Showing posts with label Bad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bad. Show all posts

Friday, December 29, 2023

2023

2023 was eventful.  It seems easiest to just make a list...

1.  I lost 2 cats but gained 2 new ones.   Sadness and happiness at the same time.

2.  I got my flu, covid, and RSV shots.  On separate visits to Safeway because they are free and they give me a 10% discount each visit.  

3.  Speaking of Safeway, they give me a 10 cent gas credit at their pumps for every $100 I spend there.  I got 80 cents per gallon off a couple days ago!

4.  I'm slowly getting better after the 2021 ladder fall.  2021 was bad.  But sometimes this year, I noticed a few odd pains vanished.  The separated right clavicle remains, but as the doctor said "you can get used to it".  He has one himself and he was right.  I hardly notice it.  The body adjusts...

5.  My knees are still a problem.  I have velcro braces for both.  After a few weeks of wearing them, things are good.  But they are annoying.  The knees issue predates the ladder fall.

6.  Spring was horrible for the garden.  Kept staying too cold for my transplants randomly.  And then we had a minor drought.  So planting my heirloom tomatoes were delayed.  They never caught up.  I got like 6 good tomatoes from 10 plants.  The cherry tomatoes did well though.

7.  I receive checks sometimes.  Odd stuff.  My Government Thrift Savings Program (TSP) says I have to start cashing out gradually, but I always forget, so they send one anyway.  My electric co-op sent a check for reducing my usage and another as a rebate to all customers.  The Maryland State Government sent me one to correct a tax error.  I stuck them on the refrigerator and then put something on top and forgot about them.  Now I have to call about getting some reissued (some are still depositable).

8.  The Subaru Forester I bought in 2020 has 2,400 miles on it ( don't drive much).  So gas prices don't bother me.

9.  In the Spring, the 30' diameter daffodil bed bloomed nicely.  The deck flowerpots bloomed well all Summer and Fall.  And I have a 10'x6' bed of pansies that will bloom all Winter.  It is good to have colors in the yard all year.

10.  I bought a lot of stuff in 2023.  Some of it useful and some of it whimsy.  Useful means a good new kitchen or gardening tool or new high-sided cat litter boxes (Loki pees standing up and overshoots the old ones).  


Whimsey means "just cool".  

Sponsored Ad - YUKOUQIAN Tardigrade Stuffed Animal Tardigrade Plush Toy 10 inch Gift for Girls Boys Christmas (Tardigrade)

That's a plush tardigrade (aka Water bear).  They are the size of pinpoints, but can't be killed easily.  They can be frozen, heated, exposed to the vacuum and cosmic rays of outer space and recover.  This one is 8" long and sits on my car dashboard.  Hey, some people have bobbleheads, I have a tardigrade.  LOL!

I bought 2 cat jigsaw puzzles made of real wood.  If I ever put them together, I will mount them in a frame.

I also bought a bomber jacket.  But it has too much specific unit identity on it.  I will return it.  I don't want people thinking I served in those units.  I never served at all.

11.  I think I finally learned how to make a decent pizza at home.  My own dough. In a small sheet pan sprinkled with cornflour (for automatic raised edges) ON a baking stone at 500F (highest the oven will go).  

12.  Got better at discussion forums.  Ignore the angry fanatics, respond to rational people, give facts...

The older I get, the more tolerant I become.  By the time I die, I will have things just about right.  ðŸ‘Œ


Monday, February 7, 2022

A Little Of This, A Little of That

I didn't realize I hadn't posted for so long.  I've been on the computer about "enough" stuff that I kind of forgot about my own ME blog.

Computer problems continue to drive me crazy.  I can't seem to solve them.  I'll try to stay brief, to spare you...

The computer restarts randomly because of (from the error message) incompatible software or hardware.  Wow, that pretty much covers all possibilities.  I've unplugged all non-essential hardware.  I've looked at all the software, trying to figure out exactly what is incompatible.  Maybe turning off nearly all software and bringing them back one at a time will help.

I've scanned the HD for problems.  2/3 is available, so nothing there to fix.  I've used Kaspersky and Bitdefender to search for malware.  Nothing seems wrong.  I increased my RAM from 8GB to 16 GB; didn't help.

Macs can stay in sleep mode without problems, but I restarted it several times and even shut it down a few.  That didn't solve anything.  I even shut down the router overnight and restated it.  No help there.  The problem pre-dates my current O/S (and nothing mentions frequent restarts as a bug in any recent O/S).  The 2018 Mac isn't old enough to be a problem.

ARGGGG!

I can't get the newer printer to print.  It there in the printer list, just "idle and paused?  I've tried it cabled and wireless, and followed the manual instructions in "baby steps".  I've even gone a a Mac Help Forum.  No  luck.

On other stuff...

I ordered a clear acrylic dining tabletop cover in November for "3 week delivery".  And since I was doing that, I ordered covers for my 2 computer tables for easier cleaning.  The computable table covers arrived in perfect condition.  The dining table one had a big chip on one edge.  When I sent the sender pictures, they promised to ship a replacement in 5 business days.  That was January 17.  Time to bother them again.

They don't want the damaged one back, so I am using it in the meantime.  I haven't even peeled off the protective masking.  It does work functionally, but a bright blue tabletop is a bit funny-looking.  When the new one arrives, I'll use that.  Interestingly, I do make things from plastic sometimes.  When I'm positive they can't demand the damaged one back, I'll use it for a few projects.

Not everything is bad.  I ordered flower seedlings.  A native-plant seller of good reputation offers various plant mixes.  One was 38 plants for $149 dollars (free shipping).  You can order 2 kinds (16 of each) or up to 6 different kinds (7-7-6-6-6-6).  Since most are perrenials or self-sowers, I went for the 6 different kinds.  I matched them by water/sunlight needs and spread them by bloom time, so it should give blooms May-Nov.  Most of those are meadow flowers with a couple of ornamental grasses.

I also ordered 3 seed mixes (each covers 500 square feet) for about $22 per bag.  One is deer-resistant (for the front yard - the deer can't get into the backyard), one is for shady areas, and one is for pollinators (some specifically for native solitary bees).  

Plus, I have saved seeds and existing transplantable meadowlike and pollinator-friendly plants.  I'll move those.  That will free up some space for "merely" ornamental flowers.

I'm sure glad I bought a snowblower 5-6 years ago.  Self-propelled, forward/reverse, and electric-starting.  It was most important with the 12" snowfall, but even with 4" it sure makes things easier!  My house faces north, so while the cross-the-street neighbors' snow melts in a day or 2, mine turns to ice if not removed quickly.  And my driveway slopes downhill to a drainage ditch.  I had to pay a guy $50 to shovel my driveway once (18") so I think the snow-blower has paid for itself now.

I'm replacing the refrigerators.  Yes, plural.  I have a really old one in the basement for bulk veggie and seed storage.  It is SO bad, I have to chip ice off the top of the refrigerator section and the freezer section won't go below 10 F (S/B 0 F).  And I bet it is costing a lot just to operate.

The current fridge isn't great at temperature uniformity, but it is sure better than the basement fridge and more energy-efficient.  I looked up newer/better ones at Consumer Reports.  There is a bottom freezer  LG model rated at the top I think I'll buy.  The temperature uniformity, reliability, and owner-satisfaction are all at the top, the price is about the same as lower-rated ones, and it has a top "energy-star" rating.

It has an external ice-maker.  I'm not sure I like that.  They tend to fail.  I make ice cubes manually just fine.  But if it works, "hurray".  Mostly though, you can't find a good refrigerator without one, LOL!

I'll have to clean the basement before I order the new refrigerator though.  It is too cluttered for movers to get around in.   No matter what I want to do, I have to do something else first!  To explain, I have say that my electric co-op will come and take away the oldest refrigerator and credit me $50.  Who doesn't want $50?

But I have to clear a space for the new fridge guys to put the older kitchen one in the regular space and the oldest one "somewhere".  That "somewhere" has stuff in the spot.  So I need to move that stuff.  I'm running out of places to put "stuff".  Which leads to REALLY cleaning the basement before I can buy a new fridge.  It's ALWAYS something...

Back to sad stuff...

Lori went into heat Wednesday night.  It's Monday night and that makes it 5 days.  She HAS to stop tomorrow, right?  Lori hasn't been as bad as Ayla was, but a sudden "calling session" in the middle of the night is hard to sleep through.  I sleep badly enough as it is.  Daytime isn't too bad and she doesn't keep it up for more than an hour.

Unlike Ayla did.  OMC!  She was a yeller.  For those of you who read this but are unfamiliar with "Alya In Heat", she had 2 botched spays by the breeder's vet, went into heat every 3 weeks for 7 days at a time, climbed me desperately with sharp claws, for maybe a year before my regular vet got her fixed.  

Ayla drove me crazy day and night, screaming.  The first circle of Hell is probably filled with Siamese cats in heat...  It was a terrible year.  I still have the calendar marked with Xs for her days in heat.  It seems mostly Xs.  She was seriously messed up.  

Lori isn't "that bad".  She has a quieter voice.  And it will certainly be her-our last experience.  I am a little annoyed at the vets though.  They said they didn't like to operate on a cat in heat so they wanted her to go through it first.  Timing the operation for "in-between", they said.  OK.  But they aren't here listening to the calls.

I am sad that Lori can't get the relief she wants so desperately.  Marley and Laz are neutered and *I* sure can't do anything about.  There should be a chill-pill...

That is sure more than enough for now...


Friday, February 5, 2016

Zika Disease

Viruses never stop evolving.  The newest severe viral mutation to attacks humans is called "Zika".  It seems to have appeared rather suddenly in tropical South America, is spreading quickly, and is serious to pregnant women.  If this seems like the setup for a bad joke (like the old one about "di-hydrogen monoxide", it isn't.

If you haven't heard of it yet, the Zika virus is "spread to people through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon".

Most people who are exposed to the virus won't even know it.  However, in pregnant women, it can cause birth defects and failed pregnancies.   One serious result is "microcephaly" (small head).


It is mainly in the tropical areas now, but moving slowly north through Mexico.  There have been several cases in the US from people who had traveled to infected areas.  But I saw a report tonight that said one woman in Florida had become infected without travelling to the infected areas.  There is a possibility that it was transmitted sexually.

There is currently no test for Zika virus.  The news report suggested that blood supplies could become contaminated with the virus and that the US could become subject to direct infection from mosquitoes as warmer weather to come allows mosquitoes to spread slowly and infected (but not showing symptoms) individuals travel.

I wonder what the first report of serious influenza mutations looked like in the past?  For every major disease, there is always some first reports that don't realize the seriousness to come.

I explained THAT to write THIS...

Not to make light of something that could, in a year or two, be a serious medical emergency, I also heard a news report statement that just baffles me.  The statement said "men should abstain from having sex with women who are trying to become pregnant". 

Now, think about that.  I'll assume that most women who are "trying to become pregnant" are in some sort of stable relationship with a man.  If the man is abstaining from sex with that woman, just how is she "trying to become pregnant".  It takes two to tango...

If the man is abstaining from sex with his stable partner, there ISN'T going to be any "trying to become pregnant"!  I have to assume the news editor noticed the illogic at some point, because the news streamer at the bottom of the screen dropped it after some short time.

And also, the new viral disease "Zika" caused the Tata Car company in India to regret their new "Zica" car name (short for "zippy car"). 

But back to seriousness; I sure hope a test and preventative vaccination is found soon.  Otherwise, this could become the new AIDS.

And it is another example of climate change.  The mosquitoes that can carry and spread this virus can only spread because the world is getting warmer.  Various mosquitoes survive and reproduce in limited temperature ranges.  An average difference of only 1 degree in Winter temperatures can mean survival or death for them. 

1 degree in temperature does not mean that much to us humans.  So we heat the house a little bit more; BFD.  But it means that some mosquitoes can move 100 miles north...

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Neighbors

This isn't about a HORRIBLE AWFUL neighbor who does completely TERRIBLE MEAN things.  This is about a long-time merely annoying neighbor who just finally got me all ticked-off today.

OK, lets say you have a drainage easement along a property line.  And that drainage easement is shared by a neighbor.  And you are mutually legally responsible for it (the storm drain itself is a county responsibility).  The responsibility means keeping it free flowing right into the storm drain (meaning around the storm drain and the grate on the top of the storm drain is OUR responsibility).

Let's say you have had that same neighbor for 28 years, they refuse to pay any attention to cleaning (because their yard is higher and the occasional flooding caused by the debris-covered storm drain never causes them any problem), and you have mentioned this very politely several times over the years.

Let us further suppose that you have cleaned the sides and grate numerous times.  And picture the sides and top as "beaver dam material" - interwoven sticks and small branches that fill in with leaf-packed mud like the squishy stuff at the bottom of a natural lake but also plastic bags, fast-food containers, and general trash).

And let us further suppose that you had spent over an hour 2 weeks ago wedging the sticks and branches loose with an iron bar (throwing most of them onto your own side of the property line) before ripping loose handfulls of leaf-packed mud and feeding them into the newly-rushing water escaping into the now partially opened storm drain to break apart in the flood-flow.  And you are doing all this bent over at the waist with pooled water 3/4 the way up your boots.

After doing all this work, you clean up your property side, but also pick up all the trash plastic bags etc on both sides and fill up your trash can.  You leave the 1/4 of the sticks that happened to land on their property while you were pulling them all loose so that they will notice it while mowing and see that you have cleaned the storm drain grate ONCE AGAIN!

I don't usually act passive/aggressive (and it wasn't intended to be the "aggressive" part).  But I almost never see those neighbors outside and I didn't want to go bang on their door with my muddy hands and temporary annoyance.  I figured they would see the branches, see the cleaned storm drain grate and just pick up their minor share of the sticks pleased that I had cleaned the storm drain again...

Nope!  Are you surprised?

And, then imagine that after all that neighborly work, you return home today from errands to discover they have picked up all the sticks and dropped them onto YOUR lawn...

Now THAT's "passive-aggressive"!

I suppose I have to go knock on their door some Saturday afternoon and discuss it.  Again.  Explain the work I did, that I picked up most of the debris and all the trash, scooped the leafy mud with my bare hands, and that I am tired of doing this myself all the time when we are both responsible for it, and that I expect them to clean the storm drain grate themselves sometimes.

Not to get too far afield, but I DON'T like having to tell people what they should be doing.  I avoided several management offers in my career for that reason.  So I really don't want to go knock on their door and surprise them with a complaint (they may be utterly clueless).

Several ideas come to mind...

1.  Knock, knock.  "Hey neighbor are we having a stick fight"?

2.  Knock, knock.  "Did you notice I cleaned the storm drain in June?  It's your turn every November". 

3.  Knock, knock.  "Thanks for the sticks.  Is that a cultural gift I should know something about"?

4.  Anything else.  But please don't suggest "I should have just picked up their sticks as well".  I won't go for that one.

I'm willing to have a minor fight about this if there is a positive outcome.  But they seem to have some problems.  They half-built a garage and then let it stay that way for many months.  They did some yardscaping another year and that stayed half-done for several years.  A psychologist friend of mine said those are signs of personal and/or family dysfunction. 
 


Saturday, October 4, 2014

Sweet and Sour Pork

Its NOT supposed to be batterred pork alone in some insipid sweet orange color sauce!

Batterred Pork is easy.  Deep fry 1" cubes of pork butt in a thick spicy batter.  Set aside.  I use a "Fry Baby".
Holds 1 pound of Crisco shortening.  Easy to deep fry small amounts in.Product Details


Cut coins/cubes of a dill pickle, green bell pepper, cherries, and pineapple.  Heat them anyway you like (saute', M/V).

Sauce:  1 cup cold water, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 T sugar, 1 T lemon juice, 1 T soy sauce, 2 or 3 T cornstarch.  Throw it all in a saucepan to thicken.  Viola, sweet/sour sauce for anything.  Not tricky cooking.

Drop the pickle, pepper, pineapple and cherry into the sauce to warm.  Add battered pork and stir lightly to mix. 

Now how hard is THAT?

It should look like this:
And not that orange but I added the restaurant crap sauce to my good sauce cuz it did smell a bit orangey/sweet. I wish I had not done that.

But here is what they gave me (without their orange color sauce).
Which would YOU prefer?

The local best Chinese restaurant couldn't do THAT...  Pathetic.  And they should be shunned for the awful Spring Rolls.  I actually took one Spring Roll apart to see what was in it.  Nothing!  Boiled cabbage as far as I could tell and nothing else*.

But I will say the Moo Goo Gai Pan was quite good.

*  A Spring Roll is supposed to be fancier than an Egg Roll.  A Spring Roll should have identifiable bits of shrimp, ground pork, and fancy chinese veggies like bean sprouts, water chestnuts, straw mushrooms, and bamboo shoots.  Not soggy cabbage mush.

Looking Up

 While I was outside with The Mews, I laid back and looked up.  I thought the tree branches and the clouds were kind of nice. Nothing import...