And we’re back. (I’m so awesome.)

Did I mention I built my very own solar power system out of things I basically found laying around? It didn’t work very well, but it taught me what I needed to know to build one that works great, and still fairly cheap. Even if it is a little small and I need to ration juice when the weather gets excessively weathery. I should get on my ass and finish that book.

Sun’s shining only about 40% of the time this morning, it took till eleven for the last of the snow to melt off the panels, but already the batteries are in float. I’m back in business. Actually I was never out of business, but it doesn’t pay to be too profligate if the weather totally socks in and you like electric light. I haven’t resorted to kerosene lamps even once this winter, and last year it was routine in the mornings and common in the evenings.

Cold, cold, cold. I’m burning through wood like it grows on trees or something, but at least I’ve gotten over the worst of my chimney fire-related paranoia. It helps when you build the new one so it’s real easy to take apart, and whenever you get nervous about creosote build-up you can just clean it. Takes like twenty minutes, and it’s not like an old retired guy doesn’t have the time. I cleaned the whole thing just before this new front rolled in, so I knew damn well I was good to go.

Yeah, winter arrived again yesterday. Don’t know if it was the same system that clobbered the east coast or something else entirely, and we didn’t get a significant fraction of that much snow, but it was enough. T’would serve. But things are looking up now, I hope. Temp’s almost up to freezing. Electricity, water, sewage and heating systems are working great so far.

Just before the snow arrived yesterday, so did my package from Amazon. So I’ve been reading the fourth installment in Larry Correia’s MHI series. As I feared, he seems to be going down the usual Baen path. Legion isn’t a bad book, Correia’s a good writer, but he’s clearly stretching things out here. We were promised the apocalypse but instead we’re getting a long drawn-out preliminary bout. a new government villain who’s a real mustache-twirler, and I don’t know how it’s going to end but do confess my attention is slipping. Good thing he’s got other stories going because if he turns this into another Harrington series he’ll have to do it without me.

Finally got all the necessary ducks in a row to take Click to the vet tomorrow afternoon. Losing official permission to drive, and then getting caught doing it anyway and getting spanked in the principal’s office really complicates your life. If you plan to offend a government agency, try to make it something besides the DMV. I wonder if there’s anything like a statute of limitations on unpaid traffic tickets? That happened like ten years ago.

Also happy to report that after whacking it with a hammer really hard a week and a half or so ago, I’m finally getting some use back in my left index finger. The only time it turns now is when it gets torqued to the side. At all. Pressing with it, bending it and using the keyboard hardly hurts at all. Still don’t know if I actually broke the bone, but whatever I did it’s sure taking its time healing.

Well, I’ve got web-surfing to catch up on. Has Chris Dorner shown back up yet? Later.