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Category: open thread

Mon. June 9, 2025 – what, another open thread?

Yup, and another Houston day. 85F to start, 95F in the middle, and a little cooler to end. Repeat.

Spent the day in bed. Back is killing me, but the cold is responding to the supplements and the sleep.

So today the plan is to get up and move around. Make a pickup even. I’m not liking it, and I wouldn’t want to spread sickness, but this auctioneer is completely inflexible on pickups. So I’ll cough all over their office while mentioning that, and maybe they’ll make a change. Or not.

another opportunity for y’all to choose a topic, not that you don’t anyway…

n

do some stacking!

Read the comments: 65 Comments

Sun. June 8, 2025 – open thread

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

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Wed. May 21, 2025 – full day ahead… and full steam ahead, iceburg ahoy!

Warm. Uncomfortably warm. And moist. Can’t forget moist. Summer in Houston is here. 80F by 8am? Maybe. Certainly got warm yesterday despite the overcast most of the day, for most of Houston. I drove all over and got only a bit of mist on the windshield despite the threatening skies. Then it was thunder and lightning around 8pm, but no release…

Did a few pickups yesterday. IDK what’s up with my brain but this was another day when I just couldn’t get the pickups in in the time I thought I could. I left the house a bit late, due to some gastric distress, and that threw off my whole plan for the day. Unfortunately I didn’t realize it until too late. I might have forfeited about $50 worth of items. One auctioneer is a real bastard about pickup times. I did hit Costco after picking up the kid from school. A quick in and out with only a few items and it was still over $200.

Today I’ve got pickups and two doctor visits. The orthopedic surgeon in the morning to take a look at my right bicep, and my GP in the afternoon to review all the testing I had done. I am afraid I tore something in my previously repaired bicep. It’s not as bad as when I tore it loose the first time, but I definitely heard and felt something give, and it does ache a bit. Maybe the MRI can show if his repair has failed, or if I have a new tear.

Then I’ll meet with my GP to go over all the imaging and cardiac testing I’ve had done. Didn’t find any issues, clean bill of health, but the underlying complaint is still there. Getting old isn’t for the weak, or the indigent. I’m pretty sure I’ll hit my deductible this year, for the second time in 20 years, iirc.

I’m not really complaining too much. I’m healthy and most of the mechanical fixes were straightforward. Wife and kids are crazy healthy compared to just about anyone else I know. The system is broken however, and it does chafe occasionally.

Grid up, we’re living in the future, so let’s leverage that for all it’s worth.

Unfortunately with yesterday’s miscalculations and today’s appointments, I’m losing whatever momentum I had. I know how the next two weeks play out, and it isn’t with me making headway on my storage units or selling a bunch of stuff. Gnu dang it.

I will do what I can, and always be working. Stacking would be easier.

nick

Read the comments: 47 Comments

Sun. April 20, 2025 – Happy Easter to my Christian friends. A glorious day for you…

Cool and grey, rain forecast for the morning. It stayed overcast and humid most of the day, with occasional patches of sun. Started to sprinkle several times starting in the late afternoon, but never got all the way to rain. I’m hoping for a nice day today. Mainly because of our Easter egg hunt, but also so I can get more outdoor stuff done.

I got a bunch of little jobs done. Nothing serious or major, but nice little life enhancing things. In the process some things were moved from storage to where they will live for a while. Everything installed is one less thing stacked.

Today we’ll start with an egg hunt for the girls, then breakfast. We’ll see what the weather is like after that. Hopefully the girls will do some stuff outside. We won’t be working hard, but it’s hard to take a day completely off.

Stacking up the good times. Working to improve.

nick

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Mon. Jan. 20, 2025 – a day to remember absent friends…

On this day in 2018, Robert Bruce Thompson passed away. Bob was the originator of this blog, among a great many other things. It’s a rare day that goes by without me thinking of him.

I’ve been “unlocking the door, and turning on the lights” here since he got sick, a task that I thought would be temporary, and short lived. With Barbara’s blessing, I have continued to do so to keep this place, Bob’s memory, and the community that lives here alive.

I’ve now published just over 2500 daily posts, slightly more than half of the total since Bob switched blogging platforms. Over 17,500 comments, of the almost 244,000 total. It’s those 244K comments that tell the real story– it’s the people who keep coming here, reading, commenting, and returning, that make this a special place on the internet and in the world.

The world is a better place for having had Bob in it, and for having all of you in it too.

I hope you will continue to find comradeship and value here, and stay with us as we make our way through whatever is coming, and to better days ahead.

As we move forward, take some time to look back and remember Bob, and the others who are now absent from our lives, but still part of us.

Thank you for the opportunity to continue being a part of your life.

nick flandrey

Read the comments: 80 Comments

Thur. Nov. 23, 2023 – 112323- Happy Thanksgiving Day

Cool and damp. Chance of rain? Same as most days. Part clouds and light rain in the local forecast. We had all kinds of weather yesterday, with the exception of heavy rain.

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Another year has gone by and we’re still here. Slightly worse off. Slightly more broke. Slightly fewer freedoms. But. We have much to be thankful for. Family. Friends. Time to get ourselves ready for what is coming. Robert believed that would be a slow slide into economic collapse. I believe it too, although the shape of the slope and how long it can take are up for grabs.

I’m thankful the slide is slow. That we have time to try to improve our outcomes. That we can mostly just live our lives.

I’m thankful that you all keep coming around and sharing in my life, and sharing your lives with us. It’s a pretty unique place on the web, and I like it a lot. Thank you to Rick for the help and support. Thank you to the others with the ban hammer for your help. And thank you to Barbara who lets me continue to keep the doors open and lights on.

Take some time today to count your blessings, because even the most wretched among us is still blessed compared to about 99.999% of those who have ever lived on this earth.

Take your joy where you find it. And keep stacking.

nick flandrey

Read the comments: 46 Comments

Fri. Aug. 25, 2023 – Oh, I’m busy today, buzzy bee busy…

Hopefully a bit cooler and dryer today, after yesterday’s rain, but I’m not holding my breath. Or my breadth. I’ll be doing stuff width my fellow enthusiasts… and part of that will involve unloading trucks, so I really hope for cooler and dryer.

As I mentioned, it rained on my yesterday. All day there were threatening clouds, but I didn’t believe it ’til it was smacking me in the face. I did get one pickup done of stuff I’m hoping to just flip this weekend. I also gathered in some of my hobby stuff. It was on my last stop that the rain came.

Now I’m actually behind where I should be with loading my stuff and the stuff I promised to bring.

I’ll have to scramble this morning from the minute the kids are out the door. And I won’t be checking in during the day, probably, so let’s hope today isn’t the day the hammer drops.

This weekend I’m in meatspace. We’ll see what the crowd feels like and what they’re thinking. It’s important to listen to a bit wider and more diverse group than usual. Gives a reality check. And I like to share my hobby with other enthusiasts.

Not much prepping or stacking, but maybe some simplifying and some earning.

One can always hope.

And stack. In case the hope don’t float.
nick

Read the comments: 71 Comments

Sat. July 1, 2023 – fireworks tonight!

Well, it’s hot and humid again. 84F at midnight, slightly cooler in the morning, getting warmer all day. Peaking in the sun well over 100F. Summer, in other words. It was scorching hot in the late afternoon sun, despite a gently breeze and being next to the lake.

I spent the day getting the truck packed, and getting back up here. A stop for diesel fuel, a stop at Home Depot for wire, (and they were out of what I wanted) and some unusual traffic had me getting back up here late. And because my mind is fried, I jumped into electrical work when my time and limited daylight would have been better spend building the stairs to go under the back door, which gives access to the yard and the lake…

The electrical fought me all the way, so I’m headed to the store today, at some point. I hate it when a plan doesn’t come together.

I think I’ll sleep in an hour, I went to bed early too, and maybe that will get my brain back to at least 7 of 8 cylinders. I can’t keep up the pace forever, and I have hit a wall. Hopefully I can reset that with a bit of extra rest. C’na do anythin’ ’bout the ‘eat tho.

Our neighbors do a massive fireworks show for the 4th, and they are slated to go tonight. BIG show. Good times. I’ll have the kids decorating the dock with bunting and flags. Might fly an extra flag or 12 too. This weekend, I’m stacking up community.

Stack some yourself.
nick

Read the comments: 47 Comments

Thur. Apr. 27, 2023 – cuz there ain’t no cure for the summer time blues…

Warmer, and wet.   Forecast has us in the rain zone for the next two days at least.   BOL got major thunderstorms yesterday and we got rain around 11pm…   It would be helpful if it wasn’t raining… but if wishes were horses, we’d all be eating steak.

Didn’t get much done yesterday.   Fell asleep.  Threw off my whole day.   Did get the kitchen cleaned up after all the frying.   Need to change the air filters in the AC to get rid of the fry smell.  Not fish, just oil.  Did some auction stuff.   Messed about.   Did some stuff for D2’s birthday celebration.

Today I need to get out of the house and do one pickup.  Then it’s off to Costco to get supplies for D2’s special dinner.   And there will be preparation and cooking later.  Then eating.   One of my siblings will be joining us too, and that will involve some coordination.

So today will be family focused…

Stacking up family time.   Just as important as buckets of rice.

nick

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Fri. Apr. 21, 2023 – ‘nother week gone, still not Mad Max

Wet and cold.   Probably still raining.   Rain started late last night, and continued.  Thur. was overcast and humid most of the day.   Better than raining though.

Did some things.  Mostly domestic bliss.   Then made leftovers for dinner.   Wife and kids are cleaning out closets.   They are eliminating some redundancy but also weeding out the outgrown.   I’ll be stealthily putting some redundancy back in the next month or two.

The plan was to head to the BOL for the weekend, but the kids have a school function that will run late.   Dunno what will happen.  Might leave tonight, maybe tomorrow.   Have to take the Expedition, so no haul of stuff this weekend.  Change and flexibility, right?

 

Short shrift today as I fell asleep in the chair and woke just long enough to write this.

Stack something!

n

Read the comments: 56 Comments
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