Category: Random Stuff

It was 63f and wet when I went to bed. Probably the same today. [57F and 94%RH]

Auctions, school stuff, and Halloween stuff to do today. Lots of running around. We are on the edge of the rain band on the FEMA National forecast, but I’m hoping for dry. Everything I need to do would be complicated by rain.

Oh, rent house stuff too. Almost forgot about that. Well, actually did forget, but got a text from the tenant. Dang. Already full day got fuller.

Time to make the donuts.

n

No idea what the weather is like Wed. morning. It was hot and very humid when I got home though.

Late night and early morning means I’m not at my best today.

Getting the kids and wife out the door, more later.

n

Probably another chilly morning.

Long day for me.

Starts with the funeral this morning. Forecast had called for rain, but I’m hoping it’s wrong. Even the very light drizzle predicted would suck.

A luncheon follows the funeral, then back to my sibling’s house. Then dinner with my family, and finally, back to the airport.

Flight after 9pm, arriving IAH at midnight. Probably 130am before I’m home in bed. So, long day.

n

Cool this morning, after a cool evening. Hoping for sunny and clear.

Plane was a 777. That’s the first big plane for me in years. I slept most of the flight though.

Better get started.

Wake later today, then maybe dinner.

n

Mid 50s and damp, probably. [Looks like 60F and moist] I’ll be winging my way to Chicago by the time most of you read this. It was 54F yesterday morning. It got warmer, but not quite to ‘hot’.

Fall is definitely here. HIGHS of 54F forecast for my brief trip to Chicago.

Traveling until noonish…

Talk amongst yourselves.

n

mid 50s? and moist?

It got down to 54F and windy before I went to bed last night. No idea what it will be like today.

I’ve got my non-prepping hobby monthly meeting today so that will fill my morning.

Afternoon is dedicated to getting a new range over to the rent house and installed, and possibly a new(-ish) dryer. Met with the plumbers yesterday and they cut out some old pipes and replaced them with pex. The first leak was in a plastic fitting where it transitioned to galvanized pipe. While they were working, another fitting popped. Old plastic, poor installation, and movement. It adds up to $$$. Got an estimate to replace the extremely rotten hot water heater and it’s $3200. I really should be proactive with that as a leak will ruin the ceiling that I’ve already fixed once. Still, $3200 on a tear down… it will take a while to recoup $3200. I might just have to do that one myself. Ug.

Of course, none of this running around and plumbing work was on my calendar. So some other stuff will fall behind. I’m seriously falling behind. It feels like further each day…

And with that, I’m out the door…

n

75F and 99%RH. No cold front for me! It got pretty hot yesterday and the humidity never relented. Thankfully it was better in the shade with a breeze. Under a house is usually shady, the breeze part was a gift.

Got my flights to ORD. If you’re willing to fly at really bad times, short notice flights aren’t all rapacious.

No word yet from the plumber on when someone will be available to meet me. Oh, and the kids are off school today, so normally that means I’d have them all day. Wife will have to work from home to give me the flexibility I need. With the kids home, not much work will get done, unless she parks them in front of the netflix or a tablet.

Laying on one’s back, and working on stuff with one’s hands above the head, uses all sorts of weird muscle groups. One is quite stiff and sore today.

Well, my calendar is full for the rest of the month….

Better get started.

n

74F and 99%RH.

October that is… Fall is here, there and everywhere, but we’re rushing through it racing headlong into winter.

Short time this morning. I’ve got to do a pickup or two, and go to the rent house and investigate two new issues- water leaking out under the house, and a dryer that doesn’t heat. The current dryer is about 19 or 20 years old. So is the plumbing under the tub…

The joys of homeownership are double when you own a rental.

More later, but for now, I better get breakfast started and people awake.

n

66F and 99%RH.

Spent last evening in our HOA meeting. It was our “year in review” meeting, and had the election of our section reps. Most people were elected by 6-8 votes, and the contested elections were both won by 2 votes. LOCAL is where your vote counts most. Use it.

Our long serving (but retiring) City Councilwoman was there to present the current state of our district, and projects of concern to us (mainly flood control.) Again, knowing her, recognizing her and her aides, and perhaps most importantly, being recognized by her from other meetings and other organizations is important. Like them or hate them, if we are to have rule of law, it starts close to home.

Civic engagement takes time, and takes getting out of the house. It doesn’t mean knocking on every door in the ‘hood and chatting with the residents, but you won’t meet them, or see them, or be seen by them, sitting at home.

Your city council, HOA, school board, Park District, or Business improvement district are all made up of neighbors. They (arguably) have more direct impact on your life than the madarins in DC. Get involved. Don’t let the selfish manipulating progs fill every position and do whatever they want.

Thus endeth the post.

n

Cooler, but still humid. Feels better.

As I was doing the yardwork yesterday, I realized it’s been almost a year since we had our early frost. I still have light bulbs in the citrus trees that I never put away. Lazy or cunning, you choose!

There is some indication that Trump is now just ‘going for it’ on a number of issues, perhaps with nothing to lose, and needing to put up a visible win. My knee jerk is to support the Kurds, but I really don’t know the situation with them. After Sadaam killed a bunch when we left last time, I’m not inclined to abandon an ally again. However, is that really the case? I would certainly like to get disentangled from Syria, and I’ve been saying that we should let the middle east learn to drink oil and eat sand, and leave them to it. I do like the idea of destroying Turkey’s economy if they break their deal. Let them extort Europe. Of course that is tough on Europe, what with the refugee situation. Once you open a door it’s hard to close it. With Turkey, once you pay the danegeld, you’ll never be rid of the Dane….

One thing of great concern, as the world’s apple carts continue to be upset, TPTB will become more desperate. False flags, straight up terror attacks, or the hidden hand holding the purse- I expect the violence to ramp up dramatically in the next year. I expect at least one more attempt on Trump’s life or his family. It’ll come when the impeachment nonsense fails to catch hold. Either that, or a major attack. I’ve hope I’m wrong because that will be bad no matter how it plays out.

So I’m continuing on my course. Some small changes, like to my load out in my truck, and moving solar and the whole house gennie further along, but overall, more of the same.

So, anyone work on their preps last week? Anyone working on a secondary money stream? Meeting people? New skill? Does anyone shoot competitively (even if infrequently or poorly?)

Let me know how it’s going…

n