Somebody explain this to me...

Cause I'm seeing this, (and I want one) but I sure don't understand how it works.

Want!

Very much want! Apparently not yet available for sale but when they are, you can get me one here.

Found over at Uncle's place.

OPERATION ORDER 12-05: OFFICIAL VISIT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL S. CLAUS

All personnel will settle their brains for a long winter nap no later than 2200 hours, 24 December. Uniform for the nap will be: pajamas: cotton, light-weight, general purpose, olive-green; and cap: battle-dress: utilities – Woodland pattern. Equipment will be drawn from supply prior to 1900 hours. While at supply, all personnel will review their personal hand receipts and sign a Cash Collection Voucher, DD Form 1131, for all missing items. Remember that this is the “season of giving.”

You really must read the entire order at LawDog's blog! It's terrific!

That UPS delayed package of software-

The one I complained about 2 posts back- it arrived yesterday. Two day air delivery took 7 days. In a way, that's pretty remarkable, compared to the old, "mail off a check or money order, wait for it to get processed and the item mailed back, 3 weeks minimum" of the pre-internet, online shopping cabability, and I know we've all gotten pretty spoiled with nearly instant delivery to our doorsteps. But this little screw-up cost me $30 in the difference between what I ordered and what I purchased in town to replace it when I couldn't wait any longer.

Other than that- things are fine.

Funny!

Do you know why there haven't been any significant terrorist bombings since April 2009?

That was when the Susan Boyle meme swept through the internet and they could all see what a virgin looked like…

Stolen from another blogger I like, Dave.

Still not here...

See the previous post. Stoopid United Parcel Service.

This is beyond ridiculous!

I've been waiting on a package of software to arrive from Amazon.com and for some reason, this simple package has taken the busman's holiday route to (not yet) get here. You have to read this shipping info starting at the bottom and working up but check this out:

Date Time Location Event Details
December 17, 2010 10:02:00 PM Salt Lake City UT US Arrival Scan
December 16, 2010 08:26:00 PM Louisville KY US Departure Scan
December 16, 2010 05:09:00 PM Louisville KY US Arrival Scan
December 16, 2010 11:45:00 AM Poughkeepsie NY US Departure Scan
December 16, 2010 04:34:00 AM Poughkeepsie NY US Arrival Scan
December 16, 2010 02:45:00 AM Latham NY US Departure Scan
December 16, 2010 12:16:00 AM Latham NY US Arrival Scan
December 15, 2010 08:46:00 PM Poughkeepsie NY US Departure Scan
December 15, 2010 06:40:00 PM Poughkeepsie NY US Arrival Scan
December 15, 2010 11:22:00 AM Poughkeepsie NY US Possible delay in delivery due to arrival at incorrect carrier facility
December 15, 2010 09:00:00 AM Ogden UT US Arrival Scan
December 14, 2010 07:00:00 PM Salt Lake City UT US Departure Scan
December 14, 2010 06:24:00 PM Salt Lake City UT US Arrival Scan
December 14, 2010 04:38:00 PM Louisville KY US Departure Scan
December 14, 2010 01:53:00 PM Louisville KY US Shipment received by carrier
December 13, 2010 02:52:20 AM US Shipment has left seller facility and is in transit

Do you see that? My package shipped on the 13th, arrived here in Ogden on the 15th, then departed for multiple stops in NEW YORK before heading back into the correct time zone! I can't blame Amazon for this delay but I'm mighty unhappy since the software has to be installed on a computer before I can ship off the computer as a gift.

I just find it bizarre that with all the amazing tracking that shipping firms use nowadays that we can see everywhere my package has been but they can't seem to get it SENT to me!

When sledding behind Dad's stationwagon just isn't enough-

There's always a Saab jet to tow you around!

What fun!

The BSU is gone for the weekend!

What kind of trouble should I get into?

If only I didn't have to drive my kid's laundry into SLC tonight, move a fire extinguisher and sign and a banner and hang 4 paintings at church tomorrow and then move a pew and set up the nativity creche on Saturday, why, I'd have a bang-up time getting into trouble!

I'm also supposed to buy, set up and decorate a Christmas tree and locate the BSU's missing wedding band this weekend! I think I'll go to bed early tonight!

Anybody else using Open Office?

I decided to try something new with my laptop when I bought it a few weeks back so I installed Open Office Suite for my word processing and spreadsheet work. I've found it, so far, to be fast, intuitive and easy to use and since you can save files in Microsoft formats, the files I've created open equally well in Word or Excel. I haven't used it extensively and really dug into every feature but I'm enjoying this very professional yet free software.

You might give it a try if you don't want to pony up the funds for an expensive Microsoft package.

Ogden Clear Headlights gets an upgrade

Yesterday my buddy Kenny rang me up in the morning to invite me to visit a couple new stores that were opening in Ogden, a Black & Decker outlet store and a Pro Tools store. When I got there, the first person I encountered, before I could get inside, was Mayor Godfrey, followed by aat least 20 members of the Ogden Chamber of Commerce. I had arrived just in time for the ribbon cutting!

Once the ribbon was cut and the photos taken, I was able to finally catch up with Kenny and we had a pleasant ramble through the 2 new stores. In the Pro tool store, I found an interesting toolbox, a Stanley Mobile Work Center. After looking at it carefully, I decided it would adequately fit my tools and materials for my headlight cleaning business, so I bought it.

Everything does fit very nicely. Instead of the plastic storage tub and the plastic tote tray with a cardboard box duct taped to the end, everything I need to restore headlights fits in 1 mobile box. I really need some Ogden Clear Headlights decals to decorate it but for now I've got a nice, new tool kit.

And I told the BSU she could call it a Christmas present!

What I'd really like to buy, but haven't so far that would also be a big improvement to my restoration business is this Dewalt portable air compressor. The Pro-Tools guys had this for sale for just about 1/2 the price on the Amazon link, which is a killer deal. I'm 99% certain that this compressor will even fit under the tonneau cover on the truck. Sanding headlights with air power would be a huge improvement over the cordless drill and rechargeable batteries that I'm using right now. Donations would be gladly accepted if you're inclined!

Well the truck is fixed...

You didn't even know it was busted, did you?

Well it was. Yesterday evening on my way home from the car driving gig, it stopped backing up, that is, 1 wheel, the left front wheel, stopped rolling in reverse. I had to have it towed to a garage... Grr!

Turns out the caliper slide pins on that wheel had seized into the caliper mount and ruined the brake pads and the rotor. Getting fixed at the Firestone store cost $552 tonight! Argh! But everything's fixed now and I was able to get it home tonight. I am very soon- I suppose in January, going to have to put rotors and pads on the back of the truck. One of the pads back there is getting very thin and apparently the caliper back there needs attention too. But I'll plan on fixing all that on my own time just as soon as I can afford it.

I didn't want to Christmas shop this year anyway!

An idea for a real reality tv show

I don't watch reality television shows mainly because they aren't real! I especially don't, and won't watch any of those dumbass cake baking shows with snotty, wannabe cake bakers trying to outdo each other with ridiculous monstrosities of ugly, weird cakes. I do see the advertisements for some of these bandwith robbing programs because the BSU insists on watching the murder-death-mayhem programs that frequent the same network.

But tonight I had an idea for a reality show involving bakers that I would watch. Here's my idea: Take 6 or 8 newly minted from culinary school graduates, let them pick a town where they would like to operate a bakery. Give each of them enough start-up cash to open a storefront shop. Then leave them alone with the exception of a 1 man camera crew for an entire year except for monthly check-in visits. Let them hire people, set up shop, advertise, pay their bills, build a customer base and prove they have what it takes to really be proud of themselves.

Ditch all the phony drama, the foodfights, the petty bickering and the hidden direction from the program producers and just let these folks succeed or fail on their own merits. Let the monthly check-in episodes show the financial books and how each baker comes up with their own ideas about what success is and how to achieve it.

Make that into hour long episodes without all that fake drama BS that is apparent on the programs today and I'll watch it! Same goes for the chopper builders and all the other programs of the genre!

Time to bring in the Thanksgiving decorations

The pumpkin and corn stalks get thrown away and the pilgrim children and turkey plywood characters can get put away for another year. The hay bale will be pulled under the carport until I break out the nativity scene for Christmas. I'm going to do that today.

I'm also going out to the shop to get to work on a nativity creche for the church Christmas Eve service. I promised to build it some weeks back so I suppose I better get busy on that little project. I can see a trip to Home Depot in my schedule today as well as I'm certain that I won't have everything I need on hand.

Some guys get all the best toys...

I never had a Hot wheels track as awesome as this one.
I guess nobody else ever did either though.

But what a toy!

This is really gonna make you laugh!

I got turned on to this blog through a Facebook friend and it's just too funny and smart not to share with even those of you that might not see it over there. This gal's writing and drawings are hilarious and I can't wait to see what else she posts in the future. Go check out Hyperbole and a Half for a great tale!

WWF or WTF?

I've been entertaining myself in the evenings lately perusing Failblog and one of my favorite things to look at is the submission of ugly tattoos. It truly is scary what people have voluntarily had permanently inked onto their skin and looking at the awefulness is kind of like staring at a terrible auto crash or train derailment. But I just couln't help but share this picture with those of you that wouldn't normally wander over to that odd part of the internet.

see more Ugliest Tattoos
Weird, huh?

Al Gore says something I can agree with...

This morning I discovered that former V.P., wanna-be savior of the planet & Nobel prize laureate Owlgore is actually able to learn new things and admit that some of his Save Mother Gaia ideas were mistakes. Using corn for fuel fer instance: "First generation ethanol I think was a mistake. The energy conversion ratios are at best very small."

And if you were ever uncertain that politics did NOT play a crucial role in his save-the-planet lofty words of wisdom, there's this quote:

One of the reasons I made that mistake is that I paid particular attention to the farmers in my home state of Tennessee, and I had a certain fondness for the farmers in the state of Iowa because I was about to run for president."

Emphasis is mine.

Ok, let it snow!

I've got Fish Slayer back from the boat store where it has been tightly shrink wrapped for the winter and pushed it back to the fence and out from under the carport. I also got the neighbor to help me back the camper behind the fence today and once I get the battery out of it and the tarp tied down, the weather can just go wild and bring in the snow- which is due beginning on Saturday.

I've been up to Powder Mountain Ski Resort to try and obtain employment for the winter and I expect- since the guy doing the hiring remembered me from previous years handing out chocolates, that I'll be working once the resort opens. Powder Mountain isn't using dedicated ticket checkers any longer so I's have to be part of the lift operations staff, meaning I'd have to bump chairs and operate the lifts but I've done all that in the past so I guess I can do it again.

And I had a job interview! I actually had a sit down interview yesterday for a logistics coordinator for a big company here in Ogden that makes interesting and big stuff that requires some really cool machine tools. Now I'm on pins & needles waiting for a follow-up call to see if I got the job. I really think I'd like this job and company so I am very anxious for them to call me.

So I've taken the day off...

Slept in today even skipped church for the first time in months. All I've done today was complete an insurance claim for pharmacy copays, completed a job application for a job I applied for a couple weeks ago, sent my resume to someone I met at last week's job fair, sent my resume to another company looking for an inventory specialist, and cooked myself 2 eggs, 4 strips of bacon and a tube of bisquits for lunch.

Other than that I've just screwed around on the interwebz and played around with some of the features of my new computer. Haven't even been outside today! Back to a full schedule tomorrow!

Being out of work is tiring!

So I've got the Toshiba working pretty nicely with all the stuff I need reloaded and working. It's fast and doesn't stumble like the Compaq and I've found a solution for getting the operating system reloaded- yesterday I restored the headlights on a Ford Mustang and the owner of the car is the local Geek Squad manager! He said if I bring the dead machine to him that he would get the OS reloaded for just 60 bucks, not the 130 bucks they normally charge! And I think he is going to find me a few more headlight customers!

I cleaned the Mustang headlights yesterday and a Toyota Prius today. Afterwards I ran up to Powder Mountain Ski Resort for the job fair to make certain that the lift operations manager knew who I was and would be looking for a 2 day per week job for me. Turns out Powder Mountain is now putting ticket checking under the lift operator heading so bumping chairs and running the lift would be my duty too if I get the job. Luckily for me, all three of the folks I was chatting with knew me for the chocolates that appear from my pocket, so I'm pretty certain they will find me a job.

Afterwards, I raced down the mountain so I could redo the headlights I did for a customer last week on a Toyota Camry. For some reason- too cold outside, too much heat from the floodlamps; I don't know, but the urethane coating had fogged up some. I ended up sanding off that coating and redoing it and hopefully it will stay looking good indefinitely.

Tonight I'm just trying to rest up. I have a job application from a local company that I need to complete and send in before Monday and some other leads to follow up on from a Job Fair for veterans that I attended last Wednesday. I'm tired!

RIP my trustworthy Compaq

My first post from my new, shiny, bigger Toshiba Satellite laptop that I just unboxed an hour ago. My 5 year old, and until now, very trusty laptop died on me last night. Dragging it into a couple shops this AM determined that the hard drive had died and perhaps taken all my data with it. Argh!

I finally had 1 tech advise me to buy a replacement hard drive and a external box to put my old drive in to try to keep the old machine alive and to recover my old data. So- I tried that and I couldn't get Windows reinstalled and got stymied.

And I went out and bought a new machine... It's pretty and modern and I managed to get connected to my wi-fi the first time. It also takes up much more kitty napping space on my lap and she does not approve of that but the fan exhaust is blowing warm on her so the intrusion is being tolerated.

Next thing is to try and recover my very important data!

Where was I today?

Attending the ordination of a new Episcopal bishop- that's where! It was an amazing, remarkable and beautiful ceremony that doesn't happen very often; we've only had 11 Episcopalian bishops in Utah since the first one arrived in 1867. Bishop Hayashi is a very neat man, outgoing, relaxed and cheerful. He actually walked down the row of people carrying in the banners shaking hands and welcoming each person- myself included, just 5 minutes before the ceremony- a very big ceremony for him mind you!

And speaking of banners, if you watch the video at the KSL link- it's not apparently embeddable, at the 30 second point you will see the St. Peter's banner, carried by this humble scribe. You can't see me but it was me carrying the banner in the initial processesion!

I'm so pleased that Rev. Hayashi is our new bishop. I think he is going to be a real spark plug for our diocese and I'm looking forward to his success. I'm so pleased to have been a part of today's celebration.

I'm a denier-

Found at my buddy Dave's blog; Sythstuff.

I might be getting closer to owning that Kawasaki...

I mentioned the otther day that I had found a local, 1978 Kwasaki KZ650 Custom that I was very interested in. Today I got to see it up close and personal and now I really want it! For it's age it is remarkably original and very clean. The current owner has done a thorough job of reconditioning it and done all the right things that should be done on a bike this age. It starts and runs like a brand new bike, firing on the first push of the button and idles smoothly and revs cleanly. The paint is beautiful even if it's not the original color or trim and I wouldn't change it. It could use new tires and the rear turn signals aren't original but otherwise it is perfect.

I might have even figured out a way to pay for it!

I haven't figured out how to tell the spousal unit about it though...

A productive day today!

I restored the headlights on 2 different Jeep Grand Cherokees today. Both SUVs were really nice looking rigs except for the headlights and on both, they turned out beuatifully. Both customers were very happy with the results and pretty darned surprised at the outcome.

Interestingly enough, both of these customers were a result of my efforts putting out my flyers on cars at last week's Weber State University football game. I got the idea that maybe there would be a bunch of cars parked close together during the game and a little bit of internet searching showed that last Saturday was to be their last home game of the year. So- I went and put out my flyers and scored two customers.

Actually, it's 3 new customers because the manager of one of today's customers called me tonight and I'll be doing her car's headlights on Monday! Pretty cool!

I wish I could write like this-

Now, the party that has retaken power in Congress may do nothing. At best I fear yesterday's election was a band-aid on a sucking chest wound, and at worst they'll go right back to getting all knotted up in rearranging the "family values" and "law'n'order" deck chairs while the USS Dollar continues to slip beneath the waves... But while I was eating lunch I watched the Brat Prince keep trying to strike his favorite chin-uplifted Mussolini pose, with its haughty "Who farted?" moue of confident disdain, but it wouldn't stick, and his facial expression kept drifting back to one that looked like a man chewing on a cat turd.

Now that's writing! You are a charmer, Tam!

Somebody likes me!

Imagine my surprise tonight when I carried in the day's mail to discover a copy of Vintage Motorsport magazine in the pile, addressed to me and apparently with a subscription until September 2011. I don't think I've ever laid eyes on this glossy, thick and densely packed magazine full of stories and pictures of classic race cars from all over the world, because if my local Barnes & Noble ever did have it on display, I'd already have bought this treasure trove of classic racing cars.

When I showed the cover to the BSU, I showed her a picture of Joe Leonard in front of a giant STP decal and the text, "My Favorite Race; Joe Leonard and the 1968 Indianapolis 500." SHe asked me if that was significant and I replied that it most certainly was significant to me because I was in the grandstands for Joe's record and pole position setting run during the first weekend of qualifying in his STP turbine car! I was 12 years old and I stood silently there with thousands of other fans while Joe sped down the front straightaway with the sound of his tires being the loudest sound throughout the speedway. Yeah, it was dramatic and it made a lasting impression on me. I can't wait to read the story in this magazine.

Sadly though, I learned some very distressing news in the very first column that I happened to read. Any car guy has read and re-read columns by a certified car enthusiast, Brock Yates. Brock is a legend and has written for all the car mags over the years and was singlarly responsible for creating the (very) illegal Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash- a race from New York City to Redondo Beach, California using any car, road and trickery possible. I even owned a CBSTSSMTD decal that I proudly displayed on the side window of my 1964 Pontiac Gran Prix when I was a senior in high shcool. Brock goes way back- selling his first car magazine column in 1957, I learned this reading his column tonight. I also learned tonight that Brock has Alzheimer's disease! What a truly terrible tragedy for a man with more car stories to tell than probably anyone in America.

Anyway, I've got a terrific new magazine showing up in my mailbox and I can't wait to sit down and pour over it's pages in the next days. Whoever signed me up for this terrific magazine- thanks very much!

Do you know what's really cool?

Walking directly across the street from my house to vote- that's neat! Since the school around the block had been closed for a couple years- it's back open now, the polling station for our district was moved to the church directly across from my house. I was able to walk over, vote, visit with the nice election officials and walk back home in just about 10 minutes.

I love this neighborhood!

So it's official-

I'm overbooked this week! I'm sitting here figuring out my schedule for this week and realized that I'm going to be very busy and very sorry that I didn't take the opportunity to vote early.

Let's see; Monday is an afternoon of driving cars to the auction followed by a 6PM meeting at church that I am leading. In the morning I need to make a run to a bicycle store for some parts that I need to reassemble a bike.

Tuesday I have to drive cars all day- maybe I'll skip the afternoon shift, then I need to find time to vote and another 7PM meeting at church. If I don't skip out of driving at lunch time, making it to Ogden to vote before making the meeting will be tricky.

Wednesday I'm meeting Kenny & Jim for breakfast and some shooting time at Impact Guns in the morning. Then there's a spousal unit Dr. appointment in SLC later in the afternoon and perhaps a customer for Ogden Clear Headlights though he may have to be put off until Thursday. I'm also supposed to meet the seller of a beautiful Kawasaki KZ650 down in Clearfield. If I can figure out a waya to swing it and the bike is as nice as it appeared in the pictures, I really want to buy it.

Maybe I can focus on some car headlight work on Thursday & Friday... Or just sleep in a little bit!

The difference in 2 minutes, 18 seconds

If you are voting on Tuesday and think you might wish to vote for candidates with a D beside their name, you better watch this video first. It's pretty impressive and won't take much of your time.

Ok, I get it!

To every time there is a season, right? I finally had to admit- the snow piling up might have been a clue, that summer is over and so is my scooter riding season. I put Sleek Black Beauty to nap in the shop for the winter tonight. There was enough wet snow in the backyard that I made an ugly muddy track getting up the hill...

So Fish Slayer is getting winterized tomorrow or the next day and I'm hoping to actually get it shrink wrapped this year since the cover I bought last fall didn't really work so well. I've got to get the batteries out and the rods and gear put away and some Sea Foam into the tanks and carbs before getting it wrapped.

Is it ski season yet?

It is small consolation to know I'm not the only one...

I found this video over at Jammie Wearing Fool's blog and I couldn't help but share it. Right now I can't make the video embed properly so just go to 60 Minutes to watch the video.

UPDATE: With a little help, I think I have the embed code correct. Thanks JWF!


I can't tell you how close to home this story on 60 Minutes story hits home. Thankfully, as a result of my military service and the retirement pay I receive because of it, my house isn't in danger and I don't need to be visiting the local food pantry. But the stories of these folks being out of work for years in spite of years of experience, education and doing everything right, strikes pretty damm close to home. I hope I'm not still drawing unemployment benefits for 99 months like some of these folks but if that's the way it goes, I'm just going to continue pushing Ogden Clear Headlights and just call myself retired much earlier than I intended.

So watch the video and hear how 60 minutes calls the actual unemployment rate 17% and 22% in California, not the 9.5% that our .gov wants us to believe.

I have a regular visitor-

I'll bet you're surprised by that, huh?

But seriously, I browsed through my visitor log this morning for the first time in weeks and noticed I have a regular visitor from Kayseville, just down the road a piece from Wasted Electrons World Headquarters. I have no idea who it is but I appreciate their regular visits to my tiny little spot on the interweb's tubes.

Care to introduce yourself in the comments? Don't be shy. And if you remain cloaked, that's fine too. Just keep visiting!

Look out Willard Bay Power Squadron-

I gotta have a Seabreacher! These things are the coolest watersports toy ever! Watch this video-

Don't those things look like the most fun? There are several more videos to watch at the bottom of the main page so check them all out.

I gotta go buy some lottery tickets!

This is a name?

Somebody's mama needs slapped- repeatedly! My blog buddy Mostly Cajun has been doing the Sunday Baby Name Report for several years now although he thinks he may have posted his last report but I don't think he ever found a name like VZHAUNTEYUANDAIJZYRE ITREASURE BERRY.

This is just horrible!


h/t to Say Uncle

If you happen to be more fond of trains than race cars-

You're going to want to book a flight to Germany to see this layout just as much as I want to! There's not too many reasons that I can think of to travel to Germany but if I ever do go, you can bet this place will be on my agenda!

World's most elaborate slot car track-

Now when I was a kid my dad built me a pretty nice slot car track that fit into a box that was secured to the wall when we weren't playing with it. But it was nothing as elaborate as this one. Of course, nobody's track is as fancy as this one-


I found the story over at Jalopnik and you can read even more of the assembly details on the owner's blog White Lake Formula 1 Ring.

What a basement full of awesomeness!

Hey Dad- time to get back to building...

My only post about the Chilean Miner rescue...

Did you happen to notice that each of these miners wore the same t-shirt as they emerged from their underground captivity? Somebody did and they made the most interesting video...


To God be the glory!

I know that hummingbird season is over-

but I couldn't pass up buying this Ruby Prism Hummingbird Feeder today when I chanced upon it at our local IFA store. It was just too pretty to pass up and now I will have a new feeder for my tiny feathered friends when they arrive next spring.

And think how much money I'll save by not having to buy red food coloring for their nectar!

It's not as fun as you might guess-

scrabbling around on a cold, concrete slab painting a boat trailer while the boat is still installed, that is... That's what I've been doing for the past several days, painting and fixing up Fish Slayer's tatty, shabby looking trailer.

It all started with replacing the rear support bunks and the terrible brackets that allowed them to tip when putting the boat back on the trailer. I hated them and it was just too difficult to get the boat seated correctly, so I ordered new parts and installed them.

Did I mention these bunks fit under the boat? I had to use my engine crane to lift the engine and boat up, off the trailer for room to work- all kinda risky with the stern of the boat swinging in the air.

Once the new bunks were installed and adjusted to hold the boat, I decided to go ahead and paint the rusty, stone chipped trailer. I started this part of the project months ago by painting the easy part- the tongue, but only this weekend got busy with the rest of frame.

I did jack up the trailer to give myself a little headroom under the boat but it was still a lot of work painting all 6 sides of the C-channel frame and the insides of the fenders. I spent several hours scooching around on the chilly concrete, priming everything first on one day, then painting over the primer today. I did get most everything put back together this afternoon including my PVC corner posts mounted to the new 1/4" steel plates that I welded on to replace the too small brackets I made the first time but I need to buy 1 new minature clearance light because I broke one and then get them rewired. I've got to re-attach the dangling wires and finish a little touch up painting tomorrow and then I can take a break.

But Fish Slayer's trailer looks 100% better than it did a few days ago. No longer will it be the ugliest trailer in the parking lot at the lake!

The best "There I Fixed It" ever!

This really made me chuckle!

Now this is some wild geek fun

-and a wedding proposal!

How cool is that?

Time to retire the hummingbird feeder again-

Summer is officially over. Labor Day has ocme and gone and just 10 days later, so are the tiny, entertaining buzzbomb hummingbirds that frequent my feeder. I get such a kick from watching these little, colorful critters flitting in and out of my yard, perching in the cherry and crabapple trees and chasing one another all throughout the neighborhood.

But as soon as the weather turns cool they are off for warmer climes and I haven't had a visitor to the feeder in a week now so it is time to take down the feeder and put it away until next Mother's Day.

Be safe my tiny feathered friends!

Well, I got a job...

It's not as a logistician or scheduler or program manager or anything like I've studied or had paid experience in, but it's a job- driving cars! Mondays are half days, going out in a van full of drivers and bringing back cars to go through an auction and Tuesdays are a full day of actually running the cars through the auction barn.

Not great pay as you might expect but it is something and it is only 2 days per week leaving me the rest of the week to focus on finding an inside job and to grow Ogden Clear Headlights business. I expect I will be working at Powder Mountain Ski Resort after the snow flies so maybe driving cars until then will keep me occupied.

Raptors win!

Now THAT was a baseball game! After getting their butt kicked last night by the Orem Owlz, the Raptors kicked back today, even after going down 7 runs in the first inning, battling back to a 12-9 win! Woot!

Next week it is the Pioneer League championships against Helena with the first game in Montana on Tuesday and the final 2 games back in Ogden. I'll see you there Thursday night!

Ogden Clear Headlights now has a Facebook page!

You can see it here. I'm taking pictures of the headlights I restore and posting them there so if you want to see the results of my efforts, you can check them out.

I'm still hoping to get a URL registered and a website implementd but the Facebook page will do for now. Give it a "like" if you think of it.

Ogden Raptors drop a slugfest...

Dang!

Well it is the end of the minor league baseball season and my beloved Ogden Raptors finished first in the Southern Division of the Pioneer League for both the first and second halves of the year, putting them squarely into the best of 3 playoffs for the Southern Division this year against the Orem Owlz. Friday night they beat the Owlz in Orem, 2-1 in the top of the 9th inning. Since the 2nd game was to be in Ogden last night, the BSU and I had to attend, hoping to see the Raptors close out this series with 2 straight games.

It didn't happen like that... Instead we got a marathon ball game that ended 17-10 in favor of the Owlz. The game lasted more than 3 1/2 hours and the Owlz nearly emptied their bullpen, putting 4 different pitchers into the 7th inning! At one point, the Raptors actually scored 6 runs in an inning putting them into the lead but the Owlz kept coming back and through some good hits and baserunning and some poor fielding by the Raptors, they kept putting runs on the scoreboard.

I guess the Raptors really didn't want to take today off to relax so they have to finish the 3 game series this afternoon. It's only 5 bucks for a seat so I'm going back to see if my team can find a way around the Owlz 1 more time this year. If they win, there's a Pioneer League championship series beginning next week for them to apply themselves to before ending their season.

Another movie you might want to skip-

The BSU talked me into seeing Expecting Mary on Friday evening. The spousal unit prefers to NOT know anything about a movie before attending but apparently she saw a tv advert for this one and since it was her turn to choose the movie, this is the one we paid to see.

If you thought Napoleon Dynamite or Juno were hilarious and significant movies, you might also like Expecting Mary. Otherwise, you might give this one a miss even though it is star studded with Linda Gray, Cloris Leachman, Cybil Sheppard, Fred Willard and Gene Simmons. (Wait, Fred Willard and Gene Simmons are stars?) It is a strange story of a 16 year old runaway, 8 month pregnant girl- Mary meeting a strange trailer court full of odd characters and finding a new home. The scene of her delivering her baby on top of hay bales in front of a nativity scene in the front yard of a church on Christmas Eve surrounded by her new, weird friends and rich, flew in from New York parents is so over the top that it is just hard to imagine. But it all turns out well in the end and love is spread all around with goodwill for all.

But it is weird!

Why I could not work in fast food...

Killed a second skunk today-

Geez they smell bad! But the count is now 2 racoons and 2 skunks deceased and removed from my neighborhood and 1 wet cat caught and released. Hoorah!

Skunks like peanut butter sandwiches?

Well one of them did because he let himself in to the trap I set out for the racoons. Now it's my job to go remove the carcass from the trap and get it into a trash bag without getting myself all stunk up.

Ugh.

Total count so far for my late summer efforts: 2 racoons- deceased, 1 skunk- deceased, 1 cat- released but soaked down by a nearby sprinkler head.

Ogden Clear headlights is a go!

I've been busy this week again with the church sprinkler systems but also getting Ogden Clear Headlights underway. I opened up a separate business account, deposited my first check and tomorrow I can do it again because I did a job today for a guy on the base. I stopped down there to see a buddy and parked next to his car was a lovely red, VW Cabrio with terrible headlights. Loc said he knew who owned the car so he went in and convinced the owner to come out and talk to me.

He was certain that the oxidation was inside the headlight and that I couldn't possibly clean it up from the outside. He agreed to pay me half if I could do any good at all and the full price if I could actually do what I claimed.

So- I went to work! In less than 1 hour I had the lights on the front of his car shining like they were brand new and the owner was very surprised! He gladly wrote me a check for the full amount and promised to try to find me more customers. Even my buddy was surprised and told me the job came out better than he expected!

I even have another job lined up for tomorrow morning! I really think by doing a few cars like this on the base that word of mouth might be my best immediate chance for success. I'll see.

I'll be registering OgdenClearHeadlights.com very soon and building a website to promote the business and I need to see about buying some advertising for the truck- just as soon as I can afford it. I'm on my way!

Another excellent week-

Where does all the time go? This week a bunch of my time has been spent on my knees at church- but not in the typical manner you might expect. Instead, I've been back up in Brigham City at St Michael's Episcopal Church, wearing kneepads and working on their lawn sprinklers. After the work I did for them last month, they decided there was more that needed doing and no one there wanted to wrestle with it. So they called me.

I replaced a cut line that was installed too close to the ground, adjusted heads, replaced 2 lines that were cut out as part of their landscaping, added a sprinkler head where they needed one and generally tried to give the entire system a tune-up. I think there are 13 different systems out there so it was plenty to keep me busy for 3 part days.

Buddy Jim and I took Fish Slayer to Willard Bay on Wednesday evening and we trolled for a little while but when the wind kicked up hard we had to get off the water with no fish in the cooler. I also discovered while getting the boat back on the trailer that I had rubbed all the insulation on the battery wires just outside the engine and there where sparks kicking around when I turned the motor certain directions. So- I'm about half finished installing new cables between the motor and the battery.

My grass seed in the backyard where I had to replant all the trenches from my sprinkler job is growing in very nicely so that makes me happy. The weeds have also tried to move into the bare spots but I can't spray them until the grass gets stronger. But the yard looks great- better than ever for this time of year, except that I desperately need to get out there and mow it. Maybe still this weekend.

Still no phone calls for headlight restoration but I did talk to one guy this afternoon that may call me tomorrow for a job. I do have a state tax exemption number and some other legalities in place. So all I need now is some business! I'm even going to get my website domain name purchased in a day or two.

I need to get a job so I can rest up!

I've sold 3 headlight restorations since Friday-

and did my neighbor's headlights for practice and a beer! So far, I've made $105.

Of course, I've put out over 200 flyers on cars that need my service and my phone hasn't rang once. Not yet anyway. But hey, I made 80 bucks today from a guy at church. I did his kid's car and his wife's SUV so I am at least getting some work done.

Hopefully, I'll get some phone calls or referals this week!

Why sharks circle...

A funny from my friend Loc-

Two great white sharks swimming in the ocean spied survivors of a sunken ship.

"Follow me son" the father shark said to the son shark and they swam to the mass of people. "First we swim around them a few times with just the tip of our
fins showing." And they did.

"Well done, son! Now we swim around them a few times with all of our fins showing." And they did.

"Now we eat everybody." And they did.

When they were both gorged, the son asked, "Dad, why didn't we just eat them all at first? Why did we swim around and around them?"

His wise father replied, "Because they taste better without the crap inside!"

Added a new link to my sidebar-

To Sportsman's Guide Sportsman's Guide, a multi-faceted outdoor discount online and catalog store. I've been buying from these guys a couple years now and I always peruse their catalogs when they arrive in my mailbox. They sell lots of neat stuff from fishing to hunting to camping and clothing that is practical, useful and priced right. I've also purchased ammunition from them and they typically have prices as good or better than other online sources, so I'm recommending them to anyone that ventures by this humble blog.

Check them out if you haven't before and consider paying for their annual membership because it gives you a 10% discount on everything you purchase.

Tiggers out, Timberwolves take over-

At the elementary school just on the other side of the block from Wasted Electons World Headquarters. I was pretty surprised this morning to see a front page- although localized story on Yahoo that I recognized about the re-opening of Taylor Elementary School all bright and shiny and sporting a new name- Taylor Canyon Elementary and a new mascot, a Timberwolf.

My kids are long out of elementary school but I think Taylor school is a neat place and I'm pleased to see it re-opened, fixed up and used for the local kids. It was disheartening to me and I suppose other neighbors when it was closed and boarded up and now that it is opening, I think it brings some energy and vibrancy to our little part of town. There's some heavy equipment operating over there right now that I can hear through the window and it pleases me to know that the old building is getting a fresh face for a new generation of kids.

It's Ogden Clear Headlights!

Not McCord's Headlight Restoration. I changed my mind just a little while ago while completing the state's online business name registration process. I decided it was more descriptive and didn't tie my name into it. I have a federal tax number and I am on my way towards becoming a real business!

I've purchased polishing materials, advertising flyers and I have a list of other stuff I need to get started that I should have on hand by the weekend.

I'm excited! The BSU- not so much...

I'm gonna start my own business...

I can't find anyone else to hire me so I think I'm just going to hire myself! Maybe I'm just unemployable, I don't know, but I guess I'll find out when I'm the only guy on the payroll...

I've decided that what my adopted city of Ogden really needs is a mobile headlight restoration business and that I'm just the guy to run it. I see so many cars driving about with hazed over, yellowed headlights that look like crap and simply aren't safe due to the reduced lighting they put on the road at night, so I am going to make it my mission to first make people aware of their problem and then offer a solution- headlight restoration.

I'm going to be mobile and travel to wherever the work needs to be done. I've been researching the different methodes and chemicals required and even ordered the kit that seems to be the best one for cleaning and re-sealing headlight lenses.

There is still lots to be done before I'm officially in business but hopefully by the weekend I'll have some flyers and business cards produced and be ready to start cruising the many parking lots in town searching out hazy headlights and potential customers.

I need a business name. Right now I'm leaning towards McCord's Headlight Restoration. But I'm open to suggestions...

Hoppe's #9 air fresheners-

I may have to get me some of these fragrant air fresheners for myself! Ahh...

Go and pick your favorite video-

This summer I've taken to Listen to Sean Hannityon the radio most afternoons. Sean is doing his very best to wake up Americans to the subterfuge going on throughout the country and sponsoring many events to promote American pride.

This weekend he is kicking off a number of parties/concerts celebrating America's greatness and as part of the celebration, in conjunction with a Chrysler dealer, giving away an Jeep Grand Cherokee to one person who took the time to produce a 60 second video celebrating America's service men and women.

The final 4 videos are here and you have just the rest of today to watch them and vote for your favorite. The video that gains the greatest number of votes wins a new Jeep for the person that made it.

All 4 are terrific. I voted, won't you too?

In respect for the Prop 8 decision in California today-

I've listened to all the news reports today and the pundits carrying on about the judge's decision today declaring California's Proposition 8 unconstitutional. And they have all just stumbled repeatedly over the "Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender" or "GLBT" that is the current, all inclusive, politically correct term that these folks prefer.

Wouldn't it be just simpler to call them queer?

I haven't quit blogging-

I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!

No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting. He's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords...

No fiords for me... In spite of current appearances, I'm not dead and haven't quit my job here at the opulent Wasted Electrons World Headquarters. And I have been resting- occasionally, in between camping vacation days at the Oregon coast, hurting my lower back just pulling up my pants and a week of enforced rest because of that injury and some general apathy, everything has piled up and kept me away from my blogging duties.

But I have been thinking about getting back into the blogging habit and today I did get one phone call from a reader asking me if I was coming back. So I'm back. Maybe some good stuff to read in the coming days.

Busy this week-

Being not busy. Can't really say why though. Still no work and no immediate prospects. I know it's the economy but it feels like it is personal. Anyway, more updates and (semi)-regular blogging resumes next week.

Help me find a job, won't you?

Stoopidest idea ever-

It is hard to believe that this has found enough money to actually make it beyond the napkin drawing stage. Check it out-

Auto repairs in the summertime- what fun...

Not really.

The Lincoln's been running warm again with the 90+ degree temps and I thought I might have to put a new radiator in it since that was the biggest component I didn't replace last summer when the overheating problems began. But yesterday on the way out of the racetrack and being stuck in just a little bit of traffic, it was heating up too quickly. When we got home the car was running warm and I discovered that the electric fan wasn't pulling any air through the radiator.

So today I parted with $106 and bought a new fan motor. I had to order it this afternoon and it arrived this evening after supper. I got it all installed and now the fan seems to be running so I am hoping that the problem is solved.

Loads of fun...

Another job that I didn't get...

Well the HR recruiter told me that the down-selects for the job I interviewed for on Tuesday might take 2-3 weeks but the rejection letters didn't take very long to arrive. He was right, I got the "thanks for playing but no prize for you" email today. It really busted my bubble for a couple hours today.

I did receive a phone call from another recruiter for a scheduler position today and I owe him an updated resume tomorrow or Monday. So maybe that will turn into something.

In the mean time, I've turned into a full time lawn sprinkler professional and I've been working for St Michaels Episcopal Church up in Brigham City, relocating some sprinkler lines so that they can install a brick labyinth in their garden. I nearly got the work done today and I would have finished except for the flooding irrigation water coming in from a neighbor's yard that turned my trenches into a moat! There was a moat surrounding a lake in that back yard this afternoon! So I'll finish that job tomorrow before Noah gets home.

So- ups and downs in the employment arena and enough work taking care of my own yard and 2 church's sprinkler systems to keep me busy. But Saturday I'll be fishing with Noah and on Sunday we are going to car races at Miller Motorsports Park!

Do a Good Deed Every Day- I did mine!

Tonight somebody in Ogden has his pickup truck back in his own driveway where it belongs- and I helped! The story? There was a Ford pickup parked across the street from my house last Saturday morning and the truck sat there without moving all weekend. I asked Leonard if he knew whose truck it was and today I asked the lady beyond Leonard's house and she was clueless about the truck owner too.

I decided maybe I should call Ogden Police Department and mention this truck to them. When I called, the nice person on the other end of the line told me based upon the description and license plate number, that the truck had been reported stolen!

Later the investigating officer called me and confirmed that the truck had been stolen over the weekend while the owners were away for the holiday and they didn't report it missing until Monday. But the owner got his truck back this afternoon with no particular harm done except for the stolen radio missing from the dash.

I'll bet he's happy to have his truck back...

Another great summer day of fishing- and catching fish!

Jim and I headed out to Willard Bay this morning, expecting to be driven off the lake early by the hordes of loudspeaker encrusted, tube towing speedboats but instead we got to spend almost all day fishing with very little distraction from the wakeboarder types.

We were in search of the elusive Wiper, or catfish or walleye, whatever might be biting. After launching from the south Marina we headed across the lake tot he west side where I had read reports of guys catching wiper recently. We trolled a good long while with no success. I even used my homemade sideplaner and tower, both of which worked perfectly except for putting fish in the boat. After a bit we changed locations and headed off to freeway bay on the east side of the lake. It didn't take us very long and we were scoring fish!

Jim caught more than me but I caught a walleye and the fish cooler just kept getting fuller and fuller. It was terrific! On two occasions we both had fish on our lines at the same time which makes for some excitement on the boat. Once we even managed to tangle 3 fishing lines by 1 fish which required an lengthy period of untangling of lines.

We quit with 9 wiper in the boat and the one walleye. I caught a 2nd walleye but he was a dink so went back into the water to keep growing. I finally got to use my electric knife that Kenny bought me as a Christmas present to fillet fish and it filleted, removed ribs and skinned so slick you had to wonder why everybody doesn't own one.

So- I'm sunburnt, exhausted and full of fresh caught fried fish tonight. I'm a happy guy. And tomorrow is the job interview! Maybe today's good luck was a forecast of tomorrow's interview result. I dammsure hope so!

Headed out shortly

To the Cache Valley Cruise-In hot rod and custom car show. I'm going with my buddy Loc; he's riding his chopper and I'm riding Sleek Black Beauty. THe road to Logan is a pretty ride and it should be lots of fun.

Work will continue on the backyard sprinkler renovation project when I return.

I have a new favorite summertime drink-

My buddy Rob turned me onto Lipton Green Tea with Citrus last summer fishing on his boat. I had another a couple weeks ago at the end of a fishing trip and it tasted so cool and light and tasty that I bought an 8-pack the last time we bought groceries.

These things go down really well for breaks between sprinkler installation efforts! I did make on mistake at the store though- I failed to ensure I was buying the sugar free version... As easy as it is to drink these teas, I won't make that mistake again!

Update on the backyard mess-

Let's see, it's Tuesday, right? I've worked all day yesterday and today and the new system is installed- I'm whupped! I don't have the timer installed or connected to the valves yet and all the trenches need filled in and the spray heads need adjusted just so, but all the lines are in and connected and there doesn't seem to be any water leaking, so I'm happy.

I'm especially thankful for the knee pads that I bought 2 years ago for the shop roof project because I've been on my knees non-stop for these 2 days!

This has been a ton of single-handed work but when it is finished my lawn will stay green without me turning on and off valves all the time and I'll be able to move on to the flower bed job that caused al this mess!

Worn out tonight!

I spent 11 hours today working on my backyard sprinkler overhaul project. I am beat! Fortunately today was considerably cooler than yesterday so it seemed like a good day to get dirty and worn out. I started out with a rental Toro Dingo trencher that made short work of cutting the new trenches I need for the new layout and that was the last power tool I used all day. Everything else was done with manual labor- shovel(s), a 6 foor pry bar, loppers for the roots and a trowel.

I didn't get much new pipe laid today but I did get the old valves and the connecting pipes dug out and one line capped and one of the connections made up at the top of the yard next to my shop. Moving the trencher around to cut the different lines pushed a bunch of the dirt back into the trenches and that is going to take a bit of time to get cleared out before I can put in all the new pipe.

Right now, the yard's a mess. But once I get it all put together and some fresh grass growing in all the dug up areas, it is going to stay green with the new watering system! I've even bought the timer so the grass can get watered even when I'm out fishing!

Opening night of Raptors baseball

Summer is officially here. Everything is perfect except for being 3 runs down right now.

Sent from my iPhone.

UPDATE: Final score- Orem Owlz 6, Raptors 0. At least the Raptors broke the Owlz no-hitter in the bottom of the 9th inning. And the fireworks afterwards were very nice.

What a day!

So my buddy Kenny & I hit East Canyon today, getting the boat wet about 8:15. We set out trolling almost from the boat launch with pop gear as we headed out. We didn't catch anything for the first hour and finally set out across the lake for the west side and broke out the downriggers.

At the end of the day we each had a limit of rainbows with a couple lost before getting netted. I caught 3 on a green metalflake e-chip dodger leading a green mylar squid at about 30-35 feet down. Last fish on my limit came from pop gear with a jointed lake trout Rapala. Kenny caught a couple just flat dragging a crawler on a sinker and hook with a silver spinner on the line or a dodger with a perch colored mylar squid.

Now- the fun stuff. One my fish the one caught on the pop gear and crankbait, after Kenny netted the fish and handed it to me, the pop gear fell off the line swivel! The snap had opened and I could have lost the entire rig but luckily it happened inside the boat! Kenny caught a fish on the flat trolling rod he was using and the fish ran and cut his line on the rod on the downrigger. He netted the fish then started moaning about getting his line cut off. But I suggested maybe the gear was still attached to the downrigger weight and sure enough- it was all down there!

The best part of the day? My cell phone rang just as I was busy catching a fish so I let it ring and joked that since I was busy, it would surely be a call offering me a job since that hasn't been happening much. Twenty minutes later when I finally checked my phone, it was an invitation to a job interview! Cool!

Anyway, we had a great day and I had a grilled trout for dinner tonight!

This trick should find me a job...

I'm tearing up the backyard...

We have a terrible, old and inefficient lawn watering system in our backyard. It leaves big gaps that doesn't get watered, the valves are in the wrong place and I've decided that as long as I am home, I might as well get busy and replace most of it. This all began because I started digging up a garden to restore it but the valve box is right in my way. So if I have to move the box, I also have to redo many of the water lines.

I've already started redoing one line today, digging up an area where I am going to add a sprinkler head and tonight I dug out the end sprinkler. I still need a couple parts and some fresh PVC glue to finish that line.

In a few days I'm going to rent a trencher and really make a mess of the yard back there as I run new lines and install new valves. I figure just about the time I get the yard to the maximum mess level, somebody will call me and want me to start work immediately. It only makes sense, right?

In other news, Kenny and I are fishing tomorrow and Thursday night is opening night for the Ogden Raptors and I have 2 tickets in my wallet! And the Raptors are being broadcast on radio this year which is an improvement over last year! I've already listened to their first 2 games this week on the radio while working outside.

I love summer...

A week without posting?

Wow. Time flies when you're unemployed! Kenny says that I'm retired but just don't know it yet! I hope that's not true but I'm still not seemingly any closer to being employed, which is frustrating and liberating all at the same time. I've been digging and pulling weeds at church, digging out an abused and ignored garden in my own backyard, I'm considering overhauling my backyard sprinkler system and I've been out fishing on a Friday- all things I probably wouldn't be doing if I were working in a cubicle somewhere.

But I do keep job hunting and I applied for a couple jobs this week that would be right up my alley so I'll keep looking and applying and sooner or later somebody will decide I'm the right guy.

My cousin Joe got married today back in Alpena and I would have loved to attend. Joe's a really neat guy and I'm certain his new bride is as charming as he is diligent. I actually taught Joe to water ski many years ago and he never fails to remind me on the rare occasions I get back there. I'm happy for him and I'm betting my mom will have some pictures of the ceremony pretty soon.

I fished today with Kenny & Jim out to Willard Bay. Jim caught a walley and a catfish while we trolled, Kenny & I were blanked all day. That's the way Willard is though, unpredictable and sometimes difficult to buy a bite. But we did have a great day fishing together, enjoying the company and the sunshine. We had a close-up flyby by 2 pelicans that was a breath-stopping minute and a real highlight. I just wish I would have known they were on approach so the camera could have been ready! Fish Slayer worked perfectly and so did my homemade sideplaners which I finally got the chance to take out and try. They pull line out at a decent angle and ride steady in the water and carried the lures we pulled just fine. I didn't catch any fish off of them yet- but they work!

So that's it- yard work and weed pulling, renovation projects, job hunting and a little fishing. Heck, maybe I AM retired!

The Spill, The Scandal and the President

I have stayed out of the political blogging business for quite some time now mostly just because there are so many better bloggers out there that you could be reading that my efforts wouldn't add anything to the conversation.

That said, I cannot not share this Rolling Stone article concerning the terrible oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the administrations failure to get control of the circumstance going on down there. The article very neatly and concisely pulls in a great deal of information and spells out a timeline of the actions of BP, the president and his staff. It will take you a bit of time to read it but it's worth your time so check it out.

On a related note, and not addressed in the Rolling Stone article because it has surfaced since the article was published, is the story of the miles of oil collection boom that BP won't purchase and the Coast Guard Commandant claims he didn't know about even though he was given a formal letter by 2 US Senators back on May 21. Make sure to read the 2nd page of that article because it quotes the .fedgov's National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan that directs the president to take every action to mitigate damages. This plan does not say that the company responsible for the leak has the clean up responisbility, it says the president must take action!

The Rolling Stone article makes it very clear that the president has not done everything he should have done, and the things he promised he would do if elected, at every turn of this story.

Fish Slayer is fixed- Part XXXVII

Ok, maybe not quite that many posts about fixing the boat but I know there's been several and even if you're bored with them, well, I'm happy to have it fixed. The throttle control lever jammed up last week while the boat was in the carport, similar to the failure that kept Jim and I from fishing last summer. That time I was able to coax all the parts into working, this time I had to buy new parts.

Isn't it really amazing that you can buy marine parts for 32 year old boats online with no real problem? That's cool, (and helpful) to me! So the part I ordered last week arrived yesterday and I got it installed today and the throttle/shifter lever is working smoothly. Hurray!

So in spite of a lousy weather forecast, Kenny and I are heading out for a morning of fishing tomorrow!

You know its a bad day-

When the leaking toilet wax ring that you intended to replace turns out not to be the problem but is just a symptom of a bigger problem...

That was me yesterday. I thought all I had to do was replace a wax ring on the downstairs toilet to fix another leak that had cropped up. I even decided to overhaul the insides of the toilet since this one still had a ballcock valve.

But I did all that after the Rescue Rooter guy, (thanks Tony!) showed up, snaked my entire main drain line, borescoped it for further problems and departed with my check for $355. Gack! It needed to be done and I decided I would rather suffer the pain of paying than the pain of hauling, operating and returning rental equipment with no assurance that I knew what I was doing.

Eventually I did get the toilet reinstalled and upgraded with a new valve and a 2-level flush assembly. I also scrubbed the shower stall because it had filled up with the nasty water overnight, scrubbed the laundry room floor and the bathroom floor with bleach, hosed out the broom and mop after the cleanup and still got the yard mowed before dark. It's kind of important to mow by Tuesday evening as the trash truck arrives early Wednesday and I don't like leaving cut grass in the can many days.

Needless to say, I was happy to hit the shower and a beer when everything was done last night! Today- the parts for Fish Slayer arrived yesterday so I'll be putting it back together while watching the storms blow through for the next 4 days. Grr!

A Monday funny...

Our teacher asked us what our favorite animal was, and I said, "Fried chicken." She said I wasn't funny, but she couldn't have been right. Even though I wasn’t trying to be funny, everyone else in the class laughed.

My parents told me to always be truthful and honest, and I am. Fried chicken is my favorite animal. I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher was probably a member of PETA. He said they love animals very much. I do, too. Especially chicken, pork and beef.

Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal's office. I told him what happened, and he laughed too. Then he told me not to do it again.

The next day in class my teacher asked me what my favorite live animal was. I told her it was chicken. She asked me why, just like she'd asked the other children. So I told her it was because you could make them into fried chicken. She sent me back to the principal's office again. He laughed, and told me not to do it again.

I don't understand. My parents taught me to be honest, but my teacher doesn't like it when I am. Today, my teacher asked us to tell her what famous person we admire most.

I told her, "Colonel Sanders."

Guess where I am now...

Sent to me by my buddy Chris.

Well ain't this a kick?

My blogging buddy Bruce from No Looking Backwards has decided to look even further forward and to take action where he sees a need, so he is quitting blogging, effective right now.

Bruce has made himself a candidate for the New Hampshire State Legislature and is running for office! Good for him! I really have enjoyed his blogging over the years and I wish him the very best in this huge endeavor.

Good on ya Bruce!

For every service man or woman who has spent too many days away

or for those that love them, you must watch this video. Take your hankie. This is a real treat.

Thanks to my buddy Kenny for sharing it.

It's Memorial Day-

Thank you to every service man and woman, past, present and future. You are America's strength.

Another dreary day...

Will this crummy weather pattern ever end? It's grey and cloudy and just 49 degrees outside right now. Grr! I am so tired of this lousy weather! It just adds to my misery caused by being sick. I want to get out there and go fishing!

Luckily for me I have a couple inside projects to do this weekend. Sleek Black Beauty is getting upgraded lighting added to her Reubenesque tail with two new light sockets and dual filament bulbs added to the side lights and red coloring to all the lights. I've also gathered everything except the sheetrock for the repairs to the downstairs bathroom ceiling so those 2 projects should keep me busy if I can stand to get off my butt.

I'm sick!

I thought my general malaise earlier this week was a result of the untypicaly still crummy weather- it did snow on Monday, but it seems what was really happening was that I was coming down sick. I'm lousy. I've been sneezing and coughing and sniffling for 3 days now and generally feeling like crap. Antihistimines have helped and tonight it's some multi-symptom capsules to try to make myself feel human.

But I'm sure feeling crappy this week!

Taking one of my favorites off the blogroll

It saddens me but I'm removing Cranky Lit Professor from my blogroll tonight. She used to be one of my favorite daily reads but a couple weeks ago she put her blog behind a firewall and even though I've tried to register with Wordpress, I still can't see what she is writing. Too bad because I really liked her work.

I don't know what happened at her place to mke her take her blog down but she did. So thanks for the laughs, Prof but you're off the list!

Electing a new Bishop-Update to previous post

Well the Episcopal Diocese of Utah has a newly elected bishop; Rev. Cannon Scott Hayashi and as I mentioned earlier, I had a hand in the election process. I must say that it was a truly enriching and fascinating, unique experience and I feel very privileged to have participated in the event. I still feel pretty unqualified but I enjoyed this unique opportunity.

I've actually met the new bishop when he was the Rector at Church of the Good Sheperd in Ogden because he was there when we first returned to Utah and were seeking a church home so I'm glad to see him coming back to Utah. I'm betting he is happy to be leaving Chicago and coming back to Utah as well!

Another really interesting thing happened during yesterday's convention. I was stopped by one of the women working as a ballot counter as I returned from a break. She took a long look at me and then reached out and examined my ID badge. Then this woman says, "You're just as he described." Who described? She introduced herself, it was my buddy Bob's spousal unit! Bob had apparently read my previous post and told his bride to be looking out for me. She did and she found me and it was a treat to make a new friend. Bob- if this weather ever clears, we need to get together and go out and burn some gunpowder!

This is going to be unique-

and I am so not worthy! Tomorrow I will be in the Episcopal Cathedral of Utah, voting for the election of the next bishop. It turns out as Jr. Warden, I'm a voting participant in the proceedings. I've never done this before and the challenge feels daunting. It's a big decision as the bishop will be the leader of this state's Episcopalians for the next 10 or a dozen years or more and will guide the way the church grows and the ministries it undertakes.

All 4 candidates seem eminently qualified and capable. Sadly I missed the one opportunity to meet and talk with them a couple weeks ago so all I have to go on is their biographies and histories that you can read on the Utah Bishop Search page.

Not so fast there Bucko...

As reported last night, I did get a job offer from a company yesterday and I did sign it and return it today as requested. But- and there are a couple "buts" here, the company hasn't actually been awarded the contract or workload yet. That might happen as early as next month- ifthey win the award and ifthe contract isn't disputed by some other company that doesn't get the award, then there may be a job to go to. I also discovered the company sent offers to numerous individuals with the intent of actually choosing 1 or a couple when the workload is ready...

So I'm not going to stop job hunting just yet...

Finally- a job offer!

Yes! I received an offer letter for a logistician position today- sweet! A start date is still to be determined as the offer is contingent upon the company winning a contract award and the transfer of my security clearance to the new company.

But hey, somebody wants me! I'm so excited! Details tomorrow after I learn more.

Not dead- just incredibly busy-

and when I'm not busy, I've been too tired to write. Every thing is well though.

Employment status is still unchanged though...

Punch back twice as hard!

I can't wait until 2012 when I can say Adios Amigos to the present administration!

We're Number 2!

Really? According to Forbes, Ogden is #2 in their listing of America's Most Liveable Cities. Really? No kidding!
UPDATE: For whatever reason, tonight the video isn't working. You can see the KSL story here. I'll leave the video embedded for now and perhaps it will get back into operation later.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

I can't seem to locate the entire list but what I noticed about those towns I can find is that they are mostly in flyover states and not perched on a coastline where those noisy movers and shakers that seem to make all the news and headlines we see every day congregate.

How cool is that?

I found the leak...

I mentioned 2 post ago that there was water dripping from the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom, today I found the source- it was the upstairs toilet leaking through the wax ring. It was an easy enough repair and I replaced the toilet water shutoff valve and hose while I was in there but as soon as I put everything together, the fill valve began hanging up and not closing so I suppose I'll have to replace that tomorrow.

Which is ok because I have to buy a full sheet of sheetrock and some lumber tomorrow to repair the ceiling in the bathroom downstairs anyway. That drip had been soaking into the sheetrock and rotting some wood for a bit now so I've got a little bit of a task coming up. I got all the old stuff broke out and torn down tonight and all cleaned up- and it was a mess! Hopefully I'll be able to at least get the hole boxed back in before leaving for 3 days of fishing starting Sunday!

The hummingbirds have returned!

Hooray! I've heard a hummer or two recently so today, before Kenny and I went fishing, I hung out the first feeder of the year. And at dinner time. there was a hummer or two at the feeder! It was so exciting and they really nade me happy.

Itty Bit the kitten hasn't discovered them yet but watching him when he does should be a hoot. Since he wears a bell, I don't expect him to have much success.

Anyway, I'm just pleased to see my miniature feathered friends coming to the feeder just outside the dining room window!

What's worse than a water leak ruining your ceiling?

An intermittent leak that's what!

We have had a drip coming through the sheetrock above the basement toilet and below the upstairs tub and toilet for a couple days now. I assumed that if I removed the inspection panel behind the tub controls in the upstairs bathroom that I would find something leaking, maybe a pressure line to the tubs valves dripping.

But no... Everything in there is bone dry. And the drip has started and stopped a half dozen times now. It might drip with enthusiasm for a couple hours and then quit entirely overnight. I can't figure it out.

I'm pretty certain that I am going to have to take the sheetrock saw to the boxed in area where the leak is coming through just so I can get a view up into the rest of the area where the pipes run. But it's not leaking right now so I guess I'll go hook up the boat...

Friday night blogging?

Apparently so.

It's been a busy week. Most importantly, I had a phone job interview this afternoon with a local firm that is not related to the USAF. Hopefully I gave the interviewer the answers he was looking for and I'll make the cut and will get called in next week for a face to face interview. It would be a real shame to tell the man I will have to delay starting work for a week due to a fishing trip but I'll hopefully get the chance to do just that.

I have been job hunting all week and staying close to the house because it's been raining, snowing, sleeting and generally looking like November instead of almost May! I did get the grass mowed and some weed killer sprayed on and some bushes trimmed. I've also given up on the church's leafblower but made the weedeater work so I'm batting 50% on the small engine repairs.

The weather has been so lousy that there hasn't been any fishing this week and that is a real bummer because fishing buddy Kenny had a week long kitchen pass. But we couldn't get out so now there is just 1 week left before leaving for Flaming Gorge and only one day next week on the forecast where it looks like I'll be able to take Fish Slayer out and make certain everything is working. I'm already on the MkII version of my sideplaner tower and I really want to see if it works. I've also added 6 rodholders to the front of the boat today to try to keep the rods under control. When Kenny gets busy fishing he can have fishing poles sticking out all over the boat while he rigs and changes rigs so now there are some places to keep them stored.

My kitten Itty Bit, asleep on my lap right now, came in one night this week after being out in the dark and the next day I discovered a 1 1/2 inch patch of skin showing through where fur should be, on his right shoulder. There's a tiny scratch that doesn't seem to be bothering him but he has an arrow shaped patch where there should be fur and there's just pink skin showing through. Itty Bit has also discovered the front yard and that he can access it by climbing the fence so he has been busy exploring everywhere. There's no way to keep him in the yard but I'm trying to reign in his wandering. He shouldn't go too far since he won't trying to find any girlfriends as he grows up.

Tomorrow's a church yard cleanup day and it looks like that will be done in the cold temps and rain as well as everything else this week. I'm in charge so I'll be there early and late I suppose. I just wish the dang temperatures would get 20 degrees warmer- as they normally are so we didn't have to battle wind chill while picking weeds!

Another single shot rifle?

I already happily own 2 H&R Handi-Rifles, a Sportster model in 17HMR andd a fancy Ultra Varmit Fluted model in .223. They are both terrifically fun to shoot and they are prized members of my locker. The other day I wandered into my favorite pawn shop and they had another one on the rack, this one had wood furniture, a cheap scope and a really big hole in the muzzle. It was chambered in 38-55!

Now what possible reason would there be for me to own a single shot rifle chambered in a caliber with roots that date back to the 1870s, that was intended to be filled with black powder and that shoots 255 grain pumpkins downrange? I really can't think of a good reason but that didn't keep me from seriously considering adding to the others in the locker. I haven't yet- but I'm thinking about it...

So I got the lawn mowed and fertilized just in time-

Just in time for the snow to fall and soak it in nicely! Yeah, it's just 36 degrees outside and it is snowing on the tulips and daffodils. Itty Bit the cat doesn't know what to think about the sky falling on his head after he ventured out this morning.

Looks like a good day to stay inside, job hunt and finish reading Angela's Ashes this afternoon.

Skunked, we were-

That's right, Kenny and I got skunked this afternoon at Willard Bay. Bummer. It was after lunch before we ever got out there and by the time Fish Slayer hit the water, the wind was blowing strong and there were white caps on the waves. We tried leaving the marina but we didn't go a couple hundred yards before deciding to get back inside the marina bay and the protection it provided.

We still had to fight the wind and it made the fishing (and boating) very tricky. I tried out my sideplaner and tower but that was a bust. The planer wouldn't pull straight, the tower rotates in its base and the pulleys on the top of the tower kept fouling the line of the whheels and getting stuck in the pulley frames. So I've got some work to do to get that entire system working.

And it looks like I'm going to have some time to sort it all out because there is a cold front coming in tonight that is bring rain and high winds for the next several days... Bummer.

The Murray Mark V is alive!

That would be my lawnmower that has been hibernating peacefully in the storage closet since last October. I broke it out today and it fired up with just 4 tugs on the pull handle and that meant there was nothing for me to do but to run it over the grass that has been sprouting since the snow melted.

So summer is officially here no matter what the calendar or the planet alignment says.

Fish Slayer is getting wet tomorrow! Kenny and I are going fishing for this season's inaugural fishing trip. Today I finished the sideplaner tower and added the mount for it to the bow of the boat. It looks pretty slick and I'm anxious to give it a try tomorrow. Maybe I'll even remember to take some pictures!

On another note, the BSU had a liver biopsy done today so she's been napping and taking it even easier than usual. No results- that will take a couple weeks but something is up with that big, blood filled organ of hers and nothing else we had tried has proven conclusive.

Not much blogging going on-

Busy here at Wasted Electrons World Headquarters. Spring is trying to break out and I'm spending more time outdoors and away from the laptop. No job yet in spite of diligent efforts. Yesterday I dethatched most of the front yard with my thatch rake. That manual labor lasted until my arms gave out. I'll try to get that finished today and then I can put down some fertilizer that the neighbor gave me. I'm also trying to get down to the church to see if I can get the grass mowed there.

I've begun sanding and priming Fish Slayer's trailer and I need to get some new tires on it as well since I just don't trust the weather cracked, worn rubber that is holding it up right now. They may be ok for a trip or two to Willard Bay since it is close but before I leave the immediate area, the trailer needs new tires.

I've fixed a hand me down lawnmower and the church's snowblower this week and need to transport both of them down to the church. The lawnmower is a donation to the lawnmower shed and the snowblower is going up for sale when we have our car boot sale in May.

There's been some drama with the eldest son and he got himself banged up a bit but that's not a story for online telling. It is causing concern and stress here at the house though.

I think I'll go buy some Rustoleum and put some paint on my boat trailer...

When the current cold front passes through-

I'm taking Fish Slayer to the lake! That's right, Fish Slayer is ready for fishing! I've completed all the mods that I set out to do with the exception of installing my sideplaner tower and it's not quite ready yet. But otherwise, it looks good. The cockpit has all new vinyl. There's a new steering wheel and glovebox. The black vinyl on the consoles has been replaced and the storage spaces up front have been raised 3". The old padded benches are still waiting for new plywood and vinyl covering, which requires some more funds so that's another week's project.

But the downriggers and the happy troller plate are installed, the batteries are back in their places and just as soon as this weather front leaves and the temperature hits 60 degrees, we're going to the lake for some fishing!


Maybe this being unemployed thing will work out after all...

Go to work where?

Somebody asked me this week if I had considered looking for work anywhere in southwest Asia, you know, anyplace surrounding the Persian Gulf. There is lots of work to be done there and with huge paychecks offered to entice qualified people to work accomplishing the things that the people who grew up there won't do or won't get trained to do.

The very first thought to cross my cranium when I encountered this question? I'm not going without my firearms for self protection! And since we can all be certain that possibility is out of the question, so is the likelihood of me going over there to work. Let me take along my Taurus 1911, my SKS and 2 Kel-Tecs, (the P3AT and the Sub 9 carbine) and we could talk about employment.

It snowed how much?

About 6" in my diveway this morning! By the time I came home from a meeting last night it was a real blizzard outside and the driveway was piled high when I got up this morning. Most of it has melted off this afternoon but it's still cold.

On a better note, the brown truck of happiness delivered my downrigger mounts this evening so as soon as it warms up, I'll be getting the Scotties installed. I'm having a pair of downrigger weights made and I will be picking them up Thursday. So when the weather finally gets right, Fish Slayer will be right!

I guess I'm feeling nostalgic tonight-

but this bit of YouTube video is really striking a chord with me. Go watch The Highwaymen- Waylon, Willie, Johnny and Kris sing you some classic American songs. There's a slew of songs in this playlist that will start one right after the other so get a drink and comfortable and let these legends entertain you for a bit.

Willie Nelson like you've never seen him before...

I don't remember what swirl through the intertubes landed me on Youtube tonight but somehow I did and when I did, I discovered a video that just blew my mind- Willie Nelson in a suit! This is NOT the Willie most of us know and love, (or tolerate or hate) and I'm guessing this video was made before Willie found his muse in the ganja plant. Anyway, it's a hoot so give it a look.

And to clear the scary scene from your cranium, here's a Willie video that will get your mind right- Willie and Merle Haggard singing Pancho & Lefty. If watching this video doesn't put a smile on your face, there's no hope for you.
This one is a classic too:

BAG Day approaches!

April 15- tax day for most of you, has also been celebrated for several years now as BAG Day- that's Buy A Gun Day for those of you so inclined. So assuming that I might be back to work before the holiday, it's possible that I could participate in the celebration too.

So, if I were to buy a new gun, what would it be? The Taurus Circuit Judge revolving cylinder carbine or a used Ruger 10/22 and that M-1 Carbine conversion? Maybe I could buy an AR-15 upper receiver and barrel to get my AR built.

I suppose it all depends on if I'm back to work and how badly I want to make trips to Flaming Gorge for fishing. We'll see what happens.

UPDATE: I heard from one of my brothers that his GF jumped ahead of BAG day and bought a North American Arms revolver for herself. Good for her.

Job interview update

I think it went well. I was on the phone with the interviewer for 40 minutes and answered 14 questions. I had experience with all the different AF computer systems he was interested in except 1 that was just being introduced when I was leaving the F-16 community. He asked me all about my experiences and skills and goals and he seemed to like my responses.

There's a pretty good chance I'll have an answer before the weekend. A little birdie told me that my name was at the top of the list for this job and that the interview was just a formality. How that birdie might have any insight is beyond me but stranger things have happened.

Score!

Today I bought a 2nd hand Happy Troller trolling plate for Fish Slayer's motor for just 30 bucks! Thar was too good of a deal to pass up even if I did have to drive 55 miles to go get it. Hey, the wind was blowing 35 mph outside so working on the boat was out of the question!

I also ordered the Scotty swivel mounts I need for my downriggers today. I finally decided the used Cannon mounts I bought last fall weren't going to work for me.

Cross your fingers...

Say a prayer, kiss a shamrock or rub your lucky rabbits foot for me because tomorrow, I have a job interview! It will just be a phone interview so I don't have to get dressed up fancy or even shave if I don't want to, but hopefully this will turn into a job. It's another contractor job, back in the building and the F-16 Program Office that I worked in some time ago, I'd actually be replacing a guy I know, so I'm pretty excited about the possibility.

On a related note- and I hope I don't jinx myself here, there may be a Civil Service position opening up for me in the last building I worked in. I'll take the first thing offered but jump ship in a second if a Civil Service position becomes available for me.

Charles Lindburgh and the Spirit of St. Louis

My dad sent me this link and if you have any interest in aviation history you really must watch the 4 individual videos at Airport & Aviation Appraisal's website. There is some really amazing film footage that probably has never been seen before and a tantalyzing tale of aviation bravery and skill. Despite all of Lindburgh's troubles and shortcomings in his later life, he was an amazing and trail-breaking aviator.

It seems that you have to close the page at the link and re-open it after each viewing to see the entire story but it is worth it to watch the entire story of this amazing effort from back in 1927. Get a fresh cup of coffee and sit back and be amazed at this interesting display of American engineering, aviation development and navigationg skills. It's worth it!