I tried to return the ECM to O’reilly’s, and it fell through, not because of denial, but incompetence. Now I will say it wasn’t total incompetence, just specifically how to bring up an online order on their computer. I need to go back on chilly Monday to talk to the manager, who might know.
Light rain today, not the warm sunny day that was forecast earlier. No scooter riding. Today doesn’t seem to be going my way.
I installed a plastic cover for the broken pane in the attic window. That involved extending the step ladder (Werner MTLAA-17, 375 lb test, 35 lbs, OSHA compliant ). It is one overbuilt monster that no one will steal. It is a full cardio exercise routine just to straighten and extend it, not to mention climbing it. It’s impossible to run with it. But alas, the gaping window pane is no longer open to the elements. Let the cold front blow, I’m ready for it. So is the bathroom.
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So that was pretty much the one project for the day. I made a run to the store for a staple gun and syrup. I had waffles for brunch, as I need to reduce the content of the kitchen freezer after buying kolaches, and it’s the bulkiest for the mass, an obvious target, and the syrup is getting low. But technically, the staple gun was the primary purpose for the run, and part of the window project. I don’t use staple guns often, and borrowing one is more trouble than buying one.
So I’m done for the day, off the clock. I may take a spin on the scooter. It’s in the mid 60s, sunny, calm. A fine day for it.
I haven’t thawed shrimp or rib eye. I may do something else, something easier. I’m in quick fix mode, and I might be until the front arrives. I still have a pork chop to fix. And brie and pate, tamales, brats, chicken fajitas, etc. I need fresh tortillas, minis, not sure what else. The weekend stocking list is pretty thin. But that is tonight or tomorrow morning. I’m not making another midday store run.
I need to get a refund on the ECM. I keep putting it off. Tomorrow would be a good day for it. I need to get the paperwork together.
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I found out that Myka likes pâté more than brie.
Down to quick fix, with the exception of one pork chop left. I had one for a late lunch, with the usual over easy egg. Fish sandwich for dinner. Basically eating light, which is what my body desires. I haven’t thawed the shrimp or rib eye yet, I’m waiting for my appetite to kick back in.
I made a quick run to the store late in the morning for kolaches, using the side entrance. It was the only thing I needed, I was down to one in the freezer. I also paid rent on storage. I need to take the damaged ECM back for a refund. It would more than double the mad money, which is doing well this month. I’d definitely have to spend some money (like on a pressure washer, etc).
Another afternoon in the 50s, comfortable enough. It is forecast for mid 30s tonight. Forecast for the weekend is another cold front, with a moderate freeze. The pane of the attic window is broken, which allows wind to blow through the attic and into the bathroom. And it allows rain in. It needs fixing in the next couple of days, even if it’s just temporary.
Myka had oat grass today, first time this week. And she had her first taste of chicken and tuna wet food, which she likes. She hung out in the office this evening, seeming to like the warmth. Her purees arrived today, a couple of days early.
So did the glass mortar and pestle, which was a little disappointing. It was smaller than expected, and the pestle had a trace where the two pieces of the mold joined too loosely. I had to carefully break it off all the way around and smooth it down so it could be usable. But it is usable now, and cleaned. I will have to dig up my old one from storage, a far nicer one. But in the meantime, it is usable.
Not much else going on. I slept a lot today.
The cheesecake has fallen, the last of the NYD menu is history. I am freed of the holiday cuisine. Now I can eat jumbo shrimp cocktail and rib eye, baby back rib tacos and TLT sandwiches. Nothing on the menu preordained, purely by whim and hunger. Nothing says it can’t be extravagant, only spontaneous. It can also mean not eating much, if the appetite is thin.
The TLC tacos are also gone, Myka and I enjoyed immensely. And I had a pork chop and over easy egg for a late lunch. A few chips. A light day. Porkspuds tonight, to do in the spuds and diced pork loin. Getting close to quick fix until I thaw shrimp and rib eye.
Trash is on the curb, dishes washed, Myka fed, ice in the bin. I need to fold laundry, the only chore undone.
I have been hanging in the office with the door shut. The temp has been around 80°F (±3°F). The crack under the door allows for transfer of the central heat, but it blocks the drafts. I just got tired of cold feet and the alpaca poncho. Not quite a sauna, but still heat therapy. It’s the same as the AC, as long as there is a pocket of the proper temperature, I can handle the ambient.
My primary physician doesn’t want to see me for six months. And I got a referral for a local optometrist. And I have an appointment for the new cardiologist in a couple of weeks. All in all, except for the blood pressure, I seem to be doing well. So I can forget about most of it until summer.
I got Myka wet food, not her favorites, but close enough. And trash bags and Reese’s Pieces. I had enough mad money for it. It was easier than cash. There isn’t anything else that I need at this point.
I need to feed Myka her wet food. I’ve been putting it off until I got back from the appointment. Right now I’m winding down. I need to skin, debone, and dice TLC. Fill the ice bin and refill trays. Wash a few dishes. Start a load of laundry. Eat dinner. I have things to do, now that my time is my own again.
I replaced the blades in the Norelco, something I should have done sooner. I gave the head a thorough cleaning.
Mid 50s this afternoon. Partly cloudy. Wind from the north is setting down, it was pretty frisky earlier today. Looks like a cool down this coming weekend.
The chicken just went from the fridge into the top loader. The TLT and boudin were moved over to the top of the pit pile (shrimp, turkey, ice zipper bags, etc). A little more work to get to the shrimp, but it works. And there is an original TLC in the sink, thawing. Tacos on the menu.
I ordered more puree for Myka from Amazon. I had a problem getting to $35 ($34.98) without going over $50, so I dropped the beef and ordered a glass mortar and pestle, which was $1 more. It’s easier than digging through a mountain of storage for my old one. They’re due Friday.
There’s not a lot else in the works yet. (Fold laundry, check tire pressure.) I woke up cold this morning, and the hair dryer didn’t help. So I broke down and shut the office door this morning. It keeps the drafts from the rest of the house from entering, raising the temp up to 8°F warmer from having the door open. My heating pad in my lap also helped bring up my core temp.
Still on the sluggish side. Activity comes in small spurts.
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I made a store run, against my better judgement. The store was crowded, traffic jams in the aisles. But I only had to traverse two aisles, one to the rear, one back, ending up at self-checkout. No waiting at the register. I got the second closest parking spot from the door, as it was vacated. It could have been much worse.
So I got chips, hotdogs, and dried peas (split and black eyed). I won’t run out of anything. The only thing that needs cooking is TLT, so it’s pretty easy now. Rib eye this week, but it’s for immediate consumption, not freezing.
I need to get ready for the appointment with my primary tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise, my schedule is my discretion.
Recipe chicken (unseasoned, so as not to influence recipes when added) is in the oven. TLC to follow on the second batch. There were 11 quarters in the bag, 6 recipe, 5 TLC. I gave a full pan to recipe, as its freezer bag is on the counter, empty. The TLC bag is still in the freezer with three quarters in it, hence less need for it. This is not to say that I dislike tequila lime chicken, quite the contrary. It’s just the nature of the recipes on the menu. I haven’t been eating many TLC tacos or recipes like penne alfredo lately.
Laundry is running. Myka’s cabana has been scooped. The horde has been treated, as has Myka (fresh container opened). Myka was brushed. I aired out the cooler in the truck. Dishes have been washed. The ice bin was filled, as were the ice cube trays. What a difference the mid to upper 50s make. I’ve even considered opening up the house, though I wouldn’t until it reaches 70s (unless something was smoking badly). I have resisted a store run today, it’s too busy for my taste. Many have not resisted the busiest time of the week, with an added warm up to get them out of the house.
So, a fairly busy day thus far. All the stuff that I dislike doing in the 30s have been ministered. It is a big relief to get out of the prolonged, near-freezing weather.
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Recipe chicken is bagged, TLC is rubbed and in the oven. Fingers still get cold in tap water. Laundry is in the dryer. I’ve pretty much taken care of the daylight chores. All I’ve got left to do is cool and freeze chicken, wash the chicken pan, tongs, and thermometer, feed Myka her wet food and puree, and fold laundry. A fairly short list. Tomorrow will be a lumper. Maybe a store run, or maybe Monday afternoon after the clinic appointment.
I’ll probably prep the pork loin while the TLC is roasting, and have a pork spud for dinner. Add a knife and cutting board to the wash list.
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Pork loin was prepped (Myka had nibbles), TLC bagged, oven cooling, dishes washed and put away. Dryer load getting close to done. Sun below the skyline. I timed it all pretty well. Putting the chicken in the fridge to cool, making dinner, and giving Myka a puree stick is all I have left to do today.
I may pull a TLC quarter from the freezer to thaw (prior batch) tomorrow when I transfer the new batch to the freezer. I’m sure Myka would love the nibbles. And I’d enjoy TLC tacos. I am back on normal dining routine (anything goes). Rib eye next week is my expectation.
I am just posting to report that nothing is happening this morning. Hudathunket…
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No sooner did I write that, than I decided to make a store run in the morning cold in a cold truck. Chicken quarters (10 lb), brie, pâté, crackers, and minis. I could have gotten chips, but I didn’t think of that until I got home. Oh well, I have the crackers and stuff to put on them that Myka will enjoy. I can get chips close by.
Also, I’m thawing an end section of pork loin to go with the remaining spuds and as pork chops w/an over easy egg. So I am making the transition from holiday cuisine to every day eats in proper style.
Now I can get back to nothing happening, which is already in progress.
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And nothing happened. I was just not up to roasting chicken. A mild and lingering headache, fatigue, aches and pains, cold, nothing was happening. Myka got fed, albeit late. No dishes were washed, though there aren’t many. Laundry not done. It was just dreadfully sluggish, temps down in the 30s all day.
I lost a pastrami sandwich, waiting too long. Cheesy, gooey grunge starting to form on the slices. My mistake in not giving it a better priority. Oh well, it served its purpose on NYD, and it was the only loss of any of the four holiday menus. I shouldn’t feel too bad about it. (Hey, I didn’t eat it, and I am not going to starve. I am far better at food management than most.) It’s just hard to see pastrami go bad.
I had already applied mustard to one of the slices of bread, so I opened the pack of hotdogs in the fridge. It was as antithetical a choice as I could have made, symbolically closing the door on the holidays.
I still have 3 pieces of cheesecake to eat. They’re in good shape. I keep the fridge cold, 33°F. It helps preserve the food. I could have made a pork loin potato, but it was just too much effort. I’ll bounce back, and it will warm up tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, there will be roasted chicken and TLC tomorrow. It’s not a laborious task until bagging and storing (fridge, freezer).
My new cardiologist was a no show this morning. I didn’t take the call that would have saved me the trip. It was cold but survivable for the short haul. No long hauls though. The more aggravating part is the soak yesterday that could have been avoided with a sponge bath. No phone call was soon enough to avert that. Alas…
I had thought to go to the store after the appointment, but I decided that it wasn’t worth prolonging the experience. I came straight home. Maybe when it hits the 50s. Today won’t vary more than 3°F. Rain is on the way. I don’t need anything today.
So anyway, the weekend is mine. I get to unwind, be normal in my way of being normal. No schedule other than Myka’s requests. Eat food at my own pace, lump a lot, stay dry and warm.
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It’s still cold, dropping a couple of degrees since this morning. Add to it, it started raining, lightly, but nonetheless. It’s miserable outside, and not exactly cheery inside. Myka is in her aerie in the front room, as far off the floor as she can manage. I’m in my house poncho to conserve heat.
I’m down to one serving of peas, and my plan is to double down on the cheesecake, twice a day for a few days to finish it out. Pastrami sandwiches will be the focus for the next two days. I can finish off menu #4 with a little effort. Then there will be shrimp cocktail, rib eye, and other routine items (tamales, brats, boudin, fish fillets, etc).
I may have figured out a way to adjust the freezer so that I can roast a bag of chicken quarters.
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It rained 1.75″ today, and more is due, though it’s getting close to the trailing edge of the rain mass, moving east. Another 3 or 4 hours, at the outside. Maybe 2″ total, at max.
I had pizza for dinner, a nice change of menu as the NYD items dwindle away.
I know it’s going to get boring as the holiday season fades away, but it was mostly being marooned in the height of celebrations, having to deal with it solo, time after time. I welcome the boring season, so I can be bored along with everyone else now. No special menus to compensate. I can eat whatever strikes me as proper. Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoyed the holiday menus. But they were prescribed, not spontaneous. I look forward to eating what my mood tells me to eat.
Three 2 quart tubs of beef stew are in the fridge, ready for transfer to the freezer. The remainder is inside me. I got 6.5 quarts of stew, which means that a pint of water evaporated from the crock during the 22 hours it was there. The remaining pint filled my bowl and vanished. I’d gladly eat more, but I have other items in the fridge that need eating. I’ll appreciate it when I thaw it, somewhere down the road.
I was planning on washing the crock last night, but it’s still soaking in the sink. Nothing burned or caked, I just didn’t want cold hands, and I fell asleep before I could change my mind. Everything else is washed. All other chores are done as well.
It’s near freezing this morning, and it’s questionable as to whether it will freeze or not. If it does, nothing needs tending because of it.
The only things I need to do today are freeze the stew, get myself ready for tomorrow morning’s introductory appointment with my new cardiologist, and as always, tend to Myka’s needs and demands.
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Stew is in the freezer, and boy, did it pack it tight. Over half the contents came out to rearrange the top shelf. Zero room to spare. But it’s nice to have it on call when the craving beckons. It’s a good batch.
Now part of my mind is considering a chicken quarter roast, though another part is considering available freezer space. The topologist part is cursing a roaring streak at the rest of my brain. And the part that was considering a bag of ice (horizontal) to avoid having to deal with making ice cubes is cowering in the corner. And the part that focuses on the sensations and actions of frozen hands is trying to figure out what Low Spark of High Heeled Boys really means.
It appears to have reached freezing at the airport for about an hour, but it never reached 31.0°F. That infers that there was no freezing in town, though not by much. It was still cold, I just didn’t have to flush the pipes. The oat grass survived the morning outside.
More sitting around, staying wrapped and warm, getting through these days and nights. I never much cared for winter, even as a kid. Granted, shelter from summer’s burn is welcome, but freezing is not my thing, unless it’s something I cooked.
29°F at 5 am. I ran the water and I was surprised at how warm it was, water in the mains is almost 60°F, nothing below 47°F. Definitely unusual, but the thermometer is true.
Broke a thumbnail opening Myka’s bag of kibbles. They glue it exceptionally sealed. She was excited to have fresh food.
The stew is progressing, minimal foam. Gave it its first stir at 7 hours into the cooking. Somewhere in the range of 12 hours to go. Carrots and potatoes are still stiff. Pretty much what I’m expecting at this point.
A slow night, plenty of sleep, keeping warm in alpaca. I swapped the sliders for walking shoes.
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About 2.5 hours to go. The carrots are tender, and the beef is there, but the spuds need a tiny bit more. It lost about a pint of water in the process, and rather than dilute it, I’ll just go with lighter than full crock. I have over 6 quarts, and anything over gets eaten now. The six quarts (3 X 2 qt) goes to the freezer for down the road, as the project was originally intended. I have enough food in the fridge to hold me over. And I’ll definitely appreciate it when the tubs are thawed.
Sunny and in the mid-40s to 50°F around town. People are out and stirring. Trash is out on the curb, recycling is in the bin. The truck started (it didn’t go anywhere). Things are pretty much nailed down.
I still need to fold laundry. I need to feed Myka her wet food. And maybe a round of oat grass, if it perks up from being inside without watering. Other than that, I need to eat. Peas, pastrami, and cheesecake need my focus. The stew will take another 4 to 6 hours to cool down in the crock before I can measure it off and eat the remainder.
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There was no freeze here in November or December, so this morning is the first freeze of the season. Currently 30°F. It may drop another degree or two. I’m wearing my household alpaca poncho.
I did not get started on the stew yesterday. I expect to get on it today, after the sun comes up. I’m not in a big hurry, as nothing is close to spoiling. The spuds have a few small eyes, plenty of time there.
Starting to come around on the R&R from the RnR. Not bouncy yet, but getting a little steam going. Not complaining. It was well worth it to get in at least one party this season, before hard winter set in. It did my psyche a world of good to get in a quality jam session.
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The sun finally came up, and the freezing temps departed by 10:30 am. Doesn’t feel any warmer. The coldest I saw the temp in the plumbing was 43°F, despite it being down to 27°F outside. The oat grass is back outside in the sunshine. I may need to change footwear, sliders are a little on the cool side, even with the thermal socks.
I haven’t started on the stew yet. I’m waiting on it to get closer to 40°F. I need to fold laundry as well. Not many dishes, flatware and the avocado bowl, they can wait too.
Myka and I worked on the brie, over half way gone now. I discovered that she likes me to cut off the skin so that she can relish the creamy part. Picky, picky. But she does love it immensely.
I had thoughts of starting the truck this morning, at least in the abstract. I had no true intention of sitting in a freezing truck without a transportive purpose. I’ll trust that it now starts below 0°C.
However, I was on the freezing porch, breaking up part of what was left of the bag of ice I got for the road Saturday. I was not in the mood to work the ice cube trays this morning. I may go get another bag for the freezer. It will hold one full bag horizontally. I need to dump the water from the cooler first. I also need to use up what’s in the freezer.
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The heat was turned on the crock pot at 9:20 pm. With a 20 hour max cook time (18 – 20, first two hours on high, the remainder on low), the heat should be turned off at dark tomorrow (5:30 pm). The crock is filled to the brim, patted down flush. From bottom to top for the start, carrots, onion, potatoes, mixed veggies, roast. Two quarts of beef brother, half a cup of water to top it off. Seasoning (mild: garlic, basil, thyme, maybe a bit more after a taste test) will be added after the meat starts getting tender. This one is veggie loaded, so I want a taste test before the final commitment. Not much to do tonight except make sure it doesn’t foam over. The beef is lean, so I don’t expect too much. After an hour on high, the beef is just starting to gray. It’s a big potful. No photo ops tonight.
I didn’t add six of the smaller potatoes to the stew, so I have those to fix. It would have overloaded the crock if I had. There would have been fewer mixed veggies (1.5 lb). I’ll figure something to do with them. It’s a good balanced mix. Four big carrots, a dozen spuds, a little over four pounds of roast. Until the stew is done, I have plenty of food that needs consuming. This is more of a freezer project than a meal for the present. But the cool weather may have one tub avoiding the freezer.
Prep dishes are washed. The discard is all in the trash. So it will be an easy gathering tomorrow. Not much left to do tonight, eat, fold laundry, flush pipes. The labor intensive part is behind me. So it’s snooze and lump time. 32°F at the airport, 34°F in town, at 10:30 pm. A slow cooling tonight, less than a degree/hour. More being alert to the weather for changes than anything else.
It is aggravating when I get one of Myka’s guard hairs in my ear, rubbing up against the drum.
I wore myself out in several ways yesterday, and today added a little to it.
I started the day yesterday grabbing as much sleep as I could, which wasn’t a lot, but I managed on what I got. Then I nailed down the house and loaded the truck with the minimal, Egee, canvas travel bag, blanket and pillows (not used, an in case decision), and libations. I grabbed a bag of ice on the way out, pulling out of town at 11 am.
I cashed the check at the bank drive through, then headed on up to Bryan. At highway speed, and especially 70 mph and above, the engine missed a few times. It’s not serious, but it needs to be addressed. I arrived and spent the next four hours in conversation.
Then I unloaded the gear and parked myself out in the shed. I tuned the Egee and played a couple of tunes to test its sound, and I got plugged in and was given a hot mike. Then for the next two hours, I was told to keep playing. Even though there were leaders about, I was the only one leading. I offered repeatedly to step down, but I was not allowed to quit being the sole leader. I was surprised that I made it beyond 30 minutes. I was finally allowed to quit when my voice started failing on the hard notes.
I stayed another five hours, listening to the 70s RnR covers that the band that followed me played. There wasn’t anything that made it past 4 measures that I didn’t recognize, most within 1 measure. I also socialized with friends that I haven’t seen in quite some time. It was a good makeup party, helping for what I missed with the truck being down. All in all, a grand night.
I left at midnight. I arrived home at 1 am after filling the truck with gas. I didn’t get much in the house before I passed out. I woke for a bit, then passed out again. When I woke again, I realized that if I was going to make a store run or forget it. I didn’t forget. I got out the door.
I got 5 lb of chuck roast, 3 qt of beef broth, carrots, and frozen mixed veggies to go with the bag of gold potatoes I had to make a batch of stew in the slow cooker. So I’m waiting for inspiration. Hasn’t arrived yet and I’m not pushing for a quick process. There is a fair bit of prep. However…
The last of the warmth is disappearing, and we will be skipping freezing temps in the mornings all week, with a couple of moderate freezes, Mon/Tue mornings. Highs will be in the 40s. Definitely alpaca weather. We need a good bug killing freeze. It’s also prime stew weather, inspiration.
I finished off the avocado with potato chips for brunch. I need to get busy on the cheesecake, and there are a bunch of peas left. Cornbread is in the freezer. Brie is almost half gone. Pastrami will fill the cracks. There is no shortage of oven projects this winter. TLT, TLC, recipe chicken, stew, rib eye, no shortage,
I need to catch up on sleep. It’s hard for me to stay awake.
Feeling the side effects from the flu shot. Pretty mild, except the aches and chills. It’s in the 50s, and I’m in my house alpaca poncho. Arm is a tad sore if moved in certain ways. Better than the flu, which is spiking in the general area, but fairly low in the county.
So I’m spending time covered, staying warm, which helps. Not a lot of appetite. I can’t blame the vax for that, though. Digestive system is loaded and peas are on the gassy side. I need to eat avocado this morning. No plans for the day, except to get to feeling better.
I have decided to make another batch of beef stew early next week. Shoulder roast is on sale, and I have a bag of potatoes to use up. I may freeze all of it, since I have ample food in the fridge.
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I ate avocado with potato chips, making a decent dent in the supply with a minimal intake. I also had a wedge of brie with crackers, same principle. Eat the perishables and little else. I haven’t eaten much else, a snack or two for my stomach to churn. Cornbread is in the freezer door. Finishing up the jambalaya is next.
The side effects from the flu shot are easing up. Still a little, but nothing that I can’t handle.
Windows have been open this afternoon. It’s the start of a three day warming spell. Thinking of the logistics for tomorrow’s turnaround (or overnighter).
After four missed tries, thanks to the truck and Myka, I finally got the flu vaccination. Whew! I napped this morning, and woke an hour before the appointment. I got washed up and fresh clothes, and I arrived at the proper time.
The battery is getting sluggish when starting. I can’t help but think that the overloading starter abuse during downtime contributed to its decline. I’ve got one waiting to take its place and for jumps, if needed, until I swap it.
I was not hungry this morning, but I managed to get a kolache inside me about 7 am, three hours later than usual. I’m still not hungry, but my imagination is telling me how tasty the options are for brunch. I didn’t have jambalaya yesterday. That would suit Myka.
So now is the big open calendar, a void just begging to be filled. There is Saturday’s jam in Bryan. And the torque wrench is scheduled for delivery in an hour or three. A couple of appointments at the clinic, just consultations, no treatments or tests. Nothing else on the horizon. Not that it bothers me. I have enough to keep me busy for the rest of winter.
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The torque wrench arrived. It’s a little heftier than I expected. I’m also happy to see the 1/2″ to 3/8″ adaptor, as I can now use a 1/2″ drive as a breaker bar on the spark plugs. I hope to get them changed out this weekend, last days in the 70s for a while, a slight tropical bulge before the polar vortex descends. I’m digging up torque specs on the truck, especially the spark plugs.
The check arrived today, I can cash it on the way to Bryan on Saturday morning. The trash bin is back in place. Everything has been put away in its proper place (sans the chaos).
Waiting for sunlight. A traditional winter pastime.
I was awake at midnight, it was a bit anticlimactic. I didn’t take the celebration too seriously. There weren’t any fireworks close enough to make Myka hide, but it made her nervous enough to regurgitate the shrimp she had from the jambalaya.
Today, two chores. 1) Archive email, mail, and receipts (biannual). 2) Eat.
Breakfast: Bacon spudacado.
Brunch: Brie and crackers.
Lunch: Pastrami and swiss sandwich.
Dinner: Black eyed peas and buttered cornbread.
Dessert: NY cheesecake.
Portions will be relatively small, so as not to overtax the anatomy for the following days’ appetite.
The torque wrench is in Dallas and is due tomorrow, a day early. I don’t have an immediate use for it, but I’m sure time will find it not going entirely idle, with the ongoing truck upgrade. I have needed one on several occasions in the last few months while working on the truck and winged it. It is the only extraneous item that I plan on purchasing this month, in order to get mad money back to SOP levels.
Today is the annual farewell to the holiday season and greeting general detachment. Even though I missed out on the celebrations, I’m ready for the season to end. I’ve had enough of the hype, I’m ready for a little generic dissociation.
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Well, I just had lunch, the labor intensive ones are done. Yeah, peeling and chopping a potato, cutting up bacon, unwrapping brie, and making a sandwich are labor intensive. But the peas are ready to heat, cornbread ready to butter, and cheesecake has to be put on a plate. By comparison, it’s downhill all the way.
Much to my consternation, Myka has discovered brie. She smelled the piece I cut, and showed interest, so I gave her a small test piece. It stuck to her nibble dish, and I had to hold it in place for three minutes while she licked it clean. If I hadn’t, it would have gotten pushed all over. I am in trouble. I’ll not eat brie alone again.
Sunny day, 60°F, mild NE breeze. Good enough to scooter. But I haven’t been outside. I’m getting ready to archive, get trash to the curb, wash a few dishes. I slept after the first two courses. After the third, it’s time to get to work. I’ve got about two hours of daylight left.
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The peas, cornbread, and cheesecake went down easily. Portion control was the key to getting all these items in the menu and delighting in each one. Now I have a mountain of food to consume. I will definitely make an honest effort to see that none of it spoils. Jambalaya, avocado, and cornbread are the top priorities. Then the peas get the focus. The pastrami, brie, and cheesecake will certainly be in there, but they’re in the back seat until the others are almost gone. There will be at least one piece of cheesecake eaten each day until it’s gone. One down, eleven to go.
The next cooking venture will be roasting chicken. I’m in no hurry, but I expect it fairly soon, a week or two. I have no focus on recipes using it, but it is one of the base items in the freezer. Its absence is not excusable. The dire need may appear in a matter of seconds.
I got all the chores behind me. Last minute dishes were last to get done. Mail, email, receipts were all archived. Trash is on the curb. Myka got her salad and puree. Horde got treats. Kitchen tidied. I’m off the clock for NYD. No further expectations for the day.
Flu shot tomorrow morning. I do not want to miss this appointment.
It’s just turned payday, and I already made the first purchase of the year, even though it’s not even 2025 yet. I got a 1/2″ drive torque wrench, with a 1/2″ to 3/8″ drive adaptor (cheaper than 2 torque wrenches). It’s click indicated, rated at 10 – 150 ft-lbs, so it should handle any job my truck throws at it. Delivery is due on Friday. That will be the only extraneous purchase from the bank account this month. Fortunately, a check is in the mail.
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I was planning on cooking the black eyed peas yesterday, but I didn’t get to it. But I’ve got all day today, so no big deal. I was a little saddle sore from the scooter range test.
I took the scooter out on the last beautiful day for a while and ran the battery from full to empty. I managed to time the final turn of the wheel to right in front of the house. Total range for my mass on the local hilly roads is 9.3 miles (according to my GPS app), which is a bit better than I expected. Uphill speed ranged from 6 – 14 mph, depending on the slope. Downhill coast maxed at 28 mph. All in all, it was an enjoyable ride, starting with a 4 X 2 block pattern, then narrowing to around the block as the power faded.
The charge took 4 hours. The math showed that it cost 2.4¢ for the charge, or 0.25¢/mi. That’s 400 miles per dollar. Cheap thrills. The test has filled in a lot of uncertainty about the scooter’s usage. I know that I can make it to the clinic (or anywhere else in town) and back, with power to spare on a battery charge.
So now the warm weather has started fading. 50s to 30s will be the norm for a while. A light freeze here and there. But that will encourage tequila lime poultry roasting. I need to get a bag of chicken quarters. I have the turkey.
The shrimp is still on sale, but 15 lb in the freezer is enough. I am well stocked. Grocery shopping will be minimal, mostly perishables. And I’ll have a boatload to do in this week. Myka is helping on the jambalaya, volunteering to help with the shrimp. She is happy to be back in my graces and hogging the LZB when I’m not in it.
This Saturday is a jam session in Bryan that I hope to make, a special event in the old workshop. I’m looking forward to it.
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Into the afternoon, after a lot of morning and noontime sleep, I got the dishes washed, Myka fed, ice bin and ice cube trays filled, I am ready to start dicing onion and pepper, digging out the spices, and get after the black eyed peas w/hambone. Just having a short break to gather a bit of energy.
Cornbread still looks good. I’m thinking of doing a folded pastrami sandwich to reduce bulk for NYD. Adding the spudacado and brie is taxing, especially with the jambalaya in plentiful supply. And the spudacado will be a small potato, not the usual plateful. Keep the serving size to a minimum until the 2nd will be the rule. Afterwards, portions can swell, when the servings are fewer. I’ll have a full week of food to do in on a balanced spoilage priority system, avocado and cornbread being the top priority, with jambalaya. Then pastrami and brie, then peas and cheesecake. This is not to say that the cheesecake can’t be eaten on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th… It’s just that it won’t have priority. Suffice to say that I like all seven items in the shuffle, so I won’t fuss at which has to take a backseat to the rest. (I need to finish off the last piece chocolate cream pie today, after jambalaya.)
I rescheduled the flu shot for Thursday the 2nd at 10am. Hopefully nothing will get in the way this time.
Turned out to be a fairly nice day in the 60s, sunny, a little on the breezy side from the north.
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Peas are resting on the stovetop.
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Right click to open a full size image in a new window.
I performed the end-of-year hard drive housekeeping. Not everything is in the correct folder, but it’s on the correct drive, for the most part. At least the catchall drive is empty. There is still email to archive, but nothing else.
I finished the baked potato soup and spaghetti. There is still plenty of jambalaya and two pieces of chocolate cream pie. I’m planning on a bacon gouda burger tomorrow. I’m keeping an eye on the bread (pastrami), cornbread, and crackers (brie) for signs of spoilage. I’ll need all three on NYD. Payday is NYE morning, so I can get replacements with mad money. The ham bone is in the sink, thawing for the batch of black eyed peas. I may need to peel the avocado and cover with lime juice.
I’ll reiterate the NYD menu (#4): Black eyed peas, buttered cornbread, pastrami and swiss on honey wheat, brie and crackers, avocado on buttered spud w/bacon, cheesecake. Sounds like good luck to me.
I started petting Myka this morning, and she attacked my arm. I have no idea what triggered her. If not for the denim shirt and watch, the damage would have been much worse. So she is now catus non grata. She is really missing all the treats, just kibbles and water. Office door is closed. This distracted me from the flu vaccine, the fourth time that I missed it this fall/winter. I’ll reschedule yet again.
I got the phone holder on the scooter for GPS apps, and the mirrors got moved to the handlebars. A snug fit on the crossbar, but it works. The scooter is complete. I’m ready to give it a battery range test. One of these days, I’ll use it for a serious reason. I still use the truck for that, now that it’s running. But I am glad that I got it. It will be a good alternative to walking in the years ahead.
Sleeping a lot. Seems to be a trend on these short days. I keep being surprised about how early it is after the sun goes down, especially around 8 or 9 pm.
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I tested the crackers and bread, and while neither were spoiled, they were stale. So I made a store run and paid cash, $6. Now all I have to watch is avocado and cornbread.
Myka is trying hard to get back in my graces. The lack of salad, treats, wet food, nibbles, and puree is hard on her. And she misses the company. She is trying, standing at the office door, ready to dart in, and crying and scooting when I barked a deep NO. She’s hanging in the kitchen when I’m in there, hopeful, presenting her best side. She does not like the cold shoulder. She also knows better, but sometimes she forgets.
I’m ready for the new year, the first few weeks of it, at least.
Most days are slow when you’re retireded. A fact of long life. Live fast, die old, have a ragged corpse. (Apologies to John Derek.) Even with days in the 70s, sunshine, open windows. The relaxation is pure, there’s no fighting the elements. I haven’t spun a wheel today, I haven’t seriously considered it.
I scheduled a flu shot for Sunday at 11 am. I was hoping to have it in November. And then… Well, I wanted a few days between the holiday and an injection, and on the after side, for the pharmacist. But flu cases are rising. Even though I’m not being social, I still wear a mask, and I wash my hands, it’s a good idea. And the doctors and nurses won’t nag.
I have one more serving of potato soup to go. I just used all the remaining spaghetti sauce on a single plate, it is extinct. That leaves jambalaya and quick fix. Brats, tamales, pizza, fish fillets, pot pies, et al. I’m thinking a bacon gouda burger in there would work, now that the spaghetti is gone. Four days to go until menu #4. Easy. I’ll probably shop for it on Sunday after the jab. Not much to get. Not getting too close to the event to test the stores’ stock.
No complaints. No stress. Hanging in.
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Well, I made the store run for NYD. Cheesecake, cornbread, pastrami, avocado, brie (2 new traditions, on sale). Also kolaches, minis, spuds, and shrimp. (I used a pound of shrimp in the jambalaya, and 15 pounds in the freezer sounds better than 14 pounds.) So unless I need bread, I’m done with the stores this year. I hope I wasn’t too early on the avocados and cornbread.
It was a slow day after, nothing to box (except the chaos). Trash got swapped for recycling. Dishes got washed. Myka got tended. I ate baked potato soup. That’s about it. I slept a lot, again.
Debating whether to eat spaghetti or jambalaya for dinner. Jambalaya is not as labor intensive. It’s also more freshly made.
Thinking about menu #4, when to shop, money to be spent, when to cook the peas. The rest will be ready to eat out of the store. (Make the sandwich, butter the cornbread, size of the cornbread, when they will be sold out, etc.) I’ll need kolaches too. Do I want more shrimp (14 lb enough?), avocados?
Haven’t had the desire to go anywhere today. 1.07″ of rain today, lots of thunder. Pretty discouraging for wanderlust. Besides, nothing on the shopping list for the weekend. It was a day to just wind down from the cooking, traditions, etc.
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Myka has had her wet food, kibbles, treats, salad, and puree, and add a brushing and two pettings. But she is filing a complaint that she hasn’t had her jambalaya today. Hey, neither have I. (I had baked potato soup and spaghetti. No pie yet.)
Another sleepy day, chocked full of procrastination and lumpin’. But I got the jambalaya made while the sun was still shining. And Myka got all four nibbles, chicken, pork tenderloin, scallops, and especially shrimp (2.5). Now I have spaghetti, baked potato soup, and jambalaya to do in before they spoil. And there’s chocolate cream pie for dessert. I’m hoping that the lack of appetite will give way to good taste. Breaking the rules, potato, pasta, and rice in the same cycle. But what are holidays for?
We had 0.7″ of rain last night, accompanied by thunder, but at least most of the booming kept its distance. Myka still hid away for a while. Good news, the truck started this morning without a hitch. Now I can focus on changing the spark plugs.
There was a train derailment in Phillipsburg yesterday morning, a little over 5 miles south. It’s BNSF, same tracks that run just west of here, down from Somerville. It was carrying coal, and there was amazingly little spillage, so clean up will be minimal. The spin off of this is that I discovered the Zither Music Company, and their primary product is custom music stands made of fine wood, a number the same woods used in my bones. The purpleheart guitar stand caught my eye, for the Egee. It might be February before I have the loose funds to get one, but it’s definitely on the list. https://zitherusa.com/
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Now I need to cut into the chocolate cream pie, now that I’ve had the first bowl of jambalaya. Hunger will not be tolerated here. Thanksgiving, Birthday, Christmas, New Year’s, four heavy menu cycles in a row. Whew!
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I cut the pie and made a piece disappear. So my tradition is upheld, jambalaya and dessert. Now I just eat according to keeping power in the fridge. Soup will get the priority, 2 liters left. Then spaghetti and jambalaya are equal. I’m not complaining. It’s all yummy.
One thing that pleases me, no more xmas muzak blaring over the PA. I can relax at the stores again. It doesn’t mean that I intend to hang out there, but when I do go…
I topped off the truck with a can of SeaFoam. It’s been sitting idle with little fresh fuel flowing. So that will help stabilize the old gas, dissolve any tars or varnish before they get to the fuel injectors. My present for the truck.
It’s a damp Christmas. Mild temps, about 60°F, but sporadic sprinkles made everything damp. No family outside, hanging away from the main group. Just dark, damp cars packed along the street. Practically no traffic.
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This morning has by and large been one of sleep. I made a store run early for minis so I won’t run out on the holiday when the store is closed. I took jambalaya ingredients from the freezer to thaw for prepping. But that was about it. The rest of the time was spent sawing logs.
Last night, I got bungee cords for the scooter, along with washer fluid and SeaFoam for the truck. It was a quick run, all on the same aisle.
Basically it’s a write-off day thus far. Windows are open, but traffic is pretty buzzy, people scrambling to get things for tomorrow. But not me. Today I put washer fluid from the old bottle in the truck to top it off, to make room for the new bottle. My outdoor labor for the day, thus far.
I have a few chores to attend, washing a few dishes, laundry, wet jet the kitchen floor, and jambalaya prep. And I need to eat large portions of baked potato soup and spaghetti. This is not a day to lose an appetite. Eat! Eat!
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I got most of the chores done before dark, dishes, mopping, Myka’s salad… I was waiting for the dryer to finish before doing prep, and I dozed off for a couple of hours. When I woke, Myka was perched next to me on the night table, watching me. I hear a little rumbling a short while later, before I get up. Turns out to be lightning a few miles south, around Phillipsburg where they had the train derailment this morning. But it’s bypassing town.
So now I’m awake, Myka is okay, and it’s time to start prepping for jambalaya. Myka wants her puree. My body is not listening to either of us.
The phone holder for the scooter has shipped from Santa Clara, CA. USPS says that it’s due on Monday.
I made a store run last night. I didn’t need much, parmesan and cheddar (for spaghetti and baked potato soup), replacement spaghetti and sauce, a chocolate cream pie for the holidays, and vitamins. It makes the visit to the clinic today for lab easier. Shopping after getting stuck is never amusing. And I went late enough to avoid the holiday shoppers. I’ll be glad when Thursday is here, to exile the screaming Xmas muzak deep into history.
The only run today is the lab. It’s a walk-in, so whenever I feel up to it. I expect mid-morning.
This is expected to be a mild week, in the 70s for highs. No complaints from me. Dew point will hang in the 60s all week. No alpaca required.
It’s still difficult getting free of the consternation of the past three months. It didn’t need to last that long, but it did, for all sorts of reasons. Part of it was my procrastination, giving my comfort top billing. That sounds worse than it was, health, meds, weather, sleep patterns, and more played a role in comfort. Being up for it is perhaps a better narrative at my age. But there were other factors, research, which is never straight forward, ordering online and shipping, avoidance of the more demanding replacements until last. But then I see people in videos who spent more time on the same issue, and they’re a lot younger and haler than me. It’s nice to get it fixed, but it’s not easy shedding the tribulations of the last three months in a day’s time.
Another issue I’m trying to constrain is the impulse to spend money when I’m trying to stop the financial bleeding. Yes, I got an electric scooter this month, and it was a draining purchase, counting accessories. But I am buying stuff that could wait until later, simply for the convenience of not having to think about it. True, I am not going broke, and my limits are mathematically arbitrary, based primarily on federal regulations. But still, I’m not showing discipline in the face of lazy habits.
I don’t regret getting the scooter. I need an alternative mode of transportation for when the truck isn’t available transportation. And it will be handy going for going downtown when there’s a crowd and parking is impossible. It will take me farther than I can walk, which is an issue I needed to address. Timing financially wasn’t the greatest, but I have it now. I still need to range test it.
I just ordered a phone holder for the scooter. One thing that wasn’t going to wait.
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The truck started right up in 38°F weather this morning. That’s something the old ICM wouldn’t do. The truck is back. Never mind that I would not drive in 38° weather without a heater core, if for no other reason than defogging.
I finally managed to eat a bowl of soup, about 11 am. I also started laundry. Dishes will wait until it’s a little warmer. I got through this morning’s Ytube uploads. Not much planned for the day, intentionally. I need to slow down the gears.
I’m having a hard time of breaking the pattern of hope, joy, crush, hope, joy, crush… But this time is different. I can tell from the sound of the engine. It speaks power, imperious meter, synchronicity, the voice of a well tuned instrument. The truck is back, after a three month odyssey. Many of its details are logged here, many aren’t. I endured, certain that the truck would run again, regardless of how the price demanded payment. It’s the party truck, it can’t die yet.
Anyway, the truck can take the back seat for a while, once a few more things are done. I’ll wait until spring to handle the final parts of the upgrade. One, because there are other projects, and two, I’ll do better work in mild weather, and three, finances will be better to finish the purchases.
Today, I’m just looking to kick back and take it easy.
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I took a cruise about town, looking at scooter trails and stuff, generally feeling how the truck feels, and paying attention to the steering. I pretty much assess the suspension and ball joints to be okay. And bouncing the truck frame seems to be fine. It is in the steering, from turning the wheel while listening under the hood, so I know what to inspect when I crawl under the front end.
Besides checking out the truck, it gave me the sense that I am again mobile, I can drive on a whim, go where I please. The stores are packed, so I didn’t get near the parking lots. It helps the sense of dread with having the truck fail after each successful replacement. It’s relaxing to be back behind the wheel without a fear of it dying. I needed that, though bringing something home would have been better. Next time, maybe this evening.
I’m a little slow on chores, though the laundry is in the dryer. Myka is a little flustered at being denied her daily due on a timely basis. Though nothing is late by the clock, just her sense of entitlement.
I cleaned up the ICM heat sink about noon, using contact cleaner and a stiff wire brush. Once thoroughly dry, I applied the Arctic Silver 5 to the new module plate in a thin coat, then mounted it to the heat sink with 6 ft-lb of torque on the screws.
I let it set for half an hour, then I went through the royal pain of installing it back under the hood. Blind in reverse requires aligning the bolt holes and inserting the bolts blind, one-handedly, with all sorts of obstacles in the way. I used a flexible wire on top to get the bottom holes bolted together, then the top ones. Once the bolts were inserted, it was ratcheting until they were tight. Then snap the connector in place.
Then the truck started and ran as it should. I took it for a cruise around the block, it drove as it should. So while the upgrade is not complete, the truck is back. I have replaced all the suspect parts. And most needed replacing. So I don’t expect more failures. I am confident to say I saved the worst replacement for last, and it was one of the culprits, and the last one. There are other parts, but they are not functionally suspect. If they were faulty, the engine would still be down. And the ICM was the last suspect because it had PITA written all over it, and if it was good, the prospect of not having to replace it right away was appealing. But I did, and it was a PITA, but it was bad, so necessary. There isn’t anything else that would fix the problem. It’s all fixed.
So, the truck has a new ignition system (minus spark plugs, they’re next). And it runs like it has one. All the years of nagging little ignition problems are gone. No uncertainties. Dependable. Off the emotional roller coaster.
I got distracted and cooked the spaghetti too long, and it was considerably more filling than expected. It will be a few hours before I want any of the soup.
I have store runs to make, not big, but parmesan and cheddar stock will be stressed. And I’m without cake or pie in the fridge (minis not included) for the holiday. So maybe tomorrow. No hurry. And I can get the lab done Monday or Tuesday.
Part of me has been so traumatized by the ups and downs of running/not running, it’s difficult to accept that it’s back in full running condition, despite logic fully supporting it. I’m getting hammered with “don’t you dare feel relief”. Ah, the magical afterglow of post-trauma. I think the biggest relief will be financial. To have to send mad money at the end of the month, how long has it been? At least I didn’t go broke. In wishing for a new target for mad money, I have to say, be careful what you wish for.
But hey, at least I avoided getting a mobility scooter.
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I keep rejecting the impulse to go start the truck. It’s in the 40s, where it was having the problems. But it’s also late at night. I have trust that it will start, after all the dashed hopes, I can resist the dire need to prove that it starts when cold. The sound of the engine starting this last time told me that it will.
I’m still waiting for an appetite.