I Am Back

I went offline for a few days because I was angry and didn't want to inflict that on friends.   I am very political in some ways, but it is more personal views than organized politics.  I am not a member of any political organization.  Well, OK, I am registered as a Democrat.  Maryland US is a very definite Democratic State, and I want to vote in the Primaries.  

I have strong political/social views.  Always have.  When I was 10, I was allowed to stay up late to watch the Nixon/Kennedy debates in 1960.  Then in 1964, I supported Goldwater because the Democrats were just dithering about Vietnam and Goldwater said he would settle it.  I was 14, what did I know?  

In 1968, I went off to college (safe from the draft) but demonstrated against the increasing warfare (to no purpose as I saw it).  The body bags were coming home...

And I hated Nixon.  He lied and cheated.  I didn't know worse was to come with Reagan and Trump.  Today, I would take Nixon over Trump any day.  But you never know what the future will be when you are in the present in the past.

I screamed and yelled when Gore was denied the Presidency for reasons I considered cheating.  Probably slightly the same as Trump supporters do now.  But Gore conceded after the courts decided against him.  Trump did and does not.  So there are differences in accepting "the rule of law".

Which brings me to today.  I had "anger issues" in the past.  I spent my time on yelling and screaming sites into the early 2000s.  I punched a few holes is those cheap Luan doors I have (had them replaced later).  

I left those sites and I left the anger.  I started following a few calmer sites.  Max The PsychoKitty, a book discussion site (Clan Of The CaveBear) which focussed on the story and facts about 20,000 BCE.  A site that discussed religions factually (which was surprisingly calming, as it forced rational replies).

Last week, the US Supreme Court approved anyone carrying concealed guns.  I have concerns about guns.  I can argue about what a "well-regulated militia" means regarding the 2nd amendment.  But I did not "lose it then".

I "lost it" Friday morning upon hearing the the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.  After the leaked draft opinion a couple months ago, I thought it would have to alter the opinion because of what I (personally) thought were serious errors and was in opposition to the know general will of the population.

I really just didn't think they would do it!

I threw the radio across the room, scattering backup batteries everywhere.  Talk about "blaming the messenger" (sigh)...  I wanted to yell and shout here.  I stopped myself...  I decided to go offline for a few days to not say anything to upset friends.  It took several days to calm down.

I am no less angry, but I am back in control of it.  Being angry won't change the Supreme Court decision.  I will focus on future political actions.

I was wrong.  And I shouldn't have been surprised.  We have a very conservative Supreme Court now.  But I am not going to argue about it here.  I don't want Cavebear's Lair to be a political debate venue.

So while my first instinct was to yell and scream about the decision, I decided to avoid doing that.  You are all too important to me as long-standing friends.

I apologize for upsetting you all with the too-brief post saying I would be gone for an undetermined time.  I wasn't sure how long it would take.  But it was all I could say at the time.  Best to stay offline a few days than to post something I might regret for months or years.  

Back, Maybe

 I hate computer problems.  Well, who loves them other that repair-people?  I've solved some of them (I hope).  Email is still bad, but I can read my cavebear address on AOL and the marksmews and yardenman ones on apple (but still can't reply from them).  I got my RAM increased from 8 GB to 16.  Took a onsite tech guy 2 hours and I couldn't have done that myself in any length of time.  It took some really special tools and a steady hand.

I can't swear that the RAM increase helped, but it sure can't hurt.  And I am still fighting to connect a new color toner printer with no success.  But that doesn't prevent me from blogging...

More importantly, it seems I have solved the routine involuntary shutdowns for now.  It was due to outdated apps.  Not that I don't update them when suggested, but some aren't good at telling you that.  And possibly an outdated external hard drive.  I've disconnected it for now.

But, for all practical purposes, I am back.

I didn't waste my "time off".  I got my covid booster shot.  I reorganized my basement planting shelves.  I collected every unused box in the house and stacked them within each other (I had a LOT sitting around).  

I finally received the 3 acrylic tabletop covers I ordered in November.  One for the new dining table to show off the detail work on the top, and 1 each for the 2 computer tables (Easier cleaning).  I have one older computer offline for games and security (I keep my passwords in an Excel file there - "they" can't hack an offline computer).  One came damaged though.  Naturally, for the dining table.  

If it was on a computer table cover, I would have set it to the back and ignored it.  But you can't hide anything on a dining table.  The manufacturer is sending a replacement in a week. 

They don't want the damaged piece back.  I can actually use it.  I do stuff with plastic sometimes, and I can cut it apart for topping some tool stands and such.  And an acrylic cover for my gardening table makes it relatively waterproof.

I spent some time researching flowerbed catalogs.  One specializes in self-sowing annuals.  Another offers both large collections of perennial plants and seed packets for pollinators, deer-resistance, and at good prices.

I've learned that perennials can be difficult to grow to flowering from seeds.  Many take 3-5 years to finally bloom.  Most places want about $6 per plant.  This place offers them $3-4 per plant (In large quantities).  Well, I have 500 sq ft to fill, so large quantities is good.  So, I'm spent time deciding of the individual plants (there are about 4 dozen to choose among).  

I covered more weed-vine areas with box cardboard.  I'll leave it there until they are dead.  It doesn't look great, but the vines have caused problems for years so months or even a year is worth it.  Ive tried digging and I've tried spraying with organic stuff, but it hasn't worked.

I've been researching refrigerators and chest freezers.  My old basement refrigerator (basically a root-cellar and freezer is failing.  It is so old, the value of the food I keep in it is probably less than the cost of running it.  I chipped off 4" of frost in the refrigerator section the other dasy.  

So the upstairs one goes to the basement and I get a new one for upstairs...  And a small basement chest freezer for long-term storage.  I buy large chunks of meats on good sales and then divide them into 4 oz bits for future use.

I got the aquarium renovated!  It was a sad mess.  Fish-shit all over the bottom, algae on the sides, plastic plants looking real dull and old...  That took an hour a day for 2 weeks.  I have a gadget that siphons debris .  Large 2" mouth.  You get the tube siphoning and stick the mouth into the sand.  It sucks up the fish shit.   You lift it and and the heavy sand falls out.  Then move it to the next spot. 

There are a LOT of "spots" in a 30 gallon aquarium; it was tedious.  And the fish-shit moves around as you do it.  So you have to wait for it to settle and do it again.  Took days to get the sand mostly cleaned. It's "OK" now.  "OK" is a lot better than "horrible". 

Had it been Summer, I would have netted all the fish into a smaller older aquarium for a few days, and drained the big one to hose the sand clean, bleach it mildly, and then overfill it several times to eliminate the bleach.  Then  let it stand inside again with water to age a couple days.  I might in Summer.

But for now, I have live plants set into the sand and I need them to grow roots.  And I want the youngest batch of fancy guppies to grow large before I restock it with some larger mid-level community fish (cherry barbs and serpa tetras) so they won't get eaten.  

I have been cutting saved big cardboard boxes into 2" strips.  Those are to cover the paths in my garden in order to smother weeds.  I'm saving the biggest pieces to smother vines in parts of the flowerbeds.  Things kind of got out of control last year..

Got Lori to the vet for rabies and follow-up shots.  I just tell them "whatever shots" they think best.  In 50 years of cats, I've never had one that had a problem with any shots, so "OK".  She is soon to get spayed.  But they want her to go into heat once to establish an in-between time for an easier operation.  THAT is new to me; vets always used to do it just by age.  Well, whatever is "better" is good.  Vets learn better ways through time like every other profession.

I did other routine stuff.  Kept the birdfeeders filled, cooked, cleaned the basement a bit.  Not like I was sitting on my butt watching TV.  Fought with the computer...

Probably some other stuff that escapes me at the moment...

But I think we are pretty much "more functional" again.

The Bramble And Sapling Jungle, Part 2

Well, the DR Brush mower is pretty fearsome.  It basically says that if you use it carelessly, you could lose a foot.  The blade under that shroud is very heavy, fast, and sharp.  You can't cut a 1.5" sapling into mulch with a simple lawn mower!  A word to the wise is sufficient...  I was careful.

Here is what the half of the backyard looked like before...

The cleared portion on the right; uncleared on the left...

The view from the deck.

And that was after an intial test of the DR brush mower.  I could tell it would work well.  It is self-propelled and can push over and mulch saplings up to about 1.5" diameter.  At the same time, it is a large machine for an individual and turning it around takes some effort.  But it mowed down the brambles mercilessly!!!

I wish I could say all it took was guiding it around the brambles, but there are limitations.  There were old 12' tree strumps.  There were 3" diameter saplings.  There were rabbit holes where a tire would spin helplessly.  I did the open areas first, and when I had to force the tires out of rabbit holes, I did.  The reverse propelled gear helped.

So then I was faced with saplings too large for the brush mower to push over and chop up.  I stopped.  I have to say that I sure liked the battery-powered hedge trimmer.  It cut the wild vines very well.  I still got stuck on a lot of falling brambles, but I found and old leather hunting jacket in a closet (I'm a bit of a "saver" and that was immune to bramble thorns.  It was so old I couldn't zip it closed (it was about 6" too small at the waist, LOL!) but as a cover, it worked well.

After hedge-trimming as many vines as I could from ground level to as high as I could reach, I went after the larger saplings with my electric chain saw.  I deliberately cut them about a foot high so that I knew where they were ( I wanted to know where they are for complete removal later).

That was several weeks ago.  Because after bending around awkwardly to chainsaw the saplings and haul them out of the vines and put them in piles for cutting the pieces to fit my hauling trailer (to bring them to a County place that makes free mulch)...

I woke up the next morning and couldn't stand up.  Yes, I mentioned that in a previous post and I'm just catching up.  I had 2 weeks of pain and used up 2 tubes of muscle relief ointment (Aspercreme, not that smelly type that athletes use to advertise their need for something).

A few days ago, I woke up and all was well with my back.  So, naturally, I went back at the yard work.  And more about THAT tomorrow...

After Some Thought...

Well, not posting in order to try to escape some bad habits has been interesting.  I would say it worked about half-well.  The successful part was finding the sites that kept me up all night for no really good reason  But, as I sit here, I have a glass of wine at and and a pack of cigs.

Apparently, I am still stuck with wine and cigs when I'm on the computer for any longer than it takes to check email.  Old habits die hard, and sometimes don't die at all.

But less is better.  There is a difference between a pack of cigs and 2 glasses of wine vs 4 packs and a bottle.  The less is because I've stopped visiting a discussion board that kept me worked up all night and a game site that has been failing for a couple years.

The discussion board is an atheist site.  I'm an atheist, for anyone who didn't know.  I spent a lot of time there over the past 2 years.  I enjoyed the discussions and arguments, and there sharp people there on both sides.  But I realized that I wasn't changing anyone's opinion.  The other atheists just agreed with me, and the theists (ranging from creationists to philosophical believers) were as unlikely to be convinced to change their views as I was.  So there doesn't seem to be much point in debating there.

The game site was a wonderful discovery some years ago.  I joined because there were free classical games (Risk, Hearts, Backgammon, Scrabble, etc) and I enjoyed that.  Then I discovered that, by joining the site for a modest fee, I could play more dedicated gamers and earn a rating.  That interested me. 

But the site is losing paying members (who normally feel a duty to complete a game) and the free players just leave the instant they aren't winning.  I just received an email notice that my annual membership is up for renewal.  I think I'll give it one more year, but I suspect that will be the last.  Which is a shame, because I really worked for all those rating points.  Still, nothing lasts forever.

I've been busy while I was away.  Not staying up all night meant I slept better and was more active in the daytime.  I'll post about that soon, by project. 

I've decided I enjoy posting about things I actually do myself that mean something around the house and yard than arguing with intractable people about topics that will never be resolved or playing games that don't mean much.

Bad Back

Mom used to say (in her last 10 years - 74 to 84 years) that "growing old isn't for sissies".  She had to stop playing golf at 75,  couldn't write letters at 76 or so, couldn't type letters after 78, and sufferred from Parkinson's Disease after that.

Dad felt the same way, but he was healthy to 90 and faded quickly over 2 years.  I like his pattern better...

OK, I'm "only" 67, but I'm beginning to understand what she meant.  It isn't so much that you are going to die someday (we all will), but the accumulation of small and large problems is hard to accept and get used to.  And the minor problems of middle age just get worse.

I've always been "annoyingly healthy" (no colds, no flu, no broken bones, no migraines, etc).  But as a single person determined to tackle hard work alone, strained muscles are a routine of my life.  Sometimes, I push my body a bit too far.  I usually get over it in a day or two, but sometimes not.  I threw a rock at a squirrel 30 years ago and strained my right rotator cuff.  Couldn't lift my arm above my head for months.  But it healed.

I stepped on a rock wrong once and limped for a week.  It healed.  Whenever I strain a mucle, it heals.  I'm just used to that happening.  I do something, it heals.  I don't bruise.  Cuts heal in a day.  You get used to that happening.

I think partly that it is because I age slower than most people.  I matured  slowly in high school behind the other guys.  Some of the athletic types were shaving at 14.  I didn't have to until college.  When they looked 30 in college, I looked 16.  I resented it then, but I like it now.

But time is catching up to me.  I first noticed that, when I twisted around doing work, I would sometimes get a muscle cramp in my side.  Then both.   I have always had a slight back problem, but it got worse over the decades.  I get muscle cramps in my legs while laying in bed.

The males of my paternal side live to old age in relative health (85+).  The males on the maternal side do not (65+).  I suppose I will average that.

My point is that I think I've hit the point where things start to go downhill.  Monday, I woke up after doing no particularly heavy work the day before, and I COULD NOT STAND UPRIGHT.  That was a shock.  I expected that I had just slept in a bad position all night.  But even after a hot shower, it didn't go away, and I limped around all day.  The pain was slightly behind the left hip.  Not the joint, the muscle.

I took a double dose of Ibuprofen, which helped.  Standing erect (once I stretched enough) was sort of OK,   Bending over was troublesome; bending back up was harder.  I discovered doing leg squats was the easiest.

I have Ibuprofen because I had one attack of gout in the 90s and aspirin was contra-indicated for that.  The Ibuprofen instructions say 1 pill per 4-6 hours, but the doctor then said 2 were just fine (unless there are problems) and I follow that.  I'm drug-resistant, so I need stronger doses.

And interestingly, the "bad" knee I've had for 10 years has been just fine lately.  When one problem arrives, another one goes away.  And I haven't had leg muscle cramps in weeks.  Maybe that's because I've been eating a banana each day or because I just haven't been able to work hard in the yard.

So here is the situation.  My back is not getting better.  But I'm NOT going to the doctor office while the flu is widespread.  Maybe I've never caught the flu, and I got the annual shot (started doing that only when Dad came to live with me, but decided not to stop), but it seems the current flu shot has only a 30% effectiveness and if I catch a bad case, there isn't anyone here to help.  So I will wait to heal the back.

At least I've learned to adjust to it somewhat.  If I stand erect most of the day, it lessens.  I even did some woodworking today.

So I'm expecting it to just heal naturally and not notice it suddenly in a few more days.

Meanwhile, it is annoying.  The birdfeeder and suet basket were empty this morning.  I dragged out the 8'ladder to refill it.  It sure didn't feel great!  But I managed it.  Life doesn't stop just because my back hurts.  The birds need the food.

I expect that, in a few days, I will feel back to normal.   But not today, and not tomorrow.

When I'm 77, this may be more of a problem.