January 5, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: January 5, 2025, a generic day.
Five years ago today: January 5, 2021, a 90 minute wait?
Nine years ago today: January 5, 2017, the Kregg system, hmmm.
Random years ago today: January 5, 2011, like a library card.

           Good news from Pennsylvania. The Prez has a gig, no details yet but his is smack dab in the midst of Bluegrass turf. At the same time, Ray-B reports he is playing again using earplugs and reminds us he has sworn off gigs forever. He’ll come around. I seem to have misplaced my famous textbook, the most read Arduino paperback in history. Did I leave it at JZ’s, who never answers his phone? Tennessee news, not so swell. Chooks has a cyst on his paw. He turns 13 or 14 this year, I’ll see what I can afford, but times are tight, even if everybody kind of senses that 2026 is our year of destiny.

           This shows an attempt this flower made at growing on my front lawn. Nothing pretty grows there or lasts for long. You can see the barren soil except for scrubby patches of ground cover. As much fun as the yard has been all these years, nothing takes root there but kudzoo. I see the spread on silver persists at over $2.50 per ounce. I take that as good news, that something is trying to cap silver again.
           Later, I found the Arduino book, but it cost me the day in effort. It got kicked under the van seat. Simply moving around tuckered me out—which is why I am making the 400 mile round trip to Miami rather than wait for local appointments. By now I’ve figured out there is no emergency they attach to my condition. That is, I’m not dying fast enough for them to really cash in, so we have two procedures pending. One is the cath scan, which I found these days is done via the wrist. And this “full abdominal” which I know nothing about except that I need a referral.

           JZ says they will find a small blockage, so lay your bets as I’m going into Miami as soon as I can make the appointments. My bass-playing is affected so yeah, it’s serious. All has abated except the tingling pain in both left and right little and ring fingers, with the attendant weakness. I still cannot touch type or hold a pen to write at any decent speed. Slow down, I am typing 15 wpm. This next photo may not make sense. It was a real chore getting this view, but I felt it may be important if I hope to sell anything. If you look closely at the five boxes in the center, they appear to be a matching set. They aren’t, and that’s the reason for making myself all this trouble.

           Have I just caused myself or saved myself some effort here? It is the knobs that give the illusion of a set. Never mind the other objects in the photos, just the five boxes and I cannot make it six as this is the last of the matching lumber. These boxes fill up with “stuff” as soon as they are placed on a flat surface.

Picture of the day.
Hong Kong gadget store.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Let’s get outside, to the shed I mean. I cut up some [lumber for] “spice” trays and put a box together using four bottom slats instead of three (not shown). It was easier but does not look as good. One of the eight new boxes got yagasukied and I put together two extra spice boxes that do not obey the Golden Rule. The fractions worked out to a box slightly under 3-1/2” wide, which is not a common size. I opted to make the interior a standard 4”. The result is the product in this photo, the wood has been partially singed, as too dark obscures the logo.

           If you peer, you can spot my attempt at thinking like a millennial. I took inspiration from those bloody DEI hirees at the US mint. I said to myself, what is the simplest stupid thing I can possibly do where I can claim to the chief that I’m improving an outdated system? They changed the coin design so now US users have to check if there are any foreign slugs in the batch. However, since only a sincerely retarded gimp could come up with that, I discovered I was far too educated to go full GenXYZ. Here’s the best I could do.

           I changed the logo from “Herbs & Spices” to “Spices & Herbs”. Such derring-do is uncommon nowadays, but Zoomer-wise, this is really sticking my neck out and I thusforth deserve an extra helping/bowlful of that there “entitlement”. The design changes are deeper, this box is widened so the interior width is the 4” just mentioned an hour ago. It passed a series of “tests” for utility, including it will fit an unopened standard box of nails or screws, it long enough for most kitchen knives, and keeps cash-register tapes and CVS receipts in wonderful order.
           It has other hidden advantages, like that white bottom plate is a standard jig size from my growing collection, a real time-saver. The one-board-one-box concept gives the four normally-visible sides the uniform appearance shown here. The knob is my last rosette pattern drawer pull and it has been months since I’ve found any new sources. Until (and if) things pick up again, boxes continue to be center ring around here. I promise everyone I am also wearing my ball cap at a “jaunty angle”.

           Aha, what’s this news from Chicago? Some fund is demanding physical silver, maybe? Can’t tell, the site was taken down while I was watching. Checking further, it is gone. Fake news? Call it grim, but I would love to see the fall of a big bank or two, just because that industry needs a good shaking out. Minutes past midnight, silver traded at $79.91. Go for it, silver.

ADDENDUM
           Some medical billing, late arrivals. When they applied those ice packs during my spine therapy last summer, they are billed extra—at $60.60 each. Other year-end surprises include bill for $478 from the doctor to inform me he does not accept my insurance. (One phone call and he canceled it.) My dental is changing again, after the 20th, I may have crowns or partial crowns, so maybe I’ll actually go see a dentist.

Last Laugh