A Chistmas Bulb

Everyone who grew up with Christmas as a Winter holiday has special Christmas memories.  I got lots of things as gifts as a child.

But today, I am remembering something of Dad's memories.  There used to be Christmas lights that had individual bulbs.  When I was a child, Dad had one from his own childhood.  It was a Santa Head.  It was oval, but had specific wrinkles in the beard and slightly raised eyes.  I can't even imagine how such things were made.

But, back then, the bulbs were all incandescent (with heated wire filaments that glowed for you young'uns).  They burned out regularly, causing the entire string to go dark.  Such bulbs typically lasted only a few years.

Well, Dad had this one Santa Head bulb that he cherished.  It just kept working.  Sometimes it took some tapping.  If you tapped old fimament bulbs, sometimes the heated ends would re-connect.  Some years, the bulb wouldn't light and Dad would keep tapping it in all directions.  And most years, it would light up again.

There came a day when it just didn't.  He spent time for days tapping at it on a light string he had in the basement for repairing stuff.  Finally, he understood it wasn't going to light up again.  I was probably about 12 then, and I wasn't there when he gave up trying to get the Santa bulb to light up "one more time".  But I noticed it sitting on his home desk for weeks.  And then, one day, it wasn't there.

When you are a child, you don't really understand your parents as having been children themselves once.  You just know them as "adults"  I think that, on the day I noticed the bulb missing from his desk, I understood that he had lost a precious childhood memory.  And maybe I grew up a little that day.

I found this image today.

It looks like the same one.  Memory says it is the same one.  Dad died in 2014.  When I brought him here to live with me in 2012, he might have remembered it, but he went downhill fast.  I wish I had thought to find and given it to him while he was here "compos mentis"...

New Mac Mini

I recieved a new Mac Mini today.  It has about 8x memory.  Setting it up will actually be easy.  Mac has something called a Time Machine that saves everything on the disk to an external one.  But sometimes you want to clean things up first.  It a good time to do that.  One of the things was to delete all those notifications I had about blog comments.  I had 15,000+!

I deleted those.  The comments are on the blog, so I mean just email notifications of them.  I have tendencies of a hoarder, so I have to clear things sometimes. 

I'm organizing my files a bit.  I have picture files organized into Cat, Home, Family, Yard, and Other.  Set up by year and month. There are a lot of loose files around those.  Sometimes when you want to save attachments and pics etc, the program doesn't let you get them to exactly the detailed folders I have.  That will take a day.  Or I can just save that "as is" and hope to do it later.  Won't take up any extra space. 

I'm going from 16 GB RAM to 128 RAM, so it not like a few files will be a problem.  The speed is faster, and that's good.  I was starting to get the "slows".  And it isn't the internet connection. 

Speed is relative...  When I remember that 9600kbs dial up seemed fast, I smile.  I used to think that several minutes to refresh a screen was great.   LOL!

I'm also going through the apps list to de-install many unused ones.  And ordered a new keyboard.  I can't touch-type, but I know where most of the keys are.  But so many are pounded to invisibility (is that the E or the R?).  I wanted a keyboard with the letters depressed (sunken) rather than decals but couldn't find one.  OH well.  I read about painting them with clear fingernail polish, so I will try that.  I also saw an overlay, but I don't think I would like THAT!

So, I may be off-and on for a few days, while everything gets set up again.  The world won't end at my end or yours. 

It also means that I have to upgrade to the latest Mac OS.  I tried that a few months ago, and it ruined a few old programs I liked.  But I tried it 2 days ago and they worked.  I hope that continues. 

Anyway, if I come and go until 2020 a bit, that's why.  Just wanted to let everyone know...

Dyed

Yeah, I dyed.  Rit "Emerald" to be specific.  I toss and turn at night.  Really rip out the seams of my undershirts twisting around.  So I bought some XL size undershirts.  Not loose enough.  So I bought some A Shirts.



Look immune from turning and tossing.   But really boring.   So I dyed them.  That was an adventure.  An hour in the laundry tub, 4 rinses in the washr.  I used to tie-dye. 

My hands are sort of green right now, LOL!

Cant wait to try one on, but they are still taking a trip through the dryer...

Mac Mini Upgrade

AFTER I figured out just WHAT I was trying to upgrade, it took about 3 days and separately 13 hours.  Well, I did have old programs...  And I thought it was a good idea to allow everything the MacKeeper software suggested in the full scan.

Everything went bad for several days,  but I think we are back in business.  The last struggle was to get the Firefox bookmarks back.  Bizarrely, Firefox-On-Mac now seems to "promise" that everytime you upgrade, they wipe your bookmarks.  As if that is a good thing.  I don't know how it works on Windows. 

But I found guidance about restoring an "old profile" and that seems to be the key to keeping bookmarks.

The new "look" is  white text on a black background.  It was a real surprise, and it doesn't look all that bad, but I found a way on "display" to restore that!  Jut getting things working again is good enough for now.

And, so far as I can tell, I got all my other programs updates to work with Mac OS Catalina 10.15.2, not that I see the benefits yet.  I'll play around on the puter to see if everything works. 

If anyone else is having similar problems, I may be able to help for a few days before the info fades away in memory.

BUT, I looked up the newer mac mini...

I went for a full new one.

So I just ordered the new mac mini.  It seems impressive.  The current one lasted 5 years.  The new one will probably last longer (seems about 5x the memory) AND it is a lot faster (and the current one still has the "slows" after all my work).

Cheers!

Real ID Program

The US Government started a program of pre-documenting US international airplane travellers here years ago.  The idea was that citizens' driver licenses would have a marker on them showing that proof of residency was documented.  Apparently, few people participated in that program.  And I'm not making any political statement here.  I don't object to proving who I am, within limits.

The program morphed...

So early this year, I received a notice from the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) saying that I had to present certain documents by December 12 2019 or I couldn't use my drivers license to prove who I was more airplane flights.  I ignored  it.  I don't plan on any flights in the future and it seemed "bothersome".

Then they said I wouldn't be able to renew my license without presenting the documents.  OK, Mine is good for 4 years, no rush. 

Then they said my license could be recalled if I didn't present the documents.  And that was a problem.  The documents included my Social Security Card, an original or certified copy of my Birth Certificate, 2 proofs of Maryland residency, and a Tax W-2 form.

Well, my Social Security Card was gone when I lost a wallet 30 years ago.  And since (as a Federal Employee) I was never qualified for Social Security anyway, so I didn't worry about it..  I also didn't have an original or certified copy of my Birth Certificate (just a photocopy).  And as a retired Federal Employee, I don't get a W-2  form (just a different one..

But since Maryland threatened to recall my license, I decided I had to comply.  There WERE allowances.  Other legal documents showing my Social Security Number were permitted, alternate tax forms were permitted.  Proof of State residency was acknowledged via utility bills, property tax bills, etc.  Photocopies were fine but I missed the part about the Birth Certificate having to be original or certified.

The website appointment section was unusable.  I don't know WHY government offices can't get such simple things to work.  I actually tried for several months.  I would fill in all the data and then the site would just "stop". 

So I called to make an appointment.  It only took 3 telephone menus and 20 minutes hold time, but I got through.  The agent was friendly and helpful.  I got a "15 minute wait time guarantee".  I arrived and was called up in 5 minutes.

My Birth Certificate photocopy was rejected.  I said it was all I had.  The agent expalined that I could drive to the State of my birth and get one or contact them by phone for instructions to mail me one.  OK.  Well, it WAS my fault I missed the "original or certified" requirement on the email they sent. 

So I got home and checked my birth State website, got instructions and started to write a letter.  But in filing away my "precious" birth certificate (BC) copy, I noticed a few other folded stuff in the file I got after Dad died. 

You guessed it, one was a certified copy of my BC!  I was amazed.

So I called the DMV again, dreading a weeks-long appointment back-up.  I have one for tomorrow!  All will be legal again...

I'm still not sure why the State government  was involved.  Probably some Federal threat of reduced funding.  I don't really blame them for it all.  And the Federal Government seems to have been merely trying to have been trying to speed up airflight check-in faster by pre-clearing passengers.

And, like I said, this isn't a political statement.  But it sure could have been easier and less-threatening a process.  And this is one of those situations where legal residents have to jump through some hoops and people wanting to be deceptive could have easily faked the documents.

Oh well, one more thing off the to-do list...

Found It!

Last December , I received an updated credit card.  New expiration date.  But since the old one was still good, I set it aside where I couldn't lose it.  I lost it. 

I knew it was in the house.  So it wasn't a matter of someone else finding it.  When the old one expired, I went nuts trying to find the new one.  You know, searching every coat pocket, looking under every stack of stuff, under the furniture, etc.  So I used the number where I didn't need to show the card.  Online, for recurring automatic payments, etc.

I found it today!  I was making holiday cards and lifted my pack of cardstock in the file cabinet drawer.  There it was...  I just stared for a moment, but that was exactly the kind of place I would have expected to EVENTUALLY find it.

Isn't it nice to have a year-long mystery solved?

Shutting Down For Winter

I use a coiled hose for watering the deck pots.  But when cold weather comes, I drain all the yard hoses and shut off the faucets so no freeze damage occurs.  And usually, I leave the coile one sitting around.  It's pretty awkward to store.  But this year I did...

Sometimes you just want things to be put away for the season properly...  I bought it about 10 years ago because that was the hose the people at the local DIY store were using.

After I bought it, I found the ratings were poor.  But it has worked great here.  Well, the worst thing you can do to any garden hose is leave it outside with water in it that freezes and expands.

I drain all my regular hoses carefully and they seem to last forever..  The coiled one is hard to drain.  So I held it over the deck and used an air pressure pump to force all the water out.  Even after I had let it drain over the edge of the deck, there was still a lot of water the air pump forced out.

NOW I'm satisfied it won't have any freeze problems over Winter and it can sit safely in the original holder!

Daily Stuff

I spend yesterday in the basement.  It needed some work...

I had too many things sitting out that needed to be put away.  I had leftover pansies that needed to be under lights until I get them outside.  I had garden supplies all over the place that needed to be put away in some orderly fashion.

I had an outside plastic watering can that was ruined because I kept unscrewing the top off to get toads out.  Why they loved being in the top is beyond my comprehension, but eventually the screw top broke.

My in-line vent humidifier had failed, so I had ordered a few new parts.

I had 4' fluorescent bulbs in the light stand that had died.

There was ice under the basement fridge freezer.

So I got to work at it all...

I replaced the dead bulbs in the light stand.  I'm fussy about the bulbs.  The best for seedlings are 5000-6000 lumens.  I don't have garden seedlings growing, but I'm growing celery, basil and 4 kinds of lettuce.

I have 2 shelves under a part of the stairs, so I organized them all by type on the shelves, and got my table saw top cleaned of them.  I have a sliding cover system for the shelves, but that is for another day.

I looked at the watering can and decided it might be repairable.  If I cut the spout to allow te spray head to just fit in, rubber contact cement might work.  So I tried cutting it with my hack saw and made no progress.  But I had a 2nd hacksaw (small and designed for narrow cuts) it cut right through.  Apparntly, I need a new blade on the larger hacksaw.

I shook up the rubber cement contact cement as directed.  Applied it to the water can and the sprayer part separately.  Now, understand that when you use contact cement, it wants to adhere immediately.  No twisting or anything.  "CONTACT", right?

And I wanted to move it a bit.  Well, I decided that it could be fast but not "intsantaneous".  So, I set the watering can into a vice, held the spout in position, and then smacked the spout with a rubber mallet!  And then brushed more contact cement around the joint.  I'll find out if that worked tommorrow.

Then I went at the humidifier.  My original one was a turning sponge in a tray of water.  That worked well.  But it eventually died and I tried one that had water dripping over a ceramic honeycomb.  That was wasteful.  It was like a badly dripping faucet.

So I bought a new one like the first.  It was good for several years.  But you had to remove all the water mineral deposits from the rotating sponge and tray water once a month.  I'm not great at routine maintenance...

But it is better than wasting water like the drip system.  So I bought a new rotating sponge and some other parts.  And set about installing them.  What a frustrating experience.  Every connection leaked.

I finally surrounded all the threads with pipe tape and tightened them as hard as i dared.  The floater (that controls the level of water in the tray) was counterintuitive.  A screw adjust the level where the float shuts off new water inflow.  But loosening the screw REDUCES the inflow.  That threw me off for a while.  Because when you put pressuse on the adjustment screw, it actually increases the waterflow while you are adjusting the screw to reduce the waterflow.  The pressure of the screwdriver fools you.

I finally figured that out.  It's working perfectly now.

The basement refrigerator is 25 years old.  It probably costs me more money than the stuff I keep in it.  Last month, I noticed a lump of ice in the refrigeration area and chipped it off.  It's growing again.  My currebt refrigerator is 15 years old and it doesn't recoup the cool temp very well.  I'm thinking of buying a pure refrigerator for the kitchen and a separate dedicated freezer for the basement.

Anyone who has done the like it?

Lots more things to do in the next few days.  I looked at the trees and they have no more leaves, so I can mow the leaves into the lawn when it gets dry in a few days. 

Shopping On Black Friday

Well, I don't.  I hate crowds.  In fact, the only place I will shop today is the grocery store.  I'm out of fresh fruit, lettuce, and milk.

In fact, I probably won't be in any store until after New Years Day.  So thank you Amazon!  No crowds THERE!

I placed an order there Wednesday (why wait?).  My sponge mop sponge fell apart and wasn't available locally, so I needed a new replacement sponge.  I ordered 2.  I doubt they will be available in a few years. 

I ordered a pack of tank top undershirts.  If that seems odd, its because I twist and turn a lot in bed and rip the seams of regular V-Neck ones.  Walmart never has the tank tops in my size. 

I ordered a cheap plastic watering can.  The reviews suggested that most more expensive models all had the same problems, but the cheaper one sometimes had pinhole leaks.  I can fix that easily.  So if I have to repair a pinhole leak in most, cheap is OK.

Mom sent me 2 microwave-safe plates decades ago.  I ruined one recently by trying to cook bacon on it.  The plate was M/W safe, but not "hot-oil" safe. 

Finally, I was watching an episode of 'Good Eats" with my favorite cook, Alton Brown.  He was using a mandolin.  Now, I ENJOY prepared veggies and using knives.  And I have some really good knives (Wusthof Classic - Got it 30% when a store went out of business).  But as I get older, my hands are wobblier.

So the idea of a mandolin was interesting.  Consumer Report said Zyliss had the best of basic models.  Safe, accurate, easy to use, and dishwasher safe.  So I ordered one as a gift to myself (who knows what you really want better than you do yourself, right?).

I have a Vegamatic in an closet.  It works but takes forever to clean.  I'll be glad to throw it away...

You ever buy As Seen On TV stuff?  Sometimes I do.  The Ginsu knives were good.  I actually tossed a ripe tomato at one of the knives and it did fall into 2 halves!  So was a stackable food container system (and wish I had more of them). 

So shopping is going to be entirely online for 6 weeks...  Except food.

Cleaning Leads To More Cleaning

All I wanted to do was clean the bathroom.  I did the usual from up to down and then it came time to mop the floor.

The sqeezie sponge disintegrated!  The local stores did not stock a replacement.  So, I wiped the floor with small towel from a bucket.  And then wiped it again with clean water.  The mats were drying after being soaked in the laundry tub with a bit of laundry detergent.  After they were rinsed several times the next day outside (garden hose and I left them out to be rained on), I waited for them to dry.

They wouldn't.  Cold humidity is really useless for drying.  It took 5 days for them to get half dry and then I just dragged them into the basement and waited.  And waited.  So they eventually dried and I was ready to put them back in place.

But there was dry grit on the floor, so I decided to vacuum the floor with my stick vacuum.  After a pass, there was more dirt on the floor then before.  Oh damn.  So I dragged the larger cannister vacuum out.  That was useless!  No pickup at all.

So I checked the both for being filled.  The stick bagless container was empty.  The cannister bag was empty.  That meant problems.

I'm not the world's best fix-it guy.  But I can try some things by logic.  It took 15 minutes to figure out how to take the cannister suction head apart.  I got the screws all loose easily, but nothing wanted to come aprt.  Which made no sense.  What were the screws for?

It occurred to me to turn the suction head over.  Then the top came right off.  You wouldn't belief what I found inside!  The entire suction head was packed with cat hair.  There was almost an entire cat in there.  And to be fair given the length, a fair amount of my own hair.

I started by just picking stuff out from the brushes.  Then I realized it was far more involved.  I got some pliers to pull more out. But if I had it to do over again, I would have brought it to the garage and used the air compressor and blow it all out faster.

On the other hand, I know more about the insides of the suction head, so maybe it was worth it.  In any case, when I put it back together, it worked like NEW!  Dang the sucker (literally) worked great.  So I did the rest of the house.

That's how things go sometimes.  You try to do a small thing and it turns into a big thing and you are glad you did it.  I did the whole kitchen like that last week.  Started with cleaning the M/W and the entire kitchen was clean 3 hours later.

And I did get the bathroom mats set back in place...

Product Question

I have a 60" LED TV.  The sound is "OK".  I've looked at ratings for sound bars at Consumer Reports and Amazon.  What I can't figure out is whether a sound bar would actually provide better sound than the TV already does that I would care about.

And the price varies so much!  Is any of it worth it?