Category Archives: Uncategorized

Not too hot, no thunder. Send picture of no thunder.

Finally finished repainting the Lair’s porch, except for the roof over the stairs, which requires pulling the stairs away. I’ll do that bit when I set up the ladder to paint the wall over the bedroom addition. I’ve been working … Continue reading →

There’s quite a lot of comments as well as a couple of direct emails from people trying to help me with my bedroom heater situation, and I haven’t been very responsive. I’m not ignoring you, I’m just sort of up … Continue reading →

Get a red dot, they said. It’ll fix your problems, they said… And it does. Really. You have to learn how to use a pistol all over again… …and there are obvious issues, none that aren’t worth the price of … Continue reading →

So I installed that new thermopile in the bedroom heater, right? And it fixed nothing. I didn’t even know what it did: Thought I did but I was not right about that. So it’s supposed to produce current and … … Continue reading →

Yesterday was water day so I didn’t get any painting done. Today I hit it early before it got hot with the front and side window and door trim… Phoebe has finished up her baby-raising duties and gone off to … Continue reading →

The topic may have come up from time to time. And I came by my attitude quite honestly. If you spend 45-50 hours a week working, plus a frustrating 2 hour/day commute, would you rather be handed a beer when … Continue reading →

I’m supposed to be painting right now. I’m working on the porch, starting from the bottom and this morning is/was scheduled for removing [what passes for] the gingerbread and painstakingly painting the middle section. Unfortunately… …right now the weather isn’t … Continue reading →

June in the high desert is often – not always – the hottest month, depending on what Monsoon does. It can get hotter in July and August but if Monsoon is doing its thing the heat in those months is … Continue reading →

It’s water day. All the empties are already in the Jeep, and all I need to do is get some quarters and deal with this bottle here… …which has a little less than a gallon left. I hate when the … Continue reading →

Got well into the nineties indoors and out yesterday, with nary a breath of wind. Got some yard work done early but spent the bulk of the day indoors reading E. E. Smith and drinking water. Once the sun approached … Continue reading →

Weather’s really weird this morning. Thunderstorms are coming through heralded by big gusty blasts of wind in random directions, and Tobie found it all very exciting to the point where he forgot he’s a big dog now and started rampaging … Continue reading →

I spent the majority of my time here in the Gulch living on the economic edge. Which means scrounging, which is all about access to tools. Up till about five years ago I went without refrigeration at all, which really … Continue reading →

Somebody had a big accident on Tobie’s bed. Don’t know what happened or why, not mentioning any names, maybe a posse of ground squirrels burst in and held him down while others peed all over the window side of the … Continue reading →

A couple of Generous Readers bought gel socks from the amputee stuff supplier, but that was a while ago and I’ve been awaiting their arrival with increasing anxiety. But today the first batch landed! I think this is from Anon, … Continue reading →

or, Revenge of That Bush in my Yard. So a couple of days ago I cut down two of the many intrusive bushes that have taken over my yard between the woodshed and the wash… …and I really should have … Continue reading →

I don’t know why but in the past couple of years what used to be mostly bare dirt has broken out in big dense bushes. Not just here, either – it’s happening all over. I wanted something like a string … Continue reading →

After a pretty good day I had a night that seemed to last about 48 hours. Some of that was the heat – the first heat wave of the summer has arrived to smite us sinners in its righteous wrath … Continue reading →

This made my morning. You’re familiar with Markley’s Law, right? It refers to the musty old joke that an interest in owning/carrying guns is driven by a desire to compensate for small male genitalia*. Guns are phallic symbols, people unhappy … Continue reading →

First Wednesday of the month is senior day. Yay. We went early this time and it wasn’t very crowded but this is my first visit in three months and I started out kind of hyperventilating anyway. But I got over … Continue reading →