomorrow, but beyond that, I aim to get back home. If we can get a guy’s night out at the nearest cantina, then I’m done all the visiting I want for the season. Give me my room at my own cabin, my air conditioner, and my coffee maker, and time to wonder if I’ll ever have time to really, really settle down.
Wait all you pet lovers, there’s more on the doggie pills. Turns out this is a superior brand, hence the premium price tag. Another surprise is it a change in the dosage, so the package is a year’s supply. The Reb doesn’t know it, but that is her birthday present, coming up next month. Yes, folks, we all get to that stage. But, at least it is not a new vacuum cleaner hose for our anniversary. Yet. The current state of situation has rattled deeper than ever before, even 30 years ago. I was up late mapping out a survival plan that avoids any credit card or outsiders—and yes, I makes me wonder how bad off most people out there must have it.
ADDENDUM
Armadillos. First identified in Texas, they have spread all over the southeast but that is likely because their predators, such as mountain lions, have been killed off. Sorry, Josh & Tyler, it isn’t climate change. The myth that they spread leprosy false, it stems from the fact they are the only animal other than humans that can contract the disease. They eat almost anything and were attracted by the ground exposed when I cut down the foliage. My guess is there are five, since all births are identical quadruplets and they are young enough to still follow mommy. I have the game camera in the van, so let’s see if I can get some footage.
