The Joys of Having Grass in the MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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Good morning everyone.

It’s currently 38 degrees and cloudy with rain moving in later this morning. The expected high is 45 degrees.

I will have a houseful of people today and need to finish up some final chores. The errands took longer than planned yesterday and for some reason, all my energy was just gone. I don’t have much to do today, though so it shouldn’t take long. I do have an unplanned session of boiling chicken thighs for Polar, though.

It was weird for me in the stores yesterday. The mask mandate has been listed. I opted to wear mine and so did many other people.

I hope everyone enjoys their first day of spring. I am raring to get out to my flower beds and start planting things again, but the weather has been crap and temps are still dipping into the 30s.

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Hey Vern!

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Boy, do we have a lot of dirty clothes! I’ve got one load washing and I bet I’ve got 4 more to go! I’ve scooped the cat box - I kinda forgot it yesterday - and sometime today, I need to sweep the steps to the basement. I don’t know how they manage to get litter from the landing where the box is all the way down the stairs, but it’s a mess. I should probably just use the vacuum.

Speaking of which, I need to suck up cat hair around the house today. And the dishwasher needs to be emptied. I asked FCD to clean the ceiling fans - I should probably let him do that before I vacuum. But for the moment, I can chill a bit till the washer is done.

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I consider every interaction with a table saw that results in all appendages still intact as a roaring success.

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You should see me with my wussy little electric chain saw - definitely always aware of where the blade is in relation to my legs. Probably because way back when I was a baby Ensign working in the Pentagon (subtly inserted aside… :wink: ) we had a USMC LtCol who hacked a hunk out of his leg in a chainsaw mishap. Every time I pick up that saw, I think of him - holy crap, that was 40 years ago!!!

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I consider every work shift that doesn’t result in me getting cut or burned as a roaring success.

I’ve trained a coupla people on brisket prep now (which tickles me every time, cuz it means { cringe-y blush } I’m good at it) and there are two initial steps I cover, before they ever touch anything:

  • Rule 1: Don’t cut yerself.

  • Rule 2: The first step is { punch } hit the brisket, once, hard. Gotta show it who’s boss. Okay, so, you take a dagger, and …

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First rule of woodworking: Never. . .EVER. . .put a hand in front of a bladed tool. It’s common when using a chisel to try to get a better hold or angle on what is being cut, but they can do a lot of damage in short order.

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For the first time in my long history of buying Logitech products, I am completely annoyed with them. I use two laptops for work (corporate network and customer network) and switch between them frequently all day, and for the past two years I’ve been using one external keyboard and mouse for both with an A/B switch. A few weeks ago, I saw that Logitech makes a keyboard with “easy-switch” buttons that (seemed to) accomplish the same thing. It comes with a mouse that also pairs with multiple devices, and everything I could find implied that the keyboard’s “easy-switch” button would also switch the mouse. After thinking about it for a while, and figuring it might be both easier (pressing a keyboard button vs reaching for the A/B button) and neater (Bluetooth connections vs a wired switch), I finally decided to part with the $$. The combo arrived yesterday, and I set it up a little while ago. As you may have guessed by now, turns out the keyboard and the mouse have to be switched separately! The setup instructions on the Logitech website even say “press the Easy-Switch button to select the channel on both mouse and keyboard,” but a search through the help forums revealed that it actually isn’t possible to switch both the keyboard and the mouse with just one button. :angry: (And there is no “Easy-Switch” button on the mouse: there’s a button to switch inputs, but only the buttons on the keyboard have that name.) I’ve decided to try the new combo for a while; maybe it’ll be easier than I think to adjust to pressing two buttons instead of just one. I also wonder if there might wind up being advantages to being able to switch the keyboard and mouse independently. I’m a little grumpy about it, though.

Ah, well. Last night I had a great time with my friends around their fire pit, and in a few hours I’ll be going to my best friends’ place to hang out with them for a while. All in all, the weekend is definitely a win. :slight_smile:

Bailey won’t be happy when I abandon her again so soon. Heh. The last two years – with me working from home and rarely going anywhere – have really spoiled her! I also have plans to go out tomorrow night, and will leave the house shortly after I finish working. I expect to have a slightly extra-clingy dog all day Tuesday.

Misnomer: *gets up from her desk chair to go to the bathroom or kitchen*
Bailey: OMG WHERE ARE YOU GOING NOW DON’T LEAVE MEEEEE

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I’ve started gathering boat stuff - I’ve got 2 plastic bins on the dining room table and a list on Excel. As I add items to the bins, I mark them on Excel so I can see easily what else I need. The challenge will be items for the galley - how many and what kinds of pots, pans, and utensils. I’m hoping mostly I’ll use the microwave, but it has its limits. I have some extras at home that I can take to the boat, but I’ll need to buy a couple of knives and a cutting board for certain.

Luckily, I won’t need it fully outfitted for some time, so I can add things gradually. We won’t be making any long treks this year, and possibly not next year - hard to predict. But it’s like setting up a first apartment - so many little things you don’t think about…

Oh, and don’t tell the Feds, but I ran 3 dollar bills and half a dozen quarters thru the wash - forgot to take them out of my pocket. Yep, I’m a money launderer…

:rofl:

I crack me up!!

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Akiko and Yoshi frequently lie down in front of the bathroom, so I can’t go anywhere without their knowledge.

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Happy Sunday!

Happy Spring!

Was a chilly morning at the park, 49 feels like 45. So disappointing after yesterday’s 58 degrees.
Was a fairly good group of us. WV dogs showed up, we haven’t seen them in a long time. Molly, a corgi/lab has mellowed a bit. She likes to run and chase the other dogs, but she has a habit of nipping at their heels, which is not appreciated. She has gotten a little less nippy.

I slept most of yesterday, although I did manage to straighten out the pantry and the fridge. I hate it when things are disorganized, and my son has a habit of putting things back wherever they will fit. Then wonders why he can’t find anything. He opened the fridge afterwards and said, “I didn’t know we have grape jelly!” He’s the one who told me we were out of peanut butter, and I found four jars in the pantry.
I know it’s stress that’s making me sleep so much. Between my mother, my taxes, and medicare sending me all kinds of shit. And unemployment, and hospital bills that just keep coming, and the mice that just keep coming.
It would be really nice if I could put everything on hold for a week and not have to look at any of it.

Sitting and watching dogs play is very relaxing Ooopsie. I wish I had a bigger yard so mine could really get going.
I don’t know how much grass will be out back this year now that the tree is gone. My wildflowers never came back, not even the cleomes. The magnolia is blooming. I can’t even think about the yard right now, though.

I hope overlyboy heals quickly.

Thank y’all for the nice thoughts about my mother.
I’ve been trying to call her today, but no answer. I guess she’ll get back to me.

I’m out of clean clothes so I need to do some laundry today. I don’t feel like it.

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knocks on all wood there is In all my years of doing this, the closest to a table saw injury I ever had was waaay back in college I shaved a fingernail, no blood. Usually, the worst I get from a table saw day is a bunch of splinters. I’ve got one in my left index finger that I can’t see, but sure can feel it.

Had most of a full day in the shop today. I think I’m getting ahead of this thing. Two more weeks of fabrication, then a week of install.

Got’s to do laundry while I’m taking a late afternoon off.

Stay safe, y’all!

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oopsie, Bailey is better trained than Nelson is. He tends to come right on in with me. :stuck_out_tongue:

VanGo, you sound like you’re pretty careful with the saws. During the years that I worked in a furniture factory, for my dad’s shop or doing work around the house, I only had a close call once (like you, I took off a bit of fingernail, but it was from a chop saw).

Got the Sunday chores done, gave Nelson a bath and made meatloaf, twice baked butternut squash and steamed broccoli for supper.

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I just had a revelatory moment while doing laundry. I just picked up the hamper and dumped the last load into the washer. In like 35 years of laundry, I’ve never done that, always grabbed a handfull of clothes and tossed them in. This will save me about 5 minutes over the rest of my life.

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Howdy Y’all! We deheathenated and I survived Acolyte trainin’. I have two very excited girls who are rarin’ to go. They shall make their debut next month. They are sisters ages seven and nine and just little sweethearts. After that, I got back to da cave, made a sammich and had a two hour nap. That nap felt soooooo good! Sup was hotdawgs with mustard, onion, and cheese plus chips. That hit the spot, so I must have needed hotdawgs. In other news, the biiiiiiiiiiig trash can has been hauled all the way down to the road for pickup tomorrow. Chillage now ensues.

VanGo whatever will you do with all that newfound leisure time!

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Did regular cleaning, and Spring Cleaning. Trashed some stuff, recycled some stuff and tossed a rack I’ve had under my bed for 10 years, and vacuumed under the bed.

The above had me do 3 separate trips to the trash and recycling dumpsters. Which has Gordie a bit perturbed.
Gordie: YOU. KEEP. LEAVING. ME. WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA?

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Popping in between stuff and stuff. Sunday is Phone Call Day in my family, even though we usually talk on other days, too. My Instacart order came, and it was really screwed up: A box of Honeycrisp apples instead of bell peppers, regular ginger ale instead of diet (even though I’d specified no substitutions), and a huge container of strawberries I didn’t order. I got a refund, but I had no room for all those apples or strawberries and don’t drink regular pop, so I called a friend with a teenage son, and she came to get it and stayed to chat.

After debating all day as to whether or not they wanted to rain, the clouds saw me on my way to the store and said, “Hit it, kids!” and it rained hard. Then the hail started. I got soaked. I don’t mind rain, but that hail–ouch. And if you’re wondering why I went to the store after getting groceries, I wanted my diet ginger ale, dammit.

When my sweet but colicky son was a few weeks old, I calculated how far I’d have rocked us both if the rocker moved 3 inches per rock and was surprised to find it was 12 miles. We lived in the middle of nowhere, so the idea of rocking down the road was appealing. And VanGo, I admire your skill, your safety measures, and your expertise.

So many spots, so many delicious ways of hitting one of them. :slight_smile:

You crack me up, too!

Ph

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Evening all. Did manage to get out of the house and do some walking around the park today --nothing like what nellie can do, but maybe 2/3 of a mile with some hills thrown in, so did have some exercise without going to the gym. Then spoiled it of course by getting a Butter Pecan waffle cone, so I did my penance with a Bowl O’Sallit for dinner. Will check my weight after the swimming and sauna tomorrow (going for 1200 yards) and see how I’m doing.

Sent all the paperwork in for my Will to the lawyer, my appointment’s a week from Moanday, so they’ll have time to review it.

doggio, while taking my walk met up with a couple taking their dogs for a walk. The young one was ‘only’ 12 and the elder, who walked stiff-legged and took scritches as his due, was 15. Rooting for Gordie to do as well.

VanGo, I’m usually a two-fisted loader, but will consider you time-saving tip. Since I have a top-loading washer and a side-loading dryer, the clothes get picked up and handled anyway.

{{{Sari}}}, cause you earned them. Take care of yourself.

FCM, most every laundry day I find 30-40 cents in the dryer that I hadn’t removed from my pockets…so no dirty money for me, no siree!

shoe, I can see you will be a valuable trainer there. I like your style.

Hope the day went fine, Taters, and that you get your needed rest tonight.

OK, need to finish out the night and get ready for the new week. All y’all take care and I’ll catch you on the next MMP.

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Remember, if you’re building any muscle while losing any fat, the scale may not tell the whole story.

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Make sure my name is spelled correctly - don’t want any problems in probate. :wink:

:rofl:

It’s been a chillerrific evening and I’m about to head to bed since I need to be at Daughter’s house by 7:30 so SIL can make his appointment. Goodness knows, I need my beauty sleep. Here’s hoping for no more weird dreams.