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.