Well that should show me!

Here I was talking about the unseasonable weather and, sure enough, we went from 70's to 90's almost over night.  (That's like 22 to 32 Celsius.)  That will show me!  I guess that's why we have lots of a/c around here.  Also I suggested our soil is light and  loose; I've been corrected by a local guy who says this is a type of clay.  I can see where he is correct because 1) this stuff doesn't blow around and 2) that's why it is so nasty when a little water is added.  So, I'm an idiot.  If you hadn't noticed before.

Otherwise it's life in the same place for us.  I did manage to go to both of our grocery stores yesterday and scored the last package of paper towels.  I'm going around the store wondering if someone is going to try to steal them out of the cart.  LOL  It's a strange world out there!  Only saw three guys wearing firearms though so it hasn't changed that much.

I've been reading about China creating a 5G blockchain network.  I'm a former IT person and this stuff is way beyond anything I can understand.  It starts out as understandable but then when you think about where it might go; it gets weird.  I understand China's desire for secret communication within their government but this gets dangerous when it is opened to others.  It is a Communist state that keeps a close eye on it's citizens.  What are they doing making this impenetrable communications network that will be available to major companies?  And, of course, what happens when it is breached?  As far as I know no one knows how to break a blockchain today but we all know that someone will figure it out one day.  Yeah, I'm reading too much on the internet!

Speaking of too much internet, I've read that fentynal comes from the Wuhan area so having most of the world in lockdown reduced the availability of the stuff.  That would be great if drug dealers weren't just raising their prices.  Hopefully some people will get help and get off the train. 

Gotta go.  I'm going to try reading a book!  Take care & keep washing those hands.

Quiet times

I guess we aren't the only ones having quiet times these days.  We are trying to order take-out from a couple of our favorite restaurants every few days.  Ordinarily we eat lunch out practically every day; I wonder of those days will ever return?  It has to be very difficult for these small places to survive this closure.  Some will certainly not re-open.

My wife made masks for us to wear when out in public.  I feel pretty silly wandering around in it and it is really warm but what the heck.  She went to the effort to make the darned things.  Actually, she has never worn hers; she lets me go to the store unsupervised!  It usually works out ok.  I'm really lousy at finding paper towels though.  She hasn't really been out of the house in over two weeks and I'm just as glad.  She had bronchitis a couple years ago and we aren't sure she ever fully recovered.

We are gradually getting to 70F (21C) around here and nights are around 45F (7C).  That is kind of cool for this time of year.  Usually we are in the mid-80's (29C) by now.  It has been a rather wet spring for the desert though which means the weeds are growing really well.  I sprayed them about a month ago and just got done doing it all over again.  Grrr!  When I say wet weather, we are talking about .7 inch (18 mm) in the month.  That isn't much, of course, but the ground around here is a very loose, light soil.  With a little rain it turns into mud that will stop a 4WD in it's tracks.  I always get a kick out of some idiot who had to prove what a great offroad vehicle he has and it is totally covered in mud! 

We live in a very conservative area; we pass at least 3 or 4 'Trump 2020' flags or banners in the 2 miles to town.  Who are these people?  How can women support the sexist jerk?  How can Christians support the golfer-in-chief?  How can veterans support the draft-dodger-in-chief?  How can people of color support  Mr. White-guy?  Look at his advisors!  White and related to him are the outstanding qualities of most of them.  Knowledge, not required.  Intelligence, not required.  Good looks, oh yeah, that is important.  Oh well, it gives me a chance to think about something other than the virus.

Take care and keep on washing those hands!  Thanks for stopping by.

The good old days!

I must say that self-quarantining isn't the most exciting thing we've ever done.  We are trying to limit the trips where we actually go into a store to a couple a week.  We are also trying to order out from a couple of our favorite places at least two or three times a week.  My wife has been working on making protective masks for us (at least for me, she hasn't been out yet).  Dumb and ugly but perhaps workable.  Generally people are being pretty good; they don't crowd much and all that.  I was in the store buying vegies the other day; those darned plastic bags you have to use are difficult to open normally but when you are wearing a mask and can't moisten your fingers!  Damn!  Then I figured out that the store has misters that blow mist on some of the stuff.  A water source!  Hurrah!

One of the things I have done in the past is to build a file containing photos from our past.  Then I use that file in the Windows Settings-Personalization-Background.  I choose a 'Slideshow' then use that album for my slideshow.  That way I get to see a different photo from our past every minute.  I've done various themes:  countries we have visited; places we've lived; our family.  It's not rocket science but it is kind of fun to revisit those memories.  Seeing as how I have so little to say these days I thought maybe I'd post a few photos from those olden times.  Back in 1970 I had a little time before I needed to report to the Army, I had a little money and I decided I wanted to see as much of Europe as I could.  I managed to see a little of most of Western Europe.  When my wife and I decided to visit Europe in 1990 I knew she was going to be in for some really eye-opening moments.  I'm talking simple things like not recognizing the money in your hand and not being able to read simple signage.  So for that first trip I told her we'd only do England.  I dearly love Great Britain and there, at least, we could read the signs!  So here I'm going to start with a couple photos from our 1990 trip to Britain.  Let's start in London.

Then there is the beautiful countryside.  With the appropriate not-sunny weather.

Then there is that first trip on the wrong side of the road!

You've gotta visit some castles.

More amazing scenery.

This, believe it or not, is a section of Hadrian's Wall keeping those nasty Scot's in their place.  (Well, their ancestors anyway.  Hmmm, my ancestors as it happens.)

We aren't in Kansas anymore!

And ending up in London again ready to hop on the plane for home.

Hope you've enjoyed the ancient photo tour from 1990!  Take care, wash your hands a lot, use sanitizer and stay healthy!