Category: open thread

Yeah, it’s gonna be around 76F this morning, and as humid as the swamp gets. Probably. And later it will get hot, and some parts of Houston will get rained on. Like yesterday. I’m glad it’s boring, and not hurricanes lined up, but it does make this opening segment kinda lame.

Like yesterday. Kinda lame. I did move some stuff around and do some more sorting and cleaning. I also feel like I’m getting the beginning of a scratchy throat, so I’m not ready to push hard. It’s so humid that even though it’s low 90sF, it’s draining to do any physical work. And it has been pretty much the same for months. That is a bit unusual and it’s certainly tedious.

Let’s see if I can go a paragraph without using ‘it’s’… or an ellipsis. FAIL! It’s so hard..

Kidding! I kid. Apparently the kids think the ellipsis is a boomer thing. So is capitalization and spelling, as far as I can tell, or at least it’s not their thing.

This interweb thing is changing us. Like MTV and the quick edit/jump cut, short form content is altering our brains. The “internet arguing style” is showing up in real life too. It’s not an improvement.

Today I hope to do more of the same– cleaning and organizing and moving stuff around. Also, I’ll do a couple of pickups. If I get all that out of the way, I might have time tomorrow for some noisy fun.

Staying current with all the tools is an important prep. So is stacking- both the tools and the time using them. Get some noisy fun time in before the month is over.

nick

Somewhat cool? It was warmer yesterday morning, so it might be warm again today. And it will get warmer throughout the day. It did rain in various parts of town yesterday, although not much, and not for long. Lots of ugly clouds in the sky. Today should be the same.

I did a couple of pickups after doing some office work in the morning. Then I took some stuff to the shop, and moved stuff around at the house. I’m making slow progress cleaning up and getting stuff out of here. It just piles up elsewhere for now, but the goal is to get rid of it.

I did decide to move the laser engraver and all of the stuff for it to the shop. It would be convenient to have it set up here, but for safety issues, and noxious fume issues, not to mention the lack of somewhere to put it issues, it has to go somewhere else. The printers are still here for now. I am still holding out hope that one kid or the other will get interested in using them, or some of my other ‘maker’ stuff. So far it hasn’t happened. And it may be generational, as this generation seems to be content to do this much and no more.

It could be that they haven’t found that thing they would dive into yet, but we had all had a dozen hobbies and interests by now. I’d already built models, a model railroad layout, had slot cars, built a heathkit clock, torn apart a pile of electronics, tried to take my bike apart to make it go faster, and bought my first computer (TRS-80.)

When a buddy introduced me to the music of Led Zeppelin I had to hear all of it, same thing when I heard Jimi Hendrix, or later Kate Bush, or Rush. My kids, and the kids I see at school, are content to hear what they hear, and not pursue more. Their extreme risk aversion extends to learning new things or doing new things.

And that isn’t good.

———–
So I’ll keep doing what I can. Stacking what needs stacking, and learning what needs learning. Maybe teaching what needs to be taught…

nick

Cool morning. Warm day. Hot afternoon. With clouds, but we’re not supposed to get rain. Like yesterday. The sun is still laser hot.

Spent yesterday mostly doing pickups. More stuff for the BOL. More stuff for the house. Prices are generally low so bargains are available. What’s coming through the auctions right now? Portable and window A/C units. Mr Heater propane heaters and clones. Small chest freezers. Shelf units (although they are a staple of auctions they are a bit cheaper than usual). Coolers. Vac sealers, even Foodsaver.

Some of the stuff is just seasonal, some is just the weird ebb and flow.

Today I’m doing stuff around the house. W is giving direction, and we’re to be her minions. I’m scared.

Keep working, keep stacking.

nick

Cooler, but wet. Rained yesterday and may rain again today. If not, the humidity is high and everything is dripping anyway. Parts of Houston even flooded, and some of the highway on the way up here was wet enough that cars were throwing up rooster tails.

It ended up actually being a ‘day of rest’ for me. Other than the drive up, I napped, ate, and read.

I don’t know what I’ll get done today, or when I’ll call it quits and head home. With the extra kid and using the minivan instead of my pickup, IDK how we’ll split up for the ride home. I may not be able to stay later, even if I have stuff to do. At least most of the yard doesn’t need mowing. The lack of rain and cutting it too short KEPT it short.

I did get to review my attempts at re-grading and reworking the road in the HOA lot and the boat ramp. I got one area a bit wrong and water isn’t quite flowing where I’d like. I think it can be corrected with a tractor and a box blade though, so that’s good. I will see if I can get one of the other guys to make the change.

I got some elevation wrong in my front yard too, and it’s not draining as well as I’d hoped. That will be a bit harder to fix. The easiest thing for now is to dig little trenches to drain the low spot, which I did.

There is always more to do. And more stuff to stack. I better get busy and do some of it.

nick

Hot and humid in Houston, I’m sure. I won’t see it as I’ll be in bed. Like yesterday.

I do feel some improvement so sleep, meds, and more sleep, seem to be working. I’ll continue that today. The coughing is still brutal when it triggers. I have a feeling that will linger for a while, even after the rest is gone.

Maybe I’ll do a swab test today, just out of curiosity.

Now, talk amongst yourselves…

n