Category Archives: Uncategorized

And the freeze apparently didn’t damage any pipes, which with PVC is never the way to bet. The temperature has gone back to freakishly warm: It’s actually supposed to be in the seventies for the next four days. So there … Continue reading →

My brand new kitchen bypass regulator decided no gas for me. First thing in the frigid morning – which is exactly the same way the one it replaced failed. Before coffee I had to go out in the cold to … Continue reading →

From several years ago and not really topical, but I only saw it for the first time this morning.

Who just got out of the hospital – again – without anything in his condition improved or even justified. He has a bad infection from his hip replacement, which I suppose no doctor – especially the one(s) responsible – wants … Continue reading →

I have about 30 gallons of drinking water hauled in from town and stored in cool darkness at Ian’s place, and when I lose water at the Lair I end up spending some of it on utility measures other than … Continue reading →

I’d rather talk about winter preps, and how after all this time I still find ways to fail at them. So. Yesterday afternoon. This wasn’t all that unexpected, I’ve been living in fear of it since the cold snap started. … Continue reading →

That is officially the coldest recorded temperature outside the Secret Lair since 2019. Naturally on the morning I had to leave early to do something I don’t often do: Drive Neighbor L’s Jeep right through town. For the third time, … Continue reading →

Last time I did that was in 2020, and I did it again today for the same reason. I can’t take this prosthesis any more. I’ve only had it five years but it fits so badly I’m basically confined to … Continue reading →

And why does she seem so worried? For the record Biden left office and didn’t give me a pardon either. But I never gave him any money so my sense of betrayal is limited.

Okay, so my current carry pistol came with a Swampfox red dot… It’s one of the less expensive brands and it worked adequately. It stopped holding zero but that wasn’t the optic’s fault. Slamming back and forth destroyed the adapter … Continue reading →

I went to town this morning with Neighbor L to get propane. Everything was fine when I left but when I got back I saw water running across the yard in front of the Lair. “[bad word]! [bad word]! [bad … Continue reading →

D has nearly spent as much time traveling by air in the past year as I did back in my globetrotting period. All by getting rushed to hospitals in the Big City. His hip infection got bad again, and the … Continue reading →

Last post I mentioned the freakishly mild December just past, which was of course the cue for the forecast (and weather) to abruptly change to seasonal… …which, while not surprising, is also not an improvement and I should have just … Continue reading →

I had to go to D&L’s this afternoon to unload yet another ton of wood pellets, the third of the season so far. Tobie and I got in the Jeep and I was literally reaching for the start button when … Continue reading →

Okay, so after a fairly rocky start that took a lot of breaking-in to get my Arex reliable with all sorts of ammo, the pistol and I have become friends. Except for one thing… If, like me, you’re a boomer … Continue reading →

Buoyed by my recent success with roast meat, I decided to do something truly decadent… Other than hamburger – and not a lot of that – I don’t remember the last time I tasted beef. Lots of chicken and pork, … Continue reading →

I went to town yesterday, not expecting anything at the post office. But there were two separate packages! This is a Michael Malice book I’ve wanted for several years but wouldn’t buy for myself because the chances of my working … Continue reading →

The other day I got an extremely rare personal visit to the Secret Lair. My longtime neighbors and friends S&L came putting up in their ATV, having texted ahead first so as to give me time to a)be home, and … Continue reading →

Neighbor L asked me to come help with cleaning the pipe for their main pellet stove this morning. It turned out to be more technically challenging than I expected. The stovepipe is 4″, and the sections have these very annoying … Continue reading →