Author Archives: Joel

H/T to Bob Owens.

Had a couple of care packages from readers today. One of a box of military-grade peanut brittle, upon which I’m currently gorging. Probably make myself sick again. Another, much more complex… Don’t even know where to start. There’s some seriously … Continue reading →

And I just had to look at that title for a minute after I typed it there. “I went to a party” is not a sentence I ever expected to write again, non-fictionally. But I digress. Maybe this sort of … Continue reading →

Which explains why there’s not the slightest evidence of their existence, despite decades of search. Why Superintelligent Machines Are Probably the Dominant Lifeforms in the Universe How can they “probably” be the dominant lifeform of anything, when the whole article … Continue reading →

Just guessing, but it’s manufactured in Portland, right? C’mon, I’ll bet it was Portland.

Yeah, baby. Now if only it’ll stay this way for a while. Cold? Yer damn tootin’ it’s cold. But I consider myself blessed that I’ve finally shaken off my morbid fear of chimney fire enough that the inside of the … Continue reading →

Don’t know how long it’ll stay, but the sun really did show up this afternoon. Batteries and boys are loving it. I’m stuck inside making bread at the moment, but once I get the dough rising I think we’ll take … Continue reading →

Okay, this computer thingy is my only news source, except for the Jeep’s radio which only returned to me two days ago and I only drive it a mile at a time. So this computer thingy is my only real … Continue reading →

Gad, this is depressing. Shouldn’t even be on the computer right now. Today was supposed to be clear, according to that lying sumbitch of a weatherman, unlike yesterday and the day before and the day before. The weather report still … Continue reading →

…this got my attention. That’s all I’m saying.

And just to keep me honest – Today started drippy and has become positively rainy. So guess which new thing stopped working on the Jeep, halfway home? I never completely lose. Seems like I never completely win, too. 😉 ETA: … Continue reading →

I saw a comment from Zelda the Zealous, demanding immediate jihad against the Lair’s mice. Took me back to a conversation I had with Neighbor J, just day before yesterday. J has a thing about mice. He has festooned his … Continue reading →

…telling me a bunch of money had just been transferred from Paypal. Seems after yesterday’s whining post, four or five people hit the tip jar. Probably enough for me to stop procrastinating and buy those tires. Thanks, guys. That really … Continue reading →

But I kind of am. I mean, it’s serendipity of a sort. I never have $300 in the bank. Never. Right at the moment it’s closer to $400, raised from generous contributions to the blog and intended for tires – … Continue reading →

Just got a call from the guy at the repair shop. It’s possible – just barely possible, in this frequently dysfunctional little place – that the Jeep will be running under its own power as early as tomorrow. And that … Continue reading →

So this morning’s first chore was to dash into town with D&L to talk to the guy at the repair shop about the Jeep. I was going to phone but they wanted to do their regular Monday trip early, so … Continue reading →

In the cold, animals can be attracted to the heat of your engine. Always check before driving.

Although we did get a lot of rain yesterday and some snow overnight and the mud is back to being horrendous, it looks like the promised weekend storm was more or less a bust. At quarter to ten the sun … Continue reading →

…in the person of Weekender Neighbor S, who called me out of the blue and asked if this was a good time to tow the Jeep to town. I could have wheedled the help out of one of the regulars, … Continue reading →