Laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes!

Those of you that come around here know that from time to time I take offense to the raccoons that populate my neighborhood and do my part to de-populate the masked criminals. So when I found this tale of backyard warfare, I just cracked right up! read it yourself, it's hilarious and a tremendous read.

I'm going to have to check out Kent thomas regularly now!

Is Maj. Frank Burns now serving in the Pentagon?

Because anyone that would claim that the killing of 13 soldiers and the injuring of dozens other at Ft. Hood in 2009 was related to "workplace violence" is a lily-livered, weak chinned, spineless, chicken shit pissant missing the intestinal fortitude to call islamic extremist violence what it really is. Words just fail me describing the revulsion I feel towards whoever decided this bit of political correctness should be ascribed to paper and to the senior leadership manager who approved this document.

Really, when a madman with an anti-American agenda that has been acknowledged was openly known and ignored opens fire on soldiers after shouting his praise to allah, that's enemy action, not workplace violence.

The Department of Defense needs to move the cowardly individual who wrote this document and their supervisor and show them the door- immediately! They'd leave with a reducton in rank before their departure if I was the Secretary of Defense!

Well isn't that a hoot?

So sitting down this evening I started reading through my blogroll and noticed that Tam had linked to my thoughts about celebrating J. Stevens' invention of the 22 Long Rifle cartridge. First, it's a surprise that such a celebrated blogger as Tam stumbled over to this humble blog and second, that little mention on her blog busted my stats average in a huge way! I went and checked and I'm up to 174 visits today compared to the usual average of about 17.

It doesn't take too much to really make my day and seeing my visit count spike due to a link by somebody I really like reading everyday does make my day. Even better, Tam's readers and commenters seem to be in favor of my idea of celerating Mr. Stevens' birthday every September with the purchase of more of his celebrated invention.

Thanks Tam!

Weather? Yeah we get a little of that here-

So the weather guessers predicted yesterday that we were going to get some high winds last night and today. That's not really so unusual for this time of year but what was unusual was the level and extent of the high winds. It has been blowing since about 3 AM and the damage in our communities is greater than anyone can remember seeing before.

There have been trucks tipped over on highways, roofs blown off, trees broken off or tipped over all up and down the Wasatch Front today. You can see the story and a huge album of submitted photos on KSL. Click through the pictures in the gallery, (there's 202 pictures there right now) to see what has happened.

At our house I had to put a hay bale on Harry's new cat house to keep it from scooting around the carport. I'm also pretty certain we are never going to see his food dish again!

Joshua Stevens- why not as revered as John Browning?

Yesterday I went out to the desert with my buddies, Jim & Kenny for an afternoon of shooting fun. It was my first shooting trip in almost 2 years due to the scarcity of dollars to pay for ammo and fuel to get to our favorite shooting spot.

But go out shooting we did and we had a great time. The weather was beautiful and the ground was dry so it was a perfect day to be outside. Kenny had a new AK rifle to try out and Jim brought along his usual selection including his AR. I took my SKS as I hadn't shot it since replacing the hammer spring with the stock one some time ago. And we shot a bunch of centerfire flavors of rifle and handgun calibers but eventually the centerfire guns were put away and we broke out our favorite 22 rimfire caliber guns.

And we had a blast. We shot 22LR ammo until we were tired. I had my Beretta Neos pistol and my Taurus semi-auto rifle, (a JMB design, for the record) and there were several other guns in both guy's range bags that fed the diminutive and plentiful 22LR cartridges. When the shooting was all over and we were picking up the trash, I wondered why the guy, whoever he was, that designed the 22 Long Rifle cartridge wasn't as famous or as revered as John Moses Browning is for the plethora of gun designs still in active use 100+ years after he created them.

Turns out, it was Joshua Stevens, creator of Stevens Arms, who is credited with the creation of the 22 Long Rifle cartridge. Can you think of another inventor that has been more responsible for introducing people of all ages to the joys of shooting than J. Stevens? How many people around the world got their first opportunity to learn to shoot behind a rifle or pistol designed to shoot this cartridge? This familiar and beloved round was created in 1887, long before JMB created his iconic pistol. How many of us that own and enjoy centerfire guns of any caliber still love plinking with the humble 22? How many of us have a favorite 22 gun that love or money couldn't make us part with? I'm betting we all have one, (or more) favorite 22 gun that has a permanenent place in our safe and enough ammo to keep it fed for a long time tucked away on our ammo shelves.

So let's give credit where it is due, to Mr. J Stevens of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. I'm going to research his birthdate and make it a point to buy (another) brick of 22LR when it rolls around. Maybe we all could celebrate Josh's birthday with a new brick or two of his most famous creation. And when famous gun designers are being discussed around the interweb, maybe we can remember to give Josh his credit for a great invention- the 22 Long Rifle cartridge.

UPDATE: Mr. Stevens was born on September 10, 1814 so next September I'm stocking up!

Ooh, sharp AND shiny!

Anybody that's been around me for any length of time knows that I love knives. I have way too many already and a trip to the gun show- I'm missing one tomorrow, causes me to check out the knife peddler's wares with enthusiasm. My buddy Jim says I'm always checking out the sharp, shiny things.

It's true. Tonight I found a really interesting Gentlemen's Hidden Folder that is just slick as a whistle. I'd probably set aside my daily carry Kershaw folder to carry this one.

Isn't this slick?

That's my Chevy-

Well, yes, actually it is.

You really have to kick this video up to full screen and sit back and watch a very neat story of 2 brother's diligent search and successful purchase of Dad's 65 Chevy Impala SS. It's a great tale and video.

Hat tip to Jalopnik for bringing this to light.

This is cool and I can't wait to try it-

My new job requires me to use a keyboard and mouse 9 hours every day and the equipment I've been using are standard issue HP pieces of kit. But they are pretty horrible for all-day use.

So I ordered this Logitech wireless, solar powered keyboard which arrived from Amazon today. This thing is slick! It's just 1/3" thin, never requires batteries and has slick, fast keys like a good laptop computer. I'll be putting it to work on Monday and I'm anxious to give it a shakedown.

I'm also going to be pairing it with a Logitech wireless mouse that I can program to do the actions I take all day with the programmable buttons but I will have to wait until payday to order to order that neat tool. But I expect that my work will improve with some new quality tools.

Thoughts on the Occupy movement...

Tonight at dinner, the BSU tried to take the side of all the hippie, whiner, crybabies that have made so many headlines lately. She was in support of them expressing their civil disobedience by putting up tent cities anywhere they wanted on public ground since they had as much right to be in the public space as anyone else. She suggested that large gatherings had the right to disregard the laws governing use of public spaces to make their points be heard and to get their wrongs righted.

So I asked her if it would be ok for the organizer of the the major gun shows that come to this area to take over a local park to hold a huge gun show instead of them having to pay rental space at the expo center. She of course thought this was a terrible idea and suggested that there were gun laws in effect that would prohibit doing something like that. But I asked if wouldn't it be ok if the organizer and the participants thought that those rules were wrong and needed to be changed? Maybe as a protest to the rules, gun sellers and buyers gathered in a public space to transact business and act peaceably and responsibly while intentionally breaking the law.

She assured me this was an "apples and oranges" comparison So I asked if the Farmer's Market gang, thse folks that sell produce and jewelry and other similar stuff could take over a park and keep it open to their shops and wares for indefinite periods of time instead of the few hours a week that they presently are allowed to use the parks. Did they have to comply with the rules issued by the affected city or could they just skip the rules and stay open as long and as often as they chose? Could one of the local taco vendor carts put up a tent and live and stay in the park because he disagreed with the local ordinances that govern his business?

The BSU got rather testy with me and told me I was just talking to hear myself talk and she wouldn't continue with the conversation. I thought I was just using her examples of the Occupy Movement and applying it to a couple other scenarios for her to consider but apparently breaking the rules only applies to some people, not everyone.

I kinda think open air gun shows in a public park seem like a good idea. Maybe not this time of year but during warm weather it might work. And I bet I can guarantee you that if something like that ever occurred, that there wouldn't be trash and garbage and violence against anyone like these smelly, hippy freaks of the current Occupy movement.

Yeah Dad!

In response to yesterday's post about a scaredy-cat columnist in Wisconsin being afraid to walk the streets due to the citizen's newly approved right to acquire concealed carry permits for their firearms, my dad went directly to the source and wrote an email to the columnist. I've copied it here for you to enjoy.

Congratulations to Wisconsin for allowing legal concealed carry. It is unfortunate that they are burdened with mis-guided critics such as yourself to spread fears about concealed carry.

I live in a county in south Florida that consistently, week in and week out, (or daily,) records shootings on the street, or homes. As unfortunate as it is,I have yet, in over 34 years in this area, to see or hear a news account in which the shooter is a legal gun carrier. Never is there a statement about the person
involved having the LEGAL right to carry, but does the fact that it is illegal stop them? NO More often is turns out that the person is a convicted felon, who never would be given a CWP.

To establish the right to carry, a thorough background check is required, a clean record, a willingness to have photos, fingerprints, and character examined before the permit is issued. By the way, I have held CWPs in several states over a period of 55 years, as well as having been raised with a Grandfather who was both a Deputy Sheriff and a gunsmith, and I have yet to be in a situation where I needed to display a weapon.

But I have had occasion to avoid a thorough beating,because of speaking out to stop a domestic-violence incident, which turned the boy-friend on me. He was large enough, and angry enough, to have done serious damage to me, but stopped in his tracks, as he came nose-to-nose, (literally,) with me---simply because he knew I possessed both the capability of carrying, and the attitude to do whatever was needed to stop any physical damage to myself. I was NOT carrying at that moment,just the possibility was enough to stop his attack. This is the very essence of the carry-law, the uncertainty of the perpetrator as to the possible self-defense of the victim, if needed.

Best you do more research before you spread more propaganda among the public via the print media.

What a pissant-

Read this column and ask yourself why a supposedly educated, professional journalist isn't smart enough to look around at the other 40-something states in these United states to see that none of his stated fears have occurred where the citizen's right of concealed carry has been in place for years.

What a pissant coward.

So I've upgraded the car in my driveway...

The elderly Lincoln Mark VIII has departed the drivewayafter 2 1/2 years of residency, bound for where ever the National Kidney Foundation of Utah & Idaho can dispose of it. It was worn out and neither the BSU or I cared enough about it to sink any more money into it, so it left today- on a wrecker. We'll get a tax break and some recycle yard someplace will get some still usable parts to sell.

And- I've found a replacement for the Lincoln, thanks to the KSL classifieds and some fortunate timing. I bought a 2003 Cadillac CTS just like the one at the link. (That's not my car at the link.) And lest you think I've gotten stupid and overspent, this car cost me no more than a similarly aged Hyundai, Nissan or Toyota. This car just happens to appeal to my "car guy" more than all the others I looked at.

It's nice. It came from a private owner so I didn't pay stupid dealer fees or commissions. I happened upon the advertisement last Friday evening, called the seller Saturday morning, and he called me back first over several other callers. I asked and the credit union said yes, so now I have a nice looking, and hopefully reliable car for the next several years.
It has a 5-speed manual transmission so I can't be lazy. It has more buttons than I can figure out right now. And it is my first Cadillac. Does that mean I'm old?

I wish it were red.

You want what?

Tonight while the BSU was preparing dinner, she asked if I could run to the store.

"Sure", I say, "what do you want me to buy?"

"I need 2 red green bell peppers."

"So, Canadian peppers then, wrapped in flannel?"

My first week of the new job is complete-

By early next week, I should actually be getting productive! Much of this week has been spent getting all the passwords and approvals gathered up that are needed for me to do the job. I think it's going to be good.

It is mundane and repetetive but nothing like the production I was doing before. Everyone is friendly and helpful and I have a decent desk to work from. and it's pretty nice wearing khakis and dress shirts instead of grubby jeans and worn out t-shirts.

We have a winner!

Bob G left a comment on yesterday's puzzle and got the right answer. That is a caffeine molecule rotating around up there in my header.

Attaboy Bob!

My dad gets 2nd prize for guessing the molecule was a combination of coffee and beer so he was pretty close based upon the clue I left.

That was fun!

Let's play a game...

This game is called: Name that molecule!

The molecule in question is the rotating one that has been at the top of this blog since almost the beginning. I don't remember where I found the animated .gif file but it is appropriate for my little spot on the web and in the world.

Any guesses? Winner gets an attaboy.

No longer working at the airbag inflator company!

I know it has been weeks since I last pasted anything here and I apologize to the couple of you that still come around to see what's up. The good news is, I've started a new job, today, back in the aerospace industry and while it won't be exciting work, it is good paying work. It's a 220% increase from my Autoliv production work so I can't kick about that.

I'm not kicking at all, actually. I'm happy. Relieved even. It will be day shift, 1/2 the distance to commute and I can arrange my hours to either take off every other Friday or every Friday... Yeah, that's gonna be a tough decision!

But it is fall and I have been busy getting ready for winter. It always seems there is so much to do and not enough houors to get it done. Fish Slayer has been cleaned up and is ready to be covered for the winter but the shrink wrap cover I saved from last year isn't going to work for reuse like I expected. I may have to cough up the cash to have it wrapped again this year. The swamp cooler has been drained and covered and the Halloween decorations are in the front yard. Most of the hoses have been put away and the rasberry bushes have been cut back.

I have been giving serious thought about how to get this tiny little blog re-motivated and pointed in a new direction. It's about time I get off of the occasional updates about my own life and start mentioning many of the dumbass things I see going on in politics and other subjects. I'm going to have to figure out how much to say about what I see going on around me but at least now I can do so without fearing that a potential employer might stumble upon this blog and decide not to hire me because of my pubished opinions.

Stayed tuned!

What a week it has been!

So the new job is turning out alright. I still need to be faster but the stress and physical levels are much reduced and that's a good thing. So I'm pretty happy overall. I do have another job interview next week that I am very hopeful about that, if I get it, will pay at least 50% more than my current work. It's also in Ogden so it's much closer to home than the current job.

The BSU is back in Oregon as word got sent down that her sister is in critical condition. The sis has been ill for oaver a year but now she has had a turn for the worse and the family was called in. I don't know how long the BSU might be away so I'm playing bachelor (and housekeeper) until her return.

After putting a pot roast into the crock pot this afternoon and reconfiguring our bedroom so that the BSU can sleep on the other side of the bed- how's that going to work anyway?, I took the best motorcycle ride of the year. I left home, headed out Ogden Canyon, past Pineview Reservoir and Huntsville, out South Fork Canyon, over Monte Cristo and all the way out to Woodruff, supposedly the coldest place in Utah. Theere's no place to buy gas or coffee in Woodruff and it turned out my intended route into Logan was an additional 80 miles plus the 50 miles from Logan to home. So I turned around and retraced my trip for a total of 120 miles of beautiful, fall motorcycle riding. The weather was perfect, the leaves are turning yellow, orange and scarlet and the road was smooth and clean for the entire ride.

When I got home, the pot roast was perfect!

So the bedroom's clean, I had a great motorcycle ride, a tasty dinner and have a job interview on Tuesday! And we should have the house refinanced this week to put almost $500 more into our pockets and to pay bills with. Ya gotta love it!

One final note- we passed the 12th anniversary of living in the Wasted Electrons World Headquarters earlier this month! I've never lived 12 years in any house in my entire life, so this being settled in feeling is mighty nice.

I got thrown under the bus at work-

and ended up landing in daisies! Yesterday I was told that when I got to work, I'd be transfered to a new department and job. Seems my boss where I had been building gas bottles didn't think I was up working up to speed and expectations so I was out. I was kinda butt hurt about the situation because I thought I was getting competant and, if not being the the fastest bottle builder, that I was at least pulling my own weight.

So I went to work expecting to be dumped into some crappy job that would be worse than the last job. Turns out, I was transferred over to the Pyro section and now my job is to circulate between 2 1/2 iinflator manufacture cells and keep the raw materials stocked up going into the machines. I pull small parts out of boxes and put them into hoppers or small conveyor belts at 1 station then move to the next cell, do the same thing again and around and around, keeping the machines full of parts.

Much easier. Much less stressful. Cleaner, less noisy and generally far more pleasant than bottle fabrication. There are operators running each machine and they seem far more friendly and relaxed than the people I used to work with. They're helpful and pleasant and seem to be glad to be at their job instead of sullen amd morose like the last folks I worked with.

So for once in my life, I think I got the better deal! I'm still looking for work outside of production but for right now, I'm happier than I was last week.

Working for a living...

Larry stinks!

In the cell ( how's that for a description of a workplace?) where I spend 8 hours every work day, there are fans blowing the air in every direction. There's a big floor fan at the back of the cell that moves most of the air towards the front but 2 more smaller fans mixing things up.

And there is a pool of "Floaters" who are assigned to a different cell each night to make up for missing people. My cell has been down 1 guy for a couple weeks due to an injury and in his place, on 2 occasions, we've gotten Larry.

Larry needs an intervention that includes a couple of king sized bars of Lifebouy soap wrapped in a gym sock and applied vigorously about his head and shoulders. The man reeks of BO! I've worked with him 2 nights and if he is upwind or within 3 feet of me, the air is offensive and noxious.

It's a little hard to believe that with all the air currents blasting around in multiple directions that a little BO could be offensive. But Larry's BO isn't little, it's aweful!

My boss says he's going to contact Larry's boss to see if he can't be told to hit the shower and the laundromat a little more often.

The new furnace-

that I mentioned as being required for domestic tranquility in the upcoming winter months- is being installed on Wednesday. I couldn't pony up for the really good 95% efficient model that I wanted but I expect that a modern 80% model will be much more effective than the broken down, 20 year old unit currently in place.

It's taking a mortgage modification through the credit union to get everything accomplished but due to my reduced income in spite of my job, it's neccesary. So my monthly note will be coming down significantly as well as my interest rate. I'm just going to have many more months to pay on the palatial Wasted Electrons World Headquarters building.

I have been busy, hence the dirth of posting here lately. I have pressure washed what feels like miles of cedar fence but it is really only many feet of fence that hasn't been clened or stained in the nearly 12 years we have lived here. But the washing is finished and over the weekend I'll be breaking out the spray gun and the stain and making it all pretty again. If you didn't know, pressure washing fence is hard work!

The job building side impact airbag inflator bottle continues. After 6 weeks I'm getting to the confident stage and holding up my corner of the nightly tasks. I'm worn out when I get home but no longer feeling like I've been beated for an 8 hour shift, so that's a good thing. I'm still not as fast as the guys that have been doing the job for years but I'm meeting the goals and not feeling completely inadequate like I was the first few weeks.

So things are good. Summertime is truly upoon us and I love it. The cats love being outside after dark and seem to enjoy the long summer evenings. I haven't been fishing enough but I did get out last night for a little while with the spousal unit. I didn't catch any fish but we saw a bunch and had a pleasant boat ride together before it got too dark.

Two weekends ago I went on a motorscooter rally ride with a bunch of new friends, got to meet in the flesh somebody I have corresponded with online for several years and this weekend there is vintage motorcycle racing to attend.

Life is pretty good here folks!

I found what I want for Christmas!

An armed, home defence, garden gnome! I'd probably have to hide this guy out by my shop but I still want one!

Hat tip to Say Uncle for the link.

This working for a living is hard!

But you already knew that. I did too, I'd simply forgotten during my unemployed period. And doing production line work is hard work- that I suppose I knew academically but now, from 2 weeks experience, I know it from the soles of my feet to my aching arms.

But it's not bad work, just different from what I've done before. In spite of the work being repetitive and very fast paced, there is also a ton of technical stuff to learn and know. Each of the machines has to be calibrated when models change over a couple times each shift and knowing the names of the calibration equipment and how it is used is a challenge. Seeing the Kaiban parts ordering system in operation, (and beginning to understand it) is interesting and challenging too. So I'm starting to feel at least competant on the job and that feels good. I'm not fast enough and I don't have the machines all figured out but I'm working on it.

I also got in close to 6 hours of overtime on Saturday so even more bills can get paid this week!

Got my first paycheck in the mail today-

It's significantly smaller than the unemployment checks I was receiving and I had to bust my butt for 40 hours to earn it. But- it's a paycheck. And I'll have another one just like it next week and the week after that if I don't screw up.

The job- assembling automotive side curtain airbag inflator bottles, isn't actually too bad except for the production line aspect of it. Ther is actually a great deal of technical stuff to know and understand to prepare the machines to make the bottles correctly. Everything has to be tested and calibrated and adjusted to ensure the bottles come out right. I'm learning something new every night.

I just wish the check was twice as big as it really is!

Did I mention that Wasted Electrons World Headquarters needs a new furnace?

Well it does. The furnace in the house is condemmed due to a cracked heat exhanger. A new furnace installation is right out due to cost due to our present circumstances.

I thought I had solved the problem, sort of, a few weeks ago when I purchased a once installed but never used, 95% efficient furnace for just $200 at a yard sale. All I needed was someone to install it.

Except that the furnace I bought is a downdraft model and I need an updraft model... Hooverdam!

So now I need to find someone to either buy this furnace or find someone that can swap this one for the right type. I've been too busy to actively chase down the HVAC dealers to see if a swap might be arranged but I'll be working on that effort in the coming weeks.

Well ain't this a kick?

I've got a job! I start tomorrow afternoon, assembling widgets that will become part of nearly every automotive airbag screwed into every new car no matter the brand of car.

It's only been 18 months since I was laid off and went out of work. My unemployment payments ended 2 weeks ago and the BSU and I have been getting pretty desperate about how the blls were going to get paid but I start tomorrow and get paid weekly so by next week I'll be getting paid. The job is through a staffing agency and if I do a good job and stick at it for a few months, I should get picked up permanently by the company. When that happens, I may be able to work a transfer from the Brigham City plant 20 miles away to the Ogden plant just 4 miles from Wasted Electrons World Headquarters. In the mean time, I'll just make the drive everyday.

It is swing shift and that will be a huge adjustment for the household. I'm not used to being out of the house evenings nor is the spousal unit used to having me out late but I guess we will have to adjust. I'll have to learn to pack and carry a lunch bag but once again, we will adjust.

Most importantly, this means I am employable! I have read any number of reports that employers much prefer to hire new employees that are already working somewhere else instead of people out of work, especially long term out of work people like yours truly. There's lots of reasons but it boils down to people that are already working are presumed to be in the habit of getting to work on time and to have current skills. So while I'm not going to complain about this current work, I am going to keep looking for work more similar to my latest employment. And when I update my resume to show my current employment and send it out in the future, possible employers will know that I'm working and employable.

So a new chapter in this saga begins tomorrow. I'm nervous and anxious and excited.

Conceited? Maybe the most conceited act ever

My local tv news just showed multiple YouTube videos of people who thought it would be cool to videotape themselves watching the reading of the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial yesterday. Somehow they thought it would be smart to set up the camera recording their reactions to the verdict.

Then they put these videos on the internet...

I can't think of a single more conceited act. Horrifying.

Red foreman had a name for people like this, you know what it is- dumbasses!

Think you know how to ride a bicycle?

Not like this guy!

Make sure to click the HD button and watch this full screen. It's worth it!

I own a Kawasaki?

Well yes, as matter of fact, I do! It is a 1978 Kawasaki KZ650 C2, referred to back when it was new as a Custom. I actually bought this bike just before Christmas last year but because I failed to mention my purchase to the BSU until April, I hadn't mentioned it online. Yes, I got in BIG trouble with the spouse. I have made amends though and she is no longer upset with me.

Why a Kawasaki? Why this Kawasaki? Well, Kawasakis have generally been my favorite Japanese motorcycle brand since I first became aware of motorcycles and, believe it or not, I actually sold Kawasakis at 2 different dealerships in 1977 & 78 before joining the Air Force. And the KZ650 was one of those bikes that I sold that I really liked. This particular bike is beautiful, nicely cared for and very close to original condition. The color is original even though it is very attractive, the handlebars are slightly shorter than stock and the seat has a step in it the factory seat didn't have. I actually found it on night browsing through Ebay but the seller was just 10 miles down the road from me. It was too good to pass up! This bike is 33 years old and as you might imagine, the few that remain in the wild have seen plenty of "improvements" by 3 decades of owners. So finding a clean and (almost) original bike is pretty rare.

With a little help from the credit union I bought it and tucked it away in the shop for the winter. I had some small repairs and improvements to make that kept me busy for a few weeks but when riding season arrived, I had to face the music and spill the beans.

I've been riding it a couple weeks now and it is wonderful! It rides and acts like I remember motorcycles acting. It isn't a race bike or a cruiser or a long distance touring bike; it's just a motorcycle. It starts, stops and turns just as it should and I'm mighty happy with it. Being 33 years old, it does have a few minor things that still need my attention- the lights don't work in the instruments and the turn signal indicators are intermittent but that's small stuff. I've already installed a much brighter headlight assembly and added some electrical relays to the electrical system to make things run more reliably. A new LOUD horn may be the next modification I make to the bike as the stock one is really puny.

Want to see it? Take a look!





Ain't she pretty? As always, click the thumbnails to see the full size pictures!
Have no fear, Sleek Black Beauty still has a proud parking spot under the carport with the Kawasaki and I still enjoy riding her as much as I always did. Now I just have a choice when it is time to ride!

I bought a new furnace for my house today-

for $200! How'z about that?

A few weeks back the BSU had a furnace repairman in to take a look at our (turns out) 18 year old furnace. And- there was carbon monoxide coming from the registers. The furnace has a burned out heat exchanger and was subsequently shut down, turned off and condemmed. The estimates the very nice repair guy leaves for a replacement furnace run from ~$3000 to $4000, none of which, I of course have. Adding a central air conditioning unit- high on the BSU's priorities, doubles those prices!

What to do, what to do? I pondered and I talked to some people. I even thought I had found a used furnace and a/c unit for sale from a guy on a fishing forum I frequent. Turns out to be much too large for the modest Wasted Electrons World Headquarters building. More pondering. Luckily, summer has finally arrived and I have a few months before reliable home heating becomes critical.

This morning I rode the Kawasaki to church because the BSU was staying home. (What, I haven't told you about the Kawasaki yet? Another post will be forthcoming on that topic shortly.) Anyway, at the bottom of the hill from my house, there's a guy that runs a semi-regular yard sale. And in his yard sale, sitting on a hand truck, there's a furnace...

On the way home I stop to look at this furnace. Turns out it is a new, once installed but never used York Affinity C.9 in the same btu rating as the repairman said I needed for the house. According to Consumers Digest,

"The 9 series is the best furnace on the market. Engineers tweaked the design, so this is now the most effiecient furnace you can buy."

They also say the suggested retail price is $3895 and up!

The seller told me his asking price was $300 but would consider any offer. I came home with the details that I snapped with my phone, did a little online research and took the BSU's direction to go quit dithering and go buy the furnace. I got $100 from the ATM on the way and offered the seller $200 to buy his furnace which he quickly accepted. I'll be paying it off tomorrow and hauling it home.

$200! Can you believe that? I will be talking to an independent HVAC guy this week to arrange installation sometime this summer. I'm still not getting A/C right now but I scored a deal on a furnace that has me really tickled!

I'm not dead and I haven't quit blogging-

I'm just pretty busy right now, with lots of stuff going on and finding it hard to get my activities and thoughts converted into bits & bytes.

Maybe soon though!

Too funny not to share!

With a hat tip to LawDawg for pointing this out, I have to break my blogging silence to share this cartoon. Check it out but don't be drinking anything when you click this link. This one comes with a liquids/monitor interference warning!
And for those of you that have missed my blogging insights- the one of you that has mentioned it, summer is a busy time for me and I'm preparing for a fishing trip so blogging is bound to be light. Limited free ice cream for a little while.

Unluckiest- or luckiest guy ever!

I can't decide if getting hit by lightening twice in less than a minute- and surviving means you are the luckiest or unluckiest bastard ever. Either way, this had to leave him with the mother of all headaches!

Sunday evening and I'm tired-

We had a beautiful Easter church service this morning that was as nice as any Easter service I've ever attended. For the first time in several years our church bell was rung at the end of the service! Ringing that bell and letting the community know that St Peters is alive and welcoming has been a priority for me for several months now. After a bit of high altitude maintenance this week, it works and I rang it for all the world to hear!

I finally got the grass mowed here at Wasted Electrons World headquarters this afternoon! The weather and my other obligations have really conspired against my efforts to keep the grass under control and I finally got some hours and dry weather today. The front yard was so bad I had to mow it twice! But it's done and in spite of the Muse of Murray's reluctance to awake from winter slumber. Now I just have to get busy with some additional sprinkler work... I purchased a big bag of bulbs for the spousal unit to be installed shortly in an unwatered flower bed, so before we can plant, I have to pipe in some irrigation. I suppose that will keep me busy in a day or two!

And, in spite of my very best efforts, I'm still unemployed...

I nominate this for the weirdest picture on the internet-

see more WTF Pictures and WTF videos by Picture Is Unrelated
Weird.

President Obama can kiss my carbon footprint!

So yesterday was Earth Day and Barry found it neccesary to issue a 2 page statement to highlight our country's efforts and needs to save the planet- all while burning 53,000 gallons of jet fuel plus gasoline for a 30 car motorcade during a 3 day fund raising trip.

Barry needs to shut the hell up about us common folk trading in our full sized vehicles for better mileage compacts! If he wants to prove he is serious about preserving the planet and America's demand for fuel, he needs to install one of those high tech big screens in his office that he was whining about not having last week and implement his fund raising through online conferencing!

Show us that you're serious Mr. President and stay home! Do your fund raising over the internet with video conference technology and I'll begin to believe you are serious about saving the planet! Until then, just be quiet!

In honor of Easter weekend-

Missed it by that much...

Drove into Salt Lake today to see the boy and on the way back, through a blinding snowstorm, stopped in Centerville for lunch. Minutes after getting off the highway, this 17 car accident was taking place where I had just passed through. By the time I ate a burger at the In & Out Burger joint and got back onto the interstate, it was pretty clear that the highway was closed behind the northbound on ramp.

Sure glad I was on the front side of that accident! Now if the dang snow would just stop falling so spring can get underway things will be great! It has been snowing nearly non-stop for 3 days and I am quite ready for it to stop!

Worst movie ever!

Since the BSU is still away and I was pretty certain she wouldn't like it, I went to see Your Highness tonight. I'm not going to link to it because it's not worth it. If you're 20, maybe 25, this money might be funny and a good tale. If you are older than that, you're probably not going to love it.

I watched it and tried to enjoy the tale of knights on a quest to save the betrothed of one of the 2 brothers, one knight strong and honorable, the other a bumbler and layabout but I just didn't like it. It's vulgar and rude. It has pretty women in it- that's the only positive but the rest of the movie is trash1

Obama is awesome-

You're going to have to watch this video to find out why everything Barry does is right and awesome and why Bush was an idiot. It's pretty funny.

Hat tip to Tam for sharing where I would find it.

Of women and haircare-

I love my BSU, make no mistake about it. I love most women for that matter but that's not important here. As some of you may know, the BSU is visiting her sisters and homeland of rainy, damp Oregon right now. As has been her habit for decades, preparations for a trip to Oregon requires that she go to the hair fixin place to get a permanent in her hair.

Now as I understand permanents, they are intended to make one's hair curly. The BSU insists that she doesn't pay for a "curly" perm but rather a "body" perm. Over the years these trips to the stylist's shop have generally involved much sobbing and fretting after the fact and the money's spent but the level of emotion has generally subsided over the past years. No matter, it's always a difficult time here at Wasted Electrons World Headquarters when the curliness of the spouse's locks are involved.

This time wasn't much different but it did involve a level of hilarity that I just couldn't pass up mentioning. As usual, a week before her departure she went and spent real money on a "body" perm then fussed over it everyday before she left. The night before her departure, she had a small shopping list of neccesities that they apparently don't sell in the People's Socialist Republik of Oregon and we had to go out. One of the things she needed was conditioner for her hair. Fine, we'll buy conditioner. Turns out though, she needed 2 different kinds of conditioner- 1 to rinse out and another to leave it after using the rinse out type...

Then, as if 2 kinds of conditioner weren't enough contaminants dumped on her cranium, she wanted to go back to the scene of the crime where the body permanent had been inflicted to buy another product that is guaranteed to add curl to her locks! She didn't want curl when she paid for the treatment but now she wants to pay for stuff that will add curl! I did the math, this tube of miracle curl is over $300 per gallon!

I told her before she left that she shouldn't be very surprised if the combination of all these chemicals, applied repeatedly to her hair doesn't spontaneously erupt in flames! And what if she confuses them, rinsing out the "leave in" conditioner and leaves on the "rinse out" model? What then, purple hair?

Sometimes it is just so good to be a guy!

Spring is here and I'm grounded...

Hooverdamm! Yesterday morning, the very first thing, I managed to throw my back out- gain. It was going to be a beautiful spring day and I was going to get Sleek Black Beauty out of the workshop and inspected for a new registration sticker but that was not to be. I spent the day taking pain relievers and muscle relaxers and wearing a heat wrap on my back. I napped most of the afternoon and went to bed plenty early.

Today hasn't been a bit more exciting... At least it's raining outside again and forecast for the next couple days so maybe my enforced rest won't feel like I'm wasting good days of spring.

How do I...

Upload a 116mb file through my Microsoft Outlook email? I've already trimmed a 1 hour radio program mp3 file down to just 16 minutes but it is still too large to squeeze through the interweb. Google mail has a 25mb limit and using Comcast's internet email method doesn't seem to work either.

Suggestions please?

Sunday evening week in review-

I used to squeeze in a post most every Sunday evening but that habit slipped off some time back- completely unremarked by the (very) few of you that still stop by but I'd thought I might try to get back into the habit. This last week has been full and busy and heartbreaking, so it's only fair that I share some of it with you.

You already might have seen that we took our Very Elderly Visla to the vet for her very last appointment. That was a heartbreaker for everyone concerned but it really was time. We are missing her around here very much. Eating the last bite of my peanut butter toast or lunch snadwich seems completely foreign to me as she has shared those bites these many years. The picture down below actually shows Sandy enjoying her last bite of peanut butter toast before leaving for the vet's office, that's why her lips are curled and her teeth are showing, not because she was snarling as it appears.

I stayed busy job hunting this week. The job interview for the hardware store job seemed to go well but they haven't called and asked me to start. The store is scheduled to open on April 11 so if they are going to call, I suppose it will be soon. I applied for a job as a maintenance manager for some type of equipment fleet. That should be a shoe-in as I was an aircraft maintenance manager for 18 years while in the service! I even took the time to write a new resume that focused on my experience managing aircraft fleet maintenance requirements. But again, I haven't heard anything back from that action; maybe next week.

I applied for a handful of jobs with the giant orange box store so maybe I'll land a job that requires me to wear an orange apron everyday. We'll see.

I actually may have scored a job as a Program Manager but it is contract work similar to what I've done for 10 years and the contract won't be issued until July. If the company that contacted me wins the contract, I'll be fully employed in August but that sure is a very long way away.

The BSU and I went out to the movies Friday night and saw Lincoln Lawyer which although it's no Oscar candidate, it is a decent and interesting tale. Matthew McConaughey plays an LA defense lawyer that prefers operating from the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car who runs into a big-time case that really puts all his skills to task. It isn't too long before he realizes that his client is not only probably guilty of the current crime he is accused of but is without doubt guilty of killing a woman that another client went to jail for all the while claiming his innocence. But in spite of threats to his family and the murder of his good friend and investigator, he manages to earn an aquittal for his client and the fat payday that was agreed upon while getting justice done on all coounts. It was definitely a worthwhile movie for the cost of the tickets and popcorn so go see it if you're so inclined.

Oh yeah, we got out taxes done... Being unemployed and having to take money out of a couple retirement accounts has not done me any favors with the IRS and the state. Not sure at all how I'm going to get everything paid that needs paid but it sure is going to keep me eating cheap for a significant period of time!

Next week- a coule days of driving cars, taking the BSU to the airport for another trip to Oregon, a Dr.'s appointment, and I have to get the Lincoln inspected so I can buy registration for the next year. The Lincoln needs new air springs up front, (and maybe more suspension parts) so getting it passed might be a trick. And perhaps I'll get fishing line wet for the first time this year with Jim & Kenny but it has to quit snowing first!

What to wear-

For a job interview this afternoon for a hardware store job?

Khakis and a dress shirt and tie seem about right.

The good news? The store isn't even open yet- still under construction and right here in Ogden so not too much of a commute. I'll bet I can sell hardware.

Sandy Lou, R.I.P.

Today was Sandy Dog's last day on this planet and she is now enjoying a pain-free life on Piddler's Green. She was close to 20 years old, deaf, nearly blind and arthritic. For the past several weeks she has been having more trouble negotiating the stairs and couldn't get herself up when she slipped off her feet on the concrete floor in the laundry room a couple times in the past week.



Sandy had been living with us since about 2002 when the young man next door asked us to babysit her as he was moving on to a job that required him to fly everyday. He had rescued her, healed the injuries she suffered physically and emotionally and loved her with his whole heart. But she's been a part of our family for quite some time now and we will miss her kind heart.

It's been a painful day around here...

It's that awkward time of year again-

It's too early to put away the snow shovel but already time to break out the rakes and start spring yard cleanup! The winter snow always leaves my yard looking terrible and every leaf left unraked last fall is matted and soggy in the grass. I got started on the front yard today and got picked up the worst part of the crud but only got about 1/3 of the yard raked before my arms called for a time out.

There's still lots of yard left!

Dead or Alive- a book review

Do you remember the first time you were introduced to a Tom Clancy novel? Was it The Hunt For Red October like it was for me? Did you get hooked by the intricate detail, suspense and character development and tear right into Red Storm Rising? I sure did! I was an avid fan of Tom Clancy's work and his main character, Jack Ryan, right up until Tom started writing books that read like video game, first person shooter scripts. At that point, I decided that Tom had sold out to the video game producers and I gave up after Rainbow Six.

But let me tell you, Tom Clancy is back to his former skills with Dead or Alive! I picked this up a couple weeks ago and loved every one of the 848 pages! Jack Ryan is back as the now retired, ex-president but his son, Jack Jr, is the main character here, working in a non-governmental, off the books, self-supported terrorist hunting agency, The Campus. This group is intercepting CIA and NSA communications and making their own analysis and then sending out field agents to track them down. John CLark and Ding are back from their service with Rainbow Six and involuntarily retired from their government service and quickly picked up The Campus for their unique skills.

What terrorist are they chasing? Well in this story, he's called the Emir but he's the guy responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001, so you can draw your own conclusions. The Emir has a grand scheme that The Campus gets wind into his plans and the story takes place all around the world tracking down counterfitters, snitches and couriers. The Emir, long sought in the mountains of Afghanistan has departed the area and taken up temporary residence in Las Vegas of all places!

It gets bloody. The story is intricate, detailed and suspenseful. Jack Ryan Sr decides he can't stand the direction that the country is headed under the new president and declares his candidacy for election to replace the soft, unskilled, wishy-washy president currently in the White House...

Clancy really hits a homerun with this book and I heartily recommend it. It is dense but if you remember the adventures of John Clark and Ding and Ryan, you must give this book a read. Look past those disappointing video game script stories and give this one a chance, you will quickly fall under Clancy's amazing story telling spell.

Why do you suppose-

that Dave Baggott, the owner of the Ogden Raptors Baseball Club called me this afternoon? And why did I miss his call since my phone was in my pocket all day?

Honestly, I have no idea why he called. I may find out tomorrow since whoever took my return call this afternoon wrote down my info and said he would pass it along.

You don't suppose he has a job for me do you? I could play Oggie, the raptor mascot and dance on the dugouts!

UPDATE: Dave called me. Apparently I left a message months back related to Ogden Clear Headlights and he was just clearing off his desk. He did offer me a killer advertising deal that I would love to be able to take him up on for my little 1 man business. The deal included 2 concourse banners, 1 each on the left field and right field concourse walls, a 30 second advertising spot on each radio broadcast of the games and enough ballgame tickets that I could attend every game with all my friends.

I really need a logo and just a few hundred bucks! I wonder if I did afford this opportunity if it would boost my sales. It would be some real advertising, something I haven't afforded so far and I would love to be a Raptor supporter, so this is a very tempting offer.

It's Monday-

Which means the BSU made it home safely though exhausted, after a week in Oregon last night and I'm getting ready for another couple days of driving cars. I've also been found by one of my very best friends from my time in England- Hi Peter! and we have swapped some pictures and emails this weekend. Peter's found the best job in the world, self employed as a classic motorcycle restorer!

I've already suggested that maybe I should open a US branch of Aspire Restorations! Go check out some his work in the gallery!

Is it weird-

that many of my dreams lately have involved me being at work? And many of my dreams that I remember involve me being in uniform?

I'm not usually cognizant of my dreams after waking but in the past couple weeks, I have been aware of my dreams and most of them have involved me being on the job, and frequently back in the uniform of the USAF, the uniform I wore for 21 years. But I've been out of uniform for 11 years, (and out of work for 13 months), so I really don't know what it all means.

Good news on the job front or just sad commentary on being out of work and remembering the days when I did have a task and a calling to attend to- I admit I don't know what the answer might be. Right now I'm leaning towards the latter circumstance.

Sure, camo weddings are tacky-

But this one takes the cake! Twenty-one couples got married on Valentines Day at the local Cabelas, the couples marched in to a 5 piece kazoo band...

You know that the first time I married the BSU, I wore Levi 501s and went barefoot and the preacher we hired to do the chore wore cowboy boots on the beach. But I think we beat all these folks!

The best video on YouTube!

From LawDog:

If you want to see bunny commandos doing Bad Things to extremist fundamentalist camels, there is a video you must see.

Be advised, there is violence. Graphic, blood-spattering violence. A lot of it. There is also more than a bit of foul language -- and that includes the title of the video.

Be sure to watch this in full screen and Hi-Def! Click the quality button at the bottom right of the video.

And somebody buy me the full length DVD!

Took the week off from driving cars-

I had some tax issues with Ogden Clear Headlights to work out- an estimated by the state tax bill for $15K+ for a business only in operation for 1 month, now resolved to to $74 total for all of 2010, so I just couldn't manage driving this week.

Now there's Dr's appointments later today and another tomorrow for the BSU. Her bronchitus continues and something meeds to be done!

Gnomeo and Juliet- great movie fun!

Tonight the BSU felt well enough to go out for a movie and I got to pick. So I chose Gnomeo and Juliet. As it should be perfectly obvious, this is Will Shakespear's most famous tale of two feuding families and two young lovers caught in the battleground between their families. But this time the families are British garden gnomes who have a pretty active life whenever the humans- who also seem to hate each other, are away from home. There is a complete cast of weirdos- a gnome dancing in a thong swimsuit, a Dolly Parton gnome and a best girlfriend water spurting frog. There are lawnmower races in the alley, cheating, revenge and young love, coming to fruition under the tutelage of a greatful flamingo who's been missing one of his wire legs and trapped in a shed for years. The gnome characters all make ceramic clanking sounds as they move and freeze solid whenever the humans arrive. There's lots of jokes and lines related to other movies- "I wish I could quit you," and the soundtrack is all Elton John, mostly classic songs and a couple written for the movie.

It was great fun and a lot of laughs. The 3D effects were pleasant and the music terrific. I give it 2 thumbs up as does the BSU. Take your kids or grandkids and go have a great time.

And I really want a Terraferminator!

Move lions? Sure, I can do that!

In a previous post I mentioned that my buddy Loc wanted some help moving 2 concrete lions that he had located on KSL's classifieds. He's a buddy so of course I told him I could help. I rented a 6X12 open trailer from U-Haul and bought 2 heavy duty tie down straps and caught up with Loc and his son, Tom yesterday morning.

The lions turned out to be 20 years old and almost a family heirloom for the guy selling them. He said his kids and grandkids had climbed on them ever since he set them down. I think he was sad to see them leave.

The job turned out to be pretty tricky, first getting the wide trailer backed through the seller's narrow gate and up into his carport. Then we had to sling the lions and move them from behind the carport into the carport, passed the steps and then into the trailer. It took some re-strapping and manuevering of the crane to get the lions into the trailer over the axles but we eventually got'er done and headed out.

We had a nice lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant and made the trip to loc's house and backed into his driveway without incident. I didn't feel too bad about leaving the lions in the trailer over lunch as I didn't figure anybody was going to steal them!

Unloading the beasts was much the same as getting them into the trailer but we did discover that we were going to have to put the crane on the porch to get the lions situated. That made everything pretty close but the 3 of us wrangled them into place before Loc's spousal unit made it home from work.






So that was a pretty cool way to spend a Saturday!
UPDATE: The slideshow seemed to be busted so I have replaced it with clickable thumbnails. Click the little pictures to see the full size.

You have GOT to watch this video!

Check this out!

Is that awesome, or what? I can't imagine the hours of experimenting it must have taken to make these beasts work. Truly creative art!

This ought to be fun...

Or back breaking. My buddy Loc just called me a couple minutes ago, wanted to know how much weight my engine crane can pick up and would I be interested in helping him pick up, transport and relocate a couple of heavy things on Saturday. Well the crane can lift 2000 pounds which is apparently just about what we he needs to pick up a pair of concrete lions that he wants to buy! Somebody else bought the lions first but apparently never got them situated and now wants to sell them. And Loc wants to buy them...

I'm thinking that a U-Haul flat bed trailer is going to be neccesary to transport the crane and the lions, not Loc's son's ATV trailer. I can also see where I will need to be buying some heavier duty lifting & tiedown straps because those Harbor Freight cheapos that I have won't be up to the task. I'm going to have to break in to my lumber pile for some shoring material too.

I guess I'll see what Saturday brings!

Your morning gospel moment

Take 4 minutes out of your day and listen to this. I challenge you not to be touched.

Awesome rendition.

Dear Mr. President...

After reading your State of the union speech from earlier this week, I am compelled to write this 1 suggestion for you- shut the hell up about high speed rail! I grant you that certain European and Asian countries have nifty high speed rail systems but most of those countries are no bigger than many of our states. No citizen of my acquaintance has any interest in traveling by rail and I live in a town made famous by our country's first rail boom. Heck my spousal unit has even traveled from Ogden to Portland Oregon by AMTRAK years back but nobody is interested in doing so now! BTW, how's that AMTRAK business working out, making a profit on that enterprise yet?

Here's my suggestion Mr. President; drop high speed rail from your vocabulary. Leave it to a state or private company to institute should they desire and don't spend another dime of my tax dollars on any federal high speed rail development. If you want a signature project to spend money on and that will leave a legacy behind, spend those billions of dollars you want to spend for rail projects to find a cure for cancer! Or find a cure for Alzheimers, or autism, something that will really matter!

You can spend my tax dollars for those issues, not high speed rail!

Tequila Shots-

You're doing it wrong!

I wonder how you say "FAIL" in Swedish...

Chest cold, bronchitus or pneumonia?

I guess the Doc will be making the diagnosis in just a little while for the BSU's current illness. She's been sick since Saturday and the Mucinex DM and humidifier are only providing the smallest relief. So in a bit we'll be seeing the Doc and letting him decide how much and what kind of treatment she needs.

Be vewy, vewy quiet...

It's wacoon hunting season and I'm hunting the masked wascals in the privacy of my own back yard again.

Trapped and killed one just the night before last and another escaped last night. But the neighbor spotted 3 of them last week so there are plenty more targets!

2 interviews- 1 "close but no cigar"...

Bummer. I wrote that I had 2 job interviews scheduled for last Tuesday and so I did. Both of them seemed to go very well. At the first one I actually knew one of the interviewers and even though the job wouldn't have been perfect, it would have been very good and I think I'd have been plenty qualified and suited to the task. But that was the position that I was not selected for and received the email telling me so this morning.

I also had the 2nd interview later on Tuesday with the University of Utah and again it seemed that the interview went very well. This is also the position that I really hope I get called back for another interview as this one was just a preliminary one. I believe this position could really be a calling where I could be happy and productive and to do good for a lot of people- military veterans in this case.

So keep your fingers crossed, say a prayer to your favorite deity or capture a neighborhood raccoon and make an animal sacrifice if that's your method of beseeching your higher power for favors, that I might get a call for another interview very soon!

Doing the background work-

I've spent some of this morning researching the Director of Veterans Support Services position that I am interviewing for tomorrow. Over the weekend, I've decided that I would really like this job and it might just be the calling that I have been looking for these past months.

One thing I discovered is that the center has received a new name. It used to be called the Utah Student Veterans Center and their website and blog are way out of date. The former director was a junior at the university, heading off to study and surf in Hawaii and had just a few years of military service time.

The more I look at the requirements of the job description, the more I think that I could do a really good job in being this director. I'd have to bone up on all the different agencies and programs that are out there to assist veterans but I believe I could become their very strong advocate. The commute into Sale Lake City and across town to the university every day would suck but if I decide to use public transportation, the Front Runner trains have wi-fi so I could catch up on my mail and news and blogging while getting to work. And in the warm months, I have Sleek Black Beauty to ride!

It's been an interesting day in the job hunt...

Can you believe it has been a year that I've been out of work? I still find that to be incredible. I never would have guessed 1 year ago that I would be still looking a year later, but there it is.

But today has been very interesting... I applied online for an Equipment Specialist position that I got turned on to a couple weeks back, to one of the companies that I've previously worked for during my time as a contractor. Today, I received a call from one of their recruiters. He asked me some questions, seemingly liked the answers and later called me back to ask if I could meet a local management team for an interview on Tuesday. Of course I said yes, even though the job is temporary and doesn't offer benefits. If I get selected and back to work, I'll take it!

Shortly after that, I heard by email from another company asking about my availability. This company is partly owned by someone I know and have worked around in the past. I found out later that this company is also seeking Equipment Specialists for the F-16 office! What this means is that all the support companies out there are getting wind of potential contract offerings and they are looking to gather resumes of potential employees to offer as part of their proposal, should the .gov actually put a request for proposals out on the street. At this point, I don't really care which company's name is on my badge, I just want to get back to work.

Then I discovered another job on the Department of Workforce Services website that I decided to take a chance and appy to; it's called Director, Veterans Support Services for the University of Utah! I emailed my resume and just a couple hours later, I received a phone call asking if I would be available for an interview on Tuesday... Yes! Of course I'm available!

Now this job sounds interesting. It is a new position, situated in the university student services building and would involve recruiting veterans to apply to the U, troubleshooting their difficulties transitioning from military to college life and generally being the voice of the veteran on campus. I'd have to learn a great deal more about the Veterans Department programs for students but I think I would really enjoy the challenge of this position.

I don't know how any of this will play out but today was certainly a red letter day in my year long search. It also falls on the day after I had a first discussion with the BSU about seeking a new career in an entirely different direction- one that would cause me to never wear a necktie again and ensure my Sundays were always a day of work...

This really tickled me tonight-

I love this small conversation from my son on Facebook today:

Noah McCord to Powder Mountain
Where is the Powder of my childhood? I have sold out.
Moved to the big box giant. 4,000 acres and 10,000 people.
Every inch tracked out in hours not days. My tail bruised from man made snow, a cruel imitation.
Where is the Powder of my childhood?

Powder Mountain to Noah
We're still here. Come on home.

Dammitall- another Kel-Tec to add to my locker!

Doggone Kel-Tec is building new guns faster than I can assemble my pennies into big enough bundles to buy them! Now they've gone and introduced a very cool looking shotgun that I want and can't afford! But I may just have to find a way to afford this bullpup shotgun.



I'm totally at a loss tonight as it seems that Photobucket has "improved" their website while my back was turned and now I can't figure out how to get the code to embed just a thumbnail picture that links to the full sized image. I suppose I'll figure it out sooner or later but tonight you get the full sized image without clicking through.

The job interview seemed to go well today-

Since the owner of the indoor kart racing track actually remembered and recognized me from the times i've been in his place, I think the interview actually went pretty well. The job's for a mechanic on the karts and nearly full time and it would be evenings and weekends but if I land the job, I'll take it and be happy until something else comes along.

I do have a bacterial infection in my eye- saw a real eye Doc today, and he prescribed some thicker, stronger antibiotics for me for the rest of the week. Hopefully things will get better quick with the new drops.

I think I've found some plans for a motorcycle lift for my workshop that I can actually afford to purchase and store! Buying a commercial lift is outside my budget and would hog up far too much of my floor space in my shop. The one I found pictures of tonight is much cheaper and much easier to store when I don't need it for tinkering with Sleek Black Beauty! I just need to make a trip to Harbor Freight and Home Depot!

Day III of this eye infection thingie...

I feel miserable and look worse. Last night was the first time that I can remember when I just couldn't sleep and got out of bed for an hour or so hoping for tiredness to really sink in so I could sleep. It didn't happen. The bags under my eyes this morning are big enough to pack for a 2 person weekend camping trip!

The meds don't seem to be working and the Doc that gave them to me told me to come back today if I wasn't much better since seeing him on Friday so I suppose I'll be re-visiting the ER later today.

Welcome to 2011

I was in bed by 10 last night and skipped all the end of year festivities mostly due to not feeling very well. I have something wrong with my left eye- a swelling of the sclerea portion and yesterday it bothered me enough to compel me to go to the ER. The doc there gave me some drops and told me to come back if things weren't improved by Sunday. So I felt lousy and went to bed.

I spent a good portion of the week applying for jobs and I'm really crossing my fingers that something significant will present itself in 2011. I know already that employers aren't hiring guys in my age group and that they prefer to hire away already employed persons as opposed to unemployed persons, so both of those factors are working against me but I have to keep looking. I do actually have a job interview for Monday morning but it is part time at an indoor karting track. It might be fun and a few more hours and less driving to get to than the auction driving job I've been doing for a couple months but it won't really be a new career. At least I don't imagine that it will be.

We've been adopted by a stray kitty that has been living rough next door. He started coming over to warm himself by the dryer vent and the BSU convinced me to start putting out some kibble. Now he's here twice a day (or more) for food and allowing himself to be petted occasionally. He is a long haired cat and apparently not feral but homeless so perhaps he will become a long term member of the management team around here.

I've a project to get started on out in the shop but I'm keeping it on the downlow for now until spring rolls around. And since it's the 1st of January, can fishing season and warm weather be too far away? Same thing with the project; I'll introduce it about the time the temps get back up to 65 degrees or so.

I need a new guitar instructor too!